Javier Pinola

Javier Horacio Pinola (born 24 February 1983) is an Argentine professional football coach and a former player who played as a left-back. He is an assistant coach with German club 1. FC Nürnberg. He started his career with Chacarita Juniors in 2000, but spent most of his professional career with Nürnberg, appearing in 286 competitive games and winning the 2007 German Cup.

Club career

Born in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province, Pinola began playing as a senior with Chacarita Juniors in the Argentine Primera División. Two years later he moved to Spain and Atlético Madrid, going on to appear mainly for the reserves and also being loaned two times for the duration of his contract, mainly to Germany's 1. FC Nürnberg.

After solid displays in his first two seasons in the Bundesliga, adding the conquest of the German Cup in his second, to which he contributed with two goals and two assists in six games, Pinola joined Nürnberg on a permanent basis. He played 19 matches in his first year in his second spell, suffering team relegation.

Pinola continued to be a defensive mainstay for the Franconians in the following campaigns, renewing his contract first until 2013 then 2015 but leaving eventually at the end of 2014–15 after rejecting a new offer.

On 24 June 2015, Pinola was presented as a new player of Rosario Central, joining after being convinced by manager Eduardo Coudet.

International career In 2007, Pinola was selected by Argentina manager Alfio Basile for friendlies with Switzerland and Algeria. He earned his first cap against the latter, on 5 June.

In 2016, following a string of good performances, head coach Gerardo Martino called up Pinola for 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia. He played the full 90 minutes against the former, in a 2–0 win in Córdoba.

Career statistics

Honours Nürnberg DFB-Pokal: 2006–07

River Plate Argentine Primera División: 2021 Copa Argentina: 2016–17, 2018-19 Supercopa Argentina: 2017, 2019 Trofeo de Campeones: 2021 Copa Libertadores: 2018 Recopa Sudamericana: 2019

Argentina U20 South American Youth Football Championship: 2003