Alexandre Pato

Player Information

Full name: Alexandre (Pato) Rodrigues da Silva
Date of birth: September 02, 1989
Birthplace: Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
EU passport: No
Height: 179 cms
Weight: 71 kgs

Club: Milan
Position: Striker [C]
Squad Number: 7
Previous clubs: Internacional > (€14.5m) Milan

International debut: March 2008, v Sweden
International Caps: 1
International Goals: 1
World Cups: none

Awards

FIFA Club World Cup (2006)

Recopa Sudamericana (2007)

Biography

1989
Born September 2 in Pato Branco, Parana.
2001
At the age of 11, he moved to Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul and started sharing housing with 83 other teenagers that, much like him, wanted to make a name for themselves in the SC Internacional first team.
2006
November 26: Scored on his first team debut after 94 seconds with his first touch of the ball, set up two more - including one with a disconcerting dribble - and headed against the post in a hectic 57 minutes before being substituted with Internacional 4-0 ahead of Palmeiras.
December 13: Brazilian wonderkid Alexandre Pato produced a dazzling display as Internacional beat Al Ahly 2-1 to reach the Club World Cup final. Pato scored once and had a goal disallowed before being taken off injured in the second half.
December 17: Played 61 minutes in the final as Internacional overcame Barcelona to win the FIFA World Club Cup Japan 2006.
2007
January: Part of the Brazil side that won the South American Under-20 Championship. He was Brazil's leading scorer in the tournament with five goals.
July: Represented Brazil in the FIFA U-20 World Cup at Canada. He was part of the team that reached the round of 16 but was defeated by Spain 4-2 after extra time.
August 2: The long drawn race to sign Alexandre Pato come to an end with AC Milan finally signing the young Brazilian starlet. The Rossoneri paid his buy-out clause of 14.5 million euros, and have handed him a five year contract worth 2 million euros per season. However, Pato cannot feature in official games for the Rossoneri until January. Revealed the club: "The great talent Alexandre Pato will train with Milan and will be able to play the friendly matches starting from the 3rd of September 2007. From the 3rd of January 2008 onwards, he will also be able to play in the official games."
September 6: Scored one goal on his AC Milan debut, a 2-2 friendly draw organised to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Dinamo Kiev.
2008
January 13: Alexandre Pato scored on his long-awaited Serie A debut as Milan beat Napoli 5-2 in a thrilling match at the San Siro.
March 26: Little over ten minutes after taking the field as a second-half substitute, thus making his Brazilian National Team debut, Pato scored a 72nd-minute goal that consigned Sweden to a 1-0 defeat by Brazil in their friendly at the Arsenal Stadium in London.
August 22: Member of the Brazilian team that won the Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Robinho

Player Information

Full name: Robson (Robinho) de Souza
Date of birth: January 25, 1984
Birthplace: São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
EU passport: No
Height: 172 cms
Weight: 60 kgs

Club: Manchester City
Position: Forward [C]
Squad Number: 10
Contract expires: June 2012
Previous clubs: Santos > (€25m) Real Madrid > (£32.5m) Manchester City

International debut: July 2003, v Mexico
International Caps: 55
International Goals: 13
World Cups: Germany 2006

Awards

FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)
Copa America (2007)

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2002, 2004)
Spanish La Liga (2007, 2008)

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Player of the Year (2004)Copa America Best Player (2007)
Copa America Top Scorer (2007)

Biography

1984
Born January 25 in Sao Vicente near Santos.
1996
Discovered by Santos and wins a place in the club's junior divisions.
1999
Pele sees Robinho taking part in a youth team training session and is reported as saying: "This lad takes me back to the start of my career."
2000
Makes his professional debut for Santos at the age of 16 in a 3-1 win over arch-rivals Corinthians.
2002
December: Santos beat Corinthians over the two-legged final to win the Brazilian championship. The most replayed moment of the tie is when Robinho performs seven successive step-overs as he provokes an opponent into giving away a penalty.
2003
June: Santos reach the South American Copa Libertadores final for the first time in 40 years and lose to Argentina's Boca Juniors in the two-leg final.
July: Part of Brazil squad that loses Concacaf Gold Cup, makes full team debut against Mexico.
2004
January: Plays in the Brazil under-23 team which fails to qualify for the Athens Olympics.
November: Robinho's mother Marina de Souza is kidnapped from a barbecue at a friend's house in Santos by two armed men. Robinho is sidelined by coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo.
December: Robinho's mother is released. Two days later, Robinho returns and Santos beat Vasco da Gama 2-1 in their last game to clinch their second Brazilian championship in three years. Finishes as joint top scorer for Santos with 21 goals.
December: Collected 37 votes to finish third in the El Pais' South American Player of the Year award.
2005
June: Part of Brazil squad for Confederations Cup. Turns in a virtuoso performance in Brazil's 3-0 win over Greece scoring one, winning a penalty for a second, and ends up being voted Man of the Match. Brazil beat Argentina 4-1 to win Confederations Cup. After the game, Robinho says he wants to join Real Madrid.
July: Real reach a deal with Santos to buy the Brazilian club's 60 percent share in the player for $30 million. Under the terms of the agreement Robinho continues to play for Santos in the Brazilian championship until August.
August: Scores twice in his final home game for Santos against Figueirense. Signs five-year deal with Real Madrid, he later made a scintillating debut as a substitute in Madrid's season-opening 2-1 victory over Cadiz.
2006
August 02: Real Madrid's Gravesen and Robinho exchanged a few punches during a training match, and were rewarded for their "fighting spirit" by Capello, with expulsion from training.
August 29: Italian giants AC Milan have had a 25 million euro bid for Brazilian forward Robinho rejected by Real Madrid, according to a sports daily AS.
2007
June 17: Helped Real Madrid to end their four-year trophy drought when they won the league title for the 30th time after a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Real Mallorca at the Bernabeu.
July 1: Scored a hat-trick as defending champions Brazil bounced back from an opening defeat by Mexico to beat Chile 3-0 in the Copa America.
July 15: Member of the Brazil squad that stunned bitter rivals and overwhelming favourites Argentina 3-0 to win their eighth Copa America title. Robinho was also Top Scorer and Most Valuable Player of the competition.
2008
May 4: Helped Real Madrid to win its 31st Primera Division title.
September 1: Manchester City beat Chelsea to the signing of Robinho from Real Madrid for a British record transfer fee of about £32.5m. Sports daily Marca said on its Web site that Robinho had signed a five-year contract worth $8.8 million per season.
October 26: Scored his first Man. City hat-trick in the Premier League 3-0 victory over Stoke at the City of Manchester Stadium.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Robinho's dribbling skills have earned him comparison with the great Garrincha.
The youngster, who made his full international debut in Brazil’s 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup final defeat by Mexico, was warned early in his career that he risked getting his leg broken if he humiliated older defenders - but he took no heed and quickly made the pedalada, or step-over, his trademark.

Known as O Principe (the Prince to Pele's King), he won two Brazilian championships with Santos in 2002 and 2004 prior to joining Real Madrid, and added the FIFA Confederations Cup to his list of honours in 2005.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

The svelte Robson de Souza 'Robinho' is considered one of the brightest attacking talents to have emerged from Brazil in recent years.

National team
Robinho's debut for Brazil came on 13 July 2003 against Mexico in an Under-23 side fielded in the CONCACAF Gold Cup to gain experience ahead of the 2004 Olympics. Brazil lost that final 1-0 to Mexico, but Robinho made his way into the senior squad and scored twice in Germany as his nation won the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Club
A Santos FC product, Robinho broke into the senior team as a teenager and struck seven goals in 2002 as he and fellow youngster Diego inspired the club to the Brazilian title. Displaying his patented 'pedalada' dummy, Robinho was soon compared to Garrincha. A €36m price tag put off European suitors, and in his Copa Libertadores debut in the next year in Colombia against América de Cali he produced a piece of skill so outrageous that the home fans gave him a standing ovation. Santos eventually lost to CA Boca Juniors in the final, but the next year Robinho struck 21 goals as his side reclaimed the Brazilian championship.

2004/05: Despite Santos's success, it was a difficult time for Robinho as his mother was kidnapped, leading him to step aside from football for nearly two months until she was released. His friend Diego departed for Europe along with Nilmar and Vágner Love, and although Robinho started the season in May, he was dropped after the Confederations Cup when he said he wanted to go to Real Madrid CF even though their €24m bid was rejected. However, when the player agreed to waive his 40 per cent share of any transfer, he was allowed to go to Spain and signed a five-year contract.

Did you know?
A former player with a relative amount of clout at Santos, then youth coach Pelé said watching a 15-year-old Robinho reminded him of himself and "almost made him cry". He then insisted Robinho move into the players' lodgings to ensure he got three square meals a day.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Thierry Henry

Player Information

Full name: Thierry Daniel Henry
Date of birth: August 17, 1977
Birthplace: Les Ulis, Essonne, France
Nationality: French
2nd nationality: Martiniquais
EU passport: Yes
Height: 188 cms
Weight: 83 kgs

Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Striker [C]
Squad Number: 14
Contract expires: June 2011
Previous clubs: Monaco > Juventus > (€17m) Arsenal > (€23.8m) Barcelona

International debut: October 1997, v South Africa
International Caps: 100
International Goals: 44
World Cups: France 1998 (1st), Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (2nd)

Awards

FIFA World Cup (1998)
UEFA European Football Championship (2000)
FIFA Confederations Cup (2003)

French Ligue 1 (1997)
English FA Cup (2002, 2003, 2005)
English FA Premier League (2002, 2004)

French Young Footballer of the Year (1997)
French Footballer of the Year (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
English FA Premier League Top Scorer (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006)
English FA Premier League Footballer of the Year (2003, 2004, 2006)
FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer (2003)
FIFA Confederations Cup MVP (2003)

Biography

1977
Born August 17 in Les Ulis, Essonne, Paris.
1990
Joins French first division Monaco as a 13-year-old.
1994
August: Makes French first division debut for Monaco against Nice, Monaco lose 2-0. Monaco coach was Arsene Wenger.
1995
April: Scores first goals in first division, two in 6-0 victory over RC Lens.
1996
May: Voted French Young Player of the Year.
1997
January: Signs first professional contract with Monaco.
May: Monaco win French league championship. Henry scores nine goals in 36 matches.
June: Helps France reach quarter-finals of World Youth championship in Malaysia.
October: Wins first French cap in World Cup warm-up match against South Africa in Lens.
1998
June: Plays in six of seven games in World Cup finals for winners France, staying on the bench for the 3-0 final victory over Brazil but scoring three first round goals -- one against South Africa and two against Saudi Arabia.
1999
January: Joins Juventus on after Italians outbid Arsenal.
April: Scores first goals for Juventus, two in 3-1 defeat of league leaders Lazio.
1999
August: Joins Arsenal for 10.5 million pounds.
September: Fails to score in first eight appearances, eventually getting off the mark in 1-0 win over Southampton.
2000
June: Scores three goals as France win Euro 2000.
2001
May: Ends season with 22 goals.
2002
April 15: Named in the PFA Premiership team of the year.
May: Scores 31 goals for Arsenal as they clinch the Double.
June: Sent off for France against Uruguay in the World Cup finals as his country fail to progress from group stage.
2003
May: With three games remaining, Henry has scored 22 league goals as Arsenal chase second consecutive league title. He has also helped them reach second straight FA Cup final in a row.
June: Voted PFA player of the year and Football Writers' Association player of the year.
December: Runner-up in European Footballer of the Year poll, same position in FIFA world player of the year poll.
2004
May: Top scorer in Premier League with 30 goals as Arsenal win title without losing a match, a feat last achieved 115 years previously. Voted PFA player of the year. Becomes first player since award began more than 50 years ago to be named FWA player of the year in successive seasons.
December: Runner-up in FIFA world player of the year poll.
2005
May: Helps Arsenal win FA Cup although injury keeps him out of final against Manchester United.
October: Becomes top-scorer in Arsenal's history, netting twice in Champions League win over Sparta Prague to take his tally to 186, one more than set by Ian Wright in 1990s
2006
February: Scores 200th goal for Arsenal in win over Birmingham.
April: Voted Footballer of the Year for the third time in four years by the Football Writers' Association, becomes the first player in 59 years of the award to receive the accolade three times.
May: Captains Arsenal in their first Champions League final. Arsenal beaten 2-1 by Barcelona after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off.
May 19: Signed a new four-year contract, pledging his future to the north London club.
July 9: Member of the French squad that lost the FIFA World Cup final against Italy 1-1 (3-5 PSO) in Berlin's Olympiastadion.
September 26: Arsenal defeated Porto 2-0 at home with Henry scoring the first on the 38th minute, it was his 50th goal in European competition.
October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
November 27: Thierry Henry collected 121 points to finish third in the European Footballer of the Year award.
December 15: December 15: Thierry Henry collected 12.1% of the votes to finish third in the World Soccer's Player of the Year award.
2007
March 9: Set to miss the rest of the season because of injuries. Henry, just back from a foot injury, hurt groin and stomach muscles Tuesday when the Gunners were knocked out of the European Champions League by PSV Eindhoven. "Thierry Henry will be out for a minimum of three months," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
June 23: Arsenal announced they have agreed to sell captain Thierry Henry to Barcelona subject for a fee reported to be in the region of €23.8m. Under the tutelage of manager Arsene Wenger, he was transformed from a winger into one of the top strikers in the world and went on to become the English club's record goalscorer with 226 goals in 364 appearances. He helped the Gunners to the Premier League title in 2002 and 2004, victory in the English FA Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and captained the side to the UEFA Champions League final in 2005/06, which they lost 2-1 to Barca in Paris.
July 26: Scored in his first game with Barcelona, a 1-0 exhibition victory at Dundee United.
September 29: Scored his first hat-trick in Spanish football as FC Barcelona won 4-1 at Levante UD.
October 13: Scored a goal in France's 6-0 away victory at Faroe Islands to equal Michel Platini's France record of 41 goals.
October 17: Henry broke Platini's French national team scoring record, getting a pair of goals in a 2-0 victory over Lithuania in a European Championship qualifier. Henry scored in the 79th and 80th minutes to give him 43 goals in 96 games. Platini had 41 goals in 72 games for France from 1976-87.
2008
April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.
June 3: Became the sixth France player (Thuram, Desailly, Zidane, Vieira and Deschamps) to win 100 caps after being named in the starting lineup of the friendly 1-0 defeat of Colombia in Paris.
December 6: Scored a hat-trick as FC Barcelona's 4-0 win at home to Valencia CF.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

At the FIFA World Cup France 1998™, Aime Jacquet’s squad included several attackers who, although highly talented, lacked experience at international level. At that time, the reputations of both David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry were confined to French borders.
Today, Henry is not only regarded as one of the finest strikers on the planet, but has also become a genuine phenomenon in his seven seasons in the English Premiership with Arsenal. As clubs all over Europe can testify, his deadly finishing is matched only by his elegant style.

Made club captain last summer after the departure of fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira, ‘Titi’ has enjoyed yet another sensational season, even smashing the London club’s all-time scoring record held previously by Ian Wright (185 goals).

The boy from the Parisian suburb of Les Ulis first made a name for himself at Monaco where, under the watchful eye of his guru Arsene Wenger, he developed an array of skills that would propel him to the summit of his sport. Picked initially by Jacquet to play a bit-part role at France 98, Henry ended the tournament as his side’s top scorer with three goals to his name.

In 1999, he escaped from an inauspicious spell at Juventus, to whom he was sold by Monaco, by moving to Highbury, a switch that saw his career take on a whole new dimension. There, his old mentor Wenger converted him from a left winger into an out-and-out centre-forward. Revelling in his new role, Henry proceeded to play a key part in France’s UEFA Euro 2000 coronation by chipping in with three goals. The football world was witnessing the birth of a legend.

Finding form
The following season, Henry really hit top gear, finishing top scorer in a team that also included the Dutch maestro Dennis Bergkamp. But for the team as a whole, the campaign was marked by the dual disappointment of a cup final loss to Liverpool and elimination in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League by Valencia.

One year later, the English Premiership’s top scorer arrived in Asia for the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002. But after being knocked out in the group stage without scoring a single goal, France suddenly found that the dark days were upon them.

When they were also defeated in the quarter-final of Euro 2004 by future champions Greece, les Bleus were forced to acknowledge that an era had ended. Drafted in to oversee the reconstruction, Raymond Domenech was hit by a wave of temporary retirements that deprived him of the likes of Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane. But the coach responded by appointing Henry as one of his generals, a move he would not regret. When France’s place in Germany came under threat during their FIFA World Cup preliminary campaign, Henry responded with a stunning strike against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin that got his country back on track for qualification (1-0).

Stung by les Bleus’ ignominious FIFA World Cup exit four years ago, Henry is more motivated than ever by the idea of silencing the sceptics who claim he is less effective at international level as he is for his club. Defenders of the world, watch out: Henry is likely to be at his devastating best in Germany this summer.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Thierry Henry has been a goalscorer par excellence ever since Arsenal FC paid Juventus FC €17m for his services in the summer of 1999. Since being converted from a wide player into a central striker he has matured into one of the game's most-feared hitmen.

National team
Scored the only goal of the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Spain and two years later, aged 20, he finished as his country's leading scorer as they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil. Further success followed at UEFA EURO 2000™, where he was again his country's top scorer with three strikes, before France, and Henry, who was sent off against Uruguay, came crashing down to earth at the 2002 World Cup. Scored six goals in seven UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifiers and then found the net twice in the win against Switzerland that took France to the quarter-finals, though his form in the early 2006 World Cup qualifiers was as frustrating as France's.

Club
A fleet-footed natural athlete, Henry first made his mark with AS Monaco FC, for whom he made his debut in 1995, helping them to the French title in 1996/97 and a UEFA Champions League semi-final in 1998.

1999: He joined Juventus in January for a significant fee but failed to settle and seven months later replaced Nicolas Anelka at Arsenal, where he assumed the centre-forward's role that transformed his career.

2001: A hugely successful season for Henry as he won the Premiership Golden Boot and Arsenal competed the English domestic double. He was then voted into the uefa.com users' Team of the Year for 2002, and ended the next campaign with an FA Cup winner's medal and both English Footballer of the Year awards. He retained the latter prize the next season and won the ESM Golden Shoe with 30 Premiership golas in inspiring Arsenal to the league title and an unbeaten campaign.

2004/05: Arsenal may have relinquished the Premiership title and again fallen short in the Champions League, but Henry's form barely dipped as he ensured a share of the ESM Golden Shoe with 25 goals and won another FA Cup.

Did you know?
Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

Thierry Henry is a goalscorer par excellence who has not looked back since Arsenal FC paid Juventus FC €17m for his services in the summer of 1999. The extra responsibility which came with being converted from a wide player into a central striker has seen him mature into one of the game's most-feared hitmen.

National team
Scored the only goal of the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Spain and two years later, aged 20, he finished as his country's leading scorer as they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil. Further success followed at UEFA EURO 2000™, where he was again his country's top scorer with three strikes, before France, and Henry, who was sent off against Uruguay, came crashing down to earth at the 2002 World Cup.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Scored six goals in seven qualifiers to finish as his country's joint-leading marksman along with David Trezeguet and Sylvain Wiltord. Henry struck four times in the two games against Malta and also registered in home victories against Cyprus and Israel.

Club
A fleet-footed natural athlete, Henry first made his mark with AS Monaco FC, for whom he made his debut in 1995, helping them to win the French title in 1996/97 and reach a UEFA Champions League semi-final in 1998.

1999: He joined Juventus in January for a significant fee but failed to settle and seven months later was heading for Highbury to replace Nicolas Anelka.

2001: The season preceding Korea/Japan was hugely successul for Henry as he won the Premiership Golden Boot as the Londoners wrested the title from Manchester United FC and defeated Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final. His performances were enough to see him voted into the uefa.com users' Team of the year for 2002. Scored a majestic UEFA Champions League at AS Roma the following term, ending it with 24 league goals, an FA Cup winner's medal and both English Footballer of the Year awards.

2003/04: English Footballer of the Year again and winner of the ESM Golden Shoe, Henry's electric performances inspired Arsenal to the league title and an unbeaten campaign. He scored 30 league goals and five more in the Champions League.

Did you know?
Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.

David Beckham

Player Information
Full name: David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE
Date of birth: May 02, 1975
Birthplace: Leytonstone, England
Nationality: English
EU passport: Yes
Height: 180 cms
Weight: 74 kgs

Club: Milan
Position: Midfielder [R, C]
Squad Number: 0
Contract expires: June 2012 (on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy)
Previous clubs: Manchester United > Preston North End > Manchester United > (£25m) Real Madrid > Los Angeles Galaxy > Milan (loan)

International debut: September 1996, v Moldova
International Caps: 100
International Goals: 17
World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006

Awards

UEFA Champions League (1999)
Intercontinental Cup (1999)

English FA Premier League (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)
English FA Cup (1996, 1999)
Spanish Super Cup (2003)
Spanish La Liga (2007)

English League Young Footballer of the Year (1997)
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1999)

Biography

1975
Born May 2 in Leytonstone, London.
1991
May: Signs for Manchester United as a trainee
1992
September: First team debut as a substitute in the Rumbelows Cup tie at Brighton and Hove Albion.
1994
Plays 5 matches on loan for Preston North End.
1995
April: Premier League debut at home to Leeds United.
1996
September 1: Made his England debut in a 3-0 away win over Moldova in a qualifier for the 1998 World Cup finals in Kishinev.
1997
May: Manchester United win another Premiership title and reach the semi final of the UCL. David is voted Young Player of the Year.
1998
June 26: Scored his first goal for England after 30 minutes of his 17th international, a trademark free kick against Colombia in the opening round of the World Cup in Lens, France.
June 30: In a second-round tie against Argentina in St Etienne, he was sent off two minutes into the second half for kicking Diego Simeone. He was largely vilified at home for his dismissal as it was seen as a contributory factor to England's loss on penalties after the match ended in a 2-2 draw. It was the first red card of David's career.
1999
March: Becomes a father to Brooklyn.
May: Manchester United completed the unprecedented Treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. Named UEFA MVP.
July: Marries Victoria Adams aka Posh Spice, a member of the Spice Girls.
2000
Another successful campaign as Manchester United wins again the Premiership, with David scoring 6 goals in 31 apps.
November: Peter Taylor gave him the greatest honour of his career in making him the captain of England, fulfilling his childhood dream.
2001
January: Sven-Goran Eriksson appointed him the permanent captain when he took over as England boss.
May: Manchester United won the Premiership title. He was given the English captain armband for the first time in a friendly in Italy.
October 6: At his home ground of Old Trafford, he scored one of the most famous goals of his career - a free kick deep into stoppage time that gave England a 2-2 draw against Greece and effectively sealed their place at the 2002 World Cup finals.
2002
June 2: He won his 50th cap in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup finals in Saitama but was replaced after 63 minutes of the 2-2 draw with Sweden.
June 7: In what he describes as one of the highlights of his England career, Beckham scored with a penalty to give England a 1-0 win over Argentina in the enclosed dome of Sapporo in their second group match. England would later be eliminated by Brazil.
2003
May: A stray boot, kicked in frustration by Sir Alex Ferguson, accidentally struck Becks on the forehead in the dressing room.
June: His era as a Man Utd player came to an end in the summer of 2003 when Florentino Perez took him to Real Madrid for 35 millions euros.
2004
June: Captains England at Euro 2004, where team loses in Quarter finals to host Portugal.
2005
October 8: Became the first England player to be sent off twice when he was dismissed against Austria in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory at Old Trafford.
2006
June 15: David Beckham was named Budweiser Man of the Match after England's 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.
June 25: Scored to give England a 1-0 win over Ecuador in their second round match in Stuttgart to become the first English player to score a goal in three World Cup finals tournaments.
July: One day after England was eliminated by Portugal in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, Beckham stepped down as the team captain after holding the role for six years.
August 11: David Beckham's England career appears to be at an end after new manager Steve McClaren left him out of his squad.
September 16: David Beckham says he has a "burning desire" to prove new England coach Steve McClaren wrong after being dropped from the national team.
October 17: Beckham has joined Raul and Roberto Carlos in an exclusive club of three after making his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League at Steaua Bucuresti.
2007
January 11: David Beckham is set to leave Real Madrid at the end of the Spanish season and sign a five-year deal for U.S. side Los Angeles Galaxy worth $1 million a week, the biggest in world sport.
January 13: Coach Fabio Capello says Beckham won't play for Real Madrid again. "He is not going to play any more. He will practice, but he is not going to play. The player's decision is to go to Los Angeles. He has always been a great professional, but a player who has such a major contract with another team ... we cannot count on him," he said.
February 10: Beckham, who had not been selected for Real Madrid's six previous matches, made a scoring return as his team came from behind to beat 2-1 Real Sociedad in the Primera Division.
June 1: Marked his first appearance for his country in 11 months, and first under Steve McClaren's reign, by setting up skipper John Terry's 68th minute opener with a trademark free-kick only for Diego to equalize in injury-time in the 1-1 friendly draw against Brazil.
June 17: Helped Real Madrid to end their four-year trophy drought when they won the league title for the 30th time after a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Real Mallorca at the Bernabeu.
July 21: Made his long-awaited debut for Los Angeles Galaxy in front of a capacity crowd when he came on as a substitute in the 78th minute of the exhibition match against Chelsea. The match ended with a 1-0 victory for the English team.
August 15: Started his first game for the Galaxy, scored his first goal on a free kick in the 27th minute and Los Angeles beat D.C. United 2-0 in the SuperLiga semifinals. Beckham also captained the LA team and notched his first assist on the Galaxy's second goal.
August 30: Beckham suffered a sprained right knee and will be sidelined for "approximately six weeks," ending his fist MLS season.
2008
March 26: Became only the fifth player (after Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton) to win 100 caps for England when he featured in the 0-1 defeat against France in Paris.
April 3: Scored his first goal in Major League Soccer, his eighth-minute strike helping the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. Beckham collected a pass from Donovan outside the penalty area and slipped the ball past goalkeeper Joe Cannon to open the scoring. Beckham returned the favor for Donovan in the 37th minute, flicking the ball with his right foot to his hard-charging teammate, who lofted a shot over a rapidly-closing Cannon to put the Galaxy up 2-0..
April 7: Named Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 2.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

David Beckham is one of the world’s most recognised sportsmen. Years of success on the field at Manchester United combined with a high-profile lifestyle off it had ensured him a rare level of wealth and celebrity even before he became part of Real Madrid’s galácticos project in 2003.
More than anything, however, Beckham is a dedicated professional, who takes immense pride from his role as England captain. His talent with a football was evident from an early age: as a boy he won a Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools National Skills competition and before long he had signed up for his favourite team, Manchester United.

Beckham was part of a remarkable United youth side containing fellow future England internationals Nicky Butt, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992. Although it was not until the 1995/96 season, when he was 20, that he established himself in the first team at Old Trafford, the wait was worthwhile.

That campaign ended with him collecting Premiership and FA Cup winner’s medals and Beckham began the following season by scoring a memorable goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon. He ended it with the award for English football’s Young Player of the Year and in between made his England debut in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Moldova.

Beckham had to wait until the 1998 finals in France to score his first international goal and fittingly it was a trademark free-kick in a 2-0 victory over Colombia. It is arguable that during the past decade nobody in world football has delivered better set-pieces than the Englishman, who is famed for his ability to provide perfect crosses from the right flank.

Unfortunately for Beckham, the 1998 FIFA World Cup ended in dismay as he was sent off for aiming a kick at Diego Simeone during England’s second-round loss to Argentina. That act of petulance made him a convenient scapegoat for the defeat, yet he won over his critics with his subsequent efforts in an England shirt.

After helping United complete a treble of Premiership, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League successes in 1999, Beckham received personal recognition as he finished second in both the FIFA World Player and European Footballer of the Year polls.

The next year he was named England captain for the first time for a friendly in Italy and he quickly grew into the role. Relishing the extra responsibility, Beckham sealed his country’s place in the 2002 FIFA World Cup with a spectacular late free-kick in their last qualifier against Greece and his excellent form in 2001 earned him second place in the FIFA World Player of the Year voting.

A foot injury meant Beckham faced a race against time to be fit for Korea/Japan but he eventually appeared in every match of England’s run to the quarter-finals in the Far East and enjoyed a moment to savour as his penalty brought a 1-0 victory over old rivals Argentina.

After collecting his sixth Premiership winner’s medal in 2003, Beckham said goodbye to English football for a new challenge at Real Madrid. However, he remains a fixture in the England team. He scored fine goals against Wales and Azerbaijan during Germany 2006 qualifying and completed 50 matches as national captain during last November’s friendly against Argentina.

Beckham will be 31 when the FIFA World Cup kicks off and will surpass the 90-cap mark during the tournament. But what he really wants is to end it by emulating another Londoner, Bobby Moore, and lifting world football’s greatest prize.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Perhaps the most famous footballer in the world, David Beckham's main attributes are his long-range shooting ability - especially from free-kicks - accurate crossing from the right, and seemingly limitless reserves of energy.

National team
The summer after he made his debut against Moldova in September 1996, Beckham was vilified in England for his sending off in the FIFA World Cup match against Argentina. He featured at UEFA EURO 2000™ and was made captain in the build-up to the 2002 World Cup, scoring a brilliant added-time free-kick against Greece which earned England a place in Korea/Japan before exorcising his Argentina demons in Sapporo. Inspirational as England qualified for UEFA EURO 2004™, his reputation suffered as he missed penalties against France and Portugal in the finals. Returned to form in 2006 World Cup qualifying with excellent goals against Wales and Azerbaijan.

Club
A lifelong Manchester United FC fan despite being born in London, Beckham was part of United's much-vaunted 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning side. He established himself in the first team in the 1995/96 English double-winning season and a goal from the halfway line in the first game of the next campaign, at Wimbledon FC, marked his arrival. Beckham's efforts in the treble-winning team of 1998/99 that lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy won him second place in the FIFA World Player of the Year and European Player of the Year polls. His coruscating form in 2001 brought another second place in the FIFA poll and Beckham helped United to a sixth title during his time at the club in 2002/03, and scored twice in the Champions League loss to Real Madrid CF, the club he joined in the summer for €35m.

2003: Beckham quickly settled, relishing his new central role and winning over the fans with his range of passing and work ethic. Life was not quite so rosy in 2004, however, as Madrid failed to win a trophy.

2004/05: Started the season playing in the centre of midfield but by the end of the campaign, new coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo had switched Beckham to the right wing with pleasing results. His cannonball strike in the 5-0 defeat of UD Levante in November was a sight to behold.

Did you know?
David and Victoria Beckham have three sons, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. David has all three boys' names tatooed on his body and also has Victoria's name imprinted on his arm in Hindi.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

Simply the most famous footballer in the world, David Beckham's main attributes are his long-range shooting ability - especially from free-kicks - pin-point accurate crossing from the right, and seemingly limitless reserves of energy.

National team
The summer after he made his debut against Moldova in September 1997, Beckham was vilified in England for his sending off in the FIFA World Cup match against Argentina. He also featured at UEFA EURO 2000™ but matured considerably after being made captain in the build-up to the 2002 World Cup, scoring a brilliant added-time free-kick against Greece which earned England a place at Korea/Japan before exorcising his Argentina demons in Sapporo.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Again inspirational as England qualified automatically ahead of Turkey from Group 7. Beckham appeared in seven of the eight qualifiers, sitting out only the home victory against Slovakia, and scored five goals, including one penalty.

Club
A lifelong Manchester United FC fan despite being born in London, Beckham was part of United's much-vaunted 1992 FA Youth Cup-winning side. He established himself in the first team in the 1995/96 English double-winning season and a goal from the halfway line in the first game of the next campaign, at Wimbledon FC, marked his arrival as a star. Beckham's efforts in the treble-winning team of 1998/99 that lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy won him second place behind Rivaldo in the voting for FIFA World Player of the Year and European Player of the Year. And his coruscating form in 2001 brought another second place in the FIFA poll, behind Luis Figo.

2002: Beckham helped United to a sixth title during his time at the club. He also scored twice in the Champions League loss to Real Madrid CF, the club he was to join in the summer for €35m.

2003/4: Beckham quickly settled, relishing his new central role and winning over the fans with his range of passing and work ethic. Life was not quite so rosy in 2004 as Madrid failed to win a trophy.

Did you know?
David and Victoria Beckham have two sons, Brooklyn and Romeo. David has Brooklyn's name tattooed on his lower back and Romeo's across his shoulders. He also has Victoria's name imprinted on his arm in Hindi.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.

David Villa

Player Information

Full name: David Villa Sánchez
Date of birth: December 03, 1981
Birthplace: Langreo, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 175 cms
Weight: 69 kgs

Club: Valencia
Position: Forward [C]
Squad Number: 7
Contract expires: June 2014
Previous clubs: Sporting Gijon B > Sporting Gijon > (€2.5m) Zaragoza > (€12m) Valencia

International debut: February 2005, v San Marino
International Caps: 33
International Goals: 18
World Cups: Germany 2006

Awards

UEFA European Football Championship (2008)

Spanish Copa del Rey (2004, 2008)
Spanish Super Cup (2004)

UEFA European Football Championship Top Scorer (2008)

Biography

1981
Born December 3 in Langreo, Spain.
2006
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
2008
April 16: Helped Valencia CF to rescue a disappointing season by claiming the Copa del Rey following a 3-1 final win over Getafe CF.
June 10: David Villa won the Carlsberg Man of the Match award not only for his three goals but for displaying the vision, energy and speed of thought, during Spain's 4-1 defeat of Russia. He became one of only seven strikers, including legends Michel Platini and Marco van Basten, to have hit a treble at a UEFA European Championship.
June 14: Scored in the 90+2 minute to hand Spain a dramatic 2-1 victory against Sweden in Innsbruck to be named Carlsberg Man of the Match. The victory guarantee Spain's presence in the UEFA Euro 2008 quarter-finals as Group D winners.
June 29: Crowned top scorer at UEFA EURO 2008 despite missing the final because of a thigh injury incurred in semifinal's 3-0 win against Russia.
June 30: Selected by the UEFA Technical Team in the official UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament.

Maicon

Player Information

Full name: Maicon Douglas Sisenando
Date of birth: July 26, 1981
Birthplace: Criciuma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
EU passport: No
Height: 184 cms
Weight: 77 kgs

Club: Inter Milan
Position: Defender [R]
Squad Number: 13
Previous clubs: Criciúma > Cruzeiro > Monaco > Inter Milan

International debut: July 2003, v Mexico
International Caps: 19
International Goals: 1
World Cups: none

Awards

Copa América (2004, 2007)
FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)

Brazilian Cup (2003)
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2003)
Italian Super Cup (2006)
Italian Serie A (2007, 2008)

Biography

1981
Born July 26 in Criciuma, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
2001
July: Member of the Brazilian team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship quarterfinals in Argentina.
2004
August: Makes French Ligue 1 Debut in the Monaco 1-0 win at Saint Etienne.
2006
July: Agrees a five-year contract with Internazionale.
August 26: Member of the Inter Milan team that won the Italian Super Cup after a three-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory over Roma in Milan.
2007
April 22: Member of the Inter Milan squad that won the Serie A championship with five games to spare, matching the record set by Torino (1947/48) and equalled by Fiorentina (1955/56).
May 17: Lost the Coppa Italia final with Internazionale to Roma following a 4-7 aggregate score.
July 15: Member of the Brazil squad that stunned bitter rivals and overwhelming favourites Argentina 3-0 to win their eighth Copa America title.

John Terry

Player Information

Full name: John George Terry
Date of birth: December 07, 1980
Birthplace: Barking, London, England
Nationality: English
EU passport: Yes
Height: 182 cms
Weight: 74 kgs

Club: Chelsea
Position: Defender [C]
Squad Number: 26
Contract expires: June 2012
Previous clubs: (youth) Chelsea

International debut: June 2003, v Yugoslavia
International Caps: 29
International Goals: 1
World Cups: Germany 2006

Awards

English League Cup (2005, 2007)
English FA Premier League (2005, 2006)
English FA Community Shield (2005)
English FA Cup (2007)

UEFA Champions League Best Defender (2005)

Biography

1980
Born December 7 in Barking, London, England.
2005
April: Wins Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year Award.
2006
April: Helps Chelsea claim its second straight Premier League title.
June 25: Defender John Terry was named the Budweiser Man of the Match after he anchored an England back line that completely smothered Ecuador's forwards on the way to a 1-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
August 10: John Terry has been appointed the new captain of England's football team, taking over from David Beckham, the Football Association (FA) has announced.
August 16: Makes a scoring debut as captain of England in his country 4-0 triumph over Greece. "The whole night really could not have gone any better," he said.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
December 28: John Terry underwent back surgery in France to remove a sequestrated lumbar intervertebral disc. He is expected to miss weeks rather than months.
2007
February 25: Taken off the field on a stretcher after Arsenal defender Abou Diaby accidentally kicked him in the head in the 58th minute of the English League Cup final. He was put on a stretcher with an oxygen mask placed over his mouth and a brace around his head. He was taken to hospital for tests but was able to return to the Millennium Stadium little more than an hour later -- still in his kit -- where he joined his team mates celebrating the 2-1 victory secured by two Didier Drogba goals.
May 1: Lost the Champions League semi-final with Chelsea against Liverpool on penalties 4-1 after drawing 1-1 on aggregate on a dramatic night at Anfield.
May 19: Won the English FA Cup with Chelsea over Man United following a 1-0 extra time victory at the New Wembley.
July 27: Signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea. The England skipper put pen to paper today to end months of speculation over his future.
October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
December 18: Set to be sidelined for up to six weeks after breaking three bones in his right foot. Scans showed Terry had fractured the bones, including his third metatarsal, when he was tackled by Emmanuel Eboue late in the first half of Chelsea's 1-0 Premier League loss to Arsenal on Sunday.
2008
February 24: Member of the Chelsea squad that lost the Carling Cup Final in extra time against Tottenham.
May 21: Missed a penalty in the shootout which would have won Chelsea the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final. Terry appeared to slip on the penalty spot before he made contact with the ball and could only hit the post. Chelsea then went on to lose 6-5 on penalties to Manchester United.
August 28: Voted UEFA Club Best Defender of the Year. "For me personally it's an amazing achievement," he said, adding: "To be a great defender you need a lot of attributes - to be quick, strong, good in the air and you also need plenty of great team-mates around you and I'm very lucky to have that."
October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Established as one of England’s first-choice central defenders during Rio Ferdinand’s suspension, John Terry is equally dominant on the ground and in the air.
Despite missing the opening game against France, Terry was one of England’s shining lights at UEFA EURO 2004 and continues to hold down one of England’s two central defensive positions in the face of competition from Ferdinand and Sol Campbell.

Terry became captain of Chelsea in the 2003/2004 season and has since led them to two successive Premiership titles in 2006 and 2006.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A commanding central defender who dominates in the air and on the ground, John Terry has made the transition from bright prospect to fully-fledged star by leading Chelsea FC to consecutive Premiership titles.

Club
Terry rose through the youth ranks at Chelsea to make his debut for the club in October 1998 under Gianluca Vialli. He was Chelsea's young player of the year in 2001 and in 2002 scored the winning goals in both the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup in the latter of those campaigns. Terry became captain as Chelsea finished Premiership runners-up in 2003/04 and was a virtual ever-present the following season in the London club's march to the Premiership title for the first time in 50 years. Voted PFA Player of the Season, Terry was also included in uefa.com's Team of the Year in 2005 and captained Chelsea to another league championship in 2005/06.

National team
Terry made a wonderful competitive debut against F.Y.R Macedonia in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying, producing a towering display in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand. He missed the opening game of the finals through injury, but played in the next three matches as England lost to Portugal in the quarter-finals. Displaced Sol Campbell as a first choice during the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and was an ever-present as Sven-Göran Eriksson's side again reached the last eight in Germany.

Did you know?
His brother, Paul, plays for another English club, Yeovil Town FC.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

One of the brightest defensive prospects in England, John Terry is a powerful central defender who dominates in the air and on the ground and is tipped as a future captain of his country.

National team
Received his first England call-up in Sven-Göran Eriksson's squad to face Liechtenstein and Turkey in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying in March 2003, but had to wait for a friendly against Serbia and Montenegro that June to finally appear.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Made a wonderful competitive debut against F.Y.R Macedonia with a towering display at the back in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand. In only his third competitive game he was arguably England's man of the match in the crucial draw in Istanbul.

Club
A Londoner, Terry rose through the youth ranks at Chelsea FC to make his debut for the club in October 1998 under Gianluca Vialli. However, he only became a regular following the appointment of Claudio Ranieri. He was Chelsea's young player of the year in 2001 and the following season enhanced his growing reputation by playing almost 50 games in total, scoring the winning goals in both the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup before the Blues were beaten by Arsenal FC. He excelled again the following term, too, as Chelsea finished fourth.

2003/4: Being named Chelsea captain added consistency to his game and Terry scored three times in 33 Premiership games as Chelsea finished runners-up. Terry was similarly impressive in the UEFA Champions League prior to the semi-final defeat by AS Monaco FC.

Did you know?
His brother, Paul, plays for another English club, Yeovil Town FC.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Raul Gonzalez

Player Information

Full name: Raúl González Blanco
Date of birth: June 27, 1977
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 180 cms
Weight: 68 kgs

Club: Real Madrid
Position: Forward [L, C]
Squad Number: 7
Contract expires: June 2011 (his contract will be extended each season if he plays 30 competitive games)
Previous clubs: none

International debut: October 1996, v Czech Republic
International Caps: 102
International Goals: 44
World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006

Awards

UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002)
Intercontinental Cup (1998, 2002)
UEFA Super Cup (2002)

Spanish La Liga (1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008)
Spanish Super Cup (1997, 2003)

Intercontinental Cup MVP (1998)
Spanish La Liga Top Scorer (1998, 2001)
UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (2001)
Spanish La Liga Player of the Season (2008)

Biography

1977
Born June 27 in Madrid.
1992
Joined Real Madrid after city rivals Atletico closed down their youth team set-up.
1994
At the age of 17, made first team debut against Real Zaragoza on October 29. Scored first goal a week later against his former club Atlético Madrid.
1995
April: Member of the Spanish team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship semifinals in Qatar.
May: Won first league title with Real Madrid.
1997
Won second league. Also won Spanish Super Cup after 5-3 aggregate victory over Barcelona.
1998
Helped Real Madrid to first European Cup win for 32 years, playing in the final victory over Juventus in Amsterdam. Scored brilliant solo goal in December to give Spain 2-1 victory over Vasco da Gama in World Club Cup final in Japan.
1999
Finished 1998-99 season as "pichichi", the league's top scorer, with 25 goals.
2000
Won Champions League for second time, scoring third goal in 3-0 victory over Valencia in the final. Also voted best forward in the Champions League. Scored one goal in Euro 2000, in 2-1 win over Slovenia, but missed penalty in the final minute of quarter-final against France, consigning Spain to 2-1 defeat.
2001
Voted best forward in the Champions League for second successive season.
Won third league title, finishing season as Spain's leading scorer for second time, with 24 goals.
2002
May: Won third Champions League title, scoring the opener in Real's 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden.
June: Scores three goals in the group stages of the World Cup, but injury against Ireland ruled him out of the quarter-final defeat against South Korea.
July: Appointed captain of Spain.
2003
May: Wins fourth league title, finishing the season with 16 goals.
Breaks Fernando Hierro's record as leading scorer for Spain when he scores his 31st goal in his 59th appearance in Spain's 3-1 friendly win over Germany.
2004
May: Has a poor season, scoring just 11 goals as Real end the campaign without a trophy for the first time in five years.
June: Has a disappointing Euro 2004 failing to score as Spain go out in the first round.
2005
November: Equals Alfredo Di Stefano's all-time record of 49 goals in the European Cup.
2006
May: Awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit for an exemplary eleven years with Madrid and a decade with the Spanish national team.
August 15: Played his 100th international cap in a goalless draw with Iceland.
September 29: Spain coach Luis Aragones dropped captain Raul Gonzalez from the national squad for the first time in 10 years as his team prepares to face Sweden in next month's Euro 2008 qualifier.
2007
June 17: Helped Real Madrid to end their four-year trophy drought when they won the league title for the 30th time after a dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Real Mallorca at the Bernabeu.
2008
March 8: Raul Gonzalez scored his 200th Spanish league goal to give Real Madrid a 2-1 win over Espanyol. Raul converted a 74th-minute penalty that was awarded after he was pulled by defender Daniel Jarque at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
April 11: Spain coach Luis Aragones left out Raul from a list of 31 names called upon to have inoculations for the European Championships.
May 4: Helped Real Madrid to win its 31st Primera Division title.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Former Spain captain Fernando Hierro once described his young Real Madrid team-mate Raul as “a Ferrari who is going to overtake us all and break every record in Spanish football”. How right he was. Raul Gonzalez Blanco, who replaced Hierro as captain at both national team and club level, has already cemented his place among the greatest players in world football history.
Raul has spent his entire professional career at Real Madrid, although he only joined Los Blancos when local rivals Atletico de Madrid dismantled their youth set-up. Fate would have it that the young striker’s first Primera Division goal would come against his boyhood club, the team his father supports. Since his debut season as a raw 17-year-old, Raul has played a vital role in his side’s success, his name becoming synonymous with the Real Madrid cause. He has won three UEFA Champions League medals, two Intercontinental Cups, four Primera Liga titles and one European Supercup among other honours during his record-breaking career.

His national team debut came at the age of 19 against the Czech Republic in Prague, in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier ahead of France 98. Raul was part of the Spanish squad during the tournament, but was powerless to prevent his side’s first-round exit, despite scoring a cracking goal against Nigeria. At UEFA Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands, the young striker would endure yet more heartbreak, missing a crucial last-minute penalty in the quarter-final clash with eventual winners France.

Injury absence
Korea/Japan 2002 was Raul’s second appearance on world football’s biggest stage, and he did not disappoint, scoring three goals in his side’s first four games. A groin injury kept him out of Spain’s decisive quarter-final clash with Korea Republic, forcing him to watch from the sidelines as his team-mates lost on penalties.

Married with four children, Raul is a family man at heart, a shy and retiring individual who celebrates every goal with a trademark kiss of his wedding ring. However, Raul’s personality changes once he crosses that white line, his fierce competitiveness and innate leadership skills are there for all to see. An incredible eye for goal, great technique and tireless work-rate make him a nightmare for any defence.

On 12 February 2003, Raul became the highest scorer in Spanish national team history as he overtook his friend Hierro’s 31-goal total with a hat-trick against Germany. Despite clearly struggling for form last season, Raul’s indefatigable will to win made him a key part of national team coach Luis Aragones’s tactical plans.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A natural finisher who started out as a midfield player, Raúl González's predatory instincts, unstinting desire and exemplary scoring record mark him out as the golden boy of Spanish football.

National team
Since making his international debut against the Czech Republic in October 1996, Raúl has become Spain's leading scorer of all-time with more than 40 goals. Brilliant in qualifying tournaments, he missed a penalty in the last minute of the UEFA EURO 2000™ quarter-final against France as Spain went home early. Touted as a potential star of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he began well enough, scoring three goals, but a groin injury ruled him out of the quarter-final with the Korean Republic which Spain lost on penalties. The Spanish captain was a central figure in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2004™, appearing in ten games and scoring in both play-off matches against Norway, although he failed to score in the finals in Portugal. Remains a leader under Luis Aragonés.

Club
Born in the capital, Raúl started out with Club Atlético de Madrid. Yet the fact he replaced Real Madrid CF great Emilio Butragueño on his top-flight debut at the age of 17 gave a clear indication of things to come. Raúl is the highest scorer still active in Spain's Primera División, having finished top of the Pichichi charts in 1999 and 2001. He is certainly a big-match performer, having hit the third goal in Madrid's victory against Valencia CF in the 2000 UEFA Champions League final, another in the 2002 final win against Bayer 04 Leverkusen and the clincher against CR Vasco da Gama in the 1998 European/South American Cup. Raúl's form dipped following EURO 2000™ but he rediscovered his touch to finish top scorer in the Champions League for two years running, and won a Spanish championship in 2003. The following season, he had one spell of almost three months without a league goal and scored just twice in the Champions League, though he did sign a new long-term contract.

2004/05: Raúl was not the force of old but was a tireless worker. Scored nine times in the league, including a strike against eternal rivals FC Barcelona in a 4-2 home win on 10 April.

Did you know?
Raúl's contract, which runs until 2010, reportedly has a buy-out clause of €180m.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

A natural finisher who started out as a midfield player, Raúl González's predatory instincts, unstinting desire and exemplary scoring record mark him out as the golden boy of Spanish football.

National team
Since making his international debut against the Czech Republic in October 1996, Raúl's performances for Spain have very much mirrored the nation's fortunes. Brilliant in qualifying tournaments, he missed a penalty in the last minute of the UEFA EURO 2000™ quarter-final with France and Spain went home early. Touted as a potential star of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he began well enough, scoring three goals, but a groin injury ruled him out of the quarter-final with the Korean Republic which Spain lost on penalties.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
The Spanish captain was a central figure in qualifying, appearing in ten games. Raúl struck five times in Group 6 before scoring in both play-off matches against Norway.

Club
Born in the capital, Raúl started out with Club Atlético de Madrid. Yet the fact he replaced Real Madrid CF great Emilio Butragueño on his top-flight debut at the age of 17 gave a clearer indication of things to come. Raúl is the highest scorer still active in Spain's Primera División, having finished top of the Pichichi charts in 1999 and 2001. He is certainly a big-match performer, having hit the third goal in Madrid's victory over Valencia CF in the 2000 UEFA Champions League final, another in the win against Bayer 04 Leverkusen two years later, and the clincher against CR Vasco da Gama in the 1998 European/South American Cup. Raúl's form dipped following EURO 2000™ but he rediscovered his touch to finish top scorer in the Champions League for two years running, adding a Spanish championship in 2003.

2003/04: Managed eleven goals in 35 Spanish league games but went almost three months without a league goal. Raúl scored just twice in the Champions League before Madrid bowed out to AS Monaco FC in the quarter-finals.

Did you know?
Raúl's contract with Madrid runs until 2005 and reportedly has a buy-out clause of €190m.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Daniel Alves

Player Information

Full name: Daniel Alves Da Silva
Date of birth: May 06, 1983
Birthplace: Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
2nd nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 173 cms
Weight: 68 kgs

Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Defender [R]
Squad Number: 20
Contract expires: June 2012
Previous clubs: Bahia > (€1m) Sevilla > (€29m) FC Barcelona

International debut: October 2006, v Ecuador
International Caps: 1
International Goals: 0
World Cups: none

Awards

FIFA U-20 World Cup (2003)
Copa America (2007)

UEFA Cup (2006, 2007)
UEFA Super Cup (2006)

Spanish Copa del Rey (2007)
Spanish Super Cup (2007)

UEFA Cup Most Valuable Player (2006)

Biography

1983
Born May 6 in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil.
2006
May: Helps Sevilla to win their first European Trophy against Middlesbrough FC at the PSV Stadion in the UEFA Cup final.
August 25: Member of the Sevilla team that stunned Barcelona with a 3-0 victory after a superb performance to win the European Super Cup in Monaco. Daniel Alves was named Super Cup Man of the Match and Most Valuable Player of the 2005-06 UEFA Cup.
September 21: Daniel Alves received his first Brazil call up for next month's friendly internationals against Al-Kuwait and Ecuador.
2007
May 16: Won the UEFA Cup with Sevilla FC on penalties 3-1 over Espanyol following a 2-2 draw at the Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. The victory made Sevilla the second club to win consecutive UEFA Cup titles after Real Madrid took the 1985 and 1986 championships.
June 23: Member of the Sevilla lineup that defeated Getafe 1-0 to win its 4th Copa del Rey title at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain.
July 15: Member of the Brazil squad that stunned bitter rivals and overwhelming favourites Argentina 3-0 to win their eighth Copa America title.
August 14: Spanish media reported that Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon met representatives from Sevilla in Madrid and that the two clubs had agreed a basic fee of €32 million plus an extra 4 million euros depending on results for Dani Alves.
August 16: Sevilla rejected Chelsea's bid for Daniel Alves. "Sevilla would like to make clear... that they have rejected Chelsea's offer because it is a very long way from the value put on the player by the club," Sevilla said in a statement on their Web site. It is believed that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich put the brakes on the deal because he baulked at paying such a large fee for the defender and that he had reduced the offer to 25 million euros.
August 31: Member of the Sevilla FC squad that lost the UEFA Super Cup against AC Milan 3-1 in Monaco on a night which served as a fitting tribute to the memory of Antonio Puerta.
2008
May 19: Daniel Alves said he wanted to leave Sevilla as soon as possible. "I really want to leave now and I hope that everything will be finalised as soon as possible."

Francesco Totti

Player Information

Full name: Francesco Totti
Date of birth: September 27, 1976
Birthplace: Roma, Italy
Nationality: Italian
EU passport: Yes
Height: 180 cms
Weight: 78 kgs

Club: Roma
Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward [R, L, C]
Squad Number: 10
Contract expires:
Previous clubs: none

International debut: October 1998, v Switzerland
International Caps: 58
International Goals: 9
World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (1st)

Awards

FIFA World Cup (2006)

Italian Serie A (2001)
Italian Super Cup (2001, 2007)
Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)

Italian Serie A Young Footballer of the Year (1999)
Italian Serie A Footballer of the Year (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004)
Italian Serie A Top Scorer (2007)

Biography

1976
Born September 27 in Roma, Italy.
2006
February: Suffers an injury and had surgery a day later for the broken leg and strained ankle ligaments.
April: Returns to competitive football in an exhibition game with Roma's junior team, two months after breaking his left leg.
2007
February 11: Totti made his 452nd appearance for AS Roma, a new club record, and scored his 139th goal in Serie A during his team' 3-0 win against Parma at the Stadio Olimpico.
April 18: Scored on a 25-meter free kick in the 88th minute at San Siro for Roma, handing Inter Milan its first defeat in 39 matches.
May 17: Won the Coppa Italia with Roma following a two-legged 7-4 aggregate final score over Serie A champions Inter Milan.
June 18: Won the Golden Shoe award as Europe's top League scorer with 26 goals in the Serie A.
July 20: Announced his international retirement. "The word finished is ugly but I have taken this decision to end the chapter with the national team for various physical reasons and not technical," he said.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Francesco Totti made his Serie A debut on 28 March 1993 for Roma, his hometown club and the one he joined as a young boy. Few were left in any doubt as to the potential on show. Even at the age of 16, Totti’s touch and vision were breathtaking.
In the early part of his career, Totti was shrewdly kept from the limelight by his mentors, the wily old coaches Vujadin Boskov and Carlo Mazzone, who both managed Roma during Totti’s formative years. The risk of burn-out was great for one with so much talent. Francesco was a key component of the Roma and Italy youth teams as he learned his trade in professional football. He was a member of the Azzurri team that won the 1996 UEFA European U-21 Championship in Barcelona.

Despite uneasy relationships with both his next two managers, the Czech Zdenek Zeman, who used Totti in a wide-attacking role as part of a rigid 4-3-3 formation, and Fabio Capello, one of the most successful Italian managers of all time, Francesco was well on the way to glory. He refined his attacking talent under Zeman and radically improved his tactical discipline under Capello. With the latter at the helm and Totti as captain, Roma won the Serie A title in 2001, their first for 18 years and only the third in their history.

Totti, already adored by the Roma fans, now became a one of Italy’s most famous faces, featuring in sports and general publications alike. His kudos was further enhanced by a declaration of eternal love for the only club he has ever played for, turning down overtures from the wealthy northern Italian clubs in the process. He might have won more silverware at another club, but has decided to forego this in favour of footballing immortality in Rome.

Ankle worry
As far as international football is concerned, Francesco Totti has so far failed to live up to expectations with Italy. The FIFA World Cup Germany 2006™ is the tournament in which Totti, a footballer in his prime, has the best opportunity to shine. Unfortunately, this has been thrown into doubt by the broken ankle he suffered in February. His best moment with Italy came at UEFA Euro 2000 when Totti helped the Azzurri reach the final.

The last two international tournaments have both been personal disasters for Totti. He was sent off against Korea Republic in the second round of Korea/Japan 2002 as Italy crashed out against the co-hosts, and he was suspended for a total of four matches after the Italy-Denmark game at UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal following a disreputable spitting incident.

Totti’s best position is in the hole just behind the two strikers, where his vision, passing and trickery are most effective. His shooting is excellent and his body strength also allows him to mix it with the toughest of defenders. Forthcoming opponents of Italy conceding free kicks around the penalty area do so at their peril.

If there is one trademark piece of skill that best sums up Totti, it is the chipped shot, with the Italian maestro able to subtly vary the flight of the ball at will. Just ask Edwin Van der Sar who was on the receiving end of a cheekily-chipped penalty kick during Italy’s semi-final clash with the Netherlands at Euro 2000, with the Azzurri winning the decisive shootout 3-1 to take their place in the final.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2004-05 player's profile

A maker as well as a scorer of goals - not least from free-kicks - Francesco Totti can operate from a variety of attacking positions but it is in the free role behind the strikers that his magnificent skill and technique are best showcased.

National team
Hugely talented as a teenager, Totti scored in Italy's 4-1 defeat by Spain in the final of the UEFA European Under-18 Championship in July 1995. Italy exacted revenge the following year in the final of the Under-21 competition, Totti opening the scoring in a 1-1 draw against the Spanish before triumphing on penalties. He made his senior Azzurri debut in the UEFA EURO 2000™ qualifying victory against Switzerland and was imperious in the finals tournament, scoring against Romania and Belgium and starring in the final loss to France. More disappointment followed at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, with the forward failing to register and then being sent off as Italy fell to the Korean Republic in the second round. Injury restricted his UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying appreances, and his finals ended in disgrace as he gained a three-game ban for spitting against Denmark.

Club
An AS Roma fan as a boy, Totti was just 16 when he made his first appearance in a 2-0 away victory at Brescia Calcio in March 1993. Four goals in 21 outings in 1994/95 marked his arrival as a Roma regular, and over the ensuing seasons, Totti won over the Giallorossi faithful with a series of electric displays. Italy's Player of the Year in 2000, he lived up to his reputation the following term when he helped AS Roma secure their first league title since 1983, scoring 13 Serie A goals. Another unhappy ending befell Totti in the 2001/02 campaign as Roma finished runners-up to Juventus FC, although he bounced back with a personal-best return of 14 goals during the next season.

2003/04: Playing in a more advanced role, Totti hit a career-high 20 goals as Roma finished second in Serie A.

Did you know?
A goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, Totti allowed a book to be published containing jokes made at his expense to raise money for the children's charity.

©uefa.com 1998-2005. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

A maker as well as a scorer of goals - not least from free-kicks - Francesco Totti can operate from a variety of attacking positions but it is in the free role behind the strikers that his magnificent skill and technique are best showcased.

National team
Hugely talented as a teenager, Totti scored in Italy's 4-1 defeat by Spain in the final of the UEFA European Under-18 Championship in July 1995. Italy exacted revenge the following year in the final of the Under-21 competition, Totti opening the scoring in a 1-1 draw against the Spanish before triumphing on penalties. He made his senior Azzurri debut in the UEFA EURO 2000™ qualifying victory against Switzerland and was imperious in the finals tournament, scoring against Romania and Belgium and starring in the final loss to France. More disappointment followed at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, with the forward failing to register and then being sent off as Italy fell to the Korean Republic in the second round. Injury restricted his UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying appreances, and his finals ended in disgrace as he gained a three-game ban for spitting against Denmark.

Club
An AS Roma fan as a boy, Totti was just 16 when he made his first appearance in a 2-0 away victory at Brescia Calcio in March 1993. Four goals in 21 outings in 1994/95 marked his arrival as a Roma regular, and over the ensuing seasons, Totti won over the Giallorossi faithful with a series of electric displays. Italy's Player of the Year in 2000, he lived up to his reputation the following term when he helped AS Roma secure their first league title since 1983, scoring 13 Serie A goals. Another unhappy ending befell Totti in the 2001/02 campaign as Roma finished runners-up to Juventus FC, although he bounced back with a personal-best return of 14 goals during the next season.

2003/04: Playing in a more advanced role, Totti hit a career-high 20 goals as Roma finished second in Serie A.

Did you know?
A goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, Totti allowed a book to be published containing jokes made at his expense to raise money for the children's charity.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Alessandro Del Piero

Player Information

Full name: Alessandro Del Piero
Date of birth: November 09, 1974
Birthplace: Conegliano, Italy
Nationality: Italian
EU passport: Yes
Height: 173 cms
Weight: 73 kgs

Club: Juventus
Position: Forward [L, C]
Squad Number: 10
Contract expires: June 2010
Previous clubs: Padova > Juventus

International debut: March 1995, v Estonia
International Caps: 85
International Goals: 27
World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (1st)

Awards

FIFA World Cup (2006)

UEFA Champions League (1996)
Intercontinental Cup (1996)
UEFA Super Cup (1996)

Italian Cup (1995)
Italian Serie A (1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003)
Italian Super Cup (1995, 1997, 2002, 2003)
Italian Serie B (2007)

U-21 European Footballer of the Year (1996)
Intercontinental Cup MVP (1996)
UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (1997, 1998)
Italian Serie A Footballer of the Year (1998)
Italian Serie A Top Scorer (2008)

Biography

1974
Born November 9 in Conegliano, Treviso.
1992
November 22: Del Piero scored his first ever goal when his Padova defeated Ternana 5-0 in Serie B.
1993
Joins Juventus FC after just 14 games for Serie B club Padova Calcio.
1995
March: Makes Italian team debut against Estonia.
May: Wins first Scudetto.
1996
May: Wins UEFA Champions League with Juventus.
June: Represents Italy at England Euro Cup.
November: Man of the match in Juve's European/South American Cup success against River Plate.
1997
May: Wins second Italian League championship; Loses first UEFA Champions League final with Juventus against Borussia Dortmund.
October 1: Scored the quickest goal (by this time) in European Champions League history just 20.12 seconds into Juventus's match against Manchester United.
1998
May: Wins third Italian League championship; Loses second UEFA Champions League final with Juventus against Real Madrid.
June: Represents Italy at France World Cup.
2000
June: Helps Italy reach the Euro 2000 final.
2002
May: Wins fourth Italian League championship.
June: Scores a goal at Korea/Japan World Cup.
2003
May: Wins fifth Italian League championship; Loses third UEFA Champions League final with Juventus against arch-rivals AC Milan.
2004
June: Represents Italy at Portugal Euro Cup.
2005
May: Played a crucial role in Juve's 28th and his sixth Serie A triumph.
December: Equals Giampero Boniperti scoring record as the club's all-time top scorer.
2006
July 9: Member of the Italian side that defeated France on penalty kicks to win its fourth FIFA World Cup at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
September 16: David Trezeguet and Alessandro Del Piero scored to give Juventus a 2-1 win over Vicenza and its first ever win in Italy's Serie B.
September 23: Del Piero scored once in Juventus 4-0 defeat of Modena on Serie B to reach the 200 goals mark in his career.
October 28: Alessandro Del Piero scored his 200th goal for Juventus to secure a 1-0 home win over Frosinone as the scandal-hit Turin club chalked up their seventh consecutive Serie B victory.
2007
January 20: Alessandro Del Piero marked his 500th Juventus appearance by scoring their third goal in a 4-2 home win over Serie B rivals Bari.
May 19: Won promotion to Serie A with Juventus with three games to spare in the Serie B.
September 4: Alessandro Del Piero won the 2007 Golden Foot Award, awarded for a combination of achievements as a player and a team, amid those above the age of 29.
2008
April 20: Scored a hat-trick in the Juventus' Serie A 4-0 win at Atalanta.
May 17: Del Piero took his season's tally to 21 Serie A goals with a double as his side ended their league campaign with a 3-3 draw at UC Sampdoria. The 21 goals put him at the top of the individual scoring charts of the league.
November 5: Received a standing ovation when he came off at the end of Real Madrid 0-2 Juventus match at the Santiago Bernabeu.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

When Alessandro Del Piero joined Juventus from Padova, most football observers in Italy had heard of his precocious talent. His first season with the Turin giants saw him make his Serie A debut and lead the youth team to victory in the national championship and the Viareggio Tournament.
Del Piero’s footballing prowess is such that Marcello Lippi elected to build his Juventus team around the youngster, rather than an ageing, but still highly effective Roberto Baggio. The decision would prove to be an inspired one as the Bianconeri lifted trophy after trophy, both in Italy and abroad. The crowning moment for Del Piero came in Tokyo in 1996 when his wonderful goal against River Plate secured victory for Juventus in the Toyota Cup.

Alex’s early years at Juventus were successful but he did not have it all his own way. A physically slight man, Del Piero had to work hard to build muscle strength and his speed off the mark, two vital ingredients for those wanting to succeed in the modern game. A combination of these new found attributes, outstanding technique and an eye for goal, soon earned him the nickname Pinturicchio from Gianni Agnelli, the owner of Juventus at the time.

Comparisons with the renaissance painter were apt for a player whose abilities elevated the beautiful game to a new artistic plane. The Italian media even began calling the curling shot from the left-hand edge of the penalty area into the top right-hand corner of the net the ‘Del Piero goal’.

A serious knee injury suffered in 1998 was a major setback for Del Piero and marked a turning point in his career. When he returned to the field of play nine months later it was clear he had lost some of his sheen. A lack of form is arguably the best time to search for real winners and Del Piero would not disappoint.

Comeback battle
Juventus kept faith with the forward and continued to pick him in an attempt to coax the best from a player with little to prove in terms of ability. For his part, Del Piero showed a level of perseverance that few would have given him credit for. He adapted his game to suit his loss of speed and was rewarded with a return to form.

Del Piero also began to make his presence felt as a leader and not only on the pitch. An omission from the starting line-up due to loss of form would inspire a tantrum in many star players. Not so Del Piero, who is prepared to bide his time on the bench waiting for his opportunity.

The extraordinary thing is that despite starting an increasing number of games from the substitutes’ bench, Del Piero still finds the net at the same rate as before and has recently become Juventus’ all-time top goal-scorer. The fans adore him thanks to this exemplary attitude and his image as a one-club player.

Del Piero’s professionalism was further demonstrated when he diplomatically handed the prestigious number ten Azzurri shirt to Francesco Totti, saying he preferred the number seven. The upcoming 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ represents a big chance for a player who many perceive to have underperformed for his country. His best moment with the national team remains his winning goal against Mexico in the group stage match at Korea/Japan 2002.

Del Piero may not have the same box-to-box qualities as Totti, but if he continues to show the same willingness and humility, he may yet have a vital part to play at Germany 2006. His ability to play in a supporting role to the leading striker, or as a wide midfielder, means that he still has much to offer. This versatility in such an experienced footballer can make the difference between winning and losing.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

One of the biggest names in calcio, Alessandro Del Piero thrives on outwitting defenders, is a deadly finisher and a major threat from free-kicks.

National team
Del Piero represented his country at EURO '96™ and the 1998 World Cup, having made his debut against Estonia in 1995. Helped Italy reach the UEFA EURO 2000™ final but missed a great chance in the loss to France. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup he was second in coach Giovanni Trapattoni's thinking behind Francesco Totti, though he did score against Mexico, and struck five goals in six UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying matches but failed to find the net in three starts in Portugal. Not a regular under new coach Marcello Lippi, he still claimed Italy's winner in the 2006 World Cup qualifier in Moldova.

Club
The Treviso-born star joined Juventus FC in 1993 after just 14 games for Serie B club Padova Calcio, and quickly became an integral part of a team whose attack also boasted the holy trinity of Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Gianluca Vialli. As Del Piero matured, his dazzling runs and free-kicks helped the club to three successive UEFA Champions League finals; he was part of the team that defeated AFC Ajax to win the 1995/96 edition but he also played in two subsequent final defeats, against BV Borussia Dortmund in 1996/97 - when Del Piero scored a fantastic back-heeled goal - and Real Madrid CF the following year. He helped them to titles in 1994/95, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2001/02 and 2002/03, in the latter season experiencing another Champions League final defeat, this time to AC Milan, although he did score in the penalty shoot-out. He managed eight league goals the next season despite suffering with muscle injuries.

2004/05: Substituted 28 times in Serie A, Del Piero nevertheless played a crucial role in Juve's 28th and his sixth Serie A triumph, scoring 14 league goals and setting up David Trezeguet's crucial winner at Milan in May.

Did you know?
'Pinturicchio' was man of the match in Juve's European/South American Cup success against CA River Plate in 1996.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

One of the biggest names in calcio, Alessandro Del Piero thrives on outwitting defenders, is a deadly finisher and a major threat from free-kicks.

National team
Del Piero was blamed for Italy's defeat by France in the UEFA EURO 2000™ final when he squandered a glorious goalscoring opportunity. And at the 2002 FIFA World Cup he was second in coach Giovanni Trapattoni's thinking behind Francesco Totti, though he did score in the group game against Mexico. Del Piero also represented his country at EURO '96™ and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, having made his debut against Estonia in 1995.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Del Piero struck five goals in six matches. Of those, the match in Serbia and Montenegro was his only barren game. He missed the home victories against Finland and Azerbaijan because of injury.

Club
The Treviso-born star joined the Turin side in 1993, after just 14 games for Serie B club Padova Calcio, and quickly became an integral part of a team whose attack also boasted the holy trinity of Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Gianluca Vialli. As Del Piero matured, his dazzling runs and free-kicks helped the club to three UEFA Champions League finals - he was part of the team that beat AFC Ajax to win the 1995/96 edition but he also played in two subsequent final defeats. In 1996/97, he scored a fantastic back-heeled goal but it was not enough to prevent BV Borussia Dortmund winning 3-1 in Munich. The following year the Bianconeri lost again, 1-0 against Real Madrid CF. In 2002/03 Del Piero scored 16 times in 24 Serie A matches as Juve won their fifth championship during his time at the club and a second in succession. He also struck five times in 13 Champions League outings, and was one of only two Juve players to score in the final shoot-out defeat by AC Milan.

2003/04: Del Piero missed 12 games with muscle injuries, but still scored eight goals as Juventus finished third in Serie A.

Did you know?
'Pinturicchio' was man of the match in Juve's European/South American Cup success against CA River Plate in 1996.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.