Mauro Zárate facts for kids
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Zárate playing for West Ham United in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mauro Matías Zárate | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 March 1987 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Haedo, Argentina | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Vélez Sarsfield | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Vélez Sarsfield | 75 | (22) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Al-Sadd | 6 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 14 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | → Lazio (loan) | 36 | (13) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Lazio | 68 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | → Inter Milan (loan) | 22 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Vélez Sarsfield | 28 | (18) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | West Ham United | 22 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Fiorentina | 22 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Watford | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | → Al-Nasr (loan) | 8 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | → Vélez Sarsfield (loan) | 13 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Boca Juniors | 52 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | América Mineiro | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Juventude | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Platense | 20 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | Cosenza | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | Danubio | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Argentina U20 | 5 | (2) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 July 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
Mauro Matías Zárate (born on March 13, 1987) is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He played as a forward for many teams around the world.
Zárate started his football journey with Vélez Sarsfield in Argentina. He helped them win the Primera División title in 2005. Later, he played for teams like Al-Sadd in Qatar, Birmingham City and West Ham United in England, and Lazio and Inter Milan in Italy. He also returned to Vélez Sarsfield and played for Boca Juniors in Argentina.
On the international stage, Zárate was a hero for the Argentina under-20 team. He scored the winning goal in the final of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, helping his country win the championship.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Vélez Sarsfield
Mauro Zárate began his football career at Vélez Sarsfield, a club he had been with since he was a child. He was so talented that at just 17 years old, he joined the first team. His first game was on April 21, 2004. He became a top scorer in the 2006 Apertura tournament, scoring 12 goals.
Moving to Al-Sadd
In June 2007, Zárate signed a two-year contract with Al-Sadd in Qatar. He played only six league matches there, scoring four goals, before moving to England.
Loan to Birmingham City
On January 21, 2008, Zárate joined Premier League team Birmingham City on a loan deal. He made his first appearance for the club on January 29. He scored his first goal for Birmingham City on March 22 against Reading. He then scored two goals in their next match against Manchester City in a 3–1 win. He also scored a great free-kick against Everton. After scoring 4 goals in 14 matches, he left the club when his loan ended.
Playing for Lazio
Zárate moved to Italian club Lazio on July 5, 2008, first on a loan. He quickly became a favorite with Lazio fans by scoring two goals in his very first game against Cagliari. He also scored in his first home game. He continued his strong goal-scoring form, including two goals against Torino.
On May 13, 2009, Zárate helped Lazio win the Coppa Italia. He scored a goal in the final match against Sampdoria, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Lazio then won the game in a penalty shootout. After this successful season, his move to Lazio became permanent.
Loan to Inter Milan
On August 31, 2011, Zárate went on loan from Lazio to Inter Milan. He scored his first goal for Inter on September 27, 2011, in a Champions League match against CSKA Moscow. He finished the 2011–12 season with 3 goals in 29 games for Inter.
Return to Lazio
Zárate returned to Lazio for the 2012–13 season. He played a few games in the UEFA Europa League and one in Serie A.
Back to Vélez Sarsfield
In July 2013, Zárate returned to his first club, Vélez Sarsfield. In January 2014, he helped his team win the 2013 Supercopa Argentina, beating Arsenal de Sarandí 1–0 in the final. He was also the top scorer in the Primera División Torneo Final with 13 goals in 19 matches.
Time at West Ham United
On May 28, 2014, Zárate signed a three-year contract with Premier League club West Ham United. He scored a goal in his first game for the club on August 23, helping West Ham win 3–1 against Crystal Palace.
Loan to Queens Park Rangers
On January 6, 2015, Zárate was loaned to another Premier League club, Queens Park Rangers. He played four games for them. Towards the end of his loan, he was left out of the team for a match, and his loan spell ended early.
Return to West Ham United
Zárate played for West Ham in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League qualifying games. He scored his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against Astra Giurgiu. He also scored in West Ham's opening Premier League match of the 2015–16 season, helping them win 2–0 against Arsenal. He continued his good form by scoring against Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion.
Playing for Fiorentina
On January 21, 2016, Zárate moved to Italian club Fiorentina. He made his debut for them ten days later. On February 3, he scored his first goal for Fiorentina, a last-minute winner in a 2–1 victory against Carpi.
Time at Watford
On January 25, 2017, Zárate joined Premier League team Watford. In February, he suffered a knee injury that kept him out of play for the rest of the season.
Loan to Al-Nasr
On October 2, 2017, Zárate went on loan to Al-Nasr in the United Arab Emirates. After a few games, he scored three goals in three matches for the club.
Loan to Vélez Sarsfield (again)
In January 2018, Zárate returned to Vélez Sarsfield on loan for his third time at the club where he began his career.
Joining Boca Juniors
In July 2018, Zárate signed with Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's biggest clubs. He played for Boca Juniors until May 2021.
Later Career Clubs
After Boca Juniors, Zárate joined América Mineiro in Brazil in August 2021. He then had a short time with Juventude in Brazil before moving back to Argentina to play for Platense.
In January 2023, Zárate returned to Italy to play for Serie B team Cosenza. However, he suffered another knee injury just a few weeks later. He later joined Danubio in Uruguay in 2023.
International Career
Argentina Youth Team
In 2007, Mauro Zárate was a key player for the Argentina national under-20 team. He scored the winning goal in the final match against the Czech Republic, helping Argentina win the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Senior Team Possibilities
In 2008, when Diego Maradona became the manager of the Argentina national team, he mentioned that if Zárate continued to play well, he might get a chance to join the senior team. Zárate has always said he dreams of playing for Argentina.
Personal Life
Mauro Zárate was born in Haedo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He comes from a family of footballers. His father, Sergio, was a professional footballer from Chile. His mother, Catalina Riga, has Italian roots. His grandfather was also a footballer.
Mauro is the youngest of four brothers who all played football professionally: Rolando, Ariel, and Sergio. Sergio also works as Mauro's agent. Mauro's nephew, Tobías, has also become a professional footballer.
Honours and Achievements
Vélez Sarsfield
- Argentine Primera División: 2005 Clausura
- Supercopa Argentina: 2013
Lazio
- Coppa Italia: 2008–09
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2009
Boca Juniors
- Primera División: 2019–20
- Copa Argentina: 2019–20
- Copa de la Liga Profesional: 2020
- Supercopa Argentina: 2018
Argentina U20
Individual Awards
- Argentine Primera División top scorer: 2006 Apertura, 2014 Final (both with Vélez Sarsfield)
See also
In Spanish: Mauro Zárate para niños
