Leonardo Ponzio facts for kids
Ponzio with River Plate in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo Daniel Ponzio | ||
| Date of birth | 29 January 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Las Rosas, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.74 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Newell's Old Boys | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2000–2003 | Newell's Old Boys | 90 | (9) |
| 2003–2006 | Zaragoza | 114 | (5) |
| 2007–2008 | River Plate | 55 | (1) |
| 2009–2012 | Zaragoza | 100 | (6) |
| 2012–2021 | River Plate | 185 | (8) |
| Total | 544 | (29) | |
| National team | |||
| 2001 | Argentina U20 | 7 | (0) |
| 2003–2013 | Argentina | 8 | (0) |
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Leonardo Daniel Ponzio (born on January 29, 1982) is an Argentinian former footballer. He mostly played as a defensive midfielder, helping protect his team's defense.
Ponzio started his professional journey with Newell's Old Boys in 2000. He then played for Zaragoza in Spain and River Plate in Argentina. He played over 240 games for Zaragoza and won the Copa del Rey in 2004. He also won many titles with River Plate, becoming one of their most successful players ever.
Contents
Leonardo Ponzio: A Football Star
Early Career and First Steps
Leonardo Ponzio was born in Las Rosas, Santa Fe, Argentina. He began his football career in the youth teams of Newell's Old Boys. This club is located in Rosario, a city close to his hometown. He played over 100 official matches for Newell's Old Boys.
Playing in Spain: Real Zaragoza
When Ponzio was 21, he moved to Spain. He joined Real Zaragoza for the 2003–04 season. He made his first appearance in Spain's top league, La Liga, in August 2003. Ponzio quickly became a key player in Zaragoza's midfield. He played almost every game for three seasons.
In 2007, Ponzio left Zaragoza and joined Club Atlético River Plate in Argentina. He scored his first goal for River Plate in the Copa Libertadores tournament. This is a very important club competition in South America.
Becoming a River Plate Legend
In January 2009, Ponzio went back to Zaragoza. The team was then in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second division. He helped them get promoted back to La Liga right away. Ponzio was a strong defensive player for Zaragoza. He even played as a right-back and left-back sometimes.
On January 4, 2012, Ponzio returned to River Plate. He signed a new contract for three and a half years. He became a very important player for River Plate. He helped the club win many major trophies. This made him a true legend at the club.
Playing for Argentina
Leonardo Ponzio also played for his country, Argentina. He played for the national teams at the under-17 and under-20 levels. In 2001, he played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played in all seven matches as Argentina won the tournament. This was a huge achievement for the young team. He later earned a few caps for the senior Argentina national team.
Trophies and Achievements
Ponzio won many important titles during his career.
Zaragoza
- Copa del Rey: 2003–04
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: Clausura 2008, Torneo Final 2014, Superfinal 2014, Campeonato 2021
- Copa Argentina: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19
- Supercopa Argentina: 2017, 2019
- Copa Libertadores: 2015, 2018
- Copa Sudamericana: 2014
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2015, 2016, 2019
- Suruga Bank Championship: 2015
- Primera B Nacional: 2011–12
Argentina U20
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2001
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo Ponzio para niños
