Ezequiel Lavezzi: Difference between revisions
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Lavezzi soon made an impact for the club by scoring a [[hat-trick]] in a 3–1 victory over [[A.C. Pisa 1909 S.S.D.|Pisa]] in the [[Coppa Italia]] at the [[Stadio San Paolo]]; this was the first hat-trick by a Napoli player in 14 years.<ref>[http://www.extra-football.com/articles/lavezzi-hattrick-napoli.html Extra-Football.com]</ref> The first league goal Lavezzi scored for Napoli came during a 5–0 victory against [[Udinese Calcio|Udinese]] on 2 September 2007. After the match, he was described in reports as "inspirational,"<ref name=udin>[http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/udi-nap.html Channel4.com]</ref> with the media proclaiming, "Napoli's star is born."<ref name="udin"/> The Neapolitan club hadn't won a league match by such a large margin since 1988, when [[Diego Maradona]] was at the club.<ref>[http://spazioinwind.libero.it/napolissimo/Torneo%201988-1989.html Napoli 1988–89]</ref> |
Lavezzi soon made an impact for the club by scoring a [[hat-trick]] in a 3–1 victory over [[A.C. Pisa 1909 S.S.D.|Pisa]] in the [[Coppa Italia]] at the [[Stadio San Paolo]]; this was the first hat-trick by a Napoli player in 14 years.<ref>[http://www.extra-football.com/articles/lavezzi-hattrick-napoli.html Extra-Football.com]</ref> The first league goal Lavezzi scored for Napoli came during a 5–0 victory against [[Udinese Calcio|Udinese]] on 2 September 2007. After the match, he was described in reports as "inspirational,"<ref name=udin>[http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/udi-nap.html Channel4.com]</ref> with the media proclaiming, "Napoli's star is born."<ref name="udin"/> The Neapolitan club hadn't won a league match by such a large margin since 1988, when [[Diego Maradona]] was at the club.<ref>[http://spazioinwind.libero.it/napolissimo/Torneo%201988-1989.html Napoli 1988–89]</ref> |
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He completed the [[Serie A 2007–08|2007–08 season]] with eight goals in 35 games. He quickly became a focal point of the fans' affection with his skills. In the [[S.S.C. Napoli season 2008–09|2008–09 season]], he scored seven goals in 30 games. In the season 2009/2010 he scored 8 goals in 30 games but he had not played around 10 games cause of injuries . Season 2010-11 was with another number of jersey with 22 because |
He completed the [[Serie A 2007–08|2007–08 season]] with eight goals in 35 games. He quickly became a focal point of the fans' affection with his skills. In the [[S.S.C. Napoli season 2008–09|2008–09 season]], he scored seven goals in 30 games. In the season 2009/2010 he scored 8 goals in 30 games but he had not played around 10 games cause of injuries . Season 2010-11 was with another number of jersey with 22 because Ezequiel Lavezzi give to [[Edinson Cavani]] number of shirt 7 as a welcome . Lavezzi in [[Europa League]] scored 2 goals against [[Elsfborg]] and [[Liverpool]] . In [[Serie A]] he scored just 6 goals and 12 assists , known amazing goal against [[Ac Milan]] . For [[Coppa Italia]] he scored against [[Bologna]]. |
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==International career== |
==International career== |
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Revision as of 10:20, 3 July 2011
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Napoli | |||||||||||||
| Number | 22 | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| 1995–2003 | Boca Juniors | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Estudiantes-BA | 39 | (17) | |||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Genoa | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | → San Lorenzo (loan) | 29 | (8) | |||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | San Lorenzo | 55 | (16) | |||||||||||
| 2007– | Napoli | 126 | (29) | |||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Argentina U-20 | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2008 | Argentina U-23 | 10 | (6) | |||||||||||
| 2007– | Argentina | 13 | (1) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 May 2010 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 August 2009 | ||||||||||||||
Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi (born 3 May 1985), nicknamed "El Pocho", is an Argentine football striker who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Napoli and the Argentine national team.
Club career
Early career
The media, as they tend to do to many promising young Argentine players who appear in Italy, have been quick to dub Lavezzi the "New Maradona".[1][2] Lavezzi himself, however, plays this down, instead comparing himself to another young Argentine player, Carlos Tévez.
As a youngster, Lavezzi had a very keen interest in football and supported his local side Rosario Central; he would later get their badge tattooed on his chest.
From a very young age, the footballing talent of Lavezzi was recognised, as he played in the youth squads of Rosario Central. After being rejected in Boca Juniors. Lavezzi moved to the youth side of Estudiantes de Buenos Aires in 2003, where over one season, he played 39 games and scored 17 goals.[3]
Genoa
Known as el Pocho or the Chubby One, he was bought by Italian side Genoa in 2004 for €1 million,[3] but was loaned out straight-away to Argentina side San Lorenzo.[4] Here at the age of 19, he competed in the Apertura 2004 tournament scoring six goals in total over the course of the season; which saw him finish as 4th top scorer.
Lavezzi's most notable contributions included a spectacular effort against River Plate at the El Monumental. He scored in the 69th minute to give San Lorenzo a famous victory and seriously damage River's title challenge. This gained him the nickname la Bestia ("the Beast") from the Argentine media.[3]
Although it was planned for Lavezzi to return back to Genoa after a season on loan, there were problems: while Lavezzi was playing in Argentina, Genoa were involved in an alleged match-fixing scandal which saw them relegated down to Serie C1, the third level of Italian football. Due to financial constraints, the promising forward was sold to San Lorenzo for €1.2 million.[5]
San Lorenzo
On his return to San Lorenzo for the Apertura 2005 season, he managed to help the club up into the top half of the table, and with eight goals, he finished as the overall fourth top scorer. His last act as a San Lorenzo player was to help them to the Clausura 2007 title, beating out Boca Juniors by six points.
Napoli
Napoli had recently achieved promotion back to Serie A, after finishing as runners-up the previous season in Serie B. Looking to strengthen their squad for a return to the top level, Napoli signed Lavezzi on a five-year contract on 5 July 2007.[6] The transfer deal was worth around €6 million and he was presented before the fans and given the #7 shirt for his first season.
Lavezzi soon made an impact for the club by scoring a hat-trick in a 3–1 victory over Pisa in the Coppa Italia at the Stadio San Paolo; this was the first hat-trick by a Napoli player in 14 years.[7] The first league goal Lavezzi scored for Napoli came during a 5–0 victory against Udinese on 2 September 2007. After the match, he was described in reports as "inspirational,"[8] with the media proclaiming, "Napoli's star is born."[8] The Neapolitan club hadn't won a league match by such a large margin since 1988, when Diego Maradona was at the club.[9]
He completed the 2007–08 season with eight goals in 35 games. He quickly became a focal point of the fans' affection with his skills. In the 2008–09 season, he scored seven goals in 30 games. In the season 2009/2010 he scored 8 goals in 30 games but he had not played around 10 games cause of injuries . Season 2010-11 was with another number of jersey with 22 because Ezequiel Lavezzi give to Edinson Cavani number of shirt 7 as a welcome . Lavezzi in Europa League scored 2 goals against Elsfborg and Liverpool . In Serie A he scored just 6 goals and 12 assists , known amazing goal against Ac Milan . For Coppa Italia he scored against Bologna.
International career
Lavezzi made his international debut for the Argentine national team team against Chile on 18 April 2007.
In 2008 Lavezzi was selected to the Argentina Olympic football team which represented Argentina at the 2008 Olympics, during the Olympic games he scored two goals, one against Australia on 10 August 2008, and a penalty against Serbia on 13 August 2008. Lavezzi also appeared in the final minutes of extra time against Nigeria, in a game Argentina won 1–0.
Lavezzi's club form was not enough to see him included in Diego Maradona's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. On the 17th of November 2010, Argentina faced Brazil in a friendly match in Qatar, in which Argentina won by a goal from Lionel Messi in the injury time after a superb one-two play with Lavezzi. He has become a regular member under Sergio Batista. He scored the goal in the friendly match against Albania played on 21st June 2011. The match ended 4-0 in favor of Argentina. Lavezzi was replaced by Sergio Aguero in the 65th minute of the match. He was named in Argentina's Copa America Squad by Sergio Batista .
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Estudiantes (BA) | 2003–04 | 39 | 17 | - | - | - | - | 39 | 17 |
| Total | 39 | 17 | - | - | - | - | 39 | 17 | |
| San Lorenzo | 2004–05 | 29 | 8 | - | - | 8 | 0 | 37 | 8 |
| 2005–06 | 22 | 9 | - | - | - | - | 22 | 9 | |
| 2006–07 | 33 | 7 | - | - | 5 | 1 | 38 | 8 | |
| Total | 84 | 24 | - | - | 13 | 1 | 97 | 25 | |
| Napoli | 2007–08 | 35 | 8 | 5 | 3 | - | - | 40 | 11 |
| 2008–09 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 8 | |
| 2009–10 | 30 | 8 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 9 | |
| 2010–11 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 42 | 9 | |
| Total | 126 | 29 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 146 | 37 | |
| Career total | 249 | 71 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 4 | 282 | 80 | |
Honours
Club
- UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 2008
International
- Argentina
- Summer Olympic Games (1): 2008
References
- ^ Channel4.com
- ^ Guardian.co.uk
- ^ a b c CalcioNapoliNews.it
- ^ Clarin.com
- ^ IlGiornale.it
- ^ "Ezequiel Lavezzi al Napoli". SSC Napoli (in Italian). 7 July 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
- ^ Extra-Football.com
- ^ a b Channel4.com
- ^ Napoli 1988–89
External links
- Player profile on Napoli's official website
- Profile at FutbolPunto with maps and graphs
- Futbol360 profile
- Ezequiel Lavezzi at National-Football-Teams.com
Argentina squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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- 1985 births
- Living people
- Argentine footballers
- Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Association football forwards
- Estudiantes de Buenos Aires footballers
- San Lorenzo footballers
- S.S.C. Napoli players
- People from Santa Fe Province
- Argentina international footballers
- Serie A footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers of Argentina
- Olympic gold medalists for Argentina
- Primera División Argentina players
- Argentine expatriate footballers
- Olympic medalists in football