Celso Ayala

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Celso Ayala

| image =

| fullname = Celso Rafael Ayala Gavilán

| height = 1.83 m

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1970|8|20}}

| birth_place = Asunción, Paraguay

| currentclub =

| position = Centre-back

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1990–1994

| years2 = 1994

| years3 = 1995–1998

| years4 = 1998–1999

| years5 = 1999–2000

| years6 = 2000

| years7 = 2001–2005

| years8 = 2006

| clubs1 = Olimpia Asunción

| clubs2 = Rosario Central

| clubs3 = River Plate

| clubs4 = Betis

| clubs5 = Atlético Madrid

| clubs6 = São Paulo

| clubs7 = River Plate

| clubs8 = Colo-Colo

| caps1 =

| caps2 = 15

| caps3 = 140

| caps4 = 17

| caps5 = 19

| caps6 = 8

| caps7 = 60

| caps8 = 6

| goals1 =

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 8

| goals4 = 1

| goals5 = 1

| goals6 = 0

| goals7 = 3

| goals8 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 1992

| nationalteam1 = Paraguay U-23

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 1993–2003

| nationalteam2 = Paraguay

| nationalcaps2 = 85

| nationalgoals2 = 6

| manageryears1 = 2012–2013

| managerclubs1 = Carapeguá

| manageryears2 = 2014

| managerclubs2 = Independiente FBC

| manageryears3 = 2014–2015

| managerclubs3 = Guabirá

| manageryears4 = 2015

| managerclubs4 = Sport Boys Warnes

| manageryears5 = 2015

| managerclubs5 = Petrolero

| manageryears6 = 2016–2017

| managerclubs6 = Independiente FBC

| manageryears7 = 2017–2018

| managerclubs7 = Nacional Asunción

| manageryears8 = 2019

| managerclubs8 = Deportivo Capiatá

| manageryears9 = 2019–2020

| managerclubs9 = Sportivo Luqueño

| manageryears10 = 2020

| managerclubs10 = River Plate Asunción

| manageryears11 = 2020–2021

| managerclubs11 = Sol de América

| manageryears12 = 2021

| managerclubs12 = River Plate Asunción

| manageryears13 = 2022

| managerclubs13 = Sol de América

| manageryears14 = 2023

| managerclubs14 = Deportivo Santaní

}}

Celso Rafael Ayala Gavilán ({{IPA|es|ˈselso rafaˈel aˈʝala ɣaβiˈlan|local}}; born 20 August 1970) is a Paraguayan football manager and former player who played as a centre-back.

Career

With 85 caps and six goals, Ayala one of the most capped players in the Paraguay national team.[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/para-recintlp.html rsssf: Paraguay record international footballers] Ayala became a key player in Paraguay's outstanding defensive line in the 1990s, along with fellow defenders Francisco Arce and Carlos Gamarra. His characteristics were leadership in the field, good positioning and superb tackling and heading skills. Ayala made his international debut for the Paraguay national football team on 3 March 1993 in the Copa Paz de Chico match against Bolivia (1–0 win) as a substitute.