Sergio Bernardo Almirón
Encyclopedia
Sergio Bernardo Almirón is an Argentine
football
midfielder
who currently plays for Calcio Catania
, in the Italian Serie A. He is a central midfielder known for his passing and powerful shot.
. After making his debut for the club at the mere age of 18, Almirón managed 16 further league appearances for the club, before being sold to Italian side, Udinese Calcio
, in 2001.
outfit, Hellas Verona F.C.
in 2003. Almirón went on to make 16 league appearances for the club, also scoring a single goal. Following a successful loan spell, Almirón returned to Udinese
at the conclusion of the season.
bought 50 percent of the player's rights from Udinese, following the loan spell in Verona
, Almirón instantly became an integral part of the Empoli setup and played a vital role in their bid for Serie A
promotion and survival in top-flight. Following two impressive seasons with the Tuscan
club, Empoli finally bought his contract outright from Udinese in June 2006. Almirón retained his place within the Empoli first team during the 2006-07 Serie A season, and following a highly impressive campaign, the midfielder was scouted by and sold to Serie A
giants Juventus F.C.
, who had recently returned to Serie A
after being demoted due to the Calciopoli scandal.
and he and new signing Portuguese midfielder Tiago Mendes
were expected to be the main central midfield pairing. He was unable to maintain a place in the starting eleven in favour of the likes of Cristiano Zanetti
and Antonio Nocerino
. After making just 9 Serie A appearances in 5 months, Almirón was sent out on loan. In January 2008, he was loaned out to Ligue 1
side AS Monaco
for the remainder of the campaign. At Monaco, Almirón made 11 appearances and scored 2 goals in the second half of the 2007-08 Ligue 1 season, before returning to Juventus on June 30, 2008. Upon his return, Almirón found himself even further down the pecking order following the arrivals of Mali
international, Mohamed Sissoko
and also Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen
. Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri
again deemed the player a surplus to requirements, and again opted to send the midfielder out on loan. Fiorentina
signed him in July 2008, and obtained the option to buy his contract outright at the end of the season. Following yet another dismal campaign, in which Almirón made just 11 appearances, however, Fiorentina declined the option to make his stay permanent and he again returned to Turin
.
The the emergence of youngster Claudio Marchisio
last season and the arrival of Brazilian duo Diego
and Felipe Melo during the summer ended any new possibilities of a second chance of becoming a regular at the club. On August 20, 2009, he signed for newly promoted Serie A
outfit Bari
on loan.
on 20 August 2009, on a season long loan agreement. He instantly gained a first team place, where he appeared in 27 league matches and notched 5 league goals, his best tally since departing from Empoli in 2007. In June 2010, Bari signed him in co-ownership
agreement, with Juventus, as part of the deal the saw Leonardo Bonucci transfer in the opposite direction, to Juventus. On 14 July 2010, Juventus confirmed the fee which was announced at €2.5 million. Juventus also announced in its financial report that the accounting value of the remain 50% rights in hand worth €1.699 million, half of un-amortized transfer fee of 3.399 million on 30 June 2010. (around 2/5 of €8.497million original transfer fee in accounting)
In his second season with the club, Almirón and his midfield partner Massimo Donati
failed to produce the same spark that led the club to a 10th place finish in the previous season. This was in part due to a series of injuries which limited Almirón to just 25 league appearances with no goals. Bari's season ended in relegation, with a 20th place finish.
In July 2011, the player officially returned to Juventus after the bianconeri paid a peppercorn fee to purchase back the remaining 50% of the player's contract. However, he was not listed in the club's first team plans under new coach Antonio Conte
, and hence was left out of the first team squad and was not assigned a squad number.
for €400,000 (€391,000 in accounting) in a three year deal. Juventus also write-down €1.308 million as part of the remain value of his contract, from €1.699 million to €391,000, backdated to 2010–11 financial year, made no cost nor profit registered in 2011–12 season. Almirón is one of 12 new squad members for ahead of the 2011-12 Serie A season, 9 of which were purchases.
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...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who currently plays for Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
, in the Italian Serie A. He is a central midfielder known for his passing and powerful shot.
Newell's Old Boys
Almirón began his professional career with Argentine club Newell's Old BoysNewell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
. After making his debut for the club at the mere age of 18, Almirón managed 16 further league appearances for the club, before being sold to Italian side, Udinese Calcio
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 2001.
Udinese Calcio
Following his official transfer to Udinese in the summer of 2001, Almirón was instantly inserted into the club's first team, however, was limited to just 12 league appearances. Due to his young age and lack of first team experience, Udinese opted to loan the young midfielder to Serie BSerie 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...
outfit, Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona Football Club is a professional Italian association football team, based in Verona, Veneto. The team's colours are yellow and blue and gialloblu is the team's most widely used nickname...
in 2003. Almirón went on to make 16 league appearances for the club, also scoring a single goal. Following a successful loan spell, Almirón returned to 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....
at the conclusion of the season.
Empoli F.C.
In the summer of 2004, EmpoliEmpoli F.C.
Empoli Football Club is an Italian association football club located in Empoli, Tuscany, founded in 1920 and played its first official match in 1921.In recent years, the club has all too often been bouncing between Italy's two top divisions...
bought 50 percent of the player's rights from Udinese, following the loan spell in Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, Almirón instantly became an integral part of the Empoli setup and played a vital role in their bid for 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...
promotion and survival in top-flight. Following two impressive seasons with the Tuscan
Tuscan
-Linguistic phenomena:* Tuscan dialect, the ancestor of the modern Italian language* Tuscan gorgia, a sound-Creative works:* Under the Tuscan Sun * Under the Tuscan Sun -Sports cars:...
club, Empoli finally bought his contract outright from Udinese in June 2006. Almirón retained his place within the Empoli first team during the 2006-07 Serie A season, and following a highly impressive campaign, the midfielder was scouted by and sold to 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...
giants Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, who had recently returned to 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...
after being demoted due to the Calciopoli scandal.
Juventus F.C.
Almirón transferred to Juventus in June 2007 for €9 million. Juventus were rebuilding the squad after spending last season in Serie BSerie 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...
and he and new signing Portuguese midfielder Tiago Mendes
Tiago Mendes
Tiago Cardoso Mendes , simply Tiago, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid.A versatile midfielder, adept as both a central or defensive unit and with good overall skills, he played professionally in four of Europe's major leagues: England, France, Italy and Spain.A...
were expected to be the main central midfield pairing. He was unable to maintain a place in the starting eleven in favour of the likes of Cristiano Zanetti
Cristiano Zanetti
Cristiano Zanetti is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie B club Brescia.-Early career:He played for Fiorentina , Venezia , Reggiana before joined Internazionale at age of 21....
and Antonio Nocerino
Antonio Nocerino
Antonio Nocerino is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Milan and the Italian national team.-Juventus and early career:...
. After making just 9 Serie A appearances in 5 months, Almirón was sent out on loan. In January 2008, he was loaned out to Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
side AS Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
for the remainder of the campaign. At Monaco, Almirón made 11 appearances and scored 2 goals in the second half of the 2007-08 Ligue 1 season, before returning to Juventus on June 30, 2008. Upon his return, Almirón found himself even further down the pecking order following the arrivals of Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
international, Mohamed Sissoko
Mohamed Sissoko
Mohamed Lamine Sissoko Gillan is a French-born Malian footballer who is currently playing for the French Ligue 1 team Paris-Saint Germain and the Malian national team. Although he could have elected to play for France internationally, he chose to play for the country of his descent, Mali...
and also Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen
Christian Poulsen
Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen is a Danish footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 1. He has played for a number of European clubs, winning the Danish Superliga championship with F.C...
. Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
again deemed the player a surplus to requirements, and again opted to send the midfielder out on loan. Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
signed him in July 2008, and obtained the option to buy his contract outright at the end of the season. Following yet another dismal campaign, in which Almirón made just 11 appearances, however, Fiorentina declined the option to make his stay permanent and he again returned to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
The the emergence of youngster Claudio Marchisio
Claudio Marchisio
Claudio Marchisio is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. A product of the Juventus youth system, he has spent his whole career thus far at his hometown club, with the exception of a season-long loan spell at Empoli...
last season and the arrival of Brazilian duo Diego
Diego Ribas da Cunha
Diego Ribas da Cunha , commonly known as just Diego, is an international Brazilian footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid on loan from VfL Wolfsburg, as an attacking midfielder.-Santos:...
and Felipe Melo during the summer ended any new possibilities of a second chance of becoming a regular at the club. On August 20, 2009, he signed for newly promoted 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...
outfit Bari
A.S. Bari
Associazione Sportiva Bari is an Italian football club founded in 1908, they are based in Bari, Apulia and plays in Serie B. The club have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football, Serie A and Serie B....
on loan.
A.S. Bari
Almirón officially transferred to BariA.S. Bari
Associazione Sportiva Bari is an Italian football club founded in 1908, they are based in Bari, Apulia and plays in Serie B. The club have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football, Serie A and Serie B....
on 20 August 2009, on a season long loan agreement. He instantly gained a first team place, where he appeared in 27 league matches and notched 5 league goals, his best tally since departing from Empoli in 2007. In June 2010, Bari signed him in co-ownership
Co-ownership (football)
Co-ownership is a system whereby two football clubs own the contract of a player jointly, although the player is only registered to play for one club...
agreement, with Juventus, as part of the deal the saw Leonardo Bonucci transfer in the opposite direction, to Juventus. On 14 July 2010, Juventus confirmed the fee which was announced at €2.5 million. Juventus also announced in its financial report that the accounting value of the remain 50% rights in hand worth €1.699 million, half of un-amortized transfer fee of 3.399 million on 30 June 2010. (around 2/5 of €8.497million original transfer fee in accounting)
In his second season with the club, Almirón and his midfield partner Massimo Donati
Massimo Donati
Massimo Donati is an Italian footballer who currently plays as a Central Midfielder for Serie B club Bari.-Italy:...
failed to produce the same spark that led the club to a 10th place finish in the previous season. This was in part due to a series of injuries which limited Almirón to just 25 league appearances with no goals. Bari's season ended in relegation, with a 20th place finish.
In July 2011, the player officially returned to Juventus after the bianconeri paid a peppercorn fee to purchase back the remaining 50% of the player's contract. However, he was not listed in the club's first team plans under new coach Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte is an Italian former footballer and manager. He is the current manager of Juventus.-Playing career:...
, and hence was left out of the first team squad and was not assigned a squad number.
Calcio Catania
On 27 August 2011, Almirón officially transferred to CataniaCalcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
for €400,000 (€391,000 in accounting) in a three year deal. Juventus also write-down €1.308 million as part of the remain value of his contract, from €1.699 million to €391,000, backdated to 2010–11 financial year, made no cost nor profit registered in 2011–12 season. Almirón is one of 12 new squad members for ahead of the 2011-12 Serie A season, 9 of which were purchases.
External links
- Guardian statistics
- Sergio Almirón Profile & Stats at FootballDatabase
- Argentine Primera statistics