David Suazo facts for kids
Suazo with Honduras in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 November 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | San Pedro Sula, Honduras | ||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1997 | Marathón | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–1999 | Olimpia | 10 | (5) |
| 1999–2007 | Cagliari | 255 | (94) |
| 2007–2011 | Internazionale | 27 | (8) |
| 2008–2009 | → Benfica (loan) | 12 | (4) |
| 2010–2011 | → Genoa (loan) | 16 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Catania | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 327 | (114) | |
| National team | |||
| 2000 | Honduras U23 | 5 | (6) |
| 1999–2012 | Honduras | 57 | (17) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2018 | Brescia | ||
| 2021–2022 | Carbonia | ||
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Óscar David Suazo Velázquez (born 5 November 1979) is a famous Honduran footballer who used to play as a striker. He was known for his amazing speed and powerful shots. David Suazo played over 300 games and scored more than 90 goals in Italy during his 12 seasons there. After retiring as a player, he became a coach.
Contents
David Suazo's Football Journey
Starting His Career
David Suazo was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. People called him La Pantera (The Panther) because he was so fast, or El Rey David (The King David). He started playing football with his cousin, Maynor Suazo, who also became a national team player for Honduras.
David first played for the youth teams of Olimpia, a big club in Honduras. He was so good that he joined Olimpia's main team before he even turned 20 years old!
Playing for Cagliari
In 1999, a coach named Óscar Tabárez from the Italian team Cagliari saw David play. He was so impressed that he brought David to Europe. David joined Cagliari for the 1999–2000 Serie A season.
In his first year, he scored one goal in 13 games. Cagliari then moved down to Serie B, a lower league, where they stayed for a few years. David continued to play well for Cagliari, helping them get promoted back to Serie A in the 2003–04 season. He became a very important player for the team.
Moving to Inter Milan
After many successful years at Cagliari, David Suazo joined Internazionale (often called Inter) in June 2007. Inter is one of the biggest clubs in Italy! There was a bit of confusion because another big club, Milan, also wanted him. But David decided to stick with his promise to Inter.
He said it was about "respect" for Inter's coach, Roberto Mancini, and chairman, Massimo Moratti. He joined Inter for about €14 million. In his first season with Inter, he scored eight goals.
Loan Spells
After his first year at Inter, David was loaned to other teams to get more playing time.
Benfica Loan
For the 2008–09 season, he played for Benfica in Portugal. He played 12 league matches and scored four goals there.
Genoa Loan
In December 2009, David was loaned to Genoa in Italy. He scored his first goal for Genoa against Milan, his former rivals. However, his time at Genoa was not very successful, as he only scored 2 goals in 16 games.
Back to Inter and Retirement
After his loan at Genoa, David returned to Inter. But he had a long-term injury and didn't play any games during the 2010–11 season. His contract with Inter ended in June 2011.
Playing for Catania
In August 2011, David signed a one-year deal with Catania, another Italian team. He wore the number 9 jersey. However, he only played six games for Catania.
On 27 March 2013, at 33 years old, David Suazo announced he was retiring from football. He had been struggling with knee injuries for a while.
International Career for Honduras
David Suazo also played for his home country, Honduras. He played for the Honduras under-20 team in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.
He made his first game for the senior Honduras team in May 1999 against Haiti. He played a total of 57 games for Honduras and scored 17 goals. He helped his country in 30 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and even played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
His last game for Honduras was on 12 June 2012, in a World Cup qualifying match against Canada.
International Goals
David Suazo scored many important goals for Honduras. Here are some of them:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 July 2000 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  El Salvador |
5–0 | 5–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 2 September 2000 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras | El Salvador |
4–0 | 5–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers |
| 3 | 12 June 2004 | Stadion Ergilio Hato, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles |  Netherlands Antilles |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 12 June 2004 | Stadion Ergilio Hato, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles | Netherlands Antilles |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 19 June 2004 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras | Netherlands Antilles |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 18 August 2004 | Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica |  Costa Rica |
1–1 | 5–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 8 September 2004 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Guatemala |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 7 October 2006 | Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States | Guatemala |
3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 9 | 12 September 2007 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Ecuador |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 10 | 26 March 2008 | Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States |  Colombia |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 4 June 2008 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Puerto Rico |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 4 June 2008 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitario, San Pedro Sula, Honduras | Puerto Rico |
4–0 | 4–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 7 June 2008 | Estadio Nilmo Edwards, La Ceiba, Honduras |  Haiti |
2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 14 | 14 June 2008 | Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico |
1–0 | 2–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 5 September 2009 | Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Trinidad and Tobago |
4–0 | 4–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 18 November 2009 | Land Shark Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States |  Peru |
1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 17 | 11 April 2012 | Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica | Costa Rica |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
Life After Playing: Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, David Suazo didn't leave football.
- He first worked for his old team, Cagliari, as a scout. A scout helps find new talented players.
- In 2014, he became an assistant coach for Cagliari's main team.
- For the 2015–16 season, he coached Cagliari's youth team, helping young players develop their skills.
- On 5 June 2018, he became the manager of Serie B team Brescia. However, he was sacked a few months later after a tough start to the season.
- In May 2021, Suazo returned to coaching with Carbonia, a team in Serie D. He helped them avoid moving down to a lower league.
- In June 2022, he left Carbonia after the team was relegated.
How David Suazo Played
David Suazo was known as one of the best players Honduras has ever had. He was a very fast and strong forward.
- Speed: His main skill was his incredible speed, both with and without the ball. This made him one of the fastest players in Italian football during his time.
- Attacking Threat: His speed and quickness made him dangerous on counter-attacks. He could run from behind defenders to create chances for his team.
- Leadership: Even though he sometimes got injured, he was a determined player and showed great leadership on the field. He was even the captain for Cagliari.
- Scoring: David also took many penalty kicks and sometimes scored from free kicks.
Personal Life
David Suazo comes from a football family. His brothers, Nicolás and Ruben Suazo, were also footballers. His cousins, Maynor Suazo and Hendry Thomas, also played internationally for Honduras.
In 2005, David married an Italian woman named Elisa Secchi, which gave him Italian nationality. They have two sons, David Edoardo and Luis Gabriel. Interestingly, their son Luis Gabriel, born in 2008, has followed in his father's footsteps and joined the youth team of Juventus in 2022!
Achievements and Awards
David Suazo won many trophies and awards during his career:
With Olimpia
- Honduran Liga Nacional: 1998–99
- Honduran Super Copa: 1996–97
- Honduran Cup: 1998
With Cagliari
- Serie B runner-up: 2003–04 (This means they finished second and got promoted!)
With Internazionale
- Serie A: 2007–08, 2009–10 (The top Italian league title!)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2010 (Italian Super Cup)
- Coppa Italia: 2009–10 (Italian Cup)
- UEFA Champions League: 2009–10 (The biggest club competition in Europe!)
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2010 (World club champions!)
With Benfica
- Taça da Liga: 2008–09 (Portuguese League Cup)
With Honduras National Team
- CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2000 (Helped Honduras qualify for the Olympics)
Individual Awards
- Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 2006 (Recognized as the best foreign player in the Italian league!)
