Rüştü Reçber facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rüştü Reçber

Reçber playing for Beşiktaş in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth	(1973-05-10) 10 May 1973 (age 52)
Place of birth	Korkuteli, Antalya, Turkey
Height	1.87 m
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1985–1988	Korkutelispor
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1991	Burdurgücü	1	(0)
1991–1993	Antalyaspor	34	(0)
1993–2003	Fenerbahçe	240	(0)
1993–1994	→ Antalyaspor (loan)	33	(0)
2003–2006	Barcelona	4	(0)
2004–2006	→ Fenerbahçe (loan)	46	(0)
2006–2007	Fenerbahçe	8	(0)
2007–2012	Beşiktaş	99	(0)
Total		432	(0)
National team
1992–1993	Turkey U21	11	(0)
1994–2012	Turkey	120	(0)
Honours Men's football Representing  Turkey FIFA World Cup Third 2002 Korea/Japan UEFA European Championship Third 2008 Austria–Switzerland FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2003 France
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Rüştü Reçber (born May 10, 1973) is a famous Turkish former football player. He was a fantastic goalkeeper. Rüştü played for big clubs like Antalyaspor, Fenerbahçe, Barcelona, and Beşiktaş.

He was a key player for the Turkish national team. Rüştü helped Turkey reach the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. In the 2002 World Cup, Turkey finished third, and Rüştü was chosen for the tournament's best team. He has played more games for Turkey than anyone else, with 120 international appearances (called caps). He played his first game for Turkey in 1994 and his last in 2012.

In 2002, Rüştü was named the best goalkeeper in European competitions. Fans also voted him into the 2002 UEFA Team of the Year. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé picked Rüştü as one of the 125 best living footballers in the world. This special list was called FIFA 100.

Club Career Highlights

Early Years and Fenerbahçe Success

Rüştü was born in Korkuteli, Turkey. He started his football journey at Antalyaspor. Interestingly, he began as a forward (a player who scores goals) but then became a goalkeeper!

When he was young, he almost joined two of Turkey's biggest clubs in Istanbul. At 17, he said no to Galatasaray because their coach wanted him to start in the youth team. In 1993, a move to Beşiktaş didn't happen because he was badly hurt in a car crash.

After playing for the Turkey under-21 team, his national manager told him he would become the best goalkeeper in Turkey's history. In 1993, he joined Fenerbahçe, another one of Turkey's "Big Three" clubs. He spent his first season on loan back at Antalyaspor.

Rüştü got his big chance in October 1994. Fenerbahçe's main goalkeeper got injured. Rüştü stepped in and played 240 games in his first time at the club. He even became the team captain and helped Fenerbahçe win the Süper Lig (the top Turkish league) two times.

Playing for Barcelona

In July 2003, Rüştü almost signed with the English club Arsenal. But he had a disagreement with their manager. Instead, he moved to Spain to play for La Liga club Barcelona.

The Barcelona coach decided to play another goalkeeper, Víctor Valdés, in the first few games. This was because Rüştü's Spanish language skills were not very strong yet. Rüştü was not happy about this. He felt that a goalkeeper with his experience should not be left out for that reason.

Rüştü played his first game for Barcelona on October 15, 2003. It was a big 8–0 win in a European cup match. Overall, he played only seven games for Barcelona. Four of these were in the league, including a 3–1 win against Espanyol.

Return to Turkey: Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş

Rüştü (in orange) playing for Beşiktaş against Trabzonspor in March 2008

After playing only a few games for Barcelona, Rüştü went back to Fenerbahçe on loan in August 2004. This loan was extended for another year in 2005. Counting both times he played for them, Rüştü is the second-highest appearance-making goalkeeper for Fenerbahçe, with 294 games.

Rüştü won the league title for a third time with Fenerbahçe in 2006–07. Then, he moved to Fenerbahçe's city rivals, Beşiktaş, in 2007. He signed a three-year deal with them. Rüştü continued his winning ways, helping Beşiktaş win the league in 2008–09. He also won the 2010–11 Turkish Cup with Beşiktaş. He played the entire 120 minutes of the final, including the penalty shootout, which his team won.

International Career for Turkey

World Cup 2002 Success

Reçber (top left) played in all of Turkey's games at the 2002 World Cup. He let in 6 goals in 7 games.

The Turkish national team achieved amazing success at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. They finished in third place! Rüştü was one of the two goalkeepers chosen for the "Team of the Tournament," alongside Germany's Oliver Kahn. This showed how well he played.

On March 26, 2005, Rüştü played his 100th game for Turkey. He was the team captain in this 2–0 win against Albania.

Euro 2008 Heroics

In the UEFA Euro 2008 quarter-final match against Croatia, Rüştü was the starting goalkeeper. Turkey's usual first-choice goalkeeper was suspended. Croatia scored a goal late in extra time, which came after Rüştü came out of his goal.

But Rüştü quickly made up for it! He helped set up a goal for his teammate in the very last minute of the game. This made the score tied. In the penalty shootout that followed, Rüştü saved a crucial penalty kick. This amazing save helped Turkey win the shootout and reach the Euro semi-finals for the first time ever!

After Turkey lost 3–2 to Germany in the semi-finals, Rüştü announced he was retiring from the national team. However, he was called back to play a few more times. His very last game for Turkey was against Finland on May 26, 2012. This was his 120th and final cap for his country.

How He Played

Rüştü was known as a very talented shot-stopper. He had a great sense of where to be on the field. Because he was tall, he was good at catching high balls. He also had quick reflexes and could deflect shots well.

He was also known as a great penalty saver. His performance in the penalty shootout against Croatia in Euro 2008 was called heroic by UEFA. He was even featured in a UEFA video series called Rüştü's Turkish Delight, where he was described as a Master of Penalties.

Rüştü was an exciting goalkeeper to watch. He had a strong and fun personality. You could easily spot him on the field because of his long hair and the black paint he wore under his eyes to reduce glare. He was also good at taking goal kicks and clearing the ball when it was passed back to him.

About His Life

Rüştü is married to Işıl Reçber. They have a son and a daughter. They first met in 1994, when Rüştü had just joined Fenerbahçe. When he was a child, Rüştü actually supported Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe's big rival! His son, Burak, born in 2007, plays football at Galatasaray's youth academy.

In March 2020, Rüştü became sick with COVID-19. He went to the hospital to get care and was kept separate from others. He was able to leave the hospital in April after getting better.

Awards and Achievements

Rüştü Reçber won many awards and titles during his career:

Fenerbahçe

• Süper Lig: 1995–96, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07
• Atatürk Cup: 1998

Beşiktaş

• Süper Lig: 2008–09
• Turkish Cup: 2008–09, 2010–11

Turkey National Team

• FIFA World Cup third place: 2002
• UEFA European Championship bronze medalist: 2008
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2003

Individual Awards

• FIFA World Cup All Star Team: 2002
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2002
• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper of the Year 2002: 3rd place
• IFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the 21st Century: 23rd place
• FIFA 100 (one of the 125 best living footballers chosen by Pelé)

Special Recognition

• Turkish State Medal of Distinguished Service

Images for kids

• 

  Rüştü (left) in 2005

See also

In Spanish: Rüştü Reçber para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps