SALAS

MARCELO SALAS

salas1.jpg (43340 octets)

Name : José Marcelo Salas Melinao

Birthday 24 december 1974 in Temuco (Chile)

height: 1,73 m

Weight : 71 kg

Position : Forward

Nickname : El Matador (the killer)

Clubs : FC Santos, Universidad de Chile (Chile), River Plate (Argentina), Lazio (Italy), Juventus (italy)

Success :

Campeonato Chileno 1994 and 1995 (Universidad de Chile)
Torneo de Apertura argentino 1996 and 1997 (River Plate)
Torneo de Clausura argentino 1997 (River Plate)
South-american supercup 1997 (River Plate)
Italian supercup 1998 (Lazio)
Cup winners cup 1999 (Lazio)
European supercup 1999(Lazio)
Scudetto 1999-2000 (Lazio)
Italy cup 1999-2000 (Lazio)

When Chile started out on the long road to France two years ago, Marcelo Salas was merely the support artist for team superstar Ivan Zamorano. Since then, the roles have all but been reversed. Zamorano's national team appearances have been reduced by a recurring calf muscle injury and in the meantime Salas has emerged as a world class striker.

At the age of 22 he even took on the responsibility of captaining the Chile team in last October's qualifier against Peru, scoring a hat-trick in Chile's 4-0 win. Salas scored 99 goals for Universidad de Chile, the Santiago club where he began his career. One day after scoring 3 goals against Colo-Colo, he became "El Matador" (the killer).

In September 1996, he moved to Argentine River Plate in a bizarre transfer deal. Salas was first bought by a local businessman, then sold to River Plate for a price difference reported as being anywhere between $500,000 and $1 million.Since then he has helped River Plate win three successive Argentine championships and the 1997 South American Supercup. At the Supercup final, he scored two goals and the second one was one of his best. After such a great year Marcelo Salas received from the Uruguayan newspaper El País the "Balón de Oro": the 1997 South American soccer player of the year award. Then in between, he scored 11 goals for his country in the World Cup qualifications. He finished second after Zamorano's 12 goals.

He then put his talents on show for a European audience, scoring one of the most spectacular goals ever seen at Wembley stadium. Salas controlled a through pass by Jose Luis Sierra on his thigh and then volleyed the ball into the net all in one slick movement. He then went on to score the second goal, a clinically-taken penalty, to give Chile a shock 2-0 win over England.Not surprisingly, he has been inundated with offers to Leave River Plate. English and Italian giants Manchester United and Juventus both considered buying him while River offered to make him the highest paid player in Argentina.

Noone coule resist an $18 million offer from Serie A club Lazio, whom Salas will join after the World Cup on a five-year contract. At the World Cup, he scored four goals for his country in four matches. His first season in serie A was one of joy and and sorrow. In his first year he scored 15 goals and he won the Winners cup but his team lost the Scudetto by one point.

Salas had an excellent start this year scoring a marvelous goal against Man United for the Super Cup. He was benched for most of the Champions League matches but he did help Lazio with 12 goals win it's 2nd Scudetto. Four days after picking up the Italian league title , Lazio won the Italian Cup. Salas future with Lazio seems uncertain -don't forget he did through his shirt away during the Champion's League match against Chelsea after Erickson took him out after 10 minutes of play time.