Profile Javier Saviola

Personal information

Full name : Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández
Date of birth : 11 December 1981
Place of birth : Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height : 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position : Striker
Current club : Benfica
Number : 30
Senior career :
1998–2001 River Plate
2001–2007 Barcelona
2004–2005 → Monaco (loan)
2005–2006 → Sevilla (loan)
2007–2009 Real Madrid
2009– Benfica
National team :
2001 Argentina U20
2001–2007 Argentina

Club career

River Plate

Nicknamed El Conejo (The Rabbit), Buenos Aires-born Saviola made his debut for Club Atlético River Plate at the age of 16, and went onto towards be a prolific goalscorer for the club. He assisted River towards the 1999 Apertura and 2000 Clausura championships, and incurred the 1999 South American Footballer of the Year award. Still alone 18, he benefited a popularity as a extraordinary prospect.

Spain

In 2001, ancient 19, Saviola transported abroad towards play for FC Barcelona within a £15 million transfer.He elicited Spanish citizenship curtly as soon as, thereby not being local via the Spanish league maximum onto the number of non-European Union citizens licenced within each club. Under instructor Louis van Gaal, he scored 17 goals within his former season, ceasing third greatest scorer within La Liga.


Saviola with Barcelona
His second year at the club did not activate well, as he alone scored two goals within the former halves of the season. When van Gaal was fired and Radomir Antić became the novel Barcelona executive, Saviola went onto towards score 11 goals within the latter halves of the campaign. At the activate of the consecutive season, Frank Rijkaard was appointed as novel executive, and Saviola scored 14 goals within the league independently, but was deemed extra at the club, as was longtime offensive partner Patrick Kluivert.

Saviola was posted onto credit the consecutive year, transporting towards AS Monaco FC within the French former separation within the 2004 summer. As he did not install into Rijkaard's blueprints, Saviola was again loaned out within the summer of 2005, this moment towards Spanish club Sevilla FC, within order towards replace Júlio Baptista, onto the move towards Real Madrid. At Sevilla, Saviola won his former title within Europe, when the club won the UEFA Cup — he also scored nine moments within the league, nice adequate for fifth.
Saviola replaced towards Barcelona for the 2006–07 season, performing within 18 league toys (six as a starter) and scoring five goals. He benefited enormously from stings towards teammates, most significantly towards Samuel Eto'o, and added five within as a lot toys within that season's domestic cup, significantly a hat-trick against Deportivo Alavés (3–2 victory at house, 5–2 aggregate).

On ten July 2007, Real Madrid signed Saviola as soon as his Barcelona contract expired, onto a three-year deal. Although onto a financially profitable contract, he survived a difficult moment at Real. He was mainly local towards cup fits and sporadic impressions (mainly as a substitute) within the league and the UEFA Champions League. The arrival of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar limited his opportunities even many, and Saviola ceased his Real Madrid spell with five goals within 28 overall appearances.

Benfica

On 26 June 2009, S.L. Benfica and Real Madrid conceded onto a €5 million import that would see Saviola play within Portugal for the next three years, with an choice for one more; a €30 million clause was added. He scored his former goal for the club onto a disadvantage within a friendly match against FC Sion and, onto 16 July, scored twice towards post his team into the Guadiana Tournament finals.
On 22 October 2009, Saviola scored two goals for Benfica, guiding them towards a 5–0 victory again Everton for the UEFA Europa League (he would also score within the club's 2–0 victory within Liverpool, within the second match), adding another brace four days afterwards, as the Reds hammered C.D. Nacional 6–1, within the domestic league.
On 12 December, Saviola scored onto a chip shot against Académica de Coimbra, for a 4–0 house win. Already a supporter preference, onto the 20th, he scored the game's alone as Benfica defeated primary rival F.C. Porto at home; during the winning campaign, he formed a deadly offensive partnership with Paraguayan Óscar Cardozo, with the pair mixing for many than 50 goals overall.

On three January 2010, as soon as obtaining the Portuguese Liga Player of the Month honor, he scored another successful goal against Nacional, again being the game's alone scorer as Benfica defeated Rio Ave FC away, scoring within the 46th minute. He netted his 19th goal overall within a 3–1 house success against F.C. Paços de Ferreira, onto March seven, and Benfica was ultimately crowned league winners, as soon as a five-year wait.

International career

Saviola starred within the 2001 edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, held within Argentina. He was top scorer and was voted musician of the tournament, as the national team won the competition; with 11 goals within seven toys, he became the file goal-scorer within World Youth Cups history. His vintage operation incurred himself a lot bids from European clubs but, extraordinarily, he forgotten his site within the Argentina national football team squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup within favour of veteran Claudio Caniggia.
Two years afterwards, Saviola performed within the 2004 Olympic Games and won the gold medal. Under instructor Marcelo Bielsa, he was granted few performing opportunities for the senior team but, as soon as Bielsa's resignation within 2004, novel instructor José Pekerman, whom also trained the musician at youth grade, swung the tide within the player's favour.

Saviola was branded up towards portray Argentina at the 2006 World Cup. Luciano Figueroa and winger Luciano Galletti were also within assertion for a site onto the roster, but Saviola's excellent form for Sevilla knotted his site within the squad. He made his presence felt at the tournament, as he scored a goal against Côte d'Ivoire within Argentina's gate toy, and made two assists within the 6–0 victory against Serbia and Montenegro.
Saviola retired from international football onto 5 December 2009, although not yet 28. He reported that he felt his career as an Argentina musician had arrive towards an end, and that he needed towards pay spotlight onto club football.