Quick Facts
Biography
Nicolás Andrés Burdisso (born 12 April 1981) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a central or right defender for Genoa, although he is also capable of playing on the left.
Previously of Boca Juniors and Internazionale, Burdisso has earned over 49 international caps for Argentina since his debut in 2003. He was selected for two FIFA World Cups and two Copa Americas and was part of the team which won Gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Club career
Boca Juniors
Burdisso is the product of Argentine club Boca Juniors's youth system. He began his professional career with them in 1999 at age 18. With Boca Juniors, he won two Argentine Championships (2000 Apertura and 2003 Apertura), three Copa Libertadores (2000, 2001, 2003), and two Intercontinental Cups (2000, 2003).
Internazionale
In 2004, Burdisso moved to Internazionale of the Italian Serie A, signing a four-year contract. However, he missed almost all of the 2004–05 season with Inter helping his daughter fight leukemia. On 31 August 2006, he extended his contract until 2009. During 2006, when Giacinto Facchetti died, Burdisso was given the number 16 jersey for the retirement of Facchetti's beloved number 3 jersey. In spite of being a defender, he has scored a number of goals, including two goals scored with headers on 29 November 2006 in the 4–0 victory against Messina. He again scored twice on 24 January 2007, in the 3–0 victory against Sampdoria. He has scored many goals from headers off of corner-kicks.
During the Champions League tie between Valencia and Inter on 5 March 2007, a fracas broke out between players of the two teams. Burdisso suffered a broken nose from a punch in the face from Valencia defender David Navarro. As punishment for his part in the brawl, Burdisso was handed a six-match ban from all European club competitions with an additional two match suspension. Navarro was sentenced to a seven-month ban from domestic, European and international matches. Birdisso eventually returned to duty on 12 March 2008 in the second leg of the Champions League match against Liverpool, but was sent off in the 60th minute after receiving his second yellow card of the game. With Inter, he played left and right back and central defender as a key member of the squad in three different competitions.
Roma
On 22 August 2009, Burdisso was signed by Roma on loan, which offered him €3.04 million (gross) salary per year. He played the opening match of the league on 23 August. He scored his first goal for Roma on 20 December 2009, opening the scoring in a 2–0 win over Parma.
Burdisso was then signed by Roma permanently on 28 August 2010 for a €8 million transfer fee. He signed a four-year contract, in which he would earn €3.8 million (pre-tax) his first year, increasing to €4.5 million pre-tax in the next three years.
He scored his fifth goal—first in the 2011–12 Serie A—for Roma against Milan on 29 October. Roma lost that game 3–2. On 15 November 2011, he suffered a serious injury to his left knee which will force him out of action for six months.
In 2007, Burdisso expressed his desire to finish his career at Boca Juniors.
In 2012–13 season under Zdeněk Zeman, Burdisso was relegated to the bench. He played only eight matches in the first part of the season, scoring the opener in a 4–2 win over Milan. Prospects in the starting XI remained dismal after the arrival of new manager Rudi García, typically serving as third-choice centre-back behind starters Mehdi Benatia and Leandro Castán.
Genoa
On 23 January 2014, Burdisso signed with Serie A side Genoa
International career
Burdisso starred in the Argentina under-20 team with Javier Saviola and Maxi Rodríguez. All three won the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship together.
On 15 May 2006, Burdisso was named as a squad member for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by his former U-20 coach José Pekerman, going on to play in all three group matches. He also played for Argentina in the Copa América 2007, where the team went on to reach the final.
On 4 June 2008, Burdisso scored his second goal for Argentina during a friendly against Mexico in San Diego, California. Burdisso was selected to the Argentina squad for the 2010 World Cup by manager Diego Maradona and for the Copa América 2011 by manager Sergio Batista.
On 15 November 2011, Burdisso injured his left knee during a World Cup qualifying match against Colombia. During a disputed ball with James Rodríguez, Burdisso partially tore his left knee ligaments, with initial assessments predicting a recovery period of six-to-eight months.
International goals
Scores and results list Argentinas's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 26 March 2008 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  Egypt | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 4 June 2008 | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States |  Mexico | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
Personal life
Burdisso has a younger brother, Guillermo Burdisso, who also previously played for Roma. The Burdisso brothers hold Italian passports due to their family origins in Collegno (Turin) and Revello (Cuneo), their grandparents' birthplaces in the Italian region of Piedmont.
Honours
Boca Juniors
- Argentine Primera División (2): Apertura 2000, Apertura 2003
- Copa Libertadores (3): 2000, 2001, 2003
- Intercontinental Cup (2): 2000, 2003
Internazionale
- Serie A (4): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
- Coppa Italia (1): 2005–06
- Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2006
Argentina national team
- FIFA U-20 World Cup (1): 2001
- CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament (1): 2004
- Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics (1): 2004 Athens
Individual
- Coppa Italia Top-scorer (1): 2006–07
- Roberto Di Maggio; Davide Rota (4 June 2015). "Italy - Coppa Italia Top Scorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 June 2015.