Sam Allardyce had obviously done his homework when declaring that Mauro Zarate had matured over recent years!
For the player’s response to the nonsense which went on from agent Luis Ruzzi in midweek has been admirable from a guy who has plenty of controversy in his own background.
A little ClaretandHugh digging has shown that Ruzzi was the middleman in the deal which took Zarate from Qatari side Al-Sadd to Lazio five years ago,
It later helped land him him in hot water when he claimed Roma director Daniele Prade had rejected the player.
Ruzzi claimed the then 22-year-old had been offered to Lazio’s local rivals prior to his move to the Biancocelesti side of the city. According to the agent, Roma director of sport Prade snubbed his proposal.
Later Prade reacted angrily to these suggestions and Il Messaggero reported he had instructed his lawyers to sue Ruzzi.
The connection Zarate and Ruzzi have long since been severed and he reacted brilliantly to the guy emerging from nowhere in a bid to manufacture a move to Torino.
However, the events of 2009 help us to understand how Ruzzi operates although it’s good to know that the guy is long gone from Zarate’s career.