{{Short description|Salvadoran footballer (1959–2025)}} {{redirects|Chelona|the locality in Queensland, Australia|Chelona, Queensland}} {{similar names|Jaime Rodríguez Calderón|James Rodríguez (disambiguation)}} {{family name hatnote|Rodríguez|Jiménez|lang=Spanish}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}} {{EngvarB|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jaime Rodríguez | image = | full_name = Jaime Alberto Rodríguez Jiménez | birth_date = {{birth date|1959|1|17|df=y}} | birth_place = San Salvador, El Salvador | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|9|14|1959|1|17|df=y}} | death_place = | height = 1.85 m | position = Right-back<br>Centre back | youthyears1 = 1974 | youthclubs1 = Negocios Internacionales | years1 = 1975–1977 | clubs1 = Alianza | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1978–1979 | clubs2 = FAS | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1980–1982 | clubs3 = Bayer Uerdingen | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 1982–1987 | clubs4 = Léon | caps4 = 139 | goals4 = 6 | years5 = 1984–1985 | clubs5 = → KPV (loan) | caps5 = 18 | goals5 = 4 | years6 = 1987–1990 | clubs6 = Atlas | caps6 = 67 | goals6 = 11 | years7 = 1990 | clubs7 = Alianza | caps7 = | goals7 = | years8 = 1991–1992 | clubs8 = NKK | caps8 = 18 | goals8 = 5 | years9 = 1992–1993 | clubs9 = Yokohama Flügels | years10 = 1994 | clubs10 = Alianza | caps9 = 17 | goals9 = 4 | nationalyears1 = 1979–1991 | nationalteam1 = El Salvador | nationalcaps1 = 50 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | manageryears1 = 2000 | managerclubs1 = Alianza | manageryears2 = 2002 | managerclubs2 = San Salvador }}
'''Jaime Alberto Rodríguez Jiménez''' (17 January 1959 – 14 September 2025) was a Salvadoran football player.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elgrafico.com/futbol/Fiscalia-presenta-pruebas-contra-Jaime-Rodriguez-ex-presidente-del-INDES-20180321-0018.html|title = Fiscalía presenta pruebas contra Jaime Rodríguez, ex presidente del INDES}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.elgrafico.com/futbol/Abogado-de-Jaime-Rodriguez-admite-que-utilizaron-125-mil-del-INDES-para-estadio-Las-Delicias-20180430-0013.html|title=Abogado de Jaime Rodríguez admite que utilizaron $125 mil del INDES para estadio las Delicias}}</ref>
Rodríguez represented his country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.
==Playing career==
===Club career=== From an early age , Rodríguez showed talent. After being selected by C.D. Negocios Internacionales then Alianza, he began a football career, in the process becoming a great player in El Salvador, although not as highly rated as Mágico González.
A defender, Rodríguez played professionally for different clubs around the world. Among these were El Salvador's Alianza, Mexico's Club Léon and F.C. Atlas, and Germany's Bayer Uerdingen (now known as KFC Uerdingen 05). He also played for teams in Japan's NKK, Yokohama Flügels and Finland's KPV scoring 4 goals in 18 games during 1984–1985.
===International career=== Nicknamed ''La Chelona'', Rodríguez represented his country in fifteen FIFA World Cup qualification matches<ref>{{FIFA player|57018}}</ref> and played in all three matches at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.
His final international game was an April 1991 UNCAF Nations Cup qualification match against Nicaragua.
==Managerial career== After retiring from football, Rodríguez started a coaching career at Alianza, but was sacked in 2002. He was a strong advocate for improvement in football organisations and programs in El Salvador. He was also a strong supporter for financial aid to Salvadoran sporting heroes of the past who were in need.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.laprensagrafica.com/2011/10/03/por-pension-vitalicia-3/ | title = Por pensión vitalicia | language = Spanish | work = La Prensa Gráfica | date = 3 October 2011 | accessdate = 7 May 2013}}</ref>
In 2009, he became President of the Salvadoran Institute of Sport (INDES) and was appointed coordinator of the El Salvador national team and in 2007 became the assistant coach of the ''Cuscatlecos''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070705/accion/817647.asp |title="Chelona" deja su cargo |language=Spanish |work=La Prensa Gráfica |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224023437/http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20070705/accion/817647.asp |archivedate=24 December 2007 }}</ref>
Rodríguez participated in a charity match to raise funds for earthquake victims in his native El Salvador.
In 2012, Rodríguez was named member of the football commission of FIFA.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.diariocolatino.com/es/20120110/deportes/99184/%E2%80%9CTener-peso-es-lo-que-le-ha-faltado--a-El-Salvador%E2%80%9D-Jaime-Rodr%C3%ADguez.htm | title = "Tener peso es lo que le ha faltado a El Salvador" Jaime Rodríguez | language = Spanish | work = Diario Co Latino | date = 10 January 2012 | accessdate = 7 May 2013 | first = Manahen | last = González | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140417190303/http://www.diariocolatino.com/es/20120110/deportes/99184/%E2%80%9CTener-peso-es-lo-que-le-ha-faltado--a-El-Salvador%E2%80%9D-Jaime-Rodr%C3%ADguez.htm | archivedate = 17 April 2014 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>
==Death== Rodríguez died from a cardiac arrest on 14 September 2025, at the age of 66.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.elsalvador.com/deportes/futbol/selecta-chelona-rodriguez/1242389/2025/ | title = Fallece Jaime “Chelona” Rodríguez, exmundialista salvadoreño, a los 66 años | language = Spanish | work = El Salvador | date = 14 September 2025 | accessdate = 14 September 2025}}</ref>
== Playing statistics == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes Emperor's Cup.}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes J.League Cup.}} !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |NKK |1991–92 |JSL Division 2 |15||4||colspan="2"|–||0||0||15||4 |- |rowspan="3"|Yokohama Flügels |1992 |rowspan="2"|J1 League |colspan="2"|–||0||0||4||0||4||0 |- |1993 |2||0||0||0||0||0||2||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !2!!0!!0!!0!!4!!0!!6!!0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !17!!4!!0!!0!!4!!0!!21!!4 |}
{{notelist}}
==Honours== ===As a player=== '''Alianza''' * Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador: 1989–90
'''Yokohama Flügels''' * Emperor's Cup: 1993
'''Individual''' * Named in the Top 25 Players in 1986{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}} * Selection of the CONCACAF{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{NFT player}} * {{Worldfootball.net|jaime-rodriguez_3|new_id=pe60906}} * {{J.League player}}
{{El Salvador squad 1982 FIFA World Cup}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Jaime}} Category:1959 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Salvadoran men's footballers Category:Footballers from San Salvador Category:Men's association football defenders Category:El Salvador men's international footballers Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players Category:Liga MX players Category:Veikkausliiga players Category:Japan Soccer League players Category:J1 League players Category:Alianza FC (El Salvador) players Category:C.D. FAS footballers Category:KFC Uerdingen 05 players Category:Club León footballers Category:Kokkolan Palloveikot players Category:Atlas F.C. footballers Category:NKK SC players Category:Yokohama Flügels players Category:Salvadoran expatriate men's footballers Category:Salvadoran expatriate sportspeople in West Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in West Germany Category:Salvadoran expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Category:Salvadoran expatriate sportspeople in Finland Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Finland Category:Salvadoran expatriate sportspeople in Japan Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Japan Category:Alianza F.C. (El Salvador) managers