 Ogbonna in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 May 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Cassino, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Juventus | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2006 | Torino | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2013 | Torino | 150 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | → Crotone (loan) | 22 | (0) |
| 2013– | Juventus | 5 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2009–2010 | Italy U-21 | 10 | (0) |
| 2011– | Italy | 9 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 November 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2013 | |||
Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (born 23 May 1988) is an Italian footballer of Nigerian descent who plays as acentre back for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team.
Contents
[hide]Club career[edit]
Torino
Born in Cassino and of Nigerian descent, Ogbonna was noted by Torino scouts and was later signed by theGranata youth academy. He made his Serie A and first-team debut on 11 February 2007 in a 1–2 home defeat against Reggina, playing the entire 90 minutes. He made three further Serie A appearances that season. He then spent the 2007–08 season on loan at Crotone, making 22 league appearances that season.
Ogbonna returned to Torino ahead of the 2008–09 Serie A season, playing mostly as a backup to regularsCesare Natali and Marco Di Loreto, although he still managed 19 league appearances for the Granata. Torino, however, were relegated to Serie B at the end of the season. Starting from 2009, after the relegation of the club to Serie B, Ogbonna earned his place as a starter, making 31 league appearances and scoring one goal for the Piedmont-based club during the 2009–10 season. In three Serie B seasons with Torino, Ogbonna made 105 appearances, helping the club return to Serie A after finishing second to Pescara during the 2011–12 season. On 2 February 2012, he renewed his contract with Torino until 30 June 2016.[1]
Ogbonna's first full Serie A season was hampered by two lengthy injuries that limited the player to just 22 league matches. Likewise, Torino's return to the Italian top-flight began well but a dip in form late in the season left the club in a lowly 16th place finish in the league standings.
Juventus
On 11 July 2013, Ogbonna officially undwent medical examimations at Turin's Fornaca, Isokinetic and the Istituto di Medicina dello Sport ahead of his proposed cross-town move to incumbent league championsJuventus.[2] After passing the medical testings, Ogbonna officially signed for Juventus on 11 July 2013 for a transfer fee of €13 million to be paid to Torino over three years, with an additional €2 million to be paid in future bonuses.[3] Ogbonna signed a five-year contract, tying him to La Vecchia Signora until 30 June 2018.
International career
On 12 August 2009, he made his debut with the Italian under-21 national team in a friendly game against Russia.
On 4 June 2011, Ogbonna received his first senior squad call-up by coach Cesare Prandelli, despite playing in Serie B. He is the first Torino player to be called up to the Azzurri since 2007. Following several injuries in the Azzurri squad, Ogbonna was called up again on 5 October 2011. He made his senior debut on 11 November 2011 in a friendly won 2–0 against Poland, where he came on as substitute for Domenico Criscito in the 77th minute.
Ogbonna was included in the Italian 23-man final squad for UEFA Euro 2012, but never played in any match during the competition.
