Marcelo Zalayeta

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Personal information
Marcelo Zalayeta
Date of birth	December 5, 1978
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	1.88 m
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Juventus
Number	25
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1996 1997 1997- 1998-1999 1999-2001 2004	Danubio Peñarol Juventus Empoli (loan) Sevilla (loan) Perugia (loan)	32 (12) 32 (13) 85 (12) 17 (2) 50 (10) 5 (0)
National team
1998-	Uruguay	? (?)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 March, 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

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

Four Italian Championships (1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05)
Two Italian Supercups (2002, 2003)
One Uruguayan Championship 1997
One Uruguayan Liguilla Cup 1997
FIFA World Youth Championship silver medal 1997

[edit] External link

http://www.juventus.com/club/players/zalayeta.php

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