Dayro Moreno returns to Once Caldas for new Colombian league season

Last year’s Colombian championship saw Deportivo Pereira claim a shock title but, as the new season is about to begin, there’s another surprise in the midst - 37-year-old striker Dayro Moreno is returning for another season where it all started, Once Caldas, and it could be his last.

Most football fans outside South America probably are less familiar with his name, but Moreno is one of the best strikers in the league's history, and has a chance at becoming the competition’s all-time top goalscorer.

Currently ranked in seventh place in those standings, with 200 goals to his name, in comparison Moreno has hardly played for the national team.

EL PRIMER GOL DEL ONCE CALDAS LO TENÍA QUE HACER ÉL.
GOOOL DE DAYRO MORENO EN EL PALOGRANDE.

¡¡¡GOL PARA LA HISTORIA!!! GOL NÚMERO 100 DE DAYRO MAURICIO MORENO CON EL EQUIPO DE SUS AMORES. pic.twitter.com/clMB243aXl

— M.O11CE (@M11FPC) January 31, 2023

Born on September 16th 1985, in Tolima, Colombia, Moreno played football for Tolima’s team at every age group.

At 16, he joined Once Caldas under head coach Carlos Panelo Valencia. At first, he played as a right-back, but impressed the coaches with his pace so switched to a winger and, ultimately, a striker.

His career started well, he was part of Once Caldas's squad that won the league title in 2003 and, a year later, they surprised the continent and won the Copa Libertadores.

He was also a part of the U20 national team, which hosted and won the South American championship in 2005, partnering well with Radamel Falcao and Hugo Rodallega.

But it was at this point that his problematic character appeared. He is an extrovert, straightforward with his words, and likes to party a lot.

He insulted a woman who wanted to take a picture of him in a nightclub, he criticized his coaches when things didn't go his way and, in 2007, Caldas's coach, Santiago Escobar, punished Moreno for failing to show up for practice.

The board pressed Escobar to forgive Moreno, but the coach refused and, ultimately, resigned. 

Similar things happened when he moved to play abroad too.

In 2008 he signed with Steaua Bucharest, his first and only European experience.

He played two and half years in Romania, but generally didn't adapt well to the team, and he returned to Caldas and led them to win their most recent league title in 2010.

Besides being a controversial character, he is considered one of the best strikers in the history of the Colombian league.

For almost every club he has played for, his scoring record is good - he has finished as the top Colombian league scorer seven times, once as the top scorer in the Mexican league, and the all-time top scorer for Mexican side Tijuana.

So far, he has 306 goals to his name.

Unfortunately, his disciplinary problems prevented him from making one step further forward.

Drinking and violence - fighting with his teammates - and missing practice without permission caused him issues throughout his career.

Atletico Nacional sacked him in 2018 after he fought with his teammate, Jason Lucumi, during a match.

A few months earlier, he was caught drunk with another teammate.

His wives have also complained about him - his first, Paula Villanueva, claimed that he doesn't pay child support, while his second, Marcela, said that the fact that he liked to party all the time ended their relationship.

His problematic character ensured the national team coaches didn’t call him up to the Colombia squad, even when the player was in good form.

Even when Colombia had few options up front, no coach wanted the headache.

He was capped 31 times, mostly in friendly matches, scoring three goals and, ironically, his first goal with Colombia was one of his country’s most important.

It happened in 2007 against Argentina in qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup - Colombia won 2-1 in Bogota when Dayro scored the winning goal eight minutes from time.

He was also a part of the squad for the 2011 and 2016 Copa America, but failed to score.

Now that his retirement is just around the corner, after 19 years of playing, Moreno decided to return to the team that gave him his first chance, Once Caldas.

His father, a huge Deportes Tolima fan, wanted to see him play for Tolima one day, but Moreno had different plans.

Now he has two goals with Caldas - to win the club’s first championship since 2010, and to surpass Sergio Galvan Rey as the all-time top goalscorer of the Colombian league.

Right now, the gap is 24 goals, and Moreno, with 200 goals so far, surely has a chance. And when he does, it'll be a great closer for one of Colombia’s best.

Edited by Alex Smith