Walter Samuel

Walter Samuel

Personal information
Full name	Walter Adrián Luján-Samuel
Date of birth	23 March 1978 (1978-03-23)
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	37	(0)
1997–2000	Boca Juniors	75	(4)
2000–2004	Roma	122	(9)
2004–2005	Real Madrid	30	(2)
2005–	Internazionale	128	(9)
National team‡
1999–2010	Argentina	56	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 December 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 June 2010

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

Having been gifted with natural power and pace, Samuel's game has developed and at Inter a new level of maturity has been evident. He played a key role in Inter's treble success under José Mourinho and is a regular fixture in the Argentinian national side. His strong, uncompromising style of play has earnt him the nickname Il Muro ("The Wall").

Club career

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 5 goals in all competitions until 2000. In that year, Roma bought his contract for 40.265 billion Italian lire (about €20M). 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 paid €25 million for his transfer in 2004. 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 passport in 2005. In August 2005, he returned to the Italian League with a transfer to Internazionale on a four year contract for reported €16 million.

In the Milan Derby 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 Mourinho. Since the signing of Lúcio, he has partnered him at the heart of Inter's defence. He was a regular starter under Mourinho's management before the coach departed the club at and looks set to play an important role yet again under new manager Rafael Benitez. Walter suffered a severe knee injury in the 7 November fixture against Brescia. He was out for 5 months and made an earlier than expected return to the Inter squad for the champions league quarter final away leg to Schalke. Samuel made his return to the pitch in Inter's away match at Napoli on 15 May 2011.

International career

Samuel has played 55 matches for Argentina, scoring five goals. He played for his country in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, but after a series of injuries that affected his play he lost his place. Years later, due to the solid performances and becoming a regular starter in Internazionale, he earned his place back in the Argentina National Team, with Diego Maradona choosing him to be a starter also for the Argentine defence in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He also had a short spell at Arsenal.

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
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	0	0	8	0	38	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	28	3	1	0	13	1	42	4
	2010–11	10	0	0	0	3	0	13	0
	Total	112	9	16	0	34	2	162	11

National team statistics

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

Internazionale

• Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
• Coppa Italia: 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010
• UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2010

Roma

• Serie A: 2000–01
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2001

Boca Juniors

• Primera División: 1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura
• Copa Libertadores: 2000

Argentina U-20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1997

Individual

• Serie A Defender of the Year: 2010

Personal life

The son of a single mother, he 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.

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

See also

• List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players

External links

• Walter Samuel at National-Football-Teams.com
• Samuel's profile at footballdatabase.com
• Guardian statistics