Sebastián Saja

Diego Sebastián Saja (born 5 June 1979) is an

Sebastián Saja
Argentine football coach and former player who is
an assistant coach for Major League Soccer side
Inter Miami CF.

He spent most of his professional career with San

Lorenzo, Racing Club and AEK Athens, being one
of the most prolific goal-scoring goalkeepers in
history. He represented four clubs in the Spanish
Segunda División, and also competed in Italy,
Mexico and Brazil.

Saja in 2014
Club career Personal information
Full name Diego Sebástian Saja
Date of birth 5 June 1979
San Lorenzo Place of birth La Plata, Argentina
Born in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Saja had Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
nearly 200 overall appearances for San Lorenzo de Position(s) Goalkeeper
Almagro, being voted South America's best Team information
goalkeeper in 2002. In 2001, he helped the team Current team Inter Miami (assistant)
win the Clausura and the Copa Mercosur, adding
Senior career*
the following year's Copa Sudamericana.
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Saja split the 2003–04 season with Brescia Calcio 2000–2008 San Lorenzo 145 (11)
and Rayo Vallecano, being first-choice and 2003 → Brescia (loan) 4 (0)
dropping down a level with the latter. Moving to 2004 → Rayo Vallecano (loan) 20 (0)
another club in Spain and in the second division for 2004 → Club América (loan) 4 (0)
the following campaign, he would also be 2005–2006 → Córdoba (loan) 23 (0)
relegated with Córdoba CF. 2007–2008 → Grêmio (loan) 30 (1)
2008–2011 AEK Athens 95 (0)
After a brief spell in Mexico with Club América,
2011–2016 Racing Club 169 (7)
Saja returned to San Lorenzo for 2005–06: he
2016 Gimnàstic 10 (0)
made 33 appearances and scored five goals in the
2017 Zaragoza 6 (0)
Primera División, but was eventually sent out on
Total 500 (19)
loan for the fifth time, this time to Grêmio Foot-
International career
Ball Porto Alegrense after falling out of favour
with new manager Ramón Díaz.[1][2] 1997–1999 Argentina U20 24 (0)
2002–2003 Argentina 4 (0)
Managerial career
2017–2018 Guaraní
AEK 2018 Agropecuario
2019 Inter Miami (academy coach)
Released in 2008, Saja signed a three-year contract
2020–2025 Inter Miami (assistant)
with AEK Athens, earning approximately
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
€400.000. He appeared in 29 games in his first year
to help his team finish fourth in the league, but
they was also quickly eliminated from UEFA Cup contention.[3]

On 31 May 2009, Saja agreed to a new three-year deal with the Greek side,[4] continuing to be first-
choice and winning the Greek Cup in 2011.

Return to Argentina
On 29 June 2011, Saja and AEK agreed to terminate his contract one year before it expired.[5] Shortly
after, the 32-year-old returned to his homeland and joined Racing Club de Avellaneda,[6] netting his first
goal for his new team on 29 September of the following year, through a penalty against former club San
Lorenzo in a 4–0 win;[7] he was also the goalkeeper with the fewest goals conceded in the 2011 Apertura,
breaking a club record for a short tournament held by Carlos Roa since 1992.[8]

On 9 June 2013, again from the penalty spot, Saja scored against Boca Juniors (2–0 home triumph, which
qualified the team for the Copa Sudamericana).[9] On 18 October 2015, against the same opponent but for
the league, he repeated the feat to help the hosts win it 3–1.[10]

Gimnàstic and Zaragoza

On 16 August 2016, free agent Saja signed a one-year deal with Gimnàstic de Tarragona, returning to
Spain and its second tier after 11 years.[11] Due to the injury of Manolo Reina, he was made a starter
during the first matches of the season.[12]

On 21 December 2016, after being overtaken by another new signing, Stole Dimitrievski, Saja left Nàstic
by mutual consent.[13] The following 24 January, he joined fellow league team Real Zaragoza until the
end of the campaign.[14]

On 9 June 2017, Saja announced his retirement at the age of 38.[15]

International career
Saja earned four caps for Argentina, making his debut against Wales on 13 February 2002 (1–1 in
Cardiff).[16] In the following year he appeared in a further three friendlies, with Honduras (3–1), Mexico
(1–0) and the United States (1–0).[17]

Honours
San Lorenzo

Argentine Primera División: 2001 Clausura

 Copa Mercosur: 2001
Copa Sudamericana: 2002
Grêmio

Campeonato Gaúcho: 2007

AEK

Greek Football Cup: 2010–11

Racing Club

Argentine Primera División: 2014

Individual

Toulon Tournament best goalkeeper: 1999[18]

South American Goalkeeper of the Year: 2002
Copa Libertadores best goalkeeper: 2007

References
1. Saja se fue a Brasil; llega Romagnoli (Saja went to Brazil; Romagnoli arrives) (http://www.la
nacion.com.ar/876222-saja-se-fue-a-brasil-llega-romagnoli); La Nación, 18 January 2007 (in
Spanish)
2. Sebastián Saja y otro conflicto en puerta para el equipo de Ramón Díaz (Sebastián Saja
and another run-in in the making for Ramón Díaz's team) (https://www.minutouno.com/nota
s/69619-sebastian-saja-y-otro-conflicto-enpuerta-el-equipo-ramon-diaz); Minuto Uno, 19
February 2008 (in Spanish)
3. Omonia keep the party going in Nicosia (http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/fixturesr
esults/round=15283/match=303886/report=rp.html); UEFA, 28 August 2008
4. Saja signs new deal (http://www.aekfc.gr/index.asp?a_id=74&n_id=5090); AEK Athens, 31
May 2009 (in Greek)
5. Βελούδινο διαζύγιο ΑΕΚ – Σάχα (http://www.tovima.gr/sports/article/?aid=408714); Tovima,
29 June 2011 (in Greek)
6. Chino de Avellaneda (Avellaneda's Chino) (http://www.ole.com.ar/racing/Chino-Avellaneda_
0_509949283.html); Olé, 2 July 2011 (in Spanish)
7. Racing goleó por 4 a 0 a San Lorenzo y quedó a un punto del líder (Racing routed San
Lorenzo 4 to 0 and are now one point behind leader) (https://www.lacapital.com.ar/ovacion/r
acing-goleo-4-0-san-lorenzo-y-quedo-un-punto-del-lider-n359241.html); La Capital, 29
September 2012 (in Spanish)
8. Premio para el mejor (Award to the best) (http://www.ole.com.ar/futbol-primera/Premio-mejo
r_0_608339193.html); Olé, 13 December 2011 (in Spanish)
9. Torneo Final: Racing le ganó a Boca y se clasificó a la Copa Sudamericana (Final
Tournament: Racing beat Boca and qualified for the South American Cup) (http://mundod.la
voz.com.ar/futbol/torneo-final-racing-le-gano-boca-y-se-clasifico-la-copa-sudamericana); La
Voz del Interior, 9 June 2013 (in Spanish)
10. Racing le amargó la noche a Boca (Racing made night for Boca a bitter one) (https://www.el
patagonico.com/racing-le-amargo-la-noche-boca-n1297999); El Patagónico, 19 October
2015 (in Spanish)
11. Saja, nou fitxatge per a la porteria del Nàstic (Saja, new signing for Nàstic's goal) (http://ww
w.gimnasticdetarragona.cat/saja-nou-fitxatge-per-a-la-porteria-del-nastic/); Gimnàstic
Tarragona, 16 August 2016 (in Catalan)
12. Sebastián Saja seguirá su carrera en la segunda división de España (Sebastián Saja will
continue his career in the Spanish second division) (https://www.lanacion.com.ar/1928854-1
928854); La Nación, 17 August 2016 (in Spanish)
13. Saja finalitza la seva vinculació amb el Nàstic (Saja ends his link with Nàstic) (http://www.gi
mnasticdetarragona.cat/saja-finalitza-la-seva-vinculacio-amb-el-nastic/); Gimnàstic
Tarragona, 21 December 2016 (in Catalan)
14. Confirmada la contratación del portero Sebastián Saja (Signing of goalkeeper Sebastián
Saja confirmed) (http://www.realzaragoza.com/noticias/61839); Real Zaragoza, 24 January
2017 (in Spanish)
15. Sebastián Saja se retira del fútbol: "Nada de lo que haga de acá en adelante me hará sentir
tan pleno" (Saja retires from football: "Nothing that happens from now on will make me feel
so fulfilled") (http://www.lanacion.com.ar/2032187-sebastian-saja-se-retira-del-futbol-nada-d
e-lo-que-haga-de-aca-en-adelante-me-hara-sentir-tan-pleno); La Nación, 9 June 2017 (in
Spanish)
16. 2002 Matches (https://www.rsssf.org/intldetails/2002ic1.html); at RSSSF
17. International Friendly Matches 2003 (https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/friend-intres2003.html); at
RSSSF
18. "Tournoi Espoirs de Toulon: Official Player Awards" (https://www.rsssf.org/tablest/toulon.htm
l). rsssf.or. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.

External links
Argentine League statistics (https://web.archive.org/web/20080605134546/http://www.futbol
xxi.com/Futbolista.aspx?ID=12418&SEOFutbolista=Saja+Diego+Sebastian) at the Wayback
Machine (archived 5 June 2008) (in Spanish)
Sebastián Saja (https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j4887.html) at BDFutbol
Sebastián Saja (https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/314.html) at National-
Football-Teams.com
Sebastián Saja (https://int.soccerway.com/players/diego--sebastian-saja/9186/) at
Soccerway
Official website (http://www.sebastiansaja.com.ar) (in Spanish)

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