1. Overview
Bruno Zuculini (born 2 April 1993) is an Argentine and Italian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Racing Club. His extensive career has seen him play for various clubs across multiple leagues, including stints in Argentina, England, Spain, Greece, and Italy, with notable periods at Manchester City, Valencia, Hellas Verona, and River Plate, before his return to his formative club, Racing Club.
2. Early life and background
Bruno Zuculini was born on 2 April 1993, in Belén de Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is the younger brother of Franco Zuculini, who is also a professional footballer and a midfielder.
3. Club career
Zuculini's professional football journey began in Argentina, progressing through various European leagues, and eventually returning to his home country.
3.1. Racing Club (early career)
Zuculini developed through the youth system of Racing Club. He made his professional debut for the first team on 13 February 2010, starting in an Argentine Primera División match against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, which ended in a 1-0 away loss. At the time of his debut, he was only 16 years old. During his initial tenure with the club, he made seven appearances in the 2009-10 season and an additional 12 appearances in the 2010-11 campaign.
On 17 June 2012, Zuculini scored his first professional goal in a 4-2 away defeat to Atlético de Rafaela. In the 2012-13 season, following the departures of key players such as Giovanni Moreno and Lucas Nahuel Castro, Zuculini became a constant presence for the Avellaneda-based side, appearing in 32 matches and scoring five goals. His commitment to the club was solidified on 27 September 2013, when he renewed his contract, extending his link with Racing Club until 2016. Across five seasons in his first spell, he made 98 appearances and scored 10 goals for Racing Club.
3.2. Manchester City
On 23 July 2014, Zuculini marked his presence for Manchester City by scoring the opening goal in a pre-season match against Sporting Kansas City. His transfer to the English club was officially confirmed on 8 August 2014, where he was assigned the number 36 shirt.
Zuculini made his competitive debut for Manchester City just two days later, on 10 August 2014, in the 2014 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium. He came on as a substitute for Yaya Touré in the 60th minute of the match, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal. The following year, on 10 July 2015, it was confirmed that he would be part of Manchester City's squad for their pre-season tour in Australia.
3.3. Loan spells
While under contract with Manchester City, Zuculini embarked on several loan spells to gain further playing experience across various European leagues.
3.3.1. Valencia
Zuculini was loaned to La Liga club Valencia CF on 19 August 2014, for a season-long deal. He made his debut in the Spanish top flight on 29 August 2014, entering the match at halftime as a substitute for André Gomes in a 3-0 home victory against Málaga CF. However, his time at Valencia was brief; on 30 January 2015, his loan agreement was rescinded after he had played only 45 minutes for the club.
3.3.2. Córdoba
Hours after his loan with Valencia was terminated, Zuculini immediately joined fellow La Liga team Córdoba CF on loan until June 2015. During his time at Córdoba, he made eight appearances. The team ultimately faced relegation from the league, finishing in last place. His performance during this period led to him being named in Spanish newspaper Marca's worst team of the season.
3.3.3. Middlesbrough
After his loan spells in Spain, Zuculini made his first move to an English club, joining Championship side Middlesbrough on a month-long loan deal on 26 October 2015. He played five league matches and one cup match during this period. On 25 November 2015, his loan was extended until 2 January 2016.
3.3.4. AEK Athens
Zuculini was loaned to AEK Athens until the end of the 2016 Superleague Greece campaign. He made his debut for the Greek club on 4 February 2016, in a 1-0 away victory against Iraklis at Kaftanzoglio Stadium in the Greek Cup, helping his team advance to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, on 23 February 2016, Zuculini suffered a serious metatarsal fracture injury and had to return to England to undergo surgery, effectively ending his loan spell prematurely.
3.3.5. Rayo Vallecano
On 29 August 2016, Zuculini signed on loan for Rayo Vallecano for the remainder of the 2016-17 Segunda División season. However, his loan was cut short on 17 January (no specific year mentioned, but context implies 2017) after he had made only nine league appearances. Following this, he joined his older brother, Franco Zuculini, at Verona.
3.4. Hellas Verona
After spending the latter half of the 2016-17 season on loan at Hellas Verona, Zuculini made a permanent move to the Italian club on 11 July 2017. During his loan and subsequent permanent spell, he played 16 matches in Serie B, scoring one goal, and played a crucial role in helping the team achieve promotion to Serie A. In the 2017-18 season, he played 16 matches in Serie A, scoring two goals.
3.5. River Plate
From 2018 to 2023, Zuculini played for River Plate in the Argentine Primera División. During his tenure with the club, he became a significant contributor, participating in 115 matches and scoring eight goals. He was part of the squad that achieved numerous successes, including winning the Supercopa Argentina in 2017 and 2019, the Copa Argentina in 2018-19, the prestigious Copa Libertadores in 2018, and the Recopa Sudamericana in 2019. He also contributed to River Plate's Argentine Primera División titles in 2021 and 2023, and the Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional in 2021.
3.6. Return to Racing Club
On 9 January 2024, Zuculini made an emotional return to his formative club, Racing Club, after a decade away. He signed a contract that runs until 2025, with an option for a one-year extension. Upon his return, Zuculini notably chose to wear the number 36 shirt. This number holds special significance to him, as it was the number his older brother, Franco Zuculini, wore when he made his debut for Racing Club, and it was also the number Bruno himself wore during his time at Manchester City.
4. International career
Zuculini has represented Argentina at the U-20 national team level. He participated in the 2011 South American Youth Championship in January 2011, where he made a significant impact by scoring two goals.
5. Personal life
Bruno Zuculini, known by the nickname Zuku (スクSukuJapanese), stands at 70 in (178 cm) tall and weighs 163 lb (74 kg). He is right-footed. His older brother, Franco Zuculini, is also a professional footballer and plays as a midfielder. Both brothers trained at the youth setup of Racing Club. They notably had the opportunity to play together for the first time in a professional match for Racing Club in 2011.
6. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Racing Club | 2009-10 | Primera División | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2010-11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 12 | 0 | |||||
| 2011-12 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 19 | 1 | |||||
| 2012-13 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 34 | 5 | ||||
| 2013-14 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 27 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 92 | 10 | 4 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | - | 100 | 10 | ||||
| Manchester City | 2014-15 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Valencia (loan) | 2014-15 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| Córdoba (loan) | 2014-15 | La Liga | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 8 | 0 | |||
| Middlesbrough (loan) | 2015-16 | Championship | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 0 | ||
| AEK Athens (loan) | 2015-16 | Superleague | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 2016-17 | Segunda División | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 11 | 0 | |||
| Verona (loan) | 2016-17 | Serie B | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 16 | 1 | |||
| Verona | 2017-18 | Serie A | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 18 | 3 | |||
| River Plate | 2017-18 | Primera División | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2018-19 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2019-20 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2020-21 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | ||
| 2021 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2022 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 74 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 111 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 223 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 276 | 21 | ||
Notes:
- Continental appearances include Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores.
- Other appearances include FA Community Shield, Supercopa Argentina, Recopa Sudamericana, FIFA Club World Cup, Torneo de Verano, and Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional.
7. Honours
Zuculini has earned several major championships and individual accolades throughout his club career:
- AEK Athens
- Greek Cup: 2015-16
- River Plate
- Supercopa Argentina: 2017, 2019
- Copa Argentina: 2018-19
- Copa Libertadores: 2018
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2019
- Primera División: 2021, 2023
- Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional: 2021
- Racing Club
- Copa Sudamericana: 2024
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2025