![Claudio Pizarro 2010-07-10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Claudio_Pizarro_2010-07-10.jpg)
Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio (; born 3 October 1978) is a Peruvian retired professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as a
striker. He is currently serving as Club Ambassador for
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
. He was captain of
Peru's national football team, being its fifth highest scorer. He is widely considered as the greatest representative of Peruvian football in Europe. He is the highest scorer and most successful
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
n football player in the history of
German football
Association football, Football (or "soccer") is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußball-Bund, link=no or ) is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members (roughly eight ...
. He is the all-time top scorer of
SV Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
, the ninth top scorer in the history of Bayern Munich and the sixth top scorer in the history of the
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
and its second top scorer in the 21st century. He is also among the 20 top scorers in the history of
UEFA club competitions
UEFA competitions (french: competitions de l'UEFA), referred improperly by the mass media as European football, are the set of tournaments organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), generally in professional and amateur assoc ...
and is the seventh highest South American scorer in European football history.
His professional debut came in 1996, with
Deportivo Pesquero
Deportivo Wanka is a Peruvian football club, based in the city of Huancayo in the Peruvian Andes. It was founded in 1969 and is named after the Wankas people who formerly inhabited the area and after whom the city of Huancayo is named. The curr ...
. In 1998, he joined
Alianza Lima
Club Alianza Lima, popularly known as Alianza Lima or simply Alianza, is a Peruvian professional sports club based in La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. It is widely known for having one of the most historical and successful football teams i ...
, where he won a
Peruvian Primera División
The Peru First Division (; ''First Division'') —known as Liga 1 Betsson for sponsorship reasons and officially as Liga 1 — is the top flight of association football in Peru. It has been referred to as Torneo Descentralizado since 1966, when ...
, being highlighted as the best player of the season. In 1999, he was signed by Werder Bremen from the Bundesliga. Just one year later, he was chosen as the newcomer player of the championship and was included in the ideal team of the 2000–01 season. In 2001, he signed for Bayern Munich and the following seasons he won one
Intercontinental Cup, 2 Bundesligas, 4
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considere ...
e (German Cups), 2
DFL-Ligapokal
The DFL-Ligapokal (, officially Premiere Ligapokal , previously DFB-Ligapokal ) or the ''German League Cup'' was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous B ...
e (German League Cups) and the
DFL-Supercup (German Super Cup). In addition, he was the top scorer in the DFB-Pokal in the 2004–05 and 2005–06 editions.
In 2007, he signed for
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football. Th ...
scoring on his debut and achieving runner-up in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
at the end of the season. In 2009, he returned to Bremen, where he was champion of the
2008–09 DFB-Pokal
The 2008–09 DFB-Pokal was the 66th season of the annual German football cup competition. The competition began with the first round on 7 August 2008, and ended with Werder Bremen defeating Bayer Leverkusen, who for their part eliminated defendi ...
and the unofficial
2009 German Supercup
The 2009 German Supercup, known as the Volkswagen SuperCup for sponsorship reasons, was an unofficial edition of the German Supercup, a football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal competitions.
The mat ...
, in addition to becoming top scorer in the
2009–10 UEFA Europa League
The 2009–10 UEFA Europa League was the first season of the UEFA Europa League, Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA. The competition was previously known as the UEFA Cup, which had been in existence for 38 years.
Spain ...
. In 2012, he was hired again by Bayern Munich, winning the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, the
Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
, the
European Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
, the DFL-Supercup, three Bundesligas and two DFB-Pokale, thus becoming the foreign player with most titles in the history of Bayern Munich, a total of 18. In mid-2015, he returned to Werder Bremen. In 2017, he was hired by the
1. FC Köln, from which he separated a year later to return to Werder Bremen.
Pizarro is the Peruvian football player with the most goals scored and games played in Europe and in German football. He is the second highest foreign scorer and sixth all-time historic scorer in the Bundesliga (197 goals).
He is also the Latin American football player with the most goals scored and titles won in the history of German football.
He is the ninth all-time top scorer for the DFB-Pokal (34 goals), top scorer for Werder Bremen (153 goals), the ninth all-time top scorer for Bayern Munich (125 goals), the tenth historical scorer of the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
(24 goals) and the fifth historical scorer of
Peru's national football team (20 goals). He is also the foreign player with the most games played in the history of Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. Pizarro is considered an idol by Bayern Munich's fans and a legend of Werder Bremen's, teams for which he scored more than 100 goals each. As well as being one of the players with the most seasons played in the history of the German league, Pizarro is also the oldest player to score a goal in the Bundesliga (at over 40 years old). He is regarded as a living legend of the Bundesliga,
being compared to other German football legends like
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer (, ; born 11 September 1945) is a German former professional footballer and manager. In his playing career he was nicknamed ''Der Kaiser'' ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the fi ...
and
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalsco ...
.
In international competitions, he is the fourth highest Latin American scorer in European Cups (Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League) with 48 goals, ranking only behind
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
,
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo (, ) is a cognate of the Anglo-Saxon name Alfred and a common Italian, Galician, Portuguese and Spanish language personal name.
People with the given name include:
*Alfredo (born 1946), Brazilian footballer born as Alfredo Mostarda Filho ...
and
Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest playe ...
.
With the Peru national football team he is the fifth highest scorer with 20 goals and the tenth with the most matches (85). With the senior team, he achieved the third place at the
2015 Copa América
The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...
. He also participated in the
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
and
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
Copa América
The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...
.
Early years
Pizarro was born to Patricia Bosio and Claudio Pizarro Dávila, a naval officer, in
Callao
Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...
, Peru and raised in
Santiago de Surco
Santiago de Surco, commonly known simply as Surco, is a district of Lima, Peru. It is bordered on the north with the district of Ate Vitarte and La Molina; on the east with San Juan de Miraflores, on the west with San Borja, Surquillo, Mirafl ...
district of
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
, Peru. He started playing in his youth in the
Academia Deportiva Cantolao
Academia Deportiva Cantolao is a Peruvian football club based in the city of Callao, Peru. However, the club is mostly known for its youth academy. Their football academy is considered one of the best in Peru. Academia Cantolao has educated many p ...
in Callao. Pizarro has Italian ancestry; some of his paternal great-grandparents were from
Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo. ...
, while his maternal grandparents came from
Frattaminore
Frattaminore is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 13 km north of Naples.
Frattaminore borders the following municipalities: Crispano, Frattamaggiore, Orta di Atella
O ...
, near Naples.
Club career
Deportivo Pesquero
Pizarro started his professional career playing with
Deportivo Pesquero
Deportivo Wanka is a Peruvian football club, based in the city of Huancayo in the Peruvian Andes. It was founded in 1969 and is named after the Wankas people who formerly inhabited the area and after whom the city of Huancayo is named. The curr ...
, a small provincial team in the city of
Chimbote
Chimbote ; qu, Chimputi) is the largest city in the Ancash Region of Peru, and the capital of both Santa Province and Chimbote District.
The city is located on the coast in Ferrol Bay, 130 km south of Trujillo and north of Lima on the No ...
in the north of Peru, at the age of 17. His first professional match was in 1996 against
Alianza Lima
Club Alianza Lima, popularly known as Alianza Lima or simply Alianza, is a Peruvian professional sports club based in La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. It is widely known for having one of the most historical and successful football teams i ...
. He scored his first two goals two weeks later against
Atletico Torino in the 2–1 victory of Deportivo Pesquero. He finished the
1996 season with three goals in 16 appearances.
Alianza Lima
Pizarro scored 25 goals over two seasons
with Alianza Lima and was part of the team that ended in second position in the Torneo Apertura of Peru in 1999. He also made seven appearances in
Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as the Copa Libertadores de América ( pt, Copa Libertadores da América), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in S ...
.
Shortly after his success at Alianza, Pizarro was sold to Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga. Later that year, he earned his first call for the
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team represents Peru in men's international football. The national team has been organised, since 1927, by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF). The FPF constitutes one of the ten members of FIFA's South American ...
.
Werder Bremen
Pizarro joined
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
for the first time in the summer of 1999 when he was only 20 years old. His first match in the Bundesliga was on 28 August of that year, a 1–1 draw against
Hertha BSC
Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e. V., commonly known as Hertha BSC (), and sometimes referred to as Hertha Berlin, Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charl ...
, joining as a second-half substitute. In his second appearance on 12 September, Pizarro scored his first Bundesliga goal in the 5–0 victory over
1. FC Kaiserslautern at home. One week later, Pizarro made his first hat-trick in the 7–2 victory over
VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg () or Wolfsburg, is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of W ...
, establishing himself as one of the most promising talents. He ended his first Bundesliga season scoring 10 goals in 25 matches. In that season, Pizarro also made his
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
debut, scoring 3 times in 9 appearances. In his first ever match on 15 September, he scored 2 goals in the 5–0 home win over Norway's
FK Bodø/Glimt
Fotballklubben Bodø/Glimt () is a Norwegian professional football club from the town of Bodø that currently plays in Eliteserien, the Norwegian top division. The club was founded in 1916 and is frequently referred to by its original club na ...
. He was protagonist in the third round tie against French rival
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais (), commonly referred to as simply Lyon () or OL, is a men and women's French professional football club based in Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The men play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. Founded in 1950, th ...
. After losing the first leg away 3–0, Pizarro helped Werder Bremen on one of the best comebacks in UEFA competitions history. In the returning leg, he scored the fourth goal of a 4–0 win at
Weserstadion
Weserstadion () is a multi-purpose stadium in Bremen, Germany. The Weserstadion is scenically situated on the north bank of the Weser River and is surrounded by lush green parks (the name 'Werder' is a regional German word for "river peninsula") ...
. The result allowed
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
to move to the next round with a 4–3 on the aggregate.
Pizarro's 38 goals over 2 seasons
for Werder Bremen made him the rising star of Peruvian football, coveted by managers of major European teams. After the
2000–01 season,
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
announced that it would not prevent Pizarro from moving out as the push to secure Pizarro's services intensified. The media indicated that
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Football in Italy, Italian professional Association football, football ...
, and
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
's Bundesliga rival
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
were in to sign Pizarro. The most speculated transfer of a Peruvian footballer monopolized the interest of its local media. After seeming destined for Spain, Pizarro ended weeks of speculation by signing for
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
on 7 June 2001.
Bayern Munich
![Pizzaro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Pizzaro.jpg)
Pizarro started at Bayern with a goal in the fourth minute of the game against
Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
in the second match of the 2001–02 Bundesliga season. In his first season, he scored 15 goals in 30 Bundesliga and 4 German Cup appearances, 4 goals in 14 appearances in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
,
one appearance in the
Intercontinental Cup,
and one appearance in the
UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
.
Pizarro was a key player in
Bayern' Munich's Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in the
2002–03 season. On 30 November 2002, Pizarro appeared in his 100th Bundesliga match in the 2–0 home win over
Hertha BSC
Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e. V., commonly known as Hertha BSC (), and sometimes referred to as Hertha Berlin, Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charl ...
, thanks to a
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack (; born 26 September 1976) is a German former professional footballer. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of the German national team. Ballack wore the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for, except 1. FC ...
brace. During the 2002–03 season, Pizarro scored 15 goals in 31 appearances in the Bundesliga,
2 goals in 6 DFB-Pokal appearances,
2 goals in 7 Champions League appearances.
He also had 2 League Cup appearances.
During the
2003–04 season, he scored 11 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances and 1 goal in 4 DFB-Pokal appearances. He also had 7 Champions League
and 1 League Cup appearances.
During the
2004–05 season, Pizarro scored 21 goals in 35 appearances.
During the
2005–06 season, he scored 11 goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances,
5 goals in 5 German Cup appearances,
1 goal in 6 Champions League appearances,
and an appearance in the League Cup.
His popularity with Bayern fans earned him the nickname "Bomber of the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
", a reference to his Peruvian origin as well as to the legendary Bayern's striker
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (; 3 November 1945 – 15 August 2021) was a German professional footballer. A striker renowned for his clinical finishing, especially in and around the six-yard box, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalsco ...
, nicknamed "Bomber". On some occasions, he was also called "
Inca
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...
God" by the media.
Pizarro's contract with the German champions expired at the end of the
2006–07 season and negotiations on an extension were not making progress, with
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
,
Benfica and
Rangers ready to step in. Pizarro later rejected a contract extension offered by
Bayern Munich's director
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer (, ; born 11 September 1945) is a German former professional footballer and manager. In his playing career he was nicknamed ''Der Kaiser'' ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style, dominance and leadership on the fi ...
. Pizarro demanded an increase in pay, which angered
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge (; born 25 September 1955) is a German football executive and former professional player. He was the longtime Chairman of Executive Board of FC Bayern München AG, a daughter company of German Bundesliga team Bayern ...
, who was quoted saying that "anyone wishing to earn as much as
Shevchenko
Shevchenko (alternative spellings Schevchenko, Ševčenko, Shevcenko, Szewczenko, Chevchenko; ua , Шевченко), a family name of Ukrainian origin. It is derived from the Ukrainian word ''shvets'' ( uk, швець), " cobbler/shoemaker", and ...
had better start playing like Shevchenko".
On 20 May 2007, Bayern Munich announced Pizarro would be leaving the club. He finished the
2006–07 season with 12 goals in 45 appearances.
Chelsea
![Pizarro chelsea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Pizarro_chelsea.jpg)
On 1 July 2007,
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
officially signed Pizarro and confirmed that he had completed a medical evaluation and agreed on personal terms to join based on a
Bosman transfer
''Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman'' (1995) C-415/93 (known as the Bosman ruling) is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association ...
, signing a four-year contract. He was the first Peruvian to sign for Chelsea. Pizarro also revealed that his decision was influenced by the advice of his national teammate
Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Albino "Ñol" Solano Todco (born 12 December 1974), commonly known as Nobby Solano, is a retired Peruvian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the assistant manager of the Peru national football team, as w ...
, who played in England for
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
,
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
and
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
, as well as
Owen Hargreaves
Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He was known as a hard-working and "solid defensive midfielder who worked tirelessly to win the ball" and provide his teammates with posses ...
, who at the time played for Bayern Munich with Pizarro.
Pizarro was assigned the number 14, the same number he has in the
Peruvian National Team, and his former number at Bayern Munich, succeeding
Geremi
Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso (born 20 December 1978), known simply as Geremi, is a Cameroonian former footballer. He was a versatile player able to play at right back, right midfield or defensive midfielder, known for his power, pace, combative st ...
at
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. His debut was against
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
in the
2007 FA Community Shield
The 2007 FA Community Shield (also known as The FA Community Shield sponsored by McDonald's for sponsorship reasons) was the 85th staging of the FA Community Shield, an annual football match played between the reigning Premier League champions a ...
, coming on as a substitute, but then missed the penalty shootout as Chelsea lost the match. Nevertheless, his season with Chelsea got off to a good start, scoring a goal on the opening weekend of the
2007–08 Premier League
The 2007–08 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) season was the 16th since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008. Manchest ...
season against Birmingham City. After
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
's coach
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix GOIH (; born 26 January 1963), is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Italian Serie A club Roma. Once dubbed "The Special One" by the British ...
's departure and the signing of French striker
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (; born 14 March 1979) is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and retired Football player, player who played as a Forward (association football), forward. As a player, he regularly fe ...
, Pizarro found himself surplus to the then new manager
Avram Grant
Avraham "Avram" Grant ( he, אברהם "אברם" גרנט; born Avraham Granat; ) is an Israeli professional football manager. He has spent the majority of his career coaching and managing in Israel, winning a number of national league and cup ...
. Despite this, Pizarro did play an important role in
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
progressing to the fourth round of the
2008 FA Cup, by contributing to a rebound of
QPR
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus R ...
keeper
Lee Camp that went into the net. He also scored the only goal in a match against
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
. This meant that his only two Premier League goals with Chelsea came in separate games against Birmingham City.
Werder Bremen (loan)
![Claudio Pizarro 2011-11-03 (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Claudio_Pizarro_2011-11-03_%282%29.png)
On 15 August 2008, Pizarro was loaned to Werder Bremen until the end of the season . Soon after the announcement, a large group of Werder Bremen fans lined up to buy the new Pizarro's jersey showing that he was still appreciated in Bremen seven years after leaving. He was assigned the number 24 and scored his first goal in his second appearance, Werder Bremen's first goal in a 3–2 defeat to
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...
on 30 August . Pizarro scored Werder Bremen's fourth goal in the club's impressive 5–2 away victory over
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
on 20 September at the
Allianz Arena
Allianz Arena (; known as Fußball Arena München for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Munich, Bavaria, Germany with a 70,000 seating capacity for international matches and 75,000 for domestic matches. Widely known for its exterior ...
. Former Werder Bremen's teammate
Tim Borowski
Tim Borowski (born 2 May 1980) is a German football assistant manager of Werder Bremen and a former professional midfielder.
Borowski spent 11 years of his 12-year professional career with Werder Bremen, amassing Bundesliga totals of 236 games a ...
scored both of Bayern Munich's goals.
On 26 February 2009, Pizarro scored a second-half brace for Werder Bremen, coming back from 2–0 down to secure a 2–2 draw and a 3–3 aggregate win (away goals rule), to dump
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
out of the UEFA Cup in the Round of 32. In the second-leg of their
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
quarter-final match against
Udinese
Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a fo ...
on 17 April, Pizarro scored once and teammate
Diego
Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''.
Et ...
notched a brace as the teams played out an exciting 3–3 draw, with Werder Bremen advancing to the semi-finals with a 6–4 aggregate victory. He scored a hat-trick on 4 May as Bremen beat
Hannover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...
4–1, keeping alive their push for a European place.
Pizarro's role was fundamental in the qualification of Werder Bremen to the
UEFA Cup Final, scoring a goal in the 3–2 away victory over
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
on 7 May, completing a 3–3 aggregate victory over their German rivals in the semi-finals. However, with the absence of playmaker
Diego
Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''.
Et ...
in the final against
Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...
, Pizarro could not save the team from a 2–1 defeat after extra time to the
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
champions on 20 May 2009 at the
Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
The Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium () (Known for sponsorship reasons as Ülker Stadyumu Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Spor Kompleksi, or Ülker Stadium for short) is a football stadium located in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is th ...
in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
.
Pizarro was decisive and important for Werder Bremen during his return, scoring 17 goals in just 26
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
appearances in the 2008–09 season.
Third stint at Werder Bremen
On 18 August 2009, Pizarro signed permanently his return to Werder Bremen for an undisclosed amount after an impressing performance in the previous season. In his second season with Werder Bremen, he continued to be one of the top Bundesliga scorers with 16 goals.
On 23 October 2010, Pizarro scored his 134th goal in the Bundesliga, making him the top foreign-born scorer in the league's history, after being tied with
Giovane Élber
Élber de Souza (born 23 July 1972), commonly known as Giovane Élber, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
A prolific goalscorer in various clubs, Élber's career was mostly spent in Germany, where he repres ...
. Pizarro finished the
2010–11 season with 14 goals in 29 appearances.
On 15 May 2012, Pizarro announced that he would leave Werder Bremen in the summer. He finished his
final season with 18 goals in 29 appearances.
Return to Bayern Munich
![CSKA-Bavaria (16)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/CSKA-Bavaria_%2816%29.jpg)
On 26 May 2012, Pizarro signed a one-year contract with his former German team, Bayern Munich. On 31 October, Pizarro scored 2 goals against
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
in the
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considere ...
. In the
Champions League match against
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
on 7 November, Pizarro
scored a hat-trick within the first 33 minutes of the game as Bayern defeated their French opponents 6–1. On 30 March 2013, Pizarro scored 4 goals, his firsts in the Bundesliga season, and provided two assists in a 9–2 win of Bayern Munich against Hamburg. On 10 April 2013, Pizarro came off the bench to score a 90th-minute goal against
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
in the quarter-final of the
2012–13 UEFA Champions League
The 2012–13 UEFA Champions League was the 58th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 21st season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
The final was p ...
, which would end in a 0–2 win for Bayern Munich (0–4 in the aggregate). Pizarro scored twice more and provided a further two assists in Bayern Munich's 6–1 victory over
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96 (), Hannover, HSV or simply 96, is a German professional football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony. They played in the Bundesliga for a total of 30 years betwe ...
on 20 April. He finished the
2012–13 season with 13 goals in 28 appearances.
On 19 April 2014, Pizarro scored in Bayern Munich's 2–0 win over
Eintracht Braunschweig
Braunschweiger Turn- und Sportverein Eintracht von 1895 e.V., commonly known as Eintracht Braunschweig () or BTSV (), is a German association football, football and sports club based in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony. The club was one of the founding ...
, making him a scorer to every single Bundesliga team. During the
2013–14 season, he scored 10 goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances,
1 goal in 2 German Cup appearances.
He also had 6 Champions League appearances,
a German Super Cup appearance,
and a
FIFA World Club Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 2000 ...
appearance.
His contract wasn't renewed after the
2014–15 season,
when he scored just one goal in 17 appearances.
He failed to score in any of his Bundesliga or Champions League matches during the rest of the season.
Fourth stint at Werder Bremen
On 7 September 2015, Pizarro joined Werder Bremen for the fourth time in his career, agreeing to a one-year contract. He was given the number 14.
On 2 March 2016 Pizarro reached 10 goals in the season by scoring a hat-trick in the 4–1 win away to
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, th ...
.
The then 37-year old Pizarro broke a record which stood for 31 years, becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Bundesliga.
He finished the
2015–16 season.
On 2 July 2017, Werder Bremen announced Pizarro's contract would not be renewed. He finished the
2016–17 season with a goal in 19 appearances.
1. FC Köln
On 29 September 2017, Pizarro signed a one-year contract with 1. FC Köln. They were relegated from the Bundesliga following defeat to
SC Freiburg
Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg () or just Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga, having been promoted as champions from the 2. Bund ...
on 28 April 2018. He finished the
2017–18 season with a goal in 16 appearances.
Fifth stint at Werder Bremen
![ClaudioPizarro2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/ClaudioPizarro2.jpg)
On 29 July 2018, Pizarro signed a one-year contract with Werder Bremen joining them for the fifth time in his career.
On 16 February 2019, with his stoppage equaliser in the away match against
Hertha BSC
Hertha, Berliner Sport-Club e. V., commonly known as Hertha BSC (), and sometimes referred to as Hertha Berlin, Hertha BSC Berlin, or simply Hertha, is a German professional football club based in the locality of Westend of the borough of Charl ...
, Pizarro became the oldest scorer in the history of the Bundesliga at 40 years and 136 days of age.
Pizarro broke the record previously held since August 1996 by
Miroslav Votava
Miroslav "Mirko" Votava (born 25 April 1956) is a German retired footballer and manager.
A defensive midfielder of stamina and tactical awareness, he played 546 matches in the Bundesliga (fourth in the all-time list at the time of his retireme ...
( then 40 years and 121 days of age). His goal also made him the first and only player to score in 21 consecutive calendar years in the Bundesliga. On 4 May 2019, he scored his fourth Bundesliga goal of the season, in a 2–2 equalizer of Werder Bremen against Borussia Dortmund. His fifth goal determined the 2–1 win against RB Leipzig, raising the record for the oldest scorer to 40 years 227 days of age.
On 20 July 2019, Pizarro announced that the
2019–20 season would be his last season before retiring from football activity. In that season, he played 18 Bundesliga matches without scoring a goal. In all of these, he entered as substitute, including his final appearance against
Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05 () or simply Mainz (), is a German sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. 1. FSV Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top ...
on 27 June 2020. He was no longer considered in the team for the following 2
relegation playoff games. In his career at the Bundesliga, Pizarro scored 197 goals in 490 matches.
International career
![Perú en Copa América 2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Per%C3%BA_en_Copa_Am%C3%A9rica_2007.jpg)
Pizarro has been a regular for
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
since scoring in a 2–1 defeat against
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
on his debut in February 1999. In the same year, he was part of the
Peruvian
Peruvians ( es, peruanos) are the citizens of Peru. There were Andean and coastal ancient civilizations like Caral, which inhabited what is now Peruvian territory for several millennia before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century; Peruvian p ...
team at the
1999 Copa América
The 1999 Copa América was a football tournament held in Paraguay, from 29 June to 18 July. It was organized by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.
There was no qualifying for the final tournament. Mexico and Japan were invited to ...
in Paraguay, starting all three of the
group matches and coming on as a substitute in the quarter-final match, which ended with a
penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pen ...
loss against
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Pizarro has gone on to be a starting player at the
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
,
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
and
2015 Copa América
The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...
tournaments, as well as the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
qualifying campaigns for the
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
,
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
.
On 23 August 2003, Pizarro scored the fastest ever goal in the history of the Peruvian national team, at 18 seconds of the match's start for a 3–1 win over
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
at
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted sp ...
in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. He was later shown a red card along with teammate
John Galliquio
John Christian Galliquio Castro (born 1 December 1979) is a retired Peruvian footballer. He was a centre-back. He was called to play for the Peru national football team for the Copa America 2007, where he played 4 games with a regular performanc ...
and Mexicans
Jared Borgetti
Jared Francisco Borgetti Echavarría (; born 14 August 1973) is a Mexican former professional Association football, footballer who currently works as a commentator for ESPN Deportes and ESPN Latin America, ESPN Mexico.
As a player, Borgetti wa ...
and
Omar Briceño
Gabriel Omar Briceño Leyva (born 30 January 1978) is a Mexican former footballer, who last played for Dorados de Sinaloa in Liga de Ascenso.
Club career
He debuted with Club Atlas in 1997, and played with them until 2002, when he moved to Tig ...
.
At the 2004 Copa América, Pizarro suffered a fractured skull when he took an elbow to the side of his head in an on-field collision with the opponent's goalkeeper during a 3–1 win over
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
. The injury forced him out of the rest of the tournament and required extensive surgery in Germany. Under the management of
Julio César Uribe
Julio César Uribe Flores (born May 9, 1958 in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder or a second striker. He is the current manag ...
, Pizarro
captained Peru to the quarter-finals of the 2007 Copa América, scoring the two goals in the 2–2 draw against
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
in the final match of the group in
Mérida.
On 18 June 2015, Pizarro scored the only goal of Peru's 1–0 win against Venezuela in the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concent ...
of the
2015 Copa América
The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...
. He won his last cap in March 2016.
Suspension and investigation
On 7 December 2007, an investigation was launched on women and alcohol found in the national squad's concentration hotel, two days before Peru's away 5–1 defeat by Ecuador. Pizarro was suspended 18 months from the national team starting on the day before the match. Other Peruvian players playing abroad, like
Jefferson Farfán
Jefferson Agustín Farfán Guadalupe (; born 26 October 1984) is a Peruvian former professional footballer who mainly played as a winger. Commonly known as Farfán or the nickname ''Foquita'' (Spanish for ''Little Seal''), he is known for his s ...
were also suspended. Since Pizarro claimed to be innocent, he started a trial against the
Peruvian Football Federation
The Peruvian Football Federation ( es, Federación Peruana de Futbol or ) is the body that governs Association football in Peru. It was founded on August 23, 1922, and affiliated in 1924. A member of CONMEBOL since 1925, it directly oversees the ...
. This action alerted FIFA about his case, who warned Pizarro not to take it to regular courts of justice or face an international sanction. On 3 July 2008, after an investigation and a review of the facts, the suspension was reduced to 3 months (from the date of appeal in April 2008) and a US$10,000 fine. Pizarro served the three-month sanction.
On 17 April 2009, Pizarro won a court victory over his national federation. The
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its co ...
overturned the $10,000 fine imposed by the Peruvian Football Association after the alleged November 2007 incident. The sentence quoted: "The facts put forward by (the federation) in relation to Pizarro were not supported by concrete evidence", sport's highest court said in a statement.
Pizarro expressed his rejoice with the final result, declaring: "I am very satisfied and feel vindicated",. He further said. "My honor has been restored. My family and friends have always stood by me and knew that these were all just lies that were being spread about me. But this verdict will now also give certainty to everyone who had doubts that I have always told the truth."
Personal life
Pizarro has a sister, Patricia, and a younger brother,
Diego
Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''.
Et ...
. Diego is also a professional footballer and played for Bayern Munich as a youth.
Pizarro is married to his teenage sweetheart, Karla Salcedo, having two sons and a daughter. All three were born in Germany. Pizarro co-owns a
race horse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...
called 'Crying Lightning' with fellow professional footballer
Joey Barton
Joseph Anthony Barton (born 2 September 1982) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He made 269 appearances in the Premier League, including 130 for Manchester City. He is currently the man ...
. In January 2011, the horse competed at the
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse was Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It had a 2,200 m left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed turf course of the same distance. It operated from November through March ...
in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
.
On 15 September 2020, Pizarro became an ambassador for Bayern Munich.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Peru's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pizarro goal.''
Honours
Bayern Munich
*
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
:
2002–03,
2004–05,
2005–06,
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
,
2013–14,
2014–15
*
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considere ...
:
2002–03,
2004–05,
2005–06,
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
,
2013–14
*
DFL-Supercup:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
*
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
:
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
*
UEFA Super Cup
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
:
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
*
Intercontinental Cup:
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
*
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
:
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
Werder Bremen
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DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considere ...
:
2008–09
Individual
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DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considere ...
top scorer:
2004–05
* Best Iberoamerican Football Player in Europe: 2005
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UEFA Europa League top scorer:
2009–10
Records
* Sixth all-time
top scorer in Bundesliga (197 goals)
* Most appearances in Bundesliga by a foreign player (490 appearances)
* Second most Bundesliga goals scored by a foreign scorer
* Oldest player to score in Bundesliga history (40 years and 227 days)
* Oldest player to score a hat-trick in Bundesliga history (37 years and 151 days)
* Top scorer in Werder Bremen history (152 goals in all competitions, 109 in Bundesliga)
References
External links
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Claudio Pizarroat Premier League
Claudio Pizarroat
Kicker.de
''Kicker'' (stylized in all lowercase) is Germany's leading sports magazine, focused primarily on football. The magazine was founded in 1920 by German football pioneer Walther Bensemann and is published twice weekly, usually Monday and Thursday ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pizarro, Claudio
1978 births
Living people
Peruvian people of Italian descent
Sportspeople from Callao
Footballers from Lima
Peruvian footballers
Association football forwards
Academia Deportiva Cantolao players
Deportivo Pesquero footballers
Club Alianza Lima footballers
FC Bayern Munich footballers
SV Werder Bremen players
Chelsea F.C. players
1. FC Köln players
Peruvian Primera División players
Bundesliga players
Premier League players
UEFA Champions League winning players
Peru international footballers
1999 Copa América players
2004 Copa América players
2007 Copa América players
2015 Copa América players
Peruvian expatriate footballers
Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate footballers in Germany
Expatriate footballers in England