In 2000, Trezeguet signed forSerie A clubJuventus for a transfer fee of £20 million. With 24 goals, he was the joint recipient of theCapocannoniere award for top scorer as his team won the2001–02 Serie A title; Trezeguet also scored eight goals in 10Champions League appearances as Juventus reached the second round of the tournament. Despite struggling with injuries the following season, he won anotherleague title with the club, and also scored four goals in 10Champions League appearances as Juventus reached thefinal of the tournament, eventually losing 2–3 on penalties toMilan, as Trezeguet missed his spot kick in the resulting shoot-out. Overall, Trezeguet scored 138 goals in 245 league appearances for Juventus, making him the fourth-highest goalscorer in the club's history.[4] Later in his career he had brief spells in Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and India.
Trezeguet was born inRouen, Seine-Maritime, France,[2] but grew up inBuenos Aires, Argentina. His father,Jorge Trezeguet, is a former Argentine footballer who worked as his agent, and his mother, Beatriz, is Argentine. David Trezeguet has a younger sister.[citation needed]
Trezeguet was married to Beatriz Villalba for 13 years, they have two sons together, Aarón (born 2000) and Noraan (born 2008). Beatriz is fromAlicante, Spain. They divorced in 2012.[8] Aaron did not follow in his father's footsteps as a footballer, instead practicingMuay Thaikickboxing.
Trezeguet began his career atPlatense in theArgentine Primera División, where he played his first professional game on 12 June 1994 as a 16-year-old in a 1–1 tie againstGimnasia.[9] After just five matches with the team, he moved to his native country to play forAS Monaco.[9]
In 1995, he was close to joiningParis Saint-Germain, but the deal was cancelled after the two clubs failed to agree a deal. Shortly afterwards, he opted to join Monaco.[9] Monaco coachJean Tigana was "impressed" by Trezeguet, who scored five goals in trial, signing a deal which saw him earn 15,000 francs a month.[10]
Trezeguet spent two seasons with Monaco B, having made just nine appearances in total for the club's first team during his first two seasons.[11] In 1998, Trezeguet scored the fastest ever goal in terms of velocity inUEFA Champions League history in a quarter-final match againstManchester United. The shot that resulted in a goal was clocked at 97.6 mph (157.3 km/h).[citation needed] With Monaco, he wonLigue 1 twice and was namedLigue 1 Young Player of the Year in 1998. He scored a total of 60 goals in 113 appearances for the Monégasque club and it was here that he made his name as a potent goalscoringpoacher.[12]
During his first season withJuventus, under managerCarlo Ancelotti, Trezeguet managed 14 goals in Serie A, despite being predominantly utilised as a substitute striker, behindFilippo Inzaghi, who started alongsideAlessandro Del Piero. Juventus missed out on the2000–01 Serie A title that season, finishing in second place behindRoma.
In his second season at the club, under managerMarcello Lippi, he scored 24 league goals in 34 league matches to finish as theSerie A top goalscorer, along withDario Hübner ofPiacenza, as Juventus won the2001–02 Serie A title. That same season, he was namedSerie A Footballer of the Year andSerie A Foreign Footballer of the Year, also reaching the final of the2001–02 Coppa Italia; he also scored eight goals in tenUEFA Champions League appearances, although the club were eliminated in the second round of the competition. In January 2002, a car carrying Trezeguet and teammatesMark Iuliano,Gianluca Zambrotta andEnzo Maresca after a 3–1 win overHellas Verona, collided with two others; none of the four players were injured in the accident.[13] In his third season, his appearances were limited by injuries, although he still helped Juventus to defend theSerie A title, also winning the2002 Supercoppa Italiana and scoring four goals in ten appearances as Juventus reached the2003 UEFA Champions League Final. In the final, Trezeguet was one of three Juventus players to have their penalty saved byMilan keeperDida, as Juventus lost 3–2 on penalty kicks after a 0–0 draw. This would be the closest Trezeguet ever got to winning the Champions League. During the 2003–04 season, Trezeguet helped the team to win a second consecutiveSupercoppa Italiana title, scoring a goal during the match, also reaching anotherCoppa Italia final, although theirEuropean anddomestic league campaigns would be less successful, despite his 16 goals in Serie A that season, as the club finished the league in third place. In 2004,Brazilian legendPelé included Trezeguet in theFIFA 100, his list of the 125 greatest living footballers.[12]
Trezeguet playing for Juventus
Although Trezeguet won the2004–05 Serie A and2005–06 Serie A titles with Juventus, scoring 23 league goals in the 2005–06 season, Juventus were caught in the2006 Italian football scandal that rocked Italian football, and along with Milan,Fiorentina,Lazio, andReggina were accused ofmatch fixing. While the players had no part in the scandal, Juventus were subsequently stripped of their2004–05 and2005–06 titles, relegated toSerie B, and were to start the2006–07 season with a deficit of 30 points, eventually reduced to nine points on appeal. Following the enforced relegation to Serie B, the club lost several of its star players, includingFabio Cannavaro toReal Madrid,Gianluca Zambrotta toBarcelona,Adrian Mutu to Fiorentina, andZlatan Ibrahimović toInternazionale. Trezeguet's compatriotsLilian Thuram andPatrick Vieira also left Juventus, for Barcelona and Inter, respectively. ManagerFabio Capello defected to Real Madrid and former Juventus legend and Trezeguet's formerFrance teammate and captain,Didier Deschamps, was appointed the new manager of Juve. As one of the club's star players, Trezeguet was heavily linked to a move away from Juventus, but he ultimately stayed with theBianconeri to help the club return to Italy's top flight.[12]
On 16 September 2006, before Juventus'Serie B match againstVicenza, he was awarded a commemorative plate in recognition of his 125 career goals. On 19 May 2007, Juventus achieved promotion to Serie A after a 5–1 win overArezzo. Trezeguet scored the fifth goal which made the promotion mathematically possible. Despite the successful return to Serie A, and an eventual Serie B title, the season was not without controversy. After scoring a goal in Juventus' final match of the2006–07 Serie B season againstSpezia, Trezeguet made a gesture toward the club president, making a number 15 with his fingers – the number of goals he scored throughout the Serie B season – which was followed by a hand gesture which, inItalian, means "I'm out of here".[citation needed] Juventus, however, announced on 25 June 2007 that Trezeguet had renewed his contract until 2011.[14][15]
During the2007–08 Serie A season, Trezeguet scored 20 league goals and was second only to teammate and club captain Alessandro Del Piero for theCapocannoniere. Juventus finished third in the league to qualify for the Champions League after missing out on the tournament for two consecutive seasons.[12]
In the2008–09 season, Trezeguet sustained a groin injury that kept him out for most of the season. Trezeguet finally made his return on 4 February 2009 againstNapoli in theCoppa Italia and had a goal controversially disallowed. Nevertheless, he was one of the players who scored in the penalty shootout, which Juventus won 4–3. Trezeguet would shortly get his first goal of 2009 in a 2–0 win againstPalermo in late February – a match where he received thecaptaincy for the first time in his professional career. Juventus finished the season in second place in the league, also reaching the semi-finals of theCoppa Italia and the round of 16 of theUEFA Champions League.[12]
On 9 December 2009, Trezeguet scored his 168th goal for Juventus in a 4–1 defeat toBayern Munich in the2009–10 UEFA Champions League, making him the club's highest-ever foreign goalscorer, surpassingOmar Sívori's total of 167 goals.[16] At the end of the2009–10 season, Trezeguet ranked fourth among Juventus' all-time top goalscorers with 171 goals. In August 2010, he was released from the remaining 12 months of his contract by Juventus.[17]
Trezeguet during his presentation as a player ofHércules in August 2010.
On 28 August 2010, Trezeguet completed his move to newly promotedLa Liga teamHércules on a two-year deal; the club is based in his then wife's hometown.[18] He made his debut on 11 September in a 2–0 surprise victory against defending champions Barcelona.[19] Eight days later, Trezeguet scored his first goal for the club, a conversion from the penalty spot in a 2–1 loss againstValencia.[20] He was unable to prevent relegation for the side, however, and left the club at the start of the summer of 2011.[21] Trezeguet made 31 league appearances and scored 12 goals, making him the club's top goalscorer for the season.[citation needed]
On 30 August 2011, Trezeguet completed his move toUAE Pro-League sideBaniyas on a one-year deal.[22] On 21 November 2011, his contract was mutually terminated due to an injury which had kept him sidelined for most of the season.[23] Trezeguet only appeared in the opening league match and a fixture in theEtisalat Emirates Cup for Baniyas.[24]
On 19 December 2011, Trezeguet moved toRiver Plate in Argentina on a three-year contract, shortly after the club was relegated to theArgentine second division for the first time in its history.[25] Trezeguet, a childhood fan of River, having grown up inBuenos Aires,[26] spoke of it as his dream move, saying, "Being here is a unique feeling, motivated by everything that River represents."[27] On 19 January 2012, Trezeguet scored in his first appearance for River Plate in a friendly match againstRacing Club.[28] He made his official debut on 13 February 2012. He played his first match atEstadio Monumental the following week and scored his first official goal for River Plate after coming on as a substitute. On 26 February, he scored his second official goal, again after coming on as a substitute in the second half.
Trezeguet scored his first double in River Plate on 10 March againstDefensa y Justicia, the first goal giving River Plate a 2–1 lead, while the second one tying the match 3–3. In the next match, he played for the first time in the starting XI and scored in the first half to maintain his excellent scoring form for River Plate. Trezeguet would later state that the adrenaline he gets while playing for River surpasses any other moment he experienced in his career, including winning the1998 FIFA World Cup with France and scoring thegolden goal in the finals ofUEFA Euro 2000: "I am feeling things that I have never felt before. Not with Juventus, nor with Monaco and not even at international level with France. Being a River fan and seeing the passion that exists in this team, all the people and all the pressure, I have more adrenaline than ever before."[29] In the final match of the championship againstAlmirante Brown on 23 June, Trezeguet secured victory by scoring both of River's goals to seal promotion back tothe top flight; Trezeguet also missed a penalty during the match.[30] Trezeguet finished his first season at River Plate with 13 goals in 18 matches, finishing sixth behind the team's top goalscorer,Fernando Cavenaghi.[31] On 9 September 2012, he scored his first goal in thePrimera División Argentina againstNewell's Old Boys in a 3–3 draw. He would later score againstEstudiantes de La Plata in a 1–0 win and also againstColón in a 2–1 victory.[citation needed] Despite being a key member of the River Plate squad which returned to the Primera División Argentina, it was decided in June by head coach and managerRamón Díaz that he would no longer be a part of the team's squad, despite fan protests.[citation needed]
On 22 July 2013, Trezeguet joinedNewell's Old Boys on a one-year deal.[32] He made his debut on 18 August coming on as a substitute forVíctor Aquino in the 73rd minute, his side drew 0–0 withBelgrano. In his second game for the NOB he scored his first goal in the 90th minute againstAtletico Rafaela, they won the game 2–0. On 1 November, Trezeguet scored his 300th career goal againstColón and 11 minutes later followed up with his 301st career goal and subsequently the equaliser, drawing 2–2 on the night.[citation needed]
On 16 March 2014, Trezeguet was subbed on in the 78th minute for Ezequiel Ponce. In the 83rd minute he scored the second goal of the game with his side winning 2–0 againstRacing Club, a team which Trezeguet's former Juventus teammateMauro Camoranesi played for and was subbed on earlier in the match.[citation needed]
On 30 July 2014, Trezeguet signed forIndian Super League clubPune City.[33] Trezeguet scored his first goal for the club againstGoa, by the virtue of which, his franchise registered their first victory in the tournament.[34] This was followed by his second and his last goal in ISL, which came in a defeat againstKerala Blasters.[35]
On 20 January 2015, it was announced that Trezeguet had retired as a player and was set to join the Juventus management team. It was confirmed by Trezeguet's agent.[36]
Although ranked first in the world, France was not very successful in the2002 World Cup, being eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal, despite David Trezeguet, Thierry Henry andDjibril Cissé being the top goalscorers respectively inSerie A, thePremier League andLigue 1 that season. The failure was then followed up by a quarter-final exit atEuro 2004 at the hands of unheraldedGreece with Trezeguet scoring just one goal in the tournament in a 2–2 draw againstCroatia. However, with the return ofZinedine Zidane from brief international retirement, France would go on to reach the final of the2006 World Cup. Throughout the tournament, Trezeguet found himself out of place inRaymond Domenech's4–2–3–1 formation which only used one striker – a position allocated to Thierry Henry. On 9 July 2006, Trezeguet took part in the final, coming on as a substitute. The match, against Italy, went to apenalty shootout and Trezeguet was the only player from either team to miss his penalty, his shot hitting the crossbar, as Italy won 5–3 on penalty kicks after a 1–1 draw.[12]
On 19 October 2007, Trezeguet threatened to quit France after being overlooked for twoEuro 2008 qualifying matches by coachRaymond Domenech.[39] On 26 March 2008, Trezeguet was selected for a friendly againstEngland to replace the injuredKarim Benzema, which would turn out to be his last appearance for France as he was subsequently not chosen for the squad that competed inEuro 2008.[40]
On 9 July 2008, he announced his retirement from international football, finishing his France career ranked third among France's all-time top goalscorers with 34 goals from 71 caps.[41] He cited "the awful Euro 2008 and the reappointment of the coach" being the main reasons for this decision, and also added "I see football differently from how they see it in France. Euro 2008 was very negative, but what annoys me more is that Domenech is staying."[42]
Trezeguet was a prolific, complete, and talented striker, who was gifted with pace, power, instinct, and an eye for goal.[12][43] A highly opportunistic player, he was excellent at taking advantage of chances and loose balls in the area, and was an accurate striker of the ball, known for his clinical finishing, as well as his ability to score with few touches, due to his ability to shoot first time and finish off chances from close range, even when off-balance or from awkward positions. He was capable of scoring with either foot, despite being naturally right footed, as well as with his head, and excelled in the air; he was also known for having a penchant for scoring acrobatic goals. Although he wasn't particularly talented, skillful, or known for his link-up play, he was also highly regarded for his positional sense, anticipation, reactions, offensive movement, and his ability to lose his markers, as well as for his skill at playing with his back to goal, courtesy of his solid technique.[12][44][45] Considered to be one of the best strikers of his generation, due to the number of goals he scored for Juventus he gained the nicknames:Cobra,Trezegol, andRe David (King David, in Italian), during his time at the club. Despite his ability, his playing time throughout his career was often limited by injuries.[12][46][47]
^"Il mito di Re David" [The myth of King David].juveatrestelle.it (in Italian). Archived fromthe original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved12 September 2014.
^"Auguri, Trezegol!" [Happy birthday, Trezegol!] (in Italian). juventus.com. 15 October 2016. Retrieved6 February 2017.
^Roberto Di Maggio; Igor Kramarsic; Alberto Novello (11 June 2015)."Italy - Serie A Top Scorers".RSSSF.Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved2 December 2015.
