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.
[1][2] 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Despite having extended his contract with Basel in January 2006, committing to stay with RotBlau until June 2008, Delgado's impressive achievements caught the attention of numerous foreign clubs, making his eventual departure inevitable.
Delgado was assigned the coveted number 10 jersey at Besiktas, and the media drew comparisons to fellow Argentine playmaker Juan Román Riquelme, who had excelled with Villarreal in the Champions League earlier that year.
Delgado made his official debut with Black Eagles on June 30, playing the full 90 minutes in the Turkish Super Cup victory over arch-rivals Galatasaray at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt.
Delgado quickly solidified his position as a consistent first-team player, leaving an early impact in Round 3 of the 2006–07 Süper Lig with a goal and an assist in a 2–0 victory over Denizlispor.
However, Delgado's solid start to the season was soon disrupted by a string of unfortunate injuries, limiting his playing time to only four league games between early October and late January of the following year.
With Besiktas finishing second and with only four goals and six assists in 26 games, the league campaign proved underwhelming for the player, marred by a series of sporadic injuries that hindered him from finding consistent form.
Unfortunately, that marked the end of Delgado's campaign in the tournament due to Achilles tendon problems, and he was unable to participate in the finals against Kayseri, a match the Black Eagles won in extra time to be crowned cup champions.
Injury issues hindered Delgado from leaving his mark in European competitions, with only two appearances for the team in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup, a tournament in which he had been the top goalscorer the previous year.
After making a single appearance in the qualifying round victory over CSKA Sofia, he played only one game in the group stage, marked with an assist for the team's only goal in a 2–1 away loss to Dinamo București.
The player also faced a slow start to the Süper Lig campaign, struggling to earn the trust of the new head coach and Besiktas legend Ertuğrul Sağlam, which led to a restricted playing time in the early rounds of the competition.
Delgado hit his stride as the season advanced, embarking on a three-game scoring spree, which commenced with a remarkable long-range effort that secured a draw against Rizespor in Round 14, followed by a crucial late winner against Bursaspor and a powerful long-distance strike in a comfortable victory over Ankaragücü.
He played a crucial role by providing an assist to Rodrigo Tello for the opening goal in the former, contributing to a commanding 3–1 victory that secured the team's qualification for the knockout stage.
Before the start of the season, he was named the club's new captain, replacing the standard skipper İbrahim Üzülmez, who had been involved in a fight with the vice-captain, Ibrahim Toraman, resulting in both of them being stripped of their captaincy roles.
In the Round 1 clash against Antalyaspor, he orchestrated two golden opportunities for Filip Hološko in the early stages, but the Slovakian winger failed to convert one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper.
Despite having a penalty saved by Jefferson later in the match, Delgado's standout performance helped secure a comfortable victory over Konyaspor, establishing himself as a key player on the pitch.
In the subsequent match against Gençlerbirliği, he delivered a pinpoint corner kick, connecting perfectly with Tomáš Sivok, who headed home with precision as the Black Eagles soared to a commanding lead, finding the net three times within the opening 13 minutes of the encounter.
He initiated the turnaround by delivering a pinpoint cross from a free kick to set up Mert Nobre, followed by a stunning long-range strike from the left-hand side that curled into the far top corner of the goal.
Delgado wrapped up his phenomenal display by providing another assist for Nobre while he also came close to adding to his tally with a superb first touch to control a challenging cross inside the box but was unable to find the back of the net on that occasion.
Unfortunately, a late-season groin injury sidelined Delgado, preventing him from helping the Black Eagles in the finals, where they clinched a magnificent 4–2 victory over their archrivals, Fenerbahçe.