Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi nicknamed
"El Pocho", is an
ArgentineArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
football striker of Italian descent, who currently plays for
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Serie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club
NapoliSocietà Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
and the Argentine national team.
Atlético Estudiantes
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 MaradonaNew Maradona or New Diego is a title given by the press and public to promising Argentine football players in reference to the legendary Diego Maradona as a benchmark...
". Lavezzi himself, however, plays this down, instead comparing himself to another young Argentine player,
Carlos TévezCarlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
.
As a youngster, Lavezzi had a very keen interest in football and supported his local side
Rosario CentralClub Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
; he would later get their badge tattooed on his back.
From a very young age, the footballing talent of Lavezzi was recognised, as he played in the youth squads of
Rosario CentralClub Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
. After being rejected in
Boca JuniorsClub Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
. Lavezzi moved to the youth side of
Atlético EstudiantesClub Atlético Estudiantes, usually called Estudiantes de Buenos Aires or Estudiantes de Caseros, is a sports club from Caseros, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina...
in 2003, where over one season, he played 39 games and scored 17 goals.
San Lorenzo
Known as
el Pocho or
the Chubby One, he was bought by Italian side
GenoaGenoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
in 2004 for
€The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1 million, but was loaned out straight-away to Argentina side
San LorenzoClub Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine sports club based in Boedo neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, mostly known because of its football team....
. Here at the age of 19, he competed in the
Apertura 2004 tournamentThe 2004-05 Argentine First Division season saw Américo Gallego's Newell's Old Boys win the Apertura title after a fierce battle against Vélez Sársfield for the supremacy...
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 PlateClub Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
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.
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 C1Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
, the third level of Italian football. Due to financial constraints, the promising forward was sold to San Lorenzo for €1.2 million.
On his return to San Lorenzo for the
Apertura 2005The 2005-06 Argentine First Division Apertura was a nail biter. After a head-to-head finish in the last weeks Boca Juniors took the trophy home. Gimnasia de La Plata will have to wait for their first-ever championship....
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 JuniorsClub Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
by six points.
Napoli
NapoliSocietà Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
had recently achieved promotion back to
Serie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, after finishing as runners-up the previous season in
Serie BSerie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
. Looking to strengthen their squad for a return to the top level, Napoli signed Lavezzi on a five-year contract on 5 July 2007. 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-trickA hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a 3–1 victory over Pisa in the
Coppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
at the
Stadio San PaoloStadio San Paolo is a multi-purpose stadium in the western suburb of Fuorigrotta in Naples, Italy, and is the third largest football stadium in Italy after the San Siro and Stadio Olimpico. For the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, it hosted the football preliminaries. It is currently used mostly for...
; this was the first hat-trick by a Napoli player in 14 years. The first league goal Lavezzi scored for Napoli came during a 5–0 victory against
UdineseUdinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
on 2 September 2007. After the match, he was described in reports as "inspirational," with the media proclaiming, "Napoli's star is born." The Neapolitan club hadn't won a league match by such a large margin since 1988, when
Diego MaradonaDiego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
was at the club.
He completed the 2007–08 season with eight goals in 35 games. He quickly became a focal point of the fans' affection with his quick feet and sharpness around the box. 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 because of injuries. Lavezzi stayed at Napoli for the 2010-11 season but was handed the number 22 jersey after he gifted his number seven to recently signed
Edison CavaniEdinson Roberto Cavani Gómez is a Uruguayan footballer with Italian origins. He currently plays as a striker forSerie A club S.S.C. Napoli. Cavani is nicknamed "El Matador" for his commanding presence.-Danubio:...
as a welcome gesture. In the same season he scored two goals in the Europa League, against
IF ElfsborgIF Elfsborg is a Swedish football club located in Borås. The club has won five national championship titles, the latest in 2006, and two national cup titles. Currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan. Elfsborg is based at Borås Arena...
and
LiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
respectively, scored six and assisted a further 12 in the Serie A (the best of which was a great scoop over
Christian AbbiatiChristian Abbiati is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Milan.-Milan:His debut in Serie A came on January 17, 1999 as a 92nd-minute substitute for Sebastiano Rossi...
in the home game against AC Milan) and also scored a goal in the
Coppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
against
BolognaBologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
.
International career
Lavezzi made his international debut for the
Argentine national teamThe Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
team against
ChileThe Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
on 18 April 2007.
In 2008 Lavezzi was selected to the
Argentina Olympic football teamArgentina Olympic football team represents Argentina in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players...
which represented
ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
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
NigeriaThe Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, in a game Argentina won 1–0.
Lavezzi's club form was not enough to see him included in
Diego MaradonaDiego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
's
2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
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 BatistaSergio Daniel "Checho" Batista is an Argentine football manager and former footballer. He played as a midfielder, and represented his national team 39 times between 1985 and 1990. He was head coach of Argentina national football team from July 2010 to July 2011.-Club:Batista played youth football...
. He scored the goal in the friendly match against Albania played on 21 June 2011. The match ended 4-0 in favor of Argentina. Lavezzi was replaced by
Sergio AgüeroSergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team....
in the 65th minute of the match. He was named in Argentina's Copa America Squad by
Sergio BatistaSergio Daniel "Checho" Batista is an Argentine football manager and former footballer. He played as a midfielder, and represented his national team 39 times between 1985 and 1990. He was head coach of Argentina national football team from July 2010 to July 2011.-Club:Batista played youth football...
.
In the match between Argentina - Bolivia ,Lavezzi was benched until minute 59 when he came in the pitch and scored after 40 seconds a great goal with the left . The match end with a draw 1-1 .
Club statistics
| Club |
Season |
League |
Cup |
Continental |
Total |
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Estudiantes (BA) Club Atlético Estudiantes, usually called Estudiantes de Buenos Aires or Estudiantes de Caseros, is a sports club from Caseros, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina...
|
2003–04 |
39 |
17 |
| 39 |
17 |
| Total |
39 | 17 | - | - | - | - | 39 | 17 |
San LorenzoClub Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine sports club based in Boedo neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, mostly known because of its football team....
|
2004–05 -Torneo Apertura:-Top Scorers:-Torneo Clausura:-Top Scorers:-Relegation:-"Promoción" playoff:Argentinos Juniors wins 4-2 and remains in the Argentine First Division...
|
29 |
8 |
| 8 |
0 |
37 |
8 |
| 2005–06 -Torneo Apertura:-Top Scorers:-Torneo Clausura:-Top Scorers:-Relegation:-"Promoción" playoff:...
|
22 |
9 |
| 22 |
9 |
| 2006–07 -Torneo Apertura:-"Championship" playoff:Boca Juniors and Estudiantes de La Plata ended up tied in points at the end of the 19 weeks of regular season. Tournament rules establish that, unlike any other position on the table, if two or more teams are equal in points at the end of play, goal...
|
33 |
7 |
| 5 |
1 |
38 |
8 |
| Total |
84 | 24 | - | - | 13 | 1 | 97 | 25 |
NapoliSocietà Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
|
2007–08 The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...
|
35 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
| 40 |
11 |
| 2008–09 The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008...
|
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 |
| 2011–12 |
7 |
2 |
| 3 |
0 |
10 |
2 |
| Total |
133 | 31 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 156 | 39 |
| Career total |
256 | 72 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 4 | 292 | 81 |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. |
June 20, 2011 |
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
|
|
1–0 |
4–0 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
| 2. |
November 11, 2011 |
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
|
|
1–1 |
1–1 |
2014 World Cup qualification |
Club
San Lorenzo
- Argentine Primera División (1): 2007 Clausura
S.S.C. NapoliSocietà Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
(1): 2008
International
Argentina
- Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
(1): 2008The men's association football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and four other cities in the People's Republic of China from 7 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to enter their men's U-23 teams in regional qualifying competitions, from...
External links