Andrés D'Alessandro facts for kids
D'Alessandro in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Andrés Nicolás D'Alessandro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 April 1981 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1999 | River Plate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | River Plate | 70 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Wolfsburg | 61 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | → Portsmouth (loan) | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | → Zaragoza (loan) | 36 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Zaragoza | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | San Lorenzo | 15 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2020 | Internacional | 284 | (45) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | → River Plate (loan) | 17 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Nacional | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Internacional | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 478 | (84) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Argentina U20 | 7 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Argentina U23 | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2010 | Argentina | 25 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Andrés Nicolás D'Alessandro (born 15 April 1981) is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He played as an attacking midfielder, which is a player who helps both defend and attack. Andrés played for top football teams in Argentina, Germany, England, Spain, Brazil, and Uruguay.
He won a gold medal with the Argentine national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He also played in the 2004 Copa América that same year. In 2020, he became a citizen of Brazil.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Argentina
Andrés D'Alessandro was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before becoming a famous footballer, he even worked as a pizza delivery boy! People called him El Cabezón, which means "The Big Headed". This was because his head looked big compared to his body, not because he had a big ego.
He grew up playing in the youth system of River Plate. This club is known for training many of Argentina's best players. Andrés followed in the footsteps of stars like Pablo Aimar. He also played alongside Javier Saviola. Together, they shined in the 2001 Youth World Championship. With River Plate's main team, he helped them win the Primera División titles in 2002 and 2003.
Playing in Europe
Andrés's great skills at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship caught the eye of many European clubs. In July 2003, he moved to VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. This was a big transfer for the club, costing about €9 million. On 21 September 2005, Andrés scored a special goal. It was the 40,000th goal ever scored in the Bundesliga, Germany's top league!
On 31 January 2006, Andrés joined the English club Portsmouth on a loan. His main goal was to help the team avoid being moved down to a lower league. On 17 April, he scored his first goal in England. It was a fantastic goal against Charlton Athletic. Portsmouth managed to stay in the Premier League.
After his time in England, Andrés moved to Spain. He joined Real Zaragoza on a loan in June 2006. He said he really wanted to play in Spain. In June 2007, he officially signed a contract with Zaragoza until 2011.
Coming Back to South America
In 2008, Andrés returned to Argentina. He joined San Lorenzo. Later that year, he decided to move to Brazil to play for Internacional. He felt this was a big step forward in his career.
Andrés became one of Internacional's most loved players. In 2008, he helped Inter win the Copa Sudamericana. In 2010, he led Internacional to win their second Copa Libertadores title. This is one of the biggest club competitions in South America. That year, he was named the best player in South America. He also won the Bronze Ball at the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup, which means he was the third best player in that tournament.
Andrés continued to play well for Internacional. He helped them win the Campeonato Gaúcho (State Championship) multiple times. In February 2016, he went back to River Plate on a loan for about a year and a half. During this time, he won the Recopa Sudamericana and the Copa Argentina. After that, he returned to Internacional in December 2016 and continued his successful career there.
International Career
Andrés D'Alessandro had a great international career playing for Argentina.
Youth and Olympic Success
In 2001, he won the Under-20 World Championship with the Argentine youth team. The tournament was held in Buenos Aires. Andrés was awarded the Silver Ball as the second best player in the tournament. Argentina won the final match 3–0 against Ghana.
In 2004, Andrés represented Argentina's under-23 team at the Olympic Games in Athens. Argentina won the gold medal in football that year!
Senior National Team
Andrés played for Argentina's senior national team 28 times, scoring 4 goals between 2001 and 2011.
He also played in the 2004 Copa América. He scored one goal in the group stage, helping Argentina win 6–1 against Ecuador. In the final, Argentina played against their rivals, Brazil. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, and Brazil won after a penalty shootout.
Style of Play
Andrés D'Alessandro was a very talented attacking midfielder. He was known for his amazing dribbling skills, creativity, and technical ability. He could trick defenders with clever body feints and moves, like the "boba" (a type of dragback) or a nutmeg (kicking the ball between an opponent's legs). He was also very good at taking free-kicks.
Andrés was also known for his short passes, which helped him set up many goals for his teammates. In 2001, he was named one of the top 100 young footballers in the world. Some people even thought he could be the next Maradona because of his talent!
Honours
Andrés D'Alessandro won many important titles throughout his career:
Club Honours
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2000 Clausura, 2002 Clausura, 2003 Clausura
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2016
- Copa Argentina: 2015–16
Internacional
- Copa Sudamericana: 2008
- Campeonato Gaúcho: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
- Copa Libertadores: 2010
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2011
International Honours
Argentina U20
Argentina Olympic Team
- Summer Olympics Gold Medal: 2004
Argentina Senior Team
- Copa América runner-up: 2004
Individual Awards
- South American Team of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2008, 2010
- FIFA World Youth Championship Silver Ball: 2001
- FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2010
- South American Footballer of the Year: 2010
See also
In Spanish: Andrés D'Alessandro para niños
