{{Short description|Palestinian footballer}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Imad Zatara | image = Imad Zatara Cropped.jpg | caption = Zatara in 2012 | fullname = Imad Zatara | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|10|01|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Stockholm]], Sweden | height = 1.79 m | position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]] | currentclub = | youthyears1 = 1997–2001 | youthclubs1 = FC Inter Orhoy | years1 = 2001–2002 | clubs1 = [[Essinge IK]] | caps1 = 20 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2003–2006 | clubs2 = [[Vasalunds IF|Vasalund/Essinge IF]] | caps2 = 16 | goals2 = 2 | years3 = 2007 | clubs3 = [[IF Brommapojkarna]] | caps3 = 34 | goals3 = 10 | years4 = 2008 | clubs4 = [[Zalaegerszegi TE]] | caps4 = 12 | goals4 = 3 | years5 = 2008–2011 | clubs5 = [[Syrianska FC]] | caps5 = 56 | goals5 = 7 | years6 = 2010 | clubs6 = → [[Nîmes Olympique|Nîmes]] (loan) | caps6 = 26 | goals6 = 11 | years7 = 2012 | clubs7 = [[Sanat Naft Abadan F.C.|Sanat Naft Abadan]] | caps7 = 29 | goals7 = 11 | years8 = 2012–2014 | clubs8 = [[Åtvidabergs FF]] | caps8 = 48 | goals8 = 11 | years9 = 2015 | clubs9 = [[AFC United]] | caps9 = 11 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2016 | clubs10 = [[Al-Ahli Club (Manama)|Al-Ahli Manama]] | caps10 = 11 | goals10 = 4 | years11 = 2016–2018 | clubs11 = [[Al-Mesaimeer Sports Club|Mesaimeer]] | caps11 = | goals11 = | years12 = 2018–2020 | clubs12 = [[Sur SC]] | caps12 = | goals12 = | years13 = 2020 | clubs13 = Vasalunds IF | caps13 = 10 | goals13 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2004–2015 | nationalteam1 = [[Palestine national football team|Palestine]] | nationalcaps1 = 28 | nationalgoals1 = 3 }}
'''Imad Zatara''' ([[Arabic]]: عماد زعترة; born on 1 October 1984) is a former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[forward (association football)|forward]]. Born in Sweden, he represented [[Palestine national football team|Palestine]] internationally.
==Club career==
===Early career=== Zatara began his career in FC Inter Orhoy.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===Vasalund and Essinge IF=== Zatara spent his first six seasons on senior level at Stockholm based [[Essinge IK]] (who was merged with [[Vasalunds IF]] in 2003 creating [[Vasalund/Essinge IF]] making his debut only 17 years old. It did not take long for Zatara to evolve into one of the most important players of the team and one of the most coveted players of Swedish third level.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===IF Brommapojkarna=== In 2007 Zatara finally took the final step making his debut on the highest level of Swedish football when moving to another Stockholm based club, [[IF Brommapojkarna]] who were about to play their first season ever in [[Allsvenskan]]. Unfortunately the team struggled in the bottom of the table and at the end of the season the team got relegated to [[Superettan]]. Imad did not get many chances in the starting eleven and often had to sit on the bench.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===Zalaegerszegi TE=== After about a week long trial in early 2008 Zatara got a contract with Hungarian club [[Zalaegerszegi TE]]. He soon became an important player of the team and scored three goals in 12 appearances as the club finished 7th in [[Nemzeti Bajnokság I]].{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===Syrianska FC=== Zatara signed with Södertälje based [[Syrianska FC]] in early 2009 after being a very coveted name among the Stockholm-based clubs. He spent two seasons with the club and was consistently a very important part of the team who finished on 4th place of [[Superettan]] in 2009. He was also part of the side that would secure promotion to the [[Allsvenskan]] in 2010, he turned in several key performances the following year allowing the club to retain its top-flight status.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===Nîmes=== In February 2010 Zatara signed a loan deal with French [[Ligue 2]] club [[Nîmes Olympique]]. He made his debut against [[Le Havre AC|Le Havre]] on 12 February 2010 and also managed to score his first and only goal during his time in the club. He scored the equaliser in the 87th minute of a game that mainly will remembered for the nine yellow and two red cards that were delivered in the game.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RMHalYxieI#|title=Nîmes – Le Havre 12.02.2010|date=12 February 2010|accessdate=15 February 2010|publisher=youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref> Zatara played six games for the club and returned to [[Syrianska FC]] after the season.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===Sanat Naft=== On 23 December 2011, he signed a six-month contract with [[Iran Pro League]] side, [[Sanat Naft F.C.|Sanat Naft]], becoming the first Palestinian to play in Iran.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===Åtvidabergs FF=== On 26 July 2012, Zatara returned to Sweden with newly promoted Allsvenskan side [[Åtvidabergs FF]]. In 2013 Zatara scored nine goals making him the second top scorer in the Allsvenskan, behind fellow Palestinian [[Imad Khalili]].{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===Later career=== Zatara moved to Omani club [[Sur SC]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotbolltransfers.com/site/news/98516 |title=Officiellt: Imad Zatara klar för Sur SC |website=fotbolltransfers.com |access-date=}}</ref>
==International career== Zatara early took the decision to play for his native country [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]. The debut came in 2004 in the 4–1 defeat against [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]], in which Zatara scored his first international goal. He was also called up for Palestine in 2010. Zatara captained the national team for the first time in a friendly against the [[Malaysia national football team|Malaysia]].{{fact|date=November 2023}}
===International goals=== :''Scores and results list Palestine's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zatara goal.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Imad Zatara<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/9781/Imad_Zaatara.html|title=Imad Zaatara (Player)|first=Benjamin|last=Strack-Zimmermann|website=www.national-football-teams.com}}</ref> |- !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |- | align="center"|1 || 16 November 2004 || [[Doha]], Qatar || {{fb|IRQ|2004}}|| align="center"|1–4 || align="center"|1–4 || [[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification|2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier]] |- | align="center"|2 || 14 December 2011 || Doha, Qatar || {{fb|LBY}}|| align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–1 || [[Football at the 2011 Pan Arab Games|2011 Pan Arab Games]] |- | align="center"|3 || 14 December 2012 || [[Al Farwaniyah]], Kuwait || {{fb|OMA}}|| align="center"|1–2 || align="center"|1–2 || [[2012 West Asian Football Federation Championship|2012 WAFF Championship]] |}
==Personal life== On 30 January 1992, Imad Zatara's father Hasan Zatara was the last known victim of [[John Ausonius]], in Swedish media known as Lasermannen ("the Laser Man"), until 2016. Hasan survived but was blinded in his right eye and lost the ability to speak.{{fact|date=November 2023}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.persianleague.com/index.php/teams?id=2313&view=player&sid=24 Profile at PersianLeague] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517124548/http://www.persianleague.com/index.php/teams?id=2313&view=player&sid=24 |date=17 May 2012 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zatara, Imad}} [[Category:1984 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Palestinian men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:Palestine men's international footballers]] [[Category:Footballers from Stockholm]] [[Category:Swedish people of Palestinian descent]] [[Category:Allsvenskan players]] [[Category:Superettan players]] [[Category:Ligue 2 players]] [[Category:Qatari Second Division players]] [[Category:Essinge IK players]] [[Category:Vasalunds IF players]] [[Category:IF Brommapojkarna players]] [[Category:Zalaegerszegi TE players]] [[Category:Syrianska FC players]] [[Category:Nîmes Olympique players]] [[Category:Sanat Naft Abadan F.C. players]] [[Category:Åtvidabergs FF players]] [[Category:AFC Eskilstuna players]] [[Category:Al Ahli Club (Manama) players]] [[Category:Mesaimeer SC players]] [[Category:Nemzeti Bajnokság I players]] [[Category:Palestinian expatriate men's footballers]] [[Category:Palestinian expatriate sportspeople in Hungary]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Hungary]] [[Category:Palestinian expatriate sportspeople in France]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France]] [[Category:Palestinian expatriate sportspeople in Iran]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Iran]] [[Category:Palestinian expatriate sportspeople in Bahrain]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Bahrain]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar]] [[Category:Palestinian expatriate sportspeople in Oman]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Oman]]