Freddy Rincón

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Family name hatnote Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography Freddy Eusebio Rincón Valencia ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 14 August 1966 – 13 April 2022) was a Colombian professional footballer who played 84 games for the Colombia national team between 1990 and 2001. A versatile midfielder, he was capable of playing on the left, in the centre or as an attacking midfielder. At club level he played for Independiente Santa Fé, América de Cali (Colombia), Napoli (Italy), Real Madrid (Spain), Palmeiras, Santos, and Corinthians (Brazil).

Club careerEdit

Rincón began his professional career at Independiente Santa Fé in 1986, winning the Copa Colombia in 1989 with the capital club,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as gaining national acclaim for his performances.

With América de Cali he won the Colombian Championship in 1990 and 1992.<ref name="mirror-couzens">Template:Cite news</ref>

It was his performances at the 1994 World Cup that prompted Parma to sign the Colombian midfielder. However the three foreigner rule meant he was loaned out to Napoli, and was eventually sold onto Real Madrid for the 1995–96 season.<ref name="mirror-couzens" />

Rincón spent the latter part of his career playing club football in Brazil where he played for Palmeiras, Corinthians, Santos and Cruzeiro.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During his time with Corinthians the club won the Brazilian championship in 1998 and 1999 and the first FIFA Club World Cup in 2000, his greatest title.<ref name="mirror-couzens" />

International careerEdit

Rincón scored 17 goals in 84 caps for the Colombia national team, playing in the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups.<ref name="internationalappearances">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

His most memorable goal is the one he scored against West Germany in Milan, Italy on 19 June during the 1990 World Cup. Playing into injury time, Colombia needed a goal to draw the game and avoid elimination from the tournament at the group stages. When played through by a pass from Carlos Valderrama, Rincon held his nerve and calmly fired the ball through the legs of Bodo Illgner to secure the draw his team needed.<ref name="mirror-couzens" /> During a qualifying match for the 1994 FIFA World Cup on 5 September 1993 against Argentina, he scored the first goal of the game receiving the ball from teammate Carlos Valderrama and passing the Argentine goalkeeper, Sergio Goycochea, before scoring the third goal in a 5–0 victory that secured Colombia's place at the World Cup.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Coaching careerEdit

In 2005, Rincón started a football manager career, after he was hired as Iraty manager for the 2006 season.<ref>Template:In lang Rincón inicia carreira de treinador de futebol – Esportes Terra (26 December 2005)</ref> On 27 September 2006, Rincón was hired as São Bento's manager.<ref>Template:In lang Colombiano Rincón comanda 1° treino no São Bento – Esportes Terra (27 September 2006)</ref> He was the coach of São José Esporte Clube of São José dos Campos, São Paulo.

He was hired as Corinthians youth team head coach in 2009.<ref name="corinthiansu20">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Personal lifeEdit

Rincón had been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 20 August 2005. He was baptized in São Paulo Perdizes Stake in Brazil.Template:Citation needed

In 2007, Rincón came under criminal investigation in Colombia and Panama, facing charges of collaboration with cocaine kingpin Pablo Rayo Montaño and suspicion of money laundering. On 10 May, São Paulo police took him into custody after a Panamanian request for extradition.<ref>Freddy Rincón, arrestado. El Pais. 10 May 2007.</ref> In August 2013, Rincón suffered multiple injuries in a car accident in his native Valle del Cauca, where he underwent surgery at a local hospital.<ref>Freddy Rincón sufre múltiples heridas en un accidente de tránsito. Caracol Radio. 24 August 2013.</ref>

Rincón's son is professional footballer Sebastián Rincón, who once played for Barracas Central in Argentina.<ref name="mirror-ridley">Template:Cite news</ref>

DeathEdit

On 11 April 2022, Rincón was hospitalised with critical head injuries after the car he was driving collided with a bus in the Colombian city of Cali. Four of his passengers and the bus driver were also injured.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He died two days later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career statisticsEdit

Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rincón goal.

List of international goals scored by Freddy Rincón<ref name="internationalappearances" />
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	26 May 1990	Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt	Template:Fb	1–1	1–1	Friendly
2	2 June 1990	Népstadion, Budapest, Hungary	Template:Fb	1–2	1–3	Friendly
3	19 June 1990	Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy	Template:Fb	1–1	1–1	1990 FIFA World Cup
4	3 February 1991	Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, United States	Template:Fb	2–1	2–3	1991 Miami Cup
5	6 June 1991	Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden	Template:Fb	1–1	2–2	Friendly
6	23 June 1993	Estadio George Capwell, Guayaquil, Ecuador	Template:Fb	1–1	1–1	1993 Copa América
7	8 August 1993	Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	22 August 1993	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay	Template:Fb	1–1	1–1	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	29 August 1993	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Template:Fb	2–0	4–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	5 September 1993	Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Template:Fb	1–0	5–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	5 September 1993		Template:Fb	3–0	5–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	5 June 1994	Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States	Template:Fb	2–0	2–0	Friendly
13	10 July 1995	Estadio Atilio Paiva Olivera, Rivera, Uruguay	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	1995 Copa América
14	16 July 1995	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Template:Fb	1–1	1–1	1995 Copa América
15	22 July 1995	Estadio Domingo Burgueño, Maldonado, Uruguay	Template:Fb	4–1	4–1	1995 Copa América
16	10 November 1996	Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia	Template:Fb	2–2	2–2	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
17	23 May 1998	Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States	Template:Fb	2–2	2–2	Friendly