Emiliano Alfaro Toscano (born 28 April 1988) is a Uruguayan

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

and former player who played as a striker. Apart from his native country, Alfaro also played club football in India, UAE, Argentina, Italy, and Thailand. He is nicknamed as ''El Picaro'', meaning ''The Thief'' in Spanish language.

Club career

Liverpool Montevideo and loan to San Lorenzo

Alfaro started his professional career with

Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

club

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

at the age of 18, becoming a first-team regular at a young age. After slowly developing as a footballer, Alfaro became a regular scorer for Liverpool. His best period at the club was the 2009–10 Apertura tournament, when he scored 13 times in 15 league matches. His excellent performances led him to be transferred on loan to the well-known

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

club

San Lorenzo de Almagro Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine professional sports club based in the Boedo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its football team, which plays in the Primera División, the first tier of the Argentine foot ...

. His time in Argentina was not particularly successful, as he only managed to score twice for San Lorenzo. Alfaro returned to Liverpool, where he again became a regular goalscorer. His performances were strong enough to draw the attention of

Óscar Tabárez Óscar Washington Tabárez Silva (; born 3 March 1947), known as ''El Maestro'' (The Teacher), is a Uruguayan former professional football manager and former player. After an unassuming career as a player and after working as a primary school ...

, coach of the Uruguay national team, for whom Alfaro made his debut.

Lazio

His form also saw him attract interest from Europe, and on January 12, 2012, Alfaro moved to Italian Serie A club

Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...

for a fee of 3 million euro. He chose the number 30 shirt, never before worn at Lazio. He made his debut on 19 February in the 5–1 away defeat, against

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

. He ended the season by making 8 appearances in total without scoring any goal.

Al Wasl

On September 12, 2012 Alfaro was loaned to Al Wasl in the United Arab Emirates, with option to purchase value set at 3.5 million. He made his debut on September 18, in the

UAE President's Cup The UAE President's Cup, or simply the President Cup, is a association football, football tournament that takes place in United Arab Emirates, between Football team, clubs in the UAE Pro League and the UAE First Division League. The winner qualifi ...

, scoring two goals against

Al-Ittihad Kalba SC Kalba Football Club (Arabic: نادي كلباء الرياضي الثقافي), more colloquially abbreviated as Al-Ittihad, is a professional football club founded in 1972 and based in the city of Kalba, in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United ...

. On September 23, 2012 he made his debut in the league, to mark the victory, 4–1, against Al-Wahda where he also scored a hat-trick. After 33 appearances and 24 goals in total, he returned to Lazio.

Back to Liverpool

After spending the entire season of 2013–2014 in bench, on August 28, 2014 was loaned to his old club Liverpool Montevideo, the team that launched him in professional football. On 13 September, he played first game of season against the

Torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

in which he also scored a goal, with the game ending 3–0 to Liverpool. In the next game against

Central Español Central Español Fútbol Club, usually known simply as Central Español is a Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. History The F.U.F era Together with Peñarol, Central founded FUF (Uruguayan football federation) in 1923 after being expel ...

on 27 September, he scored a brace that allowed his team to win the game 3–1. On May 2, 2015, with a 2–1 victory against Cerro Largo, Liverpool earned the promotion to the

Uruguayan Primera División The Liga Profesional de Primera División (American Spanish , , local: , ''First Division''), named "Torneo Uruguayo Copa Coca-Cola" for sponsorship reasons, is the highest professional Association football, football league in Uruguay organized b ...

. On the May 23, with the closing of the season, he became the top scorer of the championship with a total of 21 goals scored in 27 games played.

Thailand

At the end of the loan period Alfaro went back to Lazio, but at the end of the summer transfer market summer he was sold to Thailand champions Buriram United. Due to injuries sustained in pre-season he never played for Buriram United, and finally his contract was mutually terminated.

India

On 1 September 2016, Alfaro signed with

Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...

franchise

NorthEast United FC NorthEast United Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Guwahati, Assam that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top flight of Indian football. The club was founded on 13 April 2014 during the inaugural sea ...

. On 5 October, he scored both the goals in a match against

FC Goa Futebol Clube de Goa is an India, Indian professional association football, football club based in Fatorda, Goa, that competes in the Indian Super League (ISL), the top tier of Football in India, Indian football. The club was established on 2 ...

, in which NorthEast United emerged victorious with 2–0 scoreline. He scored the first goal in the 20 minute, taking advantage of a failure of Goa goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani to clear a backpass by

Lúcio Lucimar Ferreira da Silva (born 8 May 1978), commonly known as Lúcio, is a Brazilian former professional association football, footballer who played as a centre-back. A tall and physically strong defender who excelled in the air, he is regard ...

. He scored the second goal in the 63rd minute from a

Holicharan Narzary Halicharan Narzary (born 10 May 1994) is an Indian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Winger, winger for Indian Super League club Bengaluru FC, Bengaluru. Club career Youth career He was born in Kokrajhar, ...

assist. Although he netted five times in his first seven matches, his form dipped since then as he failed to score any more goals in the remaining six matches. After a stint with Emirati second tier club Al-Fujairah where he scored eight goals in 12 matches, Alfaro returned to the Indian Super League on 10 July 2017, and signed with

FC Pune City Football Club Pune City was an Indian professional Association football, football club based in Pune, Maharashtra, which last participated in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football league system, under licence from All Ind ...

; becoming the club's first foreign signing of the season. On 23 November, he made his debut in a 2–3 loss against

Delhi Dynamos FC Odisha Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was founded ...

, scoring a goal in the 67th minute. Seven days later, he scored a brace against

Mumbai City FC Mumbai City Football Club is an Indian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is part of the City Football Group. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of the Ind ...

, which included the winning goal in the dying minute of the 2–1 victory. On 18 November 2018, Alfaro joined ATK on a loan deal as a replacement for the injured

Kalu Uche Kalu Uche (born 15 November 1982) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He spent most of his career in Spain, mainly with Almería, with which he amassed La Liga totals of 117 matches and 27 goals (212 appearan ...

. On 20 November, he suffered an injury while training for his new club ATK. Eli Babalj was signed as a replacement of him.

Return to Liverpool and retirement

After joining his boyhood club Liverpool in July 2019, injuries regularly kept Alfaro out of action. He played 12 matches during the final stint for the club and scored a goal in 5–0

Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...

win against

Llaneros A (, 'plainsman') is a Venezuelan and Colombian herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying eastern Colombia and western-central Venezuela. During the Spanish American wars of independence, lancers and cavalry served in b ...

. On 21 March 2021, he announced retirement from professional football.

Managerial career

After retiring, Alfaro worked as a youth coordinator at his last club Liverpool, before being named first team manager on 21 December 2023, replacing Jorge Bava. He left the club by mutual consent on 6 October 2024.

Career statistics

''Details correct to 24 November 2018''

International career

Alfaro first represented Uruguay at the

2005 South American Under-17 Football Championship The 2005 South American Under-17 Football Championship was a football competition for U-17 national teams affiliated with CONMEBOL. It was the 11th time the tournament was held. It was played in Venezuela from 1 to 17 April 2005. The host city ...

held in

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. The Uruguayans were runners-up to Brazil and qualified for the

2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship The 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the eleventh edition of the tournament, was held in the cities of Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura and Iquitos in Peru from 16 September to 2 October 2005. Players born after 1 January 1988 could participate i ...

, which was hosted by

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. Alfaro also played at the world championship, but Uruguay finished bottom of its group. He then played with the Uruguayan under-20 team at the

2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 16th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup (formerly called the FIFA World Youth Championship), hosted by Canada from 30 June to 22 July 2007. Argentina defeated the Czech Republic in the title game by the scor ...

held in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

alongside

Edinson Cavani Edinson Roberto Cavani Gómez (; born 14 February 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Argentine Primera División club Boca Juniors. Nicknamed "El Matador" (The Bullfighter), he is considered as one of the ...

and

Luis Suárez Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF, Inter Miami. Known for his go ...

. On November 7, 2011 he was named for a FIFA World Cup qualification match against

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

. Alfaro made his senior international debut for

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

at the

Stadio Olimpico Stadio Olimpico (; ), colloquially known as l'Olimpico (The Olympic), is an Italian multi-purpose sports venue located in Rome. Seating over 70,000 spectators, it is the largest sports facility in Rome and the second-largest in Italy, after ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

on 15 November 2011.

Playing style

Alfaro is a striker, who plays mainly near the opponent's goal. Not being endowed with great technique, he makes tenacity, competitive spirit and opportunism three of his best qualities.

Personal life

Alfaro is of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

heritage and holds an Italian passport, which allowed him to join Lazio as an EU player. His ancestors are from the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

ese town of

Rorà Rorà is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southwest of Turin Situated 5 km from Luserna San Giovanni, the small center of Rorà lies at the foot of Mount F ...

, about 60 km southwest of

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Honours

Club

;

Uruguayan Segunda División The Segunda División Profesional is the second division of professional football in Uruguay, established in 1942. The league is sometimes referred to as ''Primera B''. In 1942, the Segunda División was established to replace the amateur Uruguaya ...

(1): 2014–15

Individual

* Top Scorer

(1): 2014–15

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alfaro, Emiliano 1988 births Living people People from Treinta y Tres Sportspeople from Treinta y Tres Department Uruguayan men's footballers Uruguayan expatriate men's footballers Uruguay men's international footballers Uruguay men's under-20 international footballers Uruguayan Primera División players Argentine Primera División players Serie A players Liverpool F.C. (Montevideo) players San Lorenzo de Almagro footballers Club Olimpia footballers SS Lazio players Al Wasl F.C. players Fujairah FC players NorthEast United FC players FC Pune City players ATK (football club) players Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina Expatriate men's footballers in Paraguay Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in the United Arab Emirates Expatriate men's footballers in India UAE First Division League players UAE Pro League players Indian Super League players Men's association football forwards Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in India Uruguayan football managers Liverpool F.C. (Montevideo) managers Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Argentina