Mauro Abel Formica (born 4 April 1988) is an Argentine professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who plays as an

attacking midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

for Colón. He is nicknamed ''El Gato'' (''The Cat'').

Career

Newell's Old Boys

Having signed a professional contract, Formica made his professional debut for

Newell's Old Boys Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario, Santa Fe. The club was founded on 3 November 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell of the English county of Kent, one of the pioneers of Football in Argentina, ...

on 29 September 2006 at the age of 18, in a match against

Club Atlético Colón Club Atlético Colón de Santa Fe (), commonly referred to as Colón de Santa Fe , is a sports club from Santa Fe, Argentina. The football team plays in the First Division of the Argentine football league system, the Argentine Primera Divisi ...

, as the teams drew 1–1. After two-years since professional at Newell's Old Boys, Formica soon established himself in the first team in 2008–09 and in Torneo Apertura on 13 December 2008, Formica scored his first goal in a 3–0 win over Racing Club. Soon after, on the opening game of the season, Formica scored his first goal (and scored another) and set up a goal for Leandro Armani in a 3–0 win over

Gimnasia Gimnasia may refer to: * Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, an Argentine football club * Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Mendoza, an Argentine football club *Gimnasia Esgrima Comodoro Rivadavia, an Argentine football club *Gimnasia y Esgrima de Comodo ...

. Soon in mid-May, Formica scored three goals in three consecutive games, against River Plate,

Arsenal de Sarandí An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

and

Rosario Central Club Atlético Rosario Central () is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on December 24, 1889, by a group of railway workers, taking its name from the English ...

. After the end of the season, Formica made sixteen appearances (having missed four appearances due to slight injury) and scoring seven. The following season, Formica continued to retain his first team and in Torneo Inicial, Formica scored four goals in nineteen appearances. Shortly after the end of Torneo Inicial, Formica played his first game of

Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...

in a 0–0 draw against Emelec in the first leg but the club was eliminated in the second leg, with a 2–1 score for Emelec. On the final game of the season of Torneo Final, Formica scored twice and set up a goal for

Lucas Bernardi Lucas Ademar Bernardi (born 27 September 1977) is an Argentine former professional footballer and manager. He played as a defensive midfielder. Club career Bernardi began his playing career with Newell's Old Boys before joining French team Olym ...

in a 6–1 win over Gimnasia, the team which he scored his first goal. His good performance attracted attention from Europe with the likes of

Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...

AS Monaco Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA, commonly referred to as AS Monaco () or Monaco, is a professional football club based in Monaco that is member of French Football Federation (FFF) and competes in Ligue 1, the top tier of Fren ...

Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other dep ...

and

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

. Russian side

Rubin Kazan FC Rubin Kazan (russian: Футбо́льный клуб Руби́н Каза́нь, ''Futbolny klub Rubin Kazan'' , Tatar: Рубин Казан) is a Russian professional football club based in the city of Kazan. They play in the second-tier ...

made a bid for Formica but the offer was rejected. Soon after rival River Plate tried to sign him but the offer was also rejected. Though rebuffing offers from Europe, Formica playing time was reduced under new manager

Roberto Sensini Roberto Néstor Sensini (born 12 October 1966) is an Argentine football manager and former player, who played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder. As a player with the Argentina national team, he won both the 1991 and 1993 Copa América, a ...

. Though fallen out, Formica continued his form in Copa Sudamericana, scoring three goals, against Estudiantes and a brace against Club San Jose. After leaving Newell's Old Boys, Formica played a total of 84 games scoring 22 goals for the club over 5 years. While at Newell's Old Boys, Formica is known for his technique, dribbling and speed. He is also known for his great shot from half-distance.

Blackburn Rovers

On the last day of the transfer window, Formica signed for

Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...

– on a four-year deal – reported to be worth around £4 million. Then-manager

Steve Kean Stephen Kean (born 30 September 1967) is a Scottish football coach and former player, who is currently the academy director at Hibernian. Kean played as a winger for clubs in the lower divisions of Scottish, English and Portuguese leagues i ...

described Formica as a young

Gabriel Batistuta Gabriel Omar Batistuta (; born 1 February 1969) is an Argentine former professional footballer. During his playing career, Batistuta was nicknamed Batigol () as well as El Ángel Gabriel (; Spanish for ''Angel Gabriel''). Regarded as one of the ...

, believing he's best prospects in Argentine football. However, Formica did not break into the squad, appearing instead for Blackburn reserves, often due to a lack of match fitness. Kean tipped Formica as a future star going into his second season with Rovers, and on 13 August 2011, Formica scored on his

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

debut for Rovers against

Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Ro ...

in a 2–1 defeat at

Ewood Park Ewood Park () is a football stadium in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and the home of Blackburn Rovers F.C., founding members of the Football League and Premier League, who have played there since 1890. It is an all seater multi-sports facil ...

. On 20 August 2011, he came on for Jason Roberts on 75 minutes in a 3–1 defeat against

Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa P ...

Villa Park Villa Park is a football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England, with a seating capacity of 42,682. It has been the home of Premier League side Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witton and Aston railway statio ...

. Four days later, Formica started and played the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 victory over

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...

at Ewood Park in the second round of the League Cup. On 27 August 2011, Formica won two penalties in a home league game against Everton. He missed one and so did

Junior Hoilett David Wayne Hoilett Jr. (born 5 June 1990), known as Junior Hoilett, is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for EFL Championship club Reading and the Canada national team. After impressing in a youth tournament, Hoilet ...

, the match ended with Everton winning 1–0. In the January transfer window, Formica was expected to leave Blackburn, having been named one of Blackburn's player to leave the club, reportedly for personal reasons. Several days later, Formica revealed the club rejected a move back to his former club, with Blackburn want to sell for €5million. In mid-January, Formica was also linked with a move to Greek side

Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number ...

, where he would join his brother, playing for a different Greek club. His brother told Sport24 that Mauro want to leave Blackburn, insisting the talk is ongoing However, the move to Greece fell through, as the club were unable to meet Blackburn's asking price. Later in the season, Formica would score three more goals against

Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandswo ...

and

Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 2 ...

. However, at the end of the season, Blackburn were relegated to the Championship. Formica was in and out of the first team, due to change of management. On 17 November 2012, Formica scored his first goal of the season in a 4–1 win over

Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standin ...

and several weeks on, Formica made his last appearance in a 4–1 loss against

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...

. Formica hadn't played since throughout December and January, due to injury on the knee.

Palermo

On 23 January 2013,

Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Copp ...

strugglers

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for it ...

announced on their website to have signed Formica on loan until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent during the period of the loan spell. He made his debut four days later, as a second-half substitute for

Josip Iličić Josip Iličić (; born 29 January 1988) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Maribor. Iličić began his professional career with Slovenian club Bonifika, later also playing for Interblock ...

in a 1–1 draw at

Cagliari Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitan ...

. In the next match in a 2–1 loss against

Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...

, Formica provided assist for

Nélson Marcos Nélson Augusto Tomar Marcos (born 10 June 1983), known simply as Nélson, is a Cape Verdean-born Portuguese footballer who plays as a right back. After making a name for himself at Benfica, appearing in 107 official games over three seasons, ...

from a cross, with Nélson scoring from a backheel.

Cruz Azul

On 13 August 2013, Cruz Azul announced on their website that they had signed Mauro Formica.

International career

Formica played his first cap, coming on for

Ariel Cabral Alejandro Ariel Cabral (born September 11, 1987) is an Argentine footballer. Club career Vélez Sársfield Cabral started his playing career in 2007 with Vélez Sársfield, during Ricardo La Volpe's coaching era. Despite playing in the youth sy ...

, in a 2–1 loss against Poland on 5 June 2011.

Personal life

Mauro is the younger brother of fellow professional player

Lautaro Formica Lautaro Roque Formica (born 27 January 1986 in Rosario) is an Argentine football player currently playing for Chacarita Juniors. Career Formica played for Newell's Old Boys, San Lorenzo and Godoy Cruz during his first professional years. He j ...

Career statistics

* (*)

Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, named as ''Copa Sudamericana'' (; pt, Copa Sul-Americana ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club competition in South American fo ...

Honours

Cruz Azul *

CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Amer ...

: 2013–14

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Formica, Mauro 1988 births Living people Argentine footballers Argentine expatriate footballers Footballers from Rosario, Santa Fe Argentine people of Italian descent Association football midfielders Argentina youth international footballers Argentina international footballers Newell's Old Boys footballers Blackburn Rovers F.C. players Palermo F.C. players Cruz Azul footballers Club Universidad Nacional footballers Club Atlético Colón footballers Argentine Primera División players Premier League players English Football League players Serie A players Liga MX players Argentine expatriate sportspeople in England Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Italy Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Expatriate footballers in England Expatriate footballers in Italy Expatriate footballers in Mexico