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Javier Saviola

Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: [xaˈβjeɾ ˈpeðɾo saˈβjola feɾˈnandes]; born 11 December 1981) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Javier Saviola
Saviola during his presentation as a Benfica player, 2009
Personal information
Full name Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández
Date of birth (1981-12-11) 11 December 1981 (age 41)
Place of birth Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team

Barcelona U19 (assistant)

Encamp (futsal)
Youth career
Parque Chas
River Plate
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2001 River Plate 86 (45)
2001–2007 Barcelona 123 (49)
2004–2005Monaco (loan) 29 (7)
2005–2006Sevilla (loan) 29 (9)
2007–2009 Real Madrid 17 (4)
2009–2012 Benfica 69 (24)
2012–2013 Málaga 27 (8)
2013–2014 Olympiacos 26 (12)
2014–2015 Verona 15 (1)
2015–2016 River Plate 14 (0)
Total 434 (159)
International career
2001 Argentina U20 7 (11)
2000–2007 Argentina 39 (11)
Managerial career
2016–2022 Ordino (assistant)
2022– Barcelona U19 (assistant)
Medal record
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He represented both Barcelona and Real Madrid, also having notable spells with Benfica and Olympiacos, and was named as the youngest player on Pelé's FIFA 100 list of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004. Due to his ancestry he also holds Spanish nationality since 2004, and he amassed La Liga totals of 196 games and 70 goals over the course of eight seasons; he started and finished his career at River Plate.

Saviola won league titles in Argentina, Spain, Portugal and Greece during his playing career, as well as a UEFA Cup. An Argentine international for seven years, he represented his country at the 2006 World Cup and the 2004 Copa América, where Argentina reached the final. He also won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Club career Edit

River Plate Edit

Nicknamed El Conejo (The Rabbit),[1] Buenos Aires-born Saviola made his debut for Club Atlético River Plate at the age of 16, and went on to be a prolific goalscorer for the club.[2]

He helped River to the 1999 Apertura and 2000 Clausura championships, and earned the 1999 South American Footballer of the Year award. Still only 18, he gained a reputation as a phenomenal prospect, and was even regarded as a potential heir to Diego Maradona, in particular after he broke the latter's 1978 record by becoming the youngest player to win the Golden Boot award.[3]

Barcelona Edit

In 2001, aged 19, Saviola moved abroad to play for FC Barcelona in a £15 million transfer.[4] He obtained Spanish citizenship shortly after, thereby not being restricted by the Spanish league maximum on the number of non-European Union citizens allowed in each team; under coach Carles Rexach, he scored 17 goals in his first season, finishing joint-fourth top scorer in La Liga.[5]

 
Saviola with Barcelona in 2007

Saviola's second year at the Camp Nou did not start well, as he only scored two goals in the first half of the season. Radomir Antić became the new coach after Louis van Gaal was fired, and he went on to net 11 goals in the latter half of the campaign; Frank Rijkaard was subsequently appointed as new manager for 2003–04, and the player scored 14 times in the league alone, but was deemed surplus at the club as was longtime attacking partner Patrick Kluivert.[5]

Saviola was sent on loan in the summer of 2004, moving to AS Monaco FC in Ligue 1. As he did not fit into Rijkaard's plans he was again loaned out the following year, this time to Sevilla FC who were seeking to replace Real Madrid-bound Júlio Baptista; with the Andalusians he won his first title in Europe, conquering the UEFA Cup — he also scored nine times in the league, good enough for fifth.

Saviola returned to Barcelona for 2006–07,[6] playing in 18 league games, six as a starter, and netting five goals. He benefited greatly from injuries to teammates, most notably to Samuel Eto'o, and added five in as many matches in that season's Copa del Rey, notably a hat-trick against Deportivo Alavés (3–2 win at home, 5–2 aggregate).[7][8]

Real Madrid Edit

On 10 July 2007, Real Madrid signed Saviola after his Barcelona contract expired, on a three-year deal.[9] Although on a financially lucrative contract, he endured a difficult time at Real, being mainly restricted to cup matches and sporadic appearances (mainly as a substitute) in the league and the UEFA Champions League.

The arrival of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar limited Saviola's opportunities even more, and he finished his Real Madrid spell with five goals in 28 overall appearances.[10][11]

Benfica Edit

 
Saviola celebrating a goal for Benfica, 2011

On 26 June 2009, S.L. Benfica and Real Madrid agreed on a 5 million deal that would see Saviola play in Portugal for the next three years, with an option for one more; a €30 million clause was added. On 16 July, he scored two goals to send his team into the Guadiana Trophy finals after defeating Athletic Bilbao.[12]

Saviola netted twice on 22 October 2009, guiding his side to a 5–0 victory over Everton for the UEFA Europa League (he would also score in their 2–0 win in Liverpool in the second match),[13] adding another brace four days later in a 6–1 routing of C.D. Nacional for the Primeira Liga.[14]

On 6 December 2009, Saviola scored through a chip shot against Académica de Coimbra in a 4–0 home win.[15] On 20 December he netted the game's only goal as Benfica defeated rivals FC Porto at home;[16] during the victorious campaign, he formed a deadly attacking partnership with Paraguayan Óscar Cardozo, with the pair combining for more than 50 goals overall.[17]

On 3 January 2010, shortly before receiving the SJPF Player of the Month award,[18] Saviola scored another winning goal against Nacional, now for the Taça da Liga,[19] again being the game's only scorer in an away defeat of Rio Ave FC, netting in the 48th minute.[20] He scored his 19th goal overall in a 3–1 home triumph against F.C. Paços de Ferreira on 7 March,[21] and the Lisbon club was eventually crowned league champions

Málaga Edit

In the last hours of the 2012–13 summer transfer window, Saviola agreed on a move to Málaga CF.[22] He played 45 minutes in his first appearance, a 1–0 win at Real Zaragoza on 1 September.[23]

On 15 September 2012, Saviola scored once and provided one assist in a 3−1 home win against Levante UD.[24] He continued with his streak the following game, Málaga's first-ever in the Champions League group stage, netting in a 3–0 home win over FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.[25]

Olympiacos Edit

On 25 July 2013, Saviola signed a two-year contract with Greek champions Olympiacos FC.[26] He scored his first goal in the Superleague on 25 August, coming on at half-time and helping his team come from behind to win 2–1 at home to Atromitos F.C. On 10 December he netted a brace – and also missed a penalty – in a 3–1 success over R.S.C. Anderlecht also at the Karaiskakis Stadium in the group stage's last round, which helped the Piraeus team finish second and qualify at the expense of former side Benfica.[27]

Verona Edit

On 2 September 2014, Saviola joined Serie A club Hellas Verona FC.[28] He made his official debut on 22 September, starting in a 2–2 home draw against Genoa CFC,[29] and scored his first goal on 2 December, netting the only in a home win over Perugia Calcio for the Coppa Italia.[30] His sole goal of the league season came on 25 January 2015, the only one in a home victory over Atalanta BC.[31]

Return to River Edit

On 30 June 2015, River Plate announced that Saviola had returned to the club.[32] He left in January of the following year, after failing to find the net in his second spell,[33] and subsequently retired from professional football at the age of 34.[34]

Retirement, coaching, and futsal career Edit

Immediately after retiring, Saviola settled in Andorra with his family and was appointed assistant manager at FC Ordino in the Primera Divisió.[35] In February 2018, he joined local futsal team Encamp.[34] In April of that year, he won the principality's futsal league with the side.[36]

International career Edit

 
Saviola in the Argentina national team, 2007

Saviola starred in the 2001 edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, held in Argentina. He was top scorer and was voted player of the tournament, as the national team won the competition; with 11 goals in seven games, he became the record goal-scorer in the tournament's history.[37]

Two years later, Saviola played in the 2004 Olympic Games and won the gold medal. Under coach Marcelo Bielsa he was given few playing opportunities for the senior team but, after the former's resignation in 2004, new manager José Pékerman, who also worked with him at youth level, turned the tide in the player's favour; he was also a member of the squads that reached final of the 2004 Copa América and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, netting three times in the former tournament[38] and one in the latter.

Saviola was called up to represent Argentina at the 2006 World CupLuciano Figueroa and Luciano Galletti were also in contention for a place on the roster, but his excellent form for Sevilla secured his place in the squad. He scored against Ivory Coast in the country's opening game, and made two assists in the 6–0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro also in the group phase.[39]

Saviola retired from international football on 5 December 2009, although not yet 28. He stated that he felt his career as an Argentina player had come to an end, and that he wanted to concentrate on club football.

Style of play Edit

Saviola was known for his speed, agility, dribbling and ability to score from almost any attacking position on the field.[4][40][41] A diminutive, talented, and prolific forward, with a slender build, he was capable of playing as a striker, in a more creative role as a second striker, or even in a playmaking role as an attacking midfielder.[40][42][43][44][45] Throughout his career, Saviola was nicknamed El Conejo (The Rabbit, in Spanish), due to his appearance, and also El Pibito (The Little Kid, in Spanish), a reference to compatriot Diego Maradona, who was nicknamed El Pibe de Oro (The Golden Kid, in Spanish), and to whom Saviola was often compared in his youth.[41][46][47]

Media Edit

Saviola was sponsored by sportswear company Nike, and appeared in commercials for the brand. In a global advertising campaign in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, he starred in a "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scopion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam, appearing alongside footballers such as Luís Figo, Thierry Henry, Hidetoshi Nakata, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Francesco Totti, with former player Eric Cantona the tournament "referee".[48][49]

Career statistics Edit

Club Edit

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[50]
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
River Plate 1998–99 Argentine Primera División 19 6 19 6
1999–2000 33 19 33 19
2000–01 34 20 34 20
Total 86 45 86 45
Barcelona 2001–02 La Liga 36 17 1 0 11 4 48 21
2002–03 36 13 1 0 14 7 51 20
2003–04 33 14 5 2 7 3 45 19
2006–07 18 5 5 5 1 0 24 10
Total 123 49 12 7 0 0 33 14 168 70
Monaco (loan) 2004–05 Ligue 1 29 7 0 0 1 0 7 4 37 11
Sevilla (loan) 2005–06 La Liga 29 9 0 0 13 6 42 15
Real Madrid 2007–08 La Liga 9 3 6 0 2 0 17 3
2008–09 8 1 2 1 2 0 12 2
Total 17 4 8 1 0 0 4 0 29 5
Benfica 2009–10 Primeira Liga 27 11 2 1 4 1 11 6 44 19
2010–11 24 9 6 3 3 1 12 1 45 14
2011–12 18 4 2 1 5 1 6 0 31 6
Total 69 24 10 5 12 3 29 7 120 39
Málaga 2012–13 La Liga 27 8 4 0 6 1 37 9
Olympiacos 2013–14 Super League Greece 25 12 4 0 5 2 34 14
2014–15 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 26 12 4 0 5 2 35 14
Verona 2014–15 Serie A 15 1 1 1 16 2
River Plate 2015 Argentine Primera División 13 0 0 0 2 0 15 0
Career total 434 159 39 14 13 3 99 34 585 210

International Edit

Appearances and goals by national team and year[51]
National team Year Apps Goals
Argentina 2000 1 0
2001 0 0
2002 3 0
2003 8 3
2004 10 5
2005 8 1
2006 5 1
2007 4 1
Total 39 11
Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Saviola goal.
List of international goals scored by Javier Saviola
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 20 April 2003 June 11, Tripoli, Libya   Libya 1–0 3–1 Friendly
2 8 June 2003 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan   Japan 1–0 4–1 Friendly
3 11 June 2003 Seoul World Cup, Seoul, South Korea   South Korea 1–0 1–0 Friendly
4 30 June 2004 Giants Stadium, New Jersey, United States   Peru 2–0 2–1 Friendly
5 7 July 2004 Elías Aguirre, Chiclayo, Peru   Ecuador 2–1 6–1 2004 Copa América
6 3–1
7 4–1
8 17 November 2004 El Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina   Venezuela 3–1 3–2 2006 World Cup qualification
9 15 June 2005 RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany   Tunisia 2–0 2–1 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup
10 10 June 2006 Imtech Arena, Hamburg, Germany   Ivory Coast 2–0 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup
11 7 February 2007 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France   France 1–0 1–0 Friendly

Honours Edit

River Plate

Sevilla

Real Madrid[50]

Benfica[50]

Olympiacos

Argentina

Individual

References Edit

  1. ^ El 'Mono' Burgos bautizó a Saviola como el 'Conejo' ('Mono' Burgos dubbed Saviola 'Conejo'); Mundo Deportivo, 22 July 2001 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Interview with Javier Saviola 21 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine; The Argentina Independent, 10 October 2008
  3. ^ . FIFA. 15 June 2001. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b Monti, Fabio (7 July 2001). "Saviola come Diego, al Barcellona da re" [Saviola like Diego, at Barcelona as a king] (in Italian). Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  5. ^ a b Martín, Luis (26 September 2006). "Saviola, de solución a problema" [Saviola, from solution to problem]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  6. ^ Saviola seguirá en el Barça aunque Rijkaard no cuenta con él (Saviola to continue in Barça even though Rijkaard does not want him); El Mundo, 31 August 2006 (in Spanish)
  7. ^ El Barcelona golea sin problemas al Badalona y Saviola se aprovecha (Barcelona have no problems routing Badalona and Saviola seizes chance); Marca, 8 November 2006 (in Spanish)
  8. ^ Sublime Saviola sinks Alavés; UEFA, 17 January 2007
  9. ^ Saviola to sign off at Barça; UEFA, 18 June 2007
  10. ^ Saviola: "Voy a dar la vuelta a esta situación" (Saviola: "I am going to turn things around"); Marca, 7 April 2008 (in Spanish)
  11. ^ Saviola: "Mi situación en el Madrid es intolerable" (Saviola: "My situation in Madrid is intolerable"); Marca, 24 January 2009 (in Spanish)
  12. ^ "Benfica vence Bilbao com 'bis' de Saviola" [Benfica beat Bilbao with Saviola brace] (in Portuguese). Expresso. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  13. ^ Europa League: Everton humbled, Fulham denied 20 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 22 October 2009
  14. ^ Unstoppable Benfica crush Nacional; PortuGOAL, 26 October 2009
  15. ^ Cardozo and Saviola show fires Benfica to another big win; PortuGOAL, 6 December 2009
  16. ^ Saviola fires Benfica to victory in classico 19 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine; PortuGOAL, 20 December 2009
  17. ^ [Djalmir was the most effective scorer] (in Portuguese). Record. 10 May 2010. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Saviola eleito melhor jogador de Dezembro" [Saviola voted best player in December] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 7 January 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  19. ^ Gouveia, Ricardo (3 January 2010). "Taça da Liga: Benfica-Nacional, 1–0 (crónica)" [League Cup: Benfica-Nacional, 1–0 (match report)] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  20. ^ Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (9 January 2010). "Rio Ave-Benfica, 0–1 (crónica)" [Rio Ave-Benfica, 0–1 (match report)] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  21. ^ Liedson hits four for Sporting; Benfica go three points clear at table top 19 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine; PortuGOAL, 7 March 2010
  22. ^ Bonachera, Rocío (31 August 2012). "Saviola: "Trataré de aportar lo máximo al equipo"" [Saviola: "I will give of myself as much as i can to this team"] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  23. ^ "Real Zaragoza 0–1 Málaga". ESPN Soccernet. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Mágico Saviola, histórico Málaga" [Magical Saviola, historical Málaga]. Marca (in Spanish). 15 September 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  25. ^ Magical Málaga make it a debut to remember; UEFA, 18 September 2012
  26. ^ Javier Saviola completes switch to Olympiacos; Sky Sports, 24 July 2013
  27. ^ "Saviola the hero as Olympiacos squeeze through". UEFA. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  28. ^ "Verona, ecco Saviola, il bomber argentino del Barcellona prima di Messi" [Verona, here is Saviola, Barcelona's Argentine bomber before Messi]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 2 September 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  29. ^ "Verona salvage stalemate". Sky Sports. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  30. ^ "Verona-Perugia 1–0: Saviola manda i gialloblù agli ottavi con la Juve" [Verona 1–0 Perugia: Saviola sends the yellow-and-blue into the last 16 against Juve]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 2 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  31. ^ "Serie A: Javier Saviola nets winner for Verona against Atalanta". Sky Sports. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  32. ^ "Saviola, mano a mano en su vuelta a River" [Saviola, one-on-one on his return to River] (in Spanish). River Plate. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  33. ^ "Saviola deja River" [Saviola leaves River]. Marca (in Spanish). 7 January 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  34. ^ a b Javier de Paz Seguir (15 February 2018). "Saviola se pasa al fúbol sala" [Saviola moves to futsal] (in Spanish). Diario AS Argentina. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  35. ^ "Saviola ficha por el Ordino de Andorra" [Saviola signs for Andorra's Ordino]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 September 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  36. ^ "Saviola gana la liga de fútbol sala de Andorra con el Encamp" [Saviola wins the Andorran futsal league with Encamp]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 20 April 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  37. ^ "10 Facts About FIFA's U-20".
  38. ^ "Copa América 2004". RSSSF. from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  39. ^ "Argentina 6–0 Serbia & Montenegro". BBC Sport. 16 June 2006. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  40. ^ a b "Cocu wary of old team-mate". UEFA.com. 22 February 2005. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  41. ^ a b "Javier Saviola; 'El pibito' the goalscorer". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  42. ^ "Saviola, ancora l'Italia nel futuro? Lo cercano Bologna, Genoa e Atalanta" [Saviola, still Italy in his future? Bologna, Genoa and Atalanta are looking to get him]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 17 February 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  43. ^ "Aimar al River, Saviola Resta a Verona" [Aimar to Rivre, Saviola Remains at Verona] (in Italian). Hellas 1903. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  44. ^ "Saviola makes Henry pitch". The Guardian. 16 March 2004. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  45. ^ Cox, Michael (29 October 2013). "Aguero shows his versatility". ESPN FC. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  46. ^ Kennedy, Paul (12 June 2001). "2001 World Youth Championship Preview: Eight to Watch". Soccer America. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  47. ^ Di Gioia, Alessandro (9 December 2017). "Che fine ha fatto? Il 'conejo' Saviola: da nuovo Maradona alla tristezza Verona" [What ever happened to him? The 'conejo' Saviola: from the new Maradona to the sadness of Verona] (in Italian). Calciomercato. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  48. ^ . Nike. Archived from the original on 2 June 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  49. ^ Cozens, Claire (3 April 2002). "Cantona hosts World Cup with a difference". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  50. ^ a b c d e f g h "J. Saviola". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  51. ^ "Argentina – Record International Players". RSSSF. from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  52. ^ "South American Team of the Year". RSSSF. 16 January 2009. from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  53. ^ a b . FIFA. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2015.

External links Edit

  • Javier Saviola at BDFutbol  
  • at ForaDeJogo (archived)  
  • Javier Saviola at National-Football-Teams.com  
  • FIFA competition record (archived)  

javier, saviola, this, spanish, name, first, paternal, surname, saviola, second, maternal, family, name, fernández, javier, pedro, saviola, fernández, spanish, pronunciation, xaˈβjeɾ, ˈpeðɾo, saˈβjola, feɾˈnandes, born, december, 1981, argentine, former, profe. In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Saviola and the second or maternal family name is Fernandez Javier Pedro Saviola Fernandez Spanish pronunciation xaˈbjeɾ ˈpedɾo saˈbjola feɾˈnandes born 11 December 1981 is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward Javier SaviolaSaviola during his presentation as a Benfica player 2009Personal informationFull nameJavier Pedro Saviola FernandezDate of birth 1981 12 11 11 December 1981 age 41 Place of birthBuenos Aires ArgentinaHeight1 68 m 5 ft 6 in Position s ForwardTeam informationCurrent teamBarcelona U19 assistant Encamp futsal Youth careerParque ChasRiver PlateSenior career YearsTeamApps Gls 1998 2001River Plate86 45 2001 2007Barcelona123 49 2004 2005 Monaco loan 29 7 2005 2006 Sevilla loan 29 9 2007 2009Real Madrid17 4 2009 2012Benfica69 24 2012 2013Malaga27 8 2013 2014Olympiacos26 12 2014 2015Verona15 1 2015 2016River Plate14 0 Total434 159 International career2001Argentina U207 11 2000 2007Argentina39 11 Managerial career2016 2022Ordino assistant 2022 Barcelona U19 assistant Medal record Representing ArgentinaMen s footballCopa AmericaRunner up 2004 PeruFIFA Confederations CupRunner up 2005 GermanyOlympic Games2004 AthensFIFA U 20 World CupWinner 2001 Argentina Club domestic league appearances and goalsHe represented both Barcelona and Real Madrid also having notable spells with Benfica and Olympiacos and was named as the youngest player on Pele s FIFA 100 list of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004 Due to his ancestry he also holds Spanish nationality since 2004 and he amassed La Liga totals of 196 games and 70 goals over the course of eight seasons he started and finished his career at River Plate Saviola won league titles in Argentina Spain Portugal and Greece during his playing career as well as a UEFA Cup An Argentine international for seven years he represented his country at the 2006 World Cup and the 2004 Copa America where Argentina reached the final He also won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens Contents 1 Club career 1 1 River Plate 1 2 Barcelona 1 3 Real Madrid 1 4 Benfica 1 5 Malaga 1 6 Olympiacos 1 7 Verona 1 8 Return to River 1 9 Retirement coaching and futsal career 2 International career 3 Style of play 4 Media 5 Career statistics 5 1 Club 5 2 International 6 Honours 7 References 8 External linksClub career EditRiver Plate Edit Nicknamed El Conejo The Rabbit 1 Buenos Aires born Saviola made his debut for Club Atletico River Plate at the age of 16 and went on to be a prolific goalscorer for the club 2 He helped River to the 1999 Apertura and 2000 Clausura championships and earned the 1999 South American Footballer of the Year award Still only 18 he gained a reputation as a phenomenal prospect and was even regarded as a potential heir to Diego Maradona in particular after he broke the latter s 1978 record by becoming the youngest player to win the Golden Boot award 3 Barcelona Edit In 2001 aged 19 Saviola moved abroad to play for FC Barcelona in a 15 million transfer 4 He obtained Spanish citizenship shortly after thereby not being restricted by the Spanish league maximum on the number of non European Union citizens allowed in each team under coach Carles Rexach he scored 17 goals in his first season finishing joint fourth top scorer in La Liga 5 nbsp Saviola with Barcelona in 2007Saviola s second year at the Camp Nou did not start well as he only scored two goals in the first half of the season Radomir Antic became the new coach after Louis van Gaal was fired and he went on to net 11 goals in the latter half of the campaign Frank Rijkaard was subsequently appointed as new manager for 2003 04 and the player scored 14 times in the league alone but was deemed surplus at the club as was longtime attacking partner Patrick Kluivert 5 Saviola was sent on loan in the summer of 2004 moving to AS Monaco FC in Ligue 1 As he did not fit into Rijkaard s plans he was again loaned out the following year this time to Sevilla FC who were seeking to replace Real Madrid bound Julio Baptista with the Andalusians he won his first title in Europe conquering the UEFA Cup he also scored nine times in the league good enough for fifth Saviola returned to Barcelona for 2006 07 6 playing in 18 league games six as a starter and netting five goals He benefited greatly from injuries to teammates most notably to Samuel Eto o and added five in as many matches in that season s Copa del Rey notably a hat trick against Deportivo Alaves 3 2 win at home 5 2 aggregate 7 8 Real Madrid Edit On 10 July 2007 Real Madrid signed Saviola after his Barcelona contract expired on a three year deal 9 Although on a financially lucrative contract he endured a difficult time at Real being mainly restricted to cup matches and sporadic appearances mainly as a substitute in the league and the UEFA Champions League The arrival of Klaas Jan Huntelaar limited Saviola s opportunities even more and he finished his Real Madrid spell with five goals in 28 overall appearances 10 11 Benfica Edit nbsp Saviola celebrating a goal for Benfica 2011On 26 June 2009 S L Benfica and Real Madrid agreed on a 5 million deal that would see Saviola play in Portugal for the next three years with an option for one more a 30 million clause was added On 16 July he scored two goals to send his team into the Guadiana Trophy finals after defeating Athletic Bilbao 12 Saviola netted twice on 22 October 2009 guiding his side to a 5 0 victory over Everton for the UEFA Europa League he would also score in their 2 0 win in Liverpool in the second match 13 adding another brace four days later in a 6 1 routing of C D Nacional for the Primeira Liga 14 On 6 December 2009 Saviola scored through a chip shot against Academica de Coimbra in a 4 0 home win 15 On 20 December he netted the game s only goal as Benfica defeated rivals FC Porto at home 16 during the victorious campaign he formed a deadly attacking partnership with Paraguayan oscar Cardozo with the pair combining for more than 50 goals overall 17 On 3 January 2010 shortly before receiving the SJPF Player of the Month award 18 Saviola scored another winning goal against Nacional now for the Taca da Liga 19 again being the game s only scorer in an away defeat of Rio Ave FC netting in the 48th minute 20 He scored his 19th goal overall in a 3 1 home triumph against F C Pacos de Ferreira on 7 March 21 and the Lisbon club was eventually crowned league champions Malaga Edit In the last hours of the 2012 13 summer transfer window Saviola agreed on a move to Malaga CF 22 He played 45 minutes in his first appearance a 1 0 win at Real Zaragoza on 1 September 23 On 15 September 2012 Saviola scored once and provided one assist in a 3 1 home win against Levante UD 24 He continued with his streak the following game Malaga s first ever in the Champions League group stage netting in a 3 0 home win over FC Zenit Saint Petersburg 25 Olympiacos Edit On 25 July 2013 Saviola signed a two year contract with Greek champions Olympiacos FC 26 He scored his first goal in the Superleague on 25 August coming on at half time and helping his team come from behind to win 2 1 at home to Atromitos F C On 10 December he netted a brace and also missed a penalty in a 3 1 success over R S C Anderlecht also at the Karaiskakis Stadium in the group stage s last round which helped the Piraeus team finish second and qualify at the expense of former side Benfica 27 Verona Edit On 2 September 2014 Saviola joined Serie A club Hellas Verona FC 28 He made his official debut on 22 September starting in a 2 2 home draw against Genoa CFC 29 and scored his first goal on 2 December netting the only in a home win over Perugia Calcio for the Coppa Italia 30 His sole goal of the league season came on 25 January 2015 the only one in a home victory over Atalanta BC 31 Return to River Edit On 30 June 2015 River Plate announced that Saviola had returned to the club 32 He left in January of the following year after failing to find the net in his second spell 33 and subsequently retired from professional football at the age of 34 34 Retirement coaching and futsal career Edit Immediately after retiring Saviola settled in Andorra with his family and was appointed assistant manager at FC Ordino in the Primera Divisio 35 In February 2018 he joined local futsal team Encamp 34 In April of that year he won the principality s futsal league with the side 36 International career Edit nbsp Saviola in the Argentina national team 2007Saviola starred in the 2001 edition of the FIFA U 20 World Cup held in Argentina He was top scorer and was voted player of the tournament as the national team won the competition with 11 goals in seven games he became the record goal scorer in the tournament s history 37 Two years later Saviola played in the 2004 Olympic Games and won the gold medal Under coach Marcelo Bielsa he was given few playing opportunities for the senior team but after the former s resignation in 2004 new manager Jose Pekerman who also worked with him at youth level turned the tide in the player s favour he was also a member of the squads that reached final of the 2004 Copa America and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup netting three times in the former tournament 38 and one in the latter Saviola was called up to represent Argentina at the 2006 World Cup Luciano Figueroa and Luciano Galletti were also in contention for a place on the roster but his excellent form for Sevilla secured his place in the squad He scored against Ivory Coast in the country s opening game and made two assists in the 6 0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro also in the group phase 39 Saviola retired from international football on 5 December 2009 although not yet 28 He stated that he felt his career as an Argentina player had come to an end and that he wanted to concentrate on club football Style of play EditSaviola was known for his speed agility dribbling and ability to score from almost any attacking position on the field 4 40 41 A diminutive talented and prolific forward with a slender build he was capable of playing as a striker in a more creative role as a second striker or even in a playmaking role as an attacking midfielder 40 42 43 44 45 Throughout his career Saviola was nicknamed El Conejo The Rabbit in Spanish due to his appearance and also El Pibito The Little Kid in Spanish a reference to compatriot Diego Maradona who was nicknamed El Pibe de Oro The Golden Kid in Spanish and to whom Saviola was often compared in his youth 41 46 47 Media EditSaviola was sponsored by sportswear company Nike and appeared in commercials for the brand In a global advertising campaign in the run up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan he starred in a Secret Tournament commercial branded Scopion KO directed by Terry Gilliam appearing alongside footballers such as Luis Figo Thierry Henry Hidetoshi Nakata Roberto Carlos Ronaldinho Ronaldo and Francesco Totti with former player Eric Cantona the tournament referee 48 49 Career statistics EditClub Edit Appearances and goals by club season and competition 50 Club Season League National cup League cup Continental TotalDivision Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GoalsRiver Plate 1998 99 Argentine Primera Division 19 6 19 61999 2000 33 19 33 192000 01 34 20 34 20Total 86 45 86 45Barcelona 2001 02 La Liga 36 17 1 0 11 4 48 212002 03 36 13 1 0 14 7 51 202003 04 33 14 5 2 7 3 45 192006 07 18 5 5 5 1 0 24 10Total 123 49 12 7 0 0 33 14 168 70Monaco loan 2004 05 Ligue 1 29 7 0 0 1 0 7 4 37 11Sevilla loan 2005 06 La Liga 29 9 0 0 13 6 42 15Real Madrid 2007 08 La Liga 9 3 6 0 2 0 17 32008 09 8 1 2 1 2 0 12 2Total 17 4 8 1 0 0 4 0 29 5Benfica 2009 10 Primeira Liga 27 11 2 1 4 1 11 6 44 192010 11 24 9 6 3 3 1 12 1 45 142011 12 18 4 2 1 5 1 6 0 31 6Total 69 24 10 5 12 3 29 7 120 39Malaga 2012 13 La Liga 27 8 4 0 6 1 37 9Olympiacos 2013 14 Super League Greece 25 12 4 0 5 2 34 142014 15 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0Total 26 12 4 0 5 2 35 14Verona 2014 15 Serie A 15 1 1 1 16 2River Plate 2015 Argentine Primera Division 13 0 0 0 2 0 15 0Career total 434 159 39 14 13 3 99 34 585 210International Edit Appearances and goals by national team and year 51 National team Year Apps GoalsArgentina 2000 1 02001 0 02002 3 02003 8 32004 10 52005 8 12006 5 12007 4 1Total 39 11Scores and results list Argentina s goal tally first score column indicates score after each Saviola goal List of international goals scored by Javier Saviola No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition1 20 April 2003 June 11 Tripoli Libya nbsp Libya 1 0 3 1 Friendly2 8 June 2003 Nagai Stadium Osaka Japan nbsp Japan 1 0 4 1 Friendly3 11 June 2003 Seoul World Cup Seoul South Korea nbsp South Korea 1 0 1 0 Friendly4 30 June 2004 Giants Stadium New Jersey United States nbsp Peru 2 0 2 1 Friendly5 7 July 2004 Elias Aguirre Chiclayo Peru nbsp Ecuador 2 1 6 1 2004 Copa America6 3 17 4 18 17 November 2004 El Monumental Buenos Aires Argentina nbsp Venezuela 3 1 3 2 2006 World Cup qualification9 15 June 2005 RheinEnergieStadion Cologne Germany nbsp Tunisia 2 0 2 1 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup10 10 June 2006 Imtech Arena Hamburg Germany nbsp Ivory Coast 2 0 2 1 2006 FIFA World Cup11 7 February 2007 Stade de France Saint Denis France nbsp France 1 0 1 0 FriendlyHonours EditRiver Plate Argentine Primera Division 1999 Apertura 2000 Clausura 50 Copa Libertadores 2015 Suruga Bank Championship 2015 FIFA Club World Cup runner up 2015Sevilla UEFA Cup 2005 06 50 Real Madrid 50 La Liga 2007 08 Supercopa de Espana 2008Benfica 50 Primeira Liga 2009 10 Taca da Liga 2009 10 2010 11 2011 12 Supertaca Candido de Oliveira runner up 2010Olympiacos Super League Greece 2013 14 50 Argentina FIFA U 20 World Cup 2001 Summer Olympic Games 2004 Copa America runner up 2004 50 FIFA Confederations Cup runner up 2005 50 Individual Argentine Primera Division 1999 Apertura Top scorer South American Footballer of the Year 1999 South American Team of the Year 1999 52 Player of the Year of Argentina 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship Golden Shoe 2001 53 FIFA World Youth Championship Golden Ball 2001 53 Trofeo EFE 2001 02 Primeira Liga Player of the Month December 2009 Portuguese Golden Ball 2010 FIFA 100References Edit El Mono Burgos bautizo a Saviola como el Conejo Mono Burgos dubbed Saviola Conejo Mundo Deportivo 22 July 2001 in Spanish Interview with Javier Saviola Archived 21 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Argentina Independent 10 October 2008 Can Saviola repeat Maradona s feat FIFA 15 June 2001 Archived from the original on 27 July 2013 Retrieved 3 March 2015 a b Monti Fabio 7 July 2001 Saviola come Diego al Barcellona da re Saviola like Diego at Barcelona as a king in Italian Corriere della Sera Retrieved 7 February 2015 a b Martin Luis 26 September 2006 Saviola de solucion a problema Saviola from solution to problem El Pais in Spanish Retrieved 29 August 2018 Saviola seguira en el Barca aunque Rijkaard no cuenta con el Saviola to continue in Barca even though Rijkaard does not want him El Mundo 31 August 2006 in Spanish El Barcelona golea sin problemas al Badalona y Saviola se aprovecha Barcelona have no problems routing Badalona and Saviola seizes chance Marca 8 November 2006 in Spanish Sublime Saviola sinks Alaves UEFA 17 January 2007 Saviola to sign off at Barca UEFA 18 June 2007 Saviola Voy a dar la vuelta a esta situacion Saviola I am going to turn things around Marca 7 April 2008 in Spanish Saviola Mi situacion en el Madrid es intolerable Saviola My situation in Madrid is intolerable Marca 24 January 2009 in Spanish Benfica vence Bilbao com bis de Saviola Benfica beat Bilbao with Saviola brace in Portuguese Expresso 16 July 2009 Retrieved 30 August 2018 Europa League Everton humbled Fulham denied Archived 20 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine ESPN Soccernet 22 October 2009 Unstoppable Benfica crush Nacional PortuGOAL 26 October 2009 Cardozo and Saviola show fires Benfica to another big win PortuGOAL 6 December 2009 Saviola fires Benfica to victory in classico Archived 19 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine PortuGOAL 20 December 2009 Djalmir foi o marcador mais eficaz Djalmir was the most effective scorer in Portuguese Record 10 May 2010 Archived from the original on 22 February 2017 Retrieved 21 February 2017 Saviola eleito melhor jogador de Dezembro Saviola voted best player in December in Portuguese SAPO 7 January 2010 Retrieved 30 August 2018 Gouveia Ricardo 3 January 2010 Taca da Liga Benfica Nacional 1 0 cronica League Cup Benfica Nacional 1 0 match report in Portuguese Maisfutebol Retrieved 30 August 2018 Alvarenga Vitor Hugo 9 January 2010 Rio Ave Benfica 0 1 cronica Rio Ave Benfica 0 1 match report in Portuguese Maisfutebol Retrieved 30 August 2018 Liedson hits four for Sporting Benfica go three points clear at table top Archived 19 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine PortuGOAL 7 March 2010 Bonachera Rocio 31 August 2012 Saviola Tratare de aportar lo maximo al equipo Saviola I will give of myself as much as i can to this team in Spanish Vavel Retrieved 31 August 2012 Real Zaragoza 0 1 Malaga ESPN Soccernet 1 September 2012 Retrieved 3 September 2012 Magico Saviola historico Malaga Magical Saviola historical Malaga Marca in Spanish 15 September 2012 Retrieved 17 September 2012 Magical Malaga make it a debut to remember UEFA 18 September 2012 Javier Saviola completes switch to Olympiacos Sky Sports 24 July 2013 Saviola the hero as Olympiacos squeeze through UEFA 10 December 2013 Retrieved 10 December 2013 Verona ecco Saviola il bomber argentino del Barcellona prima di Messi Verona here is Saviola Barcelona s Argentine bomber before Messi La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian 2 September 2014 Retrieved 19 October 2014 Verona salvage stalemate Sky Sports 24 September 2014 Retrieved 19 October 2014 Verona Perugia 1 0 Saviola manda i gialloblu agli ottavi con la Juve Verona 1 0 Perugia Saviola sends the yellow and blue into the last 16 against Juve La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian 2 December 2014 Retrieved 5 December 2014 Serie A Javier Saviola nets winner for Verona against Atalanta Sky Sports 25 January 2015 Retrieved 27 June 2015 Saviola mano a mano en su vuelta a River Saviola one on one on his return to River in Spanish River Plate 30 June 2015 Retrieved 1 July 2015 Saviola deja River Saviola leaves River Marca in Spanish 7 January 2016 Retrieved 9 February 2016 a b Javier de Paz Seguir 15 February 2018 Saviola se pasa al fubol sala Saviola moves to futsal in Spanish Diario AS Argentina Retrieved 13 April 2019 Saviola ficha por el Ordino de Andorra Saviola signs for Andorra s Ordino Marca in Spanish 19 September 2016 Retrieved 19 September 2016 Saviola gana la liga de futbol sala de Andorra con el Encamp Saviola wins the Andorran futsal league with Encamp Diario AS in Spanish 20 April 2018 Retrieved 5 October 2018 10 Facts About FIFA s U 20 Copa America 2004 RSSSF Archived from the original on 22 October 2008 Retrieved 17 February 2015 Argentina 6 0 Serbia amp Montenegro BBC Sport 16 June 2006 Retrieved 17 February 2015 a b Cocu wary of old team mate UEFA com 22 February 2005 Retrieved 9 January 2020 a b Javier Saviola El pibito the goalscorer FC Barcelona Retrieved 9 January 2020 Saviola ancora l Italia nel futuro Lo cercano Bologna Genoa e Atalanta Saviola still Italy in his future Bologna Genoa and Atalanta are looking to get him La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italian 17 February 2016 Retrieved 9 January 2020 Aimar al River Saviola Resta a Verona Aimar to Rivre Saviola Remains at Verona in Italian Hellas 1903 31 December 2014 Retrieved 9 January 2020 Saviola makes Henry pitch The Guardian 16 March 2004 Retrieved 9 January 2020 Cox Michael 29 October 2013 Aguero shows his versatility ESPN FC Retrieved 17 May 2020 Kennedy Paul 12 June 2001 2001 World Youth Championship Preview Eight to Watch Soccer America Retrieved 9 January 2020 Di Gioia Alessandro 9 December 2017 Che fine ha fatto Il conejo Saviola da nuovo Maradona alla tristezza Verona What ever happened to him The conejo Saviola from the new Maradona to the sadness of Verona in Italian Calciomercato Retrieved 9 January 2020 A lighter shoe cooler kits a faster ball a Secret Tournament every touch counts Nike Archived from the original on 2 June 2002 Retrieved 26 May 2015 Cozens Claire 3 April 2002 Cantona hosts World Cup with a difference The Guardian Retrieved 26 May 2015 a b c d e f g h J Saviola Soccerway Retrieved 4 January 2014 Argentina Record International Players RSSSF Archived from the original on 13 January 2010 Retrieved 9 February 2016 South American Team of the Year RSSSF 16 January 2009 Archived from the original on 21 January 2015 Retrieved 10 March 2015 a b FIFA World Youth Championship Argentina 2001 Awards FIFA Archived from the original on 28 March 2013 Retrieved 2 February 2015 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Javier Saviola Javier Saviola at BDFutbol nbsp Javier Saviola at ForaDeJogo archived nbsp Javier Saviola at National Football Teams com nbsp Javier Saviola FIFA competition record archived nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Javier Saviola amp oldid 1168771705, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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