René Higuita facts for kids
Higuita in 2007
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 27 August 1966 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Medellín, Colombia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Atlético Nacional (goalkeeper coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Millonarios | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1985 | Millonarios | 16 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1991 | Atlético Nacional | 112 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Real Valladolid | 15 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | Atlético Nacional | 69 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Veracruz | 30 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Independiente Medellín | 20 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Real Cartagena | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Atlético Junior | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Deportivo Pereira | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Aucas | 35 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Guaros FC | 10 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Deportivo Rionegro | 10 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Deportivo Pereira | 12 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 380 | (41) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1999 | Colombia | 68 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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José René Higuita Zapata (born August 27, 1966) is a famous former football player from Colombia. He played as a goalkeeper, but he was very unusual! People called him El Loco (which means "The Madman") because he took big risks and loved to do exciting things on the field. He even scored goals sometimes, which is very rare for a goalkeeper!
Higuita's way of playing was new and exciting. He showed the world during the 1990 FIFA World Cup that goalkeepers could do more than just stay near their goal. He made them think about playing further out and helping their team in new ways. The IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) said he was the 8th best South American goalkeeper ever. He is also one of the top 10 goalkeepers who scored the most goals, with 41 goals in his career.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
René Higuita was born in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. His father left when he was young, so his mother raised him. Sadly, his mother also passed away early, and his grandmother then took care of him.
Playing for Clubs
Higuita started his football journey with Millonarios. In 1986, he moved to Atlético Nacional. He spent most of his club career with Atlético Nacional, where he achieved great success.
- He helped them win the Colombian League twice.
- They also won the Copa Libertadores and Copa Interamericana in 1989.
- In the Copa Libertadores final, Higuita was a hero. He saved four penalty kicks and even scored one himself!
After leaving Atlético Nacional, he played for Real Valladolid in Spain for one season. Then, he returned to Atlético Nacional for four more years. He later played for other teams like Veracruz in Mexico and Independiente Medellín in Colombia. He briefly stopped playing in 2005.
In 2007, at 41 years old, he came back to play for a Venezuelan club called Guaros FC. He then played for two more Colombian teams, Deportivo Rionegro and Deportivo Pereira, before finally retiring in 2010.
Playing for Colombia
Higuita played for the Colombian national team in many important tournaments. His first big tournament was the 1987 Copa América.
1990 FIFA World Cup Moment
In the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Higuita helped Colombia reach the Round of 16 for the first time. However, he made a very famous mistake during a game against Cameroon. He tried to trick the striker Roger Milla far outside his goal, but it didn't work. Milla took the ball and scored, which knocked Colombia out of the World Cup. Higuita called it "a mistake as big as a house." This moment added to his nickname, El Loco.
He also played in the 1991 Copa América and his last national team appearance was in the 1999 Copa América. Even though he was a goalkeeper, Higuita often took free-kicks and penalties. He scored three goals in his 68 games for Colombia.
Higuita's Unique Playing Style
René Higuita was known for his exciting and sometimes risky way of playing football. He was very calm under pressure and often left his goal area to help his team. He would dribble the ball and even try to score goals! This made him a pioneer, meaning he was one of the first to show how goalkeepers could be more involved in the game. He was called a 'sweeper-keeper' because he acted like a defender who sweeps up loose balls.
The Scorpion Kick
Higuita is famous for inventing a move called the scorpion kick. This amazing move involves a player jumping forward, putting their legs over their head, and kicking the ball away with their heels.
His most famous scorpion kick happened on September 6, 1995. He used it to clear a cross during a friendly match against England at Wembley Stadium. This incredible moment got a lot of attention and is still talked about today. It was even ranked 94th in a TV show called 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in 2002.
Life Outside Football
Higuita was friends with the legendary Argentine player Diego Maradona. He even played in Maradona's farewell match in 2001.
In 1993, Higuita was held for a period of time, which meant he could not play in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was later released without any charges.
In 2005, Higuita took part in a reality TV show called La Isla de Los famosos: Una Aventura Pirata, which was similar to the show Survivor. That same year, he also had plastic surgery to change his appearance. Higuita has three children: Cindy, Pamela, and Andres.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Higuita wanted to coach the Colombian national team. In December 2008, he became the goalkeeper coach for his old club, Real Valladolid. He also worked as a goalkeeper coach for Al Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia from 2011 to 2016. In 2017, he returned to Atlético Nacional as their goalkeeping coach, saying it was "the dream of my life."
Honours and Achievements
Higuita won many awards and titles during his career.
Atlético Nacional
- Copa Libertadores: 1989
- Copa Interamericana: 1989, 1995
- Colombian League: 1991, 1994
Colombia National Team
- Copa América Third place: 1987, 1993, 1995
Individual Awards
- South American Team of the Year: 1989, 1990
- Golden Foot Legends Award: 2009
Images for kids
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Higuita in 2007
See also
In Spanish: René Higuita para niños
- List of goalscoring goalkeepers
