{{Short description|Chilean footballer (born 1979)}} {{family name hatnote|Tello|Valenzuela|lang=Spanish}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Rodrigo Tello | image = Tello bjk 2009.jpg | upright = 1.1 | caption = Tello playing for Beşiktaş in 2009 | full_name = Rodrigo Álvaro Tello Valenzuela | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|10|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Santiago, Chile | height = 1.70 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | youthyears1 = 1992–1995 | youthclubs1 = Colo-Colo | youthyears2 = 1995–1999 | youthclubs2 = Universidad de Chile | years1 = 1999–2000 | clubs1 = Universidad de Chile | caps1 = 53 | goals1 = 7 | years2 = 2001–2007 | clubs2 = Sporting CP | caps2 = 113 | goals2 = 8 | years3 = 2007–2010 | clubs3 = Beşiktaş | caps3 = 87 | goals3 = 15 | years4 = 2010–2014 | clubs4 = Eskişehirspor | caps4 = 79 | goals4 = 3 | years5 = 2014 | clubs5 = Elazığspor | caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 2 | years6 = 2014–2015 | clubs6 = Şanlıurfaspor | caps6 = 29 | goals6 = 2 | years7 = 2015–2016 | clubs7 = Audax Italiano | caps7 = 10 | goals7 = 0 | totalcaps = 385 | totalgoals = 37 | nationalyears1 = 2000 | nationalteam1 = Chile U23 | nationalcaps1 = 5 <!-- Sydney 2000 --> | nationalgoals1 = 1 | nationalyears2 = 2000–2010 | nationalteam2 = Chile | nationalcaps2 = 36 | nationalgoals2 = 3 | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{flagu|Chile}}}} {{MedalSport|Men's Football}}{{MedalBronze|2000 Sydney|Team Competition}} }}
'''Rodrigo Álvaro Tello Valenzuela''' (born 14 October 1979) is a Chilean former professional footballer. He operated mainly as a left midfielder, but could also appear in the middle and as an attacking left back.
He spent the better part of his early professional career in Portugal with Sporting, where he arrived at only 21. In 2007, he moved to Turkey where he remained several years, notably representing Beşiktaş and Eskişehirspor.
A Chilean international for a full decade, Tello represented the country at the Olympic Bronze Medalist in Sydney 2000, 2010 World Cup and the 2007 Copa América, He is currently a player representative at RC Sports Management.
==Club career== Born in Santiago, as a child Tello was with Colo-Colo from 1992 to 1995.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rodrigo Tello reveló detalles de su desconocido paso por Colo Colo |url=https://www.encancha.cl/futbol-chileno/2020/7/30/rodrigo-tello-revelo-detalles-de-su-desconocido-paso-por-colo-colo-48632.html |website=www.encancha.cl |access-date=19 July 2022 |language=es |date=30 July 2020}}</ref> Next he moved to Club Universidad de Chile and began his career making his professional debuts in 1999. He quickly made a good impression, being named the best midfielder in the country in 2000 and being transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal for a fee of €7 million in January of the following year, alongside compatriot Mario Cáceres; at the time, it was a club record for the Primeira Liga side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/Sporting/interior.aspx?content_id=63532|title=Luz-verde para Rodrigo Tello|trans-title=Green light to Rodrigo Tello|publisher=Record|language=pt|date=4 January 2001|access-date=24 April 2014}}</ref>
After a slow start, Tello eventually became an important first-team member – although he would be used mainly as a substitute – and even saw some time at left back.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/Sporting/interior.aspx?content_id=91187|title=O "novo" Tello e o "velhos" Pintos|trans-title="New" Tello and "old" Pintos|publisher=Record|language=pt|date=5 July 2001|access-date=24 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.record.xl.pt/Futebol/Nacional/1a_liga/Sporting/interior.aspx?content_id=156558|title=Rui Jorge na calha para render Tello|trans-title=Rui Jorge poised to replace Tello|publisher=Record|language=pt|date=6 April 2003|access-date=24 April 2014}}</ref>
In the 2007 summer, Tello moved to Turkey and signed with Beşiktaş, being named to the ''Team of the Season'' in his second year as his team won the double. On 25 November 2009, during a UEFA Champions League group stage game against Manchester United, he scored from 25 yards to beat Ben Foster and help to a 1–0 win, the first match in that stage of the competition the English had lost at Old Trafford in eight years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01df-0e736325209f-f12f6dd7b413-1000--besiktas-triumph-at-old-trafford/|title=Beşiktaş triumph at Old Trafford|publisher=UEFA|date=25 November 2009|access-date=18 November 2015}}</ref>
On 25 July 2010, aged 30, Tello left Beşiktaş but continued in the Süper Lig, signing a three-year contract with Eskişehirspor. In January 2014, he moved to fellow league club Elazığspor, transferring to Şanlıurfaspor of the second division in June.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.goal.com/tr/news/453/transfer-dosyas%C4%B1/2014/06/23/4908180/rodrigo-tello-%C5%9Fanl%C4%B1urfasporla-anla%C5%9Ft%C4%B1|title=Rodrigo Tello Şanlıurfaspor'la anlaştı|trans-title=Rodrigo Tello agrees terms with Şanlıurfaspor|website=Goal.com|language=tr|date=23 June 2014|access-date=23 February 2016}}</ref>
Tello returned to his country after a 15-year absence, agreeing to a one-year deal at Audax Italiano on 4 August 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.latercera.com/noticia/deportes/2015/08/656-641541-9-rodrigo-tello-refuerza-a-audax-italiano-y-vuelve-a-chile-tras-15-anos.shtml|title=Rodrigo Tello refuerza a Audax Italiano y vuelve a Chile tras 15 años|trans-title=Rodrigo Tello bolsters Audax Italiano and returns to Chile after 15 years|publisher=La Tercera|language=es|date=4 August 2015|access-date=23 February 2016}}</ref> On 28 April of the following year, the 36-year-old announced his retirement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://t24.com.tr/haber/besiktasin-eski-futbolcusu-rodrigo-tello-futbolu-birakti,338157|title=Beşiktaş'ın eski futbolcusu Rodrigo Tello futbolu bıraktı|trans-title=Former Beşiktaş player Rodrigo Tello quit football|publisher=T24|language=tr|date=28 April 2016|access-date=28 April 2016}}</ref>
==International career== A full Chilean international since his early 20s, Tello represented the country at the 2007 Copa América, where the national side exited in the last-eight after a 6–1 loss against eventual winners Brazil, and at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, playing in the second half of the round-of-16 3–0 defeat to the same opponents.<ref>{{FIFA player|177270}}</ref>
He also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/te/rodrigo-tello-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418024931/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/te/rodrigo-tello-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|title=Rodrigo Tello|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 July 2009}}</ref>
==Career statistics==
===Club=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/rodrigo-alvaro-tello-valenzuela/4627/|title=R. Tello|work=Soccerway|access-date=24 April 2014}}</ref> |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Total |- !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="5"|Sporting CP ||2003–04 |3||0||0||0||0||0||2||0||5||0 |- ||2004–05 |9||1||0||0||0||0||6||0||15||1 |- ||2005–06 |20||1||0||0||0||0||3||0||23||1 |- ||2006–07 |24||2||0||0||0||0||6||0||30||2 |- !Total !56!!4!!0!!0!!0!!0!!17!!0!!73!!4 |- |rowspan="4"|Beşiktaş ||2007–08 |29||5||0||0||1||0||8||1||38||6 |- ||2008–09 |32||6||8||1||0||0||4||1||44||8 |- ||2009–10 |26||4||4||0||1||0||6||1||37||5 |- !Total !87!!15!!12!!1!!2!!0!!18!!3!!119!!19 |- |rowspan="5"|Eskişehirspor ||2010–11 |16||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||17||0 |- ||2011–12 |33||1||3||0||0||0||0||0||36||1 |- ||2012–13 |27||2||5||1||0||0||3||0||35||3 |- ||2013–14 |3||0||3||1||0||0||0||0||6||1 |- !Total !79!!3!!12!!2!!0!!0!!3!!0!!94!!5 |- |Elazığspor ||2013–14 |14||2||1||0||0||0||0||0||15||2 |- |Şanlıurfaspor ||2014–15 |29||2||0||0||0||0||0||0||29||2 |- |Audax Italiano ||2015–16 |10||0||3||1||0||0||0||0||13||1 |- !colspan="2"|Career total !275!!26!!28!!4!!2!!0!!38!!3!!343!!33 |}
===International=== :''Scores and results list Chile's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tello goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Rodrigo Tello |- !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |- | style="text-align:center"|1 || 23 September 2000 || Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile || {{fb|Honduras}} || style="text-align:center"|1–0 || style="text-align:center"|5–2 || Friendly |- | style="text-align:center"|2 || 29 March 2000 || Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina || {{fb|Argentina}} || style="text-align:center"|1–1 || style="text-align:center"|1–4 || 2002 World Cup qualification |- | style="text-align:center"|3 || 30 May 2010 || Estadio Municipal, Concepción, Chile || {{fb|ISR}} || style="text-align:center"|3–0 || style="text-align:center"|3–0 || Friendly |}
==Honours==
'''Universidad de Chile''' *Chilean Primera División: 1999, 2000 *Copa Chile: 2000
'''Sporting CP''' *Primeira Liga: 2001–02 *Taça de Portugal: 2001–02, 2006–07 *Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2000, 2002 *UEFA Cup runner-up: 2004–05
'''Beşiktaş''' *Süper Lig: 2008–09 *Turkish Cup: 2008–09
'''Chile U23''' *Summer Olympic Games bronze: 2000
'''Chile'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Rodrigo Tello |url=https://www.partidosdelaroja.com/2000/02/rodrigo-tello.html |website=Partidos de la Roja |access-date=19 July 2022 |language=es}}</ref> *{{ill|Copa Ciudad de Valparaíso|es|vertical-align=sup}}: {{ill|Copa Ciudad de Valparaíso|lt=2000|es|Copa Ciudad de Valparaíso|vertical-align=sup}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{ForaDeJogo}} *{{TFF player|1064156}} *{{NFT player|8302}}
{{Navboxes |title=Chile squads | bg = #DC241F | fg = White |bordercolor= #0035ad |list1= {{Chile Squad 2000 Summer Olympics}} {{Chile Squad 2007 Copa América}} {{Chile Squad 2010 World Cup}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tello, Rodrigo}} Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Santiago, Chile Category:Chilean men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Club Universidad de Chile footballers Category:Audax Italiano footballers Category:Sporting CP footballers Category:Beşiktaş J.K. footballers Category:Eskişehirspor footballers Category:Elazığspor footballers Category:Şanlıurfaspor footballers Category:Chilean Primera División players Category:Primeira Liga players Category:Süper Lig players Category:TFF 1. Lig players Category:Olympic footballers for Chile Category:Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in football Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Chile Category:Chile men's international footballers Category:2007 Copa América players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:Chilean expatriate men's footballers Category:Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Portugal Category:Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey