In the last few days of 2022 some rather sad images of Rodolfo Pizarro surfaced as the former Monterrey player was seen training on his own in an empty stadium in his hometown of Tampico. Pizarro was once a player that many people touted as the most talented Mexican footballer of his generation. Even though he shared the spotlight with the likes of Chucky Lozano. Pizarro seemed destined for a move to Europe, but that never came.
Instead, he would leave Pachuca where he shone bright as a youngster to join Chivas. In Guadalajara, he was a key figure in Chivas’ most recent championship run under Matias Almeyda. Ultimately though he had a falling out with Chivas higher ups, and that led to him being sold to Monterrey. In retrospect those were the first signs of issues between Pizarro and management that perhaps have led him to where he is. Anyway long story after decent performances with Monterrey he was signed by the new MLS side Inter Miami as the franchise’s first player. That didn’t pan out though, so he ultimately returned to Rayados where he had a ton of chances to prove his worth again.
He would go on to squander all of his chances though, and at the end of last season he found himself on the outside looking in. So far no Liga MX team has made a move for Pizarro. Why is it though that a Chavez transfer could open the doors for Pizarro’s return to Liga MX.
It Seems To Be Pachuca Or Bust At This Point
There was a lot of speculation that Chivas could be the team that would be willing to throw Rodolfo Pizarro a lifeline. That may have been a real possibility if Ricardo Pelaez was still in charge, but with the arrival of Fernando Hierro Pizarro didn’t get a second look. The biggest issue for Pizarro is that despite the fact that he’s training on his own he’s not a free agent. He’s actually still contracted to Inter Miami. This is an issue that Mexican players face when going to MLS. They have to train on their own for long stretches of time until MLS camp starts back up.
Any team that wants to sign Pizarro has to work out some type of deal with Inter Miami, and Pizarro still has a very high salary. That’s why teams like Puebla, or San Luis have not gone after the former Pachuca player. If Luis Chavez leaves to Europe or to Monterrey of all places Pizarro could be a player that the team would look to, to fill that void. Pachuca has always been open to signing former players, but they have to come at the right price!
The Star Of A New Expansion League Team In Tampico?
As we mentioned, the real reason why Rodolfo Pizarro is not on a team at the moment is because he’s still contracted to Inter Miami. That’s why we see the shots of him training alone in Tampico. However, there’s been a development in Tampico over the last few days. The team recently ceased to exist to become Atletico La Paz this season in the Liga MX Expansion league. The team’s former social media accounts though have been overly active in the last few days. Essentially the talk around town seems to indicate that there’s a real possibility that the squad could return. Would Pizarro serve as the franchise player for the return of his hometown club? The loan fee that a potential Tampico team would have to pay Inter Miami seems too steep. Yet people in Tampico may see a new year’s miracle, and have their hometown hero playing for the local team! A team that as of today doesn’t even formally exist. We’ve seen weirder things happen in Liga MX though.
