David Pizarro - TheSportsDB.com

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Name
David Pizarro

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Complete

60%

Born
1979 (45 years old)

Birth Place

Valparaíso, Chile

Position
Central Midfield

Status

Ethnicity

Team Number

Height
168 cm

Weight
64 kg

Outfitter

Kit

Side

Agent

Wage Year

Player Manager ID
120098

Player Cutout

Full Body Render

Sport

Soccer

Team
_Retired Soccer

2nd Team

League
_No League Soccer

Creative Commons Artwork
No

Description
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David Marcelo Pizarro Cortés (born 11 September 1979) is a retired Chilean former professional footballer who last played as a midfielder for Chilean Primera División club Universidad de Chile. He is usually deployed as a central midfielder, although he can also operate in a holding role in front of the back-line, in a more attacking position in the hole behind the strikers, or even as a deep-lying playmaker. An intelligent and technically gifted player, who possesses significant physical strength in spite of his diminutive stature, and an ability to dictate play in midfield, Pizarro is known in particular for his vision, range of passing, dribbling skills, and ability from set pieces.

Pizarro began his career in Chile with Santiago Wanderers, and later also played for Universidad de Chile in his home country; he later had spells with several Italian clubs, and also briefly played on loan with English side Manchester City in 2012, before returning to Chile in 2015. During his stay in Italian football, he won one Serie A title (2005–06), three Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana titles, while playing for Inter Milan and Roma; he also played for Udinese and Fiorentina during his time in Italy. His Italian nickname is "Pek", diminutive of "pequeño", meaning "small" in Spanish, because of his short stature (1.68 metres).

Pizarro played for the Chile national team, with which he won the bronze medal at 2000 Summer Olympics, and played at two Copa América tournaments. He made his full debut in 1999, playing at that year's Copa América, and was part of the Chilean squad which won its first-ever tournament in 2015.

In November 2018, he announced his retirement from professional football. His last match was on 2 December 2018, as a captain of Universidad de Chile, against Curicó Unido.

Pizarro began his international career in 1999. After being one of the best players of the South American Youth Championship that year, Chile manager Nelson Acosta gave him an opportunity in the senior team.

He played in the 1999 Copa America and also the 2000 Summer Olympics, where he won the bronze medal. He also participated in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup qualifiers, with Chile failing to qualify on both occasions.

After failing to qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Pizarro announced his retirement from international football, listing several reasons for his decision. He disliked ex-coach Juvenal Olmos and ex-association president Reinaldo Sánchez.4 Also, he believed the players on the national team played solely to gain popularity. He also said he wished to spend more time with his family.

On 20 May 2013, Pizarro was called up to the national team for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, returning to the Chile squad after having meetings with head coach Jorge Sampaoli, thus ending his eight-year absence from international football. After failing to be named to Chile's 23-man squad list for the World Cup, he was part of the 2015 Copa América-winning squad.