Marcelo Zalayeta

Marcelo Zalayeta

Zalayeta playing for Peñarol in 2012
Personal information
Full nameMarcelo Danubio Zalayeta
Date of birth5 December 1978
Place of birthMontevideo, Uruguay
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Peñarol
Number17
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1996Danubio32(12)
1997Peñarol32(13)
1997–2007Juventus101(16)
1998–1999→ Empoli (loan)17(2)
1999–2001→ Sevilla (loan)50(10)
2004→ Perugia (loan)5(0)
2007–2010Napoli49(12)
2009–2010→ Bologna (loan)29(4)
2010–2011Kayserispor14(7)
2011–Peñarol80(37)
National team
1997–2005Uruguay[1]47(10)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 Oct 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).

Marcelo Danubio Zalayeta (locally: [marˈselo salaˈʃeta]; born 5 December 1978 in Montevideo) is an Uruguayan football striker, who currently plays for Peñarol.

Club career

Zalayeta started his career with Danubio and then moving to Peñarol in Uruguay, where he made a name for himself. He moved to Juventus 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. In the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final, Zalayeta was one of the three Juventus players to have their penalty saved by AC Milan keeper Dida in the shootout. After a decade with Juventus, he moved to Napoli in the summer of 2007.[2] Napoli paid €1.4million for half of the rights (co-ownership). He played 49 Serie A matches and scored 12 goals in 2 seasons, but at the start of 2009–10 season, he became surplus of the team, and not offered a shirt number.[3]

On 21 August 2009 Zalayeta joined Bologna on loan from Napoli.[4]

On 1 July 2010 Zalayeta returned to Napoli but failed to enter first team. On 25 August 2010 he left for Turkish side Kayserispor on 2-year contract.[5]

On 17 July 2011 Zalayeta joined Uruguayan Peñarol as a free agent.

International career

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.

Honours

National Team

Juventus

Peñarol

References

  1. ↑ Marcelo Zalayeta at National-Football-Teams.com
  2. ↑ Channel4.com
  3. ↑ "Napoli, ecco i numeri di maglia" (in Italian). SSC Napoli. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  4. ↑ "Marcelo Zalayeta in prestito al Bologna e Luigi Vitale al Livorno" (in Italian). SSC Napoli. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  5. ↑ "MARCELO DANUBIO ZALAYETA KULÜBÜMÜZDE". Kayserispor (in Turkish). 25 August 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2010.