Mauro Matías Zárate (; born 13 March 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Danubio.
Zárate started his career with Vélez Sarsfield in his native country, playing three years for the team and winning the Primera División title in the 2005 Clausura tournament. He later signed for Qatari side Al-Sadd in 2007, where he played only six months before transferring on loan to Birmingham City in England. However, after Birmingham's relegation, Zárate was loaned out again, this time to Lazio in Italy, where he won the Coppa Italia. His move to Lazio was then made permanent for a fee of around €20 million, with a €60 million buy-out clause. After a loan at Inter Milan and a brief return to Vélez Sarsfield, he joined West Ham United in 2014, spending the second half of his first season on loan at Queens Park Rangers. In January 2016, Zárate joined Italian club Fiorentina. A year later, he returned to England, joining Watford on a two-and-a-half-year, £2.3 million deal.
At international level, Zárate scored the winning goal as the Argentina under-20 team won the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup final.
Club career
Vélez Sarsfield
Zárate began his club football career at Vélez Sarsfield where he had played since childhood. At age 17, considered too strong for the youth category, he was promoted to the first team with which he made his full debut on 21 April 2004 against Arsenal de Sarandí. He shared the top-scorer award for the Apertura 2006 with Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors) with 12 goals each.
Al-Sadd
On 18 June 2007, Zárate signed a two-year deal with Al-Sadd in the Qatari League for a fee reported by Clarín at $22 million. However, he did not remain in Qatar long, playing just six league matches and scoring four goals, before heading on loan to English Premier League side Birmingham City.
Birmingham City (loan)
On 21 January 2008, Zárate joined Premier League side Birmingham City on loan until the end of the 2007–08 season, with a view to a permanent deal. He made his debut for the club in the 2–0 defeat at Sunderland on 29 January as a 66th-minute substitute for Cameron Jerome, and made his first start on 12 March against Portsmouth. He scored his first goal for the club against Reading on 22 March, followed by a brace in their next match against Manchester City in a 3–1 win, and a free-kick that earned a draw against Everton on 12 April. After a total of 4 goals in 14 matches, Zárate left the club at the end of his loan spell, their relegation from the Premier League meaning no extension to the loan would be considered.
Lazio
Zárate completed a move to Italian Serie A club Lazio on 5 July 2008. He joined initially on loan, for €2.4 million, with Lazio having an option to make the deal permanent, and following a successful medical, he was presented to the media a few days later.
Zárate immediately endeared himself to the Lazio faithful, scoring twice in his Serie A debut against Cagliari and dedicating the second to the Lazio supporters. He also scored on his home debut, with a left-footed strike from outside the penalty area against Sampdoria. This rich goalscoring form continued with Zárate scoring once against Milan at the San Siro, twice against Torino and another against Siena. However, by mid-season, Zárate hit a dip in form and found himself being substituted for captain Tommaso Rocchi, who was returning to form following serious injury.
On 28 February, Zárate scored both Lazio goals in a 2–0 win at the Olimpico against Bologna; he became the sixth-highest top scorer in the 2008–09 Serie A with ten goals.
On 13 May, Zárate won the Coppa Italia with Lazio, scoring a fourth-minute goal in the 1–1 draw with Sampdoria in the final, as well as a penalty in the victorious shootout. After the season ended, his move to Lazio was made permanent for a fee of approximately €20 million, with a €60 million buy-out clause included in the contract. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) later fined Lazio and suspended club president Claudio Lotito over financial irregularities around the transfer.
Zárate caused controversy when he was photographed apparently giving a fascist salute while watching Lazio lose to Bari in March 2010 among a group of fans, though his spokesman claimed afterwards the player "did not realise the significance of his gesture" and did not know who Hitler or Mussolini were.
In 2010, Zárate's transfer was involved in another controversy for solidarity contribution.