Martín Demichelis


Martín Gastón Demichelis is an Argentine retired professional footballer who played usually as a central defender, although he could also operate as a defensive midfielder.
Demichelis spent most of his professional career with Bayern Munich in Germany, winning 11 major titles with the team. He also competed in his home country with River Plate, in Spain with Espanyol and Málaga and in England with Manchester City.
Demichelis earned 51 caps for Argentina, representing the country in two World Cups – finishing second in 2014 – and the 2015 Copa América.

Club career

River Plate

Born in Justiniano Posse, Córdoba, Demichelis started playing professionally in 2001, with Buenos Aires-based Club Atlético River Plate, having arrived at the club's youth system three years earlier.
He made his first-team – and first division – debut on 2 September 2001 in a game against Estudiantes de La Plata, scoring his only goal for the team against Rosario Central.

Bayern Munich

Demichelis signed for FC Bayern Munich in the 2003 summer, for €4.5 million. His first season in the Bundesliga was not very positive as he suffered a number of minor injuries, appearing in only 14 league games as the Bavarians finished in second position; in early 2004 he appeared in his only game with the reserves, against Stuttgarter Kickers.
Under new coach Felix Magath, Demichelis became a regular starter for Bayern, appearing in 75 official matches in two seasons combined as the team won back-to-back doubles, achieving a total of four during his spell.
New Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld successfully reconverted Demichelis from a defensive midfielder into a central defender. In 2008–09 he netted a career-best four goals in 29 games, but the title was lost to VfL Wolfsburg. However, the player often clashed with the new manager Louis van Gaal, starting immediately after the first matchday after being dropped from the starting XI for the 2010–11 opener against Wolfsburg, with Demichelis requesting that van Gaal omit him from the squad altogether, which the coach did; the player thereafter voiced to the press that it would be probable that he and the club went separate ways.
On 29 October 2010, benefitting from a run of injuries in the squad, Demichelis made one of his last appearances for Bayern, heading a goal in a 4–2 home win against SC Freiburg.

Málaga / Atlético Madrid

In late December 2010, Demichelis agreed to a deal with Spanish club Málaga CF, initially until the end of the 2010–11 season, with the latter retaining the option to extend the contract for a further two seasons. He rejoined former River Plate manager Manuel Pellegrini, and made his La Liga debut on 8 January 2011, scoring in a 1–1 home draw against Athletic Bilbao.
During his first four months with Málaga, Demichelis was sent off twice, but also started in all the matches he was available, being essential – as another January 2011 signee, Júlio Baptista – as the club eventually avoided relegation. On 22 August 2012 he scored the club's first-ever UEFA Champions League goal, netting the opener in the 2–0 playoff home win against Panathinaikos FC.
On 11 July 2013, Demichelis signed for Atlético Madrid on a one-year contract, after his link with Málaga expired. In December he started legal action against the latter over "non-payments", relating to "€400,000 of unpaid wages as well as bonuses".

Manchester City

On 1 September 2013, Demichelis joined former Málaga boss Pellegrini and signed with Manchester City, penning a two-year contract for a reported £4.2 million. He had been with Atlético for less than two months, and had yet to make an appearance.
Demichelis made his first appearance for his new club on 27 October 2013, starting in a 1–2 Premier League loss at Chelsea after recovering from a knee injury. On 18 February of the following year, he was sent off against FC Barcelona in the club's Champions League round-of-16 0–2 home defeat, after fouling Lionel Messi and giving away a penalty.
Despite Demichelis's rocky start at City, Pellegrini kept faith in him. On 15 March 2014, after club captain Vincent Kompany was sent off, he was instrumental in a 2–0 victory over Hull City. The following weekend he scored his first goal, contributing to a 5–0 home win over Fulham; his good run of form in the last two months of the season helped his team win the league title, and also helped him rejoin the national side.
On 12 March 2015, Demichelis renewed his expiring contract until June of the following year. A year later, he was charged by The Football Association for 12 breaches of their rules against gambling on matches, and accepted the charge; he was fined £22,058 for the breach.
On 10 June 2016, Demichelis was released.

Espanyol

On 10 August 2016, at nearly 36, Demichelis signed a one-year contract with Spanish club RCD Espanyol. On 10 January 2017, however, after only two appearances, he was released.

Málaga return

Demichelis returned to the La Rosaleda Stadium on 17 January 2017, agreeing to a five-month deal. On 15 May, he announced his retirement.

International career

Demichelis made his debut for Argentina in 2005. Also in that year he was selected by national team manager José Pekerman for the FIFA Confederations Cup, but did not leave the bench during the tournament.
On 11 September 2007, Demichelis scored his first international goal, in a friendly match against Australia, his header being the game's only goal. On 3 March 2010 he suffered a facial injury during an exhibition game with Germany, being sidelined for three weeks, but was nonetheless summoned for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Under Diego Maradona, Demichelis played in all of Argentina's games at the World Cup in South Africa, partnering Nicolás Burdisso in central defense in an eventual quarter-final exit. On 22 June 2010, he scored the first goal in the 2–0 group stage win against Greece.
Demichelis lost his place in the national side in November 2011, after a World Cup qualifier against Bolivia. A two-and-a-half-year absence followed, until he was included in Alejandro Sabella's provisional 30-man squad for the 2014 World Cup. He ending up making the final list. On the bench for the team's first four games, Demichelis made his debut in the tournament in the 1–0 quarter-final win over Belgium in which he played the full 90 minutes, taking the place of Federico Fernandez. He went on to start in the semi-finals where his team eliminated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw, and again in the final against Germany and picked up the runners-up medal as Argentina lost 1–0 after extra time.

International goals

Personal life

Demichelis also holds an Italian passport. He married model Evangelina Anderson in July 2015 in Buenos Aires, after the couple's child, Martín Bastian, had been born in Munich on 3 May 2009. On 19 February 2019, a group of burglars broke into his house. Demichelis reportedly found four hooded men in his Spanish property and protected his family by scaring them off. Some valuable items including cash and jewelry were stolen.

Club statistics

Honours

Club

River Plate
Bayern Munich
Manchester City
Argentina