Roberto Rojas
Encyclopedia
Roberto Antonio "Cóndor" Rojas Saavedra (born August 8, 1957 in Santiago) is a retired Chile
an football goalkeeper. He is best known for a 1989 on-the-field incident in which he deliberately injured himself in an attempt to avoid a loss by the Chilean national team
. The incident resulted in a lifetime ban for Rojas and one World Cup
ban for Chile.
. Rojas would go on the play for Colo-Colo
from 1983 until 1987. With Colo-Colo, Rojas won national titles in 1983 and 1986. In 1987, after a successful performance in the Copa América 1987
championship, he transferred to Brazil's São Paulo where he remained until 1989. After his retirement he returned to São Paulo to serve as a goalkeeper coach, training club legend Rogério Ceni
. In 2003 Rojas served as interim coach and took the team to the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 1994. He is currently a goalkeeper coach for Brazilian side Sport Club do Recife
.
qualifying match against Brazil at Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã
stadium. Chile, down 1-0, would be eliminated from the upcoming World Cup had they lost. 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 had deliberately cut himself with a razor hidden in his glove to attempt to get the match thrown out and possibly have Brazil penalized by FIFA. Rojas, his head bloodied, was carried off the field; his teammates then refused to return claiming conditions were unsafe. The match went unfinished.
under the frustration of believing his team was part of a huge unfairness he performed a gesture against the Brazilian fans, by holding his sexual organ with both his hands and slightly bend his middle body towards the front, in representation of a sexual intercourse. The moment was captured by Chilean national television, and as years have passed, the offensive gesture, when repeated or remembered is known as a "Pato Yáñez".
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, along with coach Orlando Aravena and team doctor Daniel Rodriguez.
A Chilean inquiry found that Aravena had ordered Rojas and Rodriguez by walkie-talkie to remain on the ground and that Rojas was to leave the field on a stretcher. Team co-captain Fernando Astengo
was banned from football for the next five years for deciding to pull the team from the field.
In 2001, following a request for pardon, Rojas' ban was lifted by FIFA.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an football goalkeeper. He is best known for a 1989 on-the-field incident in which he deliberately injured himself in an attempt to avoid a loss by the Chilean national team
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
. The incident resulted in a lifetime ban for Rojas and one World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
ban for Chile.
Career
Rojas was born and raised in Chile. He began his career in 1976 with the Chilean club AviaciónDeportes Aviación
Club de Deportes Aviación were a Chilean football club based the city of San Bernardo , Santiago Metropolitan Region...
. Rojas would go on the play for Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
from 1983 until 1987. With Colo-Colo, Rojas won national titles in 1983 and 1986. In 1987, after a successful performance in the Copa América 1987
Copa América 1987
The 1987 Copa América was 33rd edition of the Copa América, CONMEBOL's national team competition. It was the first Copa América under the new rotational hosting system. Argentina, as the first country alphabetically, hosted the tournament between June 27 to July 12, 1987...
championship, he transferred to Brazil's São Paulo where he remained until 1989. After his retirement he returned to São Paulo to serve as a goalkeeper coach, training club legend Rogério Ceni
Rogério Ceni
Rogério Ceni is a Brazilian goalkeeper. He has been a member of the Brazilian Série A club São Paulo since September 7, 1990, playing more than 1,000 matches and winning 2 Copa Libertadores trophies and one Club World Championship with them...
. In 2003 Rojas served as interim coach and took the team to the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 1994. He is currently a goalkeeper coach for Brazilian side Sport Club do Recife
Sport Club do Recife
Sport Club do Recife, more popularly known as Sport in Recife or Sport Recife in Northeastern Brazil, is a football team from Recife, Pernambuco.-1905 - Foundation:...
.
1989 World Cup Qualifying Incident
In 1989, Rojas was in goal for Chile's 1990 FIFA World Cup1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
qualifying match against Brazil at Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã
Estádio do Maracanã
The Estádio do Maracanã , officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and in the final...
stadium. Chile, down 1-0, would be eliminated from the upcoming World Cup had they lost. 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 had deliberately cut himself with a razor hidden in his glove to attempt to get the match thrown out and possibly have Brazil penalized by FIFA. Rojas, his head bloodied, was carried off the field; his teammates then refused to return claiming conditions were unsafe. The match went unfinished.
Patricio Yáñez
During Condor Rojas dramatization, his fellow teammate, Patricio YáñezPatricio Yáñez
Patricio Nazario Yáñez Candia is a retired football Left Winger from Chile, who obtained 43 caps for his national team, scoring five goals. He made his debut on June 13, 1979 in a friendly against Ecuador, replacing Jorge Neumann, and had his last match on November 16, 1994 against Argentina...
under the frustration of believing his team was part of a huge unfairness he performed a gesture against the Brazilian fans, by holding his sexual organ with both his hands and slightly bend his middle body towards the front, in representation of a sexual intercourse. The moment was captured by Chilean national television, and as years have passed, the offensive gesture, when repeated or remembered is known as a "Pato Yáñez".
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
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and Rojas was banned for life, along with coach Orlando Aravena and team doctor Daniel Rodriguez.
A Chilean inquiry found that Aravena had ordered Rojas and Rodriguez by walkie-talkie to remain on the ground and that Rojas was to leave the field on a stretcher. Team co-captain Fernando Astengo
Fernando Astengo
Fernando Astengo is a retired football player and a current manager.Astengo was the manager of Colo-Colo during 2008,losing the Apertura final against Everton de Viña del Mar. Astengo currently coaches the youth team of Unión San Felipe.-Player: Colo-Colo** Primera División de Chile:1986-References:...
was banned from football for the next five years for deciding to pull the team from the field.
In 2001, following a request for pardon, Rojas' ban was lifted by FIFA.