Mauro Matías Zárate (; born 13 March 1987) is an Argentine former professional
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 played as a
forward.
Zárate started his career with
Vélez Sarsfield in his native country, playing three years for the team and winning the
Primera División title in the
2005 Clausura tournament. He later signed for Qatari side
Al-Sadd in 2007, where he played only six months before transferring on loan to
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
in England. However, after Birmingham's
relegation, Zárate was loaned out again, this time to
Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
in Italy, where he won the
Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
. His move to Lazio was then made permanent for a fee of around €20 million, with a €60 million
[ buy-out clause. After a loan at ]Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
and a brief return to Vélez Sarsfield, he joined West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
in 2014, spending the second half of his first season on loan at Queens Park Rangers. In January 2016, Zárate joined Italian club Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
. A year later, he returned to England, joining Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
on a two-and-a-half-year, £2.3 million deal.
At international level, Zárate scored the winning goal as the Argentina under-20 team won the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup final.
Club career
Vélez Sarsfield
Zárate began his club football career at Vélez Sarsfield where he had played since childhood. At age 17, considered too strong for the youth category, he was promoted to the first team with which he made his full debut on 21 April 2004 against Arsenal de Sarandí. He shared the top-scorer award for the Apertura 2006 with Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors
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 ...
) with 12 goals each.
Al-Sadd
On 18 June 2007, Zárate signed a two-year deal with Al-Sadd in the Qatari League for a fee reported by '' Clarín'' at $22 million. However, he did not remain in Qatar long, playing just six league matches and scoring four goals, before heading on loan to English Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
side Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
.
Birmingham City (loan)
On 21 January 2008, Zárate joined Premier League side Birmingham City on loan until the end of the 2007–08 season, with a view to a permanent deal. He made his debut for the club in the 2–0 defeat at Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
on 29 January as a 66th-minute substitute for Cameron Jerome,
and made his first start on 12 March against Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
. He scored his first goal for the club against Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
on 22 March, followed by a brace in their next match against Manchester City
Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
in a 3–1 win,
and a free-kick that earned a draw against Everton on 12 April.
After a total of 4 goals in 14 matches, Zárate left the club at the end of his loan spell, their relegation from the Premier League meaning no extension to the loan would be considered.
Lazio
Zárate completed a move to Italian Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
club Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
on 5 July 2008. He joined initially on loan, for €2.4 million, with Lazio having an option to make the deal permanent, and following a successful medical, he was presented to the media a few days later.
Zárate immediately endeared himself to the Lazio faithful, scoring twice in his Serie A debut against Cagliari
Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
and dedicating the second to the Lazio supporters. He also scored on his home debut, with a left-footed strike from outside the penalty area against Sampdoria. This rich goalscoring form continued with Zárate scoring once against Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
at the San Siro, twice against Torino
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
and another against Siena
Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
. However, by mid-season, Zárate hit a dip in form and found himself being substituted for captain Tommaso Rocchi, who was returning to form following serious injury.
On 28 February, Zárate scored both Lazio goals in a 2–0 win at the Olimpico against Bologna
Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
; he became the sixth-highest top scorer in the 2008–09 Serie A with ten goals.
On 13 May, Zárate won the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
with Lazio, scoring a fourth-minute goal in the 1–1 draw with Sampdoria in the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
, as well as a penalty in the victorious shootout. After the season ended, his move to Lazio was made permanent for a fee of approximately €20 million, with a €60 million buy-out clause included in the contract. The Italian Football Federation
The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence.
It manages a ...
(FIGC) later fined Lazio and suspended club president Claudio Lotito over financial irregularities around the transfer.
Zárate caused controversy when he was photographed apparently giving a fascist salute while watching Lazio lose to Bari
Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...
in March 2010 among a group of fans, though his spokesman claimed afterwards the player "did not realise the significance of his gesture" and did not know who Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
or Mussolini were.
In 2010, Zárate's transfer was involved in another controversy for solidarity contribution.
Inter Milan (loan)
On 31 August 2011, Zárate completed a loan deal from Lazio to Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
with a view to a permanent transfer. On 27 September 2011, he scored a 79th-minute winner, his first goal for the club, in an away match against CSKA Moscow 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 ...
of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League. His first Serie A goal for Inter did not come until 1 April 2012, when he scored their fourth goal, a "spectacular curling right-footed shot" in a 5–4 win against Genoa
Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
. He finished the 2011–12 season with 3 goals from 29 appearances in all competitions.
Lazio return
Zárate returned to Lazio for the 2012–13 season. However, he made only five appearances, four in the UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
and one in Serie A, all without scoring, and he did not play for the club after November 2012. In March 2013, he was fined €500,000 by Lazio – he had requested time-off to fly home to Argentina to receive treatment for a skin condition, but instead, he flew with his family on a holiday in the Maldives
The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...
.
Vélez Sarsfield return
In July 2013, Zárate returned to his first club, Vélez Sarsfield, without terminating his contract with Lazio. Consequently, on 2 July 2015, FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
ruled Lazio were eligible to receive €5.26 million in compensation, which Vélez and Zárate were jointly liable. In January 2014, Zárate was a member of the side which won the 2013 Supercopa Argentina, beating Arsenal de Sarandí 1–0 in the final. He finished the season as top scorer in Primera División Torneo Final with 13 goals in 19 matches.[
]
West Ham United
On 28 May 2014, Zárate signed a three-year contract with Premier League club West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
to take effect when the international transfer window opened in June. On 23 August, he scored on his competitive debut for the club, opening a 3–1 win away to Crystal Palace with a 20-yard volley.
Queens Park Rangers (loan)
On 6 January 2015, Zárate was loaned to fellow Premier League club Queens Park Rangers until the end of the season, having scored two goals in eight matches for West Ham. Having made four appearances for QPR without scoring, in May 2015, Zárate reacted angrily to being omitted from the squad for a match 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 ...
. His actions were deemed bad enough by the club that he was ordered to make his own way back to London and was subsequently banned and fined two weeks' wages. Such was the length of the ban, coinciding with the end of the season, this effectively ended his QPR career.
West Ham United return
Zárate featured in West Ham's 2015–16 UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign in pre-season, scoring his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw at the Boleyn Ground against Romanian club Astra Giurgiu. West Ham eventually lost the tie 3–4 after a narrow second leg defeat.
Zárate scored from outside the penalty area to conclude West Ham's 2–0 win over Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
at the Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...
in their opening match game of the 2015–16 Premier League season. His deflected strike could not save West Ham from third round elimination in the 2015–16 League Cup, Leicester City prevailing 2–1 after extra time. He continued his good early season scoring form as he scored the opening goal in the ''Hammers 2–1 victory over Chelsea on 24 October, following this up with a free-kick in a televised match against West Bromwich Albion on 29 November, a 1–1 draw.
Fiorentina
On 21 January 2016, Zárate completed a move to Italian club Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
for an undisclosed fee, reported by Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
to be £1.6 million. He made his debut for ''La Viola'' ten days later, starting in their goalless draw at Genoa. On 3 February, he scored his first goal for the team, the last-minute winner in a 2–1 victory over Carpi at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. However, 11 days later, he was sent off in a win by the same score against Inter for grabbing at Jeison Murillo; he subsequently received a three-match ban.
Watford
On 25 January 2017, Zárate joined Premier League side Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
on a two-and-a-half-year deal. On 25 February, he won a penalty in a game against his former club West Ham, but later injured his cruciate ligament after twisting his knee awkwardly. Zárate needed nine minutes of medical attention and would likely miss the rest of the season.
Al-Nasr (loan)
On 2 October 2017, Zárate joined United Arab Emirati club Al-Nasr in a loan deal slated to run until the end of the 2017–18 season. After failing to find the net in his first four games, he then scored three goals in as many games for the 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 ...
club.
Vélez Sarsfield (loan)
In January 2018, after eight appearances for Al-Nasr, it was announced that Zárate had rejoined Vélez Sarsfield on loan, for his third spell at the club where he started his career.
Boca Juniors
In July 2018, Zárate signed for 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 ...
, despite previously indicating his intention to sign permanently with Velez. In May 2021, Zárate left 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 ...
despite qualifying for the Round of 16 in Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
due to the lack of playing time.
América Mineiro, Juventude and Platense
On 30 August 2021, Zárate joined Brazilian Série A side América Mineiro.
After a short stint with Juventude in Brazil, he then moved back to Argentina to join Platense.
Cosenza
On 31 January 2023, Zárate agreed to return to Italy by joining Serie B
The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
relegation-struggling side Cosenza
Cosenza (; Languages of Calabria#Northern Calabrian (Cosentian), Cosentian: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city located in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000, while the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. ...
on a contract until 30 June 2023. Zárate's stint with the ''Lupi'' was however short-lived, as he suffered an ACL injury just a few weeks later.
International career
In 2007, Zárate helped the Argentina national under-20 team win the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final against the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
.
In 2008, Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...
was appointed manager of the Argentina national team and said that if Zárate's good form continued, he would get a chance with that team.
In 2014, Zárate opted to play international football for Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
after not being named in the latest Argentina squad chosen by manager Gerardo Martino
Gerardo Daniel "Tata" Martino (born 20 November 1962) is an Argentine professional football coach and former player who last coached Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
Martino played mostly for Newell's Old Boys in his native Rosario. He ...
. He is eligible for the country through his father. However, in 2015, Zárate expressly stated he is Argentine and has always dreamt of playing for Argentina.
Personal life
Zárate was born in Haedo, Buenos Aires
Haedo is a city located in Morón Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It forms part of the urban conurbation of Greater Buenos Aires.
With a surface of 6.11 km², it had 38,068 inhabitants as of 2001, down 13% from the 1991 census. N ...
, to a footballing family. His father Sergio is a Chilean former professional footballer who played for Independiente de Avellaneda. His mother, Catalina Riga, has Italian origins from Catanzaro in southern Italy. His grandfather Juvenal was Chilean and also a footballer.
Mauro is the youngest brother of former footballers Rolando and Ariel, as well as former international Sergio, who acts as Mauro's agent. Mauro's nephew, Tobías, also became a professional footballer.
Career statistics
Honours
Vélez Sarsfield
* 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 ...
: 2005 Clausura
* Supercopa Argentina: 2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
Lazio
* Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
: 2008–09
* Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
: 2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
Boca Juniors
* Primera División: 2019–20
* Copa Argentina: 2019–20
* Copa de la Liga Profesional: 2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
* Supercopa Argentina: 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
Argentina U20
* FIFA World Youth Championship: 2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
Individual
* Argentine Primera División top scorer: 2006 Apertura, 2014 Final (both with Vélez Sarsfield)
Notes
References
External links
Profile
at Vélez Sarsfield's official website
* at Futbol XXI
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zarate, Mauro
1987 births
Footballers from Morón Partido
Sportspeople of Italian descent
Argentine sportspeople of Chilean descent
Argentine sportspeople of Italian descent
Zárate family
Living people
Argentine men's footballers
Argentina men's under-20 international footballers
Men's association football forwards
Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield footballers
Al Sadd SC players
Birmingham City F.C. players
SS Lazio players
Inter Milan players
West Ham United F.C. players
Queens Park Rangers F.C. players
ACF Fiorentina players
Watford F.C. players
Al-Nasr SC (Dubai) players
Boca Juniors footballers
América Futebol Clube (MG) players
Esporte Clube Juventude players
Club Atlético Platense footballers
Cosenza Calcio players
Danubio F.C. players
Argentine Primera División players
Qatar Stars League players
Premier League players
Serie A players
UAE Pro League players
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players
Serie B players
Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in the United Arab Emirates
Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil
Argentine expatriate men's footballers
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Qatar
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in England
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Brazil
21st-century Argentine sportsmen