"The team bus was making its way down the motorway, the atmosphere relaxed. Cards could be heard being slapped on tables. Pizarro was sitting with some teammates when his mobile suddenly rang. He didn't know the number, but he immediately recognised the voice on the line. It was José Mourinho. "I quickly fled into the little kitchen to take the call," Pizarro recalls in our new exclusive website series LEGACY - The Voice of Legends. The coach wanted to sign him, and the Peruvian quickly made the decision to move to Chelsea."
"When Pizarro arrived in London, he knew he was joining a changing room filled with world-class talent. Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, John Terry - names associated with winning. "In terms of individuals, it was the team with the best quality I ever played in," he said. The first few weeks in particular have stuck with him. "John Terry came up to me as captain and said, 'If you ever need anything, come to me'. They were all top guys.""
Claudio Pizarro received a call from José Mourinho and joined Chelsea in 2007. He entered a dressing room of world-class players including Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and John Terry. Initial weeks were welcoming, with Terry offering support. Mourinho departed after a poor start and Avram Grant replaced him, with limited opportunities for Pizarro. The Peruvian scored only two goals during his time at Stamford Bridge. Pizarro identifies that period as when he learned his most important football lesson and found the key to success. He assesses Bayern's chances and offers advice to Vincent Kompany's team.
Read at FC Bayern
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]