Matías Emilio Delgado
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Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Matías Emilio Delgado | ||
Date of birth | 15 December 1982 | ||
Place of birth | Rosario, Argentina | ||
Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
River Plate | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2000–2003 | Chacarita | 52 | (5) |
2003–2006 | Basel | 85 | (31) |
2006–2010 | Beşiktaş | 83 | (18) |
2010–2013 |
Al-Jazira | 64 | (14) |
2013–2017 | Basel | 108 | (31) |
Total | 392 | (99) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 July 2017 |
Matías Emilio Delgado (born 15 December 1982) is a retired Argentine footballer who last played as an attacking midfielder for Swiss Super League Club FC Basel.
Club career
Delgado, originally from Rosario, relocated to Buenos Aires with his family at the age of two when his father, the football player Eduardo Emilio Delgado, joined All Boys. Although he initially began his football journey in the renowned academy of River Plate, he transitioned to the Argentinos Juniors youth team in 1998.
Chacarita Juniors
Delgado made his professional debut with Chacarita Juniors 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 when he recorded a goal and an assist in the Round 8 loss to Independiente, which was followed by a superb curling effort that found the back of the net in the Round 13 loss to Boca Juniors. 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, 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 at the age of 20.
FC Basel
Delgado's performances in Argentine Primera División caught the eye of several European clubs, but it was the Swiss giants FC Basel 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.[1][2] 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.[1][3]
Season 2003–04
Delgado made his debut with
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. 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 and the Swiss Cup. 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.[6] 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
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
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
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.
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 in 1998) and FC Basel's record departure at the time (a record previously held by Timothée Atouba's €4.5m transfer to Tottenham in 2004).[8] 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.
Season 2006–07
Delgado made his official debut with
Delgado was also off to a flying start in Turkish Cup. 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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. 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. 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, Olympique Marseille, and Porto. 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 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
Delgado kicked off the
Due to several untimely injuries, Delgado was sidelined for all of Beşiktaş's group-stage games in the 2008–09 Turkish Cup and both quarter-final matches against Antalyaspor. 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 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 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
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.[10] 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. At the end of the 2013–14 Super League season Delgado won his third league championship with Basel.[11] 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 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 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)[12] 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 in the final. Basel entered the Champions League in the group stage and reached the knockout phase as on 9 December 2014 they managed a 1–1 draw at Anfield against Liverpool.[13] But then Basel lost to Porto in the Round of 16. 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.[14]
On 10 July 2015 Basel announced that Delgado was named as new captain for the 2015–16 season after Marco Streller retired.[15] 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.[16] Under trainer Urs Fischer Delgado won the Swiss Super League championship at the end of the 2015–16 Super League season for the fifth time[17] On 10 December 2016 Delgado played his 250th game for Basel.[18] 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.[19] They also won the Swiss Cup for the twelfth time, which meant they had won the double for the sixth time in the club's history.[20]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 31 July 2017[21]
Club | Season | League | Cup | International | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Basel | 2003–04[22] | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0[22] | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 |
2004–05[23] | 32 | 11 | 2 | 0[24] | 8 | 1 | 42 | 12 | |
2005–06 | 33 | 18 | 3 | 2[25] | 14 | 7 | 50 | 27 | |
2013–14 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 40 | 5 | |
2014–15 | 26 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 10 | |
2015–16 | 28 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 39 | 15 | |
2016–17 | 29 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 38 | 12 | |
Total | 194 | 62 | 23 | 10 | 49 | 11 | 266[18] | 83 | |
Beşiktaş | 2006–07 | 26 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 4 |
2007–08 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 43 | 11 | |
2008–09 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 32 | 7 | |
2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2010–11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |
Total | 83 | 18 | 13 | 2 | 18 | 6 | 116 | 27 | |
Al Jazira | 2010–11 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 8 |
2011–12
|
20 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 34 | 9 | |
2012–13
|
24 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 36 | 7 | |
Total | 64 | 14 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 94 | 24 | |
Career total | 341 | 94 | 43 | 21 | 80 | 18 | 464 | 123 |
Honours
Club
Basel
Beşiktaş JK
- Turkish Super League: 2008–09
- Turkish Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09
- Turkish Super Cup: 2006
Al-Jazira Club
- 2010–11
- UAE President's Cup: 2010–11, 2011–12
Individual
Basel
- Swiss Footballer of the Year: 2005–06
- 2005–06
- Swiss Super League Team of the Year: 2016–17[26]
Sources and references
- All scorers 2005–06 UEFA Cup according to (excluding preliminary round) according to protocols UEFA + all scorers preliminary round
- ^ a b c d "Matías Emilio Delgado – der Fantasista". 10 July 2013.
- ^ FC Basel 1893 (2003). "Vierjahresvertrag für Matias Delgado" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2003.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ https://archive.today/20130115204516/http://www.fcb.ch/news/show/byItemID/de-de/-/5739/27/7/7
- ^ Weber, Dominik (2003). "Basel gewinnt erneut – 4:1 gegen FCSG" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2003.
- ^ Weber, Dominik (2003). "Startrekord gebrochen! FCB schlägt Xamax 3:1" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2 October 2003.
- ^ "PSG cancel Yakin deal".
- ^ "Leading Sport". 28 May 2023.
- ^ FC Basel 1893 (2006). "FCB gibt Matias Emilio Delgado an Besiktas Istanbul ab" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Galatasaray ends year on a high with Beşiktaş demolition". 23 December 2008.
- ^ FC Basel 1893 (2013). "Matías Emilio Delgado kehrt zum FC Basel 1893 zurück" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Grossenbacher, Sacha (2014). "Fotos vom Spiel gegen Lausanne sowie den anschliessenden Feierlichkeiten" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ Marti, Caspar (2015). "Der Meisterfreitag im bunten Zeitraffer" (in German). FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ "Liverpool 1 Basel 1". BBC Sport. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
- ISBN 978-3-7245-2050-4.
- ^ http://www.fcb.ch/de-CH/News/2015/07/10/Der-neue-Captain-des-FCB-ist-Matias-Delgado?ext=
- ^ "Zahavi header ensures Maccabi deny Basel". UEFA. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ Marti, Casper (2016). "Es ist vollbracht ! Der FCB ist zum 19. Mal Meister". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ^ a b Remo Meister (2016). "Mit einem positiven Gefühl in die verdienten Ferien". fcb.ch. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ Marti, Casper (2017). "Der Saisonabschluss im Zeitraffer". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Swiss football: FC Basel wins 3–0 over Sion in Geneva; police extra vigilant after game". allaboutgeneva.com. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
- ^ "Matias Delgado". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ a b rsssf (2004). "Switzerland 2003/04". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 May 2004.
- ^ rsssf (2005). "Switzerland 2004/05". RSSSF. Retrieved 29 May 2005.
- ^ rsssf (2005). "Switzerland Cup 2004/05". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 May 2005.
- ^ rsssf (2006). "Switzerland Cup 2005/06". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 April 2006.
- ^ "SAFP Golden 11 2016". Golden11. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
External links
- Profile on the Swiss Football League homepage
- Statistics at Guardian Stats Centre