Top facts about Javier Saviola, The little rabbit

(born December 11, 1981) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker.

Javier Saviola’s age

is 40. Here you can find out the most important facts about Javier Saviola, the Argentinian who failed to hit the heights.

The firs fact about Javier Saviola is that he played for Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as Benfica and Olympiacos, and was selected to Pelé's FIFA 100 list of the 125 best living players in 2004 as the youngest player.

He has had Spanish nationality since 2004, and during the course of eight seasons, he played 196 games and scored 70 goals in La Liga; he began and ended his career with River Plate.

During his playing career, Saviola won league championships in Argentina, Spain, Portugal, and Greece, as well as a UEFA Cup. For seven years, he was an Argentine international, appearing in the 2006 World Cup and the 2004 Copa América, when Argentina reached the final. He also won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Top facts about Javier Saviola:

An important fact about Javier Saviola is that he was named to Pele's FIFA 100 in 2004 (a ranking of the 125 best living players), and at the age of 22, he was the youngest player on the list. He was destined for greatness.

"El conejo" had scored 60 goals in 144 games for

at the time, a remarkable performance given he was playing as a second striker in a faltering Barcelona team and behind Patrick Kluivert, a club icon.

After ten years, things didn't go as planned, but it wasn't the kind of abrupt collapse we see with many excellent athletes; instead, it was a much more tragic affair with a player who never really realized his potential.

Instead, Saviola was a player who shown exceptional skill for some of the world's most prestigious teams but never quite received the opportunities he deserved.

Javier Saviola early life

Javier Saviola was born in the Argentine metropolis of Buenos Aires on December 11, 1981. Speaking about

Javier Saviola’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that his boyhood was spent in the Belgrano sector of Buenos Aires, which is one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods.

Saviola, like many of his peers, started playing with a ball at a young age and went on to play for many teams after elementary school until joining the CA Liebherr Plate Junior squad at the age of 10. There is no information available regarding

Javier Saviola’s parents

.

Although Argentina won the World Cup for the second time in Mexico in 1986, Saviola, then five years old, has no recollection of Maradona's effect on him, and his hero is Ariel Ortega.

Javier Saviola personal life

It was in 2009, when Saviola's contract with Real Madrid was about to expire, despite the fact that he had only played a few minutes in two seasons with the club. He met a lady at a bar in Argentina and fell in love with her: her name was Romanela Amato.

They began dating shortly after, and Romanela accompanied Saviola to Europe. Later, the couple married, and Fabricio and Julieta were born to them as a result of their union. The family has relocated to Andorra.

Javier Saviola professional career

Javier Saviola was nicknamed 'The Rabbit', due to his diminutive size, and he first made his name at River Plate, debuting at 16 and went on to score 46 goals in 85 games, while also bagging the U-20 World Cup.

This brought the worlds' spotlight upon the young man who finally earned a dream move in 2001 to Barcelona. He played 123 games in total, putting the ball between the posts 49 times (a better record than Henrik Larsson, Eidur Gudjohnsen, and Giovanni Dos Santos)

He had a less than spectacular stint at Real Madrid some years later when he was booted out after just two seasons, after playing a mere 17 games.

His name holds a fond place in Argentinian hearts for he scored 11 goals in 39 games with La Albiceleste, including a notable second goal against Ivory Coast in the 2006 World Cup group stages.

In later years, he went on to make a name for himself at

,

and famously Olympiacos, where he won the Superleague Greece in 13/14.

Javier Saviola club career

El Conejo (The Rabbit) is a Buenos Aires-born footballer. At the age of 16, Saviola made his debut for Team Atlético River Plate, and went on to become a prolific striker for the club.

River Plate

A notable

fact about Javier Saviola

is that he was named South American Footballer of the Year in 1999 after helping River win the Apertura and Clausura titles.

He was viewed as a possible successor to Diego Maradona, despite the fact that he was still just 18 years old when he broke the latter's 1978 record by becoming the youngest player to win the Golden Boot title.

Barcelona

An important

fact about Javier Saviola

is that he came to FC Barcelona in a £15 million trade in 2001, when he was 19 years old.

He got Spanish citizenship soon after, allowing him to avoid being limited by the Spanish league's maximum number of non-European Union nationals permitted in each squad; he scored 17 goals in his debut season under Coach Carles Rexach, finishing joint-fourth in La Liga.

Saviola's second season at the Camp Nou got off to a slow start, with just two goals in the first half. After Louis van Gaal was fired, Radomir Anti was appointed as the new coach, and he went on to score 11 goals in the second half of the season

was then appointed as the new manager for 2003–04, and the player scored 14 goals in the league alone, but he was deemed surplus at the club, as was longtime attacking partner Patrick Kluivert.

Saviola was loaned out to AS Monaco FC in Ligue 1 in the summer of 2004. He was loaned out again the following year, this time to Sevilla FC, who were looking for a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Jlio Baptista; with the Andalusians, he won his first European championship, the UEFA Cup, and scored nine times in the league, good enough for fifth place.

Saviola returned to Barcelona in 2006–07, scoring five goals in 18 league appearances, six of which he started. He benefitted significantly from teammates' injuries, particularly

's, and scored five goals in as many games in the Copa del Rey that season, including a hat-trick against Deportivo Alavés (3–2 victory at home, 5–2 aggregate).

Real Madrid

After his contract with Barcelona ended on July 10, 2007, Real Madrid signed Saviola to a three-year contract.

Despite having a hefty deal, he struggled at Real, where he was mostly limited to cup matches and infrequent league and UEFA Champions League games (often as a substitute).

Saviola's chances were further curtailed with the arrival of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and he concluded his

career with five goals in 28 games.

Benfica

S.L. Benfica and Real Madrid agreed on a €5 million contract on June 26, 2009, to keep Saviola in Portugal for the following three years, with an option for another year; a €30 million clause was added. After beating Athletic Bilbao on July 16, he scored two goals to take his club into the Guadiana Trophy finals.

An important fact about Javier Saviola is that he scored twice in a 5–0 triumph over Everton in the UEFA Europa League on October 22, 2009 (he would also score in their 2–0 win in Liverpool in the second match) and added another brace four days later in a 6–1 thrashing of C.D. Nacional in the Primeira Liga. Saviola scored a chip shot in a 4–0 home victory against Académica de Coimbra on December 6, 2009.

He scored the game's sole goal as Benfica overcame

at home on December 20; throughout the successful season, he created a lethal offensive combination with Paraguayan Luis Cardozo, combining for more than 50 goals in total.

Saviola scored another game-winning goal against Nacional, this time for the Taça da Liga, in an away defeat against Rio Ave FC, scoring in the 48th minute, just before getting the SJPF Player of the Month title.

On March 7, he scored his 19th goal of the season in a 3–1 home victory against F.C. Paços de Ferreira, and the Lisbon club was named league champions.

Málaga

A notable fact about Javier Saviola is that he decided to join Málaga CF in the last hours of the 2012–13 summer transfer window. On September 1, he made his debut, playing 45 minutes in a 1–0 victory against Real Zaragoza. Saviola scored once and added an assist in a 3-1 home victory against Levante UD on September 15, 2012.

The next game, Málaga's first ever in the Champions League group stage, he extended his run by scoring in a 3–0 home triumph against FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Olympiacos

On July 25, 2013, Saviola signed a two-year deal with Olympiacos FC, the Greek champions. In August 25, he made his Superleague debut, coming on at half-time and helping his club come from behind to defeat Atromitos F.C. 2–1.

An important fact about Javier Saviola is that he scored a brace — and missed a penalty – in a 3–1 win against R.S.C. Anderlecht at the Karaiskakis Stadium in the last round of the group stage, helping the Piraeus squad finish second and qualify ahead his previous club Benfica.

Verona

Saviola joined

in Serie A on September 2, 2014. On 22 September, he made his official debut, starting in a 2–2 home draw against Genoa CFC, and scoring his first goal on 2 December, the lone goal in a Coppa Italia home victory against Perugia Calcio. On January 25, 2015, he scored his lone goal of the league season in a home win against Atalanta BC.

Returning to the River

River Plate confirmed Saviola's return to the club on June 30, 2015. After failing to score in his second stay, he departed in January of the following year and retired from professional football at the age of 34.

Retirement

An important fact about Javier Saviola is that he moved to Andorra with his family after retiring and was named assistant manager of FC Ordino in the Primera División.

He joined the local futsal team Encamp in February 2018. With the team, he won the principality's futsal league in April of that year.

Javier Saviola international career

Saviola was a standout performer in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina in 2001. He was the event's top scorer and was named player of the tournament as the national side won the championship; with 11 goals in seven games, he set the tournament's goal-scoring record.

A notable fact about Javier Saviola is that he won the gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games two years later. He was given few senior team opportunities under Marcelo Bielsa, but after the latter's departure in 2004, new manager José Pékerman, who had previously worked with him at youth level, turned the tide in his favor; he was also a member of the squads that reached the finals of the 2004 Copa América and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, scoring three times in the former and one in the latter.

Saviola was called up to represent Argentina in the 2006 World Cup — Luciano Figueroa and Luciano Galletti were also in the running for a spot on the team – but his good play for Sevilla ensured his selection. He scored against Ivory Coast in the country's first game and added two assists in a 6–0 group-stage triumph against Serbia and Montenegro.

Saviola, who was still under the age of 28, withdrew from international football on December 5, 2009. He indicated that he thought his career as an Argentina player was over and that he wanted to focus on club football.

Javier Saviola style of play

Saviola's speed, agility, dribbling, and ability to score from practically any offensive position on the field made him a fan favorite.

He was a tiny, gifted, and prolific attacker with a thin body who could play as a striker, a more creative second striker, or even as a playmaker as an attacking midfielder.

Due to his looks, Saviola was dubbed El Conejo (The Rabbit) throughout his career, as well as El Pibito (The Little Kid), a reference to compatriot Diego Maradona, who was dubbed El Pibe de Oro (The Golden Kid) and to whom Saviola was often compared in his youth.

Javier Saviola, a failed prodigy

Regrettably, he was unable to set new records or hoist awards. Unlike Messi, who accomplished these exploits, Javier Saviola's career might be summarized as one that is plagued by the question of "what could have been."

Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández, a Buenos Aires native, rose through the River Plate junior divisions, making his debut at the early age of 16 and gradually creating one-quarter of the strong 'Los Cuatro Fantasticos' quartet: Saviola, Pablo Aimar, Ariel Ortega, and Juan Pablo Angel. Saviola had the most promise of them all.

Saviola gained the nickname El Conejo - the rabbit – while playing for River Plate. He was named South American Footballer of the Year in 1999 after helping River win the Apertura and Clausura titles.

He was viewed as a possible successor to Diego Maradona, despite the fact that he was still just 18 years old when he broke the latter's 1978 record by becoming the youngest player to win the Golden Boot title.

Saviola came to FC Barcelona in 2001, when he was 19 years old. He scored 17 goals in his debut season under Carles Rexach, ending joint-fourth in La Liga scoring.

He sprinted around the pitch like a bunny, a grin on his face from ear to ear, and he adored every second he spent on the field. If you've ever tried to chase rabbits across a field, you'll know that owing to their incredible speed and agility, you'll never be able to catch them.

Saviola was the name of the character. Even if you manage to trap a rabbit for speed, it will squirm away and disappear. Saviola dashed about the field like a hare, dodging in and out of opponents and abandoning defenders at whim.

Saviola was a standout performer in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina in 2001. He was the event's top scorer and was named player of the tournament as the national side won the championship; with 11 goals in seven games, he set the tournament's goal-scoring record.

Saviola's second season at the Camp Nou got off to a slow start, with just two goals in the first half. After Louis van Gaal was dismissed, Radomir Anti was chosen as the new coach, and he went on to score 11 goals in the second half of the season; Frank Rijkaard was then appointed as the new manager for 2003–04, and the player scored 14 goals in the league alone.

Saviola was loaned out to AS Monaco FC in Ligue 1 in the summer of 2004. He was loaned out again the following year since he did not fit into Rijkaard's plans, this time to Sevilla FC, who were looking to replace Real Madrid-bound Jlio Baptista. He earned his first European trophy with the Andalusians, winning the UEFA Cup. In the league, he also scored nine times.

In 2006–07, Saviola returned to Barcelona, appearing in 18 league games, six of which he started, and scoring five goals. He benefitted significantly from teammates' injuries, particularly Samuel Eto'o's, and scored five goals in as many games in the Copa del Rey that season, including a hat-trick against Deportivo Alavés.

Saviola's speed, agility, dribbling, and ability to score from practically any offensive position on the field made him a fan favorite. He was a tiny, gifted, and prolific attacker with a thin body who could play as a striker, a more creative second striker, or even as a playmaker as an attacking midfielder.

Apart from El Conejo, he was also known as El Pibito (Spanish for "little kid"), a reference to compatriot

, who was known as El Pibe de Oro (Spanish for "golden kid") and to whom Saviola was often compared throughout his adolescence.

After his contract with Barcelona ended on July 10, 2007, Real Madrid signed Saviola to a three-year contract. Despite having a hefty deal, he struggled at Real, where he was mostly limited to cup matches and infrequent league and UEFA Champions League games (often as a substitute).

Saviola's chances were further curtailed with the arrival of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and he concluded his Real Madrid career with five goals in 28 games.

But it was in Madrid when Saviola's career was most likely summed up. The scene was set at the Bernabéu on a Champions League night, with Madrid taking on Belarusian team BATE Borisov.

He was one of those common subs who kept one eye on the manager, waiting for the signal. Saviola's face lighted up with delight and anticipation when Jerzy Dudek and Miguel Torres joked with him that he was going to come on.

Unfortunately, Madrid had already made all of their substitutions, and he was nothing more than a hoax. Yet, in a microcosm, this defined up his career: someone who just wanted to play football but was never given the opportunity to do so. That night, and, regrettably, his whole career, was a 'what might have been?'

S.L. Benfica and Real Madrid agreed on a €5 million contract on June 26, 2009, to keep Saviola in Portugal for the following three years, with an option for another year; a €30 million clause was added. After beating Athletic Bilbao on July 16, he scored two goals to take his club into the Guadiana Trophy finals.

Saviola scored twice in a 5–0 triumph over Everton in the UEFA Europa League on October 22, 2009 (he also scored in their 2–0 win in Liverpool in the second match), and added another brace four days later in a 6–1 thrashing of C.D. Nacional in the Primeira Liga.

Saviola scored a chip shot in a 4–0 home victory against Académica de Coimbra on December 6, 2009. He scored the game's sole goal when Benfica upset FC Porto at home on December 20; throughout the winning season, he created a lethal offensive tandem with Paraguayan Luis Cardozo, combining for more than 50 goals in total.

Saviola scored another game-winning goal against Nacional, this time for the Taça da Liga, on 3 January 2010, soon before obtaining the SJPF Player of the Month title, this time in an away defeat against Rio Ave FC, scoring in the 48th minute.

On March 7, he scored his 19th goal of the season in a 3–1 home victory against F.C. Paços de Ferreira, and the Lisbon club was declared league winners after a five-year wait.

Saviola then went on to play for Malaga, Olympiacos, and Verona, where he had brief but excellent stints, scoring 21 goals in all for the three teams.

River Plate confirmed Saviola's return to the club on June 30, 2015. After failing to score in 13 appearances in his second term, he departed in January of the following year and retired from professional football at the age of 34.

In another scenario, Javier Saviola might have gone on to achieve the same heights as some of the other youngsters who grew up on Argentina's streets - like Aguero – but that didn't happen in this one, and he will forever be known as the child who never grew up.

Some quick facts about Javier Saviola:

It all started at River Plate, when a young Javier made his entire debut for Los Millonarios when he was only 16 years old.

By the time he was 19, he had scored 45 goals for the club, and Barca had come knocking. After £15 million, the young Argentinian arrived to the Nou Camp, where he quickly established himself as one of the most promising players of his time.

Despite Barcelona suffering through a difficult period during his early years as a starter, finishing 4th, 6th, and then 2nd in his three seasons at the Nou camp, Saviola continued to thrive as the Catalan club started to recover.

However, in 2003, Frank Rijkaard arrived to bring Barca back to the top of the league, a task that he did not see long-time teammates Saviola and Kluivert participating in.

was sold as a consequence, while Saviola was loaned away.

Though not just once, but twice: first to Monaco, where he established himself as a regular, scoring 11 goals in Ligue 1, and then to Sevilla, where he succeeded Julio Baptista and won the UEFA Cup. Despite his efforts, though, he was unable to secure a spot in the Barcelona squad.

Samuel Eto'o and his teammates were not going to be replaced easy after winning the Champions League and La Liga. Due to injury, Saviola was returned for the 2006-07 season and once again excelled, scoring 10 goals in just 24 appearances, only five of which were starts.

With the arrival of Thierry Henry from

, Saviola was once again surplus to needs. Saviola went to join arch-rivals Real Madrid from here.

Despite the fact that he had moved to a prominent club where he no likely had a fantastic time playing with the finest players in the world and earning a lot of money, he was once again confined to substitute appearances and cup games for the first team. Between 2007 and 2009, he only scored 5 goals in 28 games.

Players like Raul, Van Nistelrooy,

, and Sneijder were all ahead of the pack once again. In some respects, this time might be considered as the end of Saviola's status as a globally recognized brand.

After the arrival of another in Klass Jan Huntelaar, Saviola left for Benfica in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, where he had his most productive period. Benfica obtained a speedy striker keen to establish himself for under 5 million euros, and he did it in style, scoring 39 goals in three seasons with the club.

A notable

fact about Javier Saviola

is that he re-established himself as a force to be reckoned with at Benfica, winning both the league and the Taça da Liga in his first season.

During his time at Benfica, Javier re-established himself as a striker to be reckoned with, fitting into a position out wide, which is when Malaga came knocking. Malaga, with their newfound financial clout, recruited a slew of experienced players and finished sixth.

After another great year, he moved on to Olympiacos, where he won the domestic championship and made his long-awaited return to the Champions League. Another year, Verona comes calling, however this time it is a less successful tenure, and he is back at River Plate after departing this summer.

However, the Verona season stands notable for one reason: it was the first time in Saviola's career that he failed. Despite only playing for one year at five different teams, he always scored, which is why Saviola's story is so unusual. Despite the turbulence of relocating every year and without fail, he has managed to create. So, why is Javier Saviola not considered one of the best?

He's had a string of bad luck, as he's either played behind or been overtaken by a fantastic striker at practically every club he's graced. A player who fits behind a spearhead is surrounded by excellent opponents, but Saviola has had it worse than most.

From Kluivert at Barcelona to

at Real Madrid to Shabani Nonda at Monaco and Kanoute at Sevilla, lesser players but sometimes superior alternatives for their clubs. Javier was never totally at ease as a club's primary offensive threat, and as a result, he never quite achieved his full potential.

That includes his time with Argentina's national team, when he was part of a group that featured Batistuta and Crespo when he was younger, as well as Tevez and

in their peak. There was never enough room. Back in Europe, "El Conejo" has left a legacy of fans who will ponder what may have been.

Javier Saviola social media

Regarding

Javier Saviola social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with 254k followers. In the page we can see various pictures of him with the fans and his family.

He also has a Twitter account (

) with more than 10k followers. He rarely posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Javier Saviola body measurements

Speaking about

Javier Saviola body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former player is 168 cm and 70 kg.

Javier Saviola net worth and salary

Javier Saviola's net worth

is estimated to be $6 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider. Saviola was a Nike sponsored athlete who featured in advertisements for the corporation.

He starred in a "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scopion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.

He featured alongside footballers Luis Figo, Thierry Henry, Hidetoshi Nakata, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Francesco Totti, with former player Eric Cantona serving as the tournament "referee."

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