Pablo Zabaleta facts for kids
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Zabaleta with West Ham United in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 January 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Albania (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Obras Sanitarias | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2002 | San Lorenzo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | San Lorenzo | 66 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Espanyol | 79 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2017 | Manchester City | 230 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | West Ham United | 73 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 448 | (20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Argentina U20 | 28 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Argentina U23 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2016 | Argentina | 58 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Albania (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod, born on January 16, 1985, is a former professional footballer from Argentina. He played as a right back, a player who defends on the right side of the field. Zabaleta was known for his tough and determined style of play. He often served as a captain for his club teams.
Zabaleta achieved great success with Manchester City. He won all the major English football trophies. These include the FA Cup in 2011, the Premier League in 2012 and 2014, and the League Cup in 2014 and 2016. He also won the FA Community Shield in 2012.
Many fans consider Zabaleta a "cult hero" at Manchester City. This means he was a very popular player, admired for his dedication and passion. Before joining Manchester City, he played for La Liga club Espanyol in Spain. There, he won the 2005–06 Copa del Rey, a Spanish cup competition. He played 333 games for Manchester City over nine seasons. After that, he moved to West Ham United in 2017.
Zabaleta also played for the Argentina national team starting in 2005. He played in the 2011 Copa América and 2015 Copa América tournaments. He was part of the team that finished second in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also won a gold medal with Argentina at the 2008 Olympics. Since January 2023, Zabaleta has been an assistant coach for the Albania national football team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Argentina: San Lorenzo
Pablo Zabaleta was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and grew up in a town called Arrecifes. He began his football journey at San Lorenzo in 2002. He joined their youth academy when he was 12 years old.
He first played as a defensive midfielder, helping protect the defense. Later, he moved to play on the right side of the field.
Moving to Spain: Espanyol
In 2005, Zabaleta moved to Espanyol in Spain. He was the captain of Argentina's under-20 team at the time. His team had just won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.
In the 2005–06 season, Zabaleta helped Espanyol win the 2005–06 Copa del Rey. He played the entire final match, where Espanyol beat Real Zaragoza 4–1. In 2007, he played in the 2007 UEFA Cup Final, but Espanyol lost on penalties to Sevilla.
Becoming a Star: Manchester City
Joining Manchester City
In the summer of 2008, Zabaleta joined Premier League club Manchester City. He chose City over an offer from Juventus in Italy. He said he wanted to play in England.
He signed a five-year deal with City on August 31, 2008. The very next day, Manchester City was bought by the Abu Dhabi United Group. This new ownership brought a lot of money and investment to the club.
First Years and FA Cup Win
Zabaleta played his first game for Manchester City on September 13, 2008. It was a 3–1 loss to Chelsea. He scored his first goal for City on January 17, 2009, in a 1–0 win against Wigan Athletic.
On January 1, 2011, Zabaleta played his 100th game for Manchester City. He helped his team win the 2010–11 FA Cup on May 14, 2011. He came on as a substitute in the final as City beat Stoke City 1–0. This was a big trophy for the club.
Winning the Premier League
In November 2011, Zabaleta signed a new contract with City until 2015. Fans loved his never-give-up attitude and commitment. He became a fan favorite, known for his hard work.
On April 30, 2012, he played the full game in a crucial 1–0 win against rivals Manchester United. On the final day of the season, Zabaleta scored the first goal in City's dramatic 3–2 win over Queens Park Rangers. This victory secured Manchester City's first league title since 1968.
More Trophies and Awards
In 2013, Zabaleta was voted Manchester City's Player of the Month twice. He also served as stand-in captain when the main captain, Vincent Kompany, was injured. He was the only City player chosen for the 2012–13 Premier League PFA Team of the Year. At the end of the season, he was named Manchester City Player of the Year.
On March 2, 2014, Zabaleta played as Manchester City beat Sunderland 3–1 in the 2014 Football League Cup Final. This meant he had won all the major trophies in English football. On May 11, he helped Manchester City win the Premier League again. This was his second league title in three seasons.
Leaving City
Zabaleta made 32 appearances in the 2016–17 season. His last game for Manchester City was on May 16, 2017. After the game, his manager, Pep Guardiola, called him a "legend." Zabaleta was given a special lifetime season ticket and a shirt with "Zabaleta 333" on it, marking his total games for City.
Playing for West Ham United
On May 26, 2017, Zabaleta joined West Ham United on a free transfer. He signed a two-year contract. In May 2019, he extended his contract until the summer of 2020.
On January 5, 2020, Zabaleta scored his only goal for West Ham in an FA Cup match. On January 10, 2020, he became the first Argentine player to reach 300 Premier League appearances. West Ham confirmed his departure from the club in June 2020. He played 80 games for West Ham over three seasons.
International Career
Pablo Zabaleta started playing for Argentina's youth teams at age 14. He played in several youth tournaments, including the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He won this tournament in 2005 with the Argentina under-20 team.
He also won a gold medal with the Argentina team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played in all six matches at right-back.
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Zabaleta became the first-choice right-back for the senior Argentina team. In June 2014, he was part of Argentina's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game in Argentina's 2–1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Argentina reached the final but finished as runners-up.
At the 2015 Copa América, Zabaleta provided an assist for a goal scored by his Manchester City teammate Sergio Agüero. This goal helped Argentina defeat Uruguay. Argentina finished as runners-up in this tournament too.
After Football: Pundit and Coach
After retiring from playing football on October 16, 2020, Pablo Zabaleta moved into new roles. In June 2018, he worked as a football expert, or "pundit," for the BBC's Match of the Day during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He also worked as a pundit for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
In January 2023, Zabaleta became an assistant coach for the Albania national football team. He joined the coaching staff under head coach Sylvinho. He also works for ESPN, covering La Liga matches.
Personal Life
Pablo Zabaleta has Spanish roots, specifically from the Basque region. He has a tattoo on his chest with his mother's name.
Honours
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Espanyol
- Copa del Rey: 2005–06
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14
- FA Cup: 2010–11; runner-up: 2012–13
- Football League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16
- FA Community Shield: 2012
Argentina Youth
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
Argentina U23
- Summer Olympics: 2008
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- Copa América runner-up: 2015
Individual
- PFA Team of the Year: 2012–13 Premier League
- Manchester City Player of the Year: 2012–13
- Manchester City Player of the Month: January 2009, December 2012, January 2013
- FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2013, 2014
