Luis Ezequiel Ibáñez nicknamed
Lucho, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a left back or left winger for
Dinamo ZagrebGNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
in the Prva HNL.
Ibáñez started his professional career at
Boca JuniorsClub Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
in his native Argentina, debuting for the club in 2008. He made only two official appearances in Argentine Primera División, and in the summer transfer window of the 2008–09 season he joined Dinamo Zagreb for a fee of €650,000. His first season at Dinamo Zagreb went well, as he was praised by the Croatian football critics for his performances and work rate on the pitch. He made a total of 90 official appearances for Dinamo Zagreb, scored 5 goals, and also won four domestic thropies, two of which were league titles, and one of
Croatian CupThe Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
and
SupercupThe Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...
each.
Ibáñez was not capped for
ArgentinaThe Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
at senior level, but he was made aware by the national team staff that they will consider calling him up when he gets older and if he keeps playing well. He also stated that he would like to play for
CroatiaThe Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
.
Background
Luis Ezequiel Ibáñez is an Italian Argentine, born on 15 July 1988 in
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to Jorge and Alejandra. His parents are divorced and he currently resides with his father in
ZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia. He has three younger sisters, Carla, Camilla and Valentina who along with their mother live in Argentina. Since their mother is currently unemployed, Ibáñez financially supports his family. He is engaged to Mateja Alegić, an economics student and a daughter of the Croatian entrepreneur Darko Alegić. The two have been in a relationship since June 2009 having previously met via online chat. Ibáñez has declared that they are planning to marry when Alegić graduates from university.
According to the official webpage of
Dinamo ZagrebGNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
, Ibáñez is 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall, and weighs 69 kg (152 lbs or 10.9 stone). Besides speaking his native
SpanishSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Ibáñez is also fluent in
CroatianCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
. While in Dinamo Zagreb, he was a translator for South American players who were unable to understand or speak Croatian. He is also known for having a tattooed autograph of a former Argentine football player
Diego MaradonaDiego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
on his shoulder.
On 24 December 2010, Ibáñez announced that he had submitted a request to obtain Croatian citizenship which would make him eligible to play for the country's
national football teamThe Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, he had earlier declared himself willing to compete for Croatia instead of
ArgentinaThe Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
at international level.
Boca Juniors
Ibáñez started playing football professionally for
Boca JuniorsClub Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
in Argentine Primera División, making his official debut for the club on 19 April 2008 in a 2–1 win against
Newell's Old BoysClub Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
. Ibáñez featured in another league match on 17 May, again in a 2–1 win, this time against
Racing ClubRacing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
. Just as he started his breakthrough to the first team squad of Boca Juniors, he heard that the Croatian league club Dinamo Zagreb was interested in signing him. After consulting with his family and agent, he decided to accept the offer from Dinamo Zagreb and continue his footballing career in Europe. The transfer worth €650,000 was arranged on 11 June and Ibáñez officially joined Dinamo Zagreb two weeks later.
First season
On 25 June 2008, Ibáñez signed a five-year contract worth €300,000 per annum with Dinamo Zagreb along with fellow Argentine footballer
Guillermo SuárezGuillermo Suárez is an Argentine footballer.- Career :Suárez started his career with Deportivo Armenio in 2001, in 2002 he joined Rivadavia de Lincoln where he played until 2007....
who was transferred from
Club Atlético TigreClub Atlético Tigre is a football club from Victoria, San Fernando Partido, Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the end of the 2006-2007 season the club was promoted to the Primera Division Argentina...
. The two were also the first ever Argentine footballers to play for the club. He was presented to the Croatian media as a successor to
Hrvoje ČaleHrvoje Čale is a Croatian international footballer who currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg.-Life and career:Čale began his career at age 9 in the youth ranks of Dinamo Zagreb. He made his break into the first team in 2003. However, he was mostly used as a substitute when starters were injured...
and competition to
Carlos SantosCarlos Santos de Jesus is a Brasilian professional footballer, currently a free agent. He gained Croatian nationality in October 2007.-Club career:...
on the left back position, and was issued a number 3 jersey. The club then signed another left flank player
Mirko HrgovićMirko Hrgović is a Croatia-born Bosnian football player who most current playes for Croatian club RNK Split.-NK Široki Brijeg:...
on 18 July, who would quickly establish himself as a first-choice left back for the club, which eventually saw Ibáñez failing to make an appearance in a couple of early season matches. He was meant to play in his first official match for the club on 23 July in the
Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
first qualifying round against
LinfieldLinfield F.C. , is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, whose home ground is Windsor Park in Belfast, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland international team....
, but was disrupted by a shoulder injury. His debut appearance for Dinamo Zagreb came on 17 August in a 6–0 league win against
CibaliaHNK Cibalia, or just Cibalia, is a Croatian football club from the town of Vinkovci in eastern Croatia. Cibalia currently play in the Prva HNL, Croatia's top flight. Their stadium is located in the south part of their home town and can hold 12,000 spectators...
. Eleven days later, he also debuted in the Champions League, making an appearance as a substitute in a 3–1 defeat against
Shakhtar DonetskFC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
. Soon he established himself as a first team regular and was subject to constant praise by the Croatian football critics for his performances and commitment to the club.
Ibáñez played in his first Eternal derby on 21 September which Dinamo Zagreb lost 2–0 at home grounds. On 19 October he scored his first goal for the club in a league match against
ŠibenikHNK Šibenik is a Croatian football club based in the city of Šibenik on the Croatian coast.The club was formed in 1932. In 2006 the club finished first in the Croatian Second League's southern division and was promoted to the Prva HNL...
from a 45-yard direct free kick which made the final score 2–2. On 23 October he played in the club's first
UEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
group match against NEC, which Dinamo Zagreb won 3–2. After the match, NEC manager
Mario BeenMario Been is a former football professional and football manager from the Netherlands, who is currently the head coach of Genk since 30 August 2011....
said that Ibáñez was among the Dinamo Zagreb players that impressed him the most with their game. He was named the man of the match for his performance in the club's third UEFA Cup group match on 27 November which ended in a 1–0 defeat against
Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
. After the match, he released a press comment stating that he grew as a player since arriving at the club and that he is pleased with how fast he was able to adapt to the new team. His last match in 2008 came on 7 December in a 3–1 league win against
NK ZagrebNK Zagreb is a Croatian football club, from the Croatian capital of Zagreb.NK Zagreb's home is the Stadion Kranjčevićeva with capacity of 8,850. The club's fans are known as the White Angels...
.
His next appearance, and first in 2009, came almost three months later, on 1 March in a league match against Slaven Belupo. After that he made a string of six consecutive appearances in the league, which ended with a match against
Inter ZaprešićNK Inter Zaprešić is a Croatian football club based in Zaprešić, a town northwest of the capital Zagreb originally founded in 1929. They play in the Prva HNL after they were promoted from Druga HNL at the end of the 2006–07 season...
on 11 April. He made three more appearances before the end of the season, reaching a total number of 23 league appearances for the club, five of which he made an appearance as a substitute. He also started in all of the club's UEFA Cup matches. The club went on to win
the doubleThe Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
, and Ibáñez helped with 7 appearances in the Croatian Cup, also scoring a goal against
Hrvatski dragovoljacNK Hrvatski Dragovoljac is a Croatian football club based in the Novi Zagreb neighbourhood of the country's capital city of Zagreb. The team's fans are known as the "Black Warriors"...
in the second round of the competition. On 13 May in the first leg of the Cup finals against Hajduk Split he came into the match as a late substitute, while he failed to make an appearance in the second leg a fortnight later. He made a total of 37 appearances throughout his first season with the club, scored two goals and made one assist. In the post-season break he picked up an injury which then ruled him out for three months.
2009–present
Ibáñez made his first appearance of the new season and marked his return following an off-season injury on 8 August in a
league matchThe 2009–10 Prva HNL season was the nineteenth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 24 July 2009 and ended on 13 May 2010...
against Croatia Sesvete which Dinamo Zagreb won 5–2. His next appearance came one month later, in a league tie against Inter Zaprešić on 12 September. On 5 November he played his first European match of the season in the fourth round of 2009–10 UEFA Europa League group stage against
AjaxAmsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
. On 25 November he scored a goal against Pomorac in the first leg of
2009–10 Croatian CupThe 2009–10 Croatian Cup was the nineteenth season of Croatia's football knockout competition.The defending champions were Dinamo Zagreb since they won the previous year's cup by defeating Hajduk Split on penalties after the result was tied 3–3 on aggregate....
quarterfinals. In Europa League, he played full match in 1–0 away win against Anderlecht on 2 December and featured in 2–1 home defeat against FC Timişoara on 17 December. He made only 9 league appearances for the club before the winter break, the last one being against Međimurje on 6 December.
He made his first appearance in the 2010 on 27 February in a 6–0 league win over Croatia Sesvete. Ibáñez then played full 90 minutes in five consecutive league matches until 3 April when he got injured in a match against
RijekaHNK Rijeka is a Croatian football club, from Rijeka on the Croatian coast.-History:The club was founded as NK Kvarner in 1946, after Rijeka passed from Italy to Yugoslavia following the end of World War II. During its early period in Yugoslavia, the club had moderate success in various Yugoslav...
. He sustained a broken mandible in a collision with
Alen Pamić Alen Pamić is a Croatian professional footballer who plays for Standard de Liège in the Belgium.-External links:...
during an aerial challenge. Despite the injury Ibáñez decided to play in the Croatian Cup semifinals against Hajduk Split. He played until the 79th minute of the match when he was substituted. After the match he underwent surgery, although he reportedly asked manager Jurčić to play one more league match against
LokomotivaNK Lokomotiva is a Croatian football club based in Zagreb, currently competing in the Prva HNL, the country's top division. Founded originally as ŽŠK Victoria in 1914, the club's only period of success came in the late 1940s and early 1950s before spending most of the following five decades as...
. He returned to action on 1 May in a league match against Hajduk Split which ended in a goalless draw. Ibáñez made a total of 18 league appearances in his second consecutive title-winning season with the club. In Croatian Cup, he featured in six matches and scored one goal.
The
2010–11 seasonGNK Dinamo Zagreb are an association football club from Zagreb, Croatia. Home matches were played at the club's ground, Maksimir Stadium, which had a capacity of xx,xxx for the 2010–11 season. Dinamo's season officially began 1 June 2010 and concluded on 30 May 2011, although competitive matches...
for Ibáñez started on 13 July when he played in a 5–1 home win against
FC KoperFC Koper is a Slovenian football club, playing in the town of Koper. The club is one of only three football clubs in the country, the others being Maribor and former Olimpija, that won all three domestic competitions . The team plays its matches on Bonifika stadium that was built in 2010 and has a...
in the second qualifying round of the Champions League. On 17 July he won his first title of the season, making an appearance as a substitute in 2010
Croatian SupercupThe Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...
match against Hajduk Split which Dinamo Zagreb won 1–0. On 24 July he played the whole match in a 4–1 win against Hrvatski Dragovoljac on the opening matchday of the
2010–11 Prva HNLThe 2010–11 Prva HNL season was the twentieth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 23 July 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011...
. Ibáñez featured in both of the club's Champions League third qualifying round matches against Sheriff Tiraspol which Dinamo Zagreb lost on penalties after an aggregate result was 2–2. He also successfully took a penalty during the shootout for a 4–3 score. On 30 October he scored a goal in injury time in a league match against Inter Zaprešić for the final score 3–0. He scored one more against Hrvatski dragovoljac three weeks later.
The 2011-12 season started brightly for Ibañez as he scored in a league match against Cibalia in the Prva HNL and against
HJK HelsinkiHelsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...
in
Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifiyng.
He then made a string of impressive performances, assisting for the second goal in a 4-1 win against
Malmö FFMalmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
in the Champions League Play-off and scoring the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Hajduk Split and twice in a 7-0 win against NK Varaždin.
In August 2011, Dinamo refused an offer from Schalke 04 for Ibañez.
Style of play
Ibáñez prefers to play on the left flank, either as a full-back or winger and considers himself equally adept at both positions. Since his arrival, he has been praised by Croatian media for his work rate, pace, agility, technical skills and shot power. His powerful left foot shot is considered as his main attribute by the critics. He is also noted for being an excellent direct free kick taker. He was the usual set-piece taker whilst in the reserve team at Boca Juniors. He quickly arose to popularity due to his constant commitment on the field and for always giving his best. Dinamo Zagreb's executive vice president
Zdravko MamićZdravko Mamić is a Croatian football administrator and football manager. Since 2003 he is the executive manager of Dinamo Zagreb, the most successful football club in Croatia....
once stated that Ibáñez is best Croatian left back since
Robert JarniRobert Jarni is a retired Croatian footballer who played as left winger or wingback. He is now a manager, but is currently without a club after resigning from his managerial post at Istra 1961 in September 2010....
, despite player not having Croatian nationality.
Career statistics
| Club |
Season |
League[Includes Argentine Primera División and Prva HNL.] |
Cup[Includes Croatian Cup]The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
and Croatian SupercupThe Croatian Supercup is a football match between the winners of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup. The Supercup serves as a curtain raiser of the new football season and is only held when different clubs happen to win the two most important competitions during the previous season The Croatian...
. |
Continental[Includes UEFA Champions League]The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and UEFA Europa League. |
Total |
| Apps |
Goals |
Asst |
Apps |
Goals |
Asst |
Apps |
Goals |
Asst |
Apps |
Goals |
Asst |
 Boca JuniorsClub Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
|
2007–08 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
—[The Argentine Football Association]The Argentine Football Association is the governing body of football in Argentina. It organises the Argentine football league and the Argentina national football team. It is based in Buenos Aires...
does not organise a cup competition for the Argentine football clubs. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
 Dinamo ZagrebGNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
|
2008–09 |
23 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
37 |
2 |
1 |
| 2009–10 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
27 |
1 |
0 |
| 2010–11 GNK Dinamo Zagreb are an association football club from Zagreb, Croatia. Home matches were played at the club's ground, Maksimir Stadium, which had a capacity of xx,xxx for the 2010–11 season. Dinamo's season officially began 1 June 2010 and concluded on 30 May 2011, although competitive matches...
|
22 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
37 |
3 |
4 |
| 2011–12 This article shows statistics of individual players and lists all matches that Dinamo Zagreb will play in the 2011–12 season.-Current squad:Sources: , , , 1Played for Dinamo Zagreb in 1997-20002Played for Dinamo Zagreb in 1999-2003...
|
6 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
5 |
2 |
| Career total |
71 |
7 |
6 |
18 |
3 |
0 |
26 |
1 |
1 |
115 |
11 |
7 |
- Note: Apps = appearances made, Goals = goals scored, Asst = assists made
Honours
- Croatian First League (3): 2008–09, 2009–10
The 2009–10 Prva HNL season was the nineteenth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 24 July 2009 and ended on 13 May 2010...
, 2010–11The 2010–11 Prva HNL season was the twentieth season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. It began on 23 July 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011...
- Croatian Cup
The Croatian Cup is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the Prva HNL league championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation and usually runs from late August to May...
(2): 2008–09, 2010–11The 2010–11 Croatian Cup is the twentieth season of Croatia's football knockout competition.The defending champions are Hajduk Split, having won their 5th title the previous year by defeating Šibenik in the final....
- Croatian Super Cup (1): 2010
External links