- The Uruguayan full-back is Montevideo City Torque's top scorer in the current edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
- A symbol and leading figure for the 'Ciudadano' side, he is at the forefront of the best international campaign in the club's 18-year history.
To understand Franco Pizzichillo's journey in football, one must appreciate the bond he has — one that is rewritten day by day — with Montevideo City Torque. And to delve into the most important chapters of the 'Ciudadanos' short but intense history, it is simply impossible not to mention the most important player to have worn the club's sky-blue shirt to date: none other than Franco Pizzichillo.
Born in Paysandú, Pizzichillo scored the winning goal in the first leg against Tigre in the Round of 16 of the Great Conquest. He is the player with the most appearances in Montevideo City Torque's history (more than 200) and has equalled Argentine forward Gustavo del Prete as the club's all-time leading scorer in CONMEBOL competitions, with six goals.
At 30, Pizzichillo is a true all-rounder. He was developed as a full-back, but under manager Marcelo Méndez he plays further forward, thanks to his tireless work rate and his ability to get into goalscoring positions — one of his defining traits in the current edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
He is a quiet leader, the kind who does not need to wear the captain's armband to inspire his team-mates. “They had been picking up wins against important teams, but we focused on our own game and came away with the victory. It was a very even match; we knew that whoever scored would win it. The second leg will be extremely tough — our only thought is to finish the tie at home,” he said after Montevideo City Torque's important victory in their first-ever appearance in a knockout stage of the competition.
The capital side are enjoying an outstanding spell of form: they won Group F convincingly ahead of Grêmio and, in their first knockout tie, not only produced a historic night but also ended a run of two defeats away to Argentine sides in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana — 3-1 against Independiente in 2021 and 2-1 against Riestra in the current edition.
Pizzichillo, who was sounded out by Peñarol during the transfer window, scored three goals in the 2021 edition — two against Brazil's Bahia and one against Bolivia's Guabirá. Pizzichillo knows that every new achievement ticks another box on his list of short-term goals, while bringing Montevideo City Torque one step closer to their dream of reaching the pinnacle of South American football. “This is a club that is developing, that continues to grow day by day and wants to compete at the highest level on the continent. To go down in history wearing this shirt is something beautiful,” he acknowledges.
He joined the club in 2018 and — apart from a season in which he moved to Mexican side Santos Laguna — every step he has taken has forged a new path to explore in the shirt he loves. Pizzichillo is already a legend, building day by day a story of football, love and belonging — his story with Montevideo City Torque; a tale that still has chapters yet to be written.
