Elkin Soto

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Elkin Soto

| image =

| fullname = Elkin Soto Jaramillo

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|8|4|df=y}}

| birth_place = Manizales, Colombia

| height = 1.78 m

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Once Caldas (youth manager)

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Atlético Nacional

| years1 = 1999–2004

| clubs1 = Once Caldas

| caps1 = 194

| goals1 = 25

| years2 = 2005–2006

| clubs2 = Barcelona SC

| caps2 = 44

| goals2 = 7

| years3 = 2007–2016

| clubs3 = Mainz 05

| caps3 = 191

| goals3 = 14

| years4 = 2016–2017

| clubs4 = Once Caldas

| caps4 = 43

| goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2019

| clubs5 = Once Caldas

| caps5 = 3

| goals5 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2004–2013

| nationalteam1 = Colombia

| nationalcaps1 = 26

| nationalgoals1 = 6

| manageryears1 = 2022–

| managerclubs1 = Once Caldas (youth)

| manageryears2 = 2023

| managerclubs2 = Once Caldas (caretaker)

| club-update =

}}

Elkin Soto Jaramillo (born 4 August 1980) is a Colombian football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the current manager of Once Caldas' youth categories.

Club career

Soto was born in Manizales, Caldas Department.

He was one of the fundamental parts in Once Caldas Copa Libertadores 2004 historic final against Boca Juniors in which they won.

Following one season with Ecuadorian side, Barcelona SC, Soto was signed by Jurgen Klopp to play for Bundesliga side, Mainz 05, where he spent 9 seasons (2007-2016), during which time he also played for Thomas Tuchel.

On 1 February 2019, it was confirmed that Soto had returned to Once Caldas for the third time.{{cite web | url = https://www.elespectador.com/deportes/futbol-colombiano/es-oficial-elkin-soto-jugara-con-el-once-caldas-articulo-837396 | title = Es oficial: Elkin Soto jugará con el Once Caldas | language = es | website = El Espectador | date = 1 February 2019 | access-date = 19 May 2019}} Soto retired at the end of the 2018–19 season.{{cite web | url = https://www.lapatria.com/deportes/elkin-soto-le-dice-adios-al-futbol-tras-20-anos-de-carrera-profesional-442117 | title = Elkin Soto le dice adiós al fútbol tras 20 años de carrera profesional | language = es | website = lapatria.com | date = 11 August 2019 | access-date = 8 September 2019}}

International career

He is also a starter of the Colombia national team where he plays left wing midfielder. He has been known for scoring many game-winning goals and is seen as a real leader on the field. He played the last five games of the qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and scored against Peru, Ecuador and Uruguay. He has scored many goals in friendlies as well.

Career statistics

=Club=

{{Updated|match played on 15 May 2017}}{{cite web | url = https://int.soccerway.com/players/elkin-soto/5227/matches/ | title = E. Soto | publisher = Soccerway.com | access-date = 6 August 2014}}

colspan=2 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental ! colspan=2 \| Other ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Club	Season ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=2 \| Colombia ! colspan=2 \| Categoría Primera A ! colspan=2 \| Copa Colombia ! colspan=2 \| Continental¹ ! colspan=2 \| Other² ! colspan=2 \| Total
rowspan="8"\|Once Caldas	1999	3	0	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	3	0
2000	20	2	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	20	2
2001	31	4	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	31	4
2002	31	3	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	31	3
2003	42	5	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	42	5
2004	34	5	colspan=2\|—	14	1	colspan=2\|—	48	6
2005	33	6	colspan=2\|—	12	1	colspan=2\|—	45	7
rowspan=1 \| Total !194\|\|25\|\|0\|\|0\|\|26\|\|2\|\|0\|\|0\|\|220\|\|27
colspan=2 \| Ecuador ! colspan=2 \| Serie A ! colspan=2 \| Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental¹ ! colspan=2 \| Other ! colspan=2 \| Total
rowspan="2"\|Barcelona	2006	44	7	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	colspan=2\|—	44	7
rowspan=1 \| Total !44\|\|7\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|44\|\|7
colspan=2 \| Germany ! colspan=2 \| Bundesliga ! colspan=2 \| DFB-Pokal ! colspan=2 \| Continental³ ! colspan=2 \| Other ! colspan=2 \| Total
rowspan="11"\|Mainz 05	2006–07	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
2007–08	7	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	1
2008–09	23	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	23	2
2009–10	30	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	31	1
2010–11	26	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	28	4
2011–12	31	1	3	0	2	0	0	0	36	1
2012–13	28	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	31	1
2013–14	20	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	21	1
2014–15	16	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	17	3
2015–16	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
rowspan=1 \| Total !190\|\|14\|\|10\|\|0\|\|3\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|203\|\|14
colspan=2 \| Colombia ! colspan=2 \| Categoría Primera A ! colspan=2 \| Copa Colombia ! colspan=2 \| Continental¹ ! colspan=2 \| Other² ! colspan=2 \| Total
rowspan=3\|Once Caldas	2016	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
2017	14	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	15	1
rowspan=1 \| Total !29\|\|0\|\|1\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|0\|\|30\|\|1
colspan=2 \| Career total !457\|\|47\|\|11\|\|0\|\|29\|\|2\|\|0\|\|0\|\|496\|\|49

¹ Includes cup competitions such as Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.

² Includes Superliga Colombiana matches.

³ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches.

=International goals=

Scores and results lists Colombia's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
class="wikitable collapsible"
1.	4 June 2005	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	{{fb\|PER}}	{{center\|2–0}}	{{center\|5–0}}	rowspan=2 \| 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	4 September 2005	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	{{fb\|URU}}	{{center\|1–2}}	{{center\|2–3}}
3.	1 March 2006	Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela	{{fb\|VEN}}	{{center\|1–1}}	{{center\|1–1}}	rowspan="4"\| Friendly
4.	25 May 2006	Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States	{{fb\|ECU}}	{{center\|1–1}}	{{center\|1–1}}
5.	4 June 2006	Camp Municipal Narcís Sala, Barcelona, Spain	{{fb\|MAR}}	{{center\|1–0}}	{{center\|2–0}}
6.	16 August 2006	Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile	{{fb\|CHI}}	{{center\|2–1}}	{{center\|2–1}}