David Pizarro

David Marcelo Pizarro Cortez closed his playing career at the very top: in 2015 he was part of the Chilean squad that won its first-ever Copa América title, capping an international journey that had begun back in 1999 and included an Olympic bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. By the time he announced his retirement in November 2018, captaining Universidad de Chile in his final match against Curicó Unido that December, the midfield general had become one of his country’s most decorated exports.

Born on 11 September 1979 in Valparaíso, Pizarro came up through Santiago Wanderers before joining Udinese in Serie A in the late 1990s. After a 2001 loan spell at Universidad de Chile, he established himself as Udinese’s starting central midfielder for five seasons, helping the club reach the Champions League in 2004–05 before a reported €10 million transfer to Inter Milan in July 2005.

In Italy he collected a Serie A title (2005–06), three Coppa Italia trophies, and two Supercoppa Italiana wins with Inter and Roma, also representing Fiorentina and a brief 2012 loan at Manchester City. Known as “Pek” for his 1.68-metre frame, he dictated games with vision, passing range, and set-piece quality.

His father David Pizarro Inostroza played as an amateur midfielder in Valparaíso, and his son Bastián, born in Udine in 2003, now plays professionally in Italy — a family thread woven through the game itself.