Diego Milito
Encyclopedia
Diego Alberto Milito is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for the Italian Serie A team Internazionale
. He also plays for the Argentine national team
. A prolific and consistent center-forward, Milito has statistically averaged just over a goal every two appearances, over the course of his 10 year professional career. He was pivotal in Inter's 2009/10 treble winning season and his two goals in the Champions League
final at last gave him international recognition as one of the world's most effective strikers.
He has been nicknamed El Príncipe ("The Prince" in Spanish) because of his physical resemblance with former Uruguay
an footballer Enzo Francescoli
, who was nicknamed that way.
team Racing Club
in 1999, where he won the 2001 Apertura tournament. During this time, his younger brother Gabriel
played for Racing's main rival, Independiente
, as a defender. The two clubs would contest the Avellaneda
derby with the two brothers lining up against each other.
Genoa
. After two very successful seasons, where he scored 33 goals in 59 matches in Italy
, Genoa were relegated down to Serie C1
as a punishment for an alleged match-fixing case in the final match of the 2004–05 season. Due to this, Milito was forced to leave Genoa and ultimately joined his brother Gabriel at Spanish club Real Zaragoza
.
, scoring four goals in the first semi-final of the 2006 Copa del Rey
to beat Real Madrid
6–1. He finished the season as Real Zaragoza's top scorer with 16 goals in the Spanish first division
.
Milito was one of the top scorers in the La Liga 2006–07 season. He scored 23 goals, two less than the top goalscorer Ruud van Nistelrooy
and three behind European Golden Boot winner Francesco Totti
.
In November 2006, it was reported Zaragoza decided to buy him outright after his 2-year loan was set to expire.
Milito became the club captain at Real Zaragoza, taking over this role from brother Gabriel, who departed for FC Barcelona
in 2007. His contract was extended in August 2007 with a buy-out clause of €100M. His goals helped Zaragoza to a sixth place finish in the league. As of January 2008, Diego was averaging higher than a goal every two games for Real Zaragoza, a statistic he also achieved with Genoa.
. His agent Fernando Hidalgo confirmed Milito chose explicitly to return to Genoa despite having received more lucrative offers from other major European clubs. He made his debut on 14 September against Milan
. Genoa won this game 2–0 with Milito assisting the first goal and scoring the second. On 9 November, Milito scored his first hat-trick for Genoa in the 4–0 victory against Reggina
. He finished the season with 24 goals in 31 league appearances, placing him second behind Zlatan Ibrahimović
in the Capocannonieri scoring title.
(alongside Thiago Motta
). The transfer fees were undisclosed but Genoa got Robert Acquafresca
, Riccardo Meggiorini
, Leonardo Bonucci
, Francesco Bolzoni
Ivan Fatic
and cash.
The striker adapted to his new surroundings quickly and had an excellent start to his Internazionale
career scoring two goals in a 2–0 World Football Challenge
win over Milan. Subsequently on 29 August, in his first ever Milan Derby
in Serie A
, Milito assisted two goals and scored a penalty
, his first league
goal of the season, to cap off a 4–0 victory. Later, on 13 September, he scored his second league
goal in a 2–0 home win against Parma
. In the next league match against Cagliari
he scored both goals for Inter
in a 1–2 away win. These two goals placed him at the top of the all-time Serie A
scoring charts for best strike rate, with 28 goals in 35 games, giving him an average of 0.8 goals per game. Milito continued his fine run of form with another goal in the next league match against Napoli
, scoring the second goal after Samuel Eto'o
scored in the first minute, a game that they won 3–1.
The consistency which Milito had shown at his previous clubs was sustained throughout his debut season at Inter, and after the first few matches he had established himself as a key contributor to the squad. On 30 October, in a 5–3 home victory against Palermo
, Milito, who had returned from an injury, came off the bench to make the result safe scoring Internazionale
's fifth goal. In the next game, against Livorno
he scored another goal, taking his strike rate up to seven goals in nine league
matches. Three days later, on 4 November, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League
in a 1–2 group stage win over Dynamo Kyiv
, it was the equaliser which led to Wesley Sneijder
's game-winner in the 89th. On 24 February, in another Champions League
match, this time in a 2–1 round of 16 win against Chelsea
, he scored another important goal, his second in the competition. Four days later, Milito netted the matchwinner which gave Internazionale
a 3–2 victory at Udinese
, in a thrilling win for the "Nerazzurri". On 27 March, after missing a 3–0 win over Livorno
with a hamstring problem, Milito returned for a crucial battle at title contenders Roma
, where he scored one goal in a 2–1 loss. On 31 March, in a 1–0 Champions League quarter-finals win against CSKA Moscow, he scored the winning goal which enhanced Internazionale
's chances of reaching the semi-finals. Diego scored a vital goal in a 3–1 home
win against Barcelona
in a first leg Champions League
semi-final win.
During the very last matches of the 2009–2010 season, Milito proved instrumental in Inter's winning of the first treble in the history of Italian football. The Argentine first scored the only goal in Inter's victory over Roma
in the final of the Coppa Italia on 5 May 2010, enabling the nerazzurri to take home their first trophy of the season. Eleven days later, it was also Milito's goal which secured Internazionale's 18th scudetto when they beat Siena
1–0 on the final matchday of Serie A. With only two points separating the top two teams in Serie A, the goal lifted Inter to the summit of the table after being in a position to lose the league title to Roma at the half-time break as Roma, playing simultaneously, were winning their own match against Chievo at that point. Milito himself declared this goal to be the "best of his career", having been decisive in delivering a league title to his team. However, there was more to come from the forward and on 22 May 2010 Milito yet again proved vital as he scored twice to seal a victory in the Champions League Final
over Bayern Munich. As a result Internazionale
became European club champions for the first time in 45 years with a 2–0 victory and completed their historic treble championship season.
After the treble success many pundits took note of the fact that Milito had always been an effective and efficient striker, yet remained one of the most underrated players in world football because of his low-key manner and the fact that he had plied his trade for smaller, less competitive teams prior to joining Inter. Scoring goals on the biggest stages for a marquee team finally earned the striker the recognition merited by his skill and goalscoring record. Of the player and his two Champions League winning goals, The Guardian wrote:
On 9 August 2010, Milito signed a new four-year contract with the Nerazzurri. On 26 August 2010, Milito was named 2010 UEFA Forward and Player of the Year.
3-1.
in 2003, but appeared only intermittently during the following years, and was omitted from the 2006 World Cup
squad. He played for Argentina in the 2007 Copa América tournament, gaining playing time after Hernán Crespo
's injury in a group stage match against Colombia
and he was also included in Argentina's
final 23 player roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
passport
, due to his Italian ancestry - Milito is a third-generation Italian-Argentine
, his roots go to Terranova da Sibari
(CS
), in Calabria
. He has a younger brother named Gabriel
who plays football for Independiente
.
|2003||5||3
|-
|2004||2||0
|-
|2005||0||0
|-
|2006||0||0
|-
|2007||6||1
|-
|2008||2||0
|-
|2009||5||0
|-
|2010||4||0
|-
!Total||24||4
|}
Statistics correct as of matches played 22 May 2010
Internazionale
10, 2010–11
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
. He also plays for the Argentine national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. A prolific and consistent center-forward, Milito has statistically averaged just over a goal every two appearances, over the course of his 10 year professional career. He was pivotal in Inter's 2009/10 treble winning season and his two goals in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final at last gave him international recognition as one of the world's most effective strikers.
He has been nicknamed El Príncipe ("The Prince" in Spanish) because of his physical resemblance with former Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an footballer Enzo Francescoli
Enzo Francescoli
Enzo Francescoli Uriarte is a former uruguayan football player of Italian and Spanish origin, who retired in 1997. An elegant and highly skillful dribbler, passer, and goal-scorer, Francescoli was nicknamed El Príncipe or Le Prince...
, who was nicknamed that way.
1999–2003: Early years in Argentina
Diego Milito started playing at Argentine first divisionPrimera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
team Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
in 1999, where he won the 2001 Apertura tournament. During this time, his younger brother Gabriel
Gabriel Milito
Gabriel Alejandro Milito is an Argentine footballer who plays for Club Atlético Independiente as a central defender.He spent most of his professional career in Spain, representing two different teams – Real Zaragoza and FC Barcelona – also appearing with the Argentine national team in three major...
played for Racing's main rival, Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
, as a defender. The two clubs would contest the Avellaneda
Avellaneda
Avellaneda is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 328,980 as per the ....
derby with the two brothers lining up against each other.
2004–2005: First years in European football
At the beginning of 2004, Milito moved to Italian second divisionSerie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
. After two very successful seasons, where he scored 33 goals in 59 matches in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Genoa were relegated down to Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
as a punishment for an alleged match-fixing case in the final match of the 2004–05 season. Due to this, Milito was forced to leave Genoa and ultimately joined his brother Gabriel at Spanish club Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
.
2005–2008: Making his mark in Spain
Diego again showed his potential in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, scoring four goals in the first semi-final of the 2006 Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
to beat Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
6–1. He finished the season as Real Zaragoza's top scorer with 16 goals in the Spanish first division
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
.
Milito was one of the top scorers in the La Liga 2006–07 season. He scored 23 goals, two less than the top goalscorer Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
and three behind European Golden Boot winner Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
.
In November 2006, it was reported Zaragoza decided to buy him outright after his 2-year loan was set to expire.
Milito became the club captain at Real Zaragoza, taking over this role from brother Gabriel, who departed for FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in 2007. His contract was extended in August 2007 with a buy-out clause of €100M. His goals helped Zaragoza to a sixth place finish in the league. As of January 2008, Diego was averaging higher than a goal every two games for Real Zaragoza, a statistic he also achieved with Genoa.
2008–2009: A return to Serie A
On 1 September 2008, just a few minutes before the transfer window closure time, Genoa completed the transfer of Milito from Zaragoza, after the Spanish team were relegated to Segunda DivisiónSegunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
. His agent Fernando Hidalgo confirmed Milito chose explicitly to return to Genoa despite having received more lucrative offers from other major European clubs. He made his debut on 14 September against Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. Genoa won this game 2–0 with Milito assisting the first goal and scoring the second. On 9 November, Milito scored his first hat-trick for Genoa in the 4–0 victory against Reggina
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
. He finished the season with 24 goals in 31 league appearances, placing him second behind Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain....
in the Capocannonieri scoring title.
2009–2010: A treble-winning debut season
On 20 May 2009, La Gazzetta dello Sport confirmed that Diego Milito was transferred to InternazionaleF.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
(alongside Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta Santon Olivares , known as Thiago Motta, is a Brazilian-born Italian footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Internazionale....
). The transfer fees were undisclosed but Genoa got Robert Acquafresca
Robert Acquafresca
Robert Acquafresca is an Italian footballer of half-Polish descent who plays for Serie A club Bologna as a striker.-Club career:...
, Riccardo Meggiorini
Riccardo Meggiorini
Riccardo Meggiorini is an Italian footballer who plays for Novara, on loan from Genoa.He is nicknamed Meggio by his teammates.-Early career:Meggiorini started his career at Bovolone, a team from his native Verona Province....
, Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team.-Internazionale:Bonucci started his career at Viterbese but was loaned to Internazionale in the summer of 2005. He played a number of pre-season friendlies for Inter first team...
, Francesco Bolzoni
Francesco Bolzoni
Francesco Bolzoni in Lodi is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Siena.-Club career:Bolzoni started out at San Colombano al Lambro before joining Inter's academy. Bolzoni has played for every academy team from the Esordienti to the Primavera .During the season 2006–2007, Bolzoni was...
Ivan Fatic
Ivan Fatic
Ivan Fatić is a Montenegrin football player playing for Empoli F.C. on loan from Chievo.-Biography:He was signed by Internazionale from relegated Chievo on 4 July 2007...
and cash.
The striker adapted to his new surroundings quickly and had an excellent start to his Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
career scoring two goals in a 2–0 World Football Challenge
World Football Challenge
The 2009 World Football Challenge is the first World Football Challenge event, an exhibition international club football competition featuring football clubs from Europe and North America, which has been held first in summer of 2009. Chelsea F.C...
win over Milan. Subsequently on 29 August, in his first ever Milan Derby
Derby della Madonnina
Derby della Madonnina, or the Milan Derby as it is sometimes known, is a football match between the Italian clubs Associazione Calcio Milan and Football Club Internazionale Milano. It is a hotly contested local derby and is one of the most followed derbies in football...
in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, Milito assisted two goals and scored a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
, his first league
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
goal of the season, to cap off a 4–0 victory. Later, on 13 September, he scored his second league
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
goal in a 2–0 home win against Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
. In the next league match against Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
he scored both goals for Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in a 1–2 away win. These two goals placed him at the top of the all-time Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
scoring charts for best strike rate, with 28 goals in 35 games, giving him an average of 0.8 goals per game. Milito continued his fine run of form with another goal in the next league match against Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
, scoring the second goal after Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
scored in the first minute, a game that they won 3–1.
The consistency which Milito had shown at his previous clubs was sustained throughout his debut season at Inter, and after the first few matches he had established himself as a key contributor to the squad. On 30 October, in a 5–3 home victory against Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
, Milito, who had returned from an injury, came off the bench to make the result safe scoring Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
's fifth goal. In the next game, against Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
he scored another goal, taking his strike rate up to seven goals in nine league
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
matches. Three days later, on 4 November, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in a 1–2 group stage win over Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
, it was the equaliser which led to Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
's game-winner in the 89th. On 24 February, in another Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match, this time in a 2–1 round of 16 win against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, he scored another important goal, his second in the competition. Four days later, Milito netted the matchwinner which gave Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
a 3–2 victory at Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
, in a thrilling win for the "Nerazzurri". On 27 March, after missing a 3–0 win over Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
with a hamstring problem, Milito returned for a crucial battle at title contenders Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, where he scored one goal in a 2–1 loss. On 31 March, in a 1–0 Champions League quarter-finals win against CSKA Moscow, he scored the winning goal which enhanced Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
's chances of reaching the semi-finals. Diego scored a vital goal in a 3–1 home
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
win against Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in a first leg Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
semi-final win.
During the very last matches of the 2009–2010 season, Milito proved instrumental in Inter's winning of the first treble in the history of Italian football. The Argentine first scored the only goal in Inter's victory over Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
in the final of the Coppa Italia on 5 May 2010, enabling the nerazzurri to take home their first trophy of the season. Eleven days later, it was also Milito's goal which secured Internazionale's 18th scudetto when they beat Siena
A.C. Siena
Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....
1–0 on the final matchday of Serie A. With only two points separating the top two teams in Serie A, the goal lifted Inter to the summit of the table after being in a position to lose the league title to Roma at the half-time break as Roma, playing simultaneously, were winning their own match against Chievo at that point. Milito himself declared this goal to be the "best of his career", having been decisive in delivering a league title to his team. However, there was more to come from the forward and on 22 May 2010 Milito yet again proved vital as he scored twice to seal a victory in the Champions League Final
2010 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...
over Bayern Munich. As a result Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
became European club champions for the first time in 45 years with a 2–0 victory and completed their historic treble championship season.
After the treble success many pundits took note of the fact that Milito had always been an effective and efficient striker, yet remained one of the most underrated players in world football because of his low-key manner and the fact that he had plied his trade for smaller, less competitive teams prior to joining Inter. Scoring goals on the biggest stages for a marquee team finally earned the striker the recognition merited by his skill and goalscoring record. Of the player and his two Champions League winning goals, The Guardian wrote:
On 9 August 2010, Milito signed a new four-year contract with the Nerazzurri. On 26 August 2010, Milito was named 2010 UEFA Forward and Player of the Year.
2010–2011: After the treble
Milito has so far been unable to recreate the success he had during his first season at Inter. This has largely been due to a recurring muscle injury which has seen him feature only sporadically in the first eleven from August to April. Il Principe's form was thus affected and this was probably not helped by the departure of manager Jose Mourinho at the start of the season, nor the instability caused by the arrival and then subsequent departure of Rafa Benitez (August–December 2010).. On 29 May 2011 Milito scored a goal in the final of the Italian Cup to help Internazionale beat PalermoU.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
3-1.
International career
Milito scored two goals on his international debut against UruguayUruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
in 2003, but appeared only intermittently during the following years, and was omitted from the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad. He played for Argentina in the 2007 Copa América tournament, gaining playing time after Hernán Crespo
Hernán Crespo
Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine footballer who plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in...
's injury in a group stage match against Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
and he was also included in Argentina's
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
final 23 player roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
Personal life
Diego is married to Sofia and they have two children. He also holds an ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
, due to his Italian ancestry - Milito is a third-generation Italian-Argentine
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
, his roots go to Terranova da Sibari
Terranova da Sibari
Terranova da Sibari is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is located between the river Crati and the last stretches of the Sila Mountains...
(CS
Province of Cosenza
The Province of Cosenza is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Cosenza.It has an area of 6,650 km², and a total population of 733,797 . It is the biggest Calabrian Province...
), in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. He has a younger brother named Gabriel
Gabriel Milito
Gabriel Alejandro Milito is an Argentine footballer who plays for Club Atlético Independiente as a central defender.He spent most of his professional career in Spain, representing two different teams – Real Zaragoza and FC Barcelona – also appearing with the Argentine national team in three major...
who plays football for Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||
| Racing Racing Club de Avellaneda Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football... |
1999–2000 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |||||
| 2000–2001 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||||||
| 2001–2002 | 38 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 9 | ||||||
| 2002–2003 | 35 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 46 | 17 | ||||||
| 2003–2004 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 8 | ||||||
| Total | 137 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 148 | 37 | ||||||
| Genoa Genoa C.F.C. Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria... |
2003–04 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 12 | ||||||
| 2004–05 | 39 | 21 | 3 | 1 | — | 42 | 22 | |||||||
| Total | 59 | 33 | 5 | 1 | Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... | 2005–06 2005–06 La Liga * Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC... |
36 | 15 | 8 | 6 | — | 44 | 21 | |
| 2006–07 | 37 | 23 | 3 | 0 | — | 40 | 23 | |||||||
| 2007–08 | 35 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 17 | ||||||
| Total | 108 | 53 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 125 | 61 | ||||||
| Genoa Genoa C.F.C. Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria... |
2008–09 | 31 | 24 | 3 | 2 | — | 34 | 26 | ||||||
| Total | 31 | 24 | 3 | 2 | Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... | 2009–10 2009–10 Serie A The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season... |
35 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 51 | 30 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Serie A The 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011... |
23 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 32 | 8 | ||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Serie A The 2011–12 Serie A is the eightieth season since its establishment, and the second under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 9 September 2011 and will end on 13 May 2012. The league was originally scheduled to start on 27 August, but this was delayed due to a strike by the players... |
7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 4 | ||||||
| Total | 65 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 22 | 9 | 95 | 42 | ||||||
| Career Total | 400 | 174 | 31 | 14 | 35 | 12 | 466 | 200 | ||||||
National team
|-|2003||5||3
|-
|2004||2||0
|-
|2005||0||0
|-
|2006||0||0
|-
|2007||6||1
|-
|2008||2||0
|-
|2009||5||0
|-
|2010||4||0
|-
!Total||24||4
|}
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 31 January 2003 | Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano is a multi-purpose stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. It is currently used mostly for football matches and also has facilities for athletics... , San Pedro Sula San Pedro Sula San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, in the Valle de Sula , about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean. With an estimated population of 638,259 people in the main municipality, and 802,598 in its metro area , it is the second... , Honduras Honduras Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize... |
1 – 0 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 16 July 2003 | Estadio Ciudad de La Plata Estadio Ciudad de La Plata The Estadio Ciudad de La Plata is a multi-purpose stadium located in the city of La Plata, Argentina. It is also known popularly as the Estadio Único and is owned by the Province of Buenos Aires, administered jointly by the provincial government, the Municipality of La Plata, and the football clubs... , La Plata La Plata La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants.... , Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
1 – 0 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 3. | 16 July 2003 | Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina | 2 – 0 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 4. | 2 July 2007 | Estadio José Pachencho Romero Estadio José Pachencho Romero The José "Pachencho" Romero Stadium is a sports stadium in Maracaibo, capital of the Zulia state, in Venezuela. The stadium holds 40,800 spectators... , Maracaibo Maracaibo Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state... , Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... |
4 – 2 | 4–2 | 2007 Copa América |
Statistics correct as of matches played 22 May 2010
Club
Racing Club- Primera División ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
(1): Apertura 2001
Internazionale
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
(1): 2009–102009–10 Serie AThe 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season... - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
(2): 2009–
10, 2010–11
2011 Coppa Italia Final
The 2011 Coppa Italia Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Coppa Italia, the 63rd season of the top cup competition in Italian football. The match was played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 29 May 2011 between Internazionale and Palermo. Internazionale won by 3–1 to retain the trophy.-Road to...
- Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
(1): 20102010 Supercoppa Italiana- References :... - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 20102010 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the... - FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
(1): 20102010 FIFA Club World Cup- Matches :If a match was tied after normal playing time, 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shootout would be held to determine the winner...
Individual
- Guerin d'OroGuerin d'OroThe Guerin d'Oro is an annual prize instituted by the Italian weekly football magazine Guerin Sportivo, which, since 1976, is awarded to the player in Serie A with at least 19 games played, which has obtained the best average-media rating...
(1): 2008–09 - 2010 UEFA Champions League Final2010 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...
: UEFA Man of the Match - UEFA Club Forward of the Year (1): 2009–10
- UEFA Club Footballer of the YearUEFA Club Footballer of the YearThe UEFA Club Footballer of the Year was a football award presented by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season. The award, along with "Best Goalkeeper," "Best Defender," "Best Midfielder," and "Best Forward," was given at the end of each season at a special gala...
(1): 2009–10 - Serie A Footballer of the YearSerie A Footballer of the YearThe Serie A Footballer of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the footballer who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season....
(1): 2009–102009–10 Serie AThe 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season... - Serie A Foreign Footballer of the YearSerie A Foreign Footballer of the YearThe Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year is a yearly award organized by the Italian Footballers' Association given to the non-Italian footballer who has been considered to have performed the best over the previous Serie A season. The award is part of the "Oscar del Calcio" awards...
(1): 2009–102009–10 Serie AThe 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season...