Born in Argentina and developed in Juventus’ youth system, he arrived in Italy thanks to Omar Sívori, he was sent out to gain experience at Tempio and Casale. He never returned to the Bianconeri, instead making his name first at Fiorenzuola and then at Ravenna, where he made his Serie B debut. A spell at Ancona followed before his move to Spezia, where he became a key figure in the club’s modern history, playing a major role in a remarkable double promotion.
A goalkeeper with strong character, quick reflexes, and excellent shot-stopping ability, he was nicknamed “Il Gatto di Baires”—the Cat from Buenos Aires. He proved decisive on countless occasions, always calm and composed even in difficult moments, including when he had to accept a backup role.
He made his Spezia debut on September 5, 1999, in a 4–1 win over Castelnuovo. He went on to be the best goalkeeper in the league, conceding just 17 goals. He sealed a memorable season on December 19, saving a penalty from Scazzola in the 95th minute to defeat Alessandria in a top-of-the-table clash at a sold-out Picco. He also kept a clean sheet for an impressive 736 consecutive minutes.

After winning promotion to Serie C1, he led Spezia into the playoffs, though an injury nearly sidelined him. He played the first half of Spezia–Como, then was forced to withdraw. The following season, he was again the starting goalkeeper, conceding very few goals, but recurring physical problems began to affect him. Young Bressan was pushing hard, and in the playouts against Triestina they split the duties, the Argentine goalkeeper played the return leg, which was won but ultimately meaningless.
The arrival of Lorieri seemed to relegate him to a supporting role, but as would often happen until the end of his time in white, the agile number one always managed to win back space and trust. He put together another unbeaten run, this time lasting 467 minutes, restoring confidence to the team. Only with Moreau did it become harder to reclaim the starting spot, making it perhaps the most difficult season of Rubini’s career.
By then, however, he was deeply tied to the city. In his sixth season with Spezia, he helped the club win the Coppa Italia. Even so, the final brought a moment of fear for the fans: after just fifteen minutes he picked up an injury, tried to play through it, but was forced off in the 28th minute. He was replaced by debutant Monguzzi, who miscontrolled the ball on his first touch, allowing Aquino to give Frosinone the lead. Fortunately, Guidetti equalized and secured the trophy.
When Antonio Soda took over as head coach, he again seemed destined for a season on the sidelines. Rotoli was the starter, while Hugo waited patiently for his chance. And, inevitably, that chance came. Rotoli was injured after Spezia–Genoa, with five crucial matches remaining.
Hugo “returned” against Pizzighettone. He kept four straight clean sheets, and in Padua, in the promotion match, he shut the door completely while his fellow goalkeeper Ivano Rotoli suffered in the stands alongside Spezia’s supporters. The Eagles were back in Serie B. They then went on to win the Supercoppa in Naples, closing out an extraordinary chapter.
He later played for Forte dei Marmi and Carrarese before returning to Argentina. In a moving farewell message to fans, shared in a video on cittadellaspezia.com, he said: “Thank you to all the Spezia supporters. I lived the most beautiful years of my career here.”