Pablo Aimar

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Personal information
Pablo Aimar
Full name	Pablo Cesar Aimar
Date of birth	3 November 1979
Place of birth	Rio Cuarto, Argentina
Height	170 cm (5'7")
Nickname	Payaso (Clown), Cai
Position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Real Zaragoza
Number	8
Youth clubs
?	Club Atlético River Plate
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1996-2001 2001-2006 2006-	Club Atlético River Plate Valencia CF Real Zaragoza	82 (21) 162 (28) 7 (2)
National team**
1999-	Argentina	44 (7)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2006.

Pablo Cesar Aimar (born November 3, 1979 in Rio Cuarto, Argentina) is an Argentine football player, who currently plays attacking midfielder for Real Zaragoza of the Spanish La Liga.

1 Career
2 Honors and awards
- 2.1 Image:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina
- 2.2 Image:Flag of Spain.svg Valencia
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Career

Aimar began his ascent to stardom with River Plate, whose first team he joined for the 1997/8 season after rejecting a place at medical school, and with whom he quickly established himself as one of the best young players in Argentina.

Valencia signed Aimar in 2001, at a price of 24 million Euros. The purchase proved justified, however, as Aimar helped lead the team to a first-place finish in the 2001/2 Spanish season, as well as to a 2001 UEFA Champions League final, in which they were defeated by Bayern Munich. Aimar also has won the UEFA Cup with Valencia, defeating Olympique Marseille in 2004. Aimar has been injured a lot recently and therefore in and out of the team.

Aimar played for Argentina in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. He is nicknamed "El Payaso", the Clown. Other nicknames include "El Cai", "El Pibe" and "El Mago". Diego Maradona later said that Aimar was "his legitimate successor as the world's best player" and that he would pay to watch Aimar play (although it is worth noting that Maradona has said that about all players touted as his successor, including Andres D'Alessandro- also in Real Zaragoza- and Lionel Messi).

On 12 April 2006, he was hospitalized after being diagnosed with acute viral meningitis, but made a quick recovery and has returned to play for his team.

On 12 June 2006, it was reported in the British media that Aimar's former coach Rafael Benitez is interested in signing him for Liverpool F.C.. But on July 29 2006, he joined Real Zaragoza in 4 years-deal for €11 million<ref>"ZARAGOZA SEAL AIMAR DEAL", Sky Sports, July 29, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-07-29.</ref>, and will receive €1.5 million per year. La Liga and Europe are his objective, again.

[edit] Honors and awards

[edit] Image:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina

FIFA World Youth Championship: 1997

[edit] Image:Flag of Spain.svg Valencia

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Image:Flag of Argentina.svg	Argentina squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup	Image:Flag of Argentina.svg
1 Burgos \| 2 Ayala \| 3 Sorín \| 4 Pochettino \| 5 Almeyda \| 6 Samuel \| 7 C. López \| 8 Zanetti \| 9 Batistuta \| 10 Ortega \| 11 Verón \| 12 Cavallero \| 13 Placente \| 14 Simeone \| 15 Husaín \| 16 Aimar \| 17 G. López \| 18 González \| 19 Crespo \| 20 Gallardo \| 21 Caniggia \| 22 Chamot \| 23 Bonano \| Coach: Bielsa

Image:Flag of Argentina.svg	Argentina squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup Quarter-finalists	Image:Flag of Argentina.svg
1 Abbondanzieri \| 2 Ayala \| 3 Sorín \| 4 Coloccini \| 5 Cambiasso \| 6 Heinze \| 7 Saviola \| 8 Mascherano \| 9 Crespo \| 10 Riquelme \| 11 Tévez \| 12 Franco \| 13 Scaloni \| 14 Palacio \| 15 Milito \| 16 Aimar \| 17 Cufré \| 18 Rodríguez \| 19 Messi \| 20 Cruz \| 21 Burdisso \| 22 González \| 23 Ustari \| Coach: Pekerman

Real Zaragoza - Current Squad
1 Sánchez \| 2 Diogo \| 3 Aranzábal \| 4 Cuartero \| 5 Oscar \| 6 G. Milito \| 7 Movilla \| 8 Aimar \| 9 García \| 10 D'Alessandro \| 11 Juanfran \| 13 Martínez \| 14 Ponzio \| 15 Lafita \| 16 Celades \| 17 Éwerthon \| 18 Piqué \| 19 César \| 20 Longás \| 21 Zapater \| 22 D. Milito \| 23 Sergio \| 24 Chus \| Manager: Fernández