Marcelo Salas
Salas in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Marcelo Salas Melinao | ||
| Date of birth | 24 December 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Temuco, Chile | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1992 | Deportes Temuco | ||
| 1992–1993 | Universidad de Chile | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1996 | Universidad de Chile | 77 | (50) |
| 1996–1998 | River Plate | 53 | (24) |
| 1998–2001 | Lazio | 79 | (34) |
| 2001–2004 | Juventus | 18 | (2) |
| 2003–2004 | → River Plate (loan) | 17 | (6) |
| 2004–2005 | River Plate | 15 | (4) |
| 2005–2008 | Universidad de Chile | 82 | (37) |
| Total | 341 | (157) | |
| National team | |||
| 1994–2007 | Chile | 70 | (37) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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José Marcelo Salas Melinao (born 24 December 1974 in Temuco), dubbed as El Matador (due to his goalscoring celebrations),El Fenómeno, and Shileno, is a retired Chilean footballer who played as a striker.
He has played in Chile, Argentina and Italy and has won titles for whom he has played, and was voted South American Footballer of the Year in 1997. A powerful and tenacious forward, with good technique, who was well for known his deft touch with his left foot as well as his aerial ability, Salas had a prolific goalscoring record, and is the all-time top goalscorer for the Chilean national team. He appeared for the team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where he scored four goals in four matches. As well as that World Cup, Salas played for Chile at two Copa América tournaments.
Salas was a youth product of the Deportes Temuco youth team until his father took him to Santiago de Chile to be incorporated into Universidad de Chile, the Chilean club with the highest average attendance in the country.
Salas made his debut playing for Universidad de Chile in 1993 and became a starter on 4 January 1994 against Cobreloa where he would also score a goal. Salas helped the team win back to back titles in 1994 and 1995 leaving a trail of 74 goals which included a strong 1996 campaign in the Copa Libertadores.
Later in 1996, Salas moved on to Argentina to play with River Plate of the Argentine first division, a move that was met with some criticism by the Argentine press as a Chile born player had never really had an impact playing in Argentina. The move was also criticised by Argentine great Diego Maradona as Salas was scouted by arch rival Boca Juniors prior to joining River. Salas quickly silenced his critics and won over Argentine fans, as a major contributor to one of the club's greatest runs ever. From 1996–1998 Salas scored 26 goals in 51 games, helping River to win the Torneo de Apertura 1996, the Clausura 1997, the Apertura 1997 and the 1997 Supercopa Sudamericana. These accomplishments would cement his legacy in Argentina as one of its greatest foreign born players earning the nickname, "El shileno (sic) Salas".
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