Gabriel Milito facts for kids
Milito playing for Argentina in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gabriel Alejandro Milito | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 7 September 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bernal, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Guadalajara (head coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Independiente | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2003 | Independiente | 123 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Zaragoza | 137 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Barcelona | 84 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Independiente | 31 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 339 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Argentina U17 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Argentina U20 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2011 | Argentina | 42 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Independiente (reserves) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Estudiantes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Independiente | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | O'Higgins | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Estudiantes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Argentinos Juniors | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Atlético Mineiro | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | C.D. Guadalajara | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Gabriel Alejandro Milito (born on September 7, 1980) is an Argentine football manager and former player. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football. Currently, he is the head coach for the Liga MX club Guadalajara.
Milito started and finished his playing career at Independiente in Argentina. He also spent seven years playing in Spain for Zaragoza and Barcelona. During his time in Spain, he played 187 matches in La Liga and scored six goals. He stopped playing professionally in June 2012 and began his coaching career the next year.
Gabriel Milito also played for the Argentina national team. He represented his country in the FIFA World Cup in 2006 and in the Copa América tournaments in 2007 and 2011.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Argentina
Gabriel Milito was born in Bernal, Buenos Aires Province. He began his professional football journey with Primera División team Independiente in 1997. During these early years, he often played against his older brother, Diego. Diego played for Independiente's main rivals, Racing Club de Avellaneda.
Time in Spain with Zaragoza
In July 2003, Milito was almost transferred to Real Madrid. However, Real Madrid decided not to sign him after medical tests. They were concerned about an old knee injury. Despite this, he stayed in Spain and joined Real Zaragoza.
Milito became a key player for Zaragoza over four seasons. In his first season, he helped them win the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid. He always played in at least 33 La Liga matches each season. In 2005, his brother Diego also joined Zaragoza. In July 2005, Liverpool tried to sign him, but Zaragoza rejected their offer. Milito then signed a new contract until 2010.
Joining FC Barcelona
On July 10, 2007, Barcelona agreed to sign Milito for €18.5 million. The following week, he passed his medical exam and signed a four-year contract. He was given the number 3 shirt.
Milito played his first official game for Barcelona on September 2, 2007. It was a 3–1 home win against Athletic Bilbao. He scored his first goal for Barcelona on November 24 in a 3–0 victory over Recreativo de Huelva.
In May 2008, Milito suffered a serious knee injury. This injury kept him from playing for the entire 2008–09 season. Barcelona won many trophies that season, including a "treble" (three major titles).
After being out for almost two years, Milito finally returned to playing. He played in a friendly match in Kuwait. On January 5, 2010, he returned to competitive football in a Copa del Rey match. He later played in a league game, coming on as a substitute.
Milito scored a goal in a 5–1 home win against Ceuta in the domestic cup in November 2010. However, he got injured during that game. In April 2011, he suffered another injury, a torn calf muscle. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. He made ten appearances for Barcelona that season, and they won the league title.
Returning to Independiente and Retirement
In August 2011, Milito left Barcelona and signed with his former club, Independiente. On June 12, 2012, he announced his retirement from football. He explained that he was mentally and physically tired.
International Matches for Argentina
Milito played for Argentina in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. Argentina reached the final of that tournament. He was also part of the team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played well in his only appearance, a 0–0 draw against the Netherlands.
He was chosen for the 2007 Copa América squad. He played in five matches as Argentina finished second in Venezuela.
In August 2010, Argentina's coach called Milito back to the national team for a friendly match against Spain. This was his first international game in over three years. He started in the 4–1 win in Buenos Aires. He was later selected for the 2011 Copa América, where he played in all of Argentina's games.
Coaching Career
Early Coaching Roles
Gabriel Milito's first coaching job was with the reserve team of Independiente. He left this role in late 2014 due to disagreements with the club's president.
On April 15, 2015, Milito became the head coach of Estudiantes. He resigned at the end of that year, even though his team had good results.
On May 12, 2016, Milito was appointed as Independiente's manager again. He signed an 18-month contract.
Coaching Outside Argentina
Milito started his first coaching job outside Argentina on August 9, 2017. He signed a two-year contract with O'Higgins in the Chilean Primera División. He returned to Estudiantes on March 11, 2019, with a three-year deal. However, he resigned a year later after his team was knocked out of the Copa Argentina.
In January 2021, Milito signed a three-year contract with Argentinos Juniors. He extended his contract in 2022 after his team qualified for the Copa Libertadores. However, he unexpectedly left the club on August 30, 2023.
Recent Coaching Positions
On March 24, 2024, Milito was announced as the head coach of Brazilian club Atlético Mineiro. He led the team to win the Campeonato Mineiro title.
Milito also guided Atlético Mineiro to the finals of both the 2024 Copa do Brasil and the 2024 Copa Libertadores. However, his team lost both of these finals. On December 4, 2024, he was let go after a streak of 12 matches without a win.
On May 26, 2025, Mexican club Guadalajara announced that Milito would be their new head coach.
Personal Life
Gabriel Milito's older brother, Diego, was also a famous footballer. Diego was a striker and played successfully for Inter Milan. Both brothers played for Real Zaragoza and the Argentina national team.
Achievements and Awards
As a Player
- Independiente
- Argentine Primera División: Apertura 2002
- Zaragoza
- Copa del Rey: 2003–04
- Supercopa de España: 2004
- Barcelona
- La Liga: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Supercopa de España: 2010
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2010–11
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
- Argentina
- Copa América runner-up: 2007
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2005
- Individual Awards
- Argentine Footballer of the Year: 2002
- South American Team of the Year: 2002
As a Manager
- Atlético Mineiro
- Campeonato Mineiro: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Gabriel Milito para niños
