 Cambiasso withInter Milan in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau | ||
| Date of birth | (1980-08-18)18 August 1980 (age 45) | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Argentinos Juniors | ||
| 1996–1997 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1998 | Real Madrid B | 42 | (4) |
| 1998–2001 | Independiente | 98 | (14) |
| 2001–2002 | River Plate | 37 | (14) |
| 2002–2004 | Real Madrid | 41 | (0) |
| 2004–2014 | Inter Milan | 315 | (50) |
| 2014–2015 | Leicester City | 31 | (5) |
| 2015–2017 | Olympiacos | 28 | (2) |
| Total | 592 | (78) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995 | Argentina U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Argentina U20 | 11 | (3) |
| 2000–2011 | Argentina | 52 | (5) |
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau (Spanish pronunciation:[esˈteβaŋkamˈbjaso];[a] born 18 August 1980), nicknamed"Cuchu",[b] is an Argentine former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder.
During his career, Cambiasso won 21 official titles, the majority of which were won during his ten seasons atInter Milan, including fiveScudetti and the2009–10 UEFA Champions League.
A full international from 2000 to 2011, Cambiasso won 52caps forArgentina and represented the country at the2006 World Cup, the2005 Confederations Cup, and at theCopa América in2007 and2011.
Cambiasso began his professional career withArgentinos Juniors in 1995, moving toReal Madrid in 1996 along with his brotherNicolás Cambiasso. In 1998, he moved back to Argentina, where he played for three years withIndependiente and one withRiver Plate. With some good experience under his belt, he returned to Real Madrid in 2002. He helpedLos Blancos win theUEFA Super Cup and theIntercontinental Cup in 2002, and theLiga and theSupercopa de España in 2003, also reaching the semi-finals of theUEFA Champions League that season. Cambiasso also reached theCopa del Rey final the following season.
In July 2004, Cambiasso signed withSerie A clubInter Milan after his contract with Real Madrid expired in June.[2] He helped Inter win theCoppa Italia during his first season with the club,[3] playing regularly as a defensive midfielder, partnered in the middle of Inter's midfield with fellow ArgentineJuan Sebastián Verón. In Italy, he became known as one of the outstanding players of the 2004–05 season, along withMilan'sKaká.
During the return match of the2006 Coppa Italia Final, Cambiasso scored an impressive goal, the first of the match, for the 3–1 victory overRoma.[4] On 9 September 2006, he scored twice in the opening game of the season, with Inter defeatingFiorentina 3–2. On 7 November 2007, he along withZlatan Ibrahimović scored a brace apiece to defeatCSKA Moscow 4–2 in theChampions League.[5] On 23 December, Cambiasso scored the winning goal for Inter as they came from behind to defeat city rivals Milan 2–1 in theDerby della Madonnina.[6]
On 23 March 2009, it was announced that Inter and Cambiasso had come to terms about a contract renewal, extending his contract at the club until 2014.[7] He was very important in the2009–10 UEFA Champions League win as well, scoring the second goal of a 2–1 victory overChelsea at theSan Siro,[8] a result which ultimately helped Inter go on to win the final, 2–0, againstBayern Munich on 22 May 2010.[9] In aChampions League match againstTwente on 24 November, Cambiasso scored the game's only goal, securing a place in the knockout round for the holders.[10] On 9 January 2011, Cambiasso scored twice as Inter came from a goal down to defeatCatania 2–1.[11]
Cambiasso received the first red card of his Inter career on 30 March 2013 for a reckless tackle onSebastian Giovinco; he was suspended for one match.[12] On 22 September 2013, Cambiasso scored Inter's sixth goal in their 7–0 hammering of newly promoted clubSassuolo.[13] Four days later, Cambiasso helped Inter come from a goal down at home to Fiorentina, scoring Inter's first goal in their 2–1 victory.
At the end of the2013–14 season, Cambiasso left Inter as his contract expired and he was not offered an extension. Technical directorPiero Ausilio said, "He waited for our decision until now, and for that he must be thanked, but I'm convinced that in his future he'll have a role at Inter."[14]
On 28 August 2014, Cambiasso signed a one-year deal with newly promotedPremier League clubLeicester City, joining on a free transfer, having been released by Inter at the end of their2013–14 season.[15][16] In his first interview since joining the club, Cambiasso cited the club's desperate pursuit of him and the lure of Premier League football as the reasons he signed.[17] He was called up for his first game three days after signing, a 1–1 draw at theKing Power Stadium againstArsenal, as an unused substitute.[18] Cambiasso made his debut for Leicester on 13 September againstStoke City, coming on as a half-time substitute and impressing in the club's 1–0 win, their first of the league season.[19] His first goal was an equaliser as Leicester beatManchester United 5–3 at home after trailing 1–3 with 30 minutes to play.[20] Cambiasso scored his second goal of the season, an opener in the fourth minute following an assist fromLeonardo Ulloa, in a 3–2 loss againstQueens Park Rangers atLoftus Road.[21] That was Leicester's first goal in 504 minutes without scoring, or 56 days.[22][23] On 4 April 2015, Cambiasso gave Leicester a 12th-minute lead againstWest Ham United in a game thatthe Foxes would go on to win 2–1, their first league victory in eight matches, stretching back to 10 January 2015.[24] This started a run of seven wins and one draw from Leicester's final nine Premier League fixtures, with the team finishing 14th in the table.[25]
On 18 May 2015, at Leicester City's annual awards, Cambiasso's impressive performances over the course of the season saw him pick up the Player of the Year award, as voted by the club's supporters.[26] On 24 May, Cambiasso scored in a 5–1 defeat of QPR in Leicester's final match of the Premier League season.[25]
On 21 July 2015, it was announced that Cambiasso had been offered a new deal by the club, but turned the contract down, and he would be leaving the club.[27]
On 7 August 2015, Cambiasso signed a two-year deal with Greek giantsOlympiacos.[28] He scored his first goal for them on 2 December in a 4–0 away win againstPanegialios in the group stage of theGreek Cup. He scored twice in 14Super League Greece games as thePiraeus-based side retained their title, including the equaliser in a 3–1 home win overPanathinaikos in theDerby of the eternal enemies on 13 March 2016.[29] Eleven days earlier, the first leg of the cup semi-final againstPAOK, he scored in a 2–1 away win which was abandoned due to violence by the local fans.[30]
Cambiassio renewed his contract on 11 July 2016.[31] On 9 March 2017, he returned to the starting lineup as a result of the dismissal of Olympiacos managerPaulo Bento againstBeşiktaş for the first leg of theUEFA Europa League round of 16 stage, and headed the opening goal of a 1–1 draw, subsequently being namedman of the match.[32]
On 8 September 2017, Cambiasso announced his retirement from professional football, two months after his contract with Olympiacos expired. Cambiasso's success in the officialUEFA A Licence examinations inCoverciano, subsequently allowing him to take up an assistant role inSerie A orB or head coach roleSerie C in the future, influenced his decision to retire from the game.[33][34]
Cambiasso first representedArgentina in the youth squads, along with national teammatesJuan Román Riquelme,Pablo Aimar,Walter Samuel and others. He was in the squads for the1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, where he scored the first goal in the final even though he was the youngest player on the squad, and captained the team during the1999 edition.
Cambiasso made his Argentina senior national debut in 2000. He participated in the2005 FIFA Confederations Cup with his national side, a tournament in which Argentina reached the final. On 15 May 2006, he was named in the Argentina national team for the2006 World Cup.[35] On 16 June, he capped a 24-pass Argentine interplay with a finish to score the second goal in a6–0 victory overSerbia and Montenegro.[36] In the quarter-finals match againstGermany on 30 June 2006, the match went into penalties, where Cambiasso had his penalty kick saved, resulting in Argentina losing 4–2 and Germany progressing to the semi-final.[37] The following year, he represented his country at the2007 Copa América, where Argentina reached the final, losing out to South American rivalsBrazil.
SinceDiego Maradona took over as Argentina coach, Cambiasso was only called-up once to the national team for a friendly game on 14 November 2009 againstSpain,[38] despite continuing to play a vital role for Inter in their treble-winning season, and re-affirming his status as one of Europe's best central midfielders. On 12 May 2010, Cambiasso and Inter teammateJavier Zanetti were controversially left out of the 30-man provisional2010 World Cup squad for Argentina.[39]
On 20 August 2010, new Argentina coachSergio Batista recalled Cambiasso to the national team for the friendly against newly crowned world champions Spain. Argentina handed Spain their first defeat since becoming world champions the month prior, earning a resounding 4–1 win in a friendly at theMonumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.[40] Cambiasso also played for Argentina in the2011 Copa América on home soil, where they were eliminated by eventual championsUruguay, on penalties, in the quarter-finals.
Cambiasso was a complete, versatile, consistent, and modern footballer, who possessed acute tactical intelligence, and who was capable of playing in severalmidfield anddefensive positions; although predominantly acentral,box-to-box, ordefensive midfielder, he was also deployed as aplaymakingsweeper on occasion.[41] A strong, left footed player, he was gifted with stamina, good technique, passing range and vision, attributes which allowed him to distribute the ball and create chances for teammates.[42][43] In his prime, he was also a quick and hard-working player who was effective defensively, thanks to his strong tackling ability and reading of the game; after winning back possession, he was also capable of then initiating attacking plays or scoring goals himself, courtesy of his creative and offensive attributes.[42][43][44][45] His role has also been likened to that of ametodista ("centre-half," in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield as well as assist his team defensively.[46]
Eurosport said about Cambiasso, whenJosé Mourinho was still managing Inter, "There is nothing glamorous about the bald Argentine, but he is the heartbeat of the Inter side that have become the dominant force in Italian football. Just the kind of determined, hard-running midfielder José Mourinho loves. Originally a destroyer, the 29-year-old has become increasingly adventurous from an offensive standpoint, and weighs in with six to eight goals per season."[47]
Goal said, "All in all, this player is one of the greatest players to have ever pulled an Inter shirt on and to grace the pitch in the Serie A. He is an intelligent midfielder, who has the capacity to change the shape of a game off his own boot. He is one of the most influential midfielders in Italian football, and for that reason and many more, he will certainly be remembered as one of the most talented players of all time."[48] In 2017, Sean Lunt ofThe Versed pronounced him one of the most under-rated players of the last 15 years.[49]
Cambiasso has a daughter and a son. On 22 November 2008, his wife Claudia gave birth to their daughter Victoria before Cambiasso's match for Inter againstJuventus.[50] After Inter won theDerby d'Italia, Cambiasso dedicated the win to his daughter.[51] His son Dante was born on 24 September 2013.[52] Two days later, Cambiasso scored a goal against Fiorentina and dedicated it to his family.[53]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[c] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Independiente | 1998–99 | Argentine Primera División | 27 | 3 | — | — | — | 27 | 3 | |||
| 1999–2000 | Argentine Primera División | 36 | 6 | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | ||||
| 2000–01 | Argentine Primera División | 35 | 5 | — | — | — | 35 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 98 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 14 | ||
| River Plate | 2001–02 | Argentine Primera División | 37 | 12 | — | — | — | 37 | 12 | |||
| Real Madrid | 2002–03 | La Liga | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9[d] | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | La Liga | 17 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5[d] | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| Total | 41 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 67 | 1 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2004–05 | Serie A | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11[d] | 0 | — | 44 | 2 | |
| 2005–06 | Serie A | 34 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10[d] | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 48 | 6 | |
| 2006–07 | Serie A | 21 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2[d] | 1 | 1[g] | 0 | 28 | 5 | |
| 2007–08 | Serie A | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8[d] | 2 | 1[g] | 0 | 44 | 8 | |
| 2008–09 | Serie A | 35 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8[d] | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 47 | 5 | |
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 12[d] | 1 | 1[g] | 0 | 47 | 4 | |
| 2010–11 | Serie A | 30 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 7[d] | 1 | 4[h] | 0 | 45 | 8 | |
| 2011–12 | Serie A | 37 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 5 | |
| 2012–13 | Serie A | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13[i] | 1 | — | 48 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 4 | |||
| Total | 315 | 41 | 28 | 3 | 79 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 431 | 51 | ||
| Leicester City | 2014–15 | Premier League | 31 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 5 | ||
| Olympiacos | 2015–16 | Super League Greece | 14 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4[j] | 0 | — | 21 | 4 | |
| 2016–17 | Super League Greece | 14 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 9[k] | 2 | — | 28 | 3 | ||
| Total | 28 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 550 | 74 | 46 | 7 | 106 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 715 | 90 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2000 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 52 | 5 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 21 June 2005 | Frankenstadion,Nuremberg, Germany |  Germany | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup[57] |
| 2. | 16 June 2006 | WM Stadion Gelsenkirchen,Gelsenkirchen, Germany |  Serbia and Montenegro | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup[58] |
| 3. | 5 June 2007 | Camp Nou,Barcelona, Spain |  Algeria | 3–2 | 4–3 | Friendly[59] |
| 4. | 10 September 2008 | Estadio Monumental "U", Lima, Peru |  Peru | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying[60] |
| 5. | 26 March 2011 | New Meadowlands Stadium,East Rutherford, United States |  United States | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly[61] |
River Plate
Real Madrid
Inter Milan
Olympiacos
Argentina U20
Argentina
Individual
Argentina squads | |||||||||||||||||||
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