Diego Milito

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Diego Milito
Personal information
Full name Diego Alberto Milito
Date of birth June 12, 1979 (1979-06-12) (age 29)
Place of birth    Bernal, Argentina
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current club Real Zaragoza
Number 22
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1999–2004
2004–2005
2005–		 Racing Club
Genoa
Real Zaragoza		 137 (34)
059 (33)
108 (51)   
National team2
2003– Argentina 014 0(4)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 27 May 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of May, 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Diego Alberto Milito (born June 12, 1979 in Bernal, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine professional football forward who plays for Real Zaragoza. Milito is powerful with a keen eye for goal, and is regarded as one of the finest headers of the ball in the modern game.

Contents

[edit] Club Career

Diego started playing at Argentine first division Racing Club in 1999, where he won the 2001 Apertura tournament. During this time his younger brother Gabriel Milito played for Racing's main rival, Independiente.

At the beginning of 2004 he moved to Italian second division Genoa. After two very successful seasons, where he scored 33 goals in 59 matches in Italy, Diego Milito joined brother Gabriel at Real Zaragoza. Diego again showed his potential in Spain, scoring 4 goals in the first semi-final of the 2006 Copa del Rey to beat Real Madrid 6-1. He finished the season as Real Zaragoza top scorer with 15 goals in the Spanish first division.

Diego is currently club captain at Real Zaragoza, taking over this role from brother Gabriel who departed for Barcelona in 2007[1]. Milito was one of the top scorers in the La Liga 2006-2007 season[2]. He scored 23 goals, two less than the top goalscorer Ruud van Nistelrooy. His goals helped Zaragoza to a sixth place finish in the league. As of January 2008, Diego was averaging better than a goal every two games for his current club, a statistic he also achieved with Genoa.[3]

[edit] International Career

Diego scored a brace on his international debut against Uruguay in 2002, but appeared only intermittently during the following years[4], and was omitted from the 2006 World Cup squad[5]. He was given the nod for first team action against Brazil in September 2006 where he scored with a diving header, and played for Argentina in the Copa América 2007[6].

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fernandez' Argentinians lift Zaragoza
  2. ^ RealZaragosa Player Profile (Spanish)
  3. ^ Diego Milito career stats
  4. ^ Argentina en las Eliminatorias 2003-2005
  5. ^ The Milito Clan
  6. ^ Argentina Squad
Preceded by
Gabriel Milito		 Real Zaragoza Captain
2007 -		 Succeeded by
incumbent
v • d • e
Argentina squad - Copa América 2007
1 Abbondanzieri • 2 Ayala • 3 Díaz • 4 Ibarra • 5 Gago • 6 Heinze • 7 Palacio • 8 Zanetti • 9 Crespo • 10 Riquelme • 11 Tévez • 12 Carrizo • 13 González • 14 Mascherano • 15 G.Milito • 16 Aimar • 17 Burdisso • 18 Messi • 19 Cambiasso • 20 Verón • 21 D.Milito • 22 Orión • Coach: Basile
 Flag of Argentina
v • d • e
Real Zaragoza – current squad

1 César • 2 Diogo • 3 Paredes • 4 Cuartero • 5 Oscar • 6 Ayala • 7 Luccin • 8 Aimar • 9 Sergio García • 11 Juanfran • 12 Oliveira • 13 Martínez • 14 Gabi • 15 Pavón • 16 Celades • 19 Generelo • 20 Matuzalem • 21 Zapater • 22 Milito • 23 Sergio • 24 Chus  • 25 López Vallejo • 27 Gotor • 28 Valero • 29 Grande • 34 Burbu • 36 Montejo • Manager: Villanova
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