Fabricio Coloccini facts for kids
Coloccini playing for Newcastle United in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Fabricio Tomás Coloccini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 January 1982 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Córdoba, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| –1998 | Argentinos Juniors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Boca Juniors | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | A.C. Milan | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | → San Lorenzo (loan) | 19 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | → Alavés (loan) | 33 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | → Atlético Madrid (loan) | 27 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | → Villarreal (loan) | 32 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Deportivo La Coruña | 105 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2016 | Newcastle United | 248 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | San Lorenzo | 55 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Aldosivi | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 541 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2014 | Argentina | 39 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Venezuela U-20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Guadalajara (Assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Boca Juniors (Assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Fabricio Tomás Coloccini, born on January 22, 1982, is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He was known for playing as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football.
Coloccini started his club career in Argentina with Boca Juniors. His talent quickly caught the eye of the Italian club A.C. Milan. However, he didn't play much for Milan and was loaned out to four different clubs to gain experience. He became well-known during his time at Deportivo La Coruña in Spain.
In August 2008, Coloccini joined Newcastle United in England. He became the team captain in July 2011. In April 2012, he was chosen for the PFA Team of the Year, which is a big honor for players in England. On July 5, 2016, Coloccini went back to Argentina to play for San Lorenzo, a club he had played for many years before. After four more seasons there, he moved to Aldosivi, where he played his last season before retiring at age 40.
For his country, Coloccini played for the Argentina national team 39 times between 2003 and 2014, scoring one goal. He was part of the teams that reached the finals of the 2004 Copa América and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. As a young player, he helped Argentina win the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship and a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics.
After retiring as a player, Coloccini became a coach. On April 1, 2022, he was announced as the manager for the Venezuela Under-20 team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Boca Juniors
Fabricio Coloccini was born in Córdoba, Argentina. He began his football journey in the youth teams of Argentinos Juniors. However, he made his first professional appearance in 1998 with Boca Juniors. He played only one league match for Boca, filling in for another player who was with the national team. In that single game, he scored a goal, helping his team draw 2–2.
Moving to AC Milan and Loan Spells
In December 1999, Coloccini moved to AC Milan in Italy. There was a disagreement between Boca and Milan about how the transfer happened. Later, FIFA asked Milan to pay Boca some money.
Coloccini turned 18 in January 2000 and joined AC Milan's main team. Even though the team had a few of his fellow Argentinian players, he didn't play any games for Milan that season. He stayed with the team for the first part of the next season before going back to Argentina on loan.
Gaining Experience on Loan
In January 2001, Coloccini was loaned to San Lorenzo in Argentina. He helped them win the 2001 Clausura tournament. From 2001 to 2004, he was loaned to three different clubs in Spain's top league, La Liga. He played for Alavés, Atlético Madrid, and Villarreal. At all these clubs, he was a regular starter and played many games. For Alavés, he even scored six goals.
Back to Milan and Deportivo La Coruña
Coloccini returned to AC Milan for the 2004–05 season. However, it was hard for him to get playing time because Milan had many famous and experienced defenders. He only played 5 games in total before asking to move to another club in the winter.
He then joined Deportivo La Coruña in Spain in January 2005. He signed a six-year contract. During his three and a half years there, he was a key player and started almost every game. In the 2007–08 season, he played in all the matches and scored four goals. This helped the club qualify for a European competition called the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Time at Newcastle United
In August 2008, Coloccini moved to Newcastle United in England. He signed a five-year contract. Just two days later, he played his first game against the league champions, Manchester United. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.
Coloccini quickly became a very reliable player for Newcastle. In his first season, he often played alongside Sébastien Bassong in defense. Sometimes, he faced criticism, especially after a big 5–1 loss to Liverpool. However, his manager, Joe Kinnear, supported him, calling him "Mr. Reliable." Coloccini played almost every minute of every game that season until February.
Newcastle was unfortunately relegated to the Championship, which is the league below the Premier League. Despite this, Coloccini stayed with the club. He was a very important part of Newcastle's defense in the Championship. He scored two goals that season, both headers. Newcastle eventually won the Championship and were promoted back to the Premier League. Coloccini's strong performances earned him a spot in the Championship's Team of the Year.
He scored his first Premier League goal for Newcastle in a 2–2 draw against Wigan Athletic. This was also the first time he captained the team. On his 29th birthday, January 22, 2011, he scored a goal in a 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. This was also his 100th game for Newcastle.
Coloccini continued to play well, helping Newcastle's attack with his runs forward. His manager, Alan Pardew, and football expert Jamie Redknapp praised him as a "top, top player."
On July 8, 2011, Coloccini was officially named Newcastle's captain for the 2011–12 season. He and Steven Taylor formed a strong defensive partnership. In October, he was named the North East Football Writers' Association Player of the Year for 2011. In April 2012, he was again named in the PFA Team of the Year, this time for the Premier League.
In January 2013, Coloccini surprised Newcastle by asking to move back to Argentina for personal reasons. He wanted to join San Lorenzo. However, San Lorenzo couldn't afford his salary or the transfer fee Newcastle wanted. After talking with the club and manager, Coloccini decided to stay at Newcastle until at least the end of the 2012–13 season. In June 2013, he confirmed he would stay until at least the end of the 2013–14 season. He praised Newcastle for doing everything to make him stay. On November 1, 2014, Coloccini played his 200th league game for Newcastle. Eight days later, he scored his first goal in three years.
In July 2015, there were rumors that Coloccini might join Crystal Palace. However, his former manager, Alan Pardew, denied this. On August 6, Coloccini signed a new one-year contract with Newcastle, ending the rumors about his future.
Return to San Lorenzo
On July 5, 2016, Coloccini and Newcastle agreed to end his contract early. On the same day, he signed with Primera División team San Lorenzo in Argentina.
International Career with Argentina
Coloccini played for Argentina's youth teams. He was part of the Argentina Under-20 team that won the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. He also won a gold medal with the Argentina team at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
He made his debut for the senior Argentina national team on April 30, 2003, in a friendly match against Libya. The next year, he was part of the team that reached the final of the 2004 Copa América. They lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw. He scored his only international goal on September 4, 2004, in a 3–1 win against Peru during a World Cup qualifier. He also played in the 2005 Confederations Cup, where Argentina again finished as runners-up to Brazil.
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Coloccini played in two games. He came on as a substitute against the Netherlands and started against Germany in the quarter-finals. Argentina lost that game in a penalty shootout. Coloccini was not part of the team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, because of his good form in 2012, he was called back to the Argentina squad for the World Cup qualifiers. He played the full 90 minutes in a 5–2 win over Paraguay, which secured Argentina's spot in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
How He Played
As a defender, Fabricio Coloccini was known for his physical strength and how consistently he played. He was also known for his brave tackles and his amazing ability to head the ball. This made him a threat to score goals from corners and free kicks. Even though he usually played as a centre-back, he sometimes played as a right-back. When he was younger, he was seen as a very promising defender. In 2001, a magazine called Don Balón named him one of the 100 best young footballers in the world.
International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2003 | 3 | 0 |
| 2004 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Coloccini goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2004 | Lima, Peru |  Peru |
2–1 | 3–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Awards and Achievements
Boca Juniors
- Primera División: Apertura 1998, Clausura 1999
San Lorenzo
- Primera División: Clausura 2001
Villarreal
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003
Newcastle United
- Football League Championship: 2009–10
Argentina U20
Argentina U23
- Olympic Gold Medal: 2004
Argentina
- Copa América runner-up: 2004
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2005
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 2009–10 Championship, 2011–12 Premier League
- Newcastle United Player of the Year: 2010–11
- North-East FWA Player of the Year: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Fabricio Coloccini para niños
