Striker Claudio Pizarro believes his prolific season with UEFA Cup finalists Werder Bremen is all down to an act of faith by the Bundesliga side.
Goals return
The 30-year-old Peruvian international had endured a disappointing campaign at Chelsea FC in 2007/08, getting few starts and managing only two Premier League goals from 21 league outings. However, the decision to loan him out and the choice of former club Bremen as his destination have transformed a struggling player into a lethal marksman on course for a 30-goal season.
Homecoming hero
Pizarro's 28 goals have not only taken Thomas Schaaf's men to Wednesday's final against FC Shakhtar Donetsk but also to a German Cup final on 30 May with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. "I came back because I know the coach, I know the club and they were willing to put their faith in me," Pizarro told uefa.com ahead of the Istanbul showpiece. "Having the chance to play in the Champions League was also very important. Unfortunately we didn't do well in the Champions League but we have reached the UEFA Cup final and the German Cup final so that is great."
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Faith repaid
Pizarro, who was at Bremen from 1999 to 2001 before a six-year spell with FC Bayern München, has a simple explanation for his revived form. Asked to name Schaaf's strengths as a coach, he said: "I think every player will give you a different answer. For me, it is important that a coach shows faith in me and Thomas Schaaf does exactly that." That belief has been handsomely rewarded in Europe, notably with Pizarro's double strike against AC Milan at San Siro which sent the seven-time European champions tumbling out of the Round of 32. He also netted in a thrilling 3-2 second-leg victory at Hanseatic rivals Hamburger SV in the semi-finals. He said: "The match against Hamburg was definitely the highlight because it was a local derby. We didn't just win the game for ourselves, we also did it for the fans."
Final chance
Though there have been concerns over his fitness in recent days, the forward is upbeat about Bremen's next match in the competition, saying: "We are extremely confident but there is no favourite in a final. I just hope we can continue our good run of form. Winning the final would be extremely important for me and my career." Bremen's hugely influential playmaker Diego and Pizarro's strike partner Hugo Almeida miss the showdown with Shakhtar through suspension, while defender Per Mertesacker is a major injury doubt but Pizarro is stoical about the setbacks, saying: "It is a huge blow, but things like that happen in football and we will be ready."
Defensive concerns
As for the defence, he added: "We have excellent attackers and score a lot of goals, which is a lot of fun. But this season we can sometimes score four goals and concede five, and that is not much fun. We need to improve our defending as a team so we don't concede too many goals, without losing our edge up front." Pizarro will find out on Wednesday whether Bremen can indeed keep things tight at the back and take their chance to lift what would be their second European trophy after the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1992. "It is very special for a player to reach a final," he said. "I just hope we play well and win."
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