René Higuita

José René Higuita Zapata (born 27 August 1966 in Medellín (Barrio Castilla)) is a former Colombian football goalkeeper. He played 68 international matches for the Colombian national team, during which he scored eight goals.

Career

Rene 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.^[1] It ranked 94th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in 2002.

On the pitch, Higuita was known for his eccentric playing style, taking unnecessary risks and actively trying to score goals. He was also prone to blunders, and it was a mistake by him that knocked Colombia out of the 1990 World Cup, when he seemingly dithered with the ball at his feet 35 yards from goal enabling Cameroon striker Roger Milla to dispossess him and score, putting Cameroon 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^[2]. In January 2008, aged 41, he signed for Colombian second division team Deportivo Rionegro. In June 2008 he signed for Colombian first division team Deportivo Pereira. He has expressed the wish to coach the Colombian national team or become more politically active. ^[3]

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 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 seven 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." ^[4] 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 23 November 2004 while playing for an Ecuadorian football club.^[5]

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.

His son Cristian Andrés Higuita plays currently for Asociación Deportivo Cali and represented Colombia at the Sudamericano Sub-15. ^[6]

See also

• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
• List of goalscoring goalkeepers

References

External links

• Career details at National Football Teams
• International statistics at rsssf
• FIFA interview with Rene Higuita

Rene Higuita clips

• Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0NZCSZZj5Q&feature=channel
• Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AwnO2cVcbQ&feature=channel
• Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKXrSVJZ_nc&feature=channel
• Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7we1LbA7F30&feature=channel

v • d • e Colombia squad – 1990 FIFA World Cup 1 Higuita • 2 Escobar • 3 Gildardo Gómez • 4 Herrera • 5 Villa • 6 Pérez • 7 Estrada • 8 Gabriel Gómez • 9 Guerrero • 10 Valderrama • 11 Redín • 12 Niño • 13 Hoyos • 14 Álvarez • 15 Perea • 16 Iguarán • 17 Cassiani • 18 Cabrera • 19 Rincón • 20 Fajardo • 21 Mendoza • 22 Hernández • Coach: Maturana

v • d • e Colombia squad – 1991 Copa América 1 Higuita • 2 Escobar • 3 Martínez • 4 Pimentel • 5 Herrera • 6 Pareja • 7 de Ávila • 8 García • 9 Valenciano • 10 Valderrama • 11 Redín • 12 Calero • 13 Cabrera • 14 Álvarez • 15 Perea • 16 Estrada • 17 Osorio • 18 Iguarán • 19 Usuriaga • 20 Rincón • 21 Vargas Cortés • 22 Niño • Coach: García

v • d • e Colombia squad – 1995 Copa América 1 Higuita • 2 Santa • 3 Mendoza • 4 Fernández • 5 Bermúdez • 6 Gaviria • 7 Guerrero • 8 Lozano • 9 Arboleda • 10 Valderrama • 11 Asprilla • 12 Calero • 13 Cabrera • 14 Álvarez • 15 Mosquera • 16 Aristizábal • 17 León • 18 Cardona • 19 Rincón • 20 Quiñonez • 21 Cassiani • 22 Córdoba • Coach: Gómez

v • d • e Colombia squad – 1999 Copa América 1 O. Córdoba • 2 I. Córdoba • 3 Cortés • 4 Viveros • 5 Bermúdez • 6 Ramírez • 7 Congo • 8 Lozano • 9 Bonilla • 10 Morantes • 11 Zambrano • 12 Higuita • 13 Bolaño • 14 Betancourth • 15 Portocarrero • 16 González • 17 Montaño • 18 Quintana • 19 Ricard • 20 Grisales • 21 Yepes • 22 Julio • Coach: Álvarez