Matías Emilio Delgado (born 15 December 1982) is a retired Argentine footballer who last played as an attacking midfielder for Swiss Super League Club FC Basel.
Club career
Delgado, originally from Rosario, relocated to Buenos Aires with his family at the age of two when his father, the football player Eduardo Emilio Delgado, joined All Boys. Although he initially began his football journey in the renowned academy of River Plate, he transitioned to the Argentinos Juniors youth team in 1998.
Chacarita Juniors
Delgado made his professional debut with Chacarita Juniors in 2000 at the age of 17.
Season 2002–03
His breakthrough performance came in the Torneo Apertura of the 2002–03 Argentine Primera División when he recorded a goal and an assist in the Round 8 loss to Independiente, which was followed by a superb curling effort that found the back of the net in the Round 13 loss to Boca Juniors. Ahead of the Torneo Clausura, Delgado was given the number 10 jersey after previously wearing number 11. This also marked a shift in his on-field position towards a more playmaking role in the centre of midfield for the latter half of the season, having primarily operated on the left wing before. One of his standout performances came in the Round 5 trashing of Huracán when he scored two goals while also being a constant threat to the opposition with his incisive passing in the final third and long-range shot attempts. He added one more goal in the Round 18 draw with Racing, bringing his total goal tally to five.
Season 2003–04
Delgado started the 2003–04 season with Chacarita, featuring in three games. In Round 1, he provided a crucial assist with an exquisitely executed through ball to secure a crucial win against San Lorenzo. In Round 2, Delgado was instrumental in helping the team attain a draw versus Gimnasia, assisting for a 90th-minute equaliser. However, he soon left the club, sealing a move to Europe at the age of 20.
FC Basel Delgado's performances in Argentine Primera División caught the eye of several European clubs, but it was the Swiss giants FC Basel that signed him on a four-year contract in August 2003 for a reported fee of 1.2 million Swiss francs, after their chief scout Ruedi Zbinden watched him live in Argentina on several occasions and invited him for a trial. He emerged as the club's marquee signing for the 2003–04 season, shouldering the weight of expectations to fill the void left by the departure of star player Hakan Yakin.
Season 2003–04
Delgado made his debut with RotBlau at St. Jakob-Park on 3 September 2003 when he was brought on for Sébastien Barberis in the 68th minute. Just two minutes later, he played a decisive ball to Hervé Tum for the team's third goal as Basel beat St. Gallen 4–1 in Round 9 of the 2003–04 Swiss Super League. Despite a promising start, Basel's coach, Christian Gross, had often left Delgado on the substitutes' bench, aiming to better integrate him into the system before granting him more starting opportunities. Delgado scored his first goal for Basel on 2 October in the Round 12 away win against Neuchâtel Xamax, unleashing a powerful shot from the edge of the box following a cross from Scott Chipperfield. His exceptional performance in that game won him the hearts of the fans, who clamored for him to be a regular starter. The fans' sentiment did not go unnoticed by Gross, who decided to give Delgado more playing time from then on. Nonetheless, the dynamics between the player and the coach retained a challenging undertone, even though Delgado conceded the necessity of Gross's stringent approach in certain moments.
Delgado made his debut in European competitions on 24 September, playing full 90 minutes in the team's first leg victory against Malatyaspor in the first round of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup. Despite a solid start to his career in Switzerland, Delgado faced an unfortunate setback when an untimely injury caused him to miss some crucial matches, including the team's decisive games in the UEFA Cup and the Swiss Cup. The unexpected return of Hakan Yakin, whose contract with PSG was cancelled, also meant that he was deployed in a less attacking role than usual, which limited his offensive contribution. Delgado finished the season featuring in 20 league games and scoring twice in the process as Basel was crowned league champions.
Season 2004–05
In the 2004–05 season, Delgado solidified his position in the first team, gradually seeing an increase in his playing time to complete 90 minutes on a regular basis during the latter half of the season. Following the departure of Hakan Yakin to VfB Stuttgart the previous winter, manager Christian Gross also granted him greater playing freedom, predominantly deploying him in a No. 10 role within the 4–4–2 diamond-wide formation. Delgado opened his goalscoring account for the season during Round 3 of the Swiss Super League 2004-05, contributing to the away triumph over Servette FC. Demonstrating his playmaking prowess, he followed it up in the subsequent round by providing two crucial assists that led to the team's 2–1 win against bitter rivals FC Zürich. The standout moment of the season happened during Round 8 when Basel delivered a resounding 8–1 victory over Grasshopper, with Delgado making a notable impact by contributing both a goal and an assist. However, his most exceptional performance came against another Swiss powerhouse, as he showcased his talent by scoring two goals and providing an assist in the Round 27 triumph over Young Boys. The second goal was particularly spectacular, as Delgado displayed his exceptional technique by volleying home a rebound from the edge of the box with both power and finesse. Basel concluded the season in triumphant fashion, clinching the Super League title. Delgado played a pivotal role in the team's success, finishing as their second-highest scorer with 11 goals in 32 league games, only behind Christian Gimenez, who netted 27 goals. Additionally, he showcased his playmaking abilities by providing 10 assists, which made him the league's joint second most influential contributor after his Basel teammate Julio Hernán Rossi with 12 passes that led to a goal.
Delgado also scored once in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup group stage when he showcased his exceptional free-kick prowess by curling a superbly taken set-piece into the net in the 82nd minute, securing the crucial equalizer in a 1–1 draw against FC Schalke.
Season 2005–06
In the 2005–06 season, Delgado resumed his impressive form and wasted no time in making his impact felt, netting the decisive winning goal in the Swiss Super League 2005-06 Round 3 encounter with FC Zurich. This early success was just a glimpse of what was to come for Delgado in the 2005–06 season. In the Round 8 match against FC Aarau, he proved to be a dominant force on the pitch, scoring two goals and providing an assist in Basel's impressive 7–2 victory, a feat he would replicate in the following round against Xamax. Delgado's penchant for delivering standout performances in big games was evident once again in the Round 12 clash with FC Zurich when he rose to the occasion by scoring two goals and delivering two assists, contributing significantly to a crucial 4–2 win. Another memorable display came in the Round 18 encounter against Young Boys, where he orchestrated a dominant performance, showcasing his exceptional playmaking skills by providing an impressive three assists and netting a goal in a resounding 6–1 victory. Despite Basel falling short of clinching the league title in the final game of the season, Delgado experienced his most remarkable individual campaign, finding the back of the net 18 times in 33 league appearances. This achievement secured him a joint second-place finish in the league's scoring charts, with FC Zurich's Alhassane Keita surpassing him by two goals. In addition to his goalscoring exploits, the Argentine playmaker registered 12 assists throughout the season, placing him joint-top in the league. This adeptness at both scoring and assisting made him the most influential player in the Swiss Super League 2005-06 in terms of direct goal involvement. His outstanding performances were duly recognized, and he was honoured with the Swiss Super League Player of the Year award at the end of the season while previously being named the Super League's Most Exciting Player.
Delgado also left his mark in the 2005–06 Swiss Cup, scoring two goals against archrivals FC Zurich in the round of 16. Despite his efforts, Basel would ultimately suffer a narrow 3–4 defeat, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.
Delgado's exceptional individual performances extended beyond domestic competitions and resonated on the European stage, where he emerged as the top scorer of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. His tally of 7 goals surpassed the likes of renowned stars, including Aleksandr Kerzhakov, Mark Viduka, Frederic Kanoute, and Javier Saviola. With an additional two assists to his name, Delgado firmly established himself as the single most influential performer of the tournament. He made a strong start to the competition by netting three goals in the home game against NK Široki Brijeg in the first qualifying round, which marked his first official hattrick. Delgado solidified his reputation as a lethal set-piece taker, contributing two of the three goals from impeccably executed free kicks. His fourth goal came from a calmly executed penalty kick during the group stage match against Red Star Belgrade. In the same game, Delgado demonstrated exceptional flair and vision in the dying minutes of the game, using a deft backheel pass on his first touch to send the ball through the legs of Milan Biševac and onto the path of Julio Hernán Rossi, who made no mistake in slotting it home, sealing a dramatic 2–1 triumph for the team. He added another goal to his tally in the next fixture as Basel rallied back to secure a remarkable 4–3 comeback against Tromso IL, overturning a 1–3 deficit. In the round of 16, Delgado demonstrated his prowess in big games by delivering a spectacular goal from a beautifully struck free kick and providing an assist, propelling Basel to a convincing 2–0 victory over RC Strasbourg, the team they had previously lost to by the same result in the group stage. His final goal in the 2005–06 UEFA Cup came in the quarter-final encounter with Middlesbrough F.C., where he unleashed a remarkable long-range effort to open the scoring and pave the way to a dominant 2–0 triumph. Unfortunately, Basel would face a setback in the return leg, suffering a 4–1 defeat and subsequently exiting the competition.
Despite not winning any silverware, Delgado finished the 2005–06 season with a personal record of 27 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions, along with a tally of 14 assists. His exceptional form caught the attention of numerous foreign clubs, fueling speculations that he might depart Basel for the prospect of playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Beşiktaş JK