Matías Emilio Delgado (born 15 December 1982) is a retired Argentine
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who last played as an
attacking midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
for Swiss
Super League
Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
Club
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss professional Association football, football club based in Basel, in the Basel-Stadt, Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been List of Swiss footba ...
.
Club career
Delgado, originally from
Rosario
Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...
, relocated to
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
with his family at the age of two when his father, the football player Eduardo Emilio Delgado, joined
All Boys
Club Atlético All Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Floresta, Buenos Aires. The institution is mostly known for its association football, football team, which currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second division of the Arge ...
. Although he initially began his football journey in the renowned academy of River Plate, he transitioned to the
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its association football, football team, which currently plays in the Argentine Primera División, and was reco ...
youth team in 1998.
Chacarita Juniors
Delgado made his professional debut with
Chacarita Juniors
Club Atlético Chacarita Juniors (usually known simply as Chacarita) is an Argentine association football, football club headquartered in Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires, while the stadium is located in Villa Maipú, General San Martín Partido of Gre ...
in 2000 at the age of 17.
Season 2002–03
His breakthrough performance came in the Torneo Apertura of the
2002–03 Argentine Primera División
The 2002–03 Argentine Primera División was the 112th season of top-flight football in Argentina. The season ran from 26 July 2002 to 6 July 2003.Independiente, which was followed by a superb curling effort that found the back of the net in the Round 13 loss to
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
. Ahead of the Torneo Clausura, Delgado was given the number 10 jersey after previously wearing number 11. This also marked a shift in his on-field position towards a more playmaking role in the centre of midfield for the latter half of the season, having primarily operated on the left wing before. One of his standout performances came in the Round 5 trashing of Huracán when he scored two goals while also being a constant threat to the opposition with his incisive passing in the final third and long-range shot attempts. He added one more goal in the Round 18 draw with
Racing
In sports, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific g ...
, bringing his total goal tally to five.
Season 2003–04
Delgado started the 2003–04 season with Chacarita, featuring in three games. In Round 1, he provided a crucial assist with an exquisitely executed through ball to secure a crucial win against San Lorenzo. In Round 2, Delgado was instrumental in helping the team attain a draw versus Gimnasia, assisting for a 90th-minute equaliser. However, he soon left the club, sealing a move to
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
at the age of 20.
FC Basel
Delgado's performances in
Argentine Primera División
The Primera División (; ), known officially as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Betano for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Argentina and the highest level of the Argentine football league system. Organ ...
caught the eye of several European clubs, but it was the
Swiss
Swiss most commonly refers to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Swiss may also refer to: Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss Café, an old café located ...
giants
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss professional Association football, football club based in Basel, in the Basel-Stadt, Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been List of Swiss footba ...
that signed him on a four-year contract in August 2003 for a reported fee of 1.2 million Swiss francs, after their chief scout Ruedi Zbinden watched him live in Argentina on several occasions and invited him for a trial.
He emerged as the club's marquee signing for the 2003–04 season, shouldering the weight of expectations to fill the void left by the departure of star player Hakan Yakin.
Season 2003–04
Delgado made his debut with RotBlau at St. Jakob-Park on 3 September 2003 when he was brought on for Sébastien Barberis in the 68th minute. Just two minutes later, he played a decisive ball to Hervé Tum for the team's third goal as Basel beat St. Gallen 4–1 in Round 9 of the 2003–04 Swiss Super League. Despite a promising start, Basel's coach, Christian Gross, had often left Delgado on the substitutes' bench, aiming to better integrate him into the system before granting him more starting opportunities. Delgado scored his first goal for Basel on 2 October in the Round 12 away win against Neuchâtel Xamax, unleashing a powerful shot from the edge of the box following a cross from Scott Chipperfield. His exceptional performance in that game won him the hearts of the fans, who clamored for him to be a regular starter. The fans' sentiment did not go unnoticed by Gross, who decided to give Delgado more playing time from then on. Nonetheless, the dynamics between the player and the coach retained a challenging undertone, even though Delgado conceded the necessity of Gross's stringent approach in certain moments.
Delgado made his debut in European competitions on 24 September, playing full 90 minutes in the team's first leg victory against Malatyaspor in the first round of the
2003–04 UEFA Cup
The 2003–04 UEFA Cup was won by Valencia in the final against Marseille. It wrapped up a league and UEFA Cup double for Valencia.
Porto could not defend their title as they automatically qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and a ...
. Despite a solid start to his career in Switzerland, Delgado faced an unfortunate setback when an untimely injury caused him to miss some crucial matches, including the team's decisive games in the
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
and the
Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association.
The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...
. The unexpected return of Hakan Yakin, whose contract with PSG was cancelled, also meant that he was deployed in a less attacking role than usual, which limited his offensive contribution. Delgado finished the season featuring in 20 league games and scoring twice in the process as Basel was crowned league champions.
Season 2004–05
In the 2004–05 season, Delgado solidified his position in the first team, gradually seeing an increase in his playing time to complete 90 minutes on a regular basis during the latter half of the season. Following the departure of Hakan Yakin to
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V. (), commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German professional sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's Association football, football team is currently part of Germany's f ...
the previous winter, manager Christian Gross also granted him greater playing freedom, predominantly deploying him in a No. 10 role within the 4–4–2 diamond-wide formation. Delgado opened his goalscoring account for the season during Round 3 of the Swiss Super League 2004-05, contributing to the away triumph over
Servette FC
Servette FC is a Swiss professional Association football, football club based in Geneva, founded in March 1890 with rugby as its first sporting activity, and named after the Geneva district of the same name. The football section was created on ...
. Demonstrating his playmaking prowess, he followed it up in the subsequent round by providing two crucial assists that led to the team's 2–1 win against bitter rivals FC Zürich. The standout moment of the season happened during Round 8 when Basel delivered a resounding 8–1 victory over
Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
Grassh ...
, with Delgado making a notable impact by contributing both a goal and an assist. However, his most exceptional performance came against another Swiss powerhouse, as he showcased his talent by scoring two goals and providing an assist in the Round 27 triumph over Young Boys. The second goal was particularly spectacular, as Delgado displayed his exceptional technique by volleying home a rebound from the edge of the box with both power and finesse. Basel concluded the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
in triumphant fashion, clinching the
Super League
Super League (also known as the Betfred Super League for sponsorship reasons, and legally Super League Europe Ltd.) is a professional rugby league competition, and the highest level of the British rugby league system, which consists of twelve t ...
title. Delgado played a pivotal role in the team's success, finishing as their second-highest scorer with 11 goals in 32 league games, only behind Christian Gimenez, who netted 27 goals. Additionally, he showcased his playmaking abilities by providing 10 assists, which made him the league's joint second most influential contributor after his Basel teammate Julio Hernán Rossi with 12 passes that led to a goal.
Delgado also scored once in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup group stage when he showcased his exceptional free-kick prowess by curling a superbly taken set-piece into the net in the 82nd minute, securing the crucial equalizer in a 1–1 draw against FC Schalke.
Season 2005–06
In the 2005–06 season, Delgado resumed his impressive form and wasted no time in making his impact felt, netting the decisive winning goal in the Swiss Super League 2005-06 Round 3 encounter with FC Zurich. This early success was just a glimpse of what was to come for Delgado in the 2005–06 season. In the Round 8 match against
FC Aarau
FC Aarau is a Swiss professional football club based in Aarau. Founded in 1902, the club competes in the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier of Swiss football after being relegated from the Swiss Super League.
History
FC Aarau was form ...
, he proved to be a dominant force on the pitch, scoring two goals and providing an assist in Basel's impressive 7–2 victory, a feat he would replicate in the following round against Xamax. Delgado's penchant for delivering standout performances in big games was evident once again in the Round 12 clash with FC Zurich when he rose to the occasion by scoring two goals and delivering two assists, contributing significantly to a crucial 4–2 win. Another memorable display came in the Round 18 encounter against Young Boys, where he orchestrated a dominant performance, showcasing his exceptional playmaking skills by providing an impressive three assists and netting a goal in a resounding 6–1 victory. Despite Basel falling short of clinching the league title in the final game of the season, Delgado experienced his most remarkable individual campaign, finding the back of the net 18 times in 33 league appearances. This achievement secured him a joint second-place finish in the league's scoring charts, with FC Zurich's Alhassane Keita surpassing him by two goals. In addition to his goalscoring exploits, the Argentine playmaker registered 12 assists throughout the season, placing him joint-top in the league. This adeptness at both scoring and assisting made him the most influential player in the Swiss Super League 2005-06 in terms of direct goal involvement. His outstanding performances were duly recognized, and he was honoured with the Swiss Super League Player of the Year award at the end of the season while previously being named the Super League's Most Exciting Player.
Delgado also left his mark in the 2005–06 Swiss Cup, scoring two goals against archrivals FC Zurich in the round of 16. Despite his efforts, Basel would ultimately suffer a narrow 3–4 defeat, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.
Delgado's exceptional individual performances extended beyond domestic competitions and resonated on the European stage, where he emerged as the top scorer of the
2005–06 UEFA Cup
The 2005–06 UEFA Cup, the 35th edition of the UEFA Cup, was won by Sevilla, beating Middlesbrough in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The ...
. His tally of 7 goals surpassed the likes of renowned stars, including Aleksandr Kerzhakov,
Mark Viduka
Mark Antony Viduka ( ; born 9 October 1975) is an Australian former Association football, football player who played as a centre forward. Viduka captained the Australia men's national soccer team, Australia national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup ...
, Frederic Kanoute, and Javier Saviola. With an additional two assists to his name, Delgado firmly established himself as the single most influential performer of the tournament. He made a strong start to the competition by netting three goals in the home game against NK Široki Brijeg in the first qualifying round, which marked his first official hattrick. Delgado solidified his reputation as a lethal set-piece taker, contributing two of the three goals from impeccably executed free kicks. His fourth goal came from a calmly executed penalty kick during the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
match against
Red Star Belgrade
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club), commonly referred to as Crvena zvezda () and colloquially referred to as Red Star Belgrade in anglophone media, is a ...
. In the same game, Delgado demonstrated exceptional flair and vision in the dying minutes of the game, using a deft backheel pass on his first touch to send the ball through the legs of Milan Biševac and onto the path of Julio Hernán Rossi, who made no mistake in slotting it home, sealing a dramatic 2–1 triumph for the team. He added another goal to his tally in the next fixture as Basel rallied back to secure a remarkable 4–3 comeback against Tromso IL, overturning a 1–3 deficit. In the
round of 16
A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
, Delgado demonstrated his prowess in big games by delivering a spectacular goal from a beautifully struck free kick and providing an assist, propelling Basel to a convincing 2–0 victory over RC Strasbourg, the team they had previously lost to by the same result in the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
. His final goal in the
2005–06 UEFA Cup
The 2005–06 UEFA Cup, the 35th edition of the UEFA Cup, was won by Sevilla, beating Middlesbrough in the final. It was the first victory for Sevilla in a European competition, and the first appearance by Middlesbrough in a European final. The ...
came in the quarter-final encounter with
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club ( ) is a professional association football club based in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Nicknamed the Boro, they were fo ...
, where he unleashed a remarkable long-range effort to open the scoring and pave the way to a dominant 2–0 triumph. Unfortunately, Basel would face a setback in the return leg, suffering a 4–1 defeat and subsequently exiting the competition.
Despite not winning any silverware, Delgado finished the 2005–06 season with a personal record of 27 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions, along with a tally of 14 assists. His exceptional form caught the attention of numerous foreign clubs, fueling speculations that he might depart Basel for the prospect of playing in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
.
Beşiktaş JK
Despite having extended his contract with Basel in January 2006, committing to stay with RotBlau until June 2008, Delgado's impressive achievements caught the attention of numerous foreign clubs, making his eventual departure inevitable. After amassing a record of 113 competitive games and 41 goals across all competitions during three seasons, the club decided to capitalize on the player's success. On 28 June 2006, Beşiktaş J.K. announced the signing of Matias Delgado for a fee of €5.5m (or 7.5m Swiss francs). This made the player the club's second most expensive acquisition (after Ayhan Akman's €6.5m transfer from
Gaziantepspor
Gaziantepspor was a Turkish football club located in the city of Gaziantep. Formed in 1969 and dissolved in 2020, Gaziantepspor were nicknamed the ''Şahinler'' (The Falcons). The club colours were black and red, and they played their home matc ...
in 1998) and FC Basel's record departure at the time (a record previously held by
Timothée Atouba
Timothée Atouba Essama (born 17 February 1982) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as a left back.
Club career Early years
Born in Douala, Cameroon, Atouba grew up in a family with 13 children. He started playing foo ...
's €4.5m transfer to
Tottenham
Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
in 2004). The transfer was notably influenced by the insistence of head coach Jean Tigana, who held a deep admiration for the player's exceptional qualities. Delgado was assigned the coveted number 10 jersey at Besiktas, and the media drew comparisons to fellow Argentine playmaker Juan Román Riquelme, who had excelled with Villarreal in the Champions League earlier that year.
Deutsche Bank Park
The Waldstadion (, ''Forest Stadium''), currently known as Deutsche Bank Park for sponsorship purposes, is a retractable roof sports stadium in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. The home stadium of the football club Eintracht Frankfurt, it was opened ...
in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
. His first appearance in the
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
took place in Round 1, during an away loss to Manisaspor. He was named in the starting lineup in the attacking midfielder role and played the full game. Delgado quickly solidified his position as a consistent first-team player, leaving an early impact in Round 3 of the 2006–07 Süper Lig with a goal and an assist in a 2–0 victory over Denizlispor. This great performance was carried on into the next round, which was marked with an assist to Burak Yilmaz to seal a 3–1 triumph over
Konyaspor
Konyaspor Kulübü (, Konya Sports Club), commonly referred to as Konyaspor, is a Turkish professional football club based in Konya, one of the largest cities in central Anatolia. Due to sponsorship agreements, the club is also officially known ...
. However, Delgado's solid start to the season was soon disrupted by a string of unfortunate injuries, limiting his playing time to only four league games between early October and late January of the following year. He featured regularly again in the second half of the season but struggled to recapture his early form. Nonetheless, the Argentine playmaker still demonstrated glimpses of brilliance, like his superb match-winning goal in the final minutes against Ankaragücü in Round 24. Eventually, Delgado managed to regain his prowess later in the campaign, which began with a key assist to Ibrahim Toraman for a late equalizer against Sakaryaspor in Round 28. This was followed by a decisive goal to secure a victory over
Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional multi-sport club based in Antalya, southern Turkey. The club's colours are red and white.
The association football, football side play their home matches at the Antalya Stadium. In Turkey, the cl ...
in the subsequent round. Unfortunately, Delgado soon faced yet another injury setback, limiting his playing time in the final stretches of the season. With Besiktas finishing second and with only four goals and six assists in 26 games, the league campaign proved underwhelming for the player, marred by a series of sporadic injuries that hindered him from finding consistent form. In the first ten rounds, before the injuries took their toll, he played the full 90 minutes in eight games, whereas he featured in only three full games for the rest of the season.
Delgado was also off to a flying start in
Turkish Cup
The Turkish Cup () is a football cup competition in Turkish football, run by the Turkish Football Federation since 1962. During a brief sponsorship period with Fortis, its sponsored name was ''Fortis Türkiye Kupası''. Now Ziraat Bankası is ...
. In the opening game of the group stage, he shone by scoring once through a beautifully executed free kick and providing an assist in a dominant 5–1 victory over Bucaspor. Despite missing the next two games due to a shoulder injury, Delgado made a triumphant return in the final group stage match against Ankaragücü, contributing a game-winning goal that secured a critical victory for the Black Eagles and propelled them into the knockout stage. After playing the full 90 minutes in both quarter-final games against Manisaspor, the Argentine playmaker maintained his impactful presence in the intense semi-final showdown against arch-rivals Fenerbahçe. He was a constant threat to the opposition with impressive long-range shooting, incisive passing, and skilful dribbling. His influence on the game was further highlighted by a crucial contribution – assisting Bobô for a game-winning goal in the first leg of the matchup. This would prove to be a decisive moment as Besiktas advanced to the finals after rescuing a 1–1 draw in the overtime of the return leg. Unfortunately, that marked the end of Delgado's campaign in the tournament due to Achilles tendon problems, and he was unable to participate in the finals against
Kayseri
Kayseri () is a large List of cities in Turkey, city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri Province, Kayseri province. Historically known as Caesarea (Mazaca), Caesarea, it has been the historical capital of Cappadocia since anc ...
, a match the Black Eagles won in extra time to be crowned cup champions.
Injury issues hindered Delgado from leaving his mark in European competitions, with only two appearances for the team in the
2006–07 UEFA Cup
The 2006–07 UEFA Cup was the 36th edition of the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Cup, Europe's second-tier club association football, football tournament. On 16 May 2007, at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Sevilla FC, Sevilla won their second consecu ...
, a tournament in which he had been the top goalscorer the previous year. After making a single appearance in the qualifying round victory over CSKA Sofia, he played only one game in the group stage, marked with an assist for the team's only goal in a 2–1 away loss to Dinamo București.
Season 2007–08
Delgado started the new season by playing the full 90 minutes in the Turkish Super Cup clash against Galatasaray, where Besiktas suffered a 2–1 defeat. Despite the loss, the Argentine showcased a diverse set of skills in this match, nearly finding the back of the net on two occasions. One notable attempt included a remarkable long-range effort that beat the goalkeeper but unfortunately struck the crossbar. The player also faced a slow start to the
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
campaign, struggling to earn the trust of the new head coach and Besiktas legend Ertuğrul Sağlam, which led to a restricted playing time in the early rounds of the competition. However, as the season unfolded, Delgado's playing time saw a gradual increase, and he soon solidified his position as a regular starter. He left his mark on the competition during the Round 9 encounter with
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...
, where he earned a penalty for the team and adeptly converted it to secure a 3–2 win. Two rounds later, he delivered a stellar assist, setting up Bobô for an early goal in the encounter with Fenerbahçe, but it was not sufficient for the team to avoid a narrow defeat. Delgado hit his stride as the season advanced, embarking on a three-game scoring spree, which commenced with a remarkable long-range effort that secured a draw against Rizespor in Round 14, followed by a crucial late winner against Bursaspor and a powerful long-distance strike in a comfortable victory over Ankaragücü. However, the highlight of the season came in the Round 26 showdown with
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...
, as the Argentine maestro not only delivered an assist but also showcased his brilliance with a phenomenal free-kick goal. Despite his best effort, the precision of the strike left Tolga Zengin helpless and superbly curled into the far top corner in a moment of sheer excellence. Delgado concluded the season in remarkable fashion, netting a crucial goal in Round 31 for a comeback 2–1 victory over Rizespor before keeping cool composure and confidently converting a penalty in a 2–0 win against Ankaragücü in Round 33. In the final game of the competition, he showcased his playmaking prowess by providing two assists within a span of three minutes, contributing to the emphatic 5–1 triumph over Manisaspor. Delgado concluded the league campaign as the team's third-highest goalscorer, notching up eight goals, which placed him behind Bobô and Mert Nobre, who both secured ten goals each during the season. He also added five assists to this record.
In the
Turkish Cup
The Turkish Cup () is a football cup competition in Turkish football, run by the Turkish Football Federation since 1962. During a brief sponsorship period with Fortis, its sponsored name was ''Fortis Türkiye Kupası''. Now Ziraat Bankası is ...
, Delgado was absent for the initial two games of the group stage but made a comeback for the final matches against Ankaraspor and Ankaragücü. He played a crucial role by providing an assist to Rodrigo Tello for the opening goal in the former, contributing to a commanding 3–1 victory that secured the team's qualification for the knockout stage. In the first leg of the quarter-finals loss to Rizespor, Delgado was not featured. However, he made a return for the second leg, providing an assist that secured a 3–2 win, but Besiktas was eliminated from the competition due to the away goal rule.
Delgado's prowess shone brightly in European competitions, propelling the Black Eagles to the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
. This marked a defining moment in his career as he stepped onto the grand stage of the prestigious club competition for the very first time. His impact was palpable in both games of the second qualifying round against Sherriff Tiraspol, where he notched a crucial assist in the return leg. However, Delgado saved the best for last, delivering a remarkable performance that nearly single-handedly led to the defeat of FC Zurich in the playoffs. The significance of the opponent was not lost on the player, considering his prior association with
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss professional Association football, football club based in Basel, in the Basel-Stadt, Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been List of Swiss footba ...
. This added depth to his impactful performance and further solidified his reputation as someone who excels in crucial moments and big games. During the first leg of the encounter, he secured a lead for the team with a poacher's finish inside the box. However, victory would elude the Black Eagles as the opponents managed to equalize in the 97th minute. Undeterred by the setback, Delgado stepped up and showcased his mastery in the return leg with two well-executed headers, securing a 2–0 triumph and qualification to the group stage. During the group stage, Besiktas encountered formidable competition against renowned teams such as
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
. Despite securing two victories, the team faced four defeats, leading to an early exit from the tournament. Delgado played in all six games, delivering some notable performances. A standout moment occurred in the dying minutes of the home match against
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
when his masterful pass connected with Bobô, who made no mistake in slotting it home to secure a 2–1 victory.
Season 2008–09
The 2008–09 season proved fruitful for Delgado; however, it was marred by injuries that significantly limited his impact on the pitch. Before the start of the season, he was named the club's new captain, replacing the standard skipper İbrahim Üzülmez, who had been involved in a fight with the vice-captain, Ibrahim Toraman, resulting in both of them being stripped of their captaincy roles.
Delgado kicked off the 2008–09 Süper Lig season in stellar form, netting in consecutive matches to ignite the Black Eagles' league campaign. In the Round 1 clash against
Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional multi-sport club based in Antalya, southern Turkey. The club's colours are red and white.
The association football, football side play their home matches at the Antalya Stadium. In Turkey, the cl ...
, he orchestrated two golden opportunities for Filip Hološko in the early stages, but the Slovakian winger failed to convert one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper. Undeterred, Delgado slammed home a powerful rebound in the second half, sparking a remarkable comeback from a 2–0 deficit. In the following round, the Argentine maestro showcased his brilliance once again, breaking the deadlock with a sublime long-range effort. Despite having a penalty saved by Jefferson later in the match, Delgado's standout performance helped secure a comfortable victory over
Konyaspor
Konyaspor Kulübü (, Konya Sports Club), commonly referred to as Konyaspor, is a Turkish professional football club based in Konya, one of the largest cities in central Anatolia. Due to sponsorship agreements, the club is also officially known ...
, establishing himself as a key player on the pitch. Delgado adopted a more playmaking role during Rounds 6 and 7, impressing with his exceptional passing ability and vision. In the first fixture, he delivered a pivotal pass to Mert Nobre, securing a hard-fought 2–1 triumph over Hacettepe. In the subsequent match against Gençlerbirliği, he delivered a pinpoint corner kick, connecting perfectly with
Tomáš Sivok
Tomáš Sivok (born 15 September 1983) is a Czech former professional association football, footballer who played as a centre-back or midfielder. He made 64 appearances for the Czech national football team, Czech national team scoring 5 goals. At ...
, who headed home with precision as the Black Eagles soared to a commanding lead, finding the net three times within the opening 13 minutes of the encounter. Delgado carried his fine form into the next round, as his strike cancelled out
Sivasspor
Sivasspor Kulübü, known as Net Global Sivasspor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish sports club based in Sivas. The primary department of the club is men's football. Formed in 1967, its football department has competed in Süper Lig since t ...
's early lead. Despite his efforts, Besiktas could not secure a win as the scoreline held firm until the final whistle. In the thrilling Round 10 showdown against Kocaelispor, the Argentine maestro delivered his standout performance. With a goal and two assists, he was the focal point in the 5–2 scoring spectacle. After trailing by two goals in a span of two minutes, the Black Eagles orchestrated a remarkable comeback, led by Delgado's stellar display. He initiated the turnaround by delivering a pinpoint cross from a free kick to set up Mert Nobre, followed by a stunning long-range strike from the left-hand side that curled into the far top corner of the goal. Delgado wrapped up his phenomenal display by providing another assist for Nobre while he also came close to adding to his tally with a superb first touch to control a challenging cross inside the box but was unable to find the back of the net on that occasion. The Argentine playmaker also left his mark on the Round 16 showdown against arch-rivals Galatasaray, scoring an early equalizer. However, his impactful performance was cut short as he received a second yellow for asking the referee Cüneyt Çakır to show one to the opponent, a decision many commentators found too harsh. Unfortunately, the sending-off was just the beginning of Delgado's woes, as he endured cartilage damage as well. This not only halted his impressive form but also foreshadowed further injuries later in the season. Following a three-game absence due to injury, Delgado faced another setback with a strained calf, sidelining him for the Round 20 clash against
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...
. Despite returning to score a spectacular long-range goal against Hacettepe in Round 23, his comeback was short-lived as he succumbed to yet another undisclosed injury. However, it was not long before he returned to action. Following a full 90-minute performance in the Round 29 fixture against
Eskişehirspor
Eskişehirspor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Eskişehir. Founded in 1965, Eskişehirspor competed in the top division of Turkish football for 16 years until they were relegated. After being out of the Süper Lig for 12 years the ...
and an assist in the clash with Ankaraspor two rounds later, it appeared that Delgado's troubles were finally behind him. Regrettably, Delgado's fortunes took a sharp turn when he suffered a severe groin injury that would keep him off the pitch for a very long time. This marked the end of the season for the Argentine maestro, whose solid start to the league campaign was cut short by a series of unfortunate injuries. Throughout the initial 16 fixtures, Delgado was a mainstay in the starting lineup, completing the full 90 minutes on eleven occasions and never being substituted before the 80th-minute mark. During this run of games, he notched 5 goals and provided 4 assists. However, his contributions were limited to one goal and a single assist in the remaining 18 fixtures, where he featured just 10 times, completing a full game only once and struggling to find consistent form. Nevertheless, despite his limited playing time, Delgado played a crucial role in Besiktas' league triumph, securing the championship title with a six-point lead over
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional sports club located in the city of Trabzon, located in Black Sea region, northeastern Turkey. Established in 1967 through the merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor is one of the most prominent A ...
. Although his statistics of 6 goals and 5 assists may not appear remarkable, his contributions made him one of the team's standout performers.
Due to several untimely injuries, Delgado was sidelined for all of
Beşiktaş
Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...
's group-stage games in the 2008–09 Turkish Cup and both quarter-final matches against
Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional multi-sport club based in Antalya, southern Turkey. The club's colours are red and white.
The association football, football side play their home matches at the Antalya Stadium. In Turkey, the cl ...
. He made his return only for the semi-final clash with Ankaraspor, where he played a pivotal role in helping the team secure a spot in the finals with two outstanding performances. In the first leg of the encounter, he broke the deadlock with a magnificent long-range strike, paving the way for a commanding 3–1 triumph. Despite
Beşiktaş
Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...
enduring a 2–1 loss in the return leg, with the Argentine maestro assisting Filip Hološko for the equalizer, the team still progressed to the finals. Unfortunately, a late-season groin injury sidelined Delgado, preventing him from helping the Black Eagles in the finals, where they clinched a magnificent 4–2 victory over their archrivals, Fenerbahçe.
Season 2009–10
At the end of the season 2008/2009. Delgado sustained a hard groin injury. He underwent an operation in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
and was expected to get well somewhere around the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010, sometime around the month of December or January. At that time there was a great dilemma around Delgado's contract with the club. Delgado refused to have his contract suspended. Although, the club needed a number 10 player. Delgado was blocking a transfer option for Beşiktaş J.K. After a lot of thinking and discussing, including bringing in Delgado's father and manager Eduardo Delgado, they finally came to a conclusion. They had his contract frozen until January 2010. The fans say about the star player: ''We believe that it is not fair for the club to do this after the great performance he has been giving. He got injured playing for the team, not playing football on the beach. But we believe that he will reclaim his club shirt after he gets well. The club can buy a lot of new players but taking his number will be a hard thing to accomplish.'' By June 2010, Delgado started to train with Beşiktaş J.K. again.
Season 2010–11
At the beginning of 2010/2011. season Delgado was in first eleven again captaining the team on four occasions and scoring four times in the process. But Beşiktaş J.K. was not satisfied with him and bringing in Guti to the club forced Delgado to leave.
Al Jazira
Delgado signed for Abu Dhabi-based club Al Jazira on 23 August 2010 for a fee estimated around €2.250.000 . He was given number 22 shirt. Since his arriving to the club he was almost ever present first eleven player. As usually, he played a playmaker role pulling strings in the midfield. In his first season at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium he won UAE Pro-League and UAE Predsident's Cup scoring 8 times in 27 matches. Delgado continued with his great plays in the following 2011–12 season scoring 7 times on 28 occasions and club awarded him with a new 2 years contract extension. In that season club added another UAE President's Cup to its silverware and reached Round of 16 of AFC Champions League, but could not manage to retain UAE Pro-League title. In the season 2012/2013. Delgado once again displayed his fenomenal individual performances scoring 6 times in 32 matches while making plentiful of assists (and finishing some matches with a three or four assists). However, that did not satisfied Al Jazira which decided to terminate his contract at 10 June 2013.
Return to FC Basel
On 13 July 2013 Basel announced that they had successfully arranged the return of Delgado to the club. He played his first match after his return on 11 August 2013, as he was used as a sub in the 61st minute, against
Zürich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
.
At the end of the 2013–14 Super League season Delgado won his third league championship with Basel. Delgado scoring 2 goals and making 6 assists in 25 appearances. Basel also reached the final of the 2013–14 Swiss Cup, but were beaten 2–0 by
Zürich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
after extra time. In Swiss Cup he scored once converting a penalty kick. In the 2013–14 Champions League season Basel in the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
finished the group in third position to qualify for Europa League knockout phase and here they advanced as far as the quarter-finals. Delgado played all 6 games in the Champions League Group Stage contributing to the team with one assist. He scored two goals in first Basel's match of UEFA Europa League's Quarter-finals versus Valencia of which the first was a beautiful 20-meters placed shot. He finished the 2013/2014 season with 5 goals and 9 assists to his name in 40 matches for the club.
The season 2014–15 was a very successful one for Delgado and for Basel. The Club won the championship for the sixth time in a row that season (twice in a row for Delgado) and in the 2014–15 Swiss Cup they reached the final. But for the third season in a row, they finished as runners-up, losing 0–3 to
FC Sion
Football Club Sion, commonly known as simply FC Sion or Sion, is a Swiss Association football, football club from the city of Sion, Switzerland, Sion. The club was founded in 1909 and play their home matches at the Stade Tourbillon. They have wo ...
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
and reached the knockout phase as on 9 December 2014 they managed a 1–1 draw at
Anfield
Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
against
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. But then Basel lost to Porto in the
Round of 16
A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
. Basel played a total of 65 matches (36 Swiss League fixtures, 6 Swiss Cup, 8 Champions League and 15 test matches). Under trainer Paulo Sousa Delgado totaled 46 appearances, 26 League, 6 Cup, 2 Champions League, as well 12 in test games. He scored 16 goals in these matches, of which 8 in the Swiss Super League, 2 in the Cup and 6 in test games.
On 10 July 2015 Basel announced that Delgado was named as new captain for the 2015–16 season after Marco Streller retired. On 19 August 2015, Delgado scored a penalty in a 2–2 draw against Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv in the St. Jakob-Park in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs. Under trainer Urs Fischer Delgado won the
Swiss Super League
The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...
championship at the end of the 2015–16 Super League season for the fifth time On 10 December 2016 Delgado played his 250th game for Basel. and at the end of the 2016–17 Super League season for the sixth time, his Fourth in series. For the club this was the eighth title in a row and their 20th championship title in total. They also won the
Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association.
The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...
for the twelfth time, which meant they had won the double for the sixth time in the club's history.
Career statistics
Club
Honours
Club
Basel
*
Swiss Super League
The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...
Swiss Cup
The Swiss Cup (; ; ; ) is a football cup competition that has been organised annually since 1925–26 season by the Swiss Football Association.
The Swiss Cup final is usually the most important game of the year with a high attendance. The co ...
Turkish Super League
Turkish may refer to:
* Something related to Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire
* The ...
Turkish Cup
The Turkish Cup () is a football cup competition in Turkish football, run by the Turkish Football Federation since 1962. During a brief sponsorship period with Fortis, its sponsored name was ''Fortis Türkiye Kupası''. Now Ziraat Bankası is ...
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
Al-Jazira Club
*
UAE Pro-League
The UAE Pro League (), also known as the ADNOC Pro League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the highest level of the Emirati football league system.
The first team to w ...
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
Swiss Super League
The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...