Angelo Ogbonna

Angelo Ogbonna

Ogbonna with Italy in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth23 May 1988
Place of birthCassino, Italy
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing positionCentre back
Club information
Current team
Juventus
Number5
Youth career
2002–2006Torino
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006–2013Torino147(1)
2007–2008→ Crotone (loan)22(0)
2013–Juventus35(0)
National team‡
2009–2010Italy U2110(0)
2011–Italy10(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 08:54, 20 April 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 08:54, 20 April 2015 (UTC)

Angelo Ogbonna (born 23 May 1988) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Juventus and the Italian national team. A strong and powerful defender, he is primarily known for his outstanding physical attributes.[1] Ogbonna is also capable of playing as a left-back on occasion, due to his pace, technique, ball skills, vision, and distribution with his left foot.[1]

Club career

Torino

He began his football career in a youth team of Cassino, where he played as central defender. In 2002 he was noticed by Torino, which, on the recommendation of Antonio Comi,[2] bought him for €3,000 and aggregated him to their youth team.[3] In the 2006–07 season he regularly featured in the first team and on 11 February 2007 he made his debut in Serie A at age 18, against Reggina (1–2), as a starter under the coach Alberto Zaccheroni.[4]

He spent the 2007–08 season on loan at Crotone, making 22 league appearances that season.[5]

Ogbonna returned to Torino ahead of the 2008–09 Serie A season, playing mostly as a backup to regulars Cesare Natali and Marco Di Loreto, although he still managed 19 league appearances for the Granata. Torino, however, were relegated to Serie B at the end of the season.

Starting from 2009, after the relegation of the club to Serie B, Ogbonna earned his place as a starter, making 31 league appearances and scoring one goal for the Piedmont-based club during the 2009–10 season. In three Serie B seasons with Torino, Ogbonna made 105 appearances, helping the club return to Serie A after finishing second to Pescara during the 2011–12 season. On 2 February 2012, he renewed his contract with Torino until 30 June 2016.[6]

Juventus

On 11 July 2013, Ogbonna officially underwent medical examimations at Turin's Fornaca, Isokinetic and the Istituto di Medicina dello Sport ahead of his proposed cross-town move to incumbent league champions Juventus.[7] After passing the medical testings, Ogbonna officially signed for Juventus for a transfer fee of €13 million, with an additional €2 million to be paid in future bonuses.[8] In his first season with Juventus, Ogbonna managed 25 appearances in all competitions.

International career

On 12 August 2009, he made his debut with the Italian U-21 team in a friendly game against Russia.

He made his senior debut on 11 November 2011 in a friendly won 2–0 against Poland, where he came on as substitute for Domenico Criscito in the 77th minute.

Ogbonna was included in the Italian 23-man final squad for UEFA Euro 2012, but never played in any match during the competition.

Personal life

Ogbonna was born to Nigerian parents who emigrated to Italy from Nigeria in 1983, settling in the city of Cassino in the central part of the country, but managed to obtain Italian citizenship only after his 18th birthday.[9]

On 22 December 2008, Ogbonna survived a car accident near Turin after he lost control of his Smart car and drove off a bridge into a torrent at around 5:00 AM.[10]

Honours

Club

Juventus

International

Italy

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Torino: Fenomeno Ogbonna, gioiello per l'estate". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  2. ↑ Marina Beccuti (30 August 2011). "Comi "consiglia" la Roma ad Ogbonna". torinogranata.it. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Pietro Ivaldi (5 February 2011). "Ogbonna, questione di testa". La Stampa. p. 43. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  4. ↑ Roberto Condio (12 February 2006). "Il Toro ai raggi X". La Stampa. p. 53. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  5. ↑ "Cioffi all'Ascoli, Ogbonna al Crotone". torinofc.it. 31 Ausgust 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ↑ "OGBONNA RINNOVA FINO AL 2016". Torino FC (in Italian). 2 February 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "All Black Italians". Italia-Razzismo. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  10. ↑ "Che paura per Ogbonna! Giù da un ponte con l'auto" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 2008-12-22. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-22.

External links

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