Cristián Alejandro "Cimbi" Cuevas Jara (; born 2 April 1995) is a Chilean professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays for
Universidad Católica. Cuevas plays primarily as a left-back but can also operate as a left-winger.
Cuevas played for the
Chile national under-20 team and was selected to play in the
South American Youth Championship South American Youth Championships may refer to:
* South American Youth Football Championship
The South American Youth Football Championship, also known as South American U-20 Championship (; ), branded as CONMEBOL Sub 20, is a South American foo ...
. He competed in the
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members' men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when i ...
in Turkey, helping Chile progress to the quarter-finals.
Club career
O'Higgins
Cuevas began his career at
Primera División de Chile
Primera may refer to
* Nissan Primera, a car
* Primera Air, a former airline
* Primera división (disambiguation), multiple top division football leagues
* Primera, Texas, a town in Cameron County, Texas
* Alí Primera, Venezuelan musician, compos ...
club
O'Higgins. He progressed from the club's youth level all the way to the senior team. In 2011, he was promoted to the senior team, making his debut on 8 May in a 5–1 away loss to
Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo (), officially Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo, is a Chilean professional football club based in Macul, Santiago. Founded in 1925 by David Arellano, it competes in the Chilean Primera División, from which the club has never been ...
at the
Estadio Monumental. Cuevas has continued to appear since it, particularly in
Copa Chile
The Copa Chile (''Chile Cup'') is an annual cup competition for Chilean football teams. Due to time constraints and club pressure, the trophy was cancelled in 2000, but returned in 2008. Its precursor was the Campeonato de Apertura (''Opening Ch ...
games.
In November 2012, it was reported that Cuevas had held a successful trial with
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club
Chelsea following a number of impressive performances for the
Chilean under-20 team.
In 2013, after a season at the
reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players who are under contract to a club but who do not regularly play in matches for the club's primary team. Reserve teams usually include players who are part of the larger first-team squad but ...
, he was considered by
Eduardo Berizzo
Manuel Eduardo Berizzo Magnolo (; born 13 November 1969) is an Argentine former footballer who played as a central defender, currently manager of Liga MX club León.
During his 18-year professional career he played for six teams in four countr ...
to play the
Torneo Transición, who chose him after a well
South American Youth Football Championship
The South American Youth Football Championship, also known as South American U-20 Championship (; ), branded as CONMEBOL Sub 20, is a South American football tournament organized by the CONMEBOL for South American national teams of men under age o ...
in Argentina with the national under-20 side. He made seven appearances (the most of those as
left back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categ ...
) and before the
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members' men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when i ...
, on 23 July, Cuevas completed a five-year contract with Chelsea which will keep at
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to:
* Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England
** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066
* Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge
* Stamford Bridge (stadium), in ...
until 2018. The transfer fee paid to O'Higgins was reported as £1.7 million.
Chelsea
After his successful move, Cuevas joined the club's pre-season and stayed training with the first adult team alongside other youngsters players under the orders of
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
before being sent on season long loan to Dutch
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...
club
Vitesse. There he linked up with fellow Chelsea loanees
Patrick van Aanholt
Patrick John Miguel van Aanholt (; born 29 August 1990) is a Dutch professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, left-back for club Sparta Rotterdam.
He began his professional career a ...
,
Gaël Kakuta
Gaël Romeo Kakuta Mambenga (born 21 June 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for TFF First League club Sakaryaspor. Born in France, he represents the DR Congo national team.
A youth product of RC Lens, Kakuta moved to ...
,
Lucas Piazon
Lucas Domingues Piazon (born on 20 January 1994) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Primeira Liga club AVS. He can play as a second striker, a winger, or an attacking midfielder.
Piazon spent a decade at Chelsea, though he ...
,
Tomáš Kalas
Tomáš Kalas (born 15 May 1993) is a Czech professional footballer who plays for Schalke 04 and the Czech Republic national team. He plays as a centre-back, but has also been played as a right-back.
Having begun his career at Sigma Olomouc, K ...
,
Sam Hutchinson and
Christian Atsu
Christian Atsu Twasam (10 January 1992 – 6 February 2023) was a Ghanaian professional Association football, footballer who primarily played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger, although he was deployed as an midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacki ...
.
Loan to Vitesse
On 1 September 2013, Cuevas made his first appearance on the bench in the match against
AZ, although he was an unused substitution as Vitesse drew 1–1. On 1 September 2013, he again made an appearance on the bench in the match against
PEC Zwolle
Prins Hendrik Ende Desespereert Nimmer Combinatie Zwolle, commonly known as PEC Zwolle, is a Dutch professional football club based in Zwolle, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football. They have played in the Ered ...
, but remained unused.
Cuevas failed to make a single first team appearance before Vitesse decided to cancel his loan in February.
Loan to FC Eindhoven
On 7 February 2014, it was announced that Cuevas would spend the rest of the season on loan with
FC Eindhoven
Football Club Eindhoven, commonly known as FC Eindhoven, is a professional association football, football club based in Eindhoven, Netherlands, that competes in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football league system, Dutch football ...
in the Dutch
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (; ) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the Keuken Kampioen Divisie due to sponsorship reasons, while ...
. Later that day, he made his debut, coming off the bench and replacing
Torino Hunte after the first half in a match against
Almere City which ended in a 2–1 loss for Eindhoven. On 28 March, he scored his first goal for the club – and his first professional goal – in a 4–0 win over
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam. Established on 1 April 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands.
Sparta currently competes in the Eredivisie, the top flig ...
.
He finished the season with 13 appearances and one goal.
Loan to Universidad de Chile
On 30 June 2014, Cuevas was sent on a season long loan to
Universidad de Chile
The University of Chile () is a public research university in Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the co ...
. He made his debut on 13 February 2015 against
Unión Española
Club Unión Española S.A.D.P. is a professional football club based in the Independencia neighborhood, commune of Santiago, Chile currently participating in the Primera División de Chile.
History
Foundation, Amateur Era and First seasons
...
, which ended in a 2–1 loss for Universidad de Chile.
Cuevas made a total of six appearances with only four league appearances during his time back in his home country.
Loan to Sint-Truiden
On 10 August 2015, Cuevas was sent on a season-long loan to Belgian side
Sint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium. With more than 41,500 inhabitants, it is on ...
along with fellow Chelsea youth player
Joao Rodríguez. On 16 August 2015, he made his debut off the bench in the 62nd minute, replacing
Yannis Mbombo in the match against
Gent
Gent is a shortened form of the word gentleman. It may also refer to:
* Ghent ( Dutch: Gent), a Belgian city
** K.A.A. Gent, a football club from Ghent
** K.R.C. Gent, a football club from Ghent
** Gent RFC, a rugby club in Ghent
** .gent, ...
, a 1–0 defeat. On 21 November 2015, he scored his first goal for Sint-Truiden in their 2–1 away defeat against
Waasland-Beveren
Sportkring Beveren (SK Beveren) is a Belgian professional association football club based in Beveren, East Flanders. The club is affiliated with the founded number 4068 and has yellow and blue as its colours. The team was founded in 1936 in H ...
, netting the opener of the fixture in the 9th minute.
On 31 August 2016, Cuevas returned to Sint-Truiden for another season-long loan.
Huachipato
On 1 July 2017, Cuevas agreed to return to Chile to join
Primera División side
Huachipato
Huachipato FC is a Chilean football club based in Talcahuano that currently plays in the Chilean Primera División. Huachipato was founded on 7 June 1947 by workers of the homonymous steel mill in Talcahuano, and it currently plays its home g ...
and a month later joined Dutch side
Twente
Twente ( , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germanic people ...
on a season-long loan. On 14 April 2018, he became the joint record holder for most yellow cards in a single Eredivisie season after getting his 12th yellow card of the season against
ADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag (), commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag (), is a Dutch association football club from the city of The Hague. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation ...
.
Following a season at Twente, Cuevas joined
Austria Wien
Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (), known in English as Austria Vienna, and Austria Wien in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian professional association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the most trophies of any Aust ...
in July 2018 on a season-long loan, with an option to buy.
Universidad de Chile
On 31 January 2022, Cuevas rejoined
Universidad de Chile
The University of Chile () is a public research university in Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the co ...
on a permanent basis.
International career
Cuevas was part of the
Chile under-20 team which participated in the
2013 South American Youth Championship
The 2013 South American Youth Football Championship (, ) was an association football competition for national under-20 teams in the South America (CONMEBOL). The tournament was held in Argentina from 9 January to 3 February 2013 and was won by Col ...
in Argentina. He also joined the first team for the
2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the nineteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. It ran from 21 June to 13 July 2013. At the FIFA Executive Meeting in Zürich on 3 March 2011, ...
based in Turkey, where they reached the quarter-finals.
Cuevas was also included in Chile's squad for the
2015 South American Youth Football Championship
The 2015 South American Youth Football Championship (, ) was the 27th edition of the biennial international youth association football, football tournament organized by CONMEBOL for the men's under-20 national teams of South America. It was held i ...
, held in Uruguay.
Career statistics
Club
International
Notes
References
External links
Cristián Cuevasat Football-Lineups
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuevas, Cristian
1995 births
Living people
Footballers from Rancagua
Men's association football fullbacks
Men's association football wingers
Chilean men's footballers
21st-century Chilean sportsmen
Chile men's under-20 international footballers
Chile men's international footballers
Chilean expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
Expatriate men's footballers in Austria
Chilean Primera División players
Eredivisie players
Eerste Divisie players
Belgian Pro League players
Austrian Football Bundesliga players
O'Higgins F.C. footballers
Chelsea F.C. players
SBV Vitesse players
FC Eindhoven players
Club Universidad de Chile footballers
Sint-Truidense V.V. players
Huachipato FC footballers
FC Twente players
FK Austria Wien players
Club Deportivo Universidad Católica footballers
Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Chilean expatriate sportspeople in England
Chilean expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Austria