Biography
Who is Luis Antonio Jiménez?
Early life and football starts
Luis Antonio Jiménez was born in Santiago, Chile. He grew up in the country and began his youth football career with the club Palestino. This team is distinct because it is primarily composed of individuals with Palestinian ancestry. Luis secured Palestinian citizenship in June 2013. He initiated his professional football path in Italy when he joined the club Ternana in 2002. This decision marked the commencement of a lengthy period playing within the Italian league system.
Playing career in Europe
Luis Antonio Jiménez experienced a diverse career path while playing for various European clubs. In January 2006, he transferred to ACF Fiorentina while operating under a joint ownership arrangement with his previous team. During his time at Fiorentina, he functioned as a right-sided winger or striker, participating in 19 games and netting 3 goals. Following his tenure there, he joined Lazio after an agreement was reached in January 2007. Later that summer, Inter Milan signed the player on loan. He scored his first goal for Inter during a Champions League match against Fenerbahce. His performance eventually resulted in a co-ownership agreement with Inter.
Under the guidance of coach Jose Mourinho, he contributed to the squad, including scoring a penalty during a Supercup triumph. In June 2009, he moved to West Ham United in England. He made his debut for the team in a match against Wolves. He also scored a penalty for West Ham in a win against Burnley. He later had stints at Parma and AC Cesena. These European experiences allowed him to compete in different tactical systems across Italy and England.
International duty and personal life
The Chilean midfielder also represented his nation at several levels. He played for the Chile U17 squad during the 2001 South American U-17 Championship and the Chile U20 team at the 2003 South American U-20 Championship. His senior international debut took place on April 28, 2004, in a game against Peru. In June 2005, he provided an assist for Marcelo Salas during a qualifying match against Bolivia. He also scored two goals against Venezuela in a separate qualification game. Luis became the captain of the national team during 2006. After a lengthy absence, he returned to the national squad in March 2021 for a match against Bolivia. He scored his third international goal during this game, becoming the oldest goalscorer for Chile at that time.
Outside of his national duties, Luis played for Shabab AlAhli Dubai Club and Magallanes. He married model Maria Jose Lopez in 2006. The couple has triplets born in 2010 and a son born in 2016. Luis was accused of assaulting Mauricio Pinilla in a Santiago nightclub in December 2008. His daughter Isidora has also trained with the Chile youth squad. The family maintains a close friendship with the family of Carlos Villanueva, who was a teammate at Al-Ittihad.
Birthday and age
Luis Antonio Jiménez was born on June 17, 1984, which makes Luis 42 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Luis shares the date with 65 other famous people.
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