Germán Denis

Germán Gustavo Denis (born 10 September 1981) is an Argentine football striker who plays for Italian club Reggina.

Germán Denis
Personal information
Full name Germán Gustavo Denis
Date of birth (1981-09-10) 10 September 1981
Place of birth Remedios de Escalada, Argentina
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Reggina
Number 19
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1999 Talleres RE 33 (25)
2000 Quilmes 4 (2)
2000–2001 Los Andes 28 (18)
2002–2003 Cesena 29 (3)
2003–2005 Arsenal de Sarandí 54 (13)
2005–2006 Colón 36 (11)
2006–2008 Independiente 70 (37)
2008–2010 Napoli 63 (13)
2010–2012 Udinese 25 (4)
2011–2012 → Atalanta (loan) 33 (16)
2012–2016 Atalanta 120 (40)
2016–2017 Independiente 26 (5)
2017–2018 Lanús 24 (5)
2018–2019 Universitario 32 (16)
2019– Reggina 18 (10)
National team
2007 Argentina 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 February 2020 17:33 (UTC)

Career

Denis began his career in 1997 playing for his local team Talleres de Remedios de Escalada in Primera B Metropolitana, which is the regionalised 3rd division of Argentine football.

In 2000, he moved to Primera newboys Club Atlético Los Andes, in Lomas de Zamora, but the club was relegated at the end of his first season, he continued playing for them in Primera B Nacional until he was signed by Italian Serie B side Cesena.

In 2003 made his return to Argentina and the Primera Division with Jorge Burruchaga's Arsenal de Sarandí. He played for them for two seasons before moving on to Colón. In the summer of 2006 he rejoined former manager Jorge Burruchaga at Independiente.

After scoring 15 goals in the first 13 games of the Apertura 2007 tournament, Denis was called up to join the Argentina national football team for the first two matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, against Chile and Venezuela. He made his debut with a brief substitute appearance against Venezuela on 16 October 2007.

Napoli

In June 2008 Denis signed for Italian Serie A club Napoli[1] for a fee about €7.5285 million.[2]

On his first appearance for the club, he scored a hat-trick as Napoli ran out winners in a friendly against Austrian side Jennersdorf. Napoli beat Jennersdorf 10–0. Denis scored his first official goal for Napoli against Vllaznia in the UEFA Cup, on 14 August 2008. He also scored once more in the UEFA Cup against Benfica. On 29 October, Denis scored the first hat-trick of his career in Serie A during Napoli's 3–0 victory over Reggina. With the arrival of new manager Donadoni, the latter started to prefer the Zalayeta-Lavezzi striking partnership, reducing Denis's playing time.

Udinese

In the 2010–11 Serie A season he moved to Udinese Calcio. He played the second leg against Arsenal in 2011–12 UEFA Champions League play-off round.

Atalanta

Serie A newcomer Atalanta B.C. signed Denis on a season-long loan for the 2011–12 season.[3] Denis scored 12 goals in 16 matches between the start of the season and the winter break. After a loan spell the striker got back into the scoring way against Roma, on 26 February 2012 with a marvelous hat-trick and take his goal tally up to 15 for the season.[4] Denis ended the season as the club's top scorer with 16 goals.

In November 2011, the Atalanta director, Pierpaolo Marino, confirmed that Denis will join the club on a permanent deal after the end of the player's loan contract.[5] On 19 June, the deal was made and Denis signed a three-year contract with the Bergamo club, for an undisclosed fee.[6]

On 27 April 2015, Denis was banned for five matches after he burst into the opposition dressing room the day before and punched Empoli defender Lorenzo Tonelli.[7]

On 30 January 2016, Denis scored on his final appearance for Atalanta, a 1–1 draw against Sassuolo, before returning to play for Independiente in Argentina. He is the highest non-Italian goalscorer in the club's history, with 56 goals.[8]

Reggina

Denis signed a two-year contract with Serie C outfit Reggina on 22 August 2019, making a return to Italy after three years.[9]

Style of play

A powerful striker, who is capable of playing anywhere along the front-line, and of using his physique to hold up the ball for teammates, Denis is known for his goalscoring, as well as ability in the air.[10] During his time in Argentina, he was given the nickname el tanque, which means the tank in Spanish, due to his physical strength.[11] He is also an accurate penalty taker.[12]

Career statistics
As of match played on 21 February 2018[13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Colón2005–06Argentine Primera División 361100003611
Independiente2006–07Argentine Primera División 341000003410
2007–08 362700003627
Total 703700007037
Napoli2008–09Serie A 348004[lower-alpha 1]23810
2009–10 2952000315
Total 631320426920
Udinese2010–11Serie A 2542100275
2011–12 00001[lower-alpha 2]010
Total 2542110285
Atalanta2011–12Serie A 331600003316
2012–13 361520003815
2013–14 371310003813
2014–15 3281000338
2015–16 1541000164
Total 15356500015856
Independiente2016Argentine Primera División 153201[lower-alpha 3]0183
2016–17 112001[lower-alpha 4]0122
Total 2652020305
Lanús2016–17Argentine Primera División 63005[lower-alpha 5]1114
2017–18 112203[lower-alpha 5]0162
Total 1752081266
Career totals 390131131153418135
  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearance in UEFA Champions League
  3. Appearance in Copa Sudamericana
  4. Appearance in Torneos de Verano
  5. Appearances in Copa Libertadores

Honours

Individual

References
  1. "German Denis in azzurro, contratto quinquennale".
  2. S.S.C. Napoli S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2008 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
  3. Movimenti di mercato in uscita (Market movements); Udinese Calcio, 25 August 2011. Retrieved on 12 July 2012. (in Italian)
  4. ATALANTA VS. ROMA 4 – 1; Global Sports Media. Retrieved on 13 July 2012.
  5. Atalanta's Pierpaolo Marino confirms German Denis will join on a permanent deal; Goal.com, 6 November 2011. Retrieved on 13 July 2012.
  6. "Atalanta now own Denis". Football Italia. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  7. "Five game ban for Denis". Football Italia. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  8. "Addio con gol (e lacrime) per Denis, l'Atalanta ferma il Sassuolo" (in Italian). La Stampa. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  9. "EL TANQUE ES OFICIAL!" (Press release) (in Italian). Reggina. 22 August 2019.
  10. Marco Azzi (22 July 2008). "La vita 'segreta' di Denis il tedesco nato in Argentina" [The 'secret' life of Denis the German born in Argentina] (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  11. "Tutti i nomignoli dei sudamericani" [All the nicknames of the South-Americans] (in Italian). Sport Mediaset. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  12. Porfidia, Alberto -sindrome-rigori-continuera-a-tirarli-ilicic/298880/ (25 December 2018). "Atalanta e la sindrome rigori: continuerà a tirarli Ilicic?" [Atalanta and the penalty syndrome: will Ilicic continue to take them?]. Bergamo News (in Italian). Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  13. Germán Denis at Soccerway. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
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