Gilberto Martínez facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gilberto Martínez Vidal | ||
| Date of birth | October 1, 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Golfito, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Right back, centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Audace Cerignola | ||
| Number | — | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Saprissa | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2002 | Saprissa | 68 | (0) |
| 2002–2012 | Brescia | 218 | (1) |
| 2006–2007 | → Roma (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Sampdoria (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Lecce | 55 | (0) |
| 2015 | Monza | 15 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Nardò | ||
| 2016–2018 | Audace Cerignola | ||
| International career | |||
| 2001–2011 | Costa Rica | 61 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 October 2016 | |||
Gilberto Martínez Vidal, born on October 1, 1979, is a former professional football player from Costa Rica. He was a strong defender who played for many teams.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Deportivo Saprissa
Gilberto Martínez was born in Golfito, Costa Rica. He started his professional football journey with Deportivo Saprissa. His first game was on January 19, 2000, where his team won 4–0 against Cartaginés.
His great playing skills in the local league and at the Football World Youth Championship in Nigeria quickly helped him join the Costa Rica national football team. Fans really liked him, and he became a key player. He played in all three of Costa Rica's games at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and people noticed how well he performed.
Moving to Italy: Brescia Calcio
Because of his strong performance at the World Cup, the Italian club Brescia bought him from Deportivo Saprissa on September 15, 2002. In his first few years with Brescia, Martínez was a very important part of their defense.
However, he got an ankle injury during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This injury affected his playing in the years that followed. He spent the 2006–07 season on loan to Roma, another big Italian club. But he couldn't play much there because he was still recovering from his injury. He returned to Brescia for the 2007–08 season without having played any games for Roma.
He finally made his comeback in the 2008–09 season. He once again showed he was a vital player for Brescia, which was then playing in Serie B, a top Italian league. In February 2011, he was loaned to Sampdoria. Later, in January 2013, Martínez joined Lecce.
Playing for His Country
Youth and Senior Teams
Gilberto Martínez, also known as Tuma, was part of Costa Rica's national youth team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship held in Nigeria.
He made his first appearance for the senior Costa Rica in January 2001. This was a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Guatemala. He played a total of 61 games for his country, but he didn't score any goals.
He played in 26 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He also represented Costa Rica in two FIFA World Cups: 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also took part in other important tournaments like the 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup, the 2002 and 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cups, and the 2001 Copa América.
His last game for the national team was a friendly match against Argentina in March 2011.
Life After Playing
After his playing career, Gilberto Martínez became a coach. In 2021, he was the technical director (DT) for Municipal Grecia in Costa Rica.
See also
In Spanish: Gilberto Martínez Vidal para niños
