Biography
Who is Renato Tapia?
Early life and youth career
Renato Fabrizio Tapia Cortijo was born in Lima, Peru. He began his path in the sport within the youth system of Sporting Cristal. At twelve years old, he transferred to the Esther Grande academy. He quickly established himself as a prominent youth talent there.
During his time with the Esther Grande academy, he contributed to a Copa Federación championship victory with the 1995 age category. He also earned recognition as the best player during the Night of Stars awards event. His development at the academy attracted significant interest from English Premier League clubs such as Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Although he nearly joined Liverpool, the transfer did not proceed because of his height at that time.
European club career
In the summer of 2013, Renato moved to Europe to join the Eredivisie club Twente on a four-year contract. He initially played for Jong FC Twente to build his skills. He made his debut for the reserves in a match against De Graafschap in September 2013. By November 2013, he scored his first goal for the reserve team against Willem II. Following his development period, he was promoted to the Twente first team. His top-tier debut occurred in a match against Cambuur. Despite facing several injury setbacks, including ankle and knee issues, he managed to score five goals across 22 appearances for the main squad during the 2014-15 season.
In January 2016, he finalized a transfer to Feyenoord for a reported fee of 2.4 million euros. He signed a contract spanning four and a half years. His debut for his new club came in February 2016 against Ajax. During his tenure, he helped the team secure the Eredivisie title in the 2016-17 season and won the KNVB Cup twice, in 2016 and 2018. He also claimed the Johan Cruijff Shield with the team in 2017 and 2018. Later in his career, he moved to the Spanish league, signing with Celta de Vigo in July 2020 on a four-year contract. In August 2024, he continued his career in the Spanish top tier by signing a two-year deal with Leganés.
International football participation
Renato Tapia has represented Peru at multiple youth levels, including the under-17 and under-20 squads for their respective South American championships. He received his first call-up to the senior national team in March 2015. His international debut took place on April 1, 2015, during a match against Venezuela that ended in a 2-2 draw.
Although a knee injury prevented him from participating in the 2015 Copa América, he recovered to play in the Copa América Centenario, where he appeared in all four of Peru's matches. He scored his first goal for the national team on September 7, 2016, in a victory against Ecuador. In 2018, he was named to the provisional squad for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Outside of his on-field performance, he has engaged in social advocacy, campaigning alongside teammate Edison Flores to protect the Quechua people during the 2018 tournament.
Birthday and age
Renato Tapia was born on July 28, 1995, which makes Renato 31 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Renato shares the date with 48 other famous people.
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