Biography
Zaza started his youth career as a striker, but due to his hot temper, he was moved back to goalkeeper to stay out of trouble. He first played at Brøndby IF, but never got a match for the club, and moved on to main rivals FC København in 1995. Here he was known as a somewhat errant goalkeeper, despite showing good reflexes and technique, and he spent lacklustre time on loan at Fremad Amager (one match) and Silkeborg IF (no matches).
In 2000 he made a permanent move to provincial club Odense BK. Here he immediately made an impact, and got his big breakthrough, winning the Danish Goalkeeper of the Year award in both 2001 and 2002. Former club Brøndby then decided to move in after him. In January 2003, Zaza signed a two-year contract with Brøndby, effective after the end of the 2002–03 Superliga season. He moved back to Brøndby on a free transfer in July 2003, looking to star in the newly built team of coach Michael Laudrup. Zaza continued his successful run, and won another Danish Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2003.
Following an injury at the start of the 2004–05 Superliga season, Zaza found himself benched as a result of young substitute Casper Ankergren's good performances, and only played two matches for his team that year. He did not find more playing time in the first half of the 2005–06 Superliga season, again sitting on the bench. Following the winter break halfway through the season, Zaza reclaimed his starting position for the remaining half of the season. As his contract with Brøndby expired in June 2006, he made a move to Rot-Weiss Essen of the German secondary 2nd Bundesliga division.
He established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper in the Essen team. Despite battling to avoid relegation in the 2006–07 2nd Bundesliga season, Zaza kept a number of clean sheets for Rot-Weiss Essen. The club was relegated at the end of the season, and Zaza moved back to Denmark.
He signed a two-year contract with Danish Superliga club Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB), replacing AaB's goalkeeping legend Jimmy Nielsen. On 17 September 2008 in matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League 2008-09 he saved a penalty from Celtic's Barry Robson at Celtic Park and helped secure a 0–0 draw. On March 21, 2010, Zaza played his 100th game for AaB in all competitions.
Read more about this topic: Karim Zaza
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