Claudio Pizarro - International Career

International Career

Pizarro has been a regular for Peru since 1999, and was the captain succeeding Nolberto Solano. His career in the national team has not mirrored his club career, as he has scored only 13 goals, only 6 of which have been in competitive matches. Pizarro has been a starting player in the qualifying tournaments for the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup, the 2006 Germany World Cup, and the first three games of the 2010 South Africa World Cup. Fans of the Peruvian national team have complained of his lackluster performance in the qualifiers: only three goals scored throughout three tournaments.

In the Copa América 2004 when playing for the Peruvian National team he suffered a fractured skull, when he took an elbow to the head in an on-field collision during a 3–1 win over Venezuela which forced him out of the Copa America and required extensive surgery in Germany. He was not able to play for over three months after the incident.

Under the management of Julio César Uribe, Pizarro played for Peru in the 2007 Copa América, scoring two goals against Bolivia.

On 7 December 2007, an investigation on having introduced women and alcohol into the national squad's hotel two days before Peru's away drubbing at the hands of Ecuador (5–1) started running, and Pizarro has thus been suspended 18 months from the national team starting on the day before the match. Other Peruvian players based overseas like Jefferson Farfán and others were also suspended. Since Pizarro claimed to be innocent, he started a trial against the Peruvian Football Federation. This action alerted FIFA about the case who warned the player about not taking it to the regular judges or he could face an international ban.

On 3 July 2008, after an investigation and a review of the facts, the suspension was changed to only three months (from the date of appeal in April 2008) and $10,000 fine. Pizarro served the three month ban.

On 17 April 2009, Pizarro won a court victory over his national federation. The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a $10,000 fine imposed on Pizarro by the Peruvian football association after the alleged November 2007 incident. "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 satisfaction with the final result. He explained: "I am very satisfied and feel vindicated, Pizarro 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.

Despite these results neither him nor any of the other suspended players were ever called for the duration of the World Cup South Africa qualification games by coach Del Solar. Pizarro's attitude as team captain had already been called into question by the fans, who felt he that he would focus more on his hobbies (such as horse racing) than training when he would go to Peru.