Born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Gottardi began his career in his native Bolivia, attending the prestigious Tahuichi Academy (which also produced Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno), and playing for Oriente Petrolero and Bolívar in the Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano.
He secured a loan move to the United States in 1999 to play for Tampa Bay Mutiny, and scored two goals on his MLS debut in a 5–2 loss to D.C. United,[1] but never truly settled in Major League Soccer.
[2] After leaving Tampa, Gottardi went on loan at Deportivo Táchira in Venezuela, and then moved to Goiás in Brazil, his final club.
In the end he only earned one senior cap, a friendly match against the United States.
He travelled to Cuba for treatment, to which he initially responded well, but was eventually diagnosed with ALS in July 2002.