Stipe Pletikosa
Encyclopedia
Stipe Pletikosa (ˈstiːpɛ ˈplɛtikɔsa; born 8 January 1979) is a Croatian football goalkeeper who plays for the Russian Premier League
club FC Rostov
and the Croatian national team
, for which he has made 86 appearances.
club Hajduk Split
. He was selected as first team goalkeeper for the 1998/99 season by then manager Ivan Katalinić
, replacing the ageing Tonči Gabrić
. Pletikosa's excellent reflexes and coordination lead to Hadjuk fans nicknaming him 'octopus' (hobotnica). In 2002, he was named Večernji list
Croatian player of the year; Zoran Simovic
was the only goalkeeper to have won this award previously.
transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk
for €2 million. Unlike Srna, Pletikosa did not succeed at the club, and was loaned out back to Hajduk Split in 2005. His second spell at Hajduk proved successful and earned him a starting place in Croatia's 2006 World Cup
squad. Pletikosa returned to Shakhtar the following season, but found himself second choice to Jan Laštůvka
, prompting the goalkeeper to seek a move. A bid of €3 million from Dinamo Zagreb was accepted, but Pletikosa rejected due to his loyalty to Hajduk, the club's biggest rivals. A loan move to Fulham
also failed as he could not gain a work permit.
for a fee of €3 million, signing a three year contract. He featured regularly for the first team until 2009, where he was less favoured by manager Valery Karpin
.
of the Premier League. He made his Tottenham debut in a 1-4 home defeat against Arsenal
in the Carling Cup on the 21st September 2010. It was his only appearance in the pitch for the team.
.
in 1999, winning plaudits for his cat-like reflexes and shot-stopping. But insecurity over the handling of high balls took a heavy toll at the 2000 European under-21 championship in Slovakia
, where Croatia finished last in their group after Pletikosa conceded some soft goals.
Pletikosa worked hard on improving the weaknesses in his game and under former Croatia coach Mirko Jozić
, he became his country's first-choice goalkeeper, playing in all three matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
finals. The once nervous though talented Pletikosa has blossomed, making full use of every centimetre of his 1.93-metre frame and possessing a far greater assurance when dealing with difficult high balls.
He was also supposed to be Croatia's first goalkeeper at the UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal
, but sustained an injury a few days before the beginning of the tournament and the position of the team's first goalkeeper was taken by Tomislav Butina
, who was up to that time his first reserve. Butina retained the position in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
qualifying, so Pletikosa appeared in only two qualifying matches. Nevertheless, when the finals tournament started, Pletikosa was chosen over Butina, who had still been recovering from an injury sustained early in the year.
At UEFA Euro 2008, he was named Man of the Match
in Croatia's opening victory against Austria
, in which he made many saves to help his side to hang on to a very narrow victory after the Austrians began to completely dominate the Croatian outfit after the first, and only, penalty goal.
On 16 June 2008, during the UEFA Euro 2008 match between Austria and Germany
, BBC
pundit Alan Hansen
stated his belief that Pletikosa had been "the best goalkeeper in the (UEFA Euro 2008) tournament" thus far, ahead of more established 'keepers like Petr Čech
, Gianluigi Buffon
and Iker Casillas
, although his colleague Alan Shearer
said that Edwin van der Sar
had been equally impressive. However, despite these comments, Pletikosa was not highlighted as the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Those honours went to Buffon, Casillas and van der Sar, who were the three goalkeepers named in the
Team of the Tournament
.
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
club FC Rostov
FC Rostov
FC Rostov is a Russian football club based in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast. The club are currently members of the Russian Premier League and play at the Olimp – 2 stadium.-History:...
and the Croatian national team
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, for which he has made 86 appearances.
Hajduk Split
Pletikosa began his career at CroatianCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
club Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
. He was selected as first team goalkeeper for the 1998/99 season by then manager Ivan Katalinić
Ivan Katalinic
Ivan Katalinić is a Croatian football manager and former Hajduk Split and Southampton goalkeeper. As a member of Hajduk's famous "golden generation" of the seventies, he won four Yugoslav championships and five consecutive cups.At the beginning of 1980 came a move to Southampton where he stayed...
, replacing the ageing Tonči Gabrić
Tonci Gabric
Tonči Gabrić is a former Croatian football player in goalkeeper role.He played before 1991 in Yugoslav teams NK Čelik Zenica and NK Rijeka. After Yugoslavia dissolution, he played for two years in Greece with PAOK Thessaloniki FC , and in Croatia with NK Pazinka , and Hajduk Split...
. Pletikosa's excellent reflexes and coordination lead to Hadjuk fans nicknaming him 'octopus' (hobotnica). In 2002, he was named Večernji list
Vecernji list
Večernji list is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Zagreb.The newspaper was started in the 1950s and it is today one of two largest daily newspapers in Croatia...
Croatian player of the year; Zoran Simovic
Zoran Simovic
Zoran Simović is a retired Montenegrin footballer, playing goalkeeper for Napredak in Serbia, NK Hajduk Split in Croatia and Galatasaray in Turkey....
was the only goalkeeper to have won this award previously.
Shakhtar Donetsk
In 2003 Pletikosa alongside teammate Darijo SrnaDarijo Srna
Darijo Srna is a Croatian footballer who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk as a captain and is also the captain of the Croatian national team.-Club career:Srna's talent was seen by many scouts in Croatia while he was young...
transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
for €2 million. Unlike Srna, Pletikosa did not succeed at the club, and was loaned out back to Hajduk Split in 2005. His second spell at Hajduk proved successful and earned him a starting place in Croatia's 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad. Pletikosa returned to Shakhtar the following season, but found himself second choice to Jan Laštůvka
Jan Laštuvka
Jan Laštůvka is a Czech football goalkeeper who currently plays for FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.- Career :Laštůvka started his career at Czech side FC Karviná and moved in summer 2000 to FC Baník Ostrava for four years. In 2003 he won the Talent of the Year award at the Czech Footballer of the Year...
, prompting the goalkeeper to seek a move. A bid of €3 million from Dinamo Zagreb was accepted, but Pletikosa rejected due to his loyalty to Hajduk, the club's biggest rivals. A loan move to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
also failed as he could not gain a work permit.
Spartak Moscow
On the 7th March, Russia's transfer deadline day, Pletikosa signed for Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
for a fee of €3 million, signing a three year contract. He featured regularly for the first team until 2009, where he was less favoured by manager Valery Karpin
Valery Karpin
Valeri Georgievich Karpin is a former Russian professional association footballer who played midfielder and former manager of FC Spartak Moscow...
.
Tottenham Hotspur
On 31 August 2010, he signed a season-long loan with Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
of the Premier League. He made his Tottenham debut in a 1-4 home defeat against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the Carling Cup on the 21st September 2010. It was his only appearance in the pitch for the team.
FC Rostov
On 6 August 2011, he signed two year contract with Russian Premier League team FC RostovFC Rostov
FC Rostov is a Russian football club based in Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast. The club are currently members of the Russian Premier League and play at the Olimp – 2 stadium.-History:...
.
International career
Pletikosa made his Croatia debut as a 20-year-old against DenmarkDenmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in 1999, winning plaudits for his cat-like reflexes and shot-stopping. But insecurity over the handling of high balls took a heavy toll at the 2000 European under-21 championship in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, where Croatia finished last in their group after Pletikosa conceded some soft goals.
Pletikosa worked hard on improving the weaknesses in his game and under former Croatia coach Mirko Jozić
Mirko Jozic
Mirko Jozić is a retired Croatian football player and currently an active football manager.As a coach, he won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship in Chile, with the Yugoslavia U-20 national team composed of names such as Robert Prosinečki, Zvonimir Boban and Davor Šuker.He coached Chilean club...
, he became his country's first-choice goalkeeper, playing in all three matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
finals. The once nervous though talented Pletikosa has blossomed, making full use of every centimetre of his 1.93-metre frame and possessing a far greater assurance when dealing with difficult high balls.
He was also supposed to be Croatia's first goalkeeper at the UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, but sustained an injury a few days before the beginning of the tournament and the position of the team's first goalkeeper was taken by Tomislav Butina
Tomislav Butina
Tomislav Butina is a former Croatian footballer who played as goalkeeper for top level clubs Dinamo Zagreb, Club Brugge and Olympiacos. He was also capped 28 times for the Croatia national football team in the period from 2001 to 2006 and was member of Croatian squads at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA...
, who was up to that time his first reserve. Butina retained the position in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
qualifying, so Pletikosa appeared in only two qualifying matches. Nevertheless, when the finals tournament started, Pletikosa was chosen over Butina, who had still been recovering from an injury sustained early in the year.
At UEFA Euro 2008, he was named Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
in Croatia's opening victory against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
, in which he made many saves to help his side to hang on to a very narrow victory after the Austrians began to completely dominate the Croatian outfit after the first, and only, penalty goal.
On 16 June 2008, during the UEFA Euro 2008 match between Austria and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
pundit Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
stated his belief that Pletikosa had been "the best goalkeeper in the (UEFA Euro 2008) tournament" thus far, ahead of more established 'keepers like Petr Čech
Petr Cech
Petr Čech is a Czech footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Czech Republic as a goalkeeper. Čech previously played for Viktoria Plzeň, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals...
, Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
and Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
, although his colleague Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
said that Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
had been equally impressive. However, despite these comments, Pletikosa was not highlighted as the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Those honours went to Buffon, Casillas and van der Sar, who were the three goalkeepers named in the
Team of the Tournament
UEFA Euro 2008 statistics
-Goalscorers:4 goals David Villa3 goals Lukas Podolski Roman Pavlyuchenko Hakan Yakin Semih Şentürk2 goals Ivan Klasnić Michael Ballack Bastian Schweinsteiger Miroslav Klose Ruud van Nistelrooy...
.