Walter Samuel

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Walter Samuel
Walter Samuel FC Internazionale.jpg
Samuel in October 2011
Personal information
Full name Walter Adrián Luján Samuel
Date of birth (1978-03-23) 23 March 1978 (age 35)
Place of birth Laborde, Argentina
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Centre back
Club information
Current club Internazionale
Number 25
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1996–1997 Newell's Old Boys 42 (0)
1997–2000 Boca Juniors 77 (4)
2000–2004 Roma 122 (9)
2004–2005 Real Madrid 30 (2)
2005– Internazionale 158 (12)
National team‡
1999–2010 Argentina 56 (5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 May 2012.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 June 2010

Walter Adrián Luján Samuel (born Walter Adrián Luján; 23 March 1978) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Internazionale. Samuel has been regarded as one of football's toughest defenders, with teammate and Inter captain Javier Zanetti referring to him as the "hardest player" he has played with.

Gifted with natural power and pace, Samuel played a key role in Inter's treble success in the 2009–10 season under José Mourinho and has accumulated over 50 caps for the Argentine national team. His strong, uncompromising style of play has earnt him the nickname Il Muro ("The Wall").

Contents

Club career[edit]

Samuel started playing professionally in 1996 in Argentina for Newell's Old Boys, and a year later moved to Boca Juniors, where he played 103 matches and scored five goals in all competitions until 2000.[1] In that year, Roma bought his contract for 40.265 billion Italian lire (about €20 million).[2][3] He gained fame as one of the best defenders in the Italian league and gained a nickname to match. His quality attracted interest from Spanish team Real Madrid.

Real Madrid paid €25 million for his transfer in 2004.[4] Samuel failed to make an impact at Madrid and was not the leader at the back that Real so desperately needed. He was one of the three non-EU players of the team, along with Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos; they all obtained Spanish passports, however, in 2005.[5] In August 2005, he returned to the Serie A with a transfer to Internazionale on a four-year contract for reported €16 million fee.[6]

In the Derby della Madonnina on 23 December 2007, he hurt himself whilst marking the Brazilian international Kaká, and a couple weeks later, he had reconstructive surgery on his medial collateral ligament. He was expected to be out until the end of the 2007–08 season. In actuality, he started training with the first team again in October of the 2008–09 season and promptly earned a first team place back under manager José Mourinho. Samuel suffered a severe knee injury in the 7 November fixture against Brescia. He was out for five months and made an earlier than expected return to the Inter squad for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final away leg match against Schalke 04. Samuel made his return to the pitch in Inter's away match at Napoli on 15 May 2011.

Under manager Andrea Stramaccioni, beginning in the latter half of the 2011–12 season, Samuel, along with the team's other centre backs, has been used in a rotating starting policy.

International career[edit]

Samuel has played 56 matches for Argentina, scoring five goals. He played for his country in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, but after a series of injuries that affected his play, he lost his place. Years later, due to the solid performances and after becoming a regular starter in Internazionale, he earned his place back in the national team, with Diego Maradona choosing him to be a starter in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Club statistics[edit]

Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Newell's Old Boys
1995-96 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
1996-97 35 0 0 0 0 0 35 0
1997-98 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Total 42 0 0 0 0 0 42 0
Boca Juniors
1997-98 12 0 0 0 0 0 12 0
1998-99 34 2 0 0 6 0 40 2
1999-00 31 2 0 0 20 1 51 3
Total 77 4 0 0 26 1 103 5
Roma
2000–01 34 1 0 0 0 0 34 1
2001–02 26 5 0 0 7 0 33 5
2002–03 31 2 0 0 10 0 41 2
2003–04 31 1 0 0 8 0 39 1
Total 122 9 0 0 25 0 147 9
Real Madrid
2004–05 30 2 2 0 8 0 40 2
Total 30 2 2 0 8 0 40 2
Internazionale
2005–06 27 2 6 0 9 0 42 2
2006–07 18 3 6 0 3 0 27 3
2007–08 12 0 1 0 5 1 18 1
2008–09 17 1 2 0 1 0 20 1
2009–10 30 3 1 0 13 1 42 4
2010–11 10 0 0 0 3 0 13 0
2011–12 28 2 1 0 6 1 35 3
2012–13 16 1 1 0 5 0 22 1
Total 158 11 18 0 45 4 221 15
Total 429 26 20 0 104 5 553 31

National team statistics[edit]

[7]

Argentina national team
Year Apps Goals
1999 10 1
2000 10 0
2001 8 2
2002 6 0
2003 5 1
2004 6 0
2005 5 1
2006 2 0
2007 0 0
2008 0 0
2009 0 0
2010 4 0
Total 56 5

Honours[edit]

Internazionale
Roma
Boca Juniors
Argentina U-20
Individual

Personal life[edit]

The son of a single Jewish mother, Samuel was born under the name of Walter Luján but decided to change his mother's surname for his stepfather's surname when he was a teenager.[8]

He has a daughter and two sons with his wife Cecilia.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Samuel, Walter Adrián". Historiadeboca.com.ar. Retrieved 1 November 2010. 
  2. ^ "BILANCIO D’ESERCIZIO E CONSOLIDATO DI GRUPPO AL 30 GIUGNO 2000". AS Roma (in Italian) (Borsa Italiana Archive). Retrieved 2 April 2010. 
  3. ^ "Samuel a Roma!". AS Roma (in Italian). 4 April 2000. Archived from the original on 13 April 2002. Retrieved 1 April 2010. 
  4. ^ PERFEZIONATO IL CONTRATTO DI TRASFERIMENTO DEL CALCIATORE SAMUEL[dead link]
  5. ^ "Ronaldo e Samuel comunitari come Carlos" (require login). La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 4 July 2005. Retrieved 23 September 2011. 
  6. ^ "Inter complete Samuel signing". uefa.com. 1 August 2005. Retrieved 1 April 2010. 
  7. ^ ".. Player – Wálter Samuel". National Football Teams. 22 March 1978. Retrieved 15 October 2011. 
  8. ^ "El juvenil Luján que asombró a Argentina" – Diario AS (Spanish)
  9. ^ "Congratulations to the Samuel family". Inter.it. 15 November 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2009. 

External links[edit]
Inter Milan – current squad
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