Julio Cruz (Argentine footballer) facts for kids
Julio Cruz with Lazio in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Julio Ricardo Cruz | ||
| Date of birth | 10 October 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Santiago del Estero, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1993 | Banfield | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1993–1996 | Banfield | 65 | (16) |
| 1996–1997 | River Plate | 29 | (17) |
| 1997–2000 | Feyenoord | 86 | (45) |
| 2000–2003 | Bologna | 88 | (27) |
| 2003–2009 | Inter Milan | 125 | (49) |
| 2009–2010 | Lazio | 25 | (4) |
| Total | 417 | (153) | |
| National team | |||
| 1997–2008 | Argentina | 22 | (3) |
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Julio Ricardo Cruz, born on October 10, 1974, is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He was known for being a strong and tall player, especially good at heading the ball. Julio usually played as a striker, which is a forward player whose main job is to score goals. Sometimes, he also played in other attacking roles.
Julio Cruz played for several football clubs in Argentina, the Netherlands, and Italy. He spent the longest part of his career with Inter Milan in Italy. There, he helped his team win the Serie A league title four times in a row, along with other important trophies. He stopped playing football professionally in 2010.
Julio also played for his country, the Argentina national team, 22 times and scored three goals. He represented Argentina in big tournaments like the 1997 Copa América and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. After retiring, in 2015, he started his own charity called the Julio Cruz Foundation.
Contents
Julio Cruz's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Julio Cruz began his football career in 1993 with the club Banfield in Argentina. He was a tall and strong player even when he was young. In 1996, he moved to another well-known Argentine club, River Plate.
Playing in the Netherlands
In 1997, Julio Cruz moved to Europe to play for the Dutch club Feyenoord. He quickly became an important player for them. In the 1998–99 season, he scored fifteen goals and helped Feyenoord win the Eredivisie league title, which is the top football league in the Netherlands. In 2000, he left Feyenoord to join Bologna in Italy.
Time in Italy with Bologna
At Bologna, Julio Cruz often played as the main striker. Even though some fans and media sometimes criticized him for not scoring enough goals, he was very good at holding the ball and helping his teammates get into scoring positions. In the 2001–02 season, he played a big part in Bologna finishing seventh in the Serie A league. His smart and passionate playing style helped him earn the respect of his critics.
Becoming a Star at Inter Milan
In 2003, Julio Cruz joined one of Italy's biggest clubs, Inter Milan. He made his first appearance for Inter on September 14, 2003, in a match against Siena. Just three days later, he scored his first goal for Inter in a big UEFA Champions League match against Arsenal. He continued to score important goals, including two against their rivals, Juventus, in a 3-1 away win.
At Inter, Julio often came on as a substitute, especially when the main strikers were injured or needed a rest. He was known for scoring crucial goals even when he didn't play the full match. For example, in a Champions League game against Porto in 2005, he scored two goals in just 30 minutes, turning a losing score into a 2-1 victory for Inter.
In 2006, Julio Cruz extended his contract with Inter. He ended that season as Inter's top scorer with 21 goals. He also scored a goal in the 2006 Coppa Italia Final, which Inter won against Roma. He signed another new contract in 2007, showing how important he was to the team.
Moving to Lazio and Retirement
On July 31, 2009, Julio Cruz left Inter Milan and joined Lazio on a two-year contract. He made his debut for Lazio on August 8, 2009, in the 2009 Supercoppa Italiana match against his former club, Inter. Lazio won the game 2-1, and Julio won his first trophy with his new team.
He played his first full match for Lazio 12 days later in a 2009–10 UEFA Europa League game. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Julio's contract with Lazio ended because he was dealing with injuries. He officially announced his retirement from football on September 7, 2010.
Playing for Argentina
Julio Cruz played 22 matches for the Argentina national team and scored three goals. He was part of the Argentina squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. During the tournament, he played as a substitute in matches against the Netherlands and Germany. In the penalty shootout against Germany, he scored the first penalty, but Argentina unfortunately lost the game.
His Nicknames
Julio Cruz had a special nickname, "El Jardinero", which means "The Gardener" in Spanish. He got this nickname when he was young because he used to work as a groundskeeper at his local team, Banfield, in 1993. One day, he was asked to fill in for a missing player during a practice match. His talent was noticed, and he was promoted to the main team, and the nickname stuck!
He was also sometimes called "Poncharello" by a TV commentator because he looked a bit like a character from an old TV show called CHiPs.
Career Achievements
River Plate
- Argentine Primera: 1996, 1997
Feyenoord
- Eredivisie: 1998–99
- Johan Cruijff Shield: 1999
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
- Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006, 2008
Lazio
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2009
Individual
- Coppa Italia Top-scorer: 2007–08
Images for kids
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Cruz (#74) during his time as a Lazio player
See also
In Spanish: Julio Ricardo Cruz para niños
