Juan Cuadrado Returns to the Field: A New Adventure for the Colombian

After seventeen years as a star in Italian soccer (excluding his brief stint at Chelsea in 2015), Juan Cuadrado is starting over in his native Colombia. The winger, born in 1988—one of Serie A’s longest-serving and most recognizable foreign players—has chosen to return to his homeland by signing with Millonarios, a club based in Bogotá, thus returning to his home league for the first time since 2009, when he left Independiente de Medellín to join Udinese and begin his long career in Italy.

Cuadrado’s return to Colombia comes just hours after that of James Rodríguez, who, following Avellino’s intense pursuit, decided to don another white-and-green jersey—that of Nacional de Medellín. “Experience, speed, and talent. Welcome, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado,” Millonarios wrote on its official social media channels, thus confirming the successful conclusion of negotiations with the player, who had been without a team since the end of last season, during which he played for Pisa.

Cuadrado is leaving Europe after seventeen consecutive seasons, spent almost entirely in Italy: Udinese, Lecce, and Fiorentina were his first three clubs, followed by eight months at Chelsea before moving on to Juventus, Inter, Atalanta, and Pisa. In Serie A, Cuadrado has made a total of 414 appearances, scoring 44 goals and providing 69 assists. In Italy, he has won six Scudetti (five with Juventus and one with Inter), four Coppa Italia titles (all with the Bianconeri), and three Italian Super Cups (two with Juventus and one with Inter).

His performances in the Italian league also helped him establish himself on the national team: with the Colombian “Cafeteros,” Cuadrado has made 116 appearances (third all-time for Colombia, behind James Rodríguez and David Ospina), scoring 11 goals. With his national team, he has also won two bronze medals at the Copa América, in 2016 and 2021, and participated in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.