Diego Benaglio facts for kids
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Benaglio in 2021
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Diego Orlando Benaglio | ||
| Date of birth | 8 September 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Zürich, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–1997 | Spreitenbach | ||
| 1997–1999 | FC Baden | ||
| 1999–2002 | Grasshoppers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2005 | VfB Stuttgart | 0 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | VfB Stuttgart II | 54 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Nacional | 69 | (0) |
| 2008–2017 | VfL Wolfsburg | 259 | (0) |
| 2015 | VfL Wolfsburg II | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2020 | Monaco | 26 | (0) |
| Total | 409 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001 | Switzerland U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2002 | Switzerland U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2003–2005 | Switzerland U21 | 15 | (0) |
| 2006–2014 | Switzerland | 61 | (0) |
| 2012 | Switzerland Olympic | 4 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Diego Orlando Benaglio, born on September 8, 1983, is a former professional football player from Switzerland. He played as a goalkeeper.
He spent most of his career playing for Stuttgart and Wolfsburg in Germany. He helped Wolfsburg win the Bundesliga league championship in 2009. He played nearly 300 games for Wolfsburg. Before that, he also played for three years in Portugal with Nacional.
Benaglio played 61 games for the Swiss national team. He represented his country in three World Cups and the Euro 2008 tournament. He retired from professional football in August 2020.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Switzerland and Germany
Diego Benaglio was born in Zürich, Switzerland. He started his football journey at his hometown club, Grasshopper Club Zürich. As a teenager, he moved to Germany to join VfB Stuttgart. During his three years there, he mainly played for their reserve team.
Playing in Portugal with Nacional
In 2005, Benaglio moved to Portugal to play for C.D. Nacional. He quickly became the team's main goalkeeper. He helped Nacional qualify for the UEFA Cup in his first year.
Success with Wolfsburg
In January 2008, Benaglio returned to Germany and joined VfL Wolfsburg. He made his first appearance just eight days later. He helped his new team reach the quarter-finals of the German Cup.
Benaglio was a key player when Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga championship for the first time in their history in the 2008–09 season. He played in almost every game that year. He later signed a contract to stay with Wolfsburg until 2016.
In May 2015, Wolfsburg won their first domestic cup, the DFB-Pokal. Benaglio made important saves in the final match against Borussia Dortmund, helping his team win 3–1.
Time at AS Monaco
In June 2017, Benaglio, then 33 years old, moved to AS Monaco FC in France. He signed a three-year contract with the club. He played his first game for Monaco in the UEFA Champions League in September 2017. A few days later, he made his Ligue 1 debut.
Benaglio played 39 matches for Monaco across different competitions. He, along with other goalkeepers, left the club in June 2020. On August 18, 2020, Benaglio announced that he was retiring from professional football.
International Career for Switzerland
Diego Benaglio started playing for the Swiss national team in 2006. He was chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup as the third-choice goalkeeper. His first game for Switzerland was a friendly match against China in June 2006.
Because he played so well for his clubs, he became the main goalkeeper for Switzerland. He played in the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, which was held in Switzerland.
Benaglio also played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Switzerland was knocked out in the group stage, but they only let in one goal. They even had a surprising 1–0 win against Spain, who went on to win the tournament.
He was the captain of the Swiss team at the 2012 Olympics. He also played many games during the qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the 2014 World Cup finals, he saved a penalty kick against France.
On August 20, 2014, Benaglio announced that he was retiring from international football.
Career Achievements
Wolfsburg
- Bundesliga: 2008–09
- DFB-Pokal: 2014–15
- DFL-Supercup: 2015
Images for kids
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Benaglio in 2021
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Benaglio in 2008
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Benaglio (left) with Switzerland in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Diego Benaglio para niños
