Gabriel Milito facts for kids
Milito coaching Estudiantes in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 7 September 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bernal, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Argentina U17 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Argentina U20 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2011 | Argentina | 42 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Independiente (reserves) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Estudiantes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Independiente | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | O'Higgins | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Estudiantes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Argentinos Juniors | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Atlético Mineiro | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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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. Most recently, he was the head coach for the Brazilian club Atlético Mineiro.
Gabriel Milito started and ended his professional playing career at Independiente in Argentina. He also spent seven years playing in Spain. There, he played for Zaragoza and Barcelona. During his time in Spain's top league, La Liga, he played 187 matches and scored six goals.
Milito also played for the Argentina national team. He appeared in three big tournaments, including the 2006 World Cup. He earned 42 caps, which means he played 42 games for his country. After retiring as a player, he became a manager for three different teams in Argentina's top league, including Independiente.
Contents
Gabriel Milito's Club Career
Starting Out in Argentina
Gabriel Milito was born in Bernal, a city in Argentina. He began his professional football journey with Independiente in 1997. This team plays in the Argentine Primera División, Argentina's top football league.
During his early career, he often played against his older brother, Diego. Diego played for Racing Club de Avellaneda, which was Independiente's main rival.
Playing for Real Zaragoza
In July 2003, Gabriel Milito was almost transferred to Real Madrid. However, Real Madrid decided not to sign him. Their doctors said he had a knee injury that wasn't fully healed.
Despite this, Milito stayed in Spain and joined Real Zaragoza. He quickly became a key player for them. In his first season, Zaragoza won the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) by beating Real Madrid in the final. He always played at least 33 La Liga matches each season. In 2005, his brother Diego also joined Real Zaragoza, and they played together.
In July 2005, Liverpool tried to sign him for £7.5 million, but Zaragoza refused. Milito then signed a new contract until 2010. This contract included a release clause of €30 million.
Time at FC Barcelona
On July 10, 2007, Barcelona reached an agreement to sign Milito for €18.5 million. A week later, he passed his medical tests and signed a four-year contract. He was given the number 3 jersey.
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 the team on November 24, in a 3–0 victory over Recreativo de Huelva.
In May 2008, Milito suffered a serious injury to his right knee. This injury kept him out of the entire 2008–09 season. Barcelona had a very successful season that year, winning three major trophies.
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 played his first competitive game again. It was a Copa del Rey match against Sevilla. He also returned to the league five days later as a substitute.
In November 2010, Milito scored a goal in a cup match against Ceuta. However, he got injured again during that game. In April 2011, he suffered another calf muscle injury. This kept him out for the rest of the season. He made ten appearances that season as Barcelona won the league title.
Returning to Independiente
In August 2011, Gabriel Milito, then 30 years old, left Barcelona. He quickly signed with his first club, Independiente. On June 12, 2012, he announced his retirement from football. He said he was mentally and physically exhausted.
Gabriel Milito's International Career
Gabriel Milito played for the Argentina national team. He was part of the squad for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. Argentina reached the final of that tournament.
He also played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played well in his only game there, a 0–0 draw against the Netherlands.
Milito was also chosen for the 2007 Copa América squad. He played in five matches as Argentina finished second in the tournament.
In August 2010, after more than three years, Milito was called back to the national team. He played in a friendly match against Spain, which Argentina won 4–1. He was then selected for the 2011 Copa América. He played in all games for Argentina, who reached the quarter-finals.
Gabriel Milito's Coaching Career
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 manager of Estudiantes. He was convinced to take the job by the club's president, Juan Sebastián Verón. Even though his team had good results, he resigned at the end of the year.
On May 12, 2016, Milito was re-appointed as Independiente's manager. He signed an 18-month contract.
Milito started coaching outside Argentina on August 9, 2017. He signed a two-year contract with O'Higgins in Chile. He returned to Estudiantes on March 11, 2019. However, he resigned a year later after his team was knocked out of the Copa Argentina by a lower-league team.
In January 2021, Milito signed a three-year contract with Argentinos Juniors. At the end of the 2022 season, his team qualified for the Copa Libertadores. He extended his contract until 2027, but with a clause that allowed him to leave early. He used this option on August 30, 2023.
On March 24, 2024, Milito was announced as the head coach of Brazilian club Atlético Mineiro. He signed a deal until December 2025. He led the team to win the 2024 Campeonato Mineiro title.
Milito also led Atlético Mineiro to the finals of the 2024 Copa do Brasil and the 2024 Copa Libertadores. However, they lost both finals. On December 4, 2024, after a long period without a win, he was sacked.
Personal Life
Gabriel Milito's older brother, Diego, was also a famous football player. Diego was a striker and had great success with Inter Milan. Both brothers played for Real Zaragoza and the Argentina national team.
Honours and Achievements
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 National Team
- 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
