After leaving Nigeria for Italy at age 16, Obafemi Martins has since played for a number of List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries. Obafemi Martins began Obafemi Martins senior career in 2002 at the Italian Serie A club F.C. Internazionale Milano, before moving to the English Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. in 2006, and then the German Fußball-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in 2009. Having joined Russian Premier League side FC Rubin Kazan in July 2010, they loaned Obafemi Martins to Birmingham in January 2011.
In club football, Martins has won the Italian Serie A title, the Coppa Italia (twice), and the Supercoppa Italiana, all with Inter. With Birmingham Obafemi Martins scored the winning goal in the 2011 Football League Cup Final. Obafemi Martins has played European football with Inter, Newcastle and Wolfsburg, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup with Newcastle. Obafemi Martins highest scoring league seasons so far have seen Obafemi Martins score 11 goals in both the 2004–05 Serie A, and 2006–07 FA Premier League. In international football, Martins has been in the Nigerian squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, and for the FIFA World Cup in 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Martins has two brothers who also play football professionally: Obafemi Martins elder brother, Oladipupo Olarotini Martins, and Obafemi Martins younger brother John Ronan Martins. The name 'Obafemi' translates literally to 'the king loves me' in the Yoruba language.
Obafemi Martins Nigeria
Obafemi Martins NigeriaBorn in Lagos, Martins joined the local football club F.C. Ebedei, having been scouted by manager Churchill Oliseh while playing on the streets of Obafemi Martins hometown. After a year with the club, Italian Serie C side A.C. Reggiana 1919 made a move for the player. After a two-month trial, Martins and fellow Ebedei teammate Stephen Makinwa signed youth contracts with the club in 2000. Obafemi Martins first season in Italy saw Martins break into the first team squad, and later in the year Serie A sides Perugia and Internazionale made offers for the forward (football).
Obafemi Martins Nigeria
Obafemi Martins Nigeria
Obafemi Martins Nigeria
Obafemi Martins NigeriaA Euro750,000 transfer fee took Martins to Internazionale in 2001, and in Obafemi Martins first season Obafemi Martins scored 23 goals for the youth team, helping them to the Italy Under-18 title. Obafemi Martins form for the youth side led to Obafemi Martins first-team league debut the following season, in a match against Parma F.C. in December 2002. Obafemi Martins didn't become a regular member of the first team squad until the 2002–03 season. Obafemi Martins played in Obafemi Martins first UEFA Champions League match that season, and came on as a substitute against Obafemi Martins future employers, Newcastle United, at St. James' Park. Obafemi Martins scored Obafemi Martins first Champions League goal in a match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen to secure Inter's place in the quarter finals; footage of Obafemi Martins celebratory somersaults were subsequently used by UEFA to advertise the following season's competition. Obafemi Martins scored again in the semi-final match against Inter's arch-rivals A.C. Milan, but couldn't prevent the club losing out on away goals to the competition's eventual winners. Obafemi Martins ended the season with one league goal in four games.
Martins signed a long-term contract with Inter Milan in 2005 which ran until 2010 and was worth around €2.5 million annually. Obafemi Martins good form for Inter continued and Obafemi Martins was called to play in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria.
Although Obafemi Martins had some success with Inter, scoring 28 goals for the club in 88 league games as well as 11 goals in European competitions, Obafemi Martins was sold in August 2006. This was due to Inter bringing in two new strikers; first Argentinian Hernán Crespo was brought in on loan from Chelsea F.C. and then the Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović was bought by Inter from Juventus F.C..
