Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio (Latin American Spanish:[ˈklawðjopiˈsaro]; born 3 October 1978) is a Peruvian former professionalfootballer who played as astriker. He is currently serving as club ambassador forBayern Munich. He was captain ofPeru's national football team, being its fifth highest scorer.[5] He is the highest scorer and most successfulLatin American football player in the history ofGerman football.[6] He is the all-time top scorer ofSV Werder Bremen, the ninth top scorer in the history of Bayern Munich and the sixth top scorer in the history of theBundesliga and its second top scorer in the 21st century. He is also among the 20 top scorers in the history ofUEFA club competitions and is the seventh highest South American scorer in European football history.
His professional debut came in 1996, withDeportivo Pesquero. In 1998, he joinedAlianza Lima, where he won aPeruvian Primera División, 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 oneIntercontinental Cup, 2 Bundesligas, 4DFB-Pokale (German Cups), 2DFL-Ligapokale (German League Cups) and theDFL-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 forChelsea F.C. scoring on his debut and achieving runner-up in thePremier League at the end of the season. In 2009, he returned to Bremen, where he was champion of the2008–09 DFB-Pokal and the unofficial2009 German Supercup, in addition to becoming top scorer in the2009–10 UEFA Europa League. In 2012, he was hired again by Bayern Munich, winning theUEFA Champions League, theClub World Cup, theEuropean Super Cup, 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.[7] In mid-2015, he returned to Werder Bremen. In 2017, he was hired by the1. 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).[8][9][10] He is also the Latin American football player with the most goals scored and titles won in the history of German football.[10] 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 theUEFA Europa League (24 goals) and the fifth historical scorer ofPeru'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.[11] As well as being one of the players with the most seasons played in the history of the German league,[12] Pizarro is also the oldest player to score a goal in the Bundesliga (at over 40 years old).
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 behindLionel Messi,Alfredo Di Stéfano andSergio Agüero. 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 the2015 Copa América. He also participated in the2004 and2007Copa América.
Pizarro was born to Patricia Bosio and Claudio Pizarro Dávila, a naval officer, inCallao, Peru and raised inSantiago de Surco district ofLima, Peru. He started playing in his youth in theAcademia Deportiva Cantolao in Callao. Pizarro has Italian ancestry; some of his paternal great-grandparents were fromBrescia, while his maternal grandparents came fromFrattaminore, near Naples.[13]
Pizarro started his professional career playing withDeportivo Pesquero, a small provincial team in the city ofChimbote in the north of Peru, at the age of 17. His first professional match was in 1996 againstAlianza Lima. He scored his first two goals two weeks later againstAtletico Torino in the 2–1 victory of Deportivo Pesquero. He finished the1996 season with three goals in 16 appearances.[14]
Pizarro scored 25 goals over two seasons[14] 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 inCopa Libertadores.[15] 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 thePeru national football team.
Pizarro joinedWerder Bremen for the first time in the summer of 1999 when he was only 20 years old.[16] His first match in the Bundesliga was on 28 August of that year, a 1–1 draw againstHertha BSC, joining as a second-half substitute.[17] In his second appearance on 12 September, Pizarro scored his first Bundesliga goal in the 5–0 victory over1. FC Kaiserslautern at home.[18] One week later, Pizarro made his first hat-trick in the 7–2 victory overVfL Wolfsburg, establishing himself as one of the most promising talents.[19] He ended his first Bundesliga season scoring 10 goals in 25 matches.[20] In that season, Pizarro also made hisUEFA Cup debut, scoring 3 times in 9 appearances.[21] In his first ever match on 15 September, he scored 2 goals in the 5–0 home win over Norway'sFK Bodø/Glimt.[22] He was protagonist in the third round tie against French rivalOlympique Lyonnais. 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 atWeserstadion. The result allowedWerder Bremen to move to the next round with a 4–3 on the aggregate.[23]
Pizarro's 38 goals over 2 seasons[24][25] for Werder Bremen made him the rising star of Peruvian football, coveted by managers of major European teams. After the2000–01 season,Werder Bremen announced that it would not prevent Pizarro from moving out as the push to secure Pizarro's services intensified. The media[who?] indicated thatReal Madrid andBarcelona,Inter Milan, andWerder Bremen's Bundesliga rivalBorussia Dortmund were in to sign Pizarro.[citation needed] The most speculated transfer of a Peruvian footballer monopolized the interest of its local media.[citation needed] After seeming destined for Spain, Pizarro ended weeks of speculation by signing forBayern Munich on 7 June 2001.[26]
Pizarro in 2006 during his first spell with Bayern Munich
Pizarro started at Bayern with a goal in the fourth minute of the game againstSchalke 04 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 theUEFA Champions League,[27] one appearance in theIntercontinental Cup,[15] and one appearance in theUEFA Super Cup.[15]
Pizarro was a key player inBayern' Munich's Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in the2002–03 season. On 30 November 2002, Pizarro appeared in his 100th Bundesliga match in the 2–0 home win overHertha BSC, thanks to aMichael Ballack brace.[28] During the 2002–03 season, Pizarro scored 15 goals in 31 appearances in the Bundesliga,[29] 2 goals in 6 DFB-Pokal appearances,[29] 2 goals in 7 Champions League appearances.[29] He also had 2 League Cup appearances.[15]
During the2003–04 season, he scored 11 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances and 1 goal in 4 DFB-Pokal appearances. He also had 7 Champions League[30] and 1 League Cup appearances.[15]
During the2004–05 season, Pizarro scored 21 goals in 35 appearances.[31]
During the2005–06 season, he scored 11 goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances,[32] 5 goals in 5 German Cup appearances,[32] 1 goal in 6 Champions League appearances,[32] and an appearance in the League Cup.[15]
His popularity with Bayern fans earned him the nickname "Bomber of theAndes", a reference to his Peruvian origin as well as to the legendary Bayern's strikerGerd Müller, nicknamed "Bomber". On some occasions, he was also called "Inca God" by the media.
Pizarro's contract with the German champions expired at the end of the2006–07 season and negotiations on an extension were not making progress, withSevilla,Benfica andRangers ready to step in. Pizarro later rejected a contract extension offered byBayern Munich's directorFranz Beckenbauer. Pizarro demanded an increase in pay, which angeredKarl-Heinz Rummenigge, who was quoted saying that "anyone wishing to earn as much asShevchenko had better start playing like Shevchenko".[citation needed]
On 20 May 2007, Bayern Munich announced Pizarro would be leaving the club.[33] He finished the2006–07 season with 12 goals in 45 appearances.[34]
On 1 July 2007,Chelsea officially signed Pizarro and confirmed that he had completed a medical evaluation and agreed on personal terms to join based on aBosman transfer, signing a four-year contract.[35] He was the first Peruvian to sign for Chelsea. Pizarro also revealed that his decision was influenced by the advice of his national teammateNolberto Solano, who played in England forNewcastle,Aston Villa andWest Ham United, as well asOwen Hargreaves, who at the time played for Bayern Munich with Pizarro.[36]
Pizarro was assigned the number 14, the same number he has in thePeruvian National Team, and his former number at Bayern Munich, succeedingGeremi atChelsea. His debut was againstManchester United in the2007 FA Community Shield, coming on as a substitute, but then missed the penalty shootout as Chelsea lost the match.[37] Nevertheless, his season with Chelsea got off to a good start, scoring a goal on the opening weekend of the2007–08 Premier League season against Birmingham City.[38] AfterChelsea's coachJosé Mourinho's departure and the signing of French strikerNicolas Anelka, Pizarro found himself surplus to the then new managerAvram Grant. Despite this, Pizarro did play an important role inChelsea progressing to the fourth round of the2008 FA Cup, by contributing to a rebound ofQPR keeperLee Camp that went into the net.[39] He also scored the only goal in a match againstBirmingham.[40] This meant that his only two Premier League goals with Chelsea came in separate games against Birmingham City.
On 15 August 2008, Pizarro was loaned to Werder Bremen until the end of the season.[41] 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 toBorussia Mönchengladbach on 30 August .[42] Pizarro scored Werder Bremen's fourth goal in the club's impressive 5–2 away victory overBayern Munich on 20 September at theAllianz Arena. Former Werder Bremen's teammateTim Borowski scored both of Bayern Munich's goals.[43]
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 dumpA.C. Milan out of the UEFA Cup in the Round of 32.[44] In the second-leg of theirUEFA Cup quarter-final match againstUdinese on 17 April, Pizarro scored once and teammateDiego 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.[45] He scored a hat-trick on 4 May as Bremen beatHannover 4–1, keeping alive their push for a European place.[46]
Pizarro's role was fundamental in the qualification of Werder Bremen to theUEFA Cup Final,[47] scoring a goal in the 3–2 away victory overHamburg on 7 May, completing a 3–3 aggregate victory over their German rivals in the semi-finals.[48] However, with the absence of playmakerDiego in the final againstShakhtar Donetsk, Pizarro could not save the team from a 2–1 defeat after extra time to theUkrainian champions on 20 May 2009 at theŞükrü Saracoğlu Stadium inIstanbul.[49]
Pizarro was decisive and important for Werder Bremen during his return, scoring 17 goals in just 26Bundesliga appearances in the 2008–09 season.[50][51]
On 18 August 2009, Pizarro signed permanently his return to Werder Bremen for an undisclosed amount after an impressing performance in the previous season.[52] In his second season with Werder Bremen, he continued to be one of the top Bundesliga scorers with 16 goals.[53] 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 withGiovane Élber.[54] Pizarro finished the2010–11 season with 14 goals in 29 appearances.[55] On 15 May 2012, Pizarro announced that he would leave Werder Bremen in the summer.[56] He finished hisfinal season with 18 goals in 29 appearances.[57]
On 26 May 2012, Pizarro signed a one-year contract with his former German team, Bayern Munich.[58] On 31 October, Pizarro scored 2 goals againstKaiserslautern in theDFB-Pokal. In theChampions League match againstLille on 7 November, Pizarroscored a hat-trick within the first 33 minutes of the game as Bayern defeated their French opponents 6–1.[59] 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.[60] On 10 April 2013, Pizarro came off the bench to score a 90th-minute goal againstJuventus in the quarter-final of the2012–13 UEFA Champions League, which would end in a 0–2 win for Bayern Munich (0–4 in the aggregate).[61] Pizarro scored twice more and provided a further two assists in Bayern Munich's 6–1 victory overHannover 96 on 20 April.[62] He finished the2012–13 season with 13 goals in 28 appearances.[63]
On 19 April 2014, Pizarro scored in Bayern Munich's 2–0 win overEintracht Braunschweig, making him a scorer to every single Bundesliga team.[64] During the2013–14 season, he scored 10 goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances,[65] 1 goal in 2 German Cup appearances.[65] He also had 6 Champions League appearances,[65] a German Super Cup appearance,[15] and aFIFA Club World Cup appearance.[15]
His contract wasn't renewed after the2014–15 season,[66][67] when he scored just one goal in 17 appearances.[68] He failed to score in any of his Bundesliga or Champions League matches during the rest of the season.[67]
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.[67][69][70] On 2 March 2016 Pizarro reached 10 goals in the season by scoring a hat-trick in the 4–1 win away toBayer Leverkusen.[71] 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.[72] He finished the2015–16 season with 14 league goals, and was ranked bykicker as one of the top strikers in the Bundesliga.[73][74] On 2 July 2017, Werder Bremen announced Pizarro's contract would not be renewed.[75] He finished the2016–17 season with one goal in 19 appearances.[76]
On 29 September 2017, Pizarro signed a one-year contract with 1. FC Köln.[77] They were relegated from the Bundesliga following defeat toSC Freiburg on 28 April 2018.[78] He finished the2017–18 season with a goal in 16 appearances.[79]
On 29 July 2018, Pizarro signed a one-year contract with Werder Bremen joining them for the fifth time in his career.[80]
On 16 February 2019, with his stoppage equaliser in the away match againstHertha BSC, Pizarro became the oldest scorer in the history of the Bundesliga at 40 years and 136 days of age.[81] Pizarro broke the record previously held since August 1996 byMiroslav Votava ( then 40 years and 121 days of age).[82] His goal also made him the first and only player to score in 21 consecutive calendar years in the Bundesliga.[83] On 4 May 2019, he scored his fourth Bundesliga goal of the season, in a 2–2 equalizer of Werder Bremen against Borussia Dortmund.[84][85] 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 the2019–20 season would be his last season before retiring from football activity.[86] In that season, he played 18 Bundesliga matches without scoring a goal. In all of these, he entered as substitute, including his final appearance againstMainz 05 on 27 June 2020. He was no longer considered in the team for the following 2relegation playoff games.[87] In his career at the Bundesliga, Pizarro scored 197 goals in 490 matches.[88]
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 overVenezuela. The injury forced him out of the rest of the tournament and required extensive surgery in Germany.[93] Under the management ofJulio César Uribe, Pizarrocaptained Peru to the quarter-finals of the 2007 Copa América, scoring the two goals in the 2–2 draw againstBolivia in the final match of the group inMérida.[94]
On 18 June 2015, Pizarro scored the only goal of Peru's 1–0 win against Venezuela in thegroup stage of the2015 Copa América.[95] He won his last cap in March 2016.[96]
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.[97] Other Peruvian players playing abroad, likeJefferson Farfán were also suspended. Since Pizarro claimed to be innocent, he started a trial against thePeruvian Football Federation. This action alerted FIFA about his case, who warned Pizarro not to take it to regular courts of justice or face an international sanction.[98] 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. TheCourt of Arbitration for Sport 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.[99] 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."[99]
Pizarro has a sister, Patricia, and a younger brother,Diego.[100] Diego is also a professional footballer and played for Bayern Munich as a youth.[101]
Pizarro is married to his teenage sweetheart, Karla Salcedo, having two sons and a daughter. All three were born in Germany.[102] Pizarro co-owns arace horse called 'Crying Lightning' with fellow professional footballerJoey Barton.[103] In January 2011, the horse competed at theNad Al Sheba Racecourse inDubai.[citation needed]
On 15 September 2020, Pizarro became an ambassador for Bayern Munich.[104]