Leicester City Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Esteban Cambiasso on a one-year deal.
The Argentine free agent is one of the most decorated players in the modern game and joins the Foxes after a trophy-laden 10-year spell with Italian giants Internazionale in Serie A, and will wear the squad number 19.
A former Real Madrid, Independiente and River Plate star, Cambiasso is considered one of the most talented midfielders of his generation, and having already won titles in Spain and Italy, is now ready to test himself in the Barclays Premier League.
The 34-year-old began his illustrious career when he joined Real Madrid’s youth team in 1996, before moving to Independiente in his native Argentina – making over 100 appearances across three seasons.
Another successful season at another Argentine club – River Plate – followed for Cambiasso, where his performances caught the attention of many and eventually earned him a return to Real Madrid in 2002.
At Madrid Cambiasso joined a squad that included star names such as Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham – a group that went on to win the UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in his two seasons at the Bernabeu.
Following the expiration of his contract at Madrid in 2004 it was Italian giants Internazionale who were quickest to snap up his services in what proved to be the most successful period of Cambiasso’s incredible career to date.
In Italy he was a mainstay of one of Inter’s greatest ever-teams for a decade, amassing a stunning five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia trophies, four Italian Super Cups and a Champions League winners’ medal at the San Siro.
It’s not only on the biggest stages at club level that Cambiasso has shone, with over 50 international caps to his name for the full Argentina side.
His international pedigree was clear from an early age, as he represented Argentina at both U17 and U20 level, before his senior bow arrived in 2000, after which he went on to become a regular for his country.
He featured in the 2006 World Cup where his side reached the quarter-finals, only to be knocked out on penalties by Germany. During that campaign he scored what many consider to be one of the great World Cup goals of all time against Serbia – finishing off a stunning 26-pass move.
The midfielder made 32 league starts for Internazionale last term and scored four times as they finished fifth in Serie A – his final appearance coming at the end of May in a 2-1 defeat to Chievo.
The 34-year-old is the second most decorated Argentinian footballer of all time, beaten only by the late, great Alfredo Di Stefano.
