Emanuel Mammana

Emanuel Mammana is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as centre defender for the national team and Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg. He was born on 10th February 1996 in the province of Merlo of Central Argentina. He was occasionally deployed in the right-back in his former club, River Plate.

Mammana has displayed his spark at an early age in international football thanks to his elegance, ability to intercept, stupendous positioning. The 21-year-old Argentine is hailed as one of the future prospects at the international level.

Background

Mammana started playing football at a local club, Los Santos. But he lost his mother at the age of six. Two years later, River Plate spotted incipient talent in young Mammana and he was included in the Academy of the famous Argentine club. Although he started as a midfielder, he switched to centre-back position. He suffered another blow in 2011 when he lost his father.

However, in the same year, he was picked up for the Argentina Under-15 and played seven matches in the South American Under-15 Football Championship, Sudamericano. He played an instrumental role in lifting the 2013 South American Under-17 Football Championship. Later that year, he impressed experts in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup playing both in the right flank and centre.

Debut

Impressed by the youngster’s performance, then Argentina coach, Alejandro Sabella, allowed Mammana to train with the senior team before the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Injuries of two central defenders created a void in the Argentine central defence and Mammana got his maiden international cap in an international friendly match against Slovenia in June 2014.

He came on the pitch 15 minutes from the time. During his international debut, he was yet to make his senior team debut for his club side.

Rise to Glory

Mammana has been dwelling with success since professional debut. He stood tall in the defence to lift Argentina Under-20 to win Sudamericano in 2015. He attracted many European clubs with his performance in the 2015 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

In Lyon, he recorded over 70 percent success in tackles and averaged more than five clearances per game.

Club Career

Mammana’s maiden senior team appearance for River Plate came in the quarter-final of the Copa Argentina in October 2014. Playing as the right-back in the second leg of the final against Atletico Nacional, Mammana lifted his team to clinch the Copa Sudamericana after 17 years.

In two seasons, he made 24 appearances for the side and River Plate enjoyed its highly successful couple of years.

In the summer of 2016, he joined French top-tier side, Olympique Lyon, at 6.3 million Euro. He made 18 appearances and netted a goal in his only season in Lyon before heading way to Russia in the next summer. He penned a five-year contract with Zenit Saint Petersburg at 14.3 million Euro.