Gonzalo Rubén Bergessio (born July 20, 1984 in Córdoba) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays with AS Saint-Étienne in the French first division, as a striker.

[edit] Club career

Bergessio started his career in the lower leagues with Club Atlético Platense. In 2005, he was signed by Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba of the top level, but at the end of the 2005-06 season Instituto were relegated, and Bergessio was sold to Racing Club de Avellaneda.

During the Apertura 2006, Bergessio chipped in with a useful six goals, and in the Clausura of the following year, continued to score on a regular basis. His fast pace earned him a big following at the Estadio Juan Domingo Perón, and he became a fan favourite after scoring the game winner against giants Boca Juniors, adding another against Club Atlético River Plate.

On June 26, 2007, Bergessio signed a five-year €2.5m deal with Portuguese league Sport Lisboa e Benfica.^[1] However, he only appeared in three league contests, one less than his UEFA Champions League opportunities.

In January 2008 he returned to Argentina, to play with San Lorenzo de Almagro. On May 8, Bergessio was involved in the Libertadores Cup where, after San Lorenzo had two players sent off and were 2-0 down, he scored twice to give his team an improbable victory on aggregate.^[2]

On 24 August 2009, Bergessio moved to France's AS Saint-Étienne for an undisclosed fee, on a four-year contract.^[3] He scored his first goal for his new club during his second appearance, a 1-1 home draw with AJ Auxerre.

[edit] International career

Bergessio made his international debut on October 15, 2008, playing the second half of a 0-1 loss in Chile, in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

He scored his first international goals on 20 May 2009, twice in a 3-1 win over Panama.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Argentine League statistics (Spanish)
• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Gonzalo Rubén Bergessio at National-Football-Teams.com
• Guardian statistics