Photo: Diego Rubio and his father, Hugo.
In 1997, 5-year-old Diego Rubio stood in awe as 60,000 people inside of Estadio Monumental cheered on his father, Hugo, a forward for famed Chilean club Colo-Colo, as he retired from the sport. In a 17-year career that saw him play for teams all over the world, Hugo was revered as a national hero.
“That’s the first soccer memory I have of my father,” Diego said. “I was very young when he was playing, so I don’t remember much. At the time, I didn’t realize how big of a star he was for the country.”
Hugo, who had 36 national team appearances and helped Chile to a runner-up finish in the 1987 Copa América, never pressured any of his three sons to follow in his footsteps. But they all eventually did in more ways than just soccer.
Diego, the youngest in the family, started his high-level youth career at just 11 years old. With his father, a legendary player, as his mentor, Diego learned the ins and outs of how to become successful in the sport. Mostly, that could be wrapped up into one phrase: take responsibility.
Those two simple words have helped navigate Diego through his professional soccer career.
Photo (L to R): Diego Maradona, Diego Rubio, Hugo Rubio
“There’s always going to be ugly stuff in soccer,” Diego said. “A coach may not like you or you don’t get the playing time you deserve, but at the end of the day, it’s about how you respond. You have to take the responsibility of everything that you do in life because everything has a consequence. I did make mistakes, and I’m going to keep making mistakes, but it’s how I learn from them and how I respond to them that’s important.”
He quickly realized that lesson would help shape the rest of his life.
In late 2014, Diego and his wife Rocío welcomed their first child into the world, Thiago.
“It was a crazy part of life,” Diego said. “You have a kid now, someone who is watching you. You have to be more responsible because you’re going to be their first example, and you might have to change your ways a little bit.”
In less than 10 years, the Rubio household grew from a family of three to a family of six. A couple years after Thiago was born, they had twin girls, Carlota and Chloe. Then, in early 2020 came Oliver.
Photo: Diego, Rocío and their four kids.
Thiago, 9 years old, is starting to show an interest in soccer, and whether he chooses to play professionally or leisurely, he has someone to teach him how to be successful on and off the pitch, just like Diego had Hugo.
As his kids grow, Diego is taking every opportunity to impart on them the wisdom that his father passed to him.
“I try to take the best things out of my father,” Diego said. “He showed us how to care for other people, and he pushed us to be better people every day. That is something I’m trying to do with my kids, too.”
