Diego Contento

Personal

Contento's family is from the outskirts of Naples (his father from Casalnuovo di Napoli and his mother from Caivano), Italy, and he was named after former S.S.C. Napoli star Diego Armando Maradona. His older brothers Vincenzo and Domenico were previously in Bayern's youth team.

Club career

Contento played for Bayern Munich's first-team in pre-season friendlies in 2009, appearing against the Austrian Bundesliga Champion Red Bull Salzburg as a second-half substitute for Edson Braafheid, and was named on the substitutes' bench for a Bundesliga match against FSV Mainz in August 2009. He was called up to Bayern Munich's squad for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, where he was assigned the number 26. In January 2010, it was announced that Contento would train with the first-team for the rest of the 2009–10 season, along with reserve team-mates David Alaba and Mehmet Ekici.

Contento signed his first professional contract with Bayern Munich on 13 January 2010. The trio were named on the first-team substitutes' bench for the first time on 10 February 2010, for a DFB-Pokal game against SpVgg Greuther Fürth, and Contento came on in the 59th minute, replacing Anatoliy Tymoshchuk. Contento made his UEFA Champions League debut a week later, coming on as a half time substitute for Daniel Van Buyten in a game against Fiorentina, and the following weekend he made his league debut in the Bavarian Derby against 1. FC Nürnberg, starting in place of the injured Van Buyten.

He was in the starting XI for the next two games against Hamburger SV and 1. FC Köln, but was injured in the latter, and replaced by fellow youth team graduate David Alaba. On 21 April 2010 he was named in the starting line-up for Bayern's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Olympique Lyonnais. On 27 May 2010, Contento signed a contract extension keeping him at the Allianz Arena until 2013.

Contento started in the 2010 German Super Cup and played the full 90 minutes. Bayern defeated Schalke 04 2–0. Contento began the 2010–11 season as a starter for Bayern. After five games, he suffered an injury and was sidelined for three weeks. He was unable to reclaim his starting spot until the very end of the season. He was first choice to Andries Jonker, the caretaker manager of Bayern Munich until the end of the 2010–11 league season. On 1 July 2011, Jupp Heynckes was named head coach of Bayern Munich. At the beginning of the new Bundesliga season Heynckes brought in Rafinha for the right back position. Team captain Philipp Lahm changed back to his favoured left side and Contento was mostly relegated to the bench.

On 12 August 2014, Contento signed four-year deal with Ligue 1 side, Girondins de Bordeaux. He had been at Bayern for 19 years.

International career

Contento represented Germany at under-17 and under-20 level. He recently expressed his desire to represent Italy rather than Germany at senior level. Contento was called up to the Germany under-21 in September 2010, though he could not make his debut due to an irritation on a toe.

Career statistics

Club