Leonardo Biagini
Argentine footballer
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Leonardo Ángel Biagini (born 13 April 1977) is an Argentine retired footballer who played as a striker.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo Ángel Biagini[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 April 1977[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Arroyo Seco, Argentina[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | 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) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Argentina U17 | 3 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Argentina U20 | 5 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
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 that 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
- South American Youth Football Championship Top Scorer: 1995 (4 goals)[12]
