Sergio Romero

For the Colombian footballer, see Sergio Esteban Romero.
Sergio Romero

Romero in 2016 (centre)
Personal information
Full name Sergio Germán Romero[1]
Date of birth (1987-02-22) 22 February 1987
Place of birth Bernardo de Irigoyen, Argentina
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 3 12 in)[2]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Manchester United
Number 20
Youth career
1997 Almirante Brown
1997–2003 CAI
2003–2006 Racing Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Racing Club 5 (0)
2007–2011 AZ 90 (0)
2011–2015 Sampdoria 71 (0)
2013–2014Monaco (loan) 3 (0)
2015– Manchester United 4 (0)
National team
2007–2008 Argentina U20 23 (0)
2009– Argentina 85 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 August 2015.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 07:35, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

Sergio Germán Romero (born 22 February 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Manchester United and the Argentina national team.

He made his debut with Racing Club in the Argentine Primera División in 2007 and then transferred to Dutch club AZ at the end of the season. He won the Eredivisie in 2009 and two years later joined Italian side Sampdoria. After a season loan spell with French club Monaco in 2013, he joined Manchester United the following year.

A full international with over 80 caps since 2009, Romero has represented Argentina at two World Cups and as many Copa América tournaments, finishing as runner-up in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and in the 2015 and 2016 Copa América tournaments. He also was part of their team which won gold at the 2008 Olympics.

Club career

Racing Club

Romero passed from the youth to the first team of Racing Club de Avellaneda in 2006, making his debut in the Argentine Primera División.

AZ

In 2007, Romero signed for AZ, managed by Louis van Gaal.[3] Due to an injury to first-choice goalkeeper Boy Waterman, Romero made his Eredivisie debut on 30 September against Heracles Almelo, eventually becoming a regular as the team came 11th.

In 2008–09, Romero kept a 950-minute clean sheet for AZ from November to February. However, on 5 March 2009, he made a mistake which allowed NAC Breda's Nourdin Boukhari to score for a 2–1 defeat in the quarter-finals of the KNVB Cup; he responded after the game by punching the door and walls of his team's changing room, breaking bones in his hand and ruling himself out at a crucial stage of the season.[4] He returned on 26 April after Joey Didulica got injured in a clash with Luis Suárez. As AZ won the Eredivisie, he made his debut with the club in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in the following season.

Sampdoria

On 22 August 2011, Romero was signed by UC Sampdoria for €2.1 million in a 4-year contract,[5][6] relegated the previous season to Serie B. He made his debut four days later at home against Calcio Padova. The season ended with Sampdoria in sixth place, and after victories over U.S. Sassuolo Calcio and AS Varese 1910 in the playoffs, they earned promotion to Serie A.

For the 2013–14 season, Romero was loaned to AS Monaco of Ligue 1.[7][8] Second choice behind Danijel Subašić, he played three league games as the team finished as runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain. After his return to Sampdoria, he was most often the backup to Emiliano Viviano.

Manchester United

On 27 July 2015, Manchester United completed the signing of Romero on a free transfer. He penned a three-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year, and reunited with his former AZ manager Van Gaal.[9] With David de Gea withdrawn from the squad amidst transfer speculation, and Víctor Valdés out of favour with manager Louis van Gaal, Romero made his Premier League debut on 8 August as the season opened with a 1–0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.[10] His distribution was described as "nervy" but produced two crucial saves that helped United win the game.[11] He did not concede in his first three league games for United.[12]

International career

Romero represented Argentina at the 2007 South American Youth Championship in Paraguay and at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada where on 8 August 2007 Romero was first included in the Argentine selection for a friendly match against Norway and against Australia, which Argentina also went on to win. He replaced injured Oscar Ustari at the 2008 Summer Olympics football tournament.

Mario Götze scoring the winning goal for Germany as defenders Ezequiel Garay (left), Martín Demichelis (centre) and Romero look on during the 2014 World Cup Final

Romero was called up to the full senior side by then coach Diego Maradona debuting on 9 September 2009 in a 0-1 FIFA World Cup qualifier loss against Paraguay and playing in the win against Uruguay in Montevideo that saw Argentina qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played in all five of Argentina's World Cup matches which ended at the quarter-final stage.

Romero was part of Sergio Batista's 2011 Copa América squad in which Argentina the hosts lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals. He retained his position as number one choice under new coach Alejandro Sabella for the ongoing 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Romero was Argentina's starting goalkeeper at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the semi-final, he earned himself Man of the Match[13] by saving kicks from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder as Argentina defeated the Netherlands 4–2 in a penalty shootout to reach the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final.[14] On 11 July, Romero was named on the three-man shortlist for FIFA's Golden Glove award for the tournament's best goalkeeper due to his performances that led his team to the final.[15]

At the 2015 Copa América, Romero saved from Juan Camilo Zúñiga in the penalty shoot-out at the end of Argentina's goalless quarter-final against Colombia in Viña del Mar; although three takers did not score their penalties, this was the only save.[16]

Personal life

Despite being 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) tall, Romero is nicknamed "Chiquito" as he is relatively short compared to his brothers, in particular his professional basketball-playing brother Diego.[17] He is married to fellow Argentine Eliana Guercio, with whom he has a daughter.[18]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 November 2016[19]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Racing Club 2005–06 Primera División 0000
2006–07 5050
Total 5050
AZ 2007–08 Eredivisie 120002[lower-alpha 1]0140
2008–09 28030310
2009–10 270206[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]0360
2010–11 230305[lower-alpha 4]0310
Total 90080130101120
Sampdoria 2011–12 Serie B 290001[lower-alpha 5]0300
2012–13 Serie A 32010330
2013–14 Serie A 000000
2014–15 Serie A 000000
Total 7102010740
Monaco (loan) 2013–14 Ligue 1 30501090
Manchester United 2015–16 Premier League 40101040100
2016–17 0000102030
Total 4010206000130
Career total 173016030190202130

International

As of match played 15 November 2016[20]
Argentina senior team
YearCaps
20094
201011
201110
20129
201310
201413
201513
201615
Total85

Honours

Club

AZ[19]
Manchester United[19]

International

Romero (rear, centre) and other members of the team meet President of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner at the Casa Rosada after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final
Argentina U20
Argentina U23
Argentina

References

  1. "Premier League – Squad List 2015/16" (PDF). Premier League. p. 23. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  2. "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 11 June 2014. p. 2. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  3. "AZ legt keepers Waterman en Romero vast" (in Dutch). AZ. 29 April 2007. Archived from the original on 17 May 2007.
  4. "Bizarre Romero injury blow for AZ". UEFA. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  5. U.C. Sampdoria S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2011 (Italian), PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
  6. "Official: Sergio Romero joins Sampdoria from AZ". Goal.com. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  7. "Official: Romero to Monaco". football-italia.net. 17 August 2013.
  8. "Monaco sign Romero on loan". sidetackle.com. 19 August 2013.
  9. "UNITED COMPLETE SIGNING OF ROMERO". Manchester United F.C. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  10. Magowan, Alistair (8 August 2015). "Man Utd 1-0 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  11. Brewin, John (8 August 2015). "Sergio Romero a hero for United as keeper impresses against Spurs". ESPN. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  12. "Louis van Gaal: Man Utd's Sergio Romero not proven yet". BBC Sport. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  13. "Netherlands 0-0 Argentina". FIFA. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  14. "Netherlands 0-0 Argentina". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 9 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  15. "World Cup 2014: Fifa announces Golden Ball shortlist". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 11 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  16. "Argentina 0-0 Colombia (Argentina win 5-4 on penalties)". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 27 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  17. Marshall, Adam (27 July 2015). "The lowdown on new boy Sergio Romero". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  18. "Sergio Romero". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 "Sergio Romero". Soccer Way. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  20. Sergio Romero at National-Football-Teams.com
  21. "Louis van Gaal says he 'taught Sergio Romero how to save penalties'". Daily Mail. 10 July 2014.
  22. "A sixth star for Argentina". FIFA.com. 22 July 2007.
  23. "Angel delivers Argentina gold". FIFA.com. 23 August 2008.
  24. "Sergio Romero: Manchester United sign Argentina goalkeeper". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 27 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  25. Dawkes, Phil (5 July 2010). "Chile 0–0 Argentina (Chile win 4–1 on penalties)". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 17 July 2015.
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