Cristian Fabbiani: Last of the Overweight Footballers?

By: Daryl | March 3rd, 2009

If you really think Frank Lampard is fat, then either a) you’re blind, or b) you have a special type of anorexia where you project your weight issues onto Chelsea midfielders. You want to see a proper overweight footballer? Then how about River Plate striker Cristian Fabbiani (left). Also known as “El Ogro”.

That picture is more than a little unflattering. And to be fair that’s not all belly bulging out from under that shirt. But Fabbiani’s weight has become enough of a problem for River coach Nestor Gorosito to intervene.

Right now Fabbiani is over 100kg (220lbs for US readers, or 15 and a half stone to UK readers). Here’s what Gorosito said in a radio interview:

“I’ve told him that even if he eats salad, if he eats three bowls of salad, it’s the same as eating something else.”
“Because a cow eats grass and it’s a cow, it eats all day and it’s a cow.

“Fabbiani needs to accept responsibility and lose weight. I don’t need him to go down to 92 or 93 kilos, but he has to get down to 97 and at the moment he’s a hundred and a bit.

“We want him to play 90 minutes, not just half an hour.”

I’m not clear on whether he’s nicknamed El Ogro because he once celebrated a goal in Chile by wearing a Shrek mask, or because he’s carrying a bit too much blubber. Seems like a chicken and egg situation.

Here’s some recent (Feb 15th) footage of Fabbiani scoring the winner for River against Rosario Central (around the 1:00 mark in the vid)

Clearly the lad’s got talent. But just as clearly, there’s a lot of him to go around.

And I’m a little torn on this. I miss the days when overweight footballers like Micky Quinn (He’s fat, he’s round, He scores at every ground!) could have a professional career. And cult figures like Fabianni and Quinn are – for me- what makes football so much fun.

On the other hand, football has changed and everyone’s a lot fitter. I blame Arsene Wenger. So if Fabbiani can’t put the effort in and lose a little weight then maybe he doesn’t deserve a professional career. How about a joint weight loss program with similarly blubbery FC Volendam keeper Jeroen Verhoeven?

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Category: World Football

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richard

he's no Neville Southall...
martin

Seriously its all about Andy Reid. He's a quality player.
Christian

Ole, ole, ole oleeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Ogrooooooooo, Ogrooooooooo
Matt

If u watch that vid, it is quite clear that hairstyle wise, Argentina is still in the 80's. And I love it.
Rory

Charlie Miller. He looks more like someones aging office worker dad than a professional footballer.
Tim

The Jigga Man dusts off his shoulder ... El Ogro dusts off his belly. El Ogro ftw!
Cerberus

I'd actually like to see a "fat" footballer do well. Big doesn't always equal unhealthy or unfit and I think the only reason football is getting so anorexic is how important pace is these days so that having a sprinter's physique is more and more important for breakaways.

I think a striker who can actually throw some weight around during headers or challenges would be nice and may actually become a new exciting tactic once pros forget how to challenge that type of attacker. Especially some place like the EPL where career-ending sliding tackles are seen as a hello.
lefutur

Andy Reid puts that guy to shame