Marcelo Zalayeta facts for kids
Zalayeta playing for Peñarol in 2012
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marcelo Danubio Zalayeta | ||
| Date of birth | 5 December 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Danubio | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996 | Danubio | 32 | (12) |
| 1997 | Peñarol | 32 | (13) |
| 1997–2007 | Juventus | 101 | (16) |
| 1998–1999 | → Empoli (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 1999–2001 | → Sevilla (loan) | 50 | (10) |
| 2004 | → Perugia (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2007–2010 | Napoli | 49 | (12) |
| 2009–2010 | → Bologna (loan) | 29 | (4) |
| 2010–2011 | Kayserispor | 14 | (7) |
| 2011–2016 | Peñarol | 125 | (48) |
| Total | 454 | (124) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–2005 | Uruguay | 32 | (10) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Marcelo Danubio Zalayeta was born on December 5, 1978. He is a former professional footballer from Uruguay. He played as a striker, which means he was a player who focused on scoring goals.
Zalayeta started his football journey with Danubio. He then moved to Peñarol in 1997 for one season. There, he helped his team win the Uruguayan Primera División, which is Uruguay's top football league. He also won the Uruguayan Liguilla Cup.
Later in 1997, Marcelo joined the famous Italian club Juventus. He stayed with them for ten seasons. During his time at Juventus, he won three Serie A titles, which are championships in Italy's top league. He also played in the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final, a very important European club competition. While at Juventus, he was sometimes loaned to other teams like Empoli, Sevilla in Spain, and Perugia. This happened because there were many other strong strikers at Juventus.
After his time in Italy, Zalayeta played for the Turkish team Kayserispor. He then returned to his home country to play for Peñarol again. He won the Uruguayan Primera División for a second time in 2013 before he stopped playing football in 2016. Marcelo Zalayeta also played for the Uruguay national team from 1997 to 2005.
Contents
Marcelo Zalayeta's Club Career
Zalayeta began his professional career in Uruguay. He played for Danubio and then moved to Peñarol in 1997. At Peñarol, he became well-known. He helped them win the Uruguayan Primera División and the Uruguayan Liguilla Cup.
Joining Juventus and Loan Spells
Later in 1997, Zalayeta moved to Juventus in Italy. He was seen as a promising young player. However, it was hard for him to get a regular spot on the team. This was because Juventus had many other famous forwards. He scored an important goal in his first Serie A game on March 14, 1998. This game was a 2–2 draw against Napoli. Juventus ended up winning the league championship that season.
After this, he spent a season on loan with Empoli. He also played for Uruguay in the 1999 tournament. Uruguay reached the final but lost to Brazil. Zalayeta then spent two more years away from Juventus. He played for the Spanish team Sevilla until 2001.
He returned to Juventus at the start of the 2001–02 season. But in 2004, he was loaned out again to Perugia. He came back to Juventus later that same year.
Success and Key Goals at Juventus
Even though he did not play many matches for Juventus, Zalayeta often played well when he got the chance. He helped the club win three Serie A titles in 1998, 2002, and 2003. He also won two Supercoppa Italiana medals in 2002 and 2003. In 2007, he helped Juventus win the Serie B title. He also helped the team reach the 2002 Coppa Italia Final.
Zalayeta scored two very important goals for Juventus in extra time against Spanish teams. One goal came in 2003 in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League against Barcelona. The other was against Real Madrid in the 2005 round of 16. In the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final, Juventus played against Milan. The game ended in a 0–0 draw, and Milan won after a penalty shootout. Zalayeta was one of the Juventus players whose penalty was saved.
Moving to Napoli and Later Clubs
After ten years with Juventus, Zalayeta moved to Napoli in the summer of 2007. Napoli paid €1.4 million for half of his player rights. He played 49 Serie A matches for Napoli and scored 12 goals over two seasons.
At the start of the 2009–10 season, he was not a main player for Napoli. On August 21, 2009, he joined Bologna on loan for that season. On July 1, 2010, Zalayeta returned to Napoli but still did not play much. He then moved to the Turkish team Kayserispor on a two-year contract on August 25.
On July 17, 2011, Zalayeta joined his old Uruguayan team, Peñarol, as a free agent. He won the Uruguayan Primera División for a second time in 2013. He officially retired from playing football in 2016.
Marcelo Zalayeta's International Career
Zalayeta played for the Uruguay national under-20 team in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia. He scored four goals in the tournament. His team reached the final but lost to Argentina.
Playing for the Senior National Team
For the senior Uruguay national team, he played in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. Uruguay finished in fourth place in that tournament. He also played in the 1999 Copa América. He scored three goals in five games in that competition. Uruguay reached the final but was defeated by Brazil.
Zalayeta represented Uruguay during their efforts to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He famously scored three goals in a 3–2 home win against Colombia on September 4, 2005. He was chosen for Uruguay's 23-man squad for the World Cup playoff against Australia on November 16.
In that match, Zalayeta was one of two players whose penalty kicks were saved by the Australian goalkeeper. Australia won the playoff 4–2 on penalties. This meant Australia qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and Uruguay was eliminated. This was his last game for Uruguay. In total, he played 32 games for the national team between 1997 and 2005, scoring ten goals.
How Marcelo Zalayeta Played
Marcelo Zalayeta was a tall and strong forward. He usually played as a centre-forward. He was known for his good technical skills and how well he controlled the ball. He also had a good eye for scoring goals. He was strong in the air, which helped him score and assist goals with his head.
When he was younger, he was a quick player. However, as his career went on, he became less fast. He was a team player and worked hard. He was good at connecting with his teammates and holding the ball with his back to the goal. He often helped build up attacking plays. He also moved well, which helped him find open spaces and receive passes from his teammates.
When he was young, he was seen as a promising but sometimes wild player. As he got older, he became more mature and calm. He was known for scoring important goals for his teams, especially when he came on as a substitute. This was often true during his time at Juventus, even though he didn't play a lot. He had a strong personality and was known for his excited goal celebrations. People nicknamed him il panterone, which means "the big panther" in Italian, because of his movements and quickness.
Family Connections
Marcelo Zalayeta is the uncle of another footballer, Gonzalo Carneiro.
Honours and Achievements
Marcelo Zalayeta won many titles during his career.
With Juventus
- Serie A (Italian League Championship): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
- Serie B (Italian Second Division): 2006–07
- Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup): 2002, 2003
With Peñarol
- Uruguayan First Division Championship: 1997, 2012–13
- Uruguayan Liguilla Cup: 1997
With Uruguay National Team
- FIFA World Youth Championship runner-up: 1997
- Copa América runner-up: 1999
See also
In Spanish: Marcelo Zalayeta para niños
