Ezequiel Lavezzi
Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi (born 3 May 1985) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a winger or forward. He represented the Argentina national team from 2007 to 2016, making 51 appearances and scoring nine goals.
Lavezzi began his career with Club Atlético Estudiantes de La Plata in 2003. He moved to Italy in 2007, joining Serie A club Napoli. He spent five seasons with Napoli, winning the Coppa Italia in 2012. In 2012, he joined Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of €26 million. He won four Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de la Ligue titles, and three Trophée des Champions titles with PSG. In 2016, he was loaned to Hebei China Fortune for a fee of €5 million. He retired from professional football in 2019.
Lavezzi was known for his pace, dribbling skills, and goalscoring ability. He was also a versatile player, capable of playing anywhere across the front line.
International career
Lavezzi made his senior debut for Argentina in a friendly match against Chile on 18 April 2007. He scored his first goal for Argentina in a 4–2 win over Paraguay in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier on 15 June 2008.
Lavezzi was a member of the Argentina squad that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in all seven of Argentina's matches in the tournament, starting in six of them. He scored one goal in the tournament, in a 3–2 win over Nigeria in the group stage.
Lavezzi also represented Argentina at the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2011 Copa América, and the 2015 Copa América.
Retirement
Lavezzi announced his retirement from professional football on 13 December 2019. He cited a lack of motivation and a desire to spend more time with his family as reasons for his decision.
Personal life
Lavezzi is married to Yanina Screpante, a model and television personality. They have two children together, a son named Tobias and a daughter named Vera.
Lavezzi is known for his charitable work. He has donated money to a number of charities, including the Red Cross and UNICEF. He has also been involved in a number of campaigns to raise awareness of social issues, such as poverty and discrimination.
