René Higuita

Infobox Football biography
playername= Higuita
fullname = José René Higuita Zapata
height = height| m =1.75
nickname = "El Liar"(Never scored those goals)
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1966|8|27
cityofbirth = Medellín
countryofbirth = Colombia
position = Goalkeeper
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1985
1986-1992
1992-1993
1994-1997
1997-1998
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002-2003
2004
2005
2007
2008
2008-
clubs = Millionarios
Atlético Nacional
Real Valladolid
Atlético Nacional
Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz
Independiente Medellín
Real Cartagena
Atlético Junior
Deportivo Pereira
Aucas
Bajo Cauca FC
Guaros de Lara FC
Deportivo Rionegro
Deportivo Pereira
currentclub = Deportivo Pereira
caps(goals) = 16 (5
112 (1)
15
69
30
20
21
212
13
35 (5)
10 2
12 5
30 16
nationalyears = 1987-1999
nationalteam = Colombia
nationalcaps(goals) = 68
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

José René Higuita Zapata (born August 27, 1966 in Medellín) is a Colombian football goalkeeper who plays for the Colombian Professional Football club Deportivo Pereira. He has played 68 international matches for the Colombian national team, in which he scored three goals.

Career

Higuita played the majority of his club career with Colombian side Atlético Nacional, where he helped the team win the Colombian League on numerous occasions as well as the Copa Libertadores and Copa Interamericana, both in 1989.

He is famed for inventing the "scorpion kick", a clearance where the keeper jumps forward, arches his legs over his head and in doing so, kicks the ball away with his heels. This save earned him notoriety when he pulled it off in a friendly game against England in September, 1995, blocking a mistaken cross by Jamie Redknapp. [On Sky Sports 1's Goals on Sunday 29 October 2006 at 1246 GMT, Jamie Redknapp stated that it was a cross not a shot] It ranked 94th in Channel 4's "100 Greatest Sporting Moments" in 2002 and was voted football's greatest trick in an online poll in July 2008.

On the pitch, Higuita is known for having an eccentric playing style, taking unnecessary risks, and he actively tries to score goals. He is also prone to blunders, and it was a mistake by him that knocked Colombia out of the 1990 World Cup, where he seemingly dithered with the ball at his feet 35 yards from goal enabling Cameroon striker Roger Milla to dispossess him and score, putting his team through to the quarter-finals. As a result of such behaviour, Higuita was nicknamed "El Loco" by media and fans alike.

Higuita is friends with Diego Maradona, and played in the Argentine's farewell match in 2001.

He came out of retirement in 2007 to sign for Venezuelan club Guaros de Lara FC [ [http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=478344&CPID=103&clid=&lid=2&title=Higuita+returns+to+football Higuita returns to football] ] . In January 2008, aged 41, he signed at Colombian second division team Deportivo Rionegro. In June 2008 he signed at Colombian first division team Deportivo Pereira. He still dreams of returning to Colombia's national team. After his retirement as a player he says he wants to become coach for the Colombian national team or become more politically active. [cite news
url=http://colombiareports.com/2008/04/01/higuita-wants-to-return-to-colombias-national-team/
title=Higuita wants to return to Colombia’s national team
date=April 1 2008
publisher=Colombia Reports
accessdate=2008-04-01]

Personal life

He is married to Magnolia, with whom he has two children, Andrés and Pamela. He also has a daughter, Cindy Carolina, from a previous marriage.

Higuita was imprisoned in 1993, after getting involved in a drug cartel kidnapping. Acting as a go-between for the drug barons Pablo Escobar and Carlos Molina, he was largely responsible for securing the release of Molina's daughter by delivering the ransom money. He received $64,000 for his services, which breaks Colombian law as it is an offence to profit from a kidnapping. He was incarcerated for 7 months before being released without charge. Commenting on the case, he has stated that "I'm a footballer, I didn't know anything about kidnapping laws." [ [http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/index/0,2527,103224,00.html?articleid=103224 René 'el Loco' Higuita leads Ecuador's keepers] - FIFA.com 22 September 2004] Because of the term in prison Higuita was not fit for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. In another scandal, he tested positive for cocaine on November 23, 2004 while playing for an Ecuadorian football club. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_football/4050881.stm Two of the best] ]

In 2005, Higuita participated in the reality TV program "La isla de los famosos: Una aventura pirata" ("The Island of the Famous: A Pirate Adventure"), a show similar to "Survivor".

ee also

*List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References

External links

* [http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=14286 Career details] at National Football Teams
* [http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/higuita-intl.html International statistics] at rsssf
* [http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=591528.html#higuita+still+going+strong FIFA interview with Rene Higuita]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yILDiU859FU Scorpion Kick] via Youtube
* [http://www.footy-boots.com/best-football-trick-scorpion-4636/ Scorpion Kick Voted Best Football Trick Ever]