It started on a 7 September. It ended on one too.
Mauricio Isla clearly wanted the dates to line up. On 7 September 2007, aged 19, he was handed his Chile debut by Marcelo Bielsa. Nineteen years later to the day, the right-back announced he was finished with professional football, in a long Instagram post.
“On a 7 September, this story began and today, on another day 7, I announce that it has come to an end,” he wrote. “Out of respect and love for my family, I am announcing my retirement from professional football.”
He was 38.
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Two Copa America titles for a country that had none
Chile had never won a Copa America before Isla’s generation arrived. They won two. He was on the pitch for both.
His international file reads like a full career on its own: 144 caps, six Copa America tournaments, two World Cups, a Confederations Cup. That caps total puts him among the most-selected players Chile has ever produced.
“That is how a wonderful story began,” was how he framed the Bielsa debut in his message.
Udinese, Juventus, and a season on the Vieux-Port
The club career wandered. Udinese first, where Serie A got to know him. Juventus after that, then QPR in England, back to Italy with Cagliari, on to Fenerbahce in Turkey and finally Flamengo in Brazil.
France got one season of him. Isla played for Olympique de Marseille in 2015-16, a single year at the Velodrome. What kept him employed everywhere was flexibility: a right-back by trade who could switch to the left flank or step into midfield without complaint.
His post finished with one line. “I hope you remember me as that boy who dared to dream and who managed to become a professional footballer.”
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