Jesus Alberto Datolo is a professional Argentine footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Vitoria.
Born on May 19, 1984, Datolo started his youth career with Canuelas in the year 2000. At the time, the side used to compete in the Primera C Metropolitana, the fourth tier of football in Argentina. He would spend a couple of years with his first side before being snapped up by Primera Division side Banfield in 2002.
Datolo spent a further two years in Banfield’s youth and reserve teams before breaking into the senior team in the 2004-05 season. He made 41 league appearances for Banfield in which he scored six goals between 2004 and 2006. In his time at Banfield, Datolo played with the likes of Gabriel Paletta and Rodrigo Palacio, both of whom would become his colleagues once more at Boca Juniors.
| Position | Midfielder |
| Born | 19 May 1984 |
| Nationality |
Argentina
|
| Team History | |
Club Atletico Banfield
|
2017 - 2023 |
| CSyD Tristán Suárez | 2023 |
|
Esporte Clube Vitoria
|
2017 |
Clube Atletico Mineiro
|
2013 - 2016 |
Sport Club Internacional
|
2012 - 2013 |
Espanyol
|
2011 - 2012 |
|
Espanyol
|
2010 - 2011 (loan) |
SSC Napoli
|
2009 - 2011 |
Olympiacos
|
2010 (loan) |
Boca Juniors
|
2006 - 2009 |
|
Club Atletico Banfield
|
2004 - 2006 |
One of Argentina’s biggest clubs, Boca Juniors, signed him up in 2006. The midfielder would go on to establish himself as a regular starter for Boca by the start of the 2007 league campaign. His performances started improving and eventually he would start in the Boca Juniors team that won the 2007 Copa Libertadores.
Datolo found the back of the net as Boca registered a 3-0 win over Maracaibo, a Venezuelan club, helping his team progress into the knock-out rounds of the 2008 Copa Libertadores. He got on the score-sheet yet again in the first leg of their round of 16 tie against Cruzeiro as Boca won the match 2-1. Although they made it into the quarterfinals, Boca were knocked out by another team from Brazil – Fluminense. He would eventually make 67 league appearances for Boca Juniors, scoring five goals in the process.
In the January transfer window in 2009, the midfielder got his first taste of European football when he was signed on a contract by Italian Serie A side Napoli. The player made 22 league appearances for Napoli and hit the back of the net once.
The midfielder was shipped out on loan to Greek side Olympiacos in January 2010 and he spent six months in Greece during which he made 17 league appearances. His performances for Olympiacos had caught the eye of Spanish side Espanyol, who initially signed him on a loan deal in the summer before making the move permanent later on. The player would make 29 league appearances during his time with Espanyol before moving back to South America with Internacional in 2012.
After spending a solitary season with Internacional, Datolo transferred to Atletico Mineiro where he played for three seasons between 2013 and 2016. The spell proved to be quite productive for the player as he hit 13 goals in 65 appearances in the league. Following the end of his contract at Atletico after three years, Datolo has signed for Vitoria in January 2017. His first goals for his new side came on February 15 and one of his goals came directly from a corner kick.
The 32-year-old has also been capped by Argentina at senior level and played for the national team on three occasions. Interestingly, he scored a couple of goals for Argentina from three games. His first goal came on his debut appearance for Argentina against Russia in a friendly match on August 12, 2009. His team would go on to win the fixture 3-2. His second goal came in a 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Brazil that Argentina would eventually lose 1-3.
