Dani Osvaldo

Dani Osvaldo

Osvaldo with Italy prior to a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Bulgaria in September 2012
Personal information
Full name Pablo Daniel Osvaldo
Date of birth (1986-01-12) 12 January 1986
Place of birth Lanús, Argentina
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Playing position Striker
Youth career
1995–1999 Lanús
1999–2000 Banfield
2000–2005 Huracán
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005 Huracán 33 (11)
2006 Atalanta 3 (1)
2006–2007 Lecce 31 (8)
2007–2009 Fiorentina 21 (5)
2009–2010 Bologna 25 (3)
2010 → Espanyol (loan) 20 (7)
2010–2011 Espanyol 24 (13)
2011–2013 Roma 55 (27)
2013–2015 Southampton 13 (3)
2014 → Juventus (loan) 11 (1)
2014–2015 → Internazionale (loan) 12 (5)
2015 → Boca Juniors (loan) 11 (3)
2015–2016 Porto 7 (1)
2016 Boca Juniors 3 (0)
Total 269 (88)
National team
2007–2008 Italy U21 12 (2)
2011–2014 Italy 14 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (born 12 January 1986), commonly known as Pablo Osvaldo or Dani Osvaldo, is an Argentine-born Italian retired footballer who played as a forward.

Born in Argentina,[2] Osvaldo began his career at Huracán in 2005 and the following year moved to Italy in a co-ownership deal between Serie B clubs Atalanta and Lecce, later playing in the top flight for Fiorentina and Bologna. After a loan to RCD Espanyol, he joined the Spanish club on a permanent basis before earning a return to Italy to Roma for an initial fee of €15 million in 2011. He spent two seasons at the club and was then signed by Southampton, where he spent most of his time out on loan, at Juventus, Internazionale and Boca Juniors, before joining Porto. He returned to Boca in January 2016, but was later sacked by the club in May.

Osvaldo qualifies to represent Italy through his ancestry, having played initially for the nation's Under-21 team before making his senior debut in 2011.

At times, Osvaldo has been disciplined for having participated in various incidents with opponents, teammates and managers.[3][4][5][6]

Club career

Early career

Osvaldo playing for Fiorentina in 2008

Osvaldo made his debut with Club Atlético Huracán in 2005. After less than a year, he was signed by Italian side Atalanta, playing three matches in the 2005–06 Serie B season. In 2006, Atalanta agreed to a co-ownership deal which sent the player to Lecce, another Serie B team, where Osvaldo had the opportunity to play regularly, scoring eight goals in 31 appearances with the Giallorossi.

Atalanta subsequently regained the full player's property and sold him to Fiorentina for €4.6 million.[7]

On 2 March 2008, Osvaldo headed in a cross from teammate Papa Waigo to give Fiorentina a 3–2 win in stoppage time over fierce rivals Juventus. He was then sent off for his goal celebration with a second yellow card, after having been booked earlier in the match, when he removed his team jersey and pretended to machine gun his own fans in a similar fashion to Fiorentina legend Gabriel Batistuta's goal celebration. His most important goal was a spectacular overhead kick against Torino on 18 May 2008.[8]

Osvaldo left Fiorentina on 20 January 2009 and joined Bologna on loan for €2 million.[9] At the end of season, Bologna bought him for an additional €5 million, signing a four-year contract with the club.[9] On 23 August 2009, Osvaldo scored the season-opening goal for Bologna against his former club Fiorentina and earned his team a point in the draw.

Espanyol

On 10 January 2010, Spanish club RCD Espanyol announced that they had signed the Italo-Argentine forward on loan until June 2010, pending a medical examination.[10] He made his La Liga debut when he came on as a 54th-minute substitute for Iván Alonso in the 0–2 away defeat to CA Osasuna.

On 3 June 2010, Osvaldo's loan was extended for another season, for €500,000,[11] weeks after the player declared his interest of staying in Spain. On 31 August, Osvaldo's loan deal with Espanyol was turned into a five-year-deal for a fee worth €4.6 million.[12]

Roma

Osvaldo shoots in a pre-season friendly against Liverpool in 2012
Osvaldo shakes hands with John Terry after a pre-season friendly against Chelsea in 2013

On 25 August 2011, Osvaldo was sold to Roma for a fee of €15 million plus bonuses, whereby the bonus for goals (€500,000) and appearances (€250,000 each for 25th and 50th appearances; up to 100th) had been fully and partially activated; Roma also has the obligation to pay an additional €1 million if the team had qualifies for one of the Champions League seasons from 2012–13 to 2016–17, regardless of whether or not Osvaldo was a player of Roma at that time. On 22 September 2011, Osvaldo scored his first goal for the Lupi against Siena in a home game that ended 1–1. On 16 October, Osvaldo opened the scoring against Rome rivals Lazio in the Derby della Capitale. He scored his fifth goal against Novara on 5 November.

On 25 November, Osvaldo was apparently angry with teammate Érik Lamela after not receiving a pass during the 0–2 defeat at Udinese and was fined and suspended by his club for "punching Lamela in the face."[3] On 19 March 2012, after three months, he scored again in a 1–0 victory over Genoa. He scored in the 2–1 loss against Milan and a week later in a 5–2 victory over Novara. He also scored the opening goal in a 3–1 victory over Udinese.

Osvaldo opened the 2012–13 season with a goal against Catania in a 2–2 draw. On 2 September 2012, he scored his second goal of the season against Internazionale in a match that saw Roma win 1–3 against the Nerazzurri at the San Siro. He scored his third league goal, a penalty, against Juventus in a 4–1 defeat at Juventus Stadium. He scored a brace in a 4–2 win over Genoa and scored his sixth goal of the season in a 4–1 win against Palermo on 4 November. He also scored a goal against former club Fiorentina for a 4–2 win for Roma.

On 28 April 2013, Osvaldo scored his first hat trick in Serie A against Siena in a convincing 4–0 home victory. Osvaldo finished the domestic season with a team-leading 16 goals, one over teammate Erik Lamela's 15, as Roma finished in sixth place.

In the club's 2013 Coppa Italia Final loss to Lazio (1–0), Osvaldo allegedly shouted at and insulted caretaking manager Aurelio Andreazzoli after the match for only being given 15 minutes of playing time off the substitutes' bench. Osvaldo also refused to attend the Coppa Italia awards ceremony in protest to the manager's decision.[13]

Southampton

Osvaldo signed for Southampton on 18 August 2013 on a four-year deal[14][15] for a €15.1 (£12.8) million fee plus bonuses up to €2 million. Upon joining Southampton, Osvaldo was reunited with manager Mauricio Pochettino, who had managed him at Espanyol.[16] He made his debut on 24 August in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland, coming on as a substitute at the start of the second half.[17] His first goal came in a 2–0 win over Crystal Palace in September,[18] his second in early December in a 3–2 home loss to Aston Villa,[19] and the next three days later in a 1–1 draw with Manchester City, when The Guardian's reporter described how he "bewildered Vincent Kompany before scoring with an exquisite lob from the corner of the box".[20]

On 3 January 2014, Osvaldo was fined £40,000 and banned for three matches after taking part in a touch-line fracas in the match against Newcastle United on 14 December, for which an FA independent regulatory commission found him "guilty of violent conduct."[6] Three weeks later, Southampton announced they had suspended Osvaldo for two weeks following an undisclosed training ground incident, later revealed to have been a fight with teammate José Fonte, ostensibly "instigated by [Osvaldo]."[4]

Following his departure, Osvaldo admitted that he had struggled to adapt to playing in England, describing English football as a "very physical type of game, with really tough tackling."[21]

On 1 July 2015 Southampton announced that they had terminated Osvaldo's contract.[22]

Juventus (loan)

On 31 January 2014, Osvaldo returned to Italy by signing on a free loan to Juventus for the remainder of the 2013–14 season, with the club having until 31 May 2014 to buy the rights to the player at the price of €19 million.[23] Manager Antonio Conte revealed that Osvado willingly accepted a pay-cut to join the club.[24]

Osvaldo made his Juventus debut on 9 February against Hellas Verona, coming on as a substitute for Fernando Llorente in the 65th minute of a 2–2 draw. In the Round of 32 of the Europa League, Osvaldo scored in both legs as Juventus beat Trabzonspor 4–0 on aggregate. In the final away game against Roma on 11 May, Osvaldo scored the only goal of the game in the fourth minute of added time, seconds away from the end of the match. This was the only goal of 11 league matches in his loan spell.

Internazionale (loan)

On 4 August 2014, Osvaldo returned again to Italy by signing on a free loan to Internazionale for the 2014–15 season, with Saphir Taïder moving in the opposite direction to Southampton.[25][26] He scored his first goal on the 28th, the third of a 6–0 win over Stjarnan of Iceland which qualified Inter to the group stages of the Europa League.[27] Three days later he featured in Serie A for the club for the first time, replacing fellow debutant Yann M'Vila after 56 minutes of a goalless draw at Torino.[28] In his second league match on 14 September, he scored twice as Inter defeated Sassuolo 7–0 at the San Siro.[29] He scored the winner in a 2–1 victory over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on 27 November, a result which confirmed that Inter would top their Europa League group with a game remaining.[30] He was suspended by Inter on 21 January 2015 for not turning up to training for 2 days and not providing a reason for his absence, while previously being ostracised from the squad after falling out with strike partner Mauro Icardi.[31]

Boca Juniors (loan)

On 13 February 2015, Osvaldo returned to Argentina by signing on loan to Boca Juniors until the end of June. He said that playing for the club "was always a lifelong dream". Osvaldo scored in his debut for the side against Montevideo Wanderers in a Copa Libertadores match on 26 February. He scored his second and third goal against Zamora on 11 March, again in the Copa Libertadores.[32]

Porto

On 5 August 2015, Osvaldo joined Portuguese side Porto on a free transfer, following his release by Southampton.[33] He scored his first goal for the Primeira Liga team on 4 October, as a substitute for Vincent Aboubakar in a 4–0 home win over CF Os Belenenses.[34]

Boca Juniors

Osvaldo returned to Boca Juniors in January 2016, but in May he had his contract terminated after arguing with coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto after being caught smoking in the dressing room.[35]

Retirement

On 31 August 2016, after Osvaldo had been a free agent for around 3 months, Italy's Rai Sport claimed that Serie A club Chievo tried to sign the former Southampton striker, but Osvaldo told the club that he had retired from football to focus on his music career.[36]

International career

Osvaldo and Italian national manager Cesare Prandelli meeting the nation's President, Giorgio Napolitano, in April 2012

Osvaldo qualified for Italian citizenship through a great-grandfather who was born in Filottrano, Marche and emigrated to Argentina in the 19th century.[37] Osvaldo had previously played for the Italy national under-21 football team in the team's victorious 2008 Toulon Tournament campaign, putting on a Man of the Match performance and scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Chile in the final.[38]

On 5 October 2011, due to the injuries that caused the withdrawal of regular strikers Mario Balotelli and Giampaolo Pazzini, Osvaldo received his first call-up to play for the Italian national team for UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Serbia and Northern Ireland. Speaking of criticism by Lega Nord politicians for his decision to play for Italy, Osvaldo said "The criticism from politicians is ridiculous. I have an Italian wife, Italian children and an Italian family and I also play in Serie A. Moreover, I have already sung the national anthem for the Under-21 team. I would have no problem facing Argentina in the future because it would mean I would be a part of the Italian national team."[39] On 11 October 2011, he made his debut in the 3–0 victory over Northern Ireland.[40]

National team manager Cesare Prandelli dropped him from the squad after reports surfaced of Osvaldo shouting at his Roma coach, Aurelio Andreazzoli, during Roma's 1–0 defeat to Lazio in the 2013 Coppa Italia final.[5] Osvaldo skipped the awards ceremony and then attacked Andreazzoli on Twitter.[5]

He was recalled by Prandelli for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Malta. He netted his first two international goals for the Azzurri away against Bulgaria within the space of four minutes to put Italy in front after being a goal down early on.[41] He added two more goals in the qualification campaign, almost exactly a year apart, away against Armenia,[42] and Denmark.[43] In the home qualifier against Denmark, on 16 October 2012 at the San Siro, Osvaldo was given a straight red card early in the second half for an elbow on Nicolai Stokholm.[44]

Osvaldo was not selected by Prandelli for the squad that contested the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil,[5] nor for the following year's World Cup.[45]

International goals

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.[46]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 7 September 2012 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Bulgaria 1–1 2–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2. 2–1
3. 12 October 2012 Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia  Armenia 3–1 3–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4. 11 October 2013 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark  Denmark 1–0 2–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Style of play

Described as a "modern", quick, tenacious, and physically strong striker, with good technique and dribbling skills, Osvaldo was capable of playing anywhere along the front line, due to his intelligent movement, positional sense, and his ability to make attacking runs.[47][48][49] He was primarily known for his heading accuracy, his acrobatic ability in the air, and for his powerful and accurate striking ability both inside or outside the area, with both feet.[48][49][50] In addition to his goalscoring ability, he was also capable of using his strength and control to link up with and play off of other forwards, and hold up the ball with his back to goal, to lay it off for teammates and provide them with assists.[47][48] His former coach Zdeněk Zeman has described him as "a force of nature".[51] Osvaldo also drew criticism throughout his career, however, for his inconsistency, aggressive character and lack of discipline, which led him to be involved in several confrontations with managers, opponents, teammates, and officials.[3][4][5][6][52]

Personal life

Osvaldo met the Argentine actress Jimena Barón by phone, under the suggestion of actress Eugenia Tobal. He was playing in Italy at the time, and returned to Argentina to meet her under the pretense of a legal problem. She left the cast of Sos mi hombre and moved to Italy with him, and he left his wife Elena Braccini and his two daughters. He had a son with Jimena, and both of them returned to Argentina when he signed for Boca Juniors. He broke up with Barón in 2015, under controversial circumstances.[53]

Career statistics

Club

[54]

Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Huracán 2004–05 331100–3311
Total 331100–3311
Atalanta 2005–06 3100–31
Total 3100–31
Lecce 2006–07 31810–328
Total 31810–328
Fiorentina 2007–08 1354081256
2008–09 800050130
Total 21540131386
Bologna 2008–09 12000–120
2009–10 13310–143
Total 25310–263
Espanyol 2009–10 20700–207
2010–11 241321–2614
Total 442021–4621
Roma 2011–12 261200–2611
2012–13 301721–3218
Total 562921–5830
Southampton 2013–14 1330000133
Total 1330000133
Juventus (loan) 2013–14 1110072183
Internazionale (loan) 2014–15 1250072197
Boca Juniors (loan) 2015 1131143167
Porto 2015–16 712030121
Total 712030121
Boca Juniors 2016 30201060
Total 1433153227
Career total2698815335831999

International

[46]

Italy national team
YearAppsGoals
201120
201243
201371
201410
Total144

Honours

Club

Atalanta[54]
Roma[54]
Juventus[54]
Boca Juniors[54]

International

Italy U-21[38]

References

  1. ↑ "Goal – FC Internazionale Pablo Daniel Osvaldo". Goal.com. 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Pablo Daniel Osvaldo - Goal.com". goal.com. 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "AFP: Osvaldo suspended over Lamela 'punch' – report". Google.com. 2011-11-27. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  4. 1 2 3 "Dani Osvaldo: Southampton suspend striker for fighting". BBC Sport. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Osvaldo kicked out of Italy squad", ESPN, 28 May 2013
  6. 1 2 3 "Southampton: Dani Osvaldo banned for three matches". BBC Sport. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  7. ↑ ACF Fiorentina Report and Accounts on 31 December 2007 (Italian)
  8. ↑ Archived 18 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. 1 2 ACF Fiorentina Report and Accounts on 31 December 2009 (Italian)
  10. ↑ "Osvaldo in prestito all'Espanyol" (in Italian). Bologna FC 1909. 10 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010.
  11. ↑ Bologna FC 1909 SpA Report and Accounts (bilancio) on 30 June 2011 (Italian)
  12. ↑ "Bilancio intermedio al 31 dicembre 2010: Nota integrativa: parte 2" (PDF). Bologna FC 1909 (in Italian). 4 April 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  13. ↑ "Osvaldo kicked out of Italy squad". ESPN. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "Saints sign Osvaldo". Southampton FC. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  15. ↑ "Southampton sign Italy striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo for £15m". BBC Sport. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Pablo Daniel Osvaldo Cessione a titolo definitivo" (PDF) (in Italian). AS Roma. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  17. ↑ "Southampton 1 – 1 Sunderland". BBC Sport. 24 August 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  18. ↑ Southampton 2–0 Crystal Palace, BBC Sport, 28 September 2013
  19. ↑ "Games played by Pablo Osvaldo in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  20. ↑ Doyle, Paul (8 December 2013). "Southampton's Dani Osvaldo scorches Manchester City to warn England". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  21. ↑ "Southampton striker Dani Osvaldo admits he struggled with life in England". Sky Sports. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  22. ↑ "Dani Osvaldo: Southampton terminate striker's contract". BBC Sport. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  23. ↑ "Osvaldo joins Juventus". Juventus FC. 31 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "Conte: Osvaldo accepted pay-cut to join Juventus". Goal.com. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  25. ↑ "Osvaldo joins Inter". Gazzetta.it. 4 August 2014.
  26. ↑ "Saphir Taider: Southampton swap Dani Osvaldo for Inter Milan star". BBC Sport. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  27. ↑ "Inter 6–0 Stjarnan: Kovacic hits hat-trick in San Siro slaughter". Goal.com. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  28. ↑ "Torino 0–0 Inter: Vidic sees red as Mazzarri's men are held". Goal.com. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  29. ↑ "Inter Milan 7–0 Sassuolo". BBC Sport. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  30. ↑ Menicucci, Paolo (27 November 2014). "Inter make Mancini's day against Dnipro". UEFA. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  31. ↑ Jones, Simon (21 January 2015). "Dani Osvaldo offered to QPR after Southampton outcast goes AWOL during loan spell at Inter Milan". Daily Mail. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  32. ↑ "Dani Osvaldo: Southampton striker makes move to Boca Juniors". BBC Sport. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  33. ↑ "Porto announce signing of Dani Osvaldo". Squawka. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  34. ↑ Topping, Stephen (4 October 2015). "Result: Porto hit four to beat Belenenses". Sports Mole.
  35. ↑ Edwards, Daniel (13 May 2016). "Dani Osvaldo to be sacked by Boca after reportedly smoking in dressing room!". Goal.com. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  36. ↑ "Transfer Deadline Day". BBC Sport. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  37. ↑ "Voglio organizzare una festa per lui in paese" ("'I want to organize a party for him in the country' says Filottrano native, cousin of Osvaldo"), Il Resto Del Carlino, 7 October 2011 (in Italian)
  38. 1 2 "Italy Under-21s Champions Of Toulon". Goal.com. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  39. ↑ "Pablo Osvaldo: Call-up criticism ridiculous – ESPN FC". Soccernet.espn.go.com. 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  40. ↑ "Italia – Irlanda del Nord 3–0" (in Italian). Rai Sport. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  41. ↑ Matteo Torre (7 September 2012). "Qualificazioni Mondiali, Bulgaria-Italia 2–2: doppietta Osvaldo, ma 'Azzurri' rimandati" (in Italian). Calciomercato. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  42. ↑ Riccardo Pratesi (12 October 2012). "De Rossi-Osvaldo, l'Italia va Ma quanta fatica in Armenia" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  43. ↑ Simone Zizzari (11 October 2013). "Italia, pari in Danimarca. Segna anche Osvaldo" (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  44. ↑ "Ten-man Italy leave Denmark in the mire". UEFA. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  45. ↑ "Mondiali 2014: ecco la lista di Prandelli. C'è Rossi, fuori Gila" (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  46. 1 2 "Osvaldo, Pablo Daniel" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  47. 1 2 "Osvaldo, partenza sprint. È già davanti a Vucinic, e insidia Llorente" [Osvaldo, running start. He's already ahead of Vucinic, and he is threataning Llorente] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  48. 1 2 3 Tommaso Fragassi (16 May 2013). "Osvaldo vs Negredo, scopriamo pregi e difetti" [Osvaldo vs Negredo, let's find out their positive and negative qualities] (in Italian). Viola News. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  49. 1 2 Vito Graffeo (25 August 2011). "Ufficiale, Osvaldo alla Roma. Contratto e scheda tecnica" [Official, Osvaldo to Roma. Contract and profile] (in Italian). SportLive.it. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  50. ↑ Kris Voakes (10 October 2012). "Ecco perchè la Juve farebbe bene a puntare su Osvaldo e non su Llorente a gennaio" [This is why Juve would do well to focus on Osvaldo rather than Llorente in January] (in Italian). Goal.com. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  51. ↑ "Zeman: "Chi è squalificato non dovrebbe allenare"" [Zeman: "Whoever is disqualified shouldn't be allowed to coach"] (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  52. ↑ Luca Persico (7 May 2014). "World Cup Squad Selector: Osvaldo". Football Italia. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  53. ↑ Pablo Procopio and Juan Cruz Sánchez Mariño. "JIMENA BARON Y DANIEL OSVALDO. "Esto se terminó. No soporto que el padre de mi hijo me diga `prostituta´"" [Jimena Baron and Daniel Osvaldo: "This is over. I can not put up with the father of my son calling me a 'whore'"] (in Spanish). Gente. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  54. 1 2 3 4 5 "P. OSVALDO". Soccerway.com. Retrieved 9 May 2015.

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