Name: Diego Martín Rodríguez

Nickname: "El Ruso"



Country: Argentina
Club: C. A. Independiente
Shirt Number: 1, 12, 17, 21, 30
Position: ★GK
Side: RF/BS
Age: 24-26 years (25/06/1989)

Height: 184 cm
Weight: 80 kg

Attack: 35
Defence: 81
Balance: 78
Stamina: 63
Top Speed: 66
Acceleration: 67
Response: 84
Agility: 70
Dribble Accuracy: 58
Dribble Speed: 55
Short Pass Accuracy: 61
Short Pass Speed: 68
Long Pass Accuracy: 65
Long Pass Speed: 68
Shot Accuracy: 44
Shot Power: 79
Shot Technique: 44
Free Kick Accuracy: 60
Swerve: 49
Heading: 49
Jump: 79
Technique: 60
Aggression: 58
Mentality: 67
Goalkeeper Skills: 80
Team work: 69

Injury Tolerance: A
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 4
Growth type: Standard

CARDS:
S04 - PK Taker
S11 - Penalty Saver

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Penalties - Penalty Stopper

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced

INFO:
Diego Rodríguez is an Argentinian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Born in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires (25/06/1989), he began his professional career at Independiente in 2009, but would not play a game for the first team until 2011 against C.A. Huracán, due to the injuries of the team's other goalkeepers, Hilario Navarro, Fabián Assmann and Adrián Gabbarini. He started again on March 11, 2012, in the memorable away victory at La Bombonera against Boca Juniors by 5 to 4, since interim coach Christian Díaz had decided to bet on several youth players from the Independiente Reserve whom he already knew well. Despite receiving a low rating for that match from the media, the coach supported him saying that it was one of his first games in the First Division. He appeared again on the next date, in the 2-0 victory against Club Atlético Belgrano. However, on the following date, Independiente lost 3 to 0 against Colón and Christian Díaz began to receive pressure from the media to replace the goalkeeper (who had conceded 9 goals in 4 games) with any of the other three (Assmann, Gabbarini, and Navarro) for their greater experience and security as each one of them had been regular starters at the time. Thus, given these pressures, for the next date, Rodríguez was replaced by Gabbarini in the victory against Atlético Rafaela by 2 to 0. In the 2012 Torneo Inicial, due to new injuries to Fabián Assmann and Adrán Gabbarini and a poor performance shown at the beginning by Hilario Navarro, Rodríguez held the starting position of goalkeeper at Independiente, and based on good performances he consolidated himself in goal with Américo Gallego in command. In the following tournament, he was the starting goalkeeper of the Independiente team that lost the category for the first time in their history.

After Independiente's relegation in 2013, he began the season on the bench again by Fabián Assmann, but as his performance was questioned he once again had the opportunity to save. Due to his good performances in goal, he established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the category, achieving the historical record in the second division and of Independiente in professionalism with 819 minutes without conceding goals. On March 15, 2014, he scored his first goal, from a penalty, against Banfield. A few games later he scored his second goal, also from a penalty, in his team's 3-2 victory against Sportivo Belgrano. Independiente would stay only one season in the second division, and after their promotion, Ruso scored his first goal in the First Division on September 13, 2014, when he converted a penalty for Independiente's draw against Quilmes, and just minutes later he scored his second goal in the category in the same way. On October 18, 2014, he scored his third goal in the First Division and fifth with the Independiente shirt, from a penalty, in a match corresponding to date 10 against San Lorenzo. On February 14, 2015, on the first date of the Primera División, he scored his sixth goal with the red shirt, again from a penalty in Independiente's 3-2 victory over Newell's Old Boys. That same tournament he scored again in his team's 3-0 victory against River Plate in the match corresponding to date 27. On the following date, he scored again from a penalty for the 4-0 victory of his team against Crucero del Norte, thus extending his streak to eight goals scored with the Independiente shirt. In 2016 he would finally leave Independiente and go on to play for C.A. Central Rosary. Later, his career would continue at JEF United in Japan, Defensa y Justicia, Central Córdoba, Elche in Spain, Panetolikos in Greece, and Godoy Cruz. In 2024, at 34 years old, Rodríguez signed for Argentinos Juniors.