Gabriel Milito

Football player infobox
playername = Gabriel Milito


fullname = Gabriel Alejandro Milito
nickname = "El Mariscal" (The Marshal), Gaby
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1980|9|7
cityofbirth = Bernal
countryofbirth = Argentina
height = height|m=1.79
currentclub = Barcelona
clubnumber = 18
position = Centre Back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1997–2003
2003–2007
2007–
clubs = Independiente Real Zaragoza
Barcelona
caps(goals) = 123 (3)
137 (5)
027 (1)
nationalyears = 2000–
nationalteam = Argentina
nationalcaps(goals) = 32 (1)
pcupdate = 10 May 2008
ntupdate = 23 May 2008

Gabriel Alejandro Milito (born 7 September 1980, Bernal, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine professional football defender, currently playing for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona. He is the younger brother of Genoa striker Diego Milito.

Club career

Previously, Milito played for Argentine first division Independiente from 1997 to 2003. During that time, he had to face his older brother Diego Milito, who played for Independiente's arch-rivals Racing Club, and who as of the end of the 2006-07 season was his teammate at Real Zaragoza.

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

On 10 July 2007 Real Zaragoza reached a transfer agreement with FC Barcelona for €20.5million (£13.9m) and on 19 July Milito passed his medical at Barcelona and signed a four-year deal with the club worth €4million (£2.7m) a year. He was given the number 3 shirt, which was formerly worn by Thiago Motta, who had been transferred to Atlético Madrid.

Milito made his competitive debut for Barcelona on 2 September 2007 in a game against Athletic Bilbao. [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=226421&cc=5901 ESPN Soccernet match report] ] He scored his first competitive goal for Barcelona on November 24 2007 in a league against Recreativo Huelva. [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=226579&cc=5901 ESPN Soccernet match report] ]

On May 5 2008 it was announced that Milito had damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee which could keep him out for six months.

International career

With the Argentine national football team, Milito participated in the Confederations Cup 2005 and was part of the squad which qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, performing well in the first-round match of Argentina against Netherlands national football team.

All-Time Club Statistics

As of December 12, 2007 [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=14539&cc=5901 Soccernet player statistics] ] [ [http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=317 National Football Teams profile] ]

References

External links

* [http://touchline.onthespot.co.uk/guardian/StatsCentre.asp?Lang=0&CTID=29&CPID=68&pStr=Player&PLID=54954&TEID=534 Guardian statistics]
* [http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=317 Career details] at national Football Teams
* [http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/futbol/temporada_08-09/plantilla/jugadors/milito.html Gabriel Milito's profile at FC Barcelona's official site]

Persondata
NAME= Milito, Gabriel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH= Birth date and age|1980|9|7
PLACE OF BIRTH= Bernal, Argentina