Walter Samuel

Walter Adrián Samuel (born March 22, 1978 in Laborde, Córdoba Province (Argentina)) is an Argentina football (soccer) player, who currently plays for Internazionale Milano F.C. of the Serie A.

Samuel started playing professionally in 1996 in Argentina for Newell's Old Boys, and a year later moved to Boca Juniors where he stayed until 2000. In that year AS Roma bought his contract for Euro19.8m. He gained fame as one of the best defenders in the Italian league and attracted interest from Spanish team Real Madrid. Real paid 25,000,000 Euros (almost 30,000,000 U.S. dollars) for his transfer in 2004. But Samuel had a poor performance that season, and in August 2005 he returned to the Italian League, with a transfer to Internazionale Milano F.C. for 16 million euros, signed 4 year contract.

The centre back got the nickname of Il Muro (The Wall) while playing for AS Roma in Italy, due to his defensive skills.

He has played 53 matches for the Argentine national team, scoring 4 goals. He played for his country in the Football World Cup 2002.

Achievements

- 2007 Serie A (Internazionale Milano F.C.)
- 2006 SuperCoppa Italiana (Internazionale Milano F.C.)
- 2006 Coppa Italia (Internazionale Milano F.C.)
- 2005 SuperCoppa Italiana (Internazionale Milano F.C.)
- 2001 SuperCoppa Italiana (AS Roma)
- 2001 Serie A (AS Roma)
- 2000 Copa Libertadores (Boca Juniors)
- 1999 Primera División Argentina (Boca Juniors)
- 1998 Primera División Argentina (Boca Juniors)
- 1997 FIFA's Football World Youth Championship

Personal life

Son of a single mother, he was born under the name of Walter Luján, but decided to change his mother's lastname for his stepfather's lastname when he was a teenager.

He has a daughter.