Marcelo Salas

1993/96 Universitad de Chile (CHL) 126 games, 76 goals

(Chilean League: 75 games, 50 goals)

(Chilean Cup: 26 games, 14 goals)

(Copa Sudamericana: 25 games, 12 goals)

1996/98 River Plate (ARG) 67 games, 31 goals

(Argentine League: 53 games, 24 goals)

(Copa Libertadores: 4 games)

(Supercopa Sudamericana: 10 games, 7 goals)

1998/2001 Lazio Rome (ITA) 117 games, 48 ​​goals

(Italian League: 79 games, 34 goals)

(Italian Cup: 11 games, 6 goals)

(Italian Super Cup: 1 match)

(Champions League: 19 caps, 4 goals)

(Cup Winners' Cup: 6 matches, 3 goals)

(UEFA Super Cup: 1 match, 1 goal)

2001/03 Juventus Turin (ITA) 32 matches, 4 goals

(Italian Championship: 18 matches, 2 goals)

(Italian Cup: 5 matches, 1 goal)

(Italian Super Cup: 1 match)

(Champions League: 8 matches, 1 goal)

2003/05 River Plate (ARG) 43 matches, 17 goals

(Argentine Championship: 32 matches, 10 goals)

(Copa Sudamericana: 11 matches, 7 goals)

2005/08 Universitad de Chile (CHL) 76 games, 35 goals

With the National Team :

70 caps, 37 goals

(Friendly matches: 28 caps, 14 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 32 caps, 18 goals)

(World Cup: 4 caps, 4 goals)

(Copa America: 6 caps)

1st cap: May 18, 1994 against Argentina (3-3)

Last cap: November 21, 2007 against Paraguay (0-3)

Olympic: 7 caps, 8 goals

U20: 3 caps, 1 goal

U17: 7 caps, 2 goals

José Marcelo Salas Melinao

Born December 24, 1974 in Temuco (CHL)

Chilean, Striker, 1m73

Nickname: "El Matador"

Marcelo Salas was born on December 24, 1974 in Temuco, Chile. Small, at 1.73 meters tall, he quickly gained a reputation as a penalty killer, scoring numerous goals from his professional debut. An incredibly cool-headed player, he was methodical and unpredictable, capable of piling up goals. He began his career in Chile, at Universitad de Chile before joining River Plate in 1996.

Despite critical press regarding the Chilean's arrival in Argentina, he silenced the critics with a championship title and especially a title of best player of the South American continent in 1997. With Chile, he participated in the 1998 World Cup where he scored 4 goals in 4 matches, at 23 years old. Subsequently, he fell out with the national coach and refused to come and play several times in the national team. However, he reversed his decision a few months later.

In 1998, he joined Europe and Lazio Rome, who paid 17.5 million euros to recruit him. With Lazio, he reached the highest level of his career, between 1998 and 2001, he participated in 117 matches for 48 goals. He won a historic treble in 2000: Serie A, Italian Cup and Italian Super Cup. He also won 2 European titles with Lazio Rome, the Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 1999.

He joined Juventus Turin in 2001 but was blocked in terms of playing time by competition and injuries. It was already the end of the adventure in Europe, in 2003, he returned to River Plate where he scored 7 goals in 11 Copa Sudamericana matches. Then he returned to his country, to the club of his beginnings, Universitad de Chile, he finally retired in 2008, at the age of 33.

Marcelo Salas will have been one of the greatest legends of Chile, he will have played a total of 70 matches for 37 goals for his country. And he was a key player between 1994 and 2007 despite a large number of injuries throughout his career.

- Voted South American Player of the Year in 1997

- Voted Footballer of the Year in the Argentine Championship in 1997

- Voted Chilean Footballer of the Year in 1997

- Named to the South American Team of the Year in 1996 and 1997

- Named Honorary Citizen of Temuco in 2008

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