| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Álvaro Alexander Recoba Rivero | ||
| Date of birth | March 17, 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Supporting striker Attacking midfielder Winger | ||
Recoba’s strengths are his dribbling, technique, pace and a strong, accurate left-foot shot. He is a free-kick specialist, and has scored goals of great quality, examples of which were his two goals during his debut with Inter, and basically all the goals scored during his time at Venezia. It is said that few, if any, have been born with Recoba’s ability; however, his mentality continues to fail him at the most crucial moments.
Club career:
Internazionale
Recoba made his debut for Internazionale on the same day as Ronaldo (August 31, 1997), against Brescia in San Siro, scoring two goals in the last ten minutes of the match: one, a powerful 30-yard shot that flew past the keeper, the next, a free kick into the top corner after a Cristiano Doni foul. The goals allowed Internazionale to come back and win the match 2–1. In the same season, he scored a lob from only a short distance into the opponent's half.
Loan to Venezia
After two seasons with Internazionale, he was eventually loaned out to relegation-battling Venezia.It was there that he proved he could play at the highest level, as he was involved in the majority of the goals that the Venice side scored during his time there; he scored 11 times and made 9 assists in 19 matches. His efforts helped Venezia escape relegation that season.
Return to Internazionale
After his tenure at Venezia, which lasted less than one season, Recoba returned to Inter. In January 2001, he renewed his contract with the club until June 30, 2006. But during the same month he faced problems with a fake passport, losing the Italian nationality he received in 1999. He was punished with a one-year ban, which was later reduced to four months on appeal.
On March 16, 2007 Recoba confirmed to SKY Italia that he wanted to leave the team at the end of the 2006–07 season citing lack of appearances with the first team. Though he did score 1 goal for the team including a goal direct from a corner , He was initially linked with Internazionale's scudetto rivals A.S. Roma after he claimed that if the opportunity arose and Inter president Massimo Moratti approved he would join the capital club immediately. On August 31, 2007 he was loaned to fellow Serie A club Torino F.C. where he rejoined Walter Novellino, his previous boss at Venezia. He has played for Italian champions Internazionale in the Italian Serie A for ten seasons from 1997.
Torino
Recoba scored his first goal for the club in the second match of the season, a 1–1 draw with Palermo, after a good combination between himself and Alessandro Rosina.On December 19, 2007 Recoba gave a top-class performance against A.S. Roma in the Coppa Italia, scoring two excellent goals in Torino's 3–1 win. However, his performances have been disappointing due to injuries and lack of playing time; he has not made the expected impact despite a good start and finished the season out of the starting formation.
Panionios
Recoba signed for Panionios of the Greek Super League on the September 5, 2008, making him one of the clubs biggest signings in recent history. There he joined former Inter team mate and close friend Lampros Choutos as well as Uruguay national team player Fabián Estoyanoff. He made his debut by the p.t. Fabio Martella against Aris on October 18, 2008 in a 2–1 win for Panionios F.C. He proved his quality by assisting both goals for his teammates Maniatis and Gonzaga. In his next match, he inspired Panionios to a 5–2 away win against Ergotelis where he scored two goals, and dominated as an attacking midfielder with his brilliant passing skills. He finished the season with five goals and seven assists, though had several injury problems.
Back to Uruguay
After nine days without a club it was announced on December 24, 2009 that he would sign with Danubio F.C. The former Uruguayan international has already played for Danubio from 1993 to 1995.
International career:
Recoba played for Uruguay at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and has earned over 50 caps for his country. His only goal at the tournament came against Senegal in Uruguay's final group game, but it was not enough as the match finished in a 3–3 draw and eliminated Uruguay in the first round.
In September 2005, he scored the winning goal against Argentina in a World Cup qualifier. This helped Uruguay qualify as South America's fifth placed team and put them in position to play for the intercontinental playoff against Oceania champions Australia. However, Uruguay was unsuccessful in its bid for World Cup 2006; losing 4–2 in a penalty shootout after a draw in aggregate score.
Despite the lack of appearances for Internazionale, he was again picked for the Uruguayan national team. This allowed Recoba to play in most of the Uruguay matches for which he was healthy. He scored his 12th goal with the Uruguayan national team in a 2–1 victory on June 2, 2007 in a friendly match against Australia.
Recoba also played for Uruguay in Copa América 2007. He made his debut on January 18, 1995 in a friendly match against Spain (2–2) in the Estadio Riazor in La Coruña, substituting Enzo Francescoli in the 65th minute
