Roberto Rojas

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For the Spanish footballer, see Roberto Rojas (Spanish footballer).
Roberto Rojas
Personal information
Full name Roberto Rojas
Date of birth August 8, 1957 (1957-08-08) (age 50)
Place of birth    Santiago, Chile
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club Retired
Youth clubs
1983 Aviación
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1983-1987
1987-1989		 Colo Colo
São Paulo FC		    
National team2
1983-1989 Chile 49 (0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 17 March 2007.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 15 November 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Roberto "Cóndor" Rojas (born August 8, 1957 in Santiago) is a former Chilean goalkeeper. Rojas is famous for a 1989 on-the-field incident in which he faked an injury in an attempt to avoid a loss by the Chilean national team. The incident resulted in a lifetime ban for Rojas.

[edit] Career

Rojas was born and raised in Chile. He began his career in 1983 with the Chilean club Aviación. Rojas would go on the play for Colo Colo from 1983 until 1987. With Colo Colo, Rojas won nationals titles in 1983 and 1986. In 1987, after a successful performance in the Copa América 1987 championship, he transferred to Brazil's São Paulo FC where he remained until 1989. Rojas was considered between 1987 and 1989 one of the best (if not the best) goalkeepers in the world. He is currently a goalkeeper coach for Brazilian side Sport Club do Recife.

[edit] 1989 World Cup Qualifying Incident

In 1989, Rojas was in goal for Chile's 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Brazil at Rio De Janeiro's Maracanã stadium. Chile, down 1-0, would be eliminated from the upcoming World Cup with a loss. Around the 70-minute mark, Rojas fell to the pitch writhing and holding his forehead. A firework, thrown from the stands by a Brazilian fan named Rosemary de Mello, was smoldering about a yard away. Rojas, his head bloodied, was carried off the field by his teammates who then refused to return claiming conditions were unsafe. The match went unfinished.

Video evidence later showed that Rojas had not been hit by the firework. His head injury was discovered to have been self-inflicted with a razor blade hidden in his glove. FIFA awarded Brazil a 2-0 win, effectively eliminating Chile from the 1990 World Cup. As a consequence, Chile was banned from the 1994 FIFA World Cup and Rojas was banned for life.

In 2001, following a request for pardon, Rojas' ban was lifted by FIFA.

[edit] External links

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