Carlos Espínola

Who is Carlos Espínola?

Carlos Arberto Espínola Oviedo is a retired Paraguayan-born Ecuadorian football defender.

Espínola began his professional career at Paraguayan club Cerro Porteño for three years, winning a national title with them in 1996. He had a brief spell at Mexican powerhouse América in 1999, but returned to Cerro Porteño the next year where he won another national title. Over the next two years, Espínola played for Paraguayan Primera División clubs Libertad and Sport Colombia.

In 2003, Espínola went to Ecuador to play for LDU Quito, we he had considerable success winning a national championship in 2003 and in 2005. In the last game of the 2006 season, Espínola was involved in a melee during a match against Barcelona. During the melee, Espínola kicked Leonardo Soledispa in the face. He received a one-year suspension for his actions.

He returned in 2008 after completing his suspension to play for Deportivo Cali in Colombia and Emelec in Ecuador. In 2009, he returned to LDU Quito where he was an integral member of the squad that won the 2009 Recopa Sudamericana and 2009 Copa Sudamericana.

He played for the Paraguayan national team between 2000 and 2004.