Gabriel Milito - FC Barcelona

Gabriel Alejandro Milito (born 7 September 1980, Bernal, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine professional football defender, currently playing for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona.

Previously, Milito played for Argentine first division Independiente from 1997 to 2003. During that time, he had to face his older brother Diego Milito, who played for Independiente's arch-rivals Racing Club, and who as of the end of the 2006-07 season was his teammate at Real Zaragoza.

In 2003, he was due to be transferred to Real Madrid, but the Spanish team rejected the player after some medical results that, so the club said, showed a not-fully-recovered knee injury. To many, it was a political move against Madrid's football director Jorge Valdano, who wanted the player in the team. It was also suggested that he was rejected because he was not a very famous player internationally, and therefore would not fit the galactico team which Real Madrid presented at the time.[citation needed] Milito decided to stay in Spain, and signed for Real Zaragoza.

With the Argentine national football team he participated in the Confederations Cup 2005 and was part of the squad which qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, performing well in the first-round match of Argentina against Netherlands national football team.

On July 10 Real Zaragoza reached an agreement with FC Barcelona for 20.5 million euros(£13.9m), with this agreement Milito has become a new player of FC Barcelona. Milito has signed a contract with FC Barcelona for the next four seasons earning approximately 4 millions euros (£2.7m) for each season.

On July 19 Milito passed his medical at FC Barcelona and signed a four-year deal with the club. He has been given the number '3' shirt to wear at present after the number was free due to Thiago Motta's transfer to Atlético Madrid.

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