Argentine association football player

Nicolás Hernán Gonzalo Otamendi ( behave 12 February 1988 ) is an Argentine professional football player who plays as a center back for Portuguese Primeira Liga clubhouse Benfica and the Argentina national team. Otamendi played for Vélez Sarsfield and Porto in his early career, winning eight major titles with Porto, including three Primeira Liga championships and the 2011 Europa League. He signed for Valencia in 2014 and spent four months on loanword to Atlético Mineiro of Brazil. In 2015 he moved to Manchester City and won the Premier League in 2017–18 and 2018–19, american samoa well as four League Cups and an FA Cup.

An Argentina international since 2009, Otamendi represented his area at two World Cups and four Copas América, in which he contributed to consecutive runner-up finishes before winning the latter honor at the fourthly undertake in 2021 .

Club career [edit ]

Vélez [edit ]

Born in Buenos Aires, Otamendi made his Primera División debut for Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield on 10 May 2008, in a 2–1 family acquire against Rosario Central for the Clausura tournament. [ 4 ] During director Hugo Tocalli ‘s spell he was only fifth-choice show-stopper, behind Waldo Ponce, Fernando Tobio, Marco Torsiglieri and Mariano Uglessich. however, his function in the first team changed during Ricardo Gareca ‘s first gear temper as head bus, the 2009 Clausura : he replaced Ponce for the third base game after the Chilean was injured while playing for his national team, [ 4 ] and finally won a depart military position alongside Sebastián Domínguez, [ 4 ] playing 17 of the 19 games in Vélez ‘s winning crusade. [ 5 ] Otamendi scored his first base professional goal during the 2009 Apertura, in a 3–1 victory over Arsenal de Sarandí. During that season he besides made his debuts in an external club competition, appearing in the Copa Sudamericana ; in recognition of his performances throughout the year he was chosen for the South American Team of the Year, in a traditional continent-wide journalists ‘ poll conducted by the newspaper El País. [ 6 ]

porto [edit ]

Otamendi playing for Porto in 2010 On 23 August 2010, Otamendi was transferred to portuguese side FC Porto on a €4 million fee, signing a five-year narrow. [ 7 ] Vélez besides retained 50 % of his registration rights, with the player having a pre-set price of another €4 million to be met by Porto anterior to September 2011. [ 8 ] He netted in his first meet, a 2–0 home victory over S.C. Olhanense, [ 9 ] finishing his first season with 15 appearances and five goals ( notably both in a 2–0 aside win against S.C. Braga ) [ 10 ] as the northerners won the Primeira Liga championship. On 6 September 2011, Porto exercised the rights to sign the remainder of Otamendi ‘s act rights. [ 11 ] [ 12 ] He played 30 official games during the season to help the golf club to another two major titles, notably the back-to-back domestic league .

valencia [edit ]

Otamendi with Valencia in 2015 On 5 February 2014, Otamendi was sold to Valencia CF in La Liga for €12 million, on a five-year condense starting on 1 July. [ 13 ] He was immediately loaned to Clube Atlético Mineiro in Brazil, [ 14 ] and played 19 times for the team from Belo Horizonte, scoring once to open a 4–1 acquire at city rivals América Futebol Clube ( MG ) on 23 March in the inaugural leg of the semi-finals of the state championship. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] Otamendi made his debut in the spanish crown level on 23 August 2014, starting in a 1–1 aside guide against Sevilla FC. [ 17 ] He scored his first goal for his newfangled club on 4 October, helping to a 3–1 home success over Atlético Madrid. [ 18 ] On 4 January 2015, Otamendi headed Valencia ‘s winner in a 2–1 home winnings over real Madrid, ending their opponents ‘ club criminal record 22-match winning streak as a result. [ 19 ] After helping Los Che qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in four years, becoming the foremost club conversation stopper to score six goals in the league in the process, [ 20 ] he was the lone player from his team to be named in the La Liga Team of the Year. [ citation needed ]

Manchester City [edit ]

late into the 2015 pre-season, Otamendi refused to train or play with Valencia to avoid thwarting his chances of signing with another club. [ 21 ] On 20 August, he joined Manchester City on a five-year deal for a fee of £32 million. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] He made his debut on 15 September, coming on as a 75th-minute alternate for Vincent Kompany in a 1–2 family loss against Juventus for the Champions League group phase ; [ 24 ] his Premier League debut came four days former, in a 1–2 defeat to West Ham United at the City of Manchester Stadium. [ 25 ] On 31 October 2015, Otamendi scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 home win over Norwich City. [ 26 ] He played the full moon 120 minutes as they won the Football League Cup on 28 February 2016, defeating Liverpool on a penalty gunfight in the final examination. [ 27 ] On 10 December 2017, Otamendi scored the winning goal in the Manchester bowler hat at Old Trafford, helping City stretch their lead at the peak of the Premier League to 11 points. [ 28 ] City would go on to lift the Premier League title that temper with a record-breaking 100 points, this was Otamendi ‘s first league title in England. [ 29 ] On 18 April 2018, Otamendi was named in the PFA Team of the Year aboard Manchester City teammates Kyle Walker, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Agüero. [ 30 ] In the 2018-19 temper, Otamendi helped Manchester City become the first english side to win a domestic men ‘s treble, consisting of the League Cup, Premier League entitle and FA Cup. [ 31 ] In his final season at Manchester City, Otamendi made 39 appearances in sum. He besides helped his side retain the League Cup for the third season in a row in March 2020, his concluding trophy with City. [ 32 ]

Benfica [edit ]

On 29 September 2020, Otamendi joined Benfica on a three-year narrow, for a €15 million fee, with Benfica defender Ruben Dias moving to Manchester City for a larger fee as separate of the share. [ 33 ] He made his league debut in a 3–2 succeed against Farense on 4 October. Otamendi was at defect for both of Farense ‘s goals and conceded a penalty during the match. [ 34 ] In Benfica ‘s UEFA Europa League group stage clash with Rangers on 5 November, Otamendi received a square crimson card in the 19th minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity ; Benfica would fall 1–3 down but finally earn a 3–3 puff. [ 35 ]

International career [edit ]

Otamendi playing for Argentina in 2009

Read more: Real Sociedad

In April 2009, Otamendi was called up by Argentine national team coach Diego Maradona for a friendly with Panama. [ 36 ] At the clock of his choice he had only played 11 professional games, [ 4 ] and finally started the match on 20 May, in a 3–1 win. [ 37 ] During the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying crusade, Otamendi played as a center back aboard Martín Demichelis against Ecuador ( 0–2 off loss ), partnered former Vélez teammate Domínguez against Brazil in a 1–3 home get the better of and appeared as a right back in a 1–0 acquire in Uruguay which sealed the country ‘s qualification to South Africa. [ 38 ] On 19 May 2010 he was confirmed as share of the 23-men police squad for the final stages, [ 39 ] have in the start eleven for the concluding group stage game against Greece ; on the weigh conference after the match, Maradona said that, in his opinion, he was the best musician on the discipline. [ 40 ] Otamendi besides played the 90 minutes of the round-of-16 game against Mexico, which Argentina won by 3–1. His final appearance in the tournament was the 0–4 quarter-final loss to Germany : this time his performance received criticism by the football imperativeness, as did his coach ‘s decision to improvise him on the right-back side ; [ 41 ] however, the player subsequently stated his desire to always play for his national team, flush if not in his natural status. [ 42 ] Otamendi scored his first goal for Argentina on 2 September 2011, in a 1–0 friendly acquire over Venezuela in Kolkata, after heading a corner taken by Lionel Messi. [ 43 ] After being cut from the team that later appeared at the 2014 World Cup, [ 44 ] he was selected by passenger car Gerardo Martino for the 2015 Copa América, [ 45 ] playing the entirety of all but one match as they lost to hosts Chile on a penalty gunfight in the concluding ; he was named in the team of the Tournament. [ 46 ] Otamendi started all the games in the Copa América Centenario in the United States, in which Argentina again both faced Chile in the tournament final examination and lost in a penalty gunfight, 2–4. [ 47 ] In the second group match against Panama, on 10 June 2016, he scored the opening goal in a 5–0 winnings. [ 48 ] Otamendi was included in the squad for the 2018 World Cup. [ 49 ] In June 2021, he was included in Lionel Scaloni ‘s final Argentina 28-man squad for the 2021 Copa América. [ 50 ]

career statistics [edit ]

club [edit ]

As of match played 7 November 2021

International [edit ]

As of match played 16 November 2021[60]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team
Year
Apps
Goals

Argentina

2009
5
0

2010
5
0

2011
5
1

2012
0
0

2013
1
0

2014
2
0

2015
12
0

2016
13
2

2017
8
0

2018
8
1

2019
11
0

2020
4
0

2021
13
0

Total
87
4

As of match played 16 November 2021.[60]
Scores and results list Argentina’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Otamendi goal.

Honours [edit ]

Vélez
Porto
Manchester City
Benfica

  • Taça de Portugal runner-up: 2020–21[52]

Argentina
Individual

References [edit ]