Mateo Musacchio

Mateo Pablo Musacchio (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈte.o muˈsakjo]; born 26 August 1990) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Villarreal CF as a central defender.

Club career

A product of Club Atlético River Plate's youth system, Musacchio was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, and he made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old during the 2006–07 season, making four appearances. He was part of the squad that won the Clausura in the following year, but did not feature in any games.

In August 2009, Musacchio moved to Villarreal CF in Spain, initially being assigned to the B-team in the second division. He made his official debut on 5 September in a 1–3 loss at Córdoba CF as the reserves overachieved in their first season ever in the category, eventually finishing seventh.

On 13 February 2010, shortly after ceasing to be a non-EU player, Musacchio made his La Liga debut by playing the last 15 minutes in a 2–1 home win against Athletic Bilbao. From that moment onwards he was permanently promoted to Villarreal's first team, successively surpassing more experienced Iván Marcano and Gonzalo Rodríguez – the latter his compatriot – in the defensive pecking order.

International career

Musacchio was first called by the Argentina national team in May 2011, as manager Sergio Batista only selected players under 25 for friendlies with Nigeria and Poland. He made his debut against the former on 2 June, in a 1–4 loss.

Personal life

Musacchio's paternal grandparents were of Albanian origin, being Arbëreshë from the Portocannone community in lower Molise. The surname Musacchio originated from the Muzaka region in south-central Albania, and was widely used in the Albanian community in Italy.

Honours

Club

• Argentine Primera División: Clausura 2008