Paulo Gazzaniga facts for kids
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Gazzaniga playing for Southampton in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paulo Dino Gazzaniga Farías | ||
| Date of birth | 2 January 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Murphy, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Girona | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Unión y Cultura | |||
| 2007–2011 | Valencia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2012 | Gillingham | 20 | (0) |
| 2012–2017 | Southampton | 21 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 32 | (0) |
| 2017–2021 | Tottenham Hotspur | 22 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Elche (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Fulham | 13 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Girona (loan) | 28 | (0) |
| 2023– | Girona | 74 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2018 | Argentina | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2025 | |||
Paulo Dino Gazzaniga Farías, born on January 2, 1992, is a professional footballer from Argentina. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Spanish club Girona in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Paulo Gazzaniga was born in Murphy, Santa Fe, a small town in Argentina. Interestingly, his future football manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was also born in the same town. Paulo comes from a family of footballers. His father, Daniel Gazzaniga, played football, and his brother, Gianfranco, is also a goalkeeper. Paulo went to the only public school and a secondary college in Murphy. He played as a goalkeeper for his local team, Centro Recreativo Unión y Cultura.
Club Career Journey
Starting Out in Spain
In 2007, when Paulo was 15, he moved to Spain with his brother and father. He joined the youth team of the Spanish club Valencia. However, he didn't get to play for their main team. He left the club in May 2011.
In July 2011, Paulo signed a two-year contract with Gillingham, a club in League Two in England. He was brought in to compete for the main goalkeeper spot. A scout named Gary Penrice suggested Paulo to Gillingham's manager. Paulo played his first professional game on October 4, 2011, in a match against Barnet.
Time at Southampton
On July 20, 2012, Paulo Gazzaniga joined Southampton, a team that had just been promoted to the Premier League. He signed a four-year deal. He said it felt like "a dream" to join such a big club.
Paulo made his first appearance for Southampton on August 28, 2012, in a League Cup game. He played his first league match almost a month later, on September 22, 2012. During his time at Southampton, he was often a backup goalkeeper. He signed a new four-year contract with the club in September 2015.
In July 2016, Paulo went on loan to Rayo Vallecano, a club in Spain's Segunda División (second division), for the 2016–17 season.
Playing for Tottenham Hotspur
On August 23, 2017, Paulo Gazzaniga moved to another Premier League club, Tottenham Hotspur. He signed a five-year contract. This move meant he was reunited with his former Southampton manager, Mauricio Pochettino, who was also from Argentina. Paulo made his Premier League debut for Tottenham on November 5, 2017. His manager, Pochettino, praised his performance in that game.
During the 2018–19 season, Paulo became the second-choice goalkeeper for Tottenham. He played in several important matches when the main goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, was not available. His good performances even led to him being called up to the Argentina national team.
In the 2019–20 season, Paulo got to play even more. This happened after Hugo Lloris got an elbow injury in October 2019. Paulo became the main goalkeeper for a period.
On February 1, 2021, Paulo went on loan to the Spanish club Elche for the rest of the 2020–21 season. His contract with Tottenham ended in May 2021, and he left the club.
Time at Fulham
On July 24, 2021, Paulo Gazzaniga joined Fulham, a club in the EFL Championship (England's second division). He signed a two-year contract. He was a backup goalkeeper during his first year. Later, he became the third-choice goalkeeper after another player joined the team. He left Fulham at the end of the 2022–23 season.
Success with Girona
On September 1, 2022, Paulo joined Girona in Spain on a loan deal for the 2022–23 season. He played so well that on June 6, 2023, he signed a permanent two-year contract with the club. He then extended his contract until 2027 in February 2024.
In the 2023–24 season, Paulo played in all 38 La Liga matches. He kept 12 "clean sheets," meaning he didn't let the other team score in those games. His excellent goalkeeping helped Girona finish third in the league. This amazing achievement meant Girona qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the very first time!
On September 18, 2024, Paulo played in Girona's first-ever European match against Paris Saint-Germain. A few weeks later, on October 6, he was a hero in a 2–1 win against Athletic Bilbao. He saved three penalty kicks in that game, including one that had to be retaken!
International Career
Paulo Gazzaniga made his first appearance for the Argentina on November 20, 2018. He came into the game as a substitute in the 59th minute during a friendly match against Mexico. He helped his team keep a clean sheet, and Argentina won the game 2–0.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gillingham | 2011–12 | League Two | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| Southampton | 2012–13 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||||
| Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 2016–17 | Segunda División | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 0 | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2017–18 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 37 | 0 | |||
| Elche (loan) | 2020–21 | La Liga | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Fulham | 2021–22 | Championship | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Girona (loan) | 2022–23 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| Girona | 2023–24 | La Liga | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | |||
| Total | 102 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 109 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 207 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 237 | 0 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Achievements and Awards
Paulo Gazzaniga has achieved several honors throughout his career:
- Southampton
- U21 Premier League Cup: 2014–15 (This is a cup for younger players in the Premier League.)
- Tottenham Hotspur
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018–19 (His team reached the final of Europe's biggest club competition.)
- Fulham
- EFL Championship: 2021–22 (His team won England's second-highest football league.)
- Individual Award
- Gillingham Young Player of the Season: 2011–12 (He was recognized as the best young player at Gillingham.)
See also
In Spanish: Paulo Gazzaniga para niños
