Marcelo Zalayeta facts for kids
Zalayeta playing for Peñarol in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 December 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1997–2005 | Uruguay | 32 | (10) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Marcelo Danubio Zalayeta (born on December 5, 1978) is a former professional footballer from Uruguay. He played as a striker, which means he was mainly responsible for scoring goals.
Marcelo Zalayeta started his football journey with a club called Danubio. He then moved to Peñarol for one season in 1997. There, he helped his team win the Uruguayan Primera División, which is the top football league in Uruguay.
Later in 1997, he joined the famous Italian club Juventus. He stayed with Juventus for ten seasons. During this time, he won three Serie A titles, which is Italy's top league championship. He also played in the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final, a very important European club competition. Sometimes, he was sent to other teams like Empoli, Sevilla, and Perugia for a short time. This is called a "loan spell" and happens when a player temporarily plays for another club.
After his time at Juventus, he played for Napoli for three seasons. He also had another loan spell with Bologna. Later, he played for a Turkish team called Kayserispor. Finally, he returned to his home country and played 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 32 times between 1997 and 2005, scoring ten goals. As a young player, he helped Uruguay finish second in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. Later, he helped the senior team reach the final of the 1999 Copa América, a major South American tournament.
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Club Career Highlights
Marcelo 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.
Later that year, he joined Juventus in Italy. Even though he was a promising young player, it was hard for him to play regularly. This was because Juventus had many other talented forwards. However, he scored an important goal in his very first Serie A game on March 14, 1998. Juventus went on to win the league championship that season.
He then spent a season playing for Empoli on loan. After that, he played for the Spanish team Sevilla until 2001. He returned to Juventus in 2001. In 2004, he was loaned out to Perugia before coming back to Juventus again in the same year.
Even though he didn't play in every match for Juventus, he often performed well when he got the chance. With Juventus, he won three Serie A titles (in 1998, 2002, and 2003). He also won two Supercoppa Italiana medals in 2002 and 2003. In 2007, he helped the club win the Serie B title.
During his time at Juventus, fans gave him the nickname "Panteron." He scored two very important goals in extra time against Spanish teams. One was against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals in 2003. The other was against Real Madrid in the 2005 Champions League. 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.
After playing for Juventus for ten years, he moved to Napoli in 2007. He played 49 Serie A matches for Napoli and scored 12 goals over two seasons. In 2009, he joined Bologna on loan for a season.
On July 1, 2010, Zalayeta returned to Napoli. However, he decided to move to the Turkish team Kayserispor on August 25, 2010. He signed a two-year contract with them.
On July 17, 2011, Zalayeta returned to his former Uruguayan club, Peñarol. He helped Peñarol win the Uruguayan Primera División for a second time in 2013. He officially retired from playing football in 2016.
International Career
Marcelo Zalayeta also had a strong career playing for his country, Uruguay. In 1997, he was part of the Uruguay national under-20 team. They played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia. He scored four goals in that tournament, and his team reached the final. They finished in second place after being defeated by Argentina.
For the senior Uruguay national team, he played in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. Uruguay finished in fourth place in that competition. He also took part in the 1999 Copa América. He scored three goals in five games in that tournament. Uruguay reached the final but lost to Brazil.
Zalayeta played for 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 the 23-man squad for Uruguay's World Cup playoff match against Australia on November 16. The game went to a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, Zalayeta's shot was saved by the Australian goalkeeper. Australia won the shootout and qualified for the World Cup, while Uruguay was eliminated. This was his last game for Uruguay. In total, he played 32 matches for the national team and scored ten goals.
Playing Style
Marcelo Zalayeta was a tall and strong forward. He usually played as a centre-forward, which means he was the main attacker. He was known for his good control of the ball and his ability to score goals. He was also very good at heading the ball and scoring with his head.
In his younger days, he was a quick player. As he got older, he became known for his strong work ethic and ability to play well with his teammates. He was good at holding the ball up for others to join the attack. He also moved well to find open spaces on the field.
Zalayeta was known for scoring important goals for his teams, especially when he came on as a substitute. This happened often during his time at Juventus. He had a strong personality and was known for his excited goal celebrations. People often called him il panterone, which means "the big panther" in Italian. This nickname came from his agile movements on the field.
Personal Life
Marcelo Zalayeta is the uncle of another footballer, Gonzalo Carneiro.
Honours
Club
- Juventus
- Serie A: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
- Serie B: 2006–07
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2002, 2003
- Peñarol
- Uruguayan First Division Championship: 1997, 2012–13
- Uruguayan Liguilla Cup: 1997
International
- Uruguay
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1997 (2nd place)
- Copa América: 1999 (2nd place)
See also
In Spanish: Marcelo Zalayeta para niños
