Daniel Montenegro

Daniel Montenegro
	Montenegro in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Daniel Gastón Montenegro Casella
Date of birth	28 March 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	Huracán
Senior career*
Years	Team
1997–1999	Huracán
1999	Independiente
2000–2002	Marseille
2000–2001	→ Zaragoza (loan)
2001–2002	→ Osasuna (loan)
2002	→ Huracán (loan)
2002–2003	Independiente
2003–2004	River Plate
2004–2005	Saturn
2005–2006	River Plate
2006–2009	Independiente
2009–2012	América
2013–2014	Independiente
2015–2018	Huracán
Total
International career
1999	Argentina U20
2007–2009	Argentina
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Daniel Gastón Montenegro Casella (born 28 March 1979) is an Argentine former footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder.

He spent most of his professional career with Huracán and Independiente, having several spells with both clubs over 21 years. He appeared three times for Argentina, in the 2000s.

Club career

Born in Buenos Aires, Montenegro began his professional career at Club Atlético Huracán in 1997. He subsequently signed for Club Atlético Independiente, going on to represent the club on three different spells and teaming up with sibling Ariel in the first.^[1]

In the 1999 January transfer window, Montenegro moved to France with Olympique de Marseille, being loaned several times by the Ligue 1 side for the duration of his contract, mostly to teams in Spain (Real Zaragoza – where he contributed four matches to their conquest of the Copa del Rey – and CA Osasuna, both in La Liga). He then played in quick succession for Independiente and Club Atlético River Plate, before spending parts of two seasons in the Russian Premier League with FC Saturn Ramenskoye.^[2]

Montenegro returned to his main club for the 2006–07 season, going on to often act as captain and scoring in double digits in three of his first four years, including a career-best 15 goals in 2008–09. He moved abroad again in 2009, signing with Mexico's Club América for $3.5 million after lengthy negotiations.^[3] He made his Liga MX debut for his new team on 2 August, in a 1–2 home loss to Monarcas Morelia.^[4] Late in the same month, he scored from his own half in a 7–2 rout of Deportivo Toluca F.C. also at the Estadio Azteca.^[5]

On 22 December 2012, free agent Montenegro rejoined Independiente for a fourth spell, agreeing to a one-and-a-half-year contract.^[6] In early 2015, he was ousted from the squad after a run-in with manager Jorge Almirón and forced to train alone.^[7]^[8]

Aged 36, Montenegro returned to Huracán after 13 years having rejected an offer from Club Atlético Nueva Chicago.^[9] He remained on the bench for the final of the Supercopa Argentina, won against Club Atlético River Plate shortly after his arrival.^[10]

At the end of the 2017–18 campaign, in which he helped the Parque Patricios-based side qualify to the Copa Libertadores after a fourth-place league finish, Montenegro announced his retirement.^[11]^[12]

International career

Montenegro represented the Argentina under-20 team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship,^[13] and made his debut with the full side on 18 April 2007, against Chile.^[14] He won the second of his three caps on 1 April 2009, appearing as a late substitute in the Albiceleste's 6–1 defeat in Bolivia for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[15]

Personal life

Montenegro's older brother, Ariel, was also a footballer and a midfielder. They shared teams at Independiente, and he spent most of his career in Spain.^[16]

Honours

Zaragoza

Copa del Rey: 2000–01^[17]

Independiente

Argentine Primera División: Apertura 2002

River Plate

Argentine Primera División: Clausura 2004

Huracán

Supercopa Argentina: 2014^[10]

References

^ Montenegro hermanos (Montenegro brothers); Clarín, 8 February 2000 (in Spanish)
^ Los 10 jugadores latinoamericanos que fracasaron en Europa (The 10 Latin American players who did not make it in Europe); Be Soccer, 29 September 2016 (in Spanish)
^ El América de México ficha al argentino Daniel Montenegro (América de México sign Argentine Daniel Montenegro) Archived 29 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine; La Información, 17 July 2009 (in Spanish)
^ América 1–2 Morelia... Las Águilas volaron a ras de pasto en el Azteca (América 1–2 Morelia... The Eagles flew too close to ground at the Azteca); Medio Tiempo, 2 August 2009 (in Spanish)
^ América 7–2 Toluca... Las Águilas tocaron el cielo (América 7–2 Toluca... The Eagles touched the sky); Medio Tiempo, 30 August 2009 (in Spanish)
^ El "Rolfi" Montenegro es el primer refuerzo de Independiente ("Rolfi" Montenegro is Independiente's first addition); Minuto Uno, 22 December 2012 (in Spanish)
^ En un clima convulsionado, Independiente hizo fútbol y Montenegro lo mira desde afuera (In rocky atmosphere, Independiente played football and Montenegro looked from the outside); Infobae, 9 January 2015 (in Spanish)
^ "La gente es el termómetro de lo que yo hice por Independiente" ("People are the thermometer of what I did for Independiente"); Infobae, 9 February 2015 (in Spanish)
^ Cambio de planes: Rolfi Montenegro jugará en Huracán, tras descartar a Nueva Chicago (Change of plans: Rolfi Montenegro will play in Huracán, after discarding Nueva Chicago); La Nación, 19 February 2015 (in Spanish)
^ ^a ^b Huracán sorprendió a River, se quedó con la Supercopa Argentina y lo dejó 'herido' para los 'Superclásicos' ante Boca (Huracán surprised River, took the Argentine Supercup and left them 'wounded' for the 'Superclásicos' against Boca); Infobae, 25 April 2015 (in Spanish)
^ El Rolfi Montenegro se retiró del fútbol profesional (Rolfi Montenegro retired from professional football) Archived 6 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine; Fox Sports, 12 May 2018 (in Spanish)
^ Latinoamérica, a examen: Cristal ya es campeón y el Rolfi deja a Huracán en Libertadores (Latin America, through the magnifying glass: Cristal are already champions and Rolfi leaves Huracán in Libertadores); Marca, 14 May 2018 (in Spanish)
^ Daniel Montenegro – FIFA competition record (archived)
^ Chile aprueba con empate amistoso frente a Argentina (Chile pass the test with friendly draw against Argentina); El Mercurio, 18 April 2007 (in Spanish)
^ Bolivia humilla a Argentina (Bolivia humiliate Argentina); Marca, 1 April 2009 (in Spanish)
^ Los Montenegro gritaron goles en dos direcciones (The Montenegros shouted goal in two directions); Clarín, 14 March 2009 (in Spanish)
^ Llegó el Frente y se fue el Atlético (The Front arrived and Atlético left); ABC, 21 June 2001 (in Spanish)

External links

Daniel Montenegro at BDFA (in Spanish)
Daniel Montenegro – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
Daniel Montenegro at BDFutbol
Daniel Montenegro – Liga MX stats at MedioTiempo.com (archived) (in Spanish)
Daniel Montenegro at National-Football-Teams.com
Daniel Montenegro at Soccerway