Born in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Esnáider began his footballing career with Ferro Carril Oeste, and made his professional debut against Vélez Sarsfield on 2 September 1990.
In January 1999, he was signed by Juventus for an estimated fee of £4,5 million, as an intended replacement for Alessandro Del Piero who had just been sidelined with a serious knee injury,[10] but was unable to settle at the Turin-based team.
[11] In late December 2000 he returned to Zaragoza and,[12] with 11 goals in just 17 matches, helped the side avoid relegation (that included two on 14 April 2001 in a 4–4 tie at Barcelona),[13][4] adding his second Copa del Rey in the process.
[14] Subsequently, Esnáider's career remained low-profile, with spells at Porto (arriving the season after countryman Juan Antonio Pizzi, who also left unsettled after a few months),[15] Cadetes de San Martín, River Plate,[16] Ajaccio[17] and Real Murcia, before retiring at Newell's Old Boys in Argentina.
He obtained his coaching degree in 2008 and, in April of the following year, became Getafe's assistant to former Real Madrid teammate Míchel, who was replacing Víctor Muñoz after a string of bad results; he occupied the position until December 2010.
In 2000–01's dying stages, as Zaragoza fought to retain their top-division status, Esnáider brutally assaulted a Celta de Vigo player with his elbow (with the consequent dismissal), allegedly after being told by the club he would be deemed surplus to requirements for the following season.