Alberto Zapater
Encyclopedia
Alberto Zapater Arjol is a Spanish
footballer who plays for FC Lokomotiv Moscow
in Russia
, mainly as a defensive midfielder.
, Province of Zaragoza, Aragon
. In 2004, he was first touted as a promising young player, after completing a successful season in the youth leagues with hometown Real Zaragoza
. He scored fourteen goals and was noted for being a strong midfielder, with great passing ability.
Then 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 first-team debut on Zaragoza's first game of 2004–05
, against Valencia CF
in the Spanish Super Cup
. Although Zaragoza ended up losing 1–0, Zapater put up a solid performance, confirmed in the 3–1 second leg away win.
At just 19, Zapater went on to feature in 31 league matches during the league campaign, netting in a 2 March 2005 defeat at Real Sociedad
, where he was sent off
. In the 2005–06 season
, he helped the club finish as runners-up in the Spanish Cup
, losing the final to RCD Espanyol
, while also only missing three league matches. During the season, 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, Zapater remained an undisputed starter, only missing four games combined, while experiencing UEFA Cup qualification honours (in 2006–07) and relegation in the following year.
In July 2009, after being instrumental in the Aragon
ese's return to the top division, and already immerse in pre-season with the club, Zapater left for Genoa C.F.C.
for around €
4.5 million. On 17 September, he had the distinction of scoring the first ever goal in the UEFA Europa League proper, with a fourth-minute strike against Slavia Prague. He started throughout most of his debut season
, as Genoa finished in mid-table.
On 30 July 2010, Zapater was sold to Sporting Clube de Portugal, as Miguel Veloso
moved in the opposite direction. Used intermittently in his only season, he did appear in 34 official games for the Lions, scoring four times.
On 3 August 2011, Zapater moved to Russian Premier League
club FC Lokomotiv Moscow
on a free transfer, signing a five-year contract.
, in a side that also featured future senior international
Cesc Fàbregas
. He scored his first and the only goal in a 3–1 defeat to Argentina
in the quarter-finals.
After that, he immediately established himself as an under-21
regular.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays for FC Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, mainly as a defensive midfielder.
Club career
Zapater was born in Ejea de los CaballerosEjea de los Caballeros
Ejea de los Caballeros is a town and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is one of the five main towns in the Comarca de las Cinco Villas...
, Province of Zaragoza, Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
. In 2004, he was first touted as a promising young player, after completing a successful season in the youth leagues with hometown Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
. He scored fourteen goals and was noted for being a strong midfielder, with great passing ability.
Then 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 first-team debut on Zaragoza's first game of 2004–05
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
, against Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
in the Spanish Super Cup
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
. Although Zaragoza ended up losing 1–0, Zapater put up a solid performance, confirmed in the 3–1 second leg away win.
At just 19, Zapater went on to feature in 31 league matches during the league campaign, netting in a 2 March 2005 defeat at Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
, where he was sent off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
. In the 2005–06 season
2005–06 La Liga
* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC...
, he helped the club finish as runners-up in the Spanish Cup
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
, losing the final to RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
, while also only missing three league matches. During the season, his strong tackling and the amount of fouls he committed earned him the nickname of 'The Bull', given by Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
.
In the following two seasons, Zapater remained an undisputed starter, only missing four games combined, while experiencing UEFA Cup qualification honours (in 2006–07) and relegation in the following year.
In July 2009, after being instrumental in the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
ese's return to the top division, and already immerse in pre-season with the club, Zapater left for Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
for around €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
4.5 million. On 17 September, he had the distinction of scoring the first ever goal in the UEFA Europa League proper, with a fourth-minute strike against Slavia Prague. He started throughout most of his debut season
2009–10 Serie A
The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season...
, as Genoa finished in mid-table.
On 30 July 2010, Zapater was sold to Sporting Clube de Portugal, as Miguel Veloso
Miguel Veloso
Miguel Luís Pinto Veloso is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Genoa C.F.C. and the Portuguese national team.Mainly a defensive midfielder, he can also operate as an offensive left back.-Sporting:...
moved in the opposite direction. Used intermittently in his only season, he did appear in 34 official games for the Lions, scoring four times.
On 3 August 2011, Zapater moved to Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
club FC Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow
The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually...
on a free transfer, signing a five-year contract.
International career
Zapater took part in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
, in a side that also featured future senior international
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
. He scored his first and the only goal in a 3–1 defeat to Argentina
Argentina national under-20 football team
The Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level....
in the quarter-finals.
After that, he immediately established himself as an under-21
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...
regular.
Club statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zaragoza Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... |
2004–05 2004–05 La Liga 2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna... |
31 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2005–06 2005–06 La Liga * Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC... |
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 Genoa C.F.C. Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria... |
2009–10 2009–10 Serie A The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season... |
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 FC Lokomotiv Moscow The following years were rather successful as Lokomotiv were consistent in the national championships. However, performances after World War II suffered and actually in the space of five year Lokomotiv were relegated to the Soviet First League twice. In 1951, Lokomotiv came second and eventually... |
2011–12 2011–12 Russian Premier League The 2011–12 Russian Premier League is the 20th season of the Russian football championship since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 10th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season began on 12 March 2011. The last matches will be played in spring 2012, as the league will switch... |
9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 5 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 15 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| Career Totals | 236 | 11 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 292 | 15 | |