Name Ivan Cordoba Salary 3 million EUR (2011) Weight 73 kg | Years Team Height 1.73 m Playing position Role Footballer Position Defender | |
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Full name Ivan Ramiro Cordoba Sepulveda Date of birth (1976-08-11) 11 August 1976 (age 39) Similar People Javier Zanetti, Mario Yepes, Massimo Moratti, Andrea Stramaccioni, Roberto Mancini Profiles | ||
Inter milan legend ivan cordoba from player to manager at san siro
Iván Ramiro Córdoba Sepúlveda ([iˈβaŋ ˈkoɾðoβa], born 11 August 1976 in Rionegro, Antioquia Department) is a retired Colombian footballer, who played as a defender. He began his career in Colombia with Deportivo Rionegro and Atlético Nacional, before moving to Argentine club San Lorenzo. In 2000, he joined Italian side Internazionale, where he spent most of his career, remaining with the club until his retirement in 2012. At international level, Córdoba played for the Colombia national team, and represented his nation at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, and four editions of the Copa América, winning the tournament in 2001. He was the vice-captain of Internazionale and has also served as captain for his country's national team.
Contents
- Inter milan legend ivan cordoba from player to manager at san siro
- Club career
- International career
- International goals
- Style of play
- Club
- International
- Individual
- References
Club career
Córdoba made his debut with the Colombian Serie B team Deportivo Rionegro in 1993, his subsequent performances earned him a transfer to Colombian heavyweights Atlético Nacional in 1996. He made his name playing for San Lorenzo in Argentina from 1998 but signed for Italian side Internazionale in the winter transfer window, January 2000, costing the club €16 million, rejecting another offer from Real Madrid in doing so. He has become a mainstay of the Internazionale defence for several years, forming a highly effective partnership in central defence with Marco Materazzi. His long career at Inter led him to be named the club's vice-captain behind Javier Zanetti; because of this, he had the honour of lifting the Coppa Italia in 2005 when Zanetti was absent due to his involvement in the Confederations Cup with Argentina.
On 19 February 2008, Córdoba injured his left anterior cruciate ligament during the Champions League round of 16 fixture against Liverpool, resulting in having to sit out the rest of the season as Inter won the league title for the third consecutive year. On 9 June 2008 he renewed his contract until 30 June 2012 with Inter, ensuring that he would effectively finish his career with Inter.
On 5 May 2012 Cordoba announced that he would leave Inter at the end of the season. A day later, Cordoba was brought on in the 84th minute of the Derby della Madonnina, making his last competitive appearance in an Inter shirt after 13 years in the San Siro; during the match (the club's last home game of the 2011–12 season), Inter's players wore the Cordoba #2 shirt while warming up before the kick-off. In May he traveled with 18 other Inter players (with Dellafiore an exception) to Indonesia for a friendly tour, before ending his career.
In total, he won 5 Serie A championships, 4 Coppa Italia titles, 3 Supercoppa Italiana titles, 1 UEFA Champions League, and 1 FIFA Club World Cup with Inter.
International career
Córdoba captained Colombia to win the 2001 Copa América competition, scoring the only goal in the final. Córdoba also played for his country in the 1998 World Cup, in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup (where they finished in fourth place), and in three other editions of the Copa América (1997, 1999, and 2007).
International goals
Scores and results lists Colombia's goal tally first.
Style of play
Usually a central defender, Córdoba was an experienced and extremely fast, energetic, versatile, and athletic defender, who relied mostly on his pace, stamina, man-marking ability and timing, which made him difficult to beat in one on one situations; due to his characteristics, he was also capable of playing as a full-back or wing-back on the right flank, and even as a left-back on occasion. Despite being only 173 centimeters tall, he was also a good jumper and an accurate header of the ball, and had a penchant for scoring goals with his head. Throughout his career, Córdoba also stood out for his leadership in addition to his ability as a footballer.