Esteban Cambiasso
 Cambiasso with Argentina in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau | ||
| Date of birth | 18 August 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Central Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Internazionale | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Argentinos Juniors | ||
| 1996–1998 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–2001 | Independiente | 98 | (14) |
| 2001–2002 | River Plate | 37 | (12) |
| 2002–2004 | Real Madrid | 41 | (0) |
| 2004– | Internazionale | 300 | (41) |
| National team | |||
| 1995 | Argentina U17 | 6 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Argentina U20 | 11 | (2) |
| 2000–2011 | Argentina | 52 | (5) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 04:10, 27 January 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau (born 18 August 1980), nicknamed "Cuchu" (Rioplatense Spanish: Old man), is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Internazionale in the Italian Serie A. He plays as a defensive midfielder.
During his professional career, Cambiasso has won 23 official titles (as of the end of 2011), being the Argentine footballer with most honours in history, one more than Alfredo Di Stéfano.[1]
Club career
Early career
Cambiasso started his professional career with Argentinos Juniors in 1995, moving to Real Madrid in 1996 along with his brother Nicolás Cambiasso. In 1998, he moved back to Argentina, where he played for three years with Independiente and one with River Plate. During this time, he earned his nickname "Egg in a bun." With some good experience under his belt, he returned to Real Madrid in 2002. He helped Los Blancos win the UEFA Super Cup, La Liga, and the Intercontinental Cup in 2002 and the Spanish SuperCup in 2003.
Internazionale
In July 2004, Cambiasso signed with Internazionale in Milan after his contract with Real Madrid expired in June 2004. He helped Internazionale win the Coppa Italia in his first season with the club, playing regularly as a defensive midfielder, partnered in the middle of Inter's midfield with fellow Argentine Juan Sebastián Verón. In Italy, he became known as one of the outstanding players of the 2004–05 season, along with Milan's Kaká.
During the return match for the final of the 2006 Coppa Italia, Cambiasso scored an impressive goal, the first of the match, for the 3–1 victory over Roma. On 9 September 2006, he scored twice in the opening game of the season, with Inter defeating Fiorentina 3–2. On 7 November 2007, he along with Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a brace apiece to defeat CSKA Moscow 4–2 in the Champions League. On 23 March 2009, it was announced that Inter and Cambiasso had come to terms about a contract renewal which expires in 2014.
He was very important in the 2010 Champions League win as well, scoring the second goal of a 2–1 victory over Chelsea at the San Siro, a result which ultimately saw Inter go on to win the tournament.
Cambiasso received his first red card in his Inter career on 30 March 2013, for a reckless tackle on Sebastian Giovinco.[2]
International career
Cambiasso first represented Argentina in the youth squads, along with national teammates Juan Román Riquelme, Pablo Aimar, Walter Samuel, and others. He was in the squads for the 1997 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 the 1999 edition.
Cambiasso made his senior national debut in 2000 for Argentina. On 15 May 2006, he was named in the Argentinian national team for the 2006 World Cup, and on 16 June, he capped a spectacular 24 pass Argentine interplay with a finish to score the second goal in a 6–0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro. In the quarter-finals match against Germany 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.
Since Diego Maradona took over as Argentina coach, Cambiasso was only called-up once to the national team for a friendly game on 14 November 2009 against Spain, despite continuing to play a vital role for Inter and affirming his status as one of Europe's best central midfielders. On 12 May 2010, Cambiasso was controversially left out of the 30-man provisional 2010 World Cup squad for Argentina.
On 20 August 2010, new Argentina coach Sergio Batista recalled Esteban Cambiasso to the national team for the upcoming friendly against newly crowned world champions Spain. Argentina handed Spain their first defeat since becoming world champions two months prior, earning a resounding 4–1 win in a friendly at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.[3]
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 21 June 2005 | Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, Germany |  Germany | 2 – 2 | 2–2 | 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 2. | 16 June 2006 | WM Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany |  Serbia and Montenegro | 2 – 0 | 6–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 3. | 5 June 2007 | Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain |  Algeria | 3 – 2 | 4–3 | Friendly |
| 4. | 10 September 2008 | Estadio Monumental "U", Lima, Peru |  Peru | 1 – 0 | 1–1 | 2010 World Cup qualifying |
| 5. | 26 March 2011 | New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, United States |  United States | 1 – 0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
As of 26 March 2011
Playing style
Cambiasso is a defensive midfielder. At club level, he is deployed in the holding role, often accompanied by another like minded central midfielder. At international level, however, he has most prominently featured in a more advanced position in front of a holding midfielder such as former Argentine captain Javier Mascherano. This enables him to fulfill a more creative role in midfield.
Eurosport said about Cambiasso, when José 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 and weighs in with six to eight goals per season.[4]
Goal.com 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."[5]
Personal life
Cambiasso was once married and still is but no longer has any contact with his ex-wife. On 22 November 2008, his ex-wife gave birth to their daughter Victoria before Cambiasso's match against Juventus.[6] After Inter won the Derby d'Italia, Cambiasso dedicated the win to his daughter.[7]
Like other Argentine footballers who share an Italian ancestry, Cambiasso also holds an Italian passport, due to his descent from Serra Riccò (GE), in Liguria, where his great-great-grandfather Francesco Cambiaso emigrated from in the 19th century.[8] Among the early family members who settled in Argentina, it must be said that a certain Antonio Cambiaso was the founder of Buenos Aires' Villa del Parque district in 1908.[9] The original family name, still existing and widespread in Genoa area, was Cambiaso indeed (with one s only), later adjusted in a more Spanish-sounding fashion.
Along with his compatriot and current teammate at Inter, Javier Zanetti, Cambiasso unveiled the Leoni di Potrero charity association to help coach young children with social isolation problems and motor coordination difficulties.
Club statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Argentina | League | Cup | South America | Total | ||||||
| 1998–99 | Independiente | Primera División | 27 | 3 | 27 | 3 | ||||
| 1999–00 | 36 | 6 | 36 | 6 | ||||||
| 2000–01 | 35 | 5 | 35 | 5 | ||||||
| 2001–02 | River Plate | Primera División | 37 | 12 | 37 | 12 | ||||
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2002–03 | Real Madrid | La Liga | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| 2003–04 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| Italy | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2004–05 | Internazionale | Serie A | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 44 | 2 |
| 2005–06 | 34 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 47 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 5 | ||
| 2007–08 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 42 | 8 | ||
| 2008–09 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 46 | 5 | ||
| 2009–10 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 47 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 39 | 8 | ||
| 2011–12 | 37 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 47 | 5 | ||
| 2012–13 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 46 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 | ||
| Country | Argentina | 135 | 26 | 135 | 26 | |||||
| Spain | 41 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 65 | 1 | ||
| Italy | 300 | 41 | 26 | 3 | 79 | 7 | 414 | 51 | ||
| Total | 476 | 67 | 34 | 4 | 94 | 7 | 614 | 79 | ||
International career statistics
| Argentina national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 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 |
Honours
Club
- Argentine Primera División (1): 2002 Clausura
- La Liga (1): 2002–03
- Intercontinental Cup (1): 2002
- UEFA Super Cup (1): 2002
- Supercopa de España (1): 2003
- Internazionale
- UEFA Champions League (1): 2009–10
- Serie A (5): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Coppa Italia (4): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
- Supercoppa Italiana (4): 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010
- FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2010
International
- South American Youth Championship (2): 1997, 1999
- FIFA World Youth Championship (1): 1997
Individual
- ESM Team of the Year: 2005–06
- Golden Pirate: 2006[11]
References
- ↑ "Cambiasso, un ganador". Cancha Llena (in Spanish). 18 December 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ↑ "Cambiasso sent off for horror tackle on Giovinco". inside World Soccer. 31 March 2013.
- ↑ "Coloccini fails to make cut for Argentina party". BBC Sport (BBC). 19 May 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
- ↑ "Top 50 players: 40–31 – Yahoo! Eurosport UK". Uk.eurosport.yahoo.com. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ↑ Editorial (31 December 2008). "The Goal.com 50: Esteban Cambiasso (29)". Goal.com. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it (22 November 2008). "F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it (22 November 2008). "F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- ↑ "Cambiasso, da Serra Riccò al centrocampo nerazzurro". http://www.ilgiornale.it/. 11 March 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ↑ "Suggellato il gemellaggio tra Serra Riccò e Villa del Parque". http://www.ligurinelmondo.it/. March 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
- ↑ Esteban Cambiasso at National-Football-Teams.com
- ↑ Inter.it staff, inter(a t)inter.it (17 November 2006). "F.C. Internazionale Milano". Inter.it. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Esteban Cambiasso. |
- Profile at FutbolPunto with maps and graphs
- Esteban Cambiasso at National-Football-Teams.com
- (Spanish) Official site of Esteban Cambiasso
- Cambiasso's career stats @ footballdatabase.com
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