Biography
Who is Martín Demichelis?
Early life and professional beginnings
Martín Gastón Demichelis was born in Justiniano Posse, Argentina, on December 20, 1980. He joined the youth system of the Buenos Aires-based club River Plate three years before starting his professional career there in 2001. During his early time with River Plate, he played in the first division and scored his only goal for the team against Rosario Central.
In a well-known 2002 match against Racing Club, he had to take over as goalkeeper after teammate Ángel Comizzo received a red card with one minute remaining. Although the team conceded a goal from a free kick during that time, River Plate secured the Clausura title.
Playing career in Europe
In the summer of 2003, Martín Demichelis moved to Germany to sign with Bayern Munich for a fee of 4.5 million euros. Under manager Felix Magath, he became a regular starter and helped the team win back-to-back doubles. During his seven and a half years in Munich, he won 11 major titles, including the Bundesliga four times. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld later converted him from a defensive midfielder into a central defender.
He eventually left Germany and spent time playing for Málaga in Spain and Manchester City in England. With Manchester City, he won the Premier League title once and the League Cup twice. He also had short spells playing for Atlético Madrid and Espanyol before returning to Málaga to conclude his playing career in 2017.
International football with Argentina
Martín made his debut for the Argentina national team on November 12, 2005, during a friendly match against England. He earned 51 caps for his country during his career. He was part of the squad for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, and he also participated in the 2005 Confederations Cup and the 2015 Copa América.
During the 2014 World Cup, he played in the quarter-final against Belgium and the semi-final against the Netherlands. He started in the final match against Germany, where Argentina finished as runners-up after losing 1-0 in extra time. He also scored his first international goal in 2007 during a friendly match against Australia.
Transition to coaching
Following his retirement from professional play in May 2017, Martín Demichelis began his coaching career as an assistant manager at Málaga. He later returned to Bayern Munich in 2019 to manage the under-19 team. In 2021, he became the manager of Bayern Munich II alongside Danny Schwarz.
In 2022, he took the position of manager at his former club, River Plate, where he won the Argentine Primera División in his first season. After subsequent roles at Monterrey in Mexico and Mallorca in Spain, he became the head coach of RB Leipzig in 2026.
Birthday and age
Martín Demichelis was born on December 20, 1980, which makes Martín 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Martín shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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