Quick Facts
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Claudio Matías Kranevitter (born 21 May 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Spanish club Sevilla FC on loan from Atlético Madrid.
Club career
River Plate
Born in San Miguel de Tucumán, Kranevitter started his career at San Martín de Tucumán's youth setup, but left the club at the age of 12 due to his family's poor financial situation. In 2007, aged 14, he joined River Plate after impressing on a trial.
After being initially assigned to the reserves, Kranevitter was also a member of the under-20s during its U-20 Copa Libertadores winning campaign in 2012. On 2 December of that year he made his first team debut, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 home win against Lanús.
Kranevitter was definitely promoted to the main squad by new manager Ramón Díaz. Initially a backup to Leonardo Ponzio and Cristian Ledesma, he appeared in 30 matches during the 2013–14 season, 16 as a starter, overcoming the latter midway through the campaign.
In September 2014, already a regular starter, Kranevitter suffered a metatarsus injury, being ruled out until the following year. In October, however, he trained with crutches and returned to action in late November, being utilized in both legs of 2014 Copa Sudamericana Finals.
Atlético Madrid
On 25 August 2015, La Liga side Atlético Madrid reached an agreement with River for the sale of Kranevitter, for a rumoured fee of €8 million. He was officially announced three days later, being immediately loaned back to River until December.
Assigned to the main squad in January 2016, Kranevitter was handed the no. 8 shirt. He made his debut in the main category on 14 February, coming on as a substitute for goalscorer Fernando Torres in a 1–0 away win against Getafe CF.
Sevilla (loan)
On 7 July 2016, Kranevitter was loaned to fellow top tier club Sevilla FC, in a season-long deal.
International career
Kranevitter represented Argentina at under-20 level in 2013 South American Youth Football Championship. He appeared in three matches, all as a starter, as his side was knocked out in the group stage.
On 24 August 2015, Kranevitter was called up to the main squad for two friendlies against Bolivia and Mexico as a replacement to injured Lucas Biglia. He made his full international debut on 4 September, starting in a 7–0 routing of the former at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston.
Kranevitter was nominated in the 2016 Copa América squad and was part of the Argentine side that ran to the final. He was subbed on in the 57th minute of the final against Chile, which Chile won 4–2 on penalties.
Style of play
Mainly a defensive midfielder, Kranevitter excels at breaking up play, shielding the defense and setting the tempo of the team. Although not being very physical, he is known for his usually clean and well-timed tackles and his good defensive positioning.
Kranevitter is often compared to Javier Mascherano, due to both being River Plate youth graduates and having the same playing style.
Personal life
Kranevitter also played golf during his youth, and stated that he "would be a golfer if he hadn't chosen football".
Career statistics
Club
- As of 16 May 2016
| Club | Season | League | Cup | International | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| River Plate | 2012–13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2013–14 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| Atlético Madrid | 2015–16 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Sevilla (loan) | 2016–17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Career Total | 65 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 100 | 0 | |
International
- As of 7 October 2016.
| Argentina national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 0 |
Honours
Club
- River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2014 Final
- Copa Sudamericana: 2014
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2015
- Copa Libertadores: 2015
- Suruga Bank Championship: 2015
- U-20 Copa Libertadores: 2012
International
- Argentina
- Copa América: Runner-up 2016
Individual
- Copa Libertadores Team of the Year: 2015
- "El XI ideal de la Copa Libertadores 2015" [The best XI of Copa Libertadores 2015] (in Spanish). Pasión Libertadores. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.