Nelson Vivas

Nelson Vivas

Personal information
Full name	Nelson Davíd Vivas
Date of birth	(1969-10-18) 18 October 1969
Place of birth	Granadero Baigorria, Argentina
Height
Position(s)	Right Back
Youth career
1989–1990	Somisa de San Nicolas
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1994	Quilmes	93	(33)
1994–1997	Boca Juniors	86	(3)
1997–1998	Lugano	22	(1)
1998–2001	Arsenal	69	(1)
2000	→ Celta de Vigo (loan)	13	(0)
2001–2003	Internazionale	19	(0)
2003	River Plate	7	(0)
2004–2005	Quilmes	24	(0)
Total		304	(38)
International career
1994–2003	Argentina	39	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 September 2007

Nelson David Vivas (born 18 October 1969 in Granadero Baigorria, Santa Fe, Argentina) is a former professional Argentine football player, who played primarily as right-back.

Career in Argentina

Vivas began his professional footballing career with Quilmes, making his first-team debut in 10 September 1991 against Newell's Old Boys. After 3 years with Quilmes, he then joined Boca Juniors, playing 86 games for them until 1998.

Move to Europe

Like many other South American footballers, Vivas made his move to Europe, joining FC Lugano of Swiss League on loan. However, he only made 10 appearances until the big break came; Arsenal signed him from Boca Juniors for £1,600,000 in August 1998, but he rarely played for the Gunners.

Vivas was mainly used as backup for established full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn while at Arsenal; he started 18 games and came on as a substitute for a further 18 during his first season for the Gunners, as he struggled to break into the first team. He scored his first and only goal for Arsenal against Derby County in the League Cup. He had a setback when he missed a penalty in a shootout as Arsenal crashed out of the 1999/2000 League Cup to Middlesbrough.

Vivas was loaned out to the La Liga outfit Celta Vigo halfway through the 1999–00 season and barely figured over the next two seasons, appearing mainly as a substitute (particularly as Arsenal had signed Oleg Luzhny and Sylvinho in the summer of 1999). Unable to establish himself as a permanent member of the team, Vivas left Arsenal when his contract expired at the end of the 2000–01 season, and joined Serie A team Internazionale of Milan. He played 69 games for Arsenal (40 as substitute), scoring one goal. At Inter, Vivas found it hard to break into the first-team and, after two seasons with the Nerazzurri, he left European football to return to his native Argentina.

Early retirement

After only one season with River Plate, Vivas returned to his first professional club, Quilmes where he played until his retirement in 2005.

Vivas served as Diego Simeone's assistant coach at Estudiantes de La Plata, then at River Plate and at the moment at Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro.

For the 2013-14 season Vivas once again returned to Quilmes, as manager on this occasion. International headlines were made in October 2013 when Vivas attacked a fan in the stands and subsequently resigned from his post.

National team

Solid defender, despite the fact that he hardly played regularly for any of his clubs in Europe, Vivas was always a regular for his national team, playing 39 games and scoring in one occasion.

Vivas scored his only goal for Argentina in an unofficial friendly match against Romania "B" or Romanian League in 1998.

National team statistics

Argentina national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1994	1	0
1995	1	0
1996	2	0
1997	5	0
1998	8	1
1999	7	0
2000	6	0
2001	6	0
2002	1	0
2003	2	0
Total	39	1

External links

• Nelson Vivas at National-Football-Teams.com
• (Spanish) Argentine Primera statistics