Gonzalo Jara (footballer, born 1985)

Club career

Born in Hualpén, Jara made his professional debut in 2003 for Huachipato, where he played until his 2007 transfer to Colo-Colo.

Colo-Colo agreed to transfer him to English Championship team West Bromwich Albion for a fee of $3 million in August 2009, but the buying club chose not to proceed with the deal. However, they later resurrected the deal and Jara signed for Albion for a fee of £1.4 million on a three-year contract on 25 August 2009. He scored his first goal for West Brom in a 2–1 away win against Leicester City on 7 November 2009. His second came against Arsenal on 25 September 2010, scoring in a 3–2 victory for West Brom at the Emirates Stadium.

On 21 October 2011, Jara joined Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion on a loan deal initially lasting until January 2012. However, on 20 December 2011, West Brom recalled him and two other players also on loan at other clubs due to an injury crisis. Jara returned to Brighton & Hove Albion on a loan deal lasting until the end of the season on 31 January 2012.

He joined another Championship side, Nottingham Forest, on loan until the end of the season on 10 January 2013. On 19 June, after his release from West Bromwich, he joined Forest on a permanent one-year deal. He was one of seven players released from the club on 27 May 2014.

On 16 July 2014, he was given a two-year contract with an option for a third year by Mainz 05. On 16 January 2016, he agreed to terminate his contract with them.

Back in Chile, Jara joined Unión La Calera in September 2021. The next year, he switched to Coquimbo Unido, his last club until December 2023.

International career

Youth teams

In 2005, Jara represented Chile at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, scoring a goal in Chile's 7–0 victory over Honduras. Jara was Chile's captain in the prestigious 2008 Under-23 Toulon Tournament, where he has played in the 5–3 victory against France, as well as the 2–0 victories against the Netherlands and Japan. He missed the semi-final match versus Ivory Coast due to yellow cards.

Senior team

He was chosen by coach Nelson Acosta to play for Chile during their 2006 tour through Europe where they played the Republic of Ireland in Dublin, Ivory Coast in Toulon and Sweden in Stockholm.

He also played for Chile in the 2007 Copa América against Ecuador, Brazil, and Mexico. He scored his first international goal for Chile against Venezuela during the CONMEBOL 2010 World Cup qualifiers, and also played at the final tournament.

In 2013, during a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier he provoked Uruguayan Luis Suárez by holding and pinching him around the waist with one hand and grabbing his crotch with the other. Suárez subsequently punched Jara, but both parties went unpunished. At the final tournament, he was the fifth and final Chilean player used in a penalty shoot-out against Brazil in the Round of 16 in Belo Horizonte. His shot missed, rebounding off the right-hand goal post, which eliminated his team from the competition.

In the 2015 Copa América quarter-finals match against Uruguay he provoked Uruguayan Edinson Cavani into a second yellow card and expulsion by slapping Cavani and, according to replays, appeared to insert his finger into Cavani's anus. Jara then faked a fall to the ground. The incident received almost immediate and prominent international coverage from newspapers and the internet, mostly condemning Jara. Massive coverage included articles, columns, blogs, memes, and cartoons accusing Jara of inappropriately touching Cavani and then diving theatrically. Press in Australia likened the incident to the infamous on-field, anus-poking tactics of rugby league player John Hopoate in 2001. Although unpunished during the match, Jara was suspended for two games, the remainder of the tournament, which Chile eventually won. Mainz criticised Jara for the incident and stated that he would be sold.

Post-retirement

Still a player of Coquimbo Unido, in November 2022, Jara joined TNT Sports Chile as a football commentator for the program Todos somos técnicos (We are all coaches) in the context of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, alongside Gustavo Quinteros, Gissella Gallardo and Roberto Tobar. On 4 March 2024, he rejoined TNT Sports Chile.

In October 2024, Jara joined ADN Radio as a panelist of the program Los Tenores de ADN (The Tenors from ADN).

In December 2024, Jara graduated as a football manager at (National Institute of Football, Sports and Physical Activity of Chile).

Career statistics

:Scores and results list Chile's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Jara goal.

Honours

Colo-Colo

• Chilean Primera División: 2007 Apertura, 2007 Clausura, 2008 Clausura

Universidad de Chile

• Chilean Primera División: 2017 Clausura

Chile

• Copa América: 2015, 2016

References

References

1. "Gonzalo Jara Reyes – Fichajes.com".
2. (23 January 2016). "Gonzalo Jara , Club Universidad de Chile".
3. (3 August 2009). "Futbol-Colo Colo transfiere defensor Jara a West Bromwich inglés". Reuters.
4. Lepkowski, Chris. (5 August 2009). "West Bromwich Albion drop interest in Gonzalo Jara". Birmingham Mail.
5. (25 August 2009). "Jara seals £1.4m switch". West Bromwich Albion F.C.
6. (7 November 2009). "Leicester 1–2 West Brom". BBC Sport.
7. (25 September 2010). "Arsenal 2–3 West Brom". BBC Sport.
8. (21 October 2011). "Chilean international signs". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
9. (20 December 2011). "Depleted West Bromwich Albion recall three". BBC Sport.
10. (31 January 2012). "Albion's Double Loan Deal". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
11. "Gonzalo Checks In". Nottingham Forest F.C.
12. (19 June 2013). "Reyes Returns". [[Nottingham Forest F.C.]].
13. (27 May 2014). "Nottingham Forest release seven including Greening and Moussi". [[BBC Sport]].
14. (16 July 2014). "MAINZ SNAP UP CHILE'S WORLD CUP STAR JARA". [[Bundesliga]].
15. (16 January 2016). "Jara und Mainz lösen Vertrag auf".
16. (21 September 2021). "Gonzalo Jara vuelve al fútbol chileno tras ser oficializado en Unión La Calera". [[DSports]].
17. (1 January 2022). "Coquimbo Unido anunció la llegada de Gonzalo Jara". [[Radio Bío-Bío]].
18. (11 July 2024). "¿Deja TNT Sports? Gonzalo Jara recibió oferta de equipo de Primera División".
19. David Maddock. (27 March 2013). "Luis Suarez punch: New video shows clearer view of clash with Chile defender Gonzalo Jara in World Cup qualifier – Mirror Online". mirror.
20. (28 June 2014). "Brazil 1–1 Chile". [[BBC Sport]].
21. "Streamable – free video publishing".
22. "Edinson Cavani video: Gonzalo Jara will be investigated for incident in Chile v Uruguay at Copa America".
23. "Chile star gives Uruguay rival a 'Hopoate' poke". wwos.
24. (30 June 2015). "Copa America 2015: Gonzalo Jara's poke in backside earns him ban". CNN.
25. (26 June 2015). "Angry Mainz to offload Gonzalo Jara for prodding Edinson Cavani's bottom". The Guardian.
26. (20 November 2022). "Conoce a nuestros refuerzos para el #UltimoMundialDeLasLeyendas".
27. (5 March 2024). "Gonzalo Jara tiene nuevo 'equipo'". [[Diario AS]].
28. (14 October 2024). "Gonzalo Jara es presentado en su nuevo equipo: fichaje confirmado". [[Diario AS]].
29. (11 December 2024). "Emblemáticos jugadores de la Generación Dorada reciben titulo de Director Técnico en Quilín".