Marcelo Zalayeta

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Marcelo Zalayeta
Personal information
Date of birth December 5, 1978
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.88 m
Position Striker
Club information
Current club Juventus
Number 25
Professional clubs*
Years Club Apps (goals)
1996
1997
1997-
1998-1999
1999-2001
2004
Danubio
Peñarol
Juventus
Empoli (loan)
Sevilla (loan)
Perugia (loan)
32 (12)
32 (13)
65 (8)
17 (2)
50 (10)
5 (0)
National team
1998- Uruguay  ? (?)

* Professional club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.

Marcelo Danubio Zalayeta (born December 5, 1978 in Montevideo) is an Uruguayan football player who currently plays, as a striker, with Serie B side Juventus and for the Uruguayan national team.

Marcelo started his career with Danubio and then moving to Peñarol in Uruguay, where he made a name for himself. He moved to Juve in 1997 but considered a promising young player at the time, he was not given much of a chance to prove himself. He spent a season on loan with Empoli, and he also starred in Uruguay's surge for the Copa América in 1999, who lost in the final to Brazil. Two more years away from the club followed, he played for Sevilla until 2001. At last when it seemed Juve lacked forwards he was brought back to Italy at the start of 2001-02, but he was loaned out to Perugia in 2004 before returning to Juventus in the same year. Although he has not played many matches thus far he has done well the times he has been given a chance.

He scored two very important extra time winners against Spanish opposition for Juventus. One came in 2003 in the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League against FC Barcelona; the other against Real Madrid in the 2005 round of 16.

Zalayeta was selected in a 23-man squad for Uruguay's World Cup intercontinental playoff against Australia. Unfortunately it would not be a pleasant experience as Zalayeta was one out of two penalty kick takers whose shot had been saved by Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Following Zalayeta's failure to convert, this culminated Australia to win 4-2 on penalties and qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany, and eliminating Uruguay in the process.

[edit] Honours

[edit] External link


Juventus F.C. - Current Squad

1 Buffon | 2 Birindelli | 3 Chiellini | 4 Kovač | 5 Tudor | 6 C. Zanetti | 8 Giannichedda | 9 Bojinov | 10 Del Piero | 11 Nedvěd | 12 Mirante | 13 Piccolo | 14 Balzaretti | 15 Marchisio | 16 Camoranesi | 17 Trézéguet | 18 Boumsong | 19 Paro | 20 Palladino | 22 Belardi | 23 Guzmán | 25 Zalayeta | 27 Zebina | 29 De Ceglie | 30 Legrottaglie | 32 Marchionni | 33 Urbano | Coach Deschamps