Manuel Neira

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Neira and the second or maternal family name is Díaz.

Manuel Neira

Personal information
Full name	Manuel Alejandro Neira Díaz
Date of birth	October 12, 1977 (1977-10-12) (age 34)
Place of birth	Santiago de Chile, Chile
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	San Luis
Number	--
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1995	Colo-Colo	8	(0)
1995–1997	Everton	21	(11)
1997–1999	Colo-Colo	30	(15)
1999–2000	Las Palmas	17	(4)
2000–2001	Racing Club	9	(2)
2001	Unión Española	17	(11)
2001	América	9	(2)
2002–2004	Colo-Colo	64	(35)
2005	Chiapas	11	(0)
2005–2006	Unión Española	59	(36)
2007	Hapoel Tel Aviv	0	(0)
2007-2009	Unión Española	52	(24)
2010	Deportes La Serena	4	(3)
2010	Universidad Católica (ECU)	0	(0)
2011–	San Luis	0	(0)
National team
1998–2006	Chile	13	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 January 2007. † Appearances (Goals).

Manuel Alejandro Neira Díaz (born 12 October 1977) is a Chilean football player.

He played for a few clubs, including Colo-Colo (Chile), UD Las Palmas (Spain), Racing Club (Argentina) and Unión Española (Chile).

Club career

Early Career

Neira began his career, aged seventeen, at Primera División Chilena club Colo-Colo before moving to the Brazilian club São Paulo FC in 1994, after a notable performance at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championships. In the next season, Neira return to Colo-Colo, but in 1996 Neira was loaned to Everton de Viña del Mar of the Primera B in this time.

During the 1997–1998, Neira was consolidated as player in Colo-Colo, winning the Primera División Chilena title in two consecutive occasions, the 1997 and 1998 season. On December 1998, Colo-Colo sold Neira to the Spanish club UD Las Palmas. However, Neira was loaned to Colo-Colo for one season. When Neira returned to the club, he proclaimed champion of the 1999–2000 Segunda División title. Neira was transferred to an Argentine "giant club" Racing Club de Avellaneda for the 2000-01 season. In the Torneo Apertura 2000, Neira only scored 2 goals in 9 games. During the summer of 2001, Neira was transferred to Unión Española, in this club he made a notable performance scoring 11 goals in 17 games, being one of the top-scorer of the Torneo Apertura. On June 2001, Neira was filed to the Colombian club América de Cali.

Colo-Colo

On January 2002, Neira was once transferred to Colo-Colo. In the club, he obtained the runner–up title with the club in the Torneo Apertura, after of the 3–0 Colo–Colo's defeat against Cobreloa in the final. But in the Torneo Clausura of the same year, Neira made one of his most notable season in his career, winning the top–scorer title with 14 goals, and also winning the Primera Division title, after of win to Universidad Católica in the finals.

In the next season, the team loss two times in the same year the final against Cobreloa. However, Neira scored 21 goals in 42 matches in total of the season. There are many rumors that Manuel Neira would be transferred to Europe, but finally Neira was remained in the club. After of once season in Colo–Colo, playing the Torneo Apertura 2004 scoring 1 goal in 16 matches. On June 2004, he was transferred to the Mexican club Jaguares de Chiapas.

In the Mexican club, Neira only remained one season in Chiapas, shortly after he was transferred to Unión Española, for second time in his career.

Unión Española

With Unión, Neira won the Torneo Apertura 2005 title, after of the victory against Coquimbo Unido for 2–1. In the next season (2006), Neira scored 19 goals in 29 matches. On December 2006, he was released of Unión and he received many offers for several clubs.

Shorlty after of his wedding in December of the last year, on January 2007, he agreed upon moving to Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. on a one-year deal with the club until December 2007, refusing an offer from Colo-Colo in this time.

In his second game for the team, in the Channel One Cup, he was injured severely by CSKA Moscow player, Elvir Rahimić. Neira suffered two fractures in his ankle, and will have to sit out for the rest of the season, even before he played a single league game for Hapoel.

For the Torneo Clausura 2007, Neira return to Unión, after of Neira was released of the club. He made his Unión re–debut against Everton at Sausalito Stadium, in a 0–0 draw. He scored his first goal in his third cycle in the club against his former club Colo–Colo, in a 2–2 draw. Finally, Neira scored 9 goals in 19 matches for the tournament.

On December 2007, he tried his lucky at the Turkcell Super League club Gaziantepspor, Neira only trained with a couple of weeks, but Neira was not of the like of the coach, and shortly after he return to Unión Española.

During the 2008, in the Torneo Apertura 2008, he scored 3 goals in 12 matches. In the Torneo de Clausura 2008 he became a key player of the club, he scored 6 goals in 15 matches for this tournament. However, the club went to the Promotion playoffs of Primera B, in this relegation/promotion playoffs, Neira help to the team in the two matches scoring 2 goals in 2 matches against Deportes Puerto Montt, finally the team was saved of the relegation.

International career

The first international appearance with Chile national football team was in the FIFA U-17 World Championship 1993 celebrated in Japan. In this tournament he was one of top–scorers of the tournament with Peter Anosike and Nwankwo Kanu with 5 goals under Wilson Oruma with 6 goals winning the third place of the tournament.

He participate in the Chile national under-20 football team, he played in the South American Youth Championshisp in the years 1995 and 1997. He also played some matches of Chile in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.

He was member 1998 FIFA World Cup Chile squad, but did not play, because to the two Chilean idols Marcelo Salas and Iván Zamorano played in his position.

Honours

Colo-Colo

• Primera División Chilena: 3

Clausura 1997, 1998, Clausura 2002

Unión Española

• Primera División Chilena: 1

Clausura 2005

Individual

• Top-scorer: 1

Clausura 2002

References

• Manuel Neira at National-Football-Teams.com

Persondata
Name	Neira, Manuel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	12 October 1977
Place of birth	Santiago de Chile, Chile
Date of death
Place of death