| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Giovanni Castillo Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-08-23)August 23, 1984 (age 41) | ||
| Place of birth | San Salvador,El Salvador | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2006 | Telecom | ||
| 2006–2008 | Chalatenango | 49 | (3) |
| 2008–2009 | Alianza | 34 | (3) |
| 2009 | →Club León (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2009–2011 | Club León | 19 | (3) |
| 2010 | →D.C. United (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2010 | →Alianza (loan) | 13 | (2) |
| 2011–2013 | Alianza | 53 | (6) |
| 2013 | Suphanburi FC | 9 | (2) |
| 2013 | Luis Ángel Firpo | 4 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Zeravani | 26 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2013 | El Salvador | 47 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 12, 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals as of September 7, 2010 | |||
Christian Giovanni Castillo Martínez (born August 25, 1984, inSan Salvador) is aSalvadoranfootballer. He was banned for life in 2013 formatch-fixing while playing for theEl Salvador national football team. After being banned, he played forZeravani SC in theIraqi Premier League, a league unsanctioned by FIFA.
Castillo began his professional career in 2002 at the age of 18, when he signed with the now defunctSegunda División club C.D. Telecom.
After spending four years with theSan Salvador side, Castillo then transferred toC.D. Chalatenango for the2006 Apertura season.
He made hisPrimera División debut on August 20, 2006, in a league match againstC.D. Águila. Castillo's speed, ball control and exciting dribbling skills quickly made him somewhat of a fan favourite, but his first season with his new club saw him play most games off the bench. The following season things got worse for Castillo when he suffered an injury that led to him only being able to play one game the entire tournament. After having to watch most of the entire season from the sidelines, Castillo returned for the following season. This time he was able to prove himself and was consistently part of the club's starting eleven. This season also saw him score his firstPrimera División goal; it came on September 30, 2007, in a league match againstNejapa F.C.
Controversially, Castillo then transferred toAlianza F.C. for the2008 Apertura season, after the thenC.D. Chalatenango club presidentLisandro Pohl left the club and took all the players that he had helped to sign with him. After much dispute, it was decided that Castillo and the other players that Pohl had signed were eligible to transfer and they all officially becameAlianza F.C. players.
AtAlianza F.C., Castillo continued to impress and most importantly improved his game to become one of the most, if not the most important players at the club. He scored his first goal with his new club on November 26, 2008, in a league match againstC.D. Águila. After being released fromD.C. United before the end of the 2010 season, Castillo returned to Alianza for theApertura 2010.On October 21, 2012, Castillo played his 100th game for Alianza in their 2-0 loss against Metapan[1].
On 15 June 2009, Castillo was one of the three Salvadoran footballers signed to Mexican club,Club León on a loan basis, the other two wereRodolfo Zelaya andJulio Enrique Martínez.[1] On 3 December 2009, it was announced thatClub León had permanently signed Castillo along with the other two Salvadorans with a three-year contract.[2]
Castillo joinedMajor League Soccer sideD.C. United on loan for the 2010 MLS season.[3] On June 29, 2010, he was released by the club after a fall out over contract terms and left the club. He made a total of 10 league games with the club, and scored one goal in aU.S. Open Cup match againstFC Dallas.[4]
In February 2013, Castillo decided to try a big leap. After bittersweet negotiations with Lisandro Pohl,Alianza F.C.owner, he rescinded his contract calling a clause that allowed him to transfer toSuphanburi F.C. of theThai Premier League, and signed a contract for one year within an option for one more year, leavingAlianza F.C. in amicable terms.
After nine games, he terminated his contract and returned to El Salvador to sign with Luis Angel Firpo.
In September 2014, thanks to theIraqi Premier League not being recognised by FIFA, Castillo and his fellow banned Salvadoran teammateJosé Henríquez joinedZeravani SC.
Castillo officially received his first cap on April 23, 2008, in a friendly match againstChina. He scored his first goal for the national team on August 14, 2008, in a friendly match againstTrinidad and Tobago. His second goal came almost eight months later on March 28, 2009, when he scored in aWorld Cup qualification match against theUSA. His third goal came six months later on September 5, once again, against USA with a header above U.S goalkeeperTim Howard.
In August, Castillo was one of 22 players suspended by El Salvador's football federation pending an investigation into match-fixing. On September 20, 2013, Castillo and 13 other members of the Salvadoran team were banned for life formatch fixing.[5]
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | August 14, 2008 | RFK Stadium,Washington, D.C.,United States |  Trinidad and Tobago | 0–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 2. | March 28, 2009 | Estadio Cuscatlán,San Salvador,El Salvador |  United States | 2–0 | 2–2 | World Cup 2010 Qualifying |
| 3. | September 5, 2009 | Rio Tinto Stadium,Sandy,United States | United States | 0–1 | 2–1 | World Cup 2010 Qualifying |
El Salvador squads | |
|---|---|
