Ezequiel Lavezzi

Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi (born 3 May 1985), nicknamed "El Pocho", is an Argentine football striker who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Napoli and the Argentine national team.

Club career

Early career

The media, as they tend to do to many promising young Argentine players who appear in Italy, have been quick to dub Lavezzi the "New Maradona". Lavezzi himself, however, plays this down, instead comparing himself to another young Argentine player, Carlos Tévez.

As a youngster, Lavezzi had a very keen interest in football and supported his local side Rosario Central; he would later get their badge tattooed on his back.

From a very young age, the footballing talent of Lavezzi was recognised, as he played in the youth squads of Rosario Central. After being rejected in Boca Juniors. Lavezzi moved to the youth side of Estudiantes de Buenos Aires in 2003, where over one season, he played 39 games and scored 17 goals.

Genoa

Known as el Pocho or the Chubby One, he was bought by Italian side Genoa in 2004 for €1 million, but was loaned out straight-away to Argentina side San Lorenzo. Here at the age of 19, he competed in the Apertura 2004 tournament scoring six goals in total over the course of the season; which saw him finish as 4th top scorer.

Lavezzi's most notable contributions included a...
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