Fabricio Coloccini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fabricio Coloccini

Coloccini playing for Newcastle United in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Fabricio Tomás Coloccini
Date of birth	(1982-01-22) 22 January 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth	Córdoba, Argentina
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Necaxa (Assistant)
Youth career
0000–1998	Argentinos Juniors
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–1999	Boca Juniors	1	(1)
1999–2004	AC 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)
International career
2003–2014	Argentina	39	(1)
Managerial career
2022–2023	Venezuela U20
2024	Guadalajara (Assistant)
2024–2025	Boca Juniors (Assistant)
2025–	Necaxa (Assistant)
Medal record Representing Argentina Men's Football Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team Competition FIFA World Youth Championship Winner 2001 Argentina U-20 Copa América Runner-up 2004 Peru FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up 2005 Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fabricio Tomás Coloccini, born on January 22, 1982, is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He was a strong centre-back, which is a defensive player in football.

Coloccini started his club career in Argentina with Boca Juniors. He then moved to AC Milan in Italy. He spent time on loan at four different clubs to gain experience. He became well-known at Deportivo de La Coruña before joining Newcastle United in August 2008. In July 2011, he became the captain of Newcastle. He was even named in the PFA Team of the Year in April 2012, 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 15 years earlier. After four more seasons there, he moved to Aldosivi. He played his last season as a professional player there 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 new manager for the Venezuela Under-20 team. He has since taken on assistant coaching roles at other clubs.

Club Football Journey

Starting at Boca Juniors

Fabricio Coloccini was born in Córdoba, Argentina. He began his football journey in the youth team of Argentinos Juniors. He made his first professional appearance in 1998 with Boca Juniors. He played one league game for Boca, starting in place of another player who was with the national team. In this only match, he scored a goal, helping his team draw 2–2 with Unión de Santa Fé.

Time with AC Milan

In December 1999, Coloccini moved to AC Milan in Italy. There was a disagreement between Boca and Milan about his transfer. Eventually, FIFA asked Milan to pay Boca some money.

Coloccini turned 18 in January 2000 and joined AC Milan's main team. Even though Milan had many good defenders, he didn't play any games for them that season. He stayed with the team for the first half of the 2000–01 season before going back to Argentina on loan.

Playing on Loan

In January 2001, Coloccini was loaned to San Lorenzo. He helped them win the 2001 Clausura tournament. From 2001 to 2004, he played on loan for three different clubs in Spain's top league, La Liga. He played for Alavés, where he scored six goals. Then he played for Atlético Madrid and Villarreal. He was always a key player for these teams.

Back to Milan and Deportivo La Coruña

Coloccini returned to AC Milan for the 2004–05 season. He faced tough competition from other famous defenders. He played 5 games in total before asking to move in the winter.

In January 2005, Coloccini joined Deportivo La Coruña on a six-year deal. He was a regular starter for the team for three and a half seasons. In the 2007–08 season, he played in all their matches and scored four goals. This helped the club earn a spot in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Years at Newcastle United

Coloccini playing for Newcastle United in a 2–2 draw with Ipswich Town, 2010

In August 2008, Coloccini joined 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 game ended in a 1–1 draw.

From his first game, Coloccini was a very reliable player for Newcastle. He often played alongside Sébastien Bassong in defense. Sometimes, he faced criticism, especially after a tough 5–1 loss to Liverpool. But his manager, Joe Kinnear, supported him, calling him "Mr. Reliable." He played almost every minute of every game that season until February. Newcastle was unfortunately relegated at the end of the season.

Even though Newcastle was relegated, Coloccini stayed with the team. He was a key part of their defense in the Championship league. He helped the team have one of the strongest defenses in the league. He scored two goals that season, both headers. Newcastle was promoted back to the Premier League as champions. Coloccini's excellent play earned him a spot in the Championship's Team of the Year.

Coloccini scored his third goal for Newcastle against Wigan Athletic. It was a late goal that helped Newcastle come back from two goals down to draw 2–2. This was his first goal in the Premier League, and he was captaining Newcastle for the first time that day. 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.

He continued to play very well. His manager, Alan Pardew, praised him for his contributions to the team's attack, calling him a "top, top player."

Coloccini battling Charlie Austin for the ball in a 2–1 loss against Queens Park Rangers, 2015

On July 8, 2011, Coloccini was named Newcastle captain for the 2011–12 season. He and Steven Taylor formed a strong defensive partnership. They helped Newcastle have one of the best defenses in the Premier League, letting in only eight goals in the first 11 games. He scored his first goal of that season in a League Cup game against Nottingham Forest, helping Newcastle win 4–3. In October, he was chosen as the North East Football Writers' Association Player of the Year for 2011. On April 22, 2012, Coloccini was again named in the PFA Team of the Year.

In January 2013, Coloccini wanted to move back to Argentina for personal reasons. He wanted to join San Lorenzo. However, San Lorenzo couldn't afford his wages or the transfer fee Newcastle wanted. After talking with the club and manager Alan Pardew, Coloccini decided to stay at Newcastle. On June 16, 2013, he confirmed he would stay at Newcastle for at least 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, a header against West Bromwich Albion.

In July 2015, there were rumors that Coloccini might move to Crystal Palace to play for his former manager Alan Pardew. However, Pardew said this was not true. On August 6, Coloccini signed a new contract with Newcastle, staying until the end of the 2016–17 season.

Return to San Lorenzo

On July 5, 2016, Coloccini and Newcastle agreed to end his contract. He then signed with Primera División team San Lorenzo on the same day. He played for San Lorenzo for several more seasons before moving to Aldosivi in 2021, where he finished his playing career.

International Football Career

Coloccini was a key player 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 game against Libya. The next year, he played in the final of the 2004 Copa América, where Argentina lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout. He scored his only international goal on September 4, 2004, in a World Cup qualifier against Peru. He also played in the 2005 Confederations Cup, where Argentina again finished second to Brazil.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Coloccini played in two games. He came on as a substitute against the Netherlands. He also started against host country Germany in the quarter-finals, which Argentina lost after a penalty shootout. He was not part of the team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, because of his great form in 2012, he was called back to the Argentina squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Coloccini played the full game in a 5–2 win over Paraguay on September 10, which secured Argentina's spot in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

How He Played

As a defender, Coloccini was known for being physically strong and very consistent. He was experienced and not afraid to challenge for the ball. He had great stamina and was especially good at heading the ball. This made him a threat to score goals from set-pieces, like corners or free kicks. Even though he usually played as a centre-back, he sometimes played as a right-back. When he was young, he was considered a very promising defender. In 2001, he was named one of the top 100 young footballers in the world by Don Balón magazine.

Career Statistics

Club Games

International Games

Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Coloccini goal.

List of international goals scored by Fabricio Coloccini

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

• FIFA World Youth Championship: 2001

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