Nicolás Otamendi Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Nicolás Otamendi has established himself as a solid and consistent defender under ‘s tutelage at Manchester City. Although he was signed by Guardiola’s predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini, it took him some time to find consistency. It was after the arrival of the Catalan manager that he realized his true potential which was well evident when he was starting out at Vélez Sarsfield. Such was the promise of his talent that he was called up to the national team by when he had made just 11 professional appearances. Since then, he has become the defensive lynchpin of the Argentine team and has played in several high profile tournaments including World Cup and Copa America.

Sun Sign

Aquarius

Nationality

Education

Nicolás Otamendi decided to drop out of high school just a year before graduation as he wanted to focus completely on his soccer career.

He started his soccer journey at the youth academy of Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield.

Manager

Nicolás Otamendi is represented by Martin Sendoa.

Position

Centre Back

Shirt Number

28, 30, 19 – Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield

30 – FC Porto, Clube Atlético Mineiro, Manchester City

20 – Clube Atlético Mineiro

23 – Valencia CF

2, 4, 13, 15, 17 – Argentina National Team

Girlfriend / Spouse

Nicolás Otamendi is a fiercely private person and has refused to allow the public spotlight to rest on his private life. He is a married man and has 3 daughters – Morena, Mia, and Valentín.

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Tattoos

Brand Endorsements

Nicolás Otamendi has signed a personal endorsement deal with Nike. Because of the deal, he wears Nike footwear for his professional matches.

Best Known For

• Being an integral part of Manchester City after joining the club in 2015. He has established himself as a regular starter in the team and has also managed to win several cups with the club.
• His successful stint with FC Porto. During his 4 seasons stay with the Portuguese club, he managed to win 3 domestic titles, a UEFA Europa League, and a Taça de Portugal.

First Soccer Match

In May 2008, he made his professional debut with Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield in a Clausura Tournament match against Rosario Central. His side won the match by 2-1.

In September 2010, he made his first appearance for FC Porto in a league match against S.C. Olhanense. He scored his side’s first goal in the first minute in a 2-0 victory.

In September 2015, Otamendi made his debut for Manchester City in the Champions League group stage match against Juventus FC. He had replaced the club captain in the 75th minute of a 2-1 defeat.

In May 2009, he made his first international appearance for the Argentine national team in a friendly match against Panama. Argentina won the match by 3-1.

First TV Show

In 2010, Nicolás Otamendi made his first TV show appearance on the comedy talk show, Caiga Quien Caiga – CQC.

Strengths

• Passing
• Tackling
• Strength
• Aggressive style of play
• Positioning
• Courage

Weaknesses

• Aerial Duel
• He could lose focus on some occasions.

Nicolás Otamendi Facts

1. When he was playing in the under-15 team at Vélez Sarsfield, he briefly flirted with the idea of becoming a boxer. However, he soon recalibrated his focus on his game.
2. He got his first big breakthrough in 2009 Clausura season as the new Sarsfield coach, Ricardo Gareca, asked Otamendi to replace Waldo Ponce in the 3rd game of the season as Ponce had suffered an injury while playing for the Chilean national team.
3. In the 2009 Clausura season, he played all of the remaining games of the season which meant that he only missed 2 matches from a total of 19 matches. His club also won Clausura title.
4. In recognition of his strong performances in the 2009 season, he was included in the South American Team of the Year which is selected as a result of continent-wide journalists’ poll traditionally held by the newspaper, El País.
5. In August 2010, he was purchased by FC Porto from Velez. The Portuguese club paid €4 million transfer fee to acquire 50% of his representation rights. They paid the same amount in September 2011 to acquire the remaining of his representation rights.
6. In his debut season with the Portuguese side, he played in 15 matches in the league and managed to score 5 goals in them as his side romp to the title win.
7. In February 2014, the Spanish club Valencia CF decided to pay €12 million to sign Otamendi from Porto. He signed a 5-year contract with the new club.
8. Immediately after signing Otamendi, Valencia decided to send him on a loan to Clube Atlético Mineiro. He made 19 appearances for the Brazilian team.
9. In October 2014, he scored his first professional goal for Valencia CF in a 3-1 win over Atlético Madrid.
10. In the 2014-15 season, he created history while playing for Valencia as he became the first defender in the club history to score 6 goals in the single La Liga season.
11. He was included in the La Liga Team of the Year at the end of 2014-15 season. His performance helped his side earn a UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time in 4 years.
12. He refused to train for Valencia in the 2015 pre-season as he took an issue with the club management’s intention to prevent his move away from the club.
13. Manchester City announced in August 2015 that they have signed Otamendi from Valencia. They had paid the Spanish club an initial transfer fee of £28.5 million.
14. He scored his first goal for Manchester City in October 2015 in his side’s home league match against Norwich City. It was the first goal in City’s 2-1 win.
15. He scored his first goal for Argentina national team in September 2011 in a friendly match against Venezuela which was the only goal scored in the match.
16. His strong performances helped his national side reach the finals of 2015 Copa América. On the conclusion of the event, he was included in the Team of the Tournament.
17. Follow Nicolás Otamendi on , , and .

Featured Image by Carla Cortés / Flickr / CC BY 2.0