Álex Escobar

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Álex Escobar

| image =

| fullname = Alexander Escobar Gañán

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1965|02|08}}

| birth_place = Cali, Colombia

| height = {{height|m=1.70|precision=0}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = América de Cali (U20 manager)

| years1 = 1983–1996

| clubs1 = América de Cali

| caps1 = 505

| goals1 = 75

| years2 = 1996

| clubs2 = → Atlético Mineiro (loan){{cite web|url=http://www.rsssfbrasil.com/miscellaneous/atlforeign.htm |title=Jogadores Estrangeiros do Clube Atlético Mineiro |publisher=RSSSF Brasil |language=Portuguese}}

| caps2 = 8

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1997–2000

| clubs3 = LDU Quito{{cite web|url=http://www.americadecali.co/historia/alexander-escobar-ganan |title=Alexander Escobar Gañán – Historia |website=América de Cali Sitio Oficial |language=Spanish |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016004655/http://www.americadecali.co/historia/alexander-escobar-ganan |archivedate=16 October 2013 }}

| caps3 = 126

| goals3 = 26

| years4 = 2001

| clubs4 = Millonarios{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/alexandar-escobar/ |title=Alexander Escobar's profile |website=Worldfootball.net |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201355/http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/alexandar-escobar/ |archivedate=29 October 2013 }}

| caps4 = 21

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2001

| clubs5 = Deportivo Pereira

| caps5 = 21

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2002–2005

| clubs6 = LDU Quito

| caps6 = 111

| goals6 = 8

| totalcaps = 792

| totalgoals = 109

| nationalyears1 = 1985–1995

| nationalteam1 = Colombia

| nationalcaps1 = 12

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| manageryears1 = 2005–2006

| managerclubs1 = LDU Quito (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2007

| managerclubs2 = América de Cali

| manageryears3 = 2007–2009

| managerclubs3 = América de Cali (assistant)

| manageryears4 = 2010

| managerclubs4 = Junior (assistant)

| manageryears5 = 2011

| managerclubs5 = Juan Aurich (assistant)

| manageryears6 = 2013

| managerclubs6 = América de Cali (assistant)

| manageryears7 = 2016–2017

| managerclubs7 = Orsomarso

| manageryears8 = 2024–

| managerclubs8 = América de Cali U20

| manageryears9 = 2024

| managerclubs9 = América de Cali (caretaker)

}}

Alexander Escobar Gañán (born 8 February 1965), also known as Álex Escobar, is a Colombian football manager and former footballer who played as a midfielder.{{cite web|url=http://www.bdfa.com.ar/jugadores-ALEXANDER-ESCOBAR-29336.html |title=Alexander Escobar's profile |website=BDFA}} He is the current manager of the under-20 squad of América de Cali.{{cite web|url=https://www.elpais.com.co/deportes/alex-escobar-es-el-nuevo-entrenador-del-equipo-sub-20-del-america-de-cali-1345.html|title=Alex Escobar es el nuevo entrenador del equipo sub 20 del América de Cali|trans-title=Alex Escobar is the new manager of América de Cali's under-20 team|language=es|publisher=El País|date=13 January 2024|access-date=23 January 2024}}

Escobar is highly regarded in América de Cali and LDU Quito, as well as in the Colombia national team. With América, he won six Primera A titles, whilst with the Ecuadorian club he won four Serie A titles. He is also the player with most appearances in América de Cali.

Club career

File:Placa 1998.jpg

Escobar was born in Cali on 8 February 1965. His father was Hernán Escobar Echeverry, a retired defender that played in América de Cali, Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín.{{cite web|url=http://www.america.com.co/publicaciones.php?id=38899 |title=Alexander Escobar |website=América.com.co (Fan site) |language=Spanish}} Escobar scored 14 goals in 83 matches in the Copa Libertadores from 1984 to 2004, making him the 9th player with most appearances in the tournament on 27 March 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/players/players-in-copalib.html |title=Players in the Copa Libertadores |publisher=RSSSF |last=Ballesteros |first=Frank |date=27 March 2004}}

=América de Cali=

Escobar was part of the youth team of América de Cali, and played for the national football team of Valle del Cauca on 1982 and 1983. He debuted for América on 1983, and played for the team until 1997, when was transferred to LDU de Quito. Escobar is the player with most appearances for América, with 505 games played, and with 75 goals scored.{{Cite web |title=América de Cali football club history |url=https://www.footballhistory.org/club/america-de-cali.html |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=footballhistory.org}}

International career

Escobar made his international debut on 3 November 1985 (at just 20 years old), while playing for América de Cali, in the match against Paraguay for the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The match ended with a 2–1 win, but Colombia (who had lost the previous game 4–0) was eliminated.

Two years later he was part of the national squad for the 1987 Copa América, in which Colombia finished third. Escobar only played one match, the 2–1 win against the host Argentina in the third-place match.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/87safull.html |title=1987 Copa América |publisher=RSSSF |last=Tabeira |first=Martín |date=22 August 2008}}

Escobar scored his only goal for the national team in the 74th minute of the 2–2 draw against South Korea on 26 February 1994 in a friendly match.

Career statistics

=Club=

This table is incomplete, thus some stats and totals could be incorrect.

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Club	League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \| Colombia ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| South America ! colspan=2 \| Total
1983	rowspan=14\|América de Cali	rowspan=7\|Campeonato Profesional	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	1
1984	38	8	0	0\|
\|0	38	8
1985	47	4	0	0\|
\|0	47	4
1986	43	3	0	0	2+	1	45	4
1987	37	4	0	0	3+	3	40	7
1988	37	5	0	0\|
\|0	37	5
1989	36	8	0	0	0	0	36	8
1990	rowspan=7\|Categoría Primera A	43	9	0	0	0	0	43	9
1991	38	4	0	0	8	1	46	5
1992	46	3	0	0	1+	1	47	4
1993	21	3	0	0	13	3	34	6
1994	46	7	0	0	0	0	46	7
1995	20	2	0	0	0	0	20	2
1995–96	42	14	0	0	15	4	57	18
colspan=3 \| Brazil ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| South America ! colspan=2 \| Total
1996	Atlético Mineiro	Campeonato Brasileiro	8	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
colspan=3 \| Colombia ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| South America ! colspan=2 \| Total
1996–97	América de Cali	Categoría Primera A	9	0	0	0	3+	1	12	1
colspan=3 \| Ecuador ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| South America ! colspan=2 \| Total
1997	rowspan=4\|LDU de Quito	rowspan=4\|Ecuadorian Serie A	?	?\|



\|?	?
1998	?	?\|

\|?	0	?	?
1999	34	4\|

\|7	0	41	4
2000	28	2\|

\|6	0	34	2
colspan=3 \| Colombia ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| South America ! colspan=2 \| Total
2001	Millonarios	rowspan=2\|Categoría Primera A	21	0	0	0	0	0	21	0
2001	Deportivo Pereira	21	0	0	0	0	0	21	0
colspan=3 \| Ecuador ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| South America ! colspan=2 \| Total
2002	rowspan=4\|LDU de Quito	rowspan=4\|Ecuadorian Serie A	34	3	0	0	0	0	34	3
2003	38	2\|

\|4	0	42	2
2004	37	3\|

\|5	0	42	3
2005	2	0\|

\|0	0	2	0
rowspan=4 \| Total ! colspan=2 \| Brazil !8\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|8\|\|0
colspan=2 \| Colombia !547\|\|75\|\|0\|\|0\|\|45\|\|14\|\|592\|\|89
colspan=2 \| Ecuador !237\|\|34\|\|0\|\|0\|\|22\|\|0\|\|259\|\|34
colspan=2 \| Career total !792\|\|109\|\|0\|\|0\|\|67\|\|14\|\|859\|\|123