Pizzi (Portuguese footballer)

Pizzi
Personal information
Full name Luís Miguel Afonso Fernandes[1]
Date of birth (1989-10-06) 6 October 1989[1]
Place of birth Bragança, Portugal
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position Central midfielder, Winger
Club information
Current team
 Benfica
Number 21
Youth career
1999–2007 Bragança
2007–2008 Braga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007 Bragança 4 (1)
2008–2012 Braga 2 (0)
2008–2009 → Ribeirão (loan) 25 (1)
2009 → Covilhã (loan) 14 (4)
2010–2011 → Paços Ferreira (loan) 42 (8)
2011–2012 → Atlético Madrid (loan) 11 (1)
2012–2013 Atlético Madrid 0 (0)
2012–2013 → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) 35 (8)
2013– Benfica 127 (29)
2013–2014 → Espanyol (loan) 28 (3)
National team‡
2008 Portugal U19 4 (1)
2010–2011 Portugal U21 2 (0)
2011 Portugal U23 1 (0)
2012– Portugal 12 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 October 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2018

Luís Miguel Afonso Fernandes (born 6 October 1989), known as Pizzi (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpizi]), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Benfica as a central midfielder.

After a successful loan at Paços de Ferreira, he spent three years in Spain with as many teams, totalling 74 games and 12 goals in La Liga. He has played over 100 games for Benfica, winning eight domestic honours including three consecutive Primeira Liga titles.

Pizzi made his senior international debut for Portugal in 2012 and was part of their squad at the 2017 Confederations Cup.

Club career

Early years

Born in Bragança, Pizzi began his career with hometown club G.D. Braganca in the third tier in 2007. A year later, he joined Primeira Liga club S.C. Braga, spending most of his time out on loan and making his first professional appearances with S.C. Covilhã of the Segunda Liga in 2009. On 10 January 2010, he joined top-flight club F.C. Paços de Ferreira.[2]

In 2010–11, Pizzi scored seven league goals for Paços, only missing three league matches. On 8 May 2011 he netted a hat-trick in a 3–3 draw at Porto, which turned out to be the only home league game that the eventual champions failed to win during the season.[3] He scored twice on 3 March in a 4–3 win at C.D. Nacional to qualify the team for the 2011 Taça da Liga Final.[4]

Spain

On 30 August 2011 Pizzi moved to Spanish team Atlético Madrid, on loan until the end of the year, after which the Colchoneros had an option to buy the player permanently for €13.5 million,[5][6] which they did in October of the following year.[7][8] He made his La Liga debut on 18 September 2011, replacing also newly signed Radamel Falcao midway through the second half of a 4–0 home win against Racing de Santander.[9] He scored his only Atlético goal to open a 3–2 win over Levante UD also at the Vicente Calderón Stadium on 20 November,[10] totalling 15 appearances of which three were in the victorious UEFA Europa League campaign.

Along with several compatriots, initially still under contract with Braga, Pizzi moved to Deportivo de La Coruña for the 2012–13 campaign. In only his second appearance, through a penalty kick, he helped the Galicians come back from 1–3 at Valencia CF for a final 3–3 draw, scoring his team's last goal;[11] he added a brace against FC Barcelona on 20 October 2012 – one of the goals coming through a superbly-taken free kick – but his team lost 4–5 at the Riazor Stadium.[12]

On 26 July 2013 Pizzi signed a six-year contract with S.L. Benfica, for a fee of €6 million for half of his economic rights,[13] being immediately loaned to RCD Espanyol also in Spain's top flight.[14][15]

Benfica

In the 2014–15 season, Pizzi joined Portuguese champions Benfica and was converted from winger to central midfielder, like his predecessor Enzo Pérez. On 5 October 2014, Pizzi debuted in a 4–0 win against Arouca in Primeira Liga.[16][17] On 14 January 2015, Pizzi scored his first goal for Benfica, from a penalty kick, in another 4–0 home win against Arouca, this time in the third round of league cup.[18] On 28 February, Pizzi scored his first goal for Benfica in the league, in the thrashing of Estoril (6–0).[19]

Pizzi scored 12 times in 48 games over the 2016–17 season as Benfica won a domestic double. He was voted Player of the Month consecutively from October/November to December,[20] and eventually Player of the Season at the LPFP Awards.[21]

On 1 December 2017, during the Porto vs Benfica match, Pizzi was attacked in the back by a supporter of Porto who invaded the pitch; Porto faced a maximum of two behind closed doors matches but was only fined €2,860.[22][23]

Pizzi scored a first-half hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Vitória de Guimarães in the opening (league) match of the 2018–19 season,[24] and was again voted Player of the Month for August 2018.[25]

International career

Pizzi made his debut for Portugal on 14 November 2012 in a friendly with Gabon, scoring through a penalty in an eventual 2–2 draw in Libreville.[26]

He was selected for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia,[27] playing two matches as the Portuguese finished third.

Career statistics

Club

As of 25 May 2018[28][29]
Club Season League Cup(s) Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bragança 2006–07 Second Division 4100—41
Braga 2007–08 Primeira Liga 0000—00
Ribeirão (loan) 2008–09 Second Division 25100—251
Covilhã (loan) 2009–10 Segunda Liga 14440—184
Paços Ferreira (loan) Primeira Liga 12121—142
2010–11 27784—3511
Braga 2011–12 20000020
Atlético Madrid (loan) 2011–12 La Liga 1112030161
Deportivo (loan) 2012–13 35810—368
Espanyol (loan) 2013–14 28361—344
Benfica 2014–15 Primeira Liga 2326210304
2015–16 31750100467
2016–17 3310103805113
2017–18 3365060446
2018–19 13001124
Total 1212826525017233
Career total 27954491128035665

International

As of match played 11 October 2018[30]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Portugal 201211
201310
201400
201520
201600
201751
201830
Total122

International goals

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first.[30]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.14 November 2012Stade Omar Bongo, Libreville, Gabon Gabon1–12–2Friendly
2.3 June 2017Estádio António Coimbra da Mota, Estoril, Portugal Cyprus3–04–0Friendly

Honours

Club

Paços de Ferreira[29]

Atlético de Madrid[29]

Benfica[29]

International

Portugal

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017: List of players: Portugal" (PDF). FIFA. 20 March 2018. p. 7. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "Pizzi da saída para o Paços de Ferreira" (in Portuguese). SAPO. 10 January 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  3. ↑ Vitoria Setubal beat Sporting to guarantee survival, Naval & Portimonense relegated; PortuGOAL, 8 May 2011
  4. ↑ "Pizzi destaque "contra ataque" do Paços" [Pizzi highlights Paços' "counter attack"] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  5. ↑ Relatório e contas anuais (Yearly report and finance) Archived 22 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.; Braga's official website, 23 September 2011 (Portuguese)
  6. ↑ Official: Atletico Madrid sign Pizzi from Sporting Braga on loan; Goal.com, 30 August 2011
  7. ↑ Relatório e contas anual (Yearly report and finance); Braga's official website, 16 October 2012 (Portuguese)
  8. ↑ El Atlético paga por Pizzi 13,5 millones en cuatro años (Atlético pays 13,5 million for Pizzi in four years); Diario AS, 18 October 2012 (Spanish)
  9. ↑ Falcao hits hat-trick in romp; ESPN Soccernet, 18 September 2011
  10. ↑ "Con Reyes la cosa cambia" [With Reyes it changes]. Marca (in Spanish). 20 November 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  11. ↑ Deportivo battle back for victory; ESPN Soccernet, 26 August 2012
  12. ↑ Deportivo 4–5 Barcelona: Messi hits hat-trick as the Riazor rains goals; Goal.com, 20 October 2012
  13. ↑ "Pizzi jugará en el Benfica" [Pizzi will play in Benfica] (in Spanish). Atlético's official website. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  14. ↑ "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF) (in Portuguese). CMVM. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  15. ↑ "Pizzi i Sidnei, nous reforços" [Pizzi and Sidnei, new signings] (in Catalan). Espanyol's official website. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Pizzi: "Dar o máximo para estar à disposição de Jorge Jesus"" (in Portuguese). Benfica. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "SL Benfica – Arouca, 4-0: Resposta de Campeão consolida liderança!" (in Portuguese). Benfica. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "Benfica - Arouca (Fase 3 - jornada 2 Taça da Liga 2014-2015) - Liga Portugal". LPFP (in Portuguese). 14 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  19. ↑ "Benfica - Estoril (Jornada 23 Liga NOS 2014-2015) - Liga Portugal" (in Portuguese). LPFP. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  20. 1 2 "Pizzi foi o melhor do mês em dezembro" [Pizzi was player of the month in December]. zerozero (in Portuguese). 12 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Pizzi eleito o melhor jogador do ano" [Pizzi voted best player of the year]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 7 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  22. ↑ "Invasão de adepto no clássico vale multa de 2.869 euros" [Pitch invasion in the Classic results in 2,869 euro fine]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  23. ↑ "Invasão de campo e agressão a Pizzi. FC Porto escapa a jogos à porta fechada" [Pitch invasion and assault against Pizzi. FC Porto escapes behind closed doors matches]. Renascença (in Portuguese). 19 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  24. ↑ "Pizzi hace un hat-trick y el Benfica sufre para ganar" [Pizzi scores a hat-trick and Benfica suffer to win]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 10 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  25. 1 2 "Pizzi vence prémio de jogador do mês" [Pizzi wins best player of the month award]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 17 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  26. ↑ "Gabon 2–2 Portugal: Seleccao pay the penalty for defensive indiscipline". Goal.com. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  27. ↑ "FIFA Confederations Cup squads". The Times of India. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  28. ↑ Pizzi at ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 17 January 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  29. 1 2 3 4 Pizzi at Soccerway Edit this at Wikidata
  30. 1 2 "Pizzi". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  31. ↑ Cunha, Pedro Jorge (17 May 2015). "Benfica bicampeão: 28 com as faixas e dois à espera" [Benfica back-to-back champion: 28 with the sashes and two await] (in Portuguese). Maisfutebol. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  32. ↑ "Pizzi (SL Benfica), Paulinho (Portimonense) e Brahimi (FC Porto) destacam-se em outubro/novembro" [Pizzi (SL Benfica), Paulinho (Portimonense) e Brahimi (FC Porto) stand out in October/November]. Liga Portugal (in Portuguese). 14 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
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