Player profile: Miguel Borja, the hero of Medellin - VIDEO -
Born in Tierralta in 1993, Borja grew up in the neighbourhood of Cordoba. He has always dreamt of becoming an affirmed football player, but during his childhood he had always been helping his family working in a hardware store belonging to his parents.
Borja begins his professional career in the squad of Deportivo Calì, before moving to Cucuta Deportivo and La Equidad on loan deals. He signed with Livorno in 2013, when he was only 20 and just a few months after winning the U-20 Copa America with U-20 Colombia national team. His first spell in Europe, however, was quite disappointing as Livorno were relegated to Serie B, before the player made his return to South America at the end of the campaign.
He had been playing for Olimpo and Santa Fe before the beginning of 2016 when he signed for Cortulà, scoring 19 goals in the apertura of Colombia’s first division. He joined Atletico Nacional on the first of July 2016.
Borja scored a brace during his first match with Atletico Nacional which was the Copa Libertadores’ semi-final played against Sao Paulo. One week later he nets two more in the return leg which his side win for 2-1 gaining access to the tournament’s final.
Despite scoring no goal in the first match of the final, he netted the winner in the second leg game gifting Atletico Nacional with the second Copa Libertadores in the club’s history, 27 years after their first time ever. After these convincing performances, the doors of European football could be open again for the hero of Medellin.
Niccolà Colmegna, translated by Lorenzo Bettoni @lorebetto
