Alberto Zozaya

Alberto Zozaya

Personal information
Full name	Alberto Máximo Zozaya
Date of birth	April 13, 1908
Place of birth	Urdinarrain, Argentina
Date of death	February 17, 1981 (Aged 72)
Place of death	La Plata, Argentina
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1930–1939	Estudiantes	181	(144)
1940	Racing Club	2	(0)
1940	Bella Vista	?	(?)
International career
1933–1937	Argentina	9	(8)
Managerial career
1945–1949	Estudiantes de La Plata
1952–1953	Benfica
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 October 2007

Alberto Maximo Zozaya (born April 13, 1908 Urdinarrain, Entre Ríos – February 17, 1981 La Plata) is a former Argentine football striker who played most of his career for Estudiantes de La Plata and represented the Argentina national team.

Playing career

Alberto "Don Padilla" Zozaya started his career in the early 1930s with Estudiantes. He was the first player to score a goal in the professional era of Argentine football, which began in 1931.

Zozaya became an integral part of the Estudiantes team of the 1930s nicknamed "Los Profesores" (The Professors). In 1931 he scored 33 goals in the league to become the top scorer in the Primera División Argentina and the whole of South America.

In 1937 Zozaya played in the South American Championship 1937 helping Argentina to win the title with a contribution of 5 goals.

In 1939 Zozaya moved to Racing Club de Avellaneda but he only played 2 games before moving to Bella Vista in Uruguay but he did not settle there either and retired at the end of the 1940 season.

Titles as a player

Season	Team	Title
1937	Argentina national football team	Copa América

Managerial career

After retiring as a player Zozaya went into management, he was manager of Portuguese side Benfica from 1952-1953. He was also manager of Gimnasia de La Plata.