Colo-Colo Born in
Santiago, Contreras made his way through
Colo-Colo's youth ranks, alongside fellow stopper
David Henríquez, as the club was then managed by former international – also a defender –
Pedro Reyes. He made his professional debuts in 1997, helping the club to two
first division titles and appearing in 37 first-team matches in the next two seasons.
Monaco Afterwards, Contreras made a move to
Monaco of France. At the young age of 21, he was an important element in Monaco's
league and
Supercup victories of 2000. He also appeared for the club in both the
UEFA Cup and
UEFA Champions League. In January 2001, however, it was discovered that Contreras was using a fake Italian passport in order to gain European Union status. A
Paris court fined the player
€30,000, and he received a two-year ban. Monaco was then forced to loan Contreras out to another team, and he moved to Argentina with
Racing Club. Shortly after, in July 2001, he was sold to
Celta de Vigo for €4.2 million.
Osasuna Contreras did not join Celta immediately, being loaned to fellow
La Liga side
Osasuna. Immediately cast into the
Navarrese's starting XI, he made 31 league appearances, but the club could only
finish 17th, narrowly avoiding relegation.
Sporting CP For the following season, another loan ensued, now to Portugal with giants
Sporting CP, where he once again started throughout
the season, with the
Lions winning no silverware at all; they were also eliminated in the
Champions League qualifying rounds by
Internazionale.
Celta In the summer of 2003, 25-year old Contreras finally moved to Celta. He appeared rarely in
his debut season, as the
Galicians were participating for the first time ever in the
Champions League. He appeared in seven games as Celta eventually lost in the
round of 16 to
Arsenal, but also saw his team relegate to
Segunda División, after a 19th-place finish in the league. Contreras became first-choice for Celta in the following seasons but, after another relegation, in
2006–07, was deemed surplus to requirements by the coaching staff (
Bulgarian
Hristo Stoichkov was one of four during the
unsuccessful campaign in division two), and left the club in January 2008, after being released from his contract.
Braga Contreras returned to Portugal after four years, joining
Braga on a six-month contract, and was regularly used during his spell, helping his team
finish seventh.
PAOK in 2010. In June 2008, Contreras agreed to a two-year link with Greek club
PAOK, citing his trust in former Celta teammate
Zisis Vryzas – and the club's chairman
Theodoros Zagorakis – as the main factors for his move, refusing also the opportunity of return to Colo-Colo, because the club offered him a very high salary. He made his official debut for the team on 30 August in a 2–0 away win over
OFI and his first goal came in an important 1–0 home victory in the
derby against
Aris. On 24 December, was reported that Contreras would join Italian
Serie A club
Reggina during
New Year's Eve, though the move never materialized. On 21 February, he scored his second official goal for PAOK against another traditional derby of the club,
Iraklis, that PAOK won thanks to him. He was promoted to
team captain in
his second season, alongside
Sérgio Conceição, who retired shortly after. In late January 2011, shortly before a match against Aris, he was informed of the loss of his father, but opted to leave for his country only after the game. On 2 January 2012, Contreras mutually terminated his contract with PAOK.
Return to Colo-Colo On 7 January 2012, it was confirmed that Contreras was returning to
Chilean club Colo-Colo, after several rumours of a possible move to
Argentina's
Colón and also other European and American clubs. On 19 January, he made his unofficial debut in an
exhibition match against
Unión Temuco, where he played very well despite a 2–1 defeat. After the pre-season in
Temuco, Contreras played well for his team, now in the
Noche Alba against Peruvian side
Alianza Lima at the
Estadio Monumental. On 29 January, Contreras played his first competitive match of the season against
Deportes Iquique in a 0–0 home draw, thus being his first competitive match for Colo-Colo since his return. He instantly became an irreplaceable player for coach
Ivo Basay, helping the team win important games during his tenure, for example against
Cobreloa at
Calama and
O'Higgins in the capital, thus becoming a mainstay
centre back for Basay's team. On 14 April, his assist to
Rodrigo Millar for the first goal in the derby against
Universidad Católica, salvaged a 1–1 draw at the
Estadio Monumental for the first match under new head coach
Luis Pérez after Basay's departure, who abandoned the club after a 4–2 away loss against
Unión Española. After
Esteban Paredes moved to
Atlante, Pablo became Colo-Colo's captain due to his experience and tenure.
Olympiacos On 16 August 2012, Contreras returned to Greece, signing a contract with
Olympiacos. On 27 August, he made his debut with in an away win against
Veria. On 27 January, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against
Panthrakikos.
Melbourne Victory On 22 September 2013, it was confirmed Contreras signed for Australian club
Melbourne Victory. Contreras made his debut in Round 1 against
Melbourne Heart, playing the full 90 minutes. He was, however, suspended after the match for two games due to an off-the-ball incident where he blocked an opponent in the derby match. In January 2014, Contreras announced on Chilean radio that he would retire at the end of the season. Strong performances near the end of the season, however, prompted speculation that Contreras might play on with the Victory for the 2014–15 season, albeit on reduced wages. Shortly after Melbourne Victory's semi-loss against eventual
A-League champions
Brisbane Roar, however, he confirmed his retirement. ==International career==