| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mauro Matías Zárate | ||
| Date of birth | March 18, 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Haedo, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Second Striker Winger |
||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Internazionale | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Vélez Sársfield | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | Vélez Sársfield | 99 | (28) |
| 2007–2009 | Al-Sadd | 6 | (4) |
| 2008 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 14 | (4) |
| 2008–2009 | → Lazio (loan) | 36 | (13) |
| 2009– | Lazio | 67 | (12) |
| 2011– | → Internazionale (loan) | 22 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007 | Argentina U-20 | 5 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:15, 17 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Mauro Matías Zárate (born 18 March 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Internazionale on loan from Lazio.
Zárate started his career with Vélez Sársfield in his native country, playing three years for the team and winning the Primera División title in the 2005 Clausura tournament. He later signed for Qatari side Al-Sadd in 2008, where he played only six months before transferring on loan to Birmingham City in England. However, after Birmingham's relegation, Zárate was loaned out again, this time to Lazio in Italy. With Lazio, the forward won the Coppa Italia during his first season. At the end of his debut season, his move to Lazio was made permanent for a fee of around €20 million, with a €60 million [2] buy-out clause.
In international football, Zárate scored the winning goal as the Argentina under-20 team won the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup final.
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Zárate began his club football career at Vélez Sársfield, where he played since childhood. At 17, considered too strong for the youth category, he was promoted in the first team where he made his full debut on 21 April 2004 against Arsenal de Sarandí. He shared the top-scorer award for the Apertura 2006 with Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors) with 12 goals each.[3]
On 18 June 2007, Zárate signed a two-year deal with Al-Sadd in the Qatari League[4] for a fee reported by Clarín at $22M.[5] Zárate did not remain in Qatar long however, playing just six league games and scoring four goals, before heading on loan to English Premier League side Birmingham.
On 21 January 2008, he joined Premier League side Birmingham City on loan until the end of the 2007–08 season, with a view to a permanent deal.[6] He made his debut for the club in the 2–0 defeat at Sunderland on 29 January 2008,[7] and made his first start in March against Portsmouth. He scored his first goal for the club against Reading on 22 March 2008,[8] followed by a brace in their next match against Manchester City[9] and an equalising free kick against Everton.[10] Zárate left the club at the end of his loan spell, their relegation from the Premier League meaning that no extension to the loan would be considered.[11]
Zárate completed a move to Lazio on 5 July 2008. He joined initially on loan, for €2.4 million,[12] with Lazio having an option to make the deal permanent,[13][14] and following a successful medical he was presented to the media a few days later.[15]
Zárate immediately endeared himself to the Lazio faithful, scoring a brace in his Serie A debut against Cagliari and dedicating the second to the Lazio supporters.[16] Zarate also scored on his home debut, with a left footed strike from outside the penalty area against Sampdoria. This rich goalscoring form continued with Zárate scoring once against Milan at the San Siro, twice against Torino and another against Siena. By mid-season however, Zárate hit a dip in form and found himself being substituted for captain Tommaso Rocchi who was returning to form following serious injury.
On 28 February, Zárate scored a brace for Lazio at the Olimpico against Bologna, the game ended 2–0 for Lazio becoming the sixth top scorer in the Serie A with 10 goals.
On 13 May, Zarate won the Coppa Italia scoring one goal and one penalty in the Final.[17] After the season ended his move to Lazio was made permanent for a fee of about €20 million, with a €60 million buy-out clause.[2] The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) later fined Lazio and suspended club president Claudio Lotito over financial irregularities around the transfer.[nb 1]
Zárate caused controversy when he was photographed apparently giving a fascist salute while watching Lazio lose to Bari in March 2010 among a group of fans, though his agent claimed afterwards that the player "did not realise the significance of his gesture" and did not know who Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini were.[19][20]
In July 2010, FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber passed a decision that ordered Lazio to pay an additional solidarity contribution of €726,936 owed to Vélez Sársfield. Lazio only paid €73,442.77 corresponding to the €2.4M loan fee. They rejected Lazio's claim that the club had paid €20M to Zárate, who had then paid Al-Sadd to terminate his contract in April 2009, so that he was signed as a free agent and the €20M was not a transfer fee.[21] In February 2011 Lazio appealed but dismissed.[22]
On 31 August 2011, Zárate completed a loan deal from Lazio to Internazionale with a view to a permanent transfer.[23] He scored a 79th-minute winner – his first goal for the club – away against CSKA Moscow in the group stage of the 2011–12 Champions League.[24] He scored his first league goal for Inter against Genoa [25]
In 2007, Zárate helped the Argentina Under-20 team to win the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against the Czech Republic.[26]
In 2008, legend Diego Maradona was appointed manager of the Argentine national team and declared in light of his sensational form for Lazio that Zárate would get a chance with the national team.[27]
In 2009, Zarate (under his agent's supervision) declared that he would welcome the possibility to be included in the Italy national team if Diego Maradona does not call him up to his Argentina's squad for the 2010 world cup.
Zárate was born in Haedo, Buenos Aires to a reasonably wealthy family with much footballing pedigree. His father Sergio is a Chilean former professional footballer, who played for Independiente de Avellaneda and A.C. Ancona. His mother, Catalina Riga, has Italian origins, with her family originating from Catanzaro in southern Italy. His grandfather Juvenal was Chilean and also a footballer.[28][29][30]
Mauro is the brother of fellow footballers Rolando who currently plays for Huracán and Ariel of All Boys, as well as former international Sergio Zárate who currently acts as Mauro's agent.[31]
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