Alberto Zapater

Alberto Zapater

Zapater playing for Lokomotiv Moscow in 2011
Personal information
Full name Alberto Zapater Arjol
Date of birth (1985-06-13) 13 June 1985
Place of birth Ejea de los Caballeros, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Zaragoza
Number 21
Youth career
Ejea
1997–2004 Zaragoza
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2009 Zaragoza 177 (5)
2009–2010 Genoa 28 (3)
2010–2011 Sporting CP 22 (2)
2011–2015 Lokomotiv Moscow 27 (1)
2016– Zaragoza 10 (0)
National team
2005 Spain U20 5 (1)
2004–2006 Spain U21 14 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 October 2016.


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Zapater and the second or maternal family name is Arjol.

Alberto Zapater Arjol (born 13 June 1985) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza mainly as a defensive midfielder.

He spent most of his career with Zaragoza, appearing in 207 official games and scoring six goals.[1]

Club career

Zaragoza

Zapater was born in Ejea de los Caballeros, Province of Zaragoza. In 2004 he was first touted as a promising player, after scoring 12 goals for hometown's Real Zaragoza in the youth leagues.

The first-team manager, former Spanish international Víctor Muñoz, was impressed enough, allowing Zapater to join the first team in pre-season training. He was given his official debut on Zaragoza's first game of 2004–05, against Valencia CF in the Spanish Super Cup: although the Aragonese ended up losing 0–1 he put up a solid performance overall, confirmed in the 3–1 second leg away win.[2]

At just 19, Zapater went on to feature in 31 La Liga matches during the league campaign, netting in a 2 March 2005 defeat at Real Sociedad where he was also sent off.[3] In the following season, he helped the club finish as runners-up in the Copa del Rey – losing the final to RCD Espanyol – while also only missing three league matches; his strong tackling and the amount of fouls he committed earned him the nickname of 'The Bull', given by Diego Maradona.

In the following two seasons, after renewing his contract until June 2010,[4] Zapater remained an undisputed starter, only missing four contests combined while experiencing qualification honours to the UEFA Cup in 2006–07, and relegation in the following year.

Abroad

In late July 2009, after being instrumental in Zaragoza's return to the top division, and already playing pre-season football with the Maños, Zapater left for Genoa C.F.C. for around €4.5 million, as the Spaniards were also immerse in a deep financial crisis.[5][6] He held an emotional press conference before parting ways with his boyhood team,[7] whilst fans paid tribute to the player dedicating a song to him.[8]

On 17 September 2009, Zapater had the distinction of scoring the first ever goal in the Europa League proper, with a fourth-minute strike against Slavia Prague.[9] He started throughout most of his debut season in Serie A – his maiden appearance in the competition being marked with a goal and an assist, in a 3–2 home win over A.S. Roma – as Genoa finished in mid-table; before the end of the campaign and during the subsequent off-season he was linked with a move to several clubs,[10][11][12] but nothing ever materialized.

On 30 July 2010, Zapater was sold to Sporting Clube de Portugal as Miguel Veloso moved in the opposite direction.[13] Used intermittently in his only season[14] he did appear in 34 official games for the Lions, scoring four times.[15]

On 3 August 2011, Zapater moved to Russian side FC Lokomotiv Moscow on a free transfer, signing a five-year contract.[16] He made his first Premier League appearance on 11 September, setting up Manuel da Costa's goal in a 4–2 win over FC Zenit Saint Petersburg; in an interview with a newspaper from his native region (El Periódico de Aragón) in late 2012, he spoke of his development in the new reality and his efforts to learn the Russian language.[17]

Return home

On 19 June 2016, Zapater returned to Zaragoza after agreeing to a two-year deal.[18]

International career

Zapater took part in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, in a Spanish team that also featured future senior internationals Cesc Fàbregas, Fernando Llorente and David Silva. He scored his first and the only goal in a 1–3 defeat to Argentina in the quarter-finals.[19]

After that, Zapater immediately established himself as an under-21 regular.[20]

Club statistics

As of 22 May 2014[21]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other[22] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Zaragoza 2004–05 31 1 1 1 - - 8 0 2 0 42 2
2005–06 35 0 9 0 - - - - - - 44 0
2006–07 36 0 3 0 - - - - - - 39 0
2007–08 36 2 4 0 - - 2 0 - - 42 2
2008–09 39 2 1 0 - - - - - - 40 2
Total 177 5 18 1 0 0 10 0 2 0 207 6
Genoa 2009–10 28 3 1 0 - - 7 1 - - 36 4
Total 28 3 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 0 36 4
Sporting 2010–11 22 2 1 0 3 2 8 0 - - 34 4
Total 22 2 1 0 3 2 8 0 0 0 34 4
Lokomotiv Moscow 2011–12 21 1 2 0 - - 9 0 - - 32 1
2012–13 5 0 0 0 - - - - - - 5 0
2013–14 1 0 0 0 - - - - - - 1 0
2014–15 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0 - - 0 0
Total 27 1 2 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 38 1
Career Totals 254 11 22 1 3 2 34 1 2 0 315 15

Honours

Zaragoza

References

  1. ↑ "Alberto Zapater: "Estoy orgulloso de llevar ya 200 partidos"" [Alberto Zapater: "I am proud to have played 200 games already"]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 4 May 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "El Zaragoza noquea al Valencia y gana la Supercopa" [Zaragoza knocks Valencia out and wins the Supercup]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 25 August 2004. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  3. ↑ "La Real se impone a un Zaragoza desafortunado" [Real overcomes hapless Zaragoza]. El País (in Spanish). 3 March 2005. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Zapater stays with Zaragoza". Sky Sports. 28 July 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Genoa get hold of Zapater; UEFA.com, 31 July 2009
  6. ↑ "Un descosido en el escudo" [Badge comes undone]. El País (in Spanish). 31 July 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "Gracias a la gente" [Thanks to the people]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 29 July 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  8. ↑ "Hubo cánticos en recuerdo de Alberto Zapater" [Chants in memory of Alberto Zapater]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 30 August 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  9. ↑ "In-form Genoa see off Slavia". UEFA.com. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  10. ↑ "Juventus target Genoa midfielder Alberto Zapater". Goal.com. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  11. ↑ "Lazio closing in on Genoa midfielder Alberto Zapater". Goal.com. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  12. ↑ "Valencia tracking Genoa midfielder Alberto Zapater". Goal.com. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  13. ↑ Veloso leaves Sporting in Zapater swap; UEFA.com, 3 August 2010
  14. ↑ "El Sporting coloca el cartel de transferible al español Alberto Zapater" [Sporting transfer lists Spaniard Alberto Zapater]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 11 July 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  15. ↑ ""El Toro" Zapater es el protagonista de la prensa deportiva lusa" ["The Bull" Zapater is the protagonist in Portugal's sports press]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 25 January 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  16. ↑ Альберто Сапатер: "В "Локомотиве" можно решать самые амбициозные задачи" [Alberto Zapater: "Lokomotiv can take on whatever comes"] (in Russian). FC Lokomotiv Moscow. 3 August 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
  17. ↑ "Alberto Zapater: "Un ruso te dice que le caes bien y te parece que te está insultando"" [Alberto Zapater: "A Russian tells you he likes you and it looks like you're being insulted"]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 26 November 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  18. ↑ "El Real Zaragoza llega a un acuerdo para la incorporación de Alberto Zapater" [Real Zaragoza reach an agreement to add Alberto Zapater] (in Spanish). Real Zaragoza. 19 June 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "2005, Mundial sub'20 (I): Sueños de gloria" [2005, under'20 World Cup (I): Dreams of glory] (in Spanish). Recuerdos de Nigeria. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Sense of fury" keeps Spain alive; UEFA.com, 6 September 2006
  21. ↑ "Alberto Zapater". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  22. ↑ Includes Supercopa de España

External links

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