Lazio Player

Matuzalem Francelino da Silva, commonly known as simply Matuzalem (born June 10, 1980 in Natal, Brazil) is a Brazilian footballer. He plays for S.S. Lazio. He is hardworking, skillful and prolific midfielder.

Career

Early career

Known as a goalscoring midfielder, he first emerged in the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt. There, he scored 3 goals in 6 games, including a critical goal in the final match.

Italy

In 1999, Matuzalem left Vitoria, and joined southern Italian club S.S.C. Napoli, where he remained for two seasons, the first spent in Serie B and the second season in what would be Napoli's last in Serie A for six years. Matuzalem was a regular at Napoli, but only scored twice during his time there.

Following his Napoli spell, Matuzalem was signed on a co-ownership deal by Parma and Piacenza in the summer of 2001.

He spent the 2001-02 season with Piacenza who finished 14th. The second season of the loan spell saw Matuzalem switch to Brescia on loan, where he played nearly every match and the deal was made permanent at season's end. However, he only lasted one more year, before Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk signed him.

Ukraine

In 2004, Matuzalem moved from Brescia to Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee of around $18.75 million, a Ukrainian record at the time. After the transfer of Anatoliy Tymoschuk to Zenit Saint Petersburg, he became the new captain of the club for the 2006-07 season and was voted the club's player of the year.

Spain

In July 2007 Matuzalem left the Shakhtar training facility without notice and returned home to Brazil, citing family issues. However, on July 18th he was presented as the latest signing of Real Zaragoza. Shakhtar’s officials have claimed that this is illegal, as no agreement took place between the two clubs and Matuzalem is still under contract to Shakhtar, and that the club is planning a lawsuit against both Matuzalem and Zaragoza.

After played 4 games and scoring once, Matuzalem was injured since September 2007 and returned in March 2008. He finished the season with just fourteen appearances.

Lazio

In July 2008, Real Zaragoza reached an agreement for a season-long loan. Matuzalem returned to Italy after four years, joining S.S. Lazio on a one-year loan deal worth an estimated 800,000 euro with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Honours

Team

* Ukrainian Premier League: 2005 and 2006 with Shakhtar Donetsk

International

* FIFA Under-17 World Cup 1997

External links

• (Portuguese) CBF
• (Portuguese) Sambafoot.com Profile