Martín Demichelis facts for kids
Demichelis with Manchester City in 2015
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Martín Gastón Demichelis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 December 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Justiniano Posse, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Complejo Deportivo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Club Renato Cesarini | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | River Plate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | River Plate | 52 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2010 | Bayern Munich | 174 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Bayern Munich II | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Málaga | 84 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Atlético Madrid | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Manchester City | 78 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Espanyol | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Málaga | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 401 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2016 | Argentina | 51 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Bayern Munich II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | River Plate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Monterrey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Martín Gastón Demichelis was born on December 20, 1980. He is an Argentine professional football manager and a former footballer. He usually played as a centre-back, but could also play as a defensive midfielder.
Martín Demichelis spent most of his playing career with Bayern Munich in Germany. He played there for seven and a half years. During his time with Bayern, he won 11 major titles. He also played for teams in his home country, River Plate, and in Spain for Espanyol, Atletico Madrid, and Málaga. He also played in England for Manchester City.
He played 51 games for the Argentina national team. He represented his country in two World Cups. In the 2014 World Cup, his team finished second. He also played in the 2015 Copa América, where Argentina were also runners-up.
After retiring as a player, Demichelis started his coaching career. He was an assistant coach at Málaga. He also coached the under-19 and reserve teams at Bayern Munich. In 2023, he won the Argentine Primera División title in his first season as head coach of River Plate.
Contents
Martín Demichelis's Club Career
Playing for River Plate
Martín Demichelis was born in Justiniano Posse, Córdoba, Argentina. He started playing football professionally in 2001. He joined Buenos Aires-based River Plate's youth system three years earlier.
He played his first game for the senior team on September 2, 2001. This was his debut in the first division. He scored his only goal for River Plate against Rosario Central.
In a game on April 28, 2002, River Plate's goalkeeper Ángel Comizzo was sent off. Demichelis had to play as goalkeeper for the last minute. River Plate won the Clausura title that season.
Playing for Bayern Munich
Demichelis joined Bayern Munich in the summer of 2003. His first season in the Bundesliga was a bit tough. He had some small injuries and played in only 14 league games. Bayern finished second that season. In early 2004, he played one game for Bayern's reserve team.
When Felix Magath became the new coach, Demichelis became a regular player for Bayern. He played in 75 official matches over two seasons. During this time, the team won two doubles (winning both the league and cup). He won a total of four doubles during his time at Bayern.
Later, Bayern's coach Ottmar Hitzfeld changed Demichelis's position. He moved him from a defensive midfielder to a central defender. In the 2008–09 season, he scored four goals in 29 games, which was his best goal-scoring season. However, the team did not win the league title that year.
Demichelis sometimes had disagreements with the new manager, Louis van Gaal. This started right after the first game of the 2010–11 season. Demichelis was not in the starting team and asked to be left out of the squad completely. He told the press that he might leave the club.
On October 29, 2010, Demichelis played one of his last games for Bayern. He scored a goal with his head in a 4–2 home win against SC Freiburg.
Time at Málaga and Atlético Madrid
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In late December 2010, Demichelis joined Spanish club Málaga. He signed a deal until the end of the 2010–11 season. Málaga had the option to extend his contract for two more years. He reunited with his former River Plate manager, Manuel Pellegrini. He played his first La Liga game on January 8, 2011, and scored a goal in a 1–1 draw against Athletic Bilbao.
During his first four months at Málaga, Demichelis was sent off twice. However, he started in all the games he was available for. He was very important in helping the club avoid being relegated. On August 22, 2012, he scored Málaga's first-ever UEFA Champions League goal. This was in a 2–0 home win against Panathinaikos.
On July 11, 2013, Demichelis signed a one-year contract with Atlético Madrid. This happened after his contract with Málaga ended.
Playing for Manchester City
On September 1, 2013, Demichelis joined Manchester City. He signed a two-year contract. He reunited with his former Málaga coach, Manuel Pellegrini. He had been with Atlético for less than two months and had not played any games for them.
Demichelis played his first game for Manchester City on October 27, 2013. He started in a 1–2 Premier League loss to Chelsea. He had just recovered from a knee injury. On February 18, 2014, he was sent off in a UEFA Champions League game against Barcelona. He fouled Lionel Messi, which led to a penalty.
Even with a difficult start, Pellegrini continued to trust Demichelis. On March 15, 2014, he played a key role in a 2–0 win over Hull City. The next weekend, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–0 home win against Fulham. His good performances in the last two months of the season helped his team win the league title. This also helped him get called back to the Argentina national team.
On March 12, 2015, Demichelis extended his contract until June of the next year. On June 10, 2016, Demichelis left Manchester City.
Returning to Spain
On August 10, 2016, Demichelis, who was almost 36, signed a one-year contract with Espanyol in Spain. However, on January 10, 2017, he left the club after playing only two games.
A week after leaving Espanyol, Demichelis returned to Málaga. He signed a five-month deal. On May 15, 2017, he announced that he was retiring from playing football.
Martín Demichelis's International Career
Martín Demichelis was first called up to play for Argentina in 2005. This was for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. He did not play in any games, and Argentina finished as runners-up. He made his debut on November 12, 2005, in a friendly game against England. He played as a defensive midfielder. He was not chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
On September 11, 2007, Demichelis scored his first goal for Argentina. He headed the ball into the net in a friendly game against Australia. He was chosen for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Under coach Diego Maradona, he played in all of Argentina's games. Argentina reached the quarter-finals. On June 22, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win against Greece in the group stage.
Demichelis was not called up for the national team for two and a half years after November 2011. However, he was included in the squad for the 2014 World Cup. He did not play in the first four games. He made his World Cup debut in the quarter-final match against Belgium. Argentina won 1–0. He then started in the semi-finals, where Argentina beat the Netherlands in a penalty shootout. He also started in the final against Germany. Argentina lost 1–0 after extra time, and Demichelis received a runner-up medal.
Demichelis was also chosen for the 2015 Copa América in Chile. He played in the final group game, a 1–0 win against Jamaica. He also played in the semi-final against Paraguay and the final against the hosts. Argentina lost the final.
Martín Demichelis's Coaching Career
Early Coaching Years
In May 2017, right after he stopped playing, Demichelis stayed at Málaga as an assistant manager. He helped coach Míchel. He remained with the club even after Míchel was dismissed.
Demichelis returned to Bayern Munich in June 2019. He managed the under-19 team. On April 2, 2021, it was announced that he would become the manager of Bayern Munich II. His first game as a senior team coach was on July 17, a 3–0 win against FC Augsburg II.
Coaching River Plate
In October 2022, Demichelis earned his UEFA Pro coaching license. On November 16, River Plate announced Demichelis as their new head coach. He signed a three-year contract.
On January 28, 2023, Demichelis had his first game as River Plate's coach. They won 3–0 against Central Córdoba. On July 15, River Plate won the league title with three games left to play. This was Demichelis's first title as a manager. On July 27, 2024, Demichelis left his position at River Plate.
Coaching Monterrey
On August 12, 2024, Mexican club Monterrey appointed Demichelis as their new head coach. On May 11, 2025, Demichelis was relieved of his duties at Monterrey.
Personal Life
Martín Demichelis also has an Italian passport. He is married to model Evangelina Anderson. They have a son and two daughters. In February 2019, burglars broke into his house in Spain. He chased them away.
Honours
Player
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: Clausura 2002, Clausura 2003
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10
- DFB-Pokal: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10
- DFB-Ligapokal: 2004, 2007
- DFL-Supercup: 2010
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2009–10
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2013–14
- Football League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2005
- Copa América runner-up: 2015
Manager
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2023
- Trofeo de Campeones: 2023
- Supercopa Argentina: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Martín Demichelis para niños
