Club Pavoni began his football career with the Montevidean club
Defensor. Disillusioned with life as a footballer, he was on the point of abandoning the game completely and going to work in a
casino as a
croupier until he was convinced to play football for
Independiente of
Argentina. The left-sided full-back has been described as a natural leader and the perfect man-marker. He was also responsible for scoring 57 goals. He arrived to Independiente at age 21 to replace
Tomás Rolan, another Uruguayan who had suffered a serious injury. His first match for Independiente was on March 24, 1965, in a
Copa Libertadores match. Independiente beat
Boca Juniors by two goals to nil. For twelve seasons (1965–1976) he was idolised by the Independiente fans. He was particularly remembered for his powering runs along the left wing, putting away free kicks with his left foot and for his frequent last-ditch efforts to clear the ball from the goal-line. He is considered by many to be the archetypal Uruguayan footballer. Pavoni (affectionately known as "el Chivo") won many honours during his career, including the
Argentine first division championships three times, the
Copa Libertadores five times, the
Copa Interamericana on three occasions and one
Copa Intercontinental. He was also a member of the Uruguayan squad that took part in the
World Cup of 1974, in
West Germany. Since retirement, he has been involved with the club as a trainer with reserve and youth teams. He has also been caretaker manager of the first team on several occasions.
International Pavoni played 13 times for the
Uruguay national team between 1962 and 1974, scoring two goals. He was part of the Uruguay squad for the
1974 FIFA World Cup. ==Honours==