Rodrigo Astudillo

Rodrigo Daniel Astudillo (born 23 November 1977) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Born in Jesús María, Córdoba, he played professionally in Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Brazil and Colombia. He was a member of the San Lorenzo team that won the inaugural 2002 Copa Sudamericana, finishing as the competition's joint top scorer with four goals.

Club career Astudillo began his professional career with Talleres de Córdoba, making his first-team debut on 5 October 1996. He made 173 appearances and scored 40 goals for the club, and was part of the teams that won the 1997–98 Primera B Nacional and the 1999 Copa CONMEBOL.

In 2001, he moved abroad to join Mexican club Cruz Azul. He returned to Argentina with Estudiantes de La Plata in 2002 before signing for San Lorenzo later that year.

Astudillo enjoyed one of the most successful periods of his career at San Lorenzo. He helped the club win the inaugural 2002 Copa Sudamericana under manager Rubén Darío Insúa. Astudillo scored four goals during the competition, making him San Lorenzo's leading scorer and a joint top scorer of the tournament.

In 2005, Astudillo joined Peruvian club Alianza Lima, where he also appeared in the 2005 Copa Libertadores. He returned to Argentina the following year to play for Nueva Chicago. Astudillo scored six goals during the 2006 Primera B Nacional Clausura as Chicago won the tournament and subsequently secured promotion to the Primera División.

In August 2006, Astudillo moved to Chile and signed for Universidad de Chile. At the time of his arrival, Chilean media highlighted his previous success with San Lorenzo and his experience in several foreign leagues. He quickly became one of the team's principal attacking players during the 2006 Clausura, making 15 appearances and scoring seven goals. By the quarter-finals against Cobreloa, contemporary reports identified Astudillo as Universidad de Chile's leading scorer in the tournament with seven goals.

After leaving Universidad de Chile at the end of 2006, Astudillo continued his career in Brazil with América de Natal.

Personal life Both his father, Eduardo, and his younger brother, Federico, were professional footballers as well. Eduardo represented Argentina in 1980.

Honours Talleres Copa CONMEBOL: 1999 San Lorenzo Copa Sudamericana: 2002