‘I decided to leave because I didn’t like the position I was playing in’: Mauro Zarate opens up on why he walked away from West Ham in 2016 and admits leaving Lazio was a ‘mistake’
- Former West Ham striker Zarate left because he was played out of position
- Zarate failed to make an impact in London despite hype around his arrival
- He also admitted leaving Lazio was a ‘mistake’ as he was seen as an ‘icon’
- Zarate experienced family issues during his short time at Serie A side Fiorentina
Former West Ham striker Mauro Zarate has opened up about the tactical disagreements during his short time at West Ham.
Zarate joined the Hammers from Argentine club Valez Sarsfield after a prolific season in his home country.
However, despite much excitement about his arrival the striker never settled at West Ham and left after just one season.
Former West Ham striker Mauro Zarate left the club because he was played out of position
The Argentine failed to make an impact in London despite a lot of hype
The 33-year-old told Argentinian paper Clarín: ‘I went to West Ham and started to play well, but then I decided to leave because I didn’t like the position I was playing in.’
Earlier in his career, the striker spent some time in Serie A with Lazio and he now wishes that he stayed at the club due to his relationship with the fans.
‘Leaving Lazio was a mistake, when I was an idol there,’ he added.
He also admitted leaving Lazio was a ‘big mistake’ as he was seen as an ‘icon’ by the fans
The Boca Juniors man also experienced a troubled time at Fiorentina due to family reasons
However, family reasons hampered his progress when he later moved back to Italy to play for Fiorentina, as he admitted: ‘I then went [to Fiorentina], earned a starting spot and started playing at a good level.
‘Not long afterwards, my wife Naty fell ill and the manager [Paulo Sousa] wasn’t understanding with me. This blocked me and I wasn’t able to overcome the situation.
‘I knew that he would be gone within three months and I still had a three-year contract. But I couldn’t take it and I left – I was very sad because I didn’t want to leave.’
Zarate now plays for Boca Juniors in the Argentine Primera Division.