 Sosa playing forMetalist Kharkiv in 2014 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Ernesto Sosa | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1985-06-19)19 June 1985 (age 40) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Carcarañá, Argentina | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | |||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Estudiantes | |||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| CA Carcarañá[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Estudiantes | ||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2002–2007 | Estudiantes | 143 | (12) | |||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Bayern Munich | 35 | (2) | |||||||||||
| 2010 | →Estudiantes (loan) | 17 | (3) | |||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Napoli | 24 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Metalist Kharkiv | 64 | (17) | |||||||||||
| 2014 | →Atlético Madrid (loan) | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2014 | →Beşiktaş (loan) | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Beşiktaş | 55 | (12) | |||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | AC Milan | 18 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | →Trabzonspor (loan) | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Trabzonspor | 56 | (14) | |||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Fenerbahçe | 53 | (4) | |||||||||||
| 2022– | Estudiantes | 90 | (7) | |||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Argentina U20 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2008 | Argentina Olympic | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2005–2013 | Argentina | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 November 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15 October 2013 | ||||||||||||||
José Ernesto Sosa (born 19 June 1985) is an Argentine professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forArgentina Primera Division clubEstudiantes de La Plata. He also represented theArgentina national team.
Sosa played forEstudiantes between 2002 and 2007. He was a favorite of interim coachCarlos Bilardo, and together withMarcelo Carrusca started helping the team improve their standing in the Argentine league. The highlight of his tenure with Estudiantes was being a key piece in the 7–0 defeat of derby rivalsGimnasia on 15 October 2006, and then his role in helping the team win their first league title since 1983 by scoring the equalizing goal from a free kick againstBoca Juniors in the2006 Apertura final playoff game.
On 24 February 2007, a deal was announced between Estudiantes andBayern Munich, in which Sosa would be transferred to Bayern Munich for an undisclosed fee. Sosa stayed with Estudiantes for the remainder of the Clausura 2007 tournament.
On 29 October 2009, Bayern Munich announced that the Argentine midfielder will be loaned to his former club Estudiantes for the remainder of the season, even though he was not registered to play the 2009 World Club Championship finals.
On 30 August 2010, Sosa joined Italian sideNapoli for €2 million fee (including €100,000solidarity contribution to youth clubs of Sosa), signing a four-year deal.[3][4]
On 26 July 2011, it was announced that Jose Sosa had joined the Ukrainian teamMetalist Kharkiv for €1.9 million.[5][6][7] For his tenure with Metalist, Sosa adopted the number 11 jersey honoring his admired ex-teammateJuan Sebastián Verón, and has been instrumental in the team's successfulEuropa League campaign. On 28 June 2012, Sosa was named as the new captain of FC Metalist Kharkiv.
On 1 January 2014, it was announced that he will joinAtlético Madrid on six-month loan.[8] With the Spaniards, he won theSpanish Liga and played in the2014 UEFA Champions League Final againstReal Madrid, coming on as a substitute, as Atlético lost 4–1 after extra time.
On 31 August 2014, Sosa was signed by Turkish clubBeşiktaş on loan fromMetalist Kharkiv.[9] On 15 October 2014, the club announced that the buying option has been used, making Sosa's move to the Turkish side definitive,[10] for €3.4 million.[11] In the2015–16 season, Sosa served 12 assists in2015–16 Süper Lig, at least 4 more than any other player.[12]
On 17 August 2016, Sosa joined Italian clubAC Milan for €7.5 million fee,[13] signing a two-year deal.[14] He made his debut for Milan on 27 August 2016, coming off the bench in the 80th minute during a 4–2 loss away against his former clubNapoli.
FollowingRiccardo Montolivo's long-term injury sustained in October 2016, Sosa assumed the role of adeep-lying playmaker, alternatively known asregista, operating in front of the team's defense line in4–3–3 formation.[15] Adapting to the change of position from his usualattacking midfielder role, he citedJuan Sebastián Verón as inspiration.[16]
On 8 September 2017, Sosa moved back to Turkey, joiningSüper Lig clubTrabzonspor on loan with an option to make the deal permanent until 2020.[17] On 15 January 2018, Trabzonspor exercised the option and paid a €3.4 million fee to Milan.[18]
On 22 August 2020, Sosa signed a two-year contract with anotherSüper Lig club,Fenerbahçe.[19] He made his debut forFenerbahçe on 11 September 2020, coming off the bench in the 77th minute againstÇaykur Rizespor, and scored from the penalty spot in 87th minute.
On 9 August 2022, Sosa returned to his youth club Estudiantes de la Plata to play for a third time, signing a contract binding him to the club until June 2024.[20]
Sosa played forArgentina Under-20 team during the2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.
National coachAlfio Basile drafted Sosa for thesenior national team on 28 February 2007. Sosa said to the press that he will "never forget this Tuesday" in which he achieved two of his childhood dreams (the transfer to a major European club and the call to the national team).[21]
He made his debut as a substitute at a friendly match againstMexico on 9 March 2007. He started his first match againstChile, on 18 April 2007. His first goal with theAlbiceleste arrived on 23 January 2010, in a 3–2 win in afriendly match againstCosta Rica, scoring the opening goal of the game with a header on 10 minutes.
Sosa was not called to theWorld Cup 2010 team by then-managerDiego Maradona, but was reinstated by new coachAlejandro Sabella for theWorld Cup 2014 qualifiers, and has been featured in several games since 2011.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Estudiantes | 2002–03 | Primera División | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| 2003–04 | Primera División | 29 | 1 | — | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||||
| 2004–05 | Primera División | 33 | 4 | — | — | — | 33 | 4 | ||||
| 2005–06 | Primera División | 36 | 3 | — | 12[a] | 0 | — | 48 | 3 | |||
| 2006–07 | Primera División | 38 | 3 | — | — | — | 38 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 136 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 148 | 11 | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2007–08 | Bundesliga | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | Bundesliga | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 2 | ||
| Estudiantes (loan) | 2009–10 | Primera División | 17 | 3 | — | 9[a] | 2 | — | 26 | 5 | ||
| Napoli | 2010–11 | Serie A | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6[b] | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | |
| Metalist Kharkiv | 2011–12 | Ukrainian Premier League | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 12[b] | 2 | — | 38 | 7 | |
| 2012–13 | Ukrainian Premier League | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | — | 28 | 7 | ||
| 2013–14 | Ukrainian Premier League | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 20 | 5 | ||
| Total | 86 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 19 | ||
| Atlético Madrid (loan) | 2013–14 | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5[d] | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |
| Beşiktaş (loan) | 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| Beşiktaş | 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 24 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | — | 34 | 5 | |
| 2015–16 | Süper Lig | 31 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 5[b] | 1 | — | 41 | 9 | ||
| Total | 58 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 14 | ||
| Milan | 2016–17 | Serie A | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Trabzonspor | 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 5 | |||
| 2019–20 | Süper Lig | 24 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 7[b] | 1 | — | 36 | 8 | ||
| Total | 78 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 13 | ||
| Fenerbahçe | 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[b] | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| Total | 53 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 63 | 4 | |||
| Estudiantes | 2022 | Primera División | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | Primera División | 29 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7[f] | 0 | — | 42 | 3 | ||
| 2024 | Primera División | 37 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6[a] | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 46 | 3 | |
| 2025 | Primera División | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[a] | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | ||
| Total | 90 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 121 | 7 | ||
| Career Total | 588 | 68 | 40 | 2 | 108 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 744 | 77 | ||
As of 15 October 2013[update][26]
| Argentina | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 19 | 1 |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 January 2010 | San Juan,Argentina |  Costa Rica | 1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
Estudiantes de La Plata
Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid
Beşiktaş
Milan
Trabzonspor
Argentina
Individual
