Salas and the second or maternal family name is Melinao. In this spanish name, the first or agnate surname isand the second or maternal kin name is José Marcelo Salas Melinao ( american spanish : [ maɾˈselo ˈsalas ] ; born 24 December 1974 ), nicknamed Matador ( due to his goalscoring celebrations ), [ 1 ] El Fenómeno and Shileno, is a go to bed Chilean football player who played as a striker. Salas is considered the best striker in the history of Chile. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] He stood out during the 1990s and 2000s in clubs such as Universidad de Chile, River Plate, Lazio and Juventus. He was captain of the Chilean national team and the top scorer – scoring 45 goals in sum : 37 goals for the Chile national football team ( 4 in World Cups, 18 in World Cup qualification processes and 15 in friendlies ) [ 5 ] and 8 goals with the Chile Olympic football team.
Reading: Marcelo Salas
He played in Chile, Argentina and Italy, winning titles with each club he joined. The IFFHS ranked him as the 31st best south american player of the twentieth hundred, the 19th best confederacy american advancing of the twentieth hundred and the 3rd best south american advancing of the 1990s ( integrating the dais with Brazilians players Ronaldo and Romário ). [ 6 ] He was considered one of the best footballers in the world during the second half of the 1990s and the beginning of the twenty-first century. In 1997 he ranked 3rd as the “ best center forward in the world ” ( after players Ronaldo and Gabriel Batistuta ) and he was ranked fifth in the “ Best Centre Forward ” category in the RSS Award for the best football player of the year, in 1998 and 1999. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] In addition, in 1996 and 1997 he was considered the “ best striker in America ”, where he was separate of the Ideal Team of America. He was besides awarded as the south american Footballer of the year in 1997. He was included in “ 10 highest figures ” contest in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. [ 10 ] In 2013 he was awarded as the “ seventh best south-American football player in history ” ( “ Bleacher Report ” magazine ). [ 11 ] [ 12 ] He was besides chosen within the “ 10 best scorers in the history of south american football ” [ 13 ] In 2019, he was included in the “ 50 capital south american footballers of all time ”, ranking, positioning himself in 27th home. [ 14 ] A potent and coherent forward, with commodity technique, who was long-familiar for his deft touch with his leave foot, vitamin a well as his forward pass ability, Salas had a prolific goalscoring record throughout his career. He is considered ( along with Leonel Sánchez ) the greatest player in the history of Universidad de Chile, and picture for the football team River Plate of Argentina [ 15 ] ( he ‘s a member of the historic ideal football team ) [ 16 ] and one of the greatest foreign players in Lazio ‘s history. [ 17 ] [ 18 ] between 1996 and 2001 he was considered one of the best forwards in the world, constantly compared to Ronaldo and Gabriel Batistuta. [ 19 ] [ 20 ] He was besides occasionally compared to Diego Maradona, Pelé and Gerd Müller. After a friendly catch between England and Chile at Wembley Stadium, where Salas scored the two goals, the English press headlined : “ Olé, Olé, Olé … Salas is the new Diego Maradona “ [ 21 ] and after scoring two goals in the first gear game of the 1998 FIFA World Cup against the Italy national team, the spanish press headlined : “ His header in the quarrel with Fabio Cannavaro recalled somehow Pelé ‘s memorable leap out over Burgnich in the 1970 World Cup final ”. [ 22 ] On 16 December 1998 he integrated the Rest of the World National Team in a catch played at the Stadio Olimpico against Italy home football team, in celebration of the centennial of italian Calcio. Salas entered the second half, replacing Gabriel Batistuta. [ 23 ] [ 24 ] He played for the Chilean national football team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where he scored four goals in four matches, leading his team to the second round of golf of the contest. additionally, Salas played for the Chile home football team at two Copa América tournaments, helping his team to reach fourthly place in the 1999 version of the tournament .
Club career [edit ]
Universidad de Chile [edit ]
Born in Temuco, Salas played for the Deportes Temuco youth team until his father took him to Santiago de Chile to be incorporated into the Universidad de Chile team. Salas joined the Universidad de Chile team in 1993 and debuted on 4 January 1994 in a match against Cobreloa where he scored a finish. finally, Salas was consolidated in the pit against Colo Colo at the National Stadium, where he scored a Hat-trick in the 4–1 victory. [ 25 ] His great performances cursorily led the university fans to give him the nickname of “ Matador ” due to his cold rake when shaping, besides inspired by the song of the lapp name by the Argentine melodious group Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which at that meter was fashionable in Latin America. It was besides at this time that he patented his finical way of celebrating goals : he put one branch down, bowed his promontory, stretched his right arm and pointed his index finger towards the flip. Salas helped the team win back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, he was an essential actor for the Universidad de Chile team, as the was the crown scorer in both seasons ( 27 goals in the first season and 17 goals in the second season ). Leaving a trail of 76 goals which included a strong 1996 campaign in the Copa Libertadores .
river home plate [edit ]
late in 1996, Salas moved to Argentina to play in River Plate team of the Argentine first gear part of football. On 30 September 1996 he scored his inaugural goal, in a match played against Boca Juniors at the La Bombonera stadium. From 1996 to 1998 Salas scored 31 goals in 67 games, helping River to win the Torneo de Apertura 1996 ( where he scored two goals in the 3–0 win over Vélez Sarsfield that made him champion ), the Clausura 1997, the Apertura 1997 ( scoring the title finish against Argentinos Juniors ), and the 1997 Supercopa Libertadores, where he scored the 2 goals in the final examination against São Paulo that gave the millionaire club the cup. In addition, he was elected the Best Footballer of the temper in Argentina and South American Footballer of the year in 1997. These accomplishments would cement his bequest in Argentina as one of its greatest foreign born players earning the nickname, “ El shileno ( sic ) Salas ”. The Argentine team valued his transfer at US $ 30,000,000 as the English football club Manchester United ( The passenger car Alex Ferguson wanted a musician with the characteristics of Ronaldo and Marcelo Salas to replace the retirement of Eric Cantona, Ferguson traveled 14,000 miles to sign Salas, but River Plate refused to sell him. [ 26 ] ), in addition to great clubs from Italy and Spain for hiring him. [ 27 ]
latium [edit ]
On 1 February 1998, thanks to his good performances both in Argentina and in the Chile national football team, he was sold to S.S. Lazio in Italy for US $ 20.5 million. [ 28 ] becoming the highest transfer in history at that clock time, after Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Denilson ( to Inter Milan from Italy, Barcelona and Betis from Spain, respectively ). [ 29 ] Salas played in Italy for five years : three years with S.S. Lazio ( 1998–2001 ), a winder catalyst in helping turn around a Lazio team that had n’t won a Scudetto since the 1973–1974 season. He made his introduction for Lazio on 12 August 1998 against the UEFA Champions League champion, the Real Madrid of Spain, where he scored the second goal of his team, in the Teresa Herrera Trophy. [ 30 ] His official debut was for the Supercoppa italiana where his team won the competition after winning 2–1 over Juventus F.C., on 29 August 1998. With Salas in the team, successes in italian football returned for the whole of the italian capital, after 25 years. He scored his first goal for Serie A playing for Lazio a few days subsequently against Inter Milan. With Lazio he won a Serie A ( being Salas the team ‘s top scorekeeper with 12 annotations ), an Coppa Italia, two Supercoppa Italiana, a UEFA Cup Winners ‘ Cup and a UEFA Super Cup, scoring the match ‘s alone goal in the latter, in a 1–0 win over Manchester United. Salas cursorily became an idol of the Lazio tifosi, where they dedicated songs to him, the most traditional was : “ Matador, Matador, che cerium frega de Ronaldo noi c’avemo er Matador ” ( Matador, Matador, we care about Ronaldo if we have the Matador ). [ 31 ] [ 32 ] After rejecting offers of US $ 30,000,000 [ 33 ] from crucial football golf club as : manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona, Parma, A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] was in negotiations with real number Madrid to become, together with Zinedine Zidane, one of the two capital “ meringues ” signings of 2001. [ 36 ] however, the transplant failed, largely due to the exorbitant kernel that the spanish club he invested in the sign of Zidane. ultimately, that same year he signed for Juventus, after paying the clubhouse €25,000,000 ( US $ 28,500,000 ) for him, which at the time was the most expensive transmit of a Chilean musician .
Juventus [edit ]
In 2001, he was transferred to Juventus F.C. for 55 billion lire [ 37 ] ( €28.5 million by specify exchange rate ; 22 billion lire cash plus Darko Kovačević [ 37 ] [ 38 ] ) his arrest in Turin was cut light due to a torn ACL in his correctly knee against Bologna FC in a match valid for Serie A. Where Salas would endure the worst moments of his career ; he was hampered by injuries, including a further issue with his knee meniscus, allowing him to participate in alone 26 games and scoring just 4 goals .
return to River Plate [edit ]
After Juventus unsuccessfully tried to transfer him to such high-profile european golf club as Manchester United, [ 39 ] Chelsea, [ 40 ] Liverpool, [ 41 ] Barcelona, [ 42 ] A.C. Milan, [ 43 ] and Sporting Lisbon ( in exchange for the transfer of a young Cristiano Ronaldo ), [ 44 ] in 2003 he was loaned back to River Plate. [ 45 ] [ 46 ] Hailed as “ Saint Matador ” by fans, [ 47 ] Salas stood out specially in that class ‘s Copa Sudamericana, but could not prevent his team ‘s kill in the concluding against Cienciano of Peru, despite scoring the tying goal 3–3 in the beginning leg. however, he later achieved a new title : the 2004 Clausura. A class later, he helped River Plate reach the semifinals of the 2005 Copa Libertadores, scoring a hat-trick against Liga de Quito. In his moment stay at River Plate, Salas scored 17 goals in 43 games. Marcelo Salas is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of River Plate, along with Ángel Labruna, Enzo Francescoli, Ramón Díaz, Norberto Alonso, Ubaldo Fillol and Amadeo Carrizo. In addition, he was one of the few foreign players who have worn the Millonarios’ captain armband .
Salas in 2008
Universidad de Chile [edit ]
between 2004 and 2005 he received offers to return to European football from Barcelona in Spain and Inter Milan in Italy, among others. [ 48 ] [ 49 ] In belated July 2005, it was confirmed that he would return to his original football team, Universidad de Chile on a temp deal from Juventus team. [ 50 ] Salas announced his retirement on 28 November 2008, at the long time of 33. Before the 23 November game where the Universidad de Chile tick Cobreloa 3–2, with two goals from Salas at the National Stadium .
retirement [edit ]
Salas played his last game on 2 June 2009. Amongst the invite players were his friends from the 1993–1996 Universidad de Chile squads, River Plate, Juventus, plus members of Chile ‘s France ’98 World Cup squad. More than 60,000 people showed up to pay him one final examination salute. Playing for both sides, where he managed to score three goals. [ 51 ]
International career [edit ]
On 30 April 1994 at the National Stadium, Salas made his debut for the Chile national football team at senesce 19, scoring his beginning international finish in a 3–3 draw with Argentina of Diego Maradona, who was preparing for the World Cup 1994.
Read more: Lille OSC
In 1995 his team won the Canada Cup, where Salas scored the “ goal of the victory ” in the final examination match against Canada ( 2–1 ). During the 1998 World Cup qualification campaign, Salas scored 11 goals. He besides scored memorable goals : against Argentina of local anesthetic, in Quito of visit against Ecuador and of local against Uruguay, including hat-tricks against Colombia and Peru, and a goal in the final examination pit against Bolivia. Against Peru, he became the youngest chilean football player to wear the captain ‘s belt, at just 22 years honest-to-god. [ 52 ]
Salas ‘ farewell match on 2 June 2009 at the Estadio Nacional During the train for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Chile played a friendly match with England in front of about 65,000 people at the legendary Wembley Stadium on 11 February 1998. In a memorable couple, Chile won 2–0 with goals of “ The Killer ”. The first, of great bill, with perfect operate, spin and definition, without letting the ball touch the land after a pass of more than 60 meters. The second, a penalty that he created after brilliantly dribbling the english defender Sol Campbell. In 1998, Marcelo Salas had an outstanding operation in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, reaching the 16th round of the tournament. He scored 4 goals : two against Italy, one against Austria and one against Brazil positioning himself as the third-best scorer of the World Cup in that year, along with brazilian hitter Ronaldo, being only 1 off from the bronze boot, and 2 from the golden boot. [ 52 ] In 1999, Chile national football team reached the semi-finals of the Copa América, where they won fourth topographic point. On 15 August 2000, Salas was the capital figure in Chile 3–0 victory over Brazil, scoring a big goal and being the most crucial actor of the match, played in the 2002 World Cup qualification. ascribable to his wound problems, Salas ‘s appearances for Chile were limited after 2001. He scored four goals in nine matches during the fail 2002 World Cup qualification campaign and during the 2006 World Cup qualification. He surpassed Iván Zamorano as the nation ‘s all-time leading scorer for the irregular time ( he had previously done so in 1998 ) with his 35th goal against Bolivia. [ 52 ] On 18 November 2007, during a equal for the reservation for 2010 World Cup where Chile played against Uruguay, Marcelo Salas scored his last 2 final examination goals at the majestic Estadio Centenario, the first with a header after Carlos Villanueva center and the second, penalty. [ 52 ]
career statistics [edit ]
club [edit ]
International [edit ]
[ 54 ] [ 55 ]
Chile
Year
Apps
Goals
1994
3
1
1995
12
4
1996
11
6
1997
7
9
1998
10
10
1999
5
0
2000
7
2
2001
2
2
2002
0
0
2003
0
0
2004
4
0
2005
3
1
2006
0
0
2007
6
2
Total
70
37
- Score and Result lists Chile’s goals first
Honours [edit ]
club [edit ]
Universidad de Chile
- Primera División de Chile: 1994, 1995
River Plate
Lazio
Juventus
individual [edit ]
Tributes [edit ]
In the year 2004 the River Plate club of Argentina honored and immortalized the figure of Marcelo Salas with a portrayal of the visualize of the “ Matador ” in the fertilization rooms of the Monumental de Nuñez Stadium, being included among the most outstanding idols in the club ‘s history. [ 71 ] besides in the class 2009, at the inauguration of the museum of the Argentine baseball club, the goals of Marcelo Salas are portrayed in video recording and images ( the goals of the titles of the Apertura 1996, Clausura 1997, Apertura 1997, Supercopa Sudamericana 1997, among others ), in addition to the shirts and boots that Marcelo Salas wear while he played in River Plate. [ 72 ] In the year 2013 Marcelo Salas received a tribute from the English Football Federation at Wembley Stadium for his “ excellent operation ” in the England vanadium Chile match from 11 February from 1998. [ 73 ] Where his first goal of that match is portrayed in the museum of said stadium, as one of the best goals in all history scored at Wembley Stadium. [ 74 ]
Players tribute [edit ]
Long is the list of public figures whose idol is the “ Matador ” where several of them have decided to honor Marcelo Salas by imitating his typical celebration after scoring a goal : knee to the grate, head bowed and one arm target to the sky. Among the players who have Salas as an paragon, the follow stand out : [ 75 ] [ 76 ] [ 77 ] [ 78 ] [ 79 ] [ 80 ] [ 81 ] [ 82 ] [ 83 ] [ 84 ] [ 85 ] [ 86 ] [ 87 ] [ 88 ] [ 89 ] [ 90 ] [ 91 ]
Football players
Golfer
Tennis players
Tributes from the universe of music [edit ]
On 16 October 1997, Jay Kay, contribute singer of the English dance band Jamiroquai, paid tribute to Marcelo Salas, in his presentation with the dance band at the Teatro Caupolicán, wearing the traditional shirt number 11 from Salas where he celebrated as the Matador on stage [ 92 ] On 11 February 1998 the Irish band U2 performed in Chile for the first time. That day the singer and drawing card Bono went on degree at the National Stadium along with the rest of the members wearing Marcelo Salas ‘ jersey issue 11, where at the lapp time Salas ‘ goals playing for Chile against England at Wembley Stadium were displayed on a giant star screen. [ 93 ]