Former Watford forward Mauro Zarate accused of ‘stabbing me in the back’ by brother after transfer U-turn

Zarate was meant to re-join boyhood club Velez

Rolando Zárate has accused his brother, Mauro, of “stabbing me in the back” after reneging on an agreement to sign for their boyhood club Velez Sarsfield and instead joining Boca Juniors.

The former West Ham forward’s contract with Watford expired on June 30 and he had fully agreed to re-join Velez, the club where he began his career and played his third spell last season on loan from the Hornets.

Zárate, 31, even posted pictures to social media wearing a Velez shirt but when he turned up to sign the contract he instead told the club he was signing for Boca Juniors and gathered his things, leaving his brother and agent, Rolando, devastated.

“Mauro stuck a knife in my back. I am destroyed,” he told Fox Sports Radio. “He betrayed the whole family and the 40 years of history that we have with Velez.

“I want to cry. We were born at Velez, we grew up at Velez and my old man has worked here for 40 years.”

Mauro Zárate reportedly chose Boca because he felt it would give him a better chance of fulfilling his childhood dream and playing for Argentina.