 Cardozo in 2006 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Saturnino Cardozo Otazú | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1971-03-19)19 March 1971 (age 54) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nueva Italia, Paraguay | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | |||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Municipal Liberia (Manager) | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | Unión Pacífico | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | River Plate Asunción | 26 | (10) | |||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | St. Gallen | 31 | (12) | |||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Universidad Católica | 35 | (12) | |||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Olimpia | 41 | (27) | |||||||||||
| 1995–2005 | Toluca | 332 | (249) | |||||||||||
| 2001 | →Cruz Azul (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2005 | →Pachuca (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | San Lorenzo | 23 | (5) | |||||||||||
| Total | 488 | (315) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Paraguay U23 | 12 | (7) | |||||||||||
| 1991–2006 | Paraguay | 82 | (25) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Olimpia | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Indios (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Olimpia | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Querétaro | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Olimpia | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | Sportivo Luqueño | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Toluca | |||||||||||||
| 2016 | Chiapas | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | Puebla | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | Veracruz | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Guadalajara | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Municipal | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Municipal | |||||||||||||
| 2025– | Municipal Liberia | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
José Saturnino Cardozo Otazú (locally[xoˈsesatuɾˈninokaɾˈðosootaˈsu]; born 19 March 1971) is a Paraguayan footballmanager and formerfootballer who played as astriker. Known for his prolific scoring ability, Cardozo spent most of his playing career with the Mexican clubDeportivo Toluca, where he became the club's all-time leading scorer, with 249 goals in 332 appearances. Cardozo stands as the fourth-highest scorer in the history ofLiga MX and is widely regarded as one of the greatest foreign players ever to compete in the league. He was a key figure in Toluca's "golden era," spanning from 1998 to 2002, during which the club won four league titles and cemented one of the most dominant periods in Liga MX history.
Cardozo was awardedParaguayan Footballer of the Year in 2000, 2002, and 2003. In the latter year, he also was awarded theWorld's Best Top Division Goal Scorer by theIFFHS for scoring 58 goals in a season. On the international stage, Cardozo made 82 appearances forParaguay over a fifteen-year period, scoring 25 goals to become the country's second-highest scorer. He represented the national team in threeCopa América tournaments, twoFIFA World Cups and the2004 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal. At a club level he was a runner-up in twoCopa Libertadores.
José Saturnino Cardozo Otazú was born on 19 March 1971 inNueva Italia, Central Department, Paraguay, as the eighth of ten siblings. His father, Juan, worked at a refinery and was often absent for long periods to financially support the large family, while his mother, Constanza, managed the household. From an early age, Cardozo expressed a desire to become a professional football player. His mother recalled that he spent most of his time after school playing football, often brought a ball to class, and occasionally skipped school to play.[1]
At twelve years old, Cardozo tried out for Unión Pacífico, a youth club. When asked about his position, he said he played as a "10," the traditional playmaker role associated with creativity and passing. However, he was assigned the position of "9," the classicstriker or center forward, responsible for scoring goals—a role he would maintain throughout his professional career.[1] On 27 March 1985, at the age of fourteen, he began playing regularly for Unión Pacífico.[2][3]
Cardozo began his professional career in 1988, making his debut for Paraguay'sRiver Plate Asunción, where he scored 10 goals in 26 appearances.[4] In 1990, he joined the Swiss clubFC St. Gallen, his first international experience, where he played until 1992 and scored 12 goals in 30 appearances. He returned to South America in 1993, joining Chile'sClub Deportivo Universidad Católica, where he scored 11 goals in 35 appearances.[5] During his time with the club, he competed inthe 1992 edition of theCopa Libertadores, where he scored one goal against Chile'sCoquimbo Unido in group stage where his team won 5–1. Universidad Católica advanced to Round of 16 but were eliminated by Colombia'sAmérica de Cali 0–1.[6] Cardozo also played for the team inthe 1993 edition, scoring one goal against Bolivia'sDeportivo San José ingroup stage where his team won 2–5.[7] Universidad Católica finished as runners-up in the 1993 edition, losingthe final 5–1 to Brazil'sSão Paulo.[8] Mexico'sAtlante, the reigning champions in their domestic league, expressed interest in signing Cardozo after the cup. He was flown to Mexico to train with the team, but after about 15 days without receiving a formal offer, he returned to Chile.[a][10]
Soon after his return, Cardozo was called up byClub Olimpia, where he played for two years, scoring 27 goals in 41 appearances.[5] In his first year, he won the 1993Paraguayan Primera División championship, with Olimpia finishing undefeated that season and beatingtheir rivalsCerro Porteño in a tiebreaker match decided by a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw in regular time. Cardozo successfully converted one of the penalties.[11][12] He scored seven goals in ten appearances during the season.[5][8] Internationally, he represented Olimpia twice in the1993 Supercopa Libertadores, scoring one goal against Brazil'sFlamengo in the group stage, although the team did not advance to the knockout phase.[8][13]
In 1994, Cardozo continued to played for Olimpia, finishing as runners-up in the Paraguayan Primera División after a 1–1 aggregate draw with Cerro Porteño, losingthe final match in a penalty shootout.[14][15] During the league he played 22 games and scored 16 goals.[8] Internationally, he participated in the1994 Supercopa Libertadores, playing two matches but scoring no goals, and in the1994 Copa Libertadores, where he appeared in nine games and scored three goals: two in a 3–1 aggregate victory over Ecuador'sBarcelona de Guayaquil in the round of 16, and another in the semifinals against São Paulo, where Olimpia drew 2–2.[8][16] Cardozo's team was ultimately eliminated in a penalty shootout.[16]
In December 1994, at 23 years old, Cardozo signed with the Mexican clubDeportivo Toluca.[17] He made his debut in the1994–95 Mexican Primera División season on 8 January 1995 in an away match againstTampico Madero, which Toluca lost 2–0.[17][18] At the time of his arrival, the team was in crisis, having not won a league title since the1974–75 season and facing the threat of relegation.[17][19] In his first season, Cardozo appeared in eight matches and made three goals,[20][21] but was sidelined for about a year and a half due to a knee injury sustained while playing for the Paraguay national team, which worsened during the Mexican league season.[22][23] Although doctors assured him he would recover, the injury was severe enough for Cardozo to fear he might never play professionally again or at least not at the same level.[23] During that period, Toluca was managed byMiguel Ángel López, who did not include Cardozo in the main squad. However, following López's departure in 1996, the club's management gave Cardozo a vote of confidence and assigned him for the upcoming season under the new managerEnrique Meza. Cardozo made his return inInvierno 1997, the first short tournament of the 1997–98 season,[17][23] scoring seven goals in 13 appearances,[24] including ahat-trick in a 4–0 victory overVeracruz.[25] Toluca did not advance to the playoffs that season.[24]
In the following season,Verano 1998, Cardozo helped Toluca secure their first championship in over 23 years.[26] Toluca dominated the regular season, finishing first in the table standings, and advanced through theliguilla (playoffs), ultimately defeatingClub Necaxa 6–4 on aggregate in the final. Cardozo scored two goals in the final and finished the season as the league's top goalscorer, with 18 goals in total—13 in the regular season and five in the playoffs.[24] InInvierno 1998, Toluca finished second in the standings but were eliminated byAtlas 3–2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Cardozo scored 13 goals, ranking second in the league. InVerano 1999, Toluca topped the table and won the championship, defeating Atlas in a penalty shootout after a 5–5 aggregate in the final.[27] Cardozo scored during the match and successfully converted a penalty in the shootout.[citation needed] The match is widely regarded as one of the greatest finals in Mexican football history.[28] Cardozo concluded the season as the league's top goalscorer with 15 goals.[citation needed]
Following his dominant performance in the tournament and with his contract nearing its end, Cardozo attracted interest from several clubs, including Mexico'sClub América, England'sArsenal underArsène Wenger, Spain'sReal Zaragoza andAtlético Madrid, and one unnamed team from Japan.[29][30][31] The connection with Arsenal originated through a Paraguayan national with ties to the club. Zaragoza's offer, meanwhile, fell through after they were unable to match his salary at Toluca.[29] Cardozo said he had originally planned to play in Europe but was nervous about making the move. He ultimately chose to remain at Toluca, both to continue building the team's legacy and out of gratitude for the fans and the club's management, who had supported him during his early years while he was injured.[32]
In his ten years with the team, he has scored a record 249 goals for the club, including 36 goals in 25 matches in the 2002 Apertura. Cardozo was top scorer of the league four times (Verano 1998, Verano 1999, Apertura 2002, and Clausura 2003). He moved to the 4th spot in the list of all-time top scorers in the Mexico Primera Division after Jared Borgetti scored his 250th goal with Monarcas Morelia.
Cardozo was a key figure in Toluca's "golden era," spanning from 1998 to 2002, during which the club won four league titles and cemented one of the most dominant periods in Liga MX history.[33][34] Under the coaches Meza (1997–2000) andRicardo La Volpe (2001–2002), the team was known for its precise, attack-minded style of play and frequently won by large goal margins, with Cardozo serving as the central figure.[19]
Due to his work at Toluca, Cardozo was elected as theParaguayan Footballer of the Year in the years 2000, 2002 and 2003; and theSouth American Footballer of the Year in 2002. While playing for Toluca, Cardozo struggled through the 1997 campaign with hamstring problems and then played through much of the 2001 season despite suffering a broken wrist in the season opener. Cardozo is the all-time leading scorer for Toluca, with 249 goals in 332 appearances.[35][36] He is widely regarded as one of the best foreign players to ever compete in Mexico'sLiga MX.[37][38] During his time with Toluca, he earned the nicknamesEl Diablo Mayor (The Master Devil), a reference to the club’s devil mascot, andEl Príncipe Guaraní (The Guaraní Prince), in homage to hisGuaraní heritage.[39]
On 26 June 2001, shortly after the Copa Libertadores Final, Cardozo’s representative, Alejandro Mancuso, confirmed that the player was being pursued by Argentina's River Plate, amid rumors of an US$8 million offer. Cardozo remained in Buenos Aires after the final to consider the proposal and stated that he was interested in joining either River Plate or Boca Juniors, the latter having shown interest in him several years earlier. He commented, "If I make a change, it’s not because they might pay me more or anything like that. I'm coming because I want to play for a big club here, and that's all."[40]
Cardozo left Toluca in July 2005 to joinSan Lorenzo de Almagro on a contract worth US$400,000. He stated that he had received offers from clubs in Mexico,Qatar andJapan but chose San Lorenzo for its reputation as one of Argentina'sBig Five football clubs, for the challenge of competing at that level, and to be closer to his family in Paraguay. During negotiations, club managerGustavo Alfaro and presidentRafael Savino(es) traveled from Argentina to Mexico to meet with Cardozo and persuade him to join the team. At 34 years old, Cardozo expressed happiness and optimism about continuing his career with the team.[41][42] Cardozo was San Lorenzo's fifth player signing of the2005–06 Argentine Primera División season and made his debut againstClub Atlético Vélez Sarsfield.[b][44][45]
However, his career with San Lorenzo was plagued with injuries.[46] In August, he suffered a muscle injury on his left calf in the first half of a match againstClub Estudiantes de La Plata and was out for three weeks.[47] Despite not being fully recovered, he scored his first two goals in September for the club in an away game againstRosario Central, which San Lorenzo won 0–4; Cardozo entered the match in the second half and scored both goals.[48] In November, he scored two more goals in a 4–2 victory againstNewell's Old Boys, though he noted that he was not in peak form and still had lingering injuries.[49] He scored his last goal with San Lorenzo in February 2006 againstClub Olimpo in a 2–0 victory.[50] Cardozo spent less than twelve months in San Lorenzo, where he played 22 matches and scored 5 goals.[51]
In July 2006,[52] at age 35, Cardozo reached a verbal agreement to play for Uruguay'sPeñarol for the remainder of the calendar year.[53] The deal reportedly included a monthly salary of about US$20,000, along with a house inCarrasco, Montevideo, and a vehicle. However, the agreement was delayed and never finalized. Cardozo later revealed that he had also received a US$1 million offer from aMajor League Soccer (MLS) team in the United States but declined it.[54] He then attempted to return to Paraguay to play for Olimpia before retiring, but the league's transfer deadline had already passed, preventing the move.[55][56] As a result, Cardozo decided to retire from professional football and became the Olimpia's club manager in November.[56]
In January 2008, Cardozo resumed training and announced a potential return to professional football through negotiations with the MLS teamChivas USA, confirming that talks were well underway. In an interview, he stated that he had not lost hope of playing professionally again. However, the deal ultimately did not materialize.[57] Later that year in June, a farewell match was held for Cardozo at Toluca’s home ground,Estadio Nemesio Diez.[58] In front of a sellout crowd, Cardozo’s team—composed of Toluca's 1998 squad—faced a side that included several players from Mexico's1994 FIFA World Cupteam.[59] When Cardozo wassubstituted a few minutes before the final whistle, the match was briefly paused as players and fans paid tribute to him.[60] As he left the pitch, the crowd chanted in Spanish, "Te queremos, Cardozo, te queremos" ("We love you, Cardozo, we love you").[61] Cardozo scored both goals in his team’s 2–1 victory.[62] After the match, he took a celebratory lap around the pitch, carried on his teammates' shoulders as fans cheered from the stands.[63]
Cardozo was called up to theParaguay national football team in 1991 while playing for FC St. Gallen.[14] He made his international debut on 14 June 1991 in aCopa Paz del Chaco friendly match againstBolivia, which Paraguay won 1–0. On 12 July 1991,[64] Cardozo scored his first international goal with the national football team in a1991 Copa América match againstArgentina, in which Paraguay lost 4–1.[14][65] In his tenth cap with the team, Cardozo scored his second international goal on 22 June 1995 againstNew Zealand in theCopa Centenario del Fútbol Chileno(es), a match Paraguay won 3–2 to claim the tournament title.[64][66] Cardozo again represented Paraguay in the1995 Copa América, where he scored a goal againstMexico, securing a 2–1 victory, and another againstVenezuela in a 3–2 win, both in group stage. Paraguay were ultimately eliminated byColombia in the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout.[67] In the1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Cardozo represented Paraguay in five matches, scoring one goal from a penalty againstUruguay to secure a 3–1 home victory.[68] Paraguay qualified for the1998 FIFA World Cup, finishing second in theCONMEBOL standings behind Argentina.[69]
Cardozo was the all-time leading scorer for the Paraguay national team, with 25 goals, until 2013, with the record being broken byRoque Santa Cruz.[70] He played for his country at the1998 and2002 World Cups and was named in the original2006 World Cup squad but he was injured during training sessions and replaced byDante López. Cardozo was also an over-age player at the2004 Summer Olympics, when Paraguay finished second. On 4 August, before the Summer Olympics began, he played in a preparation game against thePortugal ofCristiano Ronaldo in the city ofAlgarve, resulting in a 5–0 defeat.[71] He scored a hat-trick againstUruguay in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification, with the final result being 4–1.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 August 2004 | Kaftanzoglio Stadium,Thessaloniki, Greece |  Japan | 2–1 | 4–3[72] | 2004 Summer Olympics |
| 2. | 3–1 | |||||
| 3. | 21 August 2004 | Kaftanzoglio Stadium,Thessaloniki, Greece |  South Korea | 2–0 | 3–2[73] | 2004 Summer Olympics |
| 4. | 24 August 2004 | Kaftanzoglio Stadium,Thessaloniki, Greece |  Iraq | 1–0 | 3–1[74] | 2004 Summer Olympics |
| 5. | 2–0 |
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 July 1991 | Concepción,Chile |  Argentina | 1–4 | Loss | 1991 Copa América | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2. | 22 June 1995 | Santiago, Chile |  New Zealand | 3–2 | Win | 1995 Copa Centenario | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3. | 6 July 1995 | Maldonado,Uruguay |  Mexico | 2–1 | Win | 1995 Copa América | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4. | 12 July 1995 | Maldonado, Uruguay |  Venezuela | 3–2 | Win | 1995 Copa América | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5. | 26 July 1996 | Asunción,Paraguay |  Bolivia | 2–0 | Win | Friendly | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6. | 30 April 1997 | Asunción, Paraguay |  Uruguay | 3–1 | Win | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7. | 3 June 1998 | București,Romania |  Romania | 2–3 | Loss | Friendly | ||||||||||||||||||
| 8. | 24 June 1998 | Toulouse,France |  Nigeria | 3–1[75] | Win | 1998 FIFA World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||
| 9. | 29 June 2000 | Santiago, Chile |  Chile | 1–3 | Loss | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 10. | 2 September 2000 | Asunción, Paraguay |  Venezuela | 3–0 | Win | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 11. | 15 November 2000 | Asunción, Paraguay |  Peru | 5–1 | Win | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 12. | 24 April 2001 | Quito,Ecuador |  Ecuador | 1–2 | Loss | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 13. | 5 September 2001 | Asunción, Paraguay |  Bolivia | 5–1 | Win | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 14. | 5 September 2001 | Asunción, Paraguay | Bolivia | 5–1 | Win | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 15. | 13 February 2002 | Ciudad del Este, Paraguay | Bolivia | 2–2 | Draw | Friendly | ||||||||||||||||||
| 16. | 26 March 2003 | San Diego,United States | Mexico | 1–1 | Draw | Friendly | ||||||||||||||||||
| 17. | 10 September 2003 | Asunción, Paraguay | Uruguay | 4–1 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 18. | 10 September 2003 | Asunción, Paraguay | Uruguay | 4–1 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 19. | 10 September 2003 | Asunción, Paraguay | Uruguay | 4–1 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 20. | 15 November 2003 | Asunción, Paraguay | Ecuador | 2–1 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 21. | 1 June 2004 | La Paz,Bolivia | Bolivia | 1–2 | Loss | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 22. | 19 January 2005 | Los Angeles, United States | South Korea | 1–1 | Draw | Friendly | ||||||||||||||||||
| 23. | 27 March 2005 | Quito, Ecuador | Ecuador | 2–5 | Loss | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 24. | 30 March 2005 | Asunción, Paraguay | Chile | 2–1 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||||||
| 25. | 27 May 2006 | Aarhus,Denmark |  Denmark | 1–1[76] | Draw | Friendly | ||||||||||||||||||
| [77] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Rival | Nº goles | Torneos |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas | 22 | 21 Liga, 1 Pre-Pre Libertadores |
| Santos | 22 | Liga |
| América | 18 | 16 Liga, 2 InterLiga |
| Atlante | 18 | Liga |
| Tigres | 18 | Liga |
| Guadalajara | 17 | 16 Liga, 1 Pre-Pre Libertadores |
| Necaxa | 15 | Liga |
| Pumas UNAM | 15 | Liga |
| Pachuca | 15 | Liga |
| Puebla | 13 | Liga |
| Tecos UAG | 13 | Liga |
| Cruz Azul | 10 | 8 Liga, 2 Pre-Pre Libertadores |
| Monterrey | 10 | Liga |
| Morelia | 7 | Liga |
| Neza | 7 | Liga |
| Veracruz | 7 | Liga |
| León | 6 | Liga |
| Celaya | 5 | Liga |
| San Luis | 5 | Liga |
| Chiapas | 4 | Liga |
| Querétaro | 3 | Liga |
| Irapuato | 2 | Liga |
| Colibríes | 1 | Liga |
| Dorados | 1 | Liga |
| La Piedad | 1 | Liga |
In November 2006, Club Olimpia's coachOscar Paulin was fired due to poor performances by the team and Cardozo was named as the interim coach of the Paraguayan club, this being his first experience as a coach. He coached for the remainder of the year and for the 2007 Apertura tournament.
In October 2009 he was hired to be an assistant coach for the team of Indios de Juarez for the Apertura 2009.[78]
Cardozo returned to Olimpia Asunción in November 2009 following coach Carlos Kiese's resignation.
In 2011, he was hired as coachQuerétaro FC where he led the team into their first liguilla and the team's all team highest place (8th) and points (26) in Primera División regular season. He managed to eliminateGuadalajara in the Quarter Finals and advance to a surprising semi-final where they lost to championsTigres UANL 1–0. The following season however, Querétaro began the season with poor results, which once again emerged relegation problems against rivalsAtlas andEstudiantes Tecos (relegated) which led to Cardozo's resignation.
After spending the 2011 and 2012 seasons at Querétaro, he was appointed to manage Olimpia once again on 25 September 2012 after the departure of Gregorio Perez.
On 7 May 2013, Cardozo was announced as the new manager for Club Deportivo Toluca of Mexico where he played for 10 years (1995–2005). On 1 May 2016, during the2016 Clausura, Cardozo confirmed that he would no longer coach Toluca beyond the end of the season despite still having a year left on his contract. He stated that since he did not meet his objective of reaching the Liga MX playoffs with the club, he had nothing more to do with the club, citing that Toluca was a big club with directors and fans that expected a lot more of the team than he could continue to offer. He stated that when a team can no longer accomplish what is asked of it, that the first change that must come is the manager, no questions about it.[79] His team finished as runners-up in the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League, drawing 1–1 on aggregate against Cruz Azul before ultimately losing in a penalty shootout.
Cardozo had a turbulent season at Chiapas during the Apertura 2016, being sacked in September and then brought back due to the petition of the chiapas players.[80] He was ultimately sacked one week later after two more defeats.[81]
Cardozo took overClub Puebla early in the Clausura 2017 season.
On 12 June 2018, Cardozo was appointed manager ofLiga MX clubGuadalajara.[82]
Olimpia
Toluca
Cruz Azul
Paraguay
Individual
Cardozo is married to Raquel Koube and have two children, Antonella and Constanza.[87]
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