Mexico calls up Pizarro for two matches, Inter Miami wants him to decline invitation
Inter Miami midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro finds himself in a tug-of-war between the club and the Mexican national team.
Mexico’s national team coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino included Pizarro on his 26-man roster for a pair of upcoming friendlies in the Netherlands — Oct. 7 vs. the Netherlands and Oct. 13 vs. Algeria. Pizarro is one of three MLS players called up, along with Alan Pulido of Sporting Kansas City and Jonathan dos Santos of Los Angeles Galaxy. The rest of the players are based in Mexico and Europe.
If Pizarro goes, he could miss up to five or six of Inter Miami’s remaining nine regular-season games because per MLS rules, a 10-day quarantine period would be required upon return from the overseas trip.
“We have made it very clear that we want Rodolfo to stay with us,” Inter Miami coach Diego Alonso said on Thursday. “We are in conversations with MLS and FIFA to try to reach a resolution. It is a difficult situation for Rodolfo because he wants to play for his national team, but also wants to help our team. If we are obligated to release him to the national team, we will, but if we don’t have to, we won’t. There are good reasons for him to stay with us. He will respect whatever decision is made.”
Alonso said he has a good relationship with Martino, and the two have spoken “as gentlemen, with full transparency.” Alonso also said they have left Pizarro out of the discussions so that he won’t feel pressured by either side.
Pizarro said last week that he feels loyalty to both his club and national team, making this a complicated situation, but that he will respect whatever decision is reached.
If Pizarro is required to go, he would likely play Inter Miami’s home game against New York City FC on Saturday night, travel Sunday, fly back on Oct. 14, and quarantine until Oct. 24. He would miss games against the New York Red Bulls (Oct. 7), Houston Dynamo (Oct. 10), Atlanta United (Oct. 14), Montreal Impact (Oct. 17), and Orlando City (Oct. 24).
“In discussions with our medical experts and infectious disease advisors, it has been determined that players who leave to complete in matches for their national teams need to quarantine for 10 days upon returning to their MLS club,” said Dan Courtemanche, the MLS vice president for communications.
Some MLS clubs, entering the final stretch of the regular season and playoffs, have been concerned about allowing players to travel during the October international window. FIFA rules require clubs to release players to their national teams during designated international competition windows, so typically, most leagues schedule around those times to avoid conflicts.
FIFA can punish teams for not releasing players to their national teams by suspending the players multiple days after the window. It is possible there would not be any penalty in Pizarro’s case because Mexico’s games are just friendlies.
In addition to the Mexican friendlies, South American World Cup qualifiers fall in the October window as well as UEFA Nations League matches. Approximately 30 MLS players have been called up for those events.
According to ESPN, Martino said Wednesday on a video conference after Mexico’s 3-0 win over Guatemala that he feels the three MLS players selected should be permitted to travel.
“These types of call-ups in FIFA windows are governed by legal questions and with MLS, apparently the problem was that players had to quarantine on return...We understand there is no inconvenience for any of the three footballers, and Pulido, dos Santos and Rodolfo can travel,” Martino said.
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 2:02 PM.