Dani Osvaldo: Bad boy striker headbutted teammates, smoked after games, dated celebs then quit to launch music career

Former Southampton striker Davi Osvaldo [Courtesy]

With his long hair, beard, tattoos, outlandish hats and jewellery, it's been said that Dani Osvaldo is a dead ringer for Johnny Depp, specifically his Pirates of the Caribbean alter-ego Jack Sparrow.

But the resemblance doesn't end there.

Like the Hollywood hell-raiser, Osvaldo has had celebrity lovers, performs in a band and enjoys the odd cigarette. Like the swashbuckling buccaneer, he has a history of violence.

Here, for this week's Wildcard Wednesday, Mirror Football has investigated what exactly the retired Argentine-Italian forward has done to earn his 'El Loco' (Crazy) nickname...

In fairness, the early part of his career was largely uneventful.

Osvaldo, born in Argentina, began his career at Huracan, moving to Italy after just one season.

Between 2006 and 2010, he played for Atalanta, Lecce, Fiorentina and Bologna, before moving to Spain, where he played for Mauricio Pochettino's Espanyol side. On the pitch, he impressed.

His only truly controversial moment came in 2008, when he celebrated scoring for Fiorentina against Juventus by removing his shirt and pretending to shoot his own fans with an imaginary machine gun. He was sent off after being shown a second yellow card.

Osvaldo and actress Jimena Baron [Courtesy]

Things seemed to take a turn for the crazy after Osvaldo sealed a £13million switch to Roma.

Erik Lamela can certainly attest to his former teammate's fiery temper. In November 2011, Osvaldo was fined and suspended for "punching Lamela in the face" in the dressing room after a 2-0 defeat to Udinese.

He was apparently angry that his teammate, now at Tottenham, had not passed to him.

Afterwards, he brushed off the incident, saying: "The thing with Lamela was just the passion of the moment. I can be really annoying when it comes to this, as I always want the ball and admit I am as egotistical as most strikers. This incident, though, really was nothing. If I had Lamela’s left foot then I wouldn’t have passed the ball either."

Osvaldo's show of ill-discipline was just the beginning. In 2012, he really ramped things up. That year alone, he was sent off five times for club and country. He was even booed by his own fans.

It didn't end there.

He says he feels "free and relaxed" after retiring from football [Courtesy]

First, he fell out with Roma legend Francesco Totti over a 'stolen' penalty after snatching the ball then missing the crucial spot-kick.

He then pulled out of club tour of the US, sending Roma chiefs a sick note.

Fair enough - if you're ill, you're ill. But then, while suspended for the derby against Lazio, rather than staying to support his teammates, he flew to London for a romantic jaunt with his new girlfriend.

By this point, he'd left his wife Elena Braccini, with whom he has two children, to hook up with Jimena Baron, an actress and singer from Argentina.

Speaking to Sport Mediaset, Elena has since said of Osvaldo: "When I met Dani he was pure. Then the success got him dirty. The fame, the money, the wrong people who even sucked his blood.

"He's not bad, he's not crazy either. He's just a man who's so weak, he does not know who really loved him and who screwed him. "

His time at Roma came to a bitter end after he took aim at caretaker manager Aurelio Andreazzoli, who dropped him for the Italian Cup final, waiting until the last 15 minutes to bring him on.

On Twitter, Osvaldo told him: "You’d do more good if you admitted to being incompetent. Go celebrate with Lazio."

He was subsequently dropped from the Italy squad for the Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Osvaldo needed a fresh start. He got it at Southampton. The Saints broke their transfer record, shelling out £12.8 for the striker, who got the chance to work with Pochettino once more.

At St Mary's, there were some moments of genius - an exquisite lob against Manchester City, for instance. He'll be remembered more for the moments of madness, though.

He was lucky not to see red on his debut, having delivered two wild tackles, each worthy of a booking.

A few months later, he was banned for three matches and fined £40,000 after he reacted angrily to an over-exuberant tackle away at Newcastle. He was found guilty of violent conduct.

But the worst was yet to come.

Three weeks later, he headbutted team captain Jose Fonte in a training ground incident, leaving the Portuguese centre-back with a black eye. He was suspended for two weeks for breach of conduct and fined two weeks' wages.

He was shipped out on loan, first to Juventus then to Inter Milan, where he fell out with manager Roberto Mancini and team-mate Mauro Icardi, before being kicked out of the club.

From here, his career petered out.

He had a loan spell at boyhood club Boca Juniors before playing a handful of matches for Porto.

A permanent move to back to Boca followed, but his contract was terminated just three games in after coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto caught him smoking in the dressing room.

In August 2016, Osvaldo announced his retirement from football, aged 30. He then formed a band, Barrio Viejo, in Barcelona, with musicians he met while at Espanyol.

Explaining his decision, he said he preferred beer and barbecue to money.

He told Gazzetta dello Sport: "I decided to quit at Boca, there was too much gossip.

"I couldn’t go out, I was afraid of people. I couldn’t do it any more. I had offers from China and clubs in the Champions League, but I was detached.

"I was beginning to hate what I'd always loved. Football deserves respect, and I prefer asado [Argentine barbecue] and beer to money."

He later opened up to Fox Sport, adding: "Football was not happy, it is a world full of s**t. I have no problem talking about it. I gave everything in life and was one of my great passions.

"I loved playing and more to do it with Boca, the club of my heart. I realised that I was unhappy and decided to say enough."

Since retiring, Osvaldo has remained in the headline, largely due to his love life.

After splitting from Jimena, he had a fling with singer Militta Bora.

In September 2018, Jimena accused him of not supporting their son financially. She also criticised him for swanning off on a three-month trip around Europe, leaving her to raise their boy alone.

When Osvaldo finally returned, it didn't take long for him to court yet more controversy after he shared footage of him driving his car, with son Momo on his lap, holding the steering wheel.

Reflecting on his career recently, he didn't voice any regrets.

He told Marca: "Would I like to be like Messi? No. I'd like to play like him, but he has no life. It's as if he lives in a golden prison.

"He couldn't go somewhere and quietly drink something. Maybe he doesn't care about it, but I do.

"I imagine him buying the biggest TV in the world, but then he's never in his living room to use it.

"Failing that, he probably drives a Ferrari, knowing he lives 15 minutes away from the Barcelona's training ground…"

In an interview with The Sun, he added: “There are so many many rules in football. So so many rules. And I’m not good with the rules. I like to be free.

"I left football and I don’t feel heavy any more. I feel free and relaxed. I’m so happy now.”