Marcelo Carrusca

Marcelo Carrusca
Personal information
Full name	Marcelo Adrián Carrusca
Date of birth	1 September 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
2001–2006	Estudiantes
2006–2009	Galatasaray
2008–2009	→ Cruz Azul (loan)
2009–2011	Estudiantes
2010–2011	→ Banfield (loan)
2011–2012	San Martín de San Juan
2012–2017	Adelaide United
2017–2018	Melbourne City
2018	Western Sydney Wanderers
2019	West Adelaide
Total
International career
2003–2004	Argentina U20
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Marcelo Adrián Carrusca (Latin American Spanish: [maɾˈselo aˈðɾjaŋ kaˈruska];^[a] born 1 September 1983), is an Argentine-Australian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, and is the current Head of Junior Development for Adelaide United.^[2]

Born in La Plata, Carrusca started his professional career at Estudiantes de La Plata before moving to Turkish side Galatasaray in 2006. After spending a season on loan for Mexican club Cruz Azul, Carrusca returned to Estudiantes in 2009, playing one further season at the club and one on loan at Banfield. After one season with San Martín de San Juan, Carrusca moved to A-League club Adelaide United in 2012, where he played for five seasons.

Carrusca has represented Argentina under-20, including in the victorious 2003 South American U-20 Championship team and the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. He obtained Australian citizenship in 2017.^[3]

Club career

Carrusca is a product of Estudiantes de La Plata's youth divisions. He made his first appearance for the club in 2001, and played 103 league games (12 goals) for the team until 2006.

On 27 July 2006 he signed for Turkish club Galatasaray, opting for a five-year contract worth around €1.8 million. He played one year for the club, but on 25 July 2007 Galatasaray manager Karl Heinz Feldkamp reported officially that he did not wish to keep Carrusca on the team and asked the board to sell him in order to open space for a new foreign transfer.

After lack of first team appearances in Galatasaray, he was loaned for one year to Mexican Primera División team Cruz Azul for 2008–09 football season. He then re-joined Estudiantes to play with the team during the 2009-10 Argentine Primera División season and the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup.

On 8 July 2010, Carrusca joined Banfield on loan from Estudiantes to replace recently transferred left winger James Rodríguez.^[4]

Adelaide United

On 3 August 2012, it was announced Carrusca had agreed to sign with A-League club Adelaide United on an undisclosed two-year contract.^[5]

Carrusca scored a goal and assisted a further two in a man of the match performance during Adelaide United's 4–2 home win over Melbourne Victory on 7 December 2012, in Round 10 of the A-League.

On 23 May 2017, Carrusca became an Australian citizen, and can be included as a non-visa player in the A-League.^[6]

In July 2017 it was confirmed that Carrusca would not re-sign with Adelaide under new coach Marco Kurz.^[7]

Melbourne City

On 12 September 2017, A-League club Melbourne City announced it had signed Carrusca on a one-year deal.^[8]

Western Sydney Wanderers

On 11 January 2018, Carrusca and Melbourne City mutually terminated his contract, and he signed for Western Sydney Wanderers until the end of the 2017–18 A-League season.^[9]

Retirement

In May 2019, Carrusca announced his retirement from playing to focus on coaching.^[10] He now runs his own academy in Adelaide for children and young players.

International career

Carrusca played as an U-20 Argentina international. He scored 2 goals in 16 appearances and was a member of the Argentina Under-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.