Chile is famous for its beauty, national parks, Easter Island, minerals, copper, wine, earthquakes, food, the "golpe" of 1973, but also has a rich football history.
Chile have taken part in 9 World Cups. La Roja's best result was the 3rd place in 1962 in their homeland. They have participated in 41 Copa Américas and won it twice, in 2015 and 2016. In the current 2024 edition they were eliminated in the group phase.
Chile are currently ranked 37th in the world by FIFA.
At club level the most winning team is Colo-Colo (Macul) with 33 league titles, followed by Universidad de Chile (Santiago) with 18, Universidad Católica 16 (Santiago). The reigning champions however are Huachipato (Talcahuano).
Chilean clubs have won 1 Copa Libertadores (Colo-Colo in 1991).
The best players in their history include: Guillerme Subiabre, Sergio Livingstone, Leonel Sánchez, Francisco Valdés, Mario Ortiz, Luis Álamos, Carlos Caszely, Roberto Rojas, Carlos Vidal, Elias Figueroa, Marcelo Salas, David Pizarro, Ivan Zamorano, Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez, Edu Vargas.
Some of these and more have played in Italy. Lazio have had two Chilean players.
Ivan Zamorano - forward (Inter 1996-2001, 101 league games with 26 goals and 40 in total, he won a UEFA Cup in 1998). He previously played 4 seasons with Real Madrid, scoring 101 goals. He also has 69 caps for Chile with 34 goals.
Marcelo Salas - forward - Lazio
Marcelo Salas arrived at Lazio in 1998 from River Plate. He had just scored two goals against Italy in the '98 World Cup so Lazio fans had high hopes and he did not disappoint. He stayed three seasons.
In 1998-99 the manager was Sven-Göran Eriksson. The previous season Lazio had won the Coppa Italia, their first silverware in 24 years and now they aimed higher.
Lazio went extremely close to the Scudetto but faltered and were overtaken by Milan in the penultimate game not without some controversial refereeing decisions against Lazio. The Biancocelesti however triumphed in Europe winning the last ever Cup Winners Cup, beating Mallorca 2-1 in Birmingham.
Salas had a positive season with 30 league games with 15 goals (Inter, Empoli, Roma, Juventus, Sampdoria, Udinese x2, Parma, Piacenza, Perugia x2, Salernitana x2, Parma x2), 6 games in Coppa Italia with 5 goals (Cosenza x2, Milan, Inter x2) 6 games in the Cup Winners Cup with 4 goals (Lausanne, Partizan x2, Panionios) plus the Italian Supercoppa (won defeating Juventus 2-1). So, two trophies and 24 goals to start.
The 1999-2000 started in style defeating Manchester United in the European Super Cup. Lazio won 1-0 with a Salas goal.
Lazio then won the Scudetto on May 14 2000 and the Coppa Italia four days later. A historic double. Salas played 28 league games with 12 goals (Torino, Parma, Milan x2, Verona, Perugia, Piacenza, Bologna, Bari, Torino, Udinese, Bologna), 3 games in Coppa Italia and 10 games in Champions League with 4 goals (Dinamo Kiev, Maribor x2, Valencia) where Lazio reached the quarter finals.
The following season would be his last. Lazio won the Supercoppa in August (Inter 4-3) but in January Eriksson resigned due to poor results and the fact that he had agreed to become the England manager from June. Dino Zoff took over and Lazio improved but finished 3rd. Salas played less, due to injury and the arrival of Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez, 21 league games with 7 goals (Juventus, Reggina, Vicenza, Udinese, Inter, Fiorentina, Brescia), 2 games in Coppa Italia with 1 goal (Sampdoria) and 9 games in the Champions League.
At Lazio he played 117 games with 48 goals.
He then joined Juventus for two seasons but, in his first, suffered a serious injury in October. He played 18 league games with 2 goals, 5 games in Coppa Italia with 1 goal, 8 games in the Champions League with 1 goal plus a game in a Supercoppa final. He won 2 Scudetti in Turin and a Supercoppa.
He then returned to River Plate for two seasons (116 games with 45 goals and another title, making it four in total with the Millonarios) before spending four more seasons with his original club Universidad de Chile (in the two spells, 201 games with 111 goals).
In Italy he had a better period with Lazio than Juventus where he was limited by injuries. In total in Italy he played 149 games with 52 goals.
At Lazio he was a huge success. I would say he is one of the most popular players in their history. "El Matador" was a superb and complete striker; technical, great elevation and header, surgical left foot and a fighting spirit, possibly linked to his Mapuche ethnicity. The kids, and not only, loved his celebration after goals when he went on one knee and lifted one arm and index finger to the sky, a sort of matador bow.
He had his own chant at the stadium, something along the lines of "Matador, Matador, what do we need Ronaldo for when we have the Matador, Matador, Matador".
He also won 70 caps for Chile with 37 goals (3rd top in Chile history)
David Pizarro - midfielder (Udinese 1999-2001, 2001-2005, Inter 2005-06, Roma 2006-12, Fiorentina 2012-15, 381 league games with 28 goals and 1 Scudetto, 3 Coppe Italia, 2 Supercoppe). He also won a Premier League in a brief stay at Manchester City. He left Italy for Santiago Wanderers. "El Pek" won 46 Chilean caps.
Julio Gutiérrez - forward (Udinese 2000-01, Messina 2001-04, Udinese 2003-04, Pescara 2004, Udinese 2004, Sambenedettese 2004-05, Grosseto 2005, 86 league games with 4 goals). He left for Indios. He has 5 caps for Chile.
Mauricio Pinilla - forward (Chievo 2003-04, Grosseto 2009-10, Palermo 2010-12, Cagliari 2012-14, Genoa 2014-15, Atalanta 2025-17, Genoa 2017, 190 league games with 71 goals). He then returned to Universidad de Chile. He also played for Celta Vigo, Sporting Lisbon, Racing Santander and Hearts. He has 45 caps for Chile.
Mauricio Isla - defender (Udinese 2007-12, Juventus 2012-14, 2015, Cagliari 2016-17, 191 league games with 7 goals and 2 Scudetti and 2 Supercoppas with Juventus). He left for Fenerbahçe and then played for Flamengo. He has 138 caps for Chile and won 2 Copa Americas.
Arturo Vidal - midfielder (Juventus 2011-15, Inter 2020-22, 175 league games with 37 goals and 5 Scudetti, 3 Supercoppe and 2 Coppe Italia). He also played for Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Flamengo. He won 142 caps for Chile with 34 goals and won 2 Copa Américas.
Héctor Tapia - forward (Perugia 1999-2001, 4 league games). He left for Colo-Colo but returned to Europe and Lille in 2003-04 before returning to South America (Brazil then Chile). He has 15 caps for Chile with 4 goals.
Jaime Valdés - midfielder (Bari 1999-2004, Fiorentina 2004-05, Lecce 2005-08, Atalanta 2008-10, Parma 2011-14, 355 league games with 40 goals). In his European spell he also played a year with Sporting Lisbon. He left Parma for Colo-Colo. "El Pajarito" has 3 caps for Chile.
Nicolás Córdova - midfielder (Perugia 2001-02, Crotone 2002, Bari 2002-04, Livorno 2004-05, Ascoli 2005-06, Messina 2006-08, Grosseto 2008-09, Parma 2009-10, Brescia 2010-12, 250 league games with 42 goals). He has 5 caps for Chile. He is now a manager and temporarily in charge of the national team.
Mario Salgado - forward (Brescia 2001-02, Verona 2002-03, Ternana 2004-05, Brescia 2005-06, Albinoleffe 2006, Foggia 2006-07, Avellino 2007-08, Foggia 2008-10, Torino 2010-12, 196 league games with 51 goals). He left for Colo-Colo.
Carlos Carmona – midfielder (Reggina 2008-10, Atalanta 2010-17, 222 league games with 5 goals). He then went to the States for a year and then back to Chile. "El 7 Pulmones" has 51 caps for Chile with 1 goal.
Carlos Labrin - defender (Palermo 2011, Novara 2011-12, Palermo 2012-13, 11 league games). He left for Huachipato in Chile. He has 3 caps for Chile.
Felipe Seymour - midfielder (Genoa 2011-12, Catania 2012, Genoa 2012-13, Chievo 2013, Spezia 2013-14, Genoa 2014-15, 77 league games with 2 goals). He left for Brazil but soon returned to Chile. "El Walala" has 6 caps for the national team.
Cristobal Jorquera - midfielder (Genoa 2011-13, Parma 2014-15, 52 league games with 3 goals). In Europe he also played in Turkey and is now back in Chile. "El Niño Vertical" has 4 caps for Chile.
Eduardo Vargas - forward (Napoli 2012-13, 19 league games and no goals but 3 goals in the Europa League). He left for Gremio. He also played for QPR, Valencia, Hoffenheim and now Atlético Mineiro. He has 108 caps for Chile with 41 goals and 2 Copa Américas.
Matías Fernández - midfielder (Fiorentina 2012-16, Milan 2016-17,109 league games with 8 goals and 1 Supercoppa with Milan). He left for Necaxa in Mexico. He has 74 caps for Chile with 14 goals and won 1 Copa America.
Matias Campos Toro - midfielder (Siena 2012-13, Udinese 2013, 5 league games). He left for Hercules in Spain. He has 6 caps for Chile
Luis Jiménez - midfielder - Lazio
Luis Jiménez arrived at Lazio in January 2007 on loan from Ternana. He was supposed to come on a definite deal but complications with the Umbrian club during the negotiations meant he only came for 6 months.
He had previously played four seasons with Ternana in Serie B and a brief six-month spell at Fiorentina in A.
The manager was Delio Rossi and Lazio finished 3rd, qualifying for a Champions League preliminary. Jiménez played 16 league games with 2 goals (Ascoli, Livorno). Lazio then made it to the Champions League but Jimenez had left.
He joined Inter on loan for two and a half seasons, playing 30 games (21 in A) with 4 goals (3 in A) and winning 2 Scudetti and a Supercoppa.
He then had 6 months at West- Ham United before returning to Italy and Parma in January 2010, he played 12 league games with 1 goal.
In 2010-11 he spent a season with Cesena, playing 31 league games with 9 goals plus 1 game in Coppa Italia.
He then spent a year in The Arab Emirates, three in Qatar before returning to Chile (with a brief two-month summer interlude in Saudi Arabia).
Jimenez then retired in December 2022.
In Italy he played a total of 202 games in Italy (99 in A) with 45 goals.
At Lazio his stay was brief but he showed flashes of his talent. He is nicknamed "Il Mago" for his inventive and skilful style of play. He had a positive season at Lazio and helped the Biancocelesti qualify for the Champions League. It was a pity he could not stay on but Ternana's asking price was far too high so he moved on.
He won 33 caps for Chile with 3 goals.
Gary Medel - defender/midfielder (Inter 2014-17, Bologna 2019-23, 187 league games with 1 goal). In his career he also played for Boca Juniors, Sevilla, Cardiff City and Beşiktaş. He left Bologna for his current club Vasco da Gama. He is Chile captain and has 161 caps with 7 goals and has won 2 Copa de Américas.
Manuel Iturra - midfielder (Udinese 2015-16, 17 league games). In Europe he also played for Malaga, Real Murcia, Granada, Rayo Vallecano and Villarreal. He has 34 caps for Chile.
Erick Pulgar - midfielder (Bologna 2015-19, Fiorentina 2019-22, 174 league games with 18 goals). He left for Galatasaray and now plays for Flamengo. He has 48 caps for Chile with 4 goals.
Nicolás Castillo - forward (Frosinone 2015-16, 6 league games). Has also played for Club Bruges, Benfica and now plays for Universidad Católica. He has 24 caps for Chile and won a Copa America.
Francisco Sierralta - defender (Udinese 2017, Parma 2017-19, Udinese 2019-20, Empoli 2020, 27 league games with 1 goal). He left for Watford. He has 15 caps for Chile and won a Copa America.
Now 2023-24
Alexis Sánchez (Inter but played 95 league games with 20 goals for Udinese between 2008-11). "El Nino Maravilla" has 162 caps for Chile with 51 goals and 2 Copa América triumphs. He recently won the 2024 Scudetto with Inter.
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