Leonardo Ponzio Explained

Leonardo Ponzio
Fullname:Leonardo Daniel Ponzio[1]
Birth Date:29 January 1982
Birth Place:Las Rosas, Argentina
Height:1.74 m[2]
Position:Defensive midfielder
Youthclubs1:Newell's Old Boys
Years1:2000–2003
Caps1:90
Goals1:9
Years2:2003–2006
Caps2:114
Goals2:5
Years3:2007–2008
Caps3:55
Goals3:1
Years4:2009–2012
Caps4:100
Goals4:6
Years5:2012–2021
Caps5:185
Goals5:8
Totalcaps:544
Totalgoals:29
Nationalyears1:2001
Nationalcaps1:7
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2003–2013
Nationalcaps2:8
Nationalgoals2:0

Leonardo Daniel Ponzio (born 29 January 1982) is an Argentinian former footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.

After starting out at Newell's Old Boys in 2000, he went on to spend his professional career with Zaragoza and River Plate, appearing in 246 competitive matches with the former club and winning the 2004 Copa del Rey, adding several more accolades during his two spells with the latter and going on to be one of the most decorated players in their history.[3]

Club career

Born in Las Rosas, Santa Fe, Ponzio started his career in the youth system of Newell's Old Boys in neighbouring Rosario, going on to make more than 100 official appearances for the club. At only 21, he was signed by Real Zaragoza for the 2003–04 season, for 3 million.[4] After making his La Liga debut on 31 August 2003 in a 0–1 home loss against Deportivo de La Coruña,[5] he went on to become an essential midfield player for the Spanish side, only missing 11 matches over three seasons.

However, when Zaragoza finished sixth in the 2006–07 campaign and qualified to the UEFA Cup, Ponzio had already left, moving in January 2007 to Club Atlético River Plate. He scored his first goal for his new team in the 2007 edition of the Copa Libertadores, against Chile's Colo-Colo.[6]

In January 2009, Ponzio returned to Zaragoza signing a four-and-a-half-year contract, with the club now in the Segunda División.[7] He contributed regularly as the team returned to the top flight immediately.[8]

Ponzio was an ever-present defensive figure in 2009–10, inclusively featuring at right and left-back,[9] [10] while collecting 15 yellow cards. He scored his only goal of the season on 3 April 2010, striking from long range in a 2–0 home win over Málaga CF.[11] [12]

On 4 January 2012, aged 30, Ponzio, whose link in Aragon ran until June, left struggling – in sporting and financial terms – Zaragoza and returned to River Plate for personal reasons, agreeing to a three-and-a-half-year deal.[13]

International career

Ponzio played for Argentina at under-17 and under-20 levels, and earned his first full cap in 2003. In 2001, he played all seven matches (five complete) as the national team won the FIFA U-20 World Cup on home soil.

Career statistics

ClubDiv.SeasonLeagueNational Cup(1)Continental(2)Total
AppsGoalsAssistsAppsGoalsAssistsAppsGoalsAssistsAppsGoalsAssists
Newell's Old Boys
Primera División1999–001 0 0 - - - - - -1 0 0
2000–0126 0 1 - - - - - -2601
2001–0233 5 3 - - - - - -33 5 3
2002–0330 4 2 - - - - - -30 4 2
Newell's total90 9 6 - - - - - - 90 9 6
Zaragoza
La Liga2003–0435 3 1 8 0 0 - - -43 3 1
2004–0533 1 2 1 0 0 8 0 042 1 2
2005–0635 1 0 9 0 1 - - -44 1 1
2006–0711 0 0 2 0 0 - - -13 0 0
Total114 5 5 20 0 1 8 0 0 142 5 6
River Plate
Primera División2006–0714 1 0 - - - 6 1 020 2 0
2007–0829 0 4 - - - 8 0 037 0 4
2008–0912 0 0 - - - 2 0 014 0 0
Total55 1 4 - - - 16 1 0 71 2 4
Zaragoza
Segunda División2008–0918 2 1 - - - - - -18 2 1
La Liga2009–1034 1 2 2 0 0 - - -36 1 2
2010–1132 2 1 1 0 0 - - -33 2 1
2011–1216 1 1 1 0 0 - - -17 1 1
Total100 6 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 104 6 5
Zaragoza total214 11 8 24 0 1 8 0 0 246 11 9
River Plate
Primera Nacional2011–1219 1 0 1 0 0 - - -20 1 0
Primera División2012–1329 4 6 - - - - - -29 4 6
2013–1419 1 3 2 0 0 6 0 027 1 3
201410 0 1 - - - 8 0 018 0 1
201517 1 0 1 0 0 15 0 033 1 0
201613 0 1 - - - 4 0 117 0 2
2016–1724 0 0 7 0 0 5 0 036 0 0
2017–1817 1 0 7 0 0 12 0 136 1 1
2018–1914 0 0 7 0 0 11 0 032 0 0
2019–204 0 0 3 0 0 5 0 012 0 0
2020style=color:black colspan="3"7 0 0 4 0 011 0 0
20210 0 0 8 0 0 4 0 012 0 0
Total166 7 11 43 0 0 74 0 2 283 8 13
River total221 9 17 43 0 1 90 1 2 354 10 17
Career total525 29 31 67 0 1 96 1 2 690 30 34
(1) National Cup refers to Copa Argentina, Copa del Rey, Supercopa Argentina, Copa Superliga and Copa Diego Armando Maradona.(2) Continental refers to UEFA Europa League, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, FIFA Club World Cup and Suruga Bank Championship.

Honours

Zaragoza

2003–04[14]

River Plate[15]

Clausura 2008, Torneo Final 2014, Superfinal 2014, Campeonato 2021

2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19

2017, 2019

2015, 2018[16]

2014

2015, 2016, 2019

2015

2011–12[17]

Argentina U20

2001[18]

Notes and References

  1. News: Leonardo Ponzio. Olé. Spanish. 22 March 2022.
  2. Web site: Leonardo Ponzio. River Plate. Spanish. 15 November 2018.
  3. News: Leonardo Ponzio, referente y sinónimo de títulos en River. Leonardo Ponzio, reference and equal to titles at River. Diario Popular. Siffredi. Carlos. Spanish. 11 December 2017. 11 December 2018.
  4. Web site: Ponzio picked up by Zaragoza. UEFA. 23 July 2003. 8 June 2010.
  5. News: Pandiani da al Deportivo los puntos de La Romareda. Pandiani gives La Romareda points to Deportivo. El Mundo. Carpio García. José A.. Spanish. 31 August 2003. 21 May 2014.
  6. Web site: 2 goles polémicos, y un mayor merecimiento, le dieron la victoria a River ante Colo Colo en Chile: Fue 2 a 1. 2 controversial goals, and more merit, gave win to River against Colo Colo in Chile: It finished 2 to 1. Urgente 24. Spanish. 23 February 2007. 22 March 2022.
  7. News: Ponzio: "Regresar a Zaragoza es perfecto para mí". Ponzio: "Returning to Zaragoza is perfect for me". Diario AS. Spanish. 1 February 2009. 1 February 2009.
  8. News: La burbuja de Marcelino. Marcelino's bubble. El País. Quixano. Jordi. Spanish. 14 June 2009. 11 August 2019.
  9. News: Borque y Ponzio, laterales eventuales. Borque and Ponzio, eventual fullbacks. Heraldo de Aragón. Giménez. Paco. Spanish. 25 August 2009. 4 December 2015.
  10. News: 'Zucu' se estrena en el lateral y sigue los pasos de Ponzio. 'Zucu' has fullback debut and follows in Ponzio's footsteps. Marca. Ortiz. Christian. Spanish. 18 October 2011. 4 December 2015.
  11. Web site: Zaragoza on the up. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025085655/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/275779?cc=5739. dead. 25 October 2012. ESPN Soccernet. 3 April 2010. 18 May 2011.
  12. News: Diogo corre, Ponzio resuelve. Diogo runs, Ponzio decides. El País. Quixano. Jordi. Spanish. 3 April 2010. 4 December 2015.
  13. News: Ponzio se desvincula del Zaragoza y ficha por River Plate. Ponzio cuts ties with Zaragoza and signs for River Plate. Marca. Gaudioso. Sonia. Spanish. 4 January 2012. 4 January 2012.
  14. Web site: Beckham misses out on Cup. BBC Sport. 17 March 2004. 21 May 2014.
  15. News: Un equipo de títulos. A team of titles. Olé. Spanish. 15 March 2018. 11 December 2018.
  16. Web site: Copa Libertadores final: River Plate beat Boca Juniors 3–1 in extra time (agg 5–3). BBC Sport. Sanders. Emma. 9 December 2018. 11 December 2018.
  17. News: Nacional "B": River es campeón y volvió a Primera. Nacional "B": River are champions and returned to Primera. La Nueva Provincia. Spanish. 23 June 2012. 11 December 2018.
  18. News: Argentina campeón Sub-20 2001. Argentina Under-20 champions 2001. El Gráfico. Spanish. 5 December 2014. 11 December 2018.