title: Cata Díaz
text: Daniel Alberto "Cata" Díaz (born 13 July 1979) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player who played as a central defender.
  
  After starting at Rosario Central, he went on to spend most of his career in Spain, amassing La Liga totals of 174 matches and three goals over six seasons, mainly with Getafe. He also had two spells with Boca Juniors.
  
  Díaz appeared for Argentina at the 2007 Copa América.
  
  Club career
  
  Nicknamed Cata because of his origins from San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Díaz started playing at youth amateur local Juventud de Catamarca before moving in 1997 to Rosario Central, still as a junior. Three years later, he first appeared professionally with the latter team.
  
  Díaz moved to Cruz Azul in 2003. After only one season with the Mexican club, he returned to Argentina to become Alfio Basile's captain in Colón de Santa Fe; he subsequently drew attention from Argentine giants Boca Juniors and Club Atlético River Plate, but as Basile was at that time the former's coach, the player decided to make the move for around US$3 million.
  
  Díaz made his debut for Boca in a 4–1 victory over Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy, and was a big part in the side's 2005 Apertura-winning campaign. He added the South American Supercup (win over Once Caldas of Colombia), and the South American Cup (defeat of Mexico's Club Universidad Nacional).
  
  In the middle of 2007, Díaz moved to Spain's Getafe CF for €4 million, being a defensive cornerstone from the very beginning as the Madrid outskirts team reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2007–08. During his spell at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez he rarely missed one game when healthy – for instance, in his third season, he appeared in 30 matches (2,700 minutes of action) to help them finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League.
  
  On 15 June 2012, at nearly 33, Díaz signed with fellow La Liga side Atlético Madrid for two years and €1 million. He was scarcely used during his only campaign by compatriot Diego Simeone and, subsequently, returned to his homeland and Boca.
  
  On 23 July 2016, Díaz returned to Getafe after agreeing to a one-year deal for his first experience in Segunda División at the age of 37. On 1 September of the following year, after leaving the club due to his wife's direct criticism of manager José Bordalás, he joined CF Fuenlabrada of Segunda División B. 
  
  Díaz announced his retirement in February 2019, due to personal reasons. He went back on his decision shortly after, however, and signed with Club Atlético Nueva Chicago of the Primera B Nacional.
  
  International career
  Díaz made his first appearance with the Argentina national team in 2003, and was called to the 2007 Copa América squad as the nation finished second in Venezuela. On 6 June 2009, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia, he scored his first and only international goal, finding the net in the 57th minute for a 1–0 home win; he would be, however, overlooked for the final stages in South Africa.
  
  Coaching and later career
  On 29 November 2019, Díaz's contract expired and he retired for the second and definitive time. Subsequently, it was reported he was going to be named Miguel Ángel Russo's assistant at Boca Juniors, but he ended up joining the reserves in the same capacity, under Blas Giunta. However, 41-year old Cata, left the position at the end of September 2020 and came out of retirement, to play for Spanish club CD Móstoles URJC. He announced his retirement again on 23 May 2021.
  
  In the summer 2021, he returned to Boca Juniors in a management-role, collaborating in different aspects.
  
  Honours
  
  Club
  Boca Juniors
  Argentine Primera División: Apertura 2005, Clausura 2006, 2015 Primera División
  Copa Argentina: 2014–15
  Copa Libertadores: 2007
  Recopa Sudamericana: 2005
  Copa Sudamericana: 2005
  
  Atlético Madrid
  Copa del Rey: 2012–13
  UEFA Super Cup: 2012
  
  International
  Argentina
  Copa América runner-up: 2007
  
  References
  
  External links
  
  Argentine League statistics  
  Career details at Irish Times
  
  1979 births
  Living people
  People from Catamarca Province
  Argentine men's footballers
  Men's association football defenders
  Argentine Primera División players
  Primera Nacional players
  Rosario Central footballers
  Club Atlético Colón footballers
  Boca Juniors footballers
  Club Atlético Nueva Chicago footballers
  Liga MX players
  Cruz Azul footballers
  La Liga players
  Segunda División players
  Segunda División B players
  Getafe CF footballers
  Atlético Madrid footballers
  CF Fuenlabrada footballers
  CD Móstoles URJC players
  Argentina men's international footballers
  2007 Copa América players
  Argentine expatriate men's footballers
  Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico
  Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
  Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
  Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain