Álvaro Recoba facts for kids
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Recoba with Nacional in 2012
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Álvaro Alexánder Recoba Rivero | ||
| Date of birth | 17 March 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Danubio | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1994–1995 | Danubio | 34 | (11) |
| 1996–1997 | Nacional | 33 | (17) |
| 1997–2008 | Inter Milan | 175 | (53) |
| 1999 | → Venezia (loan) | 19 | (11) |
| 2007–2008 | → Torino (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 2008–2010 | Panionios | 21 | (5) |
| 2010–2011 | Danubio | 31 | (11) |
| 2011–2015 | Nacional | 82 | (17) |
| Total | 417 | (126) | |
| National team | |||
| 1995–2007 | Uruguay | 69 | (11) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2020–2022 | Nacional (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Nacional (reserves) | ||
| 2023–2024 | Nacional | ||
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Álvaro Alexánder Recoba Rivero (born March 17, 1976), often called "El Chino" (The Chinese), is a famous Uruguayan football coach and former player. He was known for playing as a forward or midfielder. He recently coached the Uruguayan club Nacional.
Recoba started and ended his football career in his home country, Uruguay. However, he also played for several European clubs. His most famous time was with the Italian team Inter Milan, where he played for 11 seasons. For his country, Recoba played 68 games for the Uruguay national team between 1995 and 2007. He even played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América tournaments.
Álvaro Recoba: The "Chino" Football Star
Early Days and Rise to Fame
Álvaro Recoba began his football journey with Danubio in Uruguay. He spent several years in their youth teams. At just 17 years old, he joined the first team and played for two full seasons, from 1994 to 1996.
In 1996, Danubio transferred Recoba to Nacional. After just one season there, Nacional agreed to send him to Italy. He joined the famous Serie A club Inter Milan.
Playing for Inter Milan
Recoba made his first appearance for Inter Milan on August 31, 1997. This was on the same day as the legendary player Ronaldo. Recoba came into the game as a substitute against Brescia at the San Siro stadium.
He made an amazing start, scoring two goals in the last ten minutes of the match. One goal was a powerful shot from 30 yards away. The other was a perfect free-kick into the top corner. These goals helped Inter win the game 2–1.
Loan Spells and Return
After two seasons with Inter, Recoba was loaned to Venezia in 1999. Venezia was struggling to stay in Italy's top league. Recoba was a huge help, scoring 11 goals and making 9 assists in 19 games. Thanks to his efforts, Venezia avoided being moved down to a lower league that season.
After his successful time at Venezia, Recoba returned to Inter Milan. He played for Inter for ten seasons in total, from 1997 to 2007. In 2001, he faced an issue with his Italian nationality. He was suspended from playing for a year, but this was later reduced to four months.
By 2007, Recoba wanted to leave Inter because he wasn't playing as much. On August 31, 2007, he was loaned to another Serie A club, Torino. There, he reunited with Walter Novellino, who had been his coach at Venezia.
At Torino, Recoba scored his first goal in his second match. It was a 1–1 draw against Palermo. He also had a great game against Roma in the Coppa Italia, scoring two excellent goals in a 3–1 win for Torino. However, injuries and not enough playing time meant he couldn't make a big impact.
Playing in Greece: Panionios
On September 5, 2008, Recoba moved to Greece to play for Panionios in their top league. He joined his former Inter teammate Lampros Choutos there. He made his first appearance on October 18, 2008, in a 2–1 win against Aris. He showed his skill by helping his teammates score both goals.
In his next game, Recoba led Panionios to a 5–2 away win against Ergotelis, scoring two goals himself. He finished the season with five goals and seven assists. However, he continued to have problems with injuries. In December 2009, he and the club agreed to end his contract early.
Back to Uruguay: Nacional and Danubio
After leaving Panionios, Recoba announced on December 24, 2009, that he would return to Danubio, the club where he started his career.
In July 2011, Recoba signed with his former club Nacional. Even though he often came on as a substitute, he helped the team win the Torneo Apertura. He scored a crucial penalty kick in stoppage time during a "clásico" match against Peñarol, which Nacional won 2–1. This win helped Nacional move ahead of Peñarol in the league table. He also scored the only goal in the final game against Liverpool.
During the next part of the season, the Torneo Clausura, he started more games. He scored the winning goal in another "clásico" match, which Nacional won 3–2. He also scored the only goal in the final game of the 2011–12 Uruguayan Championship against Defensor Sporting Club on June 16, 2012.
In a Uruguayan "Clásico" on November 9, 2014, when he was almost 38 years old, Recoba scored an amazing goal from a 30-yard free-kick in the very last minute of the game. This won the match for Nacional.
Playing for His Country: Uruguay
Recoba first played for the Uruguay national team on January 18, 1995. It was a friendly match against Spain. He came on as a substitute for the famous player Enzo Francescoli.
He played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. His only goal in that tournament was against Senegal. However, the match ended in a 3–3 draw, and Uruguay was eliminated in the first round.
In September 2005, Recoba scored the winning goal against Argentina in a World Cup qualifying match. This helped Uruguay get a chance to play in a special play-off game against Australia to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Uruguay lost the play-off in a penalty shootout. Recoba was taken out of the game before the shootout, and he later said he was disappointed by that decision.
After the 2006 World Cup, Recoba continued to play for Uruguay. He scored his 12th international goal in a 2–1 win against Australia in June 2007. He also played for Uruguay in the 2007 Copa América, where Uruguay finished fourth. In total, Recoba played 69 games for Uruguay.
His Unique Style of Play
Álvaro Recoba was a very talented and creative attacking midfielder. He was great at both scoring goals and setting them up for his teammates. His main strengths included his amazing dribbling skills, excellent ball control, and speed. He was also known for his brilliant long passes and crossing ability.
Recoba had a powerful and accurate left-foot shot from outside the penalty area. He was a specialist at set-piece, penalty kick, and corner-kick situations. He was famous for his curling free-kicks. His first two goals for Inter Milan showed just how good he was.
He could play in many different attacking positions, including as an attacking midfielder, a supporting striker, or a winger. For a while, he was even the highest-paid footballer in the world! Despite his huge talent, Recoba often got injured. Some people also felt he didn't always work hard enough or play consistently, which led some to say he didn't reach his full potential.
Life After Playing: Coaching
Recoba played his last professional football match on March 31, 2016, when he was 40 years old. It was a special exhibition game organized by Nacional in Montevideo. One team was made up of current and former Nacional players, and the other was a team of "Friends of Chino," which included international stars like Juan Román Riquelme, Christian Vieri, and Iván Zamorano.
After retiring as a player, Recoba moved into coaching. He worked as an assistant coach and then as the manager of the reserve team for Nacional. On October 20, 2023, he was appointed manager of Nacional's main team. He left the club in June 2024.
Trophies and Achievements
Recoba won many important titles during his career:
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07
- Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006
- UEFA Cup: 1997–98
Nacional
- Uruguayan Primera División: 2011–12, 2014–15
Family Life
Álvaro Recoba has two sons, Julio and Jeremía, who are also footballers.
See also
In Spanish: Álvaro Recoba para niños
