Stipe Pletikosa

Stipe Pletikosa
Pletikosa with Rostov in 2015
Personal information
Full name Stipe Pletikosa[1]
Date of birth (1979-01-08) 8 January 1979[2]
Place of birth Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Croatia (technical director)
Youth career
1986–1996 Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2003 Hajduk Split 141 (4)
2003–2007 Shakhtar Donetsk 32 (0)
2005–2006Hajduk Split (loan) 21 (0)
2007–2011 Spartak Moscow 63 (0)
2010–2011Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 0 (0)
2011–2015 Rostov 110 (0)
2015–2016 Deportivo de La Coruña 2 (0)
Total 369 (4)
International career
1994 Croatia U15 1 (0)
1994–1995 Croatia U16 2 (0)
1994 Croatia U17 2 (0)
1995–1997 Croatia U18 2 (0)
1995–1998 Croatia U19 14 (0)
1999 Croatia U20 5 (0)
1998–2001 Croatia U21 13 (0)
1999–2014 Croatia 114 (0)
Managerial career
2021– Croatia (technical director)
2021-2023 Croatia U21 (technical director)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Stipe Pletikosa (Croatian pronunciation: [stǐːpe plětikosa];[3][4] born 8 January 1979) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. As of 29 July 2021, he works at the Croatian Football Federation as the technical director of the national senior and under-21 teams.[5][6]

Pletikosa began his professional career with Hajduk Split in Croatia, transferred to Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, then joined Spartak Moscow in 2007. After spending one season with Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, he returned to Russia in 2011 with Rostov, then moved to Deportivo de La Coruña of La Liga in 2015, where he retired.

Pletikosa made his international debut for Croatia in 1999, and went on to represent the country in five major tournaments. He is the fourth-most capped player in the history of the Croatia national team after Luka Modrić, Darijo Srna and Ivan Perišić, having made 114 appearances. Pletikosa retired from international football following the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[7]

Playing career

Club

On 31 August 2010, Pletikosa signed a season-long loan with Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League.[8] In July 2011, he began a trial at Scottish Premier League club Celtic, playing in friendly matches against Cardiff City (away) and against Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers (home).[9] On 6 August 2011, Pletikosa signed a two-year contract with Russian Premier League club Rostov.[10] On 20 December 2015, he signed for La Liga club Deportivo de La Coruña on a six-month contract to replace the injured Fabricio Agosto Ramírez.[11]

International

On 6 February 2013, Pletikosa played his 100th international match for Croatia, keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 defeat against South Korea.[12]

In the opening match of the 2014 World Cup, played on 12 June against hosts Brazil, a penalty was given against Croatia that resulted in a 1–1 draw. Pletikosa made contact with Neymar's spot kick, but could not prevent it from going in. Croatia eventually lost 3–1.[13] On 17 July 2014, following the World Cup, Pletikosa announced his retirement from the national team.[14]

Personal life

Pletikosa is a practising Roman Catholic who was known to wear a T-shirt with a picture of the Virgin Mary under his uniform for good luck when he played.[15][16]

Career statistics

Club

Source:[17][18]
Club Season League National cup Continental Other[a] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hajduk Split 1996–97 Prva HNL 1 0 0 0 1 0
1997–98 Prva HNL 1 0 0 0 1 0
1998–99 Prva HNL 19 0 0 0 19 0
1999–2000 Prva HNL 32 0 3 0 35 0
2000–01 Prva HNL 31 1 2 0 33 1
2001–02 Prva HNL 27 0 6 0 33 0
2002–03 Prva HNL 30 3 4 2 34 5
Total 162 4 15 2 177 6
Shakhtar Donetsk 2003–04 Vyshcha Liha 23 0 6 0 0 0 29 0
2004–05 Vyshcha Liha 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
2006–07 Vyshcha Liha 3 0 1 0 0 0 4 0
Total 32 0 7 0 0 0 39 0
Hajduk Split (loan) 2005–06 Prva HNL 21 0 21 0
Spartak Moscow 2007 Russian Premier League 29 0 4 0 2 0 35 0
2008 Russian Premier League 30 0 0 0 8 0 38 0
2009 Russian Premier League 4 0 2 0 6 0
2010 Russian Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 63 0 6 0 10 0 0 0 79 0
Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 2010–11 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
Rostov 2011–12 Russian Premier League 23 0 0 0 2 0 25 0
2012–13 Russian Premier League 30 0 3 0 2 0 35 0
2013–14 Russian Premier League 27 0 3 0 30 0
2014–15 Russian Premier League 30 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 35 0
Total 110 0 6 0 2 0 7 0 125 0
Deportivo La Coruña 2015–16 La Liga 2 0 2 0
Career total 369 4 12 0 34 2 8 0 422 6
  1. ^ Includes Football League Cup, Russian Relegation Play-offs, and Russian Super Cup

International

Source:[19]
Croatia
Year Apps Goals
1999 3 0
2000 5 0
2001 7 0
2002 10 0
2003 12 0
2004 5 0
2005 4 0
2006 11 0
2007 8 0
2008 12 0
2009 2 0
2010 2 0
2011 8 0
2012 10 0
2013 10 0
2014 5 0
Total 114 0

See also

References

  1. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players (Croatia)" (PDF). FIFA. 14 July 2014. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Stipe Pletikosa: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Stjȅpān". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 17 March 2018. Stípe
  4. ^ "plȅsti". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 17 March 2018. Plètikosa
  5. ^ Juranović, Tomislav (29 July 2021). "Kustić preuzeo Šukerovu fotelju i na startu poslao jasnu poruku: 'Zdravko Mamić nema nikakav utjecaj!'". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Marijan Kustić održao sastanak s Pletikosom, Dalićem i njegovim pomoćnicima". Croatian Football Federation. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Pletikosa calls time on Croatia career". FIFA. 19 July 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014.
  8. ^ "Tottenham Hotspur complete Stipe Pletikosa loan deal". BBC Sport. BBC. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  9. ^ "O'Hara helps Wolves to win". Fox Sports. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Pletikosa joins Rostov". FIFA. 6 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
  11. ^ "El meta croata Pletikosa firma hasta junio" [Croatian goalkeeper Pletikosa signs until June]. Marca (in Spanish). Unidad Editorial. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Srna strikes as Croatia beat South Korea". Gol TV. 6 February 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Brazil 3-1 Croatia". BBC Sport. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  14. ^ "Stipe Pletikosa odlučio završiti reprezentativnu karijeru". Večernji list (in Croatian). 17 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  15. ^ "Stipe Pletikosa: "U Međugorju je počeo moj put k vjeri"". medugorju-info.com (in Croatian). 12 November 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  16. ^ "World Cup 2014: Croatia – the secrets behind the players". The Guardian. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  17. ^ "S.Pletikosa Stats". Soccerway. Platform Group. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  18. ^ Плетикоса Стипе. Russian Premier League (in Russian). Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Stipe Pletikosa – Century of International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 10 January 2015.