Leonardo Biagini

Leonardo Ángel Biagini (born 13 April 1977) is an Argentine retired footballer who played as a striker.

Leonardo Biagini
Personal information
Full name Leonardo Ángel Biagini[1]
Date of birth (1977-04-13) 13 April 1977[1]
Place of birth Arroyo Seco, Argentina[1]
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1995 Newell's Old Boys 33 (5)
1995–1997 Atlético Madrid 50 (4)
1997–1998 Mérida 27 (1)
1998–2003 Mallorca 68 (13)
2002 → Portsmouth (loan) 8 (2)
2003–2004 Rayo Vallecano 28 (7)
2004–2006 Sporting Gijón 46 (13)
2006–2007 Albacete 25 (5)
2007–2008 Arsenal Sarandí 13 (3)
Total 298 (53)
National team
1993 Argentina U17 3 (2)
1995 Argentina U20 5 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Most of his professional career was spent in Spain where he arrived at the age of 18, going on to represent six clubs in more than one decade with totals of 244 games and 43 goals, 145 matches and 18 goals being in La Liga.

He was part of Atlético Madrid's squad when they conquered the double in 1996, although he did not feature prominently with the team. In 2007, in his 30s, he returned to his country.

Football career

Born in Arroyo Seco, Santa Fe, Biagini started his career at Newell's Old Boys in the Primera División, in 1993. In 1995, he was a main part of the Argentina under-20 team that won the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[2]

Biagini signed for Atlético Madrid at just 18, being an important attacking element as the capital club won the double in his first year.[3] He was mainly and regularly used as a substitute for compatriot Juan Esnáider and Kiko during his spell and, after a poor second season, moved to fellow league side CP Mérida in the summer of 1997, where he would be eventually relegated.[4]

Biagini then played five seasons with RCD Mallorca where, safe for his first year where he scored a career-best 11 goals (also helping the team to the final of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup by scoring the 1–0 winner against Chelsea in the last-four's second leg, in a 2–1 aggregate victory),[5][6][7] he would be very scarcely used due to several injury problems,[5] also serving a six-month loan to England's Portsmouth in the First Division,[8] where he found the net against Millwall[9] and Wimbledon.[10]

Biagini returned to Spain and Mallorca for the 2002–03 campaign, being part of the side than won Copa del Rey – even though he did not appear in any matches – and being subsequently released. After four additional years in the Spanish second division, in representation of three teams,[11] he returned home and joined Arsenal de Sarandí.

Honours

Club

Atlético Madrid

Mallorca

Arsenal Sarandí

International

Argentina

Individual

References
  1. "Leonardo Ángel BIAGINI". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  2. Farías, Gustavo (28 April 2012). "Zorros del desierto: a 17 años del Mundial de Qatar" [Desert foxes: 17th anniversary of the Qatar World Cup]. La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  3. G. Fuente, Chema (25 May 2016). "20 años del 'Doblete' del Atlético de Liga y Copa" [20th anniversary of Atlético's League and Cup ‘Double’]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  4. Fuentenebro, Pablo Martín (24 May 2017). "De Primera a casi desaparecer (I)" [From Primera to nearly disappearing (I)]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  5. "Real Mallorca 1–0 Chelsea". The Guardian. 22 April 1999. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  6. Segurola, Santiago (20 May 1999). "El Mallorca pierde con orgullo" [Mallorca lose proudly]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  7. Cruz, Xisco (13 September 2002). "La historia de la maldición que azota a Biagini" [The story of the curse that haunts Biagini]. Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  8. "Pompey's Biagini hope". BBC Sport. 13 February 2002. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
  9. "Portsmouth 3–0 Millwall". BBC Sport. 9 March 2002. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  10. "Portsmouth 1–2 Wimbledon". BBC Sport. 12 March 2002. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  11. "Leo Biagini ficha por el Albacete por dos temporadas" [Leo Biagini signs for Albacete for two seasons]. Marca (in Spanish). 3 July 2006. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  12. Viola, Willy; Rodríguez, Santiago (16 December 2014). "Historia de los Sudamericanos sub20" [History of the under20 South Americans] (in Spanish). Uruguayan Football Association. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
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