- Matías Almeyda
-
Matías Almeyda Personal information Full name Matías Jesús Almeyda Date of birth 21 December 1973 Place of birth Azul, Argentina Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Playing position Defensive midfielder Club information Current club River Plate (coach) Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1991–1996 River Plate 69 (3) 1996–1997 Sevilla 28 (0) 1997–2000 Lazio 63 (2) 2000–2002 Parma 34 (0) 2002–2004 Inter 47 (1) 2004–2005 Brescia 5 (0) 2005 Quilmes 0 (0) 2007 Lyn 2 (0) 2009 Fénix 4 (0) 2009–2011 River Plate 64 (0) National team 1996–2005 Argentina 35 (1) Teams managed 2011– River Plate HonoursCompetitor for 
ArgentinaMen's Football Silver 1996 Atlanta Team Competition * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).Matías Jesús Almeyda (born 21 December 1973) is a retired Argentine footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and the current manager of Club Atlético River Plate.
Ironically nicknamed El Pelado ("bald one", "shaven") in spite of his long hair,[1] he played most of his professional career at River Plate and in Italy, representing four different teams in the latter country.
Having represented Argentina during nearly one full decade, Almeyda appeared with the national team in two World Cups.
Contents
Club career
Born in Azul, Buenos Aires Province, Almeyda started playing professionally for local and national powerhouse Club Atlético River Plate, first as understudy to Leonardo Astrada, then as a starter, helping the team to the 1996 first division title after his insertion in the starting XI. Shortly after, he moved to Sevilla FC in Spain, for a then-record fee for a player in the country of $9 million. Almeyda appeared regularly in his first and only season with the Andalusians, but suffered La Liga relegation.
In the following seven years, Almeyda would play in Serie A of Italy, successively representing S.S. Lazio, Parma F.C. and F.C. Internazionale Milano, always partnered by compatriots, especially at the latter club: he spent three seasons in Rome with Lazio, becoming a firm fan favourite, especially after scoring a 35-yard goal against Parma's Gianluigi Buffon,[2] his only of the 1999–2000 season, which ended with league and cup conquest; additionally, he was voted the competition's best player in 1998–99, and also won - as a starter - the last UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, against RCD Mallorca.[3]
In the summer of 2002, Almeyda was exchanged with Vratislav Greško and moved to Inter, where he was again partnered by compatriots as in his previous clubs. Two years later, he joined his final club in Italy, lowly Brescia Calcio, on a free transfer.[4] The following year, after the team's relegation, as second from bottom, he returned to Argentina and agreed to play for Quilmes Atlético Club, which appeared at the Libertadores Cup, announcing his retirement after the team's elimination from that tournament.
After one 1/2-years away from football, in which he represented Argentina in a Showball tour around the world alongside Diego Maradona and participated in the Indoor Football World Cup in Spain, Almeyda joined Norwegian Premier League outfit of FK Lyn, in Oslo, in which he was accompanied by compatriot José Oscar Flores.[5] The midfielder made his debut on 13 May 2007, but only played regularly in the reserves and in the domestic Cup, being released (as the striker) shortly after, and again retiring from football.
On 16 January 2009, at almost 36, Almeyda, after nearly agreeing on a return to River, signed with modest Club Atlético Fénix, in the fourth division.[6] During his brief spell with the team, he managed to be sent off on two occasions.[7]
On 19 August 2009, veteran Almeyda finally re-joined his main club River Plate, teaming up with former club teammates Marcelo Gallardo and Ariel Ortega.[1] In June 2011, the team was relegated to the second level for the first time in its history, and the 37-year old retired from football, being appointed the side's manager the following month.
International career
Almeyda won a total of 35 caps for the Argentine national football team, his debut coming in April 1996 against Bolivia. Shortly after his debut, he helped the Olympic side win silver at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Subsequently, Almeyda was selected for two FIFA World Cups: 1998 (playing all five matches - as a starter - as Argentina reached the quarterfinals) and 2002 (one group stage appearance, the 1–1 against Sweden, as the national team exited after the first three contests).
Honours
Club
- River Plate:
- Libertadores Cup: 1996
- Argentine League: 1993, 1994, 1996
- Lazio:
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1998–99
- UEFA Super Cup: 1999
- Italian League: 1999–2000
- Italian Cup: 1997–98, 1999–2000
- Italian Supercup: 1998
Country
Individual
- Italian League: Best Player 1998–99
References
- ^ a b "Tenía muchas ganas" ("I wanted this very badly"); Olé, 19 August 2009 (Spanish)
- ^ Almeyda's super goal; at YouTube
- ^ "2002 World Cup profile". BBC Sport. 22 May 2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/team_pages/argentina/squad/newsid_2002000/2002468.stm. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ "Brescia boosted by Almeyda". UEFA.com. 24 August 2004. http://en.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid=218823.html. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ Almeyda y el 'Turu' Flores regresan al fútbol en la Liga noruega (Almeyda and Turu Flores return to football in the Norwegian League); El Mundo, 26 March 2007 (Spanish)
- ^ Almeyda: de refuerzo de River a la Primera C (Almeyda: from River signing to Primera C); DERF, 16 January 2009 (Spanish)
- ^ Fine form and favoured targets; FIFA.com, 24 February 2010
External links
- Argentine League statistics (Spanish)
- BDFutbol profile
- Matías Almeyda at National-Football-Teams.com
- Matías Almeyda – FIFA competition record
- FootballDatabase profile and statistics
Argentina squad – 1996 Summer Olympics Silver Medalists 
Argentina squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup Argentina squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Burgos • 2 Ayala • 3 Sorín • 4 Pochettino • 5 Almeyda • 6 Samuel • 7 C. López • 8 Zanetti • 9 Batistuta • 10 Ortega • 11 Verón (c) • 12 Cavallero • 13 Placente • 14 Simeone • 15 Husaín • 16 Aimar • 17 G. López • 18 K. González • 19 Crespo • 20 Gallardo • 21 Caniggia • 22 Chamot • 23 Bonano • Coach: BielsaClub Atlético River Plate – managers Caamaño (1931–33) · Hircshl (1934–39) · Platko (1940) · Cesarini (1940–44) · Peucelle (1945–46) · Minella (1947–59) · Galán (1960) · Hircshl (1961) · Rossi (1961–62) · Minella (1962–63) · Fernández Viola (1963) · Cesarini (1964–65) · Peucelle (1966) · Lorenzo (1967) · D'Amico (1967) · Labruna (1968–70) · Didi (1970–71) · Urriolabeitía (1972) · Delém (1973) · Rossi (1974) · Labruna (1975–81) · Di Stéfano (1981–82) · Varacka (1983) · Pando (caretaker) (1983) · Cubilla (1984) · Veira (1984–87) · Griguol (1987–88) · Menotti (1988–89) · Merlo (1989–90) · Passarella (1990–94) · Gallego (1994–95) · Babington (1995) · Díaz (1995–2000) · Gallego (2000–01) · Díaz (2001–02) · Pellegrini (2002–03) · Astrada (2004–05) · Merlo (2005) · Passarella (2006–07) · Simeone (2008) · Gorosito (2009) · Astrada (2009–10) · Cappa (2010) · López (2010–2011) · Almeyda (2011–)
Club Atlético River Plate – current squad — Chichizola · — Marinelli · — Vega · — Servio · — Abecasis · — Alayes · — Arano · — J. M. Díaz · — Ferrero · — Ra. Funes Mori · — González Pirez · — Maidana · — Pezzella · — Román · — Vella · — Affranchino · — Aguirre · — Cirigliano · — M. Díaz · — Domingo · — Galluci · — González · — Ledesma · — Sánchez · — Ocampos · — Bou · — Cavenaghi · — Domínguez · — Ro. Funes Mori · — Ríos · — Villalva · Manager: AlmeydaCategories:- 1973 births
- Living people
- People from Buenos Aires Province
- Argentine footballers
- Association football midfielders
- Primera División Argentina players
- River Plate footballers
- Quilmes footballers
- La Liga footballers
- Sevilla FC footballers
- Serie A footballers
- S.S. Lazio players
- Parma F.C. players
- F.C. Internazionale Milano players
- Brescia Calcio players
- Norwegian Premier League players
- FK Lyn players
- Argentina international footballers
- 1998 FIFA World Cup players
- 2002 FIFA World Cup players
- Olympic footballers of Argentina
- Footballers at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists for Argentina
- Olympic medalists in football
- Argentine expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Expatriate footballers in Norway
- Argentine football managers
- River Plate managers
- River Plate:
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
