Gabriel Milito

Gabriel Milito

Personal information
Full name	Gabriel Alejandro Milito
Date of birth	7 September 1980 (1980-09-07)
Place of birth	Bernal, Argentina
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Independiente
Number	18
Youth career
	Independiente
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1997–2003	Independiente	123	(3)
2003–2007	Zaragoza	137	(5)
2007–2011	Barcelona	48	(1)
2011–	Independiente	9	(0)
National team‡
2000–	Argentina	42	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 July 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 July 2011

Gabriel Alejandro Milito (born 7 September 1980) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Club Atlético Independiente as a central defender.

He spent most of his professional career in Spain, representing two different teams – Real Zaragoza and FC Barcelona – also appearing with the Argentine national team in three major tournaments, including the 2006 World Cup.

Club career

Early years / Zaragoza

Born in Bernal, Buenos Aires Province, Milito started playing professionally with first division side Club Atlético Independiente in 1997. During that time, he often faced his older brother Diego, who played for Independiente's arch-rivals Racing Club de Avellaneda.

In July 2003, Milito was due to be transferred to Real Madrid, but the Spanish team rejected the player after medical results showed, according to the club, a not-fully-recovered knee injury. To many, it was a political move against Madrid's football director Jorge Valdano, who wanted the player on the team. Milito decided to stay in Spain and signed for Real Zaragoza.

In his four seasons with the Aragonese side, Milito was an automatic first-choice (never played in less than 33 La Liga matches), and rejoined brother Diego in 2005. On 10 July 2007, Zaragoza reached a transfer agreement with FC Barcelona for €18.5million (£13.9 million) and on 19 July, Milito passed his medical and signed a four-year deal with the club, worth €4 million (£2.7 million) a year. He was given the number 3 shirt, which was formerly worn by Thiago Motta.

Barcelona

Milito made his competitive debut for Barcelona on 2 September 2007 in a game against Athletic Bilbao. He scored his first competitive goal for the Catalans on 24 November, in a league match against Recreativo de Huelva.

On 5 May 2008, it was announced that Milito had damage to the ACL in his right knee; this rendered him ineligible for the entire 2008–09 campaign, which ended in a treble.

After being sidelined for almost two years (602 days), Milito finally returned to action when he played in a friendly against Kazma Sporting Club in Kuwait. On 5 January 2010, he made his return to competitive football, appearing in the first leg of the season's Copa del Rey, a 1–2 home loss against Sevilla FC; five days later, he reappeared in the domestic league, replacing Carles Puyol for the final seven minutes of the 5–0 win over CD Tenerife.

On 11 November 2010, Milito contributed with one goal to Barcelona's 5–1 home win against AD Ceuta, for the season's domestic cup (7–1 on aggregate), but had to leave the game injured. On 30 April 2011, starting in a league match at Real Sociedad, he had a goal wrongfully ruled out for offside, with the score at 1–1, as the hosts went on to win it 2–1. As a result of his offensive action, he also tore a calf muscle, being sidelined for the rest of the season, having contributed with ten appearances for the eventual champions.

Return to Independiente

In early August 2011, 30-year-old Milito was released from the last year of his contract with Barcelona, and signed shortly after with former team Independiente.

International career

With the Argentine national team, Milito participated in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup and was part of the squad which qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, performing well in his only appearance, the first-round match against the Netherlands, which ended in a 0–0 draw.

On 20 August 2010, national team coach Sergio Batista recalled Milito for a friendly with Spain, the player's first international appearance in more than three years.

International goals

International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	October 16, 2007	Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela	Venezuela	0–1	0–2	2010 World Cup qualification

Statistics

Club

As of 1 May 2011

Club	Season	League		Cup		Continental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Independiente	1997–98	2	0	–				2	0
	1998–99	25	0	–				25	0
	1999–00	34	2	–				34	2
	2000–01	25	1	–				25	1
	2001–02	3	0	–				3	0
	2002–03	34	0	–				34	0
	Total	123	3	–				123	3
Zaragoza	2003–04	35	0	0	0	0	0	35	0
	2004–05	33	3	0	0	10	0	43	3
	2005–06	34	1	0	0	0	0	34	1
	2006–07	35	1	4	0	0	0	39	1
	Total	137	5	4	0	10	0	151	5
Barcelona	2007–08	27	1	6	0	9	0	42	1
	2008–09	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2009–10	11	0	1	0	5	0	17	0
	2010-11	10	0	4	1	2	0	16	1
	Total	48	1	11	1	16	0	75	2
Career totals		308	9	15	1	26	0	349	10

International

Argentina national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2000	1	0
2001	0	0
2002	0	0
2003	3	0
2004	4	0
2005	6	0
2006	4	0
2007	14	1
2008	0	0
2009	0	0
2010	2	0
2011	6	0
Total	40	1

Honours

Independiente

• Argentine League: (1) Apertura 2002

Zaragoza

• Spanish Cup: (1) 2003–04
• Spanish Supercup: (1) 2004

Barcelona

• UEFA Champions League: (2) 2008–09, 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup: (1) 2009
• FIFA Club World Cup: (1) 2009
• Spanish League: (3) 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Spanish Cup: (1) 2008–09; Runner-up 2010–11
• Spanish Supercup: (2) 2009, 2010

Personal

Milito's older brother, Diego, is also a footballer. A striker, he played with individual and team success for F.C. Internazionale Milano, and they both represented Real Zaragoza and the national team.

External links

• FC Barcelona profile
• BDFutbol profile
• Gabriel Milito at National-Football-Teams.com
• Guardian Stats Centre