Miguel Brizuela Explained

Miguel Brizuela
Fullname:Miguel Marcelo Brizuela
Birth Date:5 January 1997
Birth Place:Moreno, Argentina[1]
Height:1.81 m[2]
Position:Centre-back
Currentclub:Instituto
(on loan from Vélez Sarsfield)
Clubnumber:33
Youthclubs1:River Plate
Youthyears2:2011–2019
Youthclubs2:Vélez Sarsfield
Years1:2019–
Clubs1:Vélez Sarsfield
Caps1:74
Goals1:3
Years2:2024–
Clubs2:Instituto (loan)
Caps2:11
Goals2:0
Club-Update:20:18, 24 April 2024 (UTC)

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]

Career

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

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

.[3]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Vélez Sarsfield2019–20Primera División200000000020
2020–219100003[14] 000121
20210011000011
Career total11111003000152

Notes

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