Five things to know about... Ezequiel Lavezzi

Ezequiel Lavezzi is making headlines once again. This is a good opportunity to look back at this unique character who once played for PSG.

An Enigmatic Injury

Retired from football at the age of 38, Ezequiel Lavezzi has been in the news recently as he was admitted to the hospital in Uruguay for a stab wound. He was later transferred to Buenos Aires, where it was reported that he had "a short penetrating wound to the abdomen and a clavicle fracture." According to local media, the former striker had a dispute with a close relative and was superficially stabbed. However, Lavezzi's family denied these claims and mentioned a domestic accident instead. They stated that he fell off a ladder while trying to change a lightbulb.

He Played in France

Lavezzi played in the French league for three and a half years. He was recruited from Napoli for around 30 million euros and arrived in France in the summer of 2012, a year after the Qataris took over PSG. He then left during the winter transfer window in 2016. Inconsistent throughout his career, the South American player (with 35 goals in 161 matches for Paris) won four French league titles, one French Cup, two League Cups, and a Champions Trophy with the capital club.

Nicknamed "El Pocho"

The Argentine is nicknamed "El Pocho" and explained that it came from his childhood. "When I was a child, I had a dog named Pocholo. And when he died, my brother called me Pocho. It stuck," he said in an interview with Le Parisien when he played for PSG.

A Big Jokester

Lavezzi was well-liked by his teammates wherever he went, and he brought a lot of humor to the locker room. A lover of pasta, the striker enjoyed playing practical jokes. He was a real entertainer, capable of pranks that particularly marked his time in France. On October 6, 2013, after a Parisian victory in Marseille (2-1), he made a cameraman fall by lying on the ground before offering his jersey to the victim two weeks later as a way to apologize. We also remember the surprising scene on the podium when receiving his medal at the 2013 Champions Trophy: he messed up the hair of Frédéric Thiriez, the president of the French Professional Football League, who had a smile on his face.

Retired at 34

As the runner-up in the 2014 World Cup and a gold medalist in the 2008 Olympics with Argentina (with 9 goals in 51 appearances), where he was highly appreciated by Lionel Messi, Ezequiel Lavezzi ended his career after a defeat with his last club, Hebei China Fortune in China, on November 27, 2019. He was only 34 years old at the time. "This match will remain in my memory because it's the last of my career. I want to enjoy my children, my family. It's the right time," he said at the time.