Miguel Marcelo Brizuela (born 5 January 1997) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Instituto, on loan from Vélez Sarsfield.[3]

Miguel Brizuela
Personal information
Full name Miguel Marcelo Brizuela
Date of birth (1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Moreno, Argentina[1]
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back[2]
Team information
Current team
Instituto
(on loan from Vélez Sarsfield)
Number 33
Youth career
River Plate
2011–2019 Vélez Sarsfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– Vélez Sarsfield 74 (3)
2024–Instituto (loan) 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:18, 24 April 2024 (UTC)

Career

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Brizuela had a short stint with River Plate, prior to penning terms with Vélez Sarsfield's ranks.[1][4] He is a product of the latter's academy, with their former youth captain making a first-team breakthrough in mid-2019 under manager Gabriel Heinze.[1][5][6] His professional debut arrived on 28 July 2019, as the centre-back was selected to start a Primera División fixture away to Talleres; he played fifty-nine minutes, before being subbed off for Pablo Galdames in an eventual 1–0 loss at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes.[3][7] Brizuela scored his first goal on 3 January 2021 against Newell's Old Boys in the Copa de la Liga Profesional.[3]

Personal life

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On 9 February 2021, Brizuela was charged - along with Vélez teammate Thiago Almada - with the rape of a 28-year-old woman; which allegedly occurred at a party on 3 December 2020, which was hosted by teammate Juan Martín Lucero to celebrate Vélez advancing in the Copa Sudamericana.[8] Juan José Acosta Delbene, a former manager of Defensa y Justicia's reserves and Argentino, was initially the only person charged.[8] However, in early February, prosecutor Laura Zyseskind charged initial witnesses Brizuela and Almada; while Delbene was on the run.[9] It is claimed that those two, plus Delbene and an unnamed woman, were involved.[8] Two other women, who were later apprehended, reportedly stole items from the victim.[8]

In response to the charging of Brizuela and Almada, Vélez Sarsfield announced on 9 February that both players had been removed from the first-team until the case was concluded.[10] However, the two players were reincorporated into the senior set-up on 16 February after the club claimed to have received new evidence and further information on the case - though the victim's lawyer, Raquel Hermida Leyenda, stated that nothing had changed in the intervening period.[11][12] Brizuela played and scored a day later against Deportivo Camioneros in the Copa Argentina.[13]

Career statistics

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As of 18 February 2021.[3]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Vélez Sarsfield 2019–20 Primera División 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2020–21[nb 1] 9 1 0 0 0 0 3[a] 0 0 0 12 1
2021[nb 2] 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
Career total 11 1 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 15 2
  1. ^ Appearance(s) in the Copa Sudamericana

Notes

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  1. ^ Soccerway counts 2020 Copa de la Liga Profesional appearances as league appearances.
  2. ^ Soccerway counts 2021 Copa de la Liga Profesional appearances as league appearances.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Llegó el debut". Vélez Sarsfield. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Miguel Brizuela". World Football. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "Argentina - M. Brizuela". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  4. ^ ""Pensé que no iba a volver a jugar"". Vélez Sarsfield. 19 December 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Firmó primero". Vélez Sarsfield. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  6. ^ "La reserva de Vélez ya tiene rival en la Copa de la Superliga". Vavel. 20 April 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Con una perla de Menéndez, Talleres venció a un desconocido Vélez". IAM Noticias. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d "Quién es el entrenador acusado de violar a la joven en la fiesta de la que participaron jugadores de Vélez". Infobae. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Imputaron a los jugadores de Vélez Thiago Almada y Miguel Brizuela en la causa por abuso sexual". Infobae. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Comunicado oficial". Vélez Sarsfield. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Comunicado oficial". Vélez Sarsfield. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Abuso sexual: Vélez reincorporó a su plantel a Brizuela y Almada". Página12. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Brizuela y Almada, de la separación del plantel a figuras en Vélez". Olé. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
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