Javier Alejandro Mascherano (ma(s)tʃeˈɾano, maske'rano; born 8 June 1984) 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...
footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for
FC BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. He can also play as a central defender.
Mascherano began his career at
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....
. He earned his first senior honours in 2003–04, winning the
Primera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
. He also won an
Olympic gold medalArgentina competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The men's basketball and football teams both won gold medals, the first gold medals for Argentina since 1952.-Medalists:- Athletics:MenDecathlonWomen- Basketball:...
with Argentina in the
Athens GamesThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and finished runner up in the
Copa América 2004The Copa América 2004 was the 41st edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body, and was held in Peru, who hosted the tournament for the sixth time,...
. He moved to Brazilian side
CorinthiansSport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
in 2005, winning the
Brazilian Série AThe Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
in his first season. Mascherano moved to Europe, signing for Premier League side West Ham United. However, unusual contract terms with
Media Sports InvestmentsMedia Sports Investments is a London-based international investment fund that until June 2006 was headed by the Iranian-born, British-educated, businessman Kia Joorabchian...
blighted his brief time at the club and at the beginning of 2007 he joined
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on loan.
He was runner up in the
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in his first season on
MerseysideMerseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
and again finished runner up in the Copa América with Argentina. He officially signed for Liverpool in February 2008 for £18.6 million, parting ways with Media Sports Investments. He won a second Olympic gold medal with Argentina in the
Beijing 2008 GamesThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, the first male footballer to achieve this since 1928. He was appointed captain of the national team by new head coach
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...
in November 2008 who has repeatedly stated that his selection is "Mascherano and 10 more".
Mascherano's two most used nicknames (in Argentina) are
Masche and
El Jefecito (The little chief). Former Argentine footballers
Jorge Valdano and
Jorge SolariJorge Raúl Solari, is a former Argentine football player and manager.-Playing career:Solari, nicknamed "El Indio" , played for several clubs in Argentina, he started his career with Newell's Old Boys in 1960. In 1962 he signed for Vélez Sársfield and in 1964 he joined River Plate...
regard him as possibly the best central midfielder in the world.
He was considered a key part of the
national sideThe 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...
by past coach
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...
who stated that his team was just
JonásJonás Manuel Gutiérrez is an Argentine footballer who plays for English Premier League side Newcastle United, and for the Argentinian national team, as a winger. He acquired his nickname "Spider-Man" or "Spider-Mag" during his time at Real Mallorca where he celebrated a goal by putting on a...
, Mascherano, MessiLionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
and eight more.
Mascherano also holds an
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...
passport, which makes him eligible as an EU player.
River Plate (2003–05)
Born in
San LorenzoSan Lorenzo is a city in the south of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, located 23 km north of Rosario, on the western shore of the Paraná River, and forming one end of the Greater Rosario metropolitan area...
,
Santa FeSanta Fe is the capital city of province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It sits in northeastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies opposite the city of Paraná, to which it is linked by the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel. The city is also connected by canal with the...
, Mascherano came through the youth ranks at
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....
in
Buenos AiresBuenos 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...
. However, before making his club debut he made his name representing Argentina.
Mascherano won his first silverware when River won the
2003–04 Clausura (Closing) championshipThe 2003-04 Argentine First Division season saw Boca Juniors ecstatic after a title run that also included the Intercontinental Cup. River Plate stole the Clausura leaving hated rival Boca Juniors looking up from second place....
. In the 2004 Copa Libertadores River reached the semi-final, but lost on penalties to arch-rivals Boca Juniors.
Around this time several clubs including
Real MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, and
Deportivo de La CoruñaReal Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...
declared an interest in signing Mascherano, but River Plate turned down all offers, saying that none of the interested parties were prepared to pay enough.
2004–05 was not a successful season for River, finishing third in the Apertura Championship and only tenth in the Clausura. In the Copa Libertadores River again lost in the semi-final, this time to São Paulo.
After the
Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
in Germany, Brazilian club
CorinthiansSport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
acquired Mascherano from River Plate for US$15 million.
Corinthians (2005–06)
The Brazilian Série A runs from April, so Mascherano joined
CorinthiansSport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
in mid-season. After playing only nine games for his new club, on September 2005, Mascherano suffered a stress fracture to his left foot causing him to miss the end of the season. He went back to Argentina to be operated on by the National team doctor and recuperate. However, Corinthians still claimed the
2005 Série A championshipCorinthians won the 35th edition of the Brazilian national championship, claiming their fourth national title. The season officially kicked off on April 23, 2005 and concluded on December 4.-Champion and contenders:...
with the team captained by Mascherano's Argentine compatriot,
Carlos TévezCarlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
.
In total, Mascherano was out of action for six months, only returning on 5 March 2006. Corinthians were forced to start their
2006 Copa LibertadoresThe 2006 Copa Toyota Libertadores was the 47th edition of the Latin American Copa Libertadores football club tournament. 38 teams from 11 football associations have taken part, starting with the first qualifying round played on 24 January 2006...
without Mascherano, but he returned in time for the Round of 16 tie against River Plate, which Corinthians lost. The
2006 Brazilian Série AThe 36th season of the Campeonato Brasileiro began on April 15, 2006, and reached its end on December 3, 2006.-Format:The format was similar to the 2005 edition, though fielding two fewer teams. 20 teams competed, each team playing the other in a home-and-away format...
also went badly for Corinthians, and at one stage they were battling against relegation. In June, the league season was interrupted for the
2006 World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
Although his performance drew the attention of European clubs, he stated his desire to remain with Corinthians, to help with the relegation battle, and postponed any transfer until January at the earliest. However, hours before the northern summer 2006 transfer window closed, Mascherano joined
West Ham UnitedWest Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
for an undisclosed fee along with team-mate
Carlos TévezCarlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
.
West Ham (2006 – January 2007)
During the summer of 2006 Mascherano was linked with top clubs around
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, he stated he would relish playing in
SpainThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
for
Real MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
or Barcelona but eventually he signed for West Ham United in the Premier League. Mascherano holds an
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...
passport due to his ancestry.
The move to West Ham was seen as surprising, with many of Europe's top clubs having been linked with Mascherano all summer. There were many rumours about the nature of the transfer, primarily regarding Media Sports Investment's interest in buying-out West Ham. Rumours included speculation as to whether West Ham truly owned the players, or whether a
third party held their registrationThird-party ownership in association football is the ownership of a player's economic rights by third-party sources, such as football agents, sports-management agencies, or other investors...
, and also that if a high enough (£112 million was touted) offer was received West Ham would be forced to sell. (It has since been discovered that Mystere Services and Global Soccer Agencies are the companies that owned Mascherano.)
Before Mascherano joined, West Ham had won one game, drawn one and lost one. However upon his arrival the team went into free-fall, losing eight games and drawing one game in all competitions before their next win on 29 October. During this time, Mascherano rarely featured in the team, despite their struggles, prompting rumours about financial clauses related to the amount of time he was actually played. In October, the Argentina national coach,
Alfio BasileAlfio Basile , known as Coco, is an Argentine football coach and former player.-Playing career:Basile started his playing career at the Bella Vista club in his home city. From 1964 to 1970 he played for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a mainstay of the 1973 Metropolitano champions...
, declared that he hoped Mascherano would leave West Ham "as soon as possible," and "I hope for God's sake that Mascherano can go to Juventus."
On 16 January 2007,
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
requested clearance from
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
to take Mascherano on loan from West Ham. FIFA's rules state that no player can play for more than two different clubs between 1 July and 30 June the following year, but Mascherano had already played for both Corinthians and West Ham during this time.
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
approved the deal on 31 January 2007. However, although Liverpool submitted his registration details before the midnight transfer deadline, the Premier League did not immediately announce whether it would allow Mascherano to play for Liverpool, saying that it wanted to "take time to satisfy itself with the proposed arrangements".
In a further development, it was announced on 2 March that the Premier League were charging West Ham with breaking rule B13, concerning acting in good faith, and rule U18, which concerns the influence of third-party ownership. On 27 April the Premier League issued West Ham a world-record fine of £5.5 million.
Liverpool (February 2007–2010)
On 10 February, Liverpool added Mascherano to their
Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
squad and gave him the number 20 shirt. Eventually, on 20 February 2007, Mascherano's move to Liverpool became official after the Premier League accepted Liverpool's request to register the player at Anfield.
Mascherano made his debut for Liverpool against
Sheffield UnitedSheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
on 24 February 2007, and was praised by the Liverpool manager
Rafael BenítezRafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
and team captain
Steven GerrardSteven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
after Liverpool's 4–0 victory. After playing in a match against
ArsenalArsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
on 31 March, Benítez called Mascherano a "monster of a player". Similarly, his teammates were impressed by his talent;
Xabi AlonsoXabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
noted how mature a player he was for his age, saying: "He has a cool mind on the pitch. He is analysing and thinking about the game in each moment." Mascherano's first Champions League appearance came in the quarter-final first leg against
PSV in
Eindhoven on 3 April. Hastily establishing himself as a starter at the club, Mascherano played in the
Champions League FinalThe 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan of Italy and Liverpool F.C. of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA...
that year against
A.C. MilanAssociazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. He and teammate Alonso were successful in stifling the creative play of both
KakáRicardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
and
Clarence SeedorfClarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
for much of the match but Liverpool eventually succumbed to Milan, losing 2–1. He was voted Liverpool's man of the match by the fans on the official Liverpool website.
Following months of speculation, Mascherano signed a four-year permanent contract with Liverpool on 29 February 2008, ending his association with Media Sports Investments. The transfer reportedly cost Liverpool £18.6 m, and covered not only the transfer fee, but also the player's wages for the four year deal. It was allowed to go through immediately as Mascherano was not contracted to another club, making him exempt from the rules of the transfer window. He scored his first Premier League and Liverpool goal on 15 March 2008, with a 20-yard strike against Reading.
On 29 November 2009, Mascherano claimed the first goal in the 2–0 win against
EvertonEverton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
at
Goodison ParkGoodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
when his 30 yard shot appeared to be heading just off target before it took a wicked deflection off
Joseph YoboJoseph Yobo is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a centre back for Fenerbahçe, on loan from Everton. He is also an international for the Nigerian national team, for which he has 81 caps and currently captains....
before finding the net. The goal officially went down as an own goal. In a game against Portsmouth on 19 December 2009, Mascherano was sent off for committing a bad foul on Portsmouth's
Tal Ben HaimTal Ben Haim is an Israeli professional footballer who currently plays for Portsmouth.He can play at either centre back or right back. He is also a member of the Israeli national squad...
. It was later confirmed that the sending off meant a 4-match suspension for Mascherano. This was due to this being his 2nd red card of the season Liverpool lost this match 2–0. Mascherano has the worst disciplinary record of the 2009–10 Premier League season with seven yellow cards and two red. He scored his first goal of the season with a bullet of a shot from outside the area in the Europa League against Unirea Urziceni away from home in a match Liverpool won 3–1 to secure their place in the last 16 of the competition with an aggregate win of 4–1.
On 27 July 2010, after returning from a break after the
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...
, Mascherano informed new Liverpool manager
Roy HodgsonRoy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
that he wanted to leave the Anfield club. During that break, Hodgson had failed with several attempts to contact Mascherano, able only to leave messages for him saying that he was looking forward to meeting him back on Merseyside as his calls went unreturned.
Mascherano was held in high esteem by the Liverpool fans, who gave him his own song, (to the tune of the White Stripes' "
Seven Nation Army"Seven Nation Army" is the first track on the album Elephant by American alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released as a single in 2003. "Seven Nation Army" reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks for three weeks and won 2004's Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song is known for its...
"). After winning the
2011 Champions League FinalThe 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
with Barcelona, Mascherano, speaking directly after the match, said "I want to say, I know that Liverpool supporters, after my exit, I know they were a little bit sad with me—this is for them as well".
Liverpool announced on 27 August that they had agreed a transfer fee with Barcelona for the player and had given permission to him to speak with the Spanish club.
Old Trafford Incident 2008
In his first game at
Old TraffordOld Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
against
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 23 March 2008, he was sent off after collecting two yellow cards. He was initially booked for a late tackle on
Paul ScholesPaul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
, and later dismissed for running towards referee
Steve BennettStephen Graham Bennett is a former English football referee who operated in the Premier League, and previously for FIFA as an assistant referee and then referee.-Career:...
to protest a yellow card shown to
Fernando TorresFernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
. Mascherano had to be pushed from the field of play by
Steven GerrardSteven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
and Alonso. Rafa Benítez was also forced to leave the dug out and plead with Mascherano to leave the field. He was also escorted down the tunnel by
Peter CrouchPeter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
.
The Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
ruled that the usual one-game suspension be increased to three games for improper conduct. Mascherano admitted the improper conduct charge levelled at him, but appealed against the further two-to-three-match suspension. However, this appeal was denied by the Football Association, and Mascherano was also fined £15,000. However he demanded that this fine would be paid to a charity.
With the controversial incident behind him, Mascherano would play a key role in Liverpool's 2–1 win over United at
AnfieldAnfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on 13 September 2008. Though he was at fault for failing to cover countryman
Carlos TévezCarlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
, who scored for United less than three minutes into the game, Mascherano made amends for his mistake, and was instrumental in creating the goal which put Liverpool up 2–1. Mascherano was voted Man of the Match by the fans on Liverpool's official website.
Barcelona (2010–Present)
On 28 August 2010, he agreed terms on a four-year deal contract with Barcelona 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,...
22 million. On 30 August 2010, Mascherano passed his medical to complete his transfer to Barça, and told Barça TV "All is fair in fair and love".
He made his
leagueThe 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División...
debut on 11 September 2010, starting in a home 2–0 defeat against recently promoted
Hércules CFHércules Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Alicante, in the autonomous community of Valencia. Founded in 1922, it currently plays in the Spanish second division, and holds home games at the Estadio José Rico Pérez, which seats 30,000 spectators.-History:After first...
, marking the first defeat at the Camp Nou for 16 months. Mascherano had a mixed season at the Camp Nou, spending the first half of the season mainly coming off the bench but for the latter part playing out of position in a center back role. On 28 May 2011, Mascherano started alongside
Gerard PiquéGerard Piqué i Bernabeu is a Spanish footballer, currently playing as a central defender for FC Barcelona.A product of Barça's cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United in 2004, where he remained for four years, before returning to Barça under Josep Guardiola's leadership, helping...
in the 2011 Champions League Final against Manchester United. Barcelona went on to win the game 3-1 with Mascherano dedicating the win to Liverpool fans, some of which he had upset during his move. In the run to the final, Mascherano denied Arsenal's
Nicklas BendtnerNicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...
a certain goal with a sliding tackle towards the end of the second round last 16 game, which the Catalan side beat the Gunners 3–1, 4–3 on aggregate.
International career
Mascherano’s first international appearance came in 2001. September of that year saw him play on the Argentina team that finished fourth in the
2001 FIFA U-17 World ChampionshipThe FIFA U-17 World Championship 2001 was held in the cities of Port of Spain, Malabar, Marabella, Couva, and Bacolet in Trinidad and Tobago between 13 September and 30 September 2001. Players born after 1 January 1984 could participate in this tournament...
.
His impact at youth levels was such that he made his senior international debut before playing a single minute for River Plate's first team (due to his central midfield position at club level being occupied by River’s long standing captain
Leonardo AstradaLeonardo Rubén Astrada is a retired Argentine football player, who went on to become a football manager. He currently manages Paraguayan team Cerro Porteño.-Playing career:...
, nicknamed
the Chief). That international debut came in a friendly against
UruguayThe Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
on July 16, 2003.
Halfway through the
2003–04 Apertura (Opening) championshipThe 2003-04 Argentine First Division season saw Boca Juniors ecstatic after a title run that also included the Intercontinental Cup. River Plate stole the Clausura leaving hated rival Boca Juniors looking up from second place....
, Mascherano was called up to play in the
2003 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipThe 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between November 27 and December 19, 2003. The 2003 championship was the 14th contested...
.
ArgentinaThe Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level....
again finished fourth with Mascherano the team's outstanding player. He was however suspended for the third place play-off.
In January 2004, he joined up with Argentina's under-23 team for the South American Pre-Olímpico tournament in
ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Argentina won the tournament, thereby qualifying for the
2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. In August, Mascherano and the team went on to become
gold medal-winnersThe football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
in Greece.
At the end of the 2003–2004 season, Mascherano was included in the senior squad for the
2004 Copa AméricaThe Copa América 2004 was the 41st edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body, and was held in Peru, who hosted the tournament for the sixth time,...
. Argentina lost to Brazil on penalties in the final, but Mascherano impressed enough to be voted Argentina's player of the tournament by his team-mates.
The following year, Mascherano played in the
Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack...
in Germany, a tournament that ended in disappointment for Argentina who went down 4–1 to Brazil in the final.
In the
2006 World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, he played every minute of every game for
ArgentinaThe 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...
, with Argentina being knocked out by Germany in the Quarter-finals.
His first two goals for the senior Argentina team came in July 2007 during the
Copa América 2007The 2007 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, known simply as the 2007 Copa América or 2007 Copa América Venezuela, was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams...
. Mascherano’s performance at the tournament was such that he was widely selected as the best Argentine player in a squad full of stars.
2008 saw another, less welcome, first as Mascherano received his first red card for the national team after receiving two yellow cards in a match against the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, on 8 June 2008. He was sent of in the 86th minute of the match, which went on to end 0–0.
Later that year, Mascherano was selected to represent Argentina in the Olympic games in Beijing as one of their over-23 year old players. He was thrilled at the call up saying "It's important for any athlete to defend the gold medal. I might be the only person from my country ever to do it and I'll go down in history." Argentina won the tournament making Mascherano only the second Argentine sportsman ever (following
poloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player Juan Nelson) to win two Olympic gold medals.
Soon after being appointed head coach of Argentina in November 2008, Diego Maradona announced that he wanted Mascherano to be the team's captain. "I want Mascherano to be my captain because I believe he is the Argentinian player who is closest to the idea I have about the Argentinian shirt – sweat for it, sacrifice for it, being a professional, being close to the team-mate," he said. "I will convince him. He will be my captain."
Sure enough, Mascherano accepted Diego Maradona's offer to become the new Argentina captain on 10 November, replacing
Javier ZanettiJavier Adelmar Zanetti is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Inter. Javier Zanetti has played for Inter since 1995, taking the captain's armband from 29 August 1999. Known for his versatility, he is adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a fullback...
.
At the
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...
, Argentina captained by Mascherano, got to the quarter finals where they were defeated 4–0 by
GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
.
National team statistics
|-
|2003||1||0
|-
|2004||10||0
|-
|2005||3||0
|-
|2006||8||0
|-
|2007||14||2
|-
|2008||9||0
|-
|2009||10||0
|-
|2010||9||0
|-
!Total||64||2
|}
International goals
As of 11 August 2009
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. |
5 July 2007 |
Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara The Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara is a soccer stadium, located near the city of Barquisimeto in Lara state, in the west-central Venezuela, built between 2006 and 2009 on behalf of the Government of that country, and on the state of Lara in the Venezuelan Jantesa firm, and worked as one...
, BarquisimetoBarquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
, VenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
|
|
1 – 0 |
1–0 |
Copa América 2007The 2007 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, known simply as the 2007 Copa América or 2007 Copa América Venezuela, was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams...
|
| 2. |
8 July 2007 |
Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara The Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara is a soccer stadium, located near the city of Barquisimeto in Lara state, in the west-central Venezuela, built between 2006 and 2009 on behalf of the Government of that country, and on the state of Lara in the Venezuelan Jantesa firm, and worked as one...
, BarquisimetoBarquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
, VenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
|
|
4 – 0 |
4–0 |
Copa América 2007The 2007 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, known simply as the 2007 Copa América or 2007 Copa América Venezuela, was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams...
|
Career statistics
As of 23 November 2011
| Club |
Season |
League |
Cup |
Continental |
Total |
| Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
Apps |
Goals |
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....
|
2003–04 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
| 2004–05 |
26 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
1 |
| Total |
46 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 1 |
CorinthiansSport Club Corinthians Paulista, commonly just known as Corinthians , is a Brazilian football club based in the city of São Paulo. They play in the São Paulo state league, as well as the Brasileirão, Brazil's top national league...
|
2005 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
| 2006 |
18 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
| Total |
26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
West HamWest Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
|
2006–07 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
| Total |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
|
2006–07 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
| 2007–08 |
25 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
13 |
0 |
41 |
1 |
| 2008–09 |
27 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
38 |
0 |
| 2009–10 |
34 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
13 |
1 |
48 |
1 |
| 2010–11 The 2010–11 season was the 119th season in Liverpool Football Club's existence, and their 48th consecutive year in the top flight of English football. Liverpool were sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, after their deal with long-running sponsors Carlsberg finished after 18 years of sponsorship...
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Total |
94 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 139 | 2 |
BarcelonaFutbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
|
2010–11 The 2010–11 season is Futbol Club Barcelona's 117th in existence and the club's 79th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football...
|
27 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
45 |
0 |
| 2011–12 The 2011–12 season is Futbol Club Barcelona's 112th in existence and the club's 81st consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football. Barcelona will be debuting their new and first paid shirt sponsor Qatar Foundation after an agreement was reached in 2010 with the non-profit organization...
|
9 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
| Total |
36 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 61 | 0 |
| Career total |
207 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 305 | 3 |
Honours
River Plate
- Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
: 1
-
- 2003–04 Clausura
Corinthians
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
: 1
-
- 2005
Corinthians won the 35th edition of the Brazilian national championship, claiming their fourth national title. The season officially kicked off on April 23, 2005 and concluded on December 4.-Champion and contenders:...
Barcelona
- La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 1
-
- 2010–11
The 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División...
- UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 1
- 2010-11
- Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 1
- 2011
The 2011 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match-up that was played on 14 and 17 August 2011. It was contested by Real Madrid, the 2010–11 Copa del Rey winners, and Barcelona, the 2010–11 La Liga winners....
- 2011
-External links:*, UEFA.com...
International
- Olympic Gold Medal
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
: 2
-
- 2004
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
, 2008Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...
External links