Paulo Andrés Garcés Contreras (born 2 August 1984) is a Chilean footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Unión San Felipe.

Career

Garcés made his debut in 2003 against Santiago Wanderers in the closing championship at San Carlos de Apoquindo Stadium. He was loaned out to Deportes Puerto Montt in 2004 and 2007 After returning from the loan Deportes Puerto Montt, Universidad Católica loaned him to Lobos de la BUAP of Primera "A" of Mexican soccer. After his experience in Mexico, he returns to Chile to play in Everton de Viña del Mar team in which he was on the starting eleven sometimes. In 2009, he returns to Universidad Católica willing to win a place on the starting eleven of coach Marco Antonio Figueroa. In 2013, he won the Apertura 2013–14 with O'Higgins. In the tournament, he played 16 matches receiving 12 goals; including the final versus Universidad Católica, where he was a key player after made saves in the final minutes. In 2014, he won the Supercopa de Chile against Deportes Iquique, but did not play because he was called up for the Chile national team. He participated with the club in the 2014 Copa Libertadores where they faced Deportivo Cali, Cerro Porteño and Lanús, being third and being eliminated in the group stage. In 2021, after playing six matches for Primera B club San Luis de Quillota, he resigned. At the same year, he joined Deportes Valdivia in the Segunda División Profesional de Chile. On 25 January 2024, Deportes Linares announced the signing of Garcés, but five days later, he gave up. He finally renewed with Deportes Valdivia. In June of the same year, he switched to Unión San Felipe.

Personal life

Garcés is married with the model Joyce Castiblanco. The couple have three children: Florencia, Benjamín and Paulo. Although his father, Patricio, was a goalkeeper, from his paternal line his relatives are mainly inclined towards arts and music: His older brother, Óscar, is an actor and former goalkeeper of Colo-Colo at youth level and both his younger brother, Miguel, and his cousins, Andrés de León (stage name of Christian Garcés) and Patricio Garcés, are singers.

Honours