Ariel Ibagaza

Ariel Ibagaza

Ibagaza in action for Olympiacos in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Ariel Miguel Santiago Ibagaza
Date of birth	(1976-10-27) 27 October 1976
Place of birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1998	Lanús	97	(10)
1998–2003	Mallorca	143	(19)
2003–2006	Atlético Madrid	85	(5)
2006–2008	Mallorca	61	(6)
2008–2010	Villarreal	54	(3)
2010–2014	Olympiacos	72	(1)
2014–2015	Panionios	23	(0)
International career
1995	Argentina U20	6	(1)
2004	Argentina	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:00, 23 March 2015 (UTC)

Ariel Miguel Santiago Ibagaza (born 27 October 1976) is an Argentine footballer. Nicknamed El Caño, his usual position is attacking midfielder, and he is well known for his technique and vision.

He spent the vast majority of his professional career in Spain – where he represented mainly Mallorca – and amassing La Liga totals of 343 games and 33 goals over the course of 12 seasons.

Club career

Born in Buenos Aires, Ibagaza began his professional career with Club Atlético Lanús, and moved in July 1998 to RCD Mallorca in Spain alongside teammate Gustavo Siviero (another Argentine, Carlos Roa, had done the same move the previous season), being part of the Balearic Islands side that finished third in his first year, narrowly missing on UEFA Champions League group stage entry.

In the 2000–01 campaign Ibagaza, best known for his playmaking decisions, scored a career-best ten goals, and continued to be an undisputed starter – and team captain – for Mallorca until his departure for Atlético Madrid, in July 2003. He renewed his contract in March 2006, but found himself surplus to requirements at the start of 2006–07, and arranged a move back to Mallorca, being among the top assisters in the second season after the return.

Ibagaza signed a €1.5 million deal with Villarreal CF in early July 2008, for two seasons. Two years later, after two irregular seasons, marred by some physical problems (even though he still managed to appear in more than 60 official games with the Valencian team), the 34-year-old moved to Olympiacos F.C. in Greece, agreeing to a two-year contract.

Ibagaza scored his first official goal for the Piraeus club in a 1–0 away win against Asteras Tripoli FC, and went on to contribute with 24 games (no goals) as his team won the national championship. He left in June 2014 after having appeared in 97 competitive matches and conquered a further three domestic leagues and, on 20 August of that year, signed a one-year deal with fellow league side Panionios FC.

Honours

Club

Mallorca

• Copa del Rey: 2002–03

Olympiacos

• Superleague Greece: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
• Greek Football Cup: 2011–12, 2012–13

International

Argentina

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1995

External links

• Ariel Ibagaza profile at BDFutbol
• Ariel Ibagaza at National-Football-Teams.com
• Ariel Ibagaza – FIFA competition record
• Ariel Ibagaza at Soccerway
• Stats at Footballdatabase