Ezequiel Lavezzi facts for kids
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Lavezzi in action for Paris Saint-Germain in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, winger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Coronel Aguirre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Boca Juniors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Estudiantes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Estudiantes | 39 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | San Lorenzo | 84 | (25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2012 | Napoli | 156 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Paris Saint-Germain | 107 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Hebei China Fortune | 74 | (35) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 460 | (137) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Argentina U20 | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Argentina Olympic | 10 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2017 | Argentina | 51 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ezequiel Iván "Pocho" Lavezzi (born on May 3, 1985) is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He played as a forward and was known for his speed, hard work, and great dribbling skills. He often played as a winger but could also play as a second striker or an attacking midfielder.
Lavezzi started his career at Estudiantes (BA) in Argentina. After a short time, he moved to Italy to play for Genoa, but was loaned to San Lorenzo. He later joined Napoli in 2007, where he helped them win the Coppa Italia in 2012.
His excellent play at Napoli led to a big move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2012. At PSG, he played over 150 games and won many titles, including three Ligue 1 championships. He finished his career playing for Hebei China Fortune in China from 2016 to 2019.
Lavezzi also played for the Argentina national team from 2007 to 2016. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and helped Argentina reach the finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América tournaments.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Early Days in Argentina
Lavezzi joined the youth team of Estudiantes (BA) in 2003. In just one season, he played 39 games and scored 17 goals.
He then moved to San Lorenzo in 2004. He was known as el Pocho, which means "the Chubby One." At 19, he scored eight goals in his first season, becoming one of the top scorers. He even scored a famous goal against River Plate, earning him the nickname la Bestia ("the Beast").
Lavezzi helped San Lorenzo win the Clausura 2007 title before moving to Italy.
Success with Napoli
In 2007, Napoli signed Lavezzi on a five-year contract. He quickly made an impact, scoring three goals in a Coppa Italia match against Pisa. This was the first time a Napoli player scored a hat-trick in 14 years!
He scored his first league goal for Napoli in a big 5–0 win against Udinese. The media called him "inspirational" and said, "Napoli's star is born." Fans loved him for his quick moves and skill.
Lavezzi played a key role for Napoli, scoring important goals and setting up his teammates. In the 2011–12 season, he scored his first two Champions League goals in a 3–1 win over Chelsea.
He won his first major trophy with Napoli on May 20, 2012. Napoli beat Juventus 2–0 in the Coppa Italia final. Lavezzi helped win a penalty that led to Napoli's first goal, securing their first trophy in over 20 years.
Winning Titles with Paris Saint-Germain
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On July 2, 2012, Lavezzi joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He signed a four-year deal.
He made his PSG debut on August 11 against FC Lorient. His first goals for PSG came in the Champions League on November 21, helping PSG qualify for the next round. He scored his first league goal on December 8 in a 4–0 win against Evian.
In February 2013, Lavezzi scored a crucial goal against Valencia CF in the Champions League, helping PSG reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1995.
He continued to be a vital player for PSG. In April 2015, he scored three goals in a 6–1 victory over Lille. On May 16, he scored the winning goal against Montpellier, which secured PSG's third straight French league title.
Time in China and Retirement
In February 2016, Lavezzi moved to China, signing with Hebei China Fortune. He played for them until 2019.
In May 2017, Lavezzi apologized for a photo taken during a team session. He said he meant no offense and respected Chinese culture.
He scored his last goal for the club on November 27, 2019. Shortly after, Ezequiel Lavezzi announced his retirement from professional football.
International Career for Argentina
Lavezzi first played for the Argentina national football team in a friendly match against Chile on April 18, 2007.
In 2008, he was part of the Olympic football team that won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He scored two goals during the tournament.
Although he wasn't in the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, he continued to play for Argentina. In 2011, he scored his first goal for the national team in a friendly against Albania.
Lavezzi was a key player in Argentina's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in six matches and helped set up important goals. Argentina reached the final but lost 1–0 to Germany in extra time.
He also helped Argentina reach the finals of the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario in 2016. In the 2016 tournament, he scored a goal and assisted another in a 3–0 win against Bolivia. Sadly, he broke his left elbow in the semi-finals, which meant he couldn't play in the final.
Playing Style
Lavezzi was known for his incredible speed, quickness, and strong physical presence on the field. He was also very hardworking. He had great technique, creative ideas, and excellent dribbling skills. He was good at shooting and finding space between defenders.
He was a versatile player, meaning he could play in different attacking positions. He usually played as a winger on either side because he was good with both feet. He could also play as a second striker or an attacking midfielder, creating chances for his teammates and scoring goals himself. Sometimes, he even played as a centre-forward, dropping deep to open up space for others.
Personal Life
Ezequiel Lavezzi has Italian roots from Pavia. He is Catholic and has several religious tattoos, including one of Jesus on his chest.
He has two sons. His nephew, Agustín, is also a professional footballer.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Estudiantes (BA) | 2003–04 | Primera B | 39 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 39 | 17 | ||||
| San Lorenzo | 2004–05 | Primera División | 29 | 9 | — | — | 9 | 0 | — | 37 | 9 | |||
| 2005–06 | 22 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 9 | ||||||
| 2006–07 | 33 | 7 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 38 | 8 | |||||
| Total | 84 | 25 | — | — | 14 | 1 | — | 97 | 26 | |||||
| Napoli | 2007–08 | Serie A | 35 | 8 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 40 | 11 | |||
| 2008–09 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 8 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 30 | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 31 | 9 | |||||
| 2010–11 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | — | 41 | 9 | ||||
| 2011–12 | 30 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 42 | 11 | ||||
| Total | 156 | 38 | 12 | 5 | — | 20 | 5 | — | 188 | 48 | ||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2012–13 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | — | 42 | 11 | |
| 2013–14 | 32 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 12 | ||
| 2014–15 | 31 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 9 | ||
| 2015–16 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
| Total | 107 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 31 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 161 | 35 | ||
| Hebei China Fortune | 2016 | Super League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 27 | 20 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 20 | |||||
| 2018 | 26 | 12 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 12 | |||||
| 2019 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 74 | 35 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 75 | 35 | |||||
| Career total | 460 | 137 | 24 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 65 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 560 | 161 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2016 | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | 51 | 9 | |
- Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lavezzi goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 June 2011 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Albania |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 11 November 2011 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Bolivia |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 11 October 2013 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Peru |
1–1 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 2–1 | |||||
| 5 | 4 September 2015 | BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States | Bolivia |
1–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 3–0 | |||||
| 7 | 13 November 2015 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Brazil |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 14 June 2016 | CenturyLink Field, Seattle, United States | Bolivia |
2–0 | 3–0 | Copa América Centenario |
| 9 | 21 June 2016 | NRG Stadium, Houston, United States |  United States |
1–0 | 4–0 |
Honours and Achievements
San Lorenzo
- Argentine Primera División: 2007 Clausura (a league title)
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2011–12 (a national cup)
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15 (French league titles)
- Coupe de France: 2014–15 (French cup)
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15 (French league cup)
- Trophée des Champions: 2013 (French Super Cup)
Argentina
- Summer Olympics Gold Medal: 2008
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- Copa América runner-up: 2015, 2016
See also
In Spanish: Ezequiel Lavezzi para niños
