Walter Pandiani

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Walter Pandiani bigraphy, stories - Uruguayan footballer

Walter Pandiani : biography

27 April 1976 –

Walter Gerardo Pandiani Urquiza (born 27 April 1976) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Atlético Baleares in Spain as a striker. Nicknamed El Rifle, his best assets are his strength and aerial ability.

His performances for Peñarol earned him a move to Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain, where he remained for the vast majority of his career, also representing Mallorca, Espanyol (twice) and Osasuna. He also spent a year with Birmingham City in England.

Over the course of 12 seasons, Pandiani amassed La Liga totals of 279 games and 82 goals.

Club career

Early years / Deportivo

Born in Montevideo, Pandiani started his career with hometown club Progreso, moving on to Basañez and Peñarol, the latter also in the country’s capital, before signing with Deportivo La Coruña in 2000. Never an undisputed starter for the Galician team, he was one of their most important offensive elements, often scoring as a substitute (he netted 13 in the 2003–04 season).

Pandiani, who had a successful loan stint at Mallorca while still at Depor, moved to Birmingham City in the Premier League, also on loan, in January 2005, after a series of run-ins with coach Javier Irureta. He scored a goal on his debut against Southampton in a 2–1 home win, and went on to score three more in the season, prompting manager Steve Bruce to sign him on a permanent contract for a reported fee of £3 million.

Espanyol

Having failed to continue to display his previous form, Pandiani returned to Spain on 13 January 2006, after completing a move to Espanyol for £1m. In his first full season he scored only seven La Liga goals, including a first-half hat-trick against eventual champions Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, but was top scorer in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup with eleven as his club reached the final, lost on penalties to Sevilla.

Osasuna

For 2007–08, Pandiani joined Osasuna. Scarcely used in his first year, he was instrumental for the Navarrese in the following campaign, especially after the arrival in mid-October of coach José Antonio Camacho, finishing as the club’s top scorer.

Osasuna’s first goal of the 2010–11 season only came in the fourth matchday, and 34-year-old Pandiani scored it through a header as the team came from behind to win it 3–1 against Real Sociedad, at home. On 30 January 2011, during half-time of a 1–0 home win against Real Madrid, he was involved in a "verbal spat" with Cristiano Ronaldo, suggesting afterwards that "As a footballer he is a phenomenon but to do the things he does, maybe he has a screw loose."

Late career

35-year-old Pandiani returned to Espanyol for 2011–12, signing a one-year contract and acting mainly as backup to youth graduate Álvaro Vázquez. On 22 September 2011 he came from the bench to score the game’s only goal at home against Getafe, in stoppage time. On 27 October he repeated the feat, albeit not so late in the game, with a powerful header at home to Real Betis.

In late August 2012 Pandiani signed a one-year contract with Segunda División club Villarreal, where his 18-year-old son Nico was a C-team player. On his debut, at home to Guadalajara, he entered the game as a second-half substitute and scored the winning goal, and did the same the following week in another narrow win, at Ponferradina.

In late January 2013, Pandiani and Nico left Villarreal and joined Atlético Baleares in Segunda División B.

Statistics

International

Uruguay national team
Year Apps Goals
2001 1 0
2002 0 0
2003 1 0
2004 2 0
Total 4 0

Honours

Peñarol
  • Uruguayan Primera División: 1999
Deportivo
  • Copa del Rey: 2001–02
  • Supercopa de España: 2002
Mallorca
  • Copa del Rey: 2002–03
Espanyol
  • Copa del Rey: 2005–06
  • UEFA Cup: runner-up 2006–07

International career

Despite his relatively successful career in Spain, Pandiani only received four caps for Uruguay, the first coming on 28 March 2001 in a 0–1 home defeat against Paraguay for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.