Leonardo Ponzio
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo Daniel Ponzio | ||
| Date of birth | 29 January 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Las Rosas, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | River Plate | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Newell's Old Boys | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2003 | Newell's Old Boys | 90 | (9) |
| 2003–2006 | Zaragoza | 114 | (5) |
| 2007–2009 | River Plate | 55 | (1) |
| 2009–2012 | Zaragoza | 96 | (5) |
| 2012– | River Plate | 3 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2001 | Argentina U20 | 7 | (0) |
| 2003–2007 | Argentina | 7 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 November 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Leonardo Daniel Ponzio (born 29 January 1982) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Club Atlético River Plate mainly as a defensive midfielder.
Contents |
[edit] Club career
Born in Las Rosas, Santa Fe, Ponzio started his career in the youth system of Newell's Old Boys, in Rosario, going on to collect more than 100 official appearances for the club. At only 21, he was signed by Spanish side Real Zaragoza for the 2003–04 season, for €3 million.[1] After making his La Liga debut on 31 August 2003, in a 0–1 home loss to Deportivo de La Coruña, he went on to become an essential midfield figure for the Aragonese, only missing 11 games combined in three seasons.
However, when Zaragoza finished sixth in 2006–07 and returned to the UEFA Cup, Ponzio had already left the club, moving in January 2007 to Club Atlético River Plate. He scored his first goal for the club in the 2007 Libertadores Cup, against Chile's Colo-Colo.
In January 2009, Ponzio returned to Zaragoza signing a four 1/2-year contract, with the club now in the second division.[2] He contributed regularly as the team returned to the top flight immediately.
Ponzio was an everpresent defensive figure for Zaragoza in 2009–10, inclusively featuring at right and left-back, while collecting 15 yellow cards. On 3 April 2010, he scored his only goal of the season, striking from long range in a 2–0 home success against Málaga CF.[3]
On 4 January 2012, aged 30, Ponzio, whose link with the club ran until June, left struggling - in sporting and financial terms - Zaragoza and returned to River Plate for personal reasons, signing a three 1/2-year contract.[4]
[edit] International career
Ponzio played for Argentina at under-17 and under-20 levels, and received his first full cap in 2003.
In 2001, he played all seven matches (five complete) as the national team won the FIFA U-20 World Cup, on home soil.[5]
[edit] Honours
| Season | Club | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 |  Argentina U-20 |
FIFA U-20 World Cup |
| 2003–04 |  Zaragoza |
Spanish Cup |
| Clausura 2008 | River Plate |
Argentine League |
[edit] References
- ^ Ponzio picked up by Zaragoza; UEFA.com, 23 July 2003
- ^ ""Winter market" movements" (in Spanish). Real Zaragoza. 1 February 2009. http://www.realzaragoza.com/r2z/paginas/noticias.php?id=3311. Retrieved 1 February 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Zaragoza on the up". ESPN Soccernet. 3 April 2010. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/275779?cc=5739. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ^ "Ponzio se desvincula del Zaragoza y ficha por River Plate [Ponzio rescinds link with Zaragoza and signs for River Plate]" (in Spanish). Marca. 4 January 2012. http://www.marca.com/2012/01/04/futbol/equipos/zaragoza/1325676263.html. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ Leonardo Ponzio – FIFA competition record
[edit] External links
- Real Zaragoza official profile (Spanish)
- Argentine League statistics (Spanish)
- BDFutbol profile
- Leonardo Ponzio at National-Football-Teams.com
- Leonardo Ponzio – FIFA competition record
- Transfermarkt profile
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- 1982 births
- Living people
- People from Santa Fe Province
- Argentine footballers
- Association football midfielders
- Association football utility players
- Primera División Argentina players
- Newell's Old Boys footballers
- River Plate footballers
- La Liga footballers
- Real Zaragoza footballers
- Argentina international footballers
- Argentine expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
