Leandro Somoza facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leandro Daniel Somoza | ||
| Date of birth | 26 January 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Vélez Sársfield | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2006 | Vélez Sarsfield | 124 | (6) |
| 2006–2008 | Villarreal | 25 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → Betis (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Vélez Sarsfield | 53 | (4) |
| 2011–2013 | Boca Juniors | 66 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Lanús | 45 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Vélez Sarsfield | 39 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Aldosivi | 21 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2006–2013 | Argentina | 4 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2019 | Cerro Porteño (assistant) | ||
| 2020–2021 | Boca Juniors (assistant) | ||
| 2021 | Al Nassr (assistant) | ||
| 2022 | Rosario Central | ||
| 2022 | Aldosivi | ||
|
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Leandro Daniel Somoza (born January 26, 1981) is an Argentine football coach and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder. This means he was a player who helped protect his team's goal.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Leandro Somoza had a long and successful career playing for several football clubs. He was known for his strong defensive skills in the midfield.
Starting at Vélez Sarsfield
Somoza began his professional football journey in 2001. He joined Vélez Sarsfield in Argentina. He played for this club for five years. He was a very important player when Vélez Sarsfield won a major championship. This was the 2005 Clausura tournament.
Playing in Spain
In 2006, Somoza moved to Spain. He signed a five-year contract with La Liga club Villarreal CF. He joined other famous Argentine players there. These included Juan Román Riquelme and Gonzalo Rodríguez. Somoza played one season with Villarreal.
In August 2007, he went on loan to Real Betis. A loan means he played for Betis for a short time. He played his first game for Betis in a friendly match. His first official game was on August 26 against Recreativo Huelva.
Returning to Argentina
After two seasons in Spain, Somoza came back to Argentina. He rejoined Vélez Sarsfield for the 2008–09 season. He was part of the team that won the 2009 Clausura league title. However, he was injured and did not play in any games during that championship.
Somoza scored his first goal after his injury in 2009. It was in a 1–1 draw against Lanús.
Time at Boca Juniors
On January 14, 2011, Somoza joined Boca Juniors. This is one of Argentina's biggest clubs. With Boca Juniors, Somoza won two important titles. He won the 2011 Apertura league title. He also won the 2012 Copa Argentina cup. His team also finished second in the 2012 Copa Libertadores, a big South American tournament.
Playing for Lanús
For the 2013–14 Argentine Primera División season, Somoza moved to Lanús. With Lanús, he won the 2013 Copa Sudamericana. This is another important South American club competition. He played in all 10 games of that tournament.
In 2015, Somoza returned to Vélez Sarsfield for his third time. He played there until 2017.
International Games for Argentina
Somoza also played for the Argentina national team. He made his first appearance in 2006. This was in a friendly game against Brazil in London, England.
He was called to play for Argentina again in 2008. He was also part of the team for the 2012 Superclásico de las Américas. This is a special match between Argentina and Brazil. In 2013, he was called up for FIFA World Cup qualifying games.
Life as a Coach
After his playing career, Somoza became a football coach. He started as an assistant coach. He worked with Miguel Ángel Russo at different clubs. These included Cerro Porteño, Boca Juniors, and Al Nassr.
In March 2022, Somoza became the main manager for Rosario Central. He later resigned from that role. Ten days later, he was appointed manager of Aldosivi.
Trophies and Awards
Leandro Somoza won many important titles during his career:
- With Vélez Sarsfield
- Argentine Primera División: 2005 Clausura, 2009 Clausura
- With Boca Juniors
- Argentine Primera División: 2011 Apertura
- Copa Argentina: 2011–12
- With Lanús
- Copa Sudamericana: 2013
