David Abraham (footballer)

David Abraham
Born	(1986-07-15) July 15, 1986 Chabás, Argentina
Occupation	Professional footballer (retired)
Years active	2004–2021
Known for	Central defender for Independiente, Gimnàstic de Tarragona, FC Basel, Getafe, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Huracán de Chabás

David Ángel Abraham (born 15 July 1986) is a retired Argentine professional footballer who operated primarily as a central defender.

Career

Originating from Chabás, Argentina, Abraham launched his professional journey with Independiente in 2004, swiftly establishing himself as a regular starter. He was included in the Argentine squad that triumphed at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship held in the Netherlands, alongside distinguished teammates such as Sergio Agüero, Fernando Gago, and Lionel Messi.

In 2007, Abraham made a move to Gimnàstic de Tarragona competing in Spain’s Segunda División. However, after the team failed to achieve promotion to La Liga, he departed the club.

On 8 July 2008, Abraham secured a four-year deal with Swiss champions FC Basel. Under head coach Christian Gross, he joined Basel’s senior squad for the 2008–09 FC Basel season. Early on, he played a role in Basel’s triumph at the Uhrencup, where they outperformed Borussia Dortmund and Luzern to claim first place. Abraham’s league debut came on 18 July 2008 during a 2–1 victory over Young Boys.

Basel advanced through the qualifying rounds of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, reaching the group stage to face clubs such as Barcelona, Sporting CP, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Abraham netted his inaugural goal for Basel on 16 September 2008 in a home defeat against Shakhtar. Despite garnering only one point in the group phase, Basel concluded the domestic campaign in third place and reached the semi-finals of the Swiss Cup.

The subsequent season saw Basel participate in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League, progressing to the group stage but finishing third behind Roma and Fulham. Abraham featured in six European fixtures. On the home front, he contributed to Basel securing the prestigious Double, winning both the Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup titles.

During the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League, Basel again reached the group stage but subsequently dropped into the Europa League knockout rounds, where they were eliminated by Spartak Moscow. Abraham appeared in all twelve European matches that season and scored a crucial league goal against FC Sion. Basel clinched another Swiss Championship crown that year.

At the outset of the 2011–12 FC Basel season, Abraham was part of the squad that lifted the 2011 Uhrencup. Domestically, Basel dominated by securing their second consecutive Double with a commanding points lead. The team also triumphed over FC Luzern in the Swiss Cup final via penalties.

Although offered contract extensions, Abraham opted to depart after four seasons with Basel, having amassed 206 appearances and 13 goals across all competitions.

On 29 May 2012, he inked a four-year contract with Spanish outfit Getafe. In January 2013, Abraham transitioned to German side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Later, in 2015, he joined Eintracht Frankfurt, where he was appointed team captain. A notable incident occurred in November 2019 when Abraham received a seven-week suspension and a €25,000 fine from the German Football Association following an altercation involving SC Freiburg manager Christian Streich during a match.

Abraham’s final appearance for Eintracht Frankfurt took place on 17 January 2021 in a 3–1 victory over Schalke before he returned to Argentina to sign with his hometown club, Huracán de Chabás.

Honours

Gimnàstic

• Copa Catalunya: 2008

Basel

• Swiss Super League: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
• Swiss Cup: 2009–10, 2011–12
• Uhrencup: 2008, 2011

Eintracht Frankfurt

• DFB-Pokal: 2017–18

Argentina U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005

External links

• Archived profile of David Abraham at FC Basel
• David Abraham profile on worldfootball.net
• Argentine Primera División stats at Fútbol XXI