Werder veteran Pizarro to sign new contract at 40

Liam Blackburn

Werder veteran Pizarro to sign new contract at 40 image

Werder Bremen have confirmed 40-year-old striker Claudio Pizarro will remain with the club next season.

The veteran has reached an agreement with the Bundesliga side to carry on playing for a 21st campaign in Europe, having first moved to Werder in 1999.

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Werder sporting director Frank Baumann said Pizarro, who has also played for Bayern Munich and Chelsea during his career, will now sign "a suitable contract in the coming days".

The Peruvian, who returned to Werder for a fourth spell in July 2018, told the club's official website: "I have always said that my future plans would depend on what my body was telling me.

"I still feel good, so I'm glad to be staying here for another year.

"We have developed really well as a team this season and I'm sure we'll carry on improving. I'd like to be a part of that too."

He marked the news in typical fashion, scoring an 88th minute winner on the last day of the season to help Bremen take a 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig.

Pizarro joined Bremen at the age of 20 after bursting onto the scene with Alianza Lima in his native Peru, and has since gone on to make history in the Bundesliga for his goalscoring prowess and longevity. 

El Conquistador has made over 700 appearances in a career that and netted more than 300 goals, while his 300th appearance for Bremen came off the bench in last week's 1-0 defeat of Hoffenheim.

The 40-year-old features mainly as an impact substitute for his club, making just three Bundesliga starts this season, but nevertheless hit seven goals in all competitions to prove he is still a useful option despite his advanced age.

Liam Blackburn