tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8384533125407562282024-03-13T23:24:24.398+07:00Football Database-Soccer DatabaseFootball Players, Football Clubs, Football National Teams, Football Managers, Football Awards, Soccer Players, Soccer Clubs, Soccer National Teams, Soccer Managers, Soccer AwardsFootball Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-87960798479565859092009-01-08T19:44:00.003+07:002009-01-08T19:58:03.205+07:00Franck Ribéry<div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWX3jGpEAhI/AAAAAAAAALU/9WzftlSPmiQ/s1600-h/ribery1lu1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288905519866839570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWX3jGpEAhI/AAAAAAAAALU/9WzftlSPmiQ/s400/ribery1lu1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Franck Bilal Ribéry<br />Date of birth: April 01, 1983<br />Birthplace: Boulogne-sur-Mer, France<br />Nationality: French<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 171 cms<br />Weight: 62 kgs<br /><br />Club: Bayern München<br />Position: Attacking Midfielder [R]<br />Squad Number: 7<br />Contract expires: June 2011<br />Previous clubs: Boulogne-sur-Mer > Ales > Brest > Metz > Galatasaray > Marseille > (€25m) Bayern München<br /><br />International debut: May 2006, v Mexico<br />International Caps: 25<br />International Goals: 2<br />World Cups: Germany 2006 (2nd) </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWX3j-Sk-HI/AAAAAAAAALc/MsGOcnFFFiI/s1600-h/vfb_fcb_ribery_betet468345.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288905534804916338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 295px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWX3j-Sk-HI/AAAAAAAAALc/MsGOcnFFFiI/s400/vfb_fcb_ribery_betet468345.jpg" border="0" /></a>Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />Turkish Cup (2005)<br />German Liga Pokal (2007)<br />German DFB-Pokal (2008)<br />German Bundesliga (2008)<br /><br />France's Young Player of the Season (2006)<br />French Player of the Year (2007)<br />German Bundesliga Player of the Season (2008)<br />German Footballer of the Year (2008) </div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWX3k8Otp7I/AAAAAAAAALk/8XvkRB15Dfw/s1600-h/610x.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288905551431706546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 292px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWX3k8Otp7I/AAAAAAAAALk/8XvkRB15Dfw/s400/610x.jpg" border="0" /></a>Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1983<br />Born April 7, 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais.<br />1986<br />At the age of two he was thrown through the windshield in a car crash that resulted in scars on the right side of his face and his forehead. Franck now regards the horrendous accident as a source of strength and motivation. "I was a fighter," he recalls.<br />2002<br />Converted to Islam around the time he married his Muslim fiance Wahiba Belhami who is of Algerian descent (originally from Nedroma, Tlemcen). He adopted the Arabic name Bilal.<br />May: Suffered relegation from French National league with US Boulogne after finishing 17th in the 20-team season.<br />2004<br />May: Helped Brest to win promotion the French Ligue 2 after finishing second in the National League (Third level).<br />August 7: Made his French Ligue 1 debut in the Metz 1-0 win over Nantes.<br />November 11: Scored his first French Ligue 1 goal in the 82nd minute of the Metz 1-1 away draw at Toulouse.<br />2005<br />January: Signed a contract with Turkish club Galatasaray, and went on to help them win the 2005 Turkish Cup by scoring a key goal in a 1-0 victory in the semi-final and scoring a goal and assisting another in a 5-1 win in the final against rivals Fenerbahce.<br />July 18: Hizya, his daughter, is born.<br />2006<br />May: Voted France's Young Player of the Season for 2005/06<br />May 15: Previously uncapped, he is selected in the France squad for the World Cup.<br />May 27: Made National team debut in the France 1-0 victory over Mexico at the Stade de France. He began the match and was substituted by David Trezeguet in the 74th minute.<br />June 27: Scored his first international goal, a crucial one, levelling France at 1-1 with Spain in the 41st minute of their knockout round match after calmly rounding the Spanish keeper, Iker Casillas. Though Spain were the favourites, France went on to win that game 3-1 to book a quarter-final slot against Brazil.<br />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.<br />August 04: A few days after pledging his future to Olympique Marseille, France midfielder Franck Ribery said he wanted to leave the French club. "My wish is to leave Marseille," he told French Television.<br />August 10: Franck Ribery has pledged his future to Marseille, just days after announcing he wanted to leave the club. "I am a Marseille player and I'm happy to be here," he said.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />November 18: Franck Ribery will be out of action until the new year with a groin injury. The Frenchman said he felt pain for the first time the day after Lyon thrashed Marseille 4-1 in Ligue 1 three weeks ago. "I did not have enough time to rest (after the World Cup ended in July)," he added.<br />2007<br />May 13: Lost the French Cup final on penalty kicks with Marseille against Sochaux in the Stade de France.<br />May 25: Set to join Bayern Munich in the summer, a source close to the German club revealed, in a deal believed to be worth 15 millions euros.<br />June 7: Bayern Munich officially anounced the signing of Ribery on a four year deal from Marseille for a club record fee of €25 million. He was given the number 7 shirt, previously worn by club legend Mehmet Scholl, who had retired the preceding season.<br />July 6: Ribery made his first appearance against FT Gern in a friendly. The game ended 18-0 for Bayern Munich and Ribery scored 2 goals.<br />August 11: Made his Bundesliga debut in the FC Bayern's 3-0 home defeat of Hansa Rostock. He started the match and was substituted in the 79th minute by Jose Sosa.<br />August 18: Scored on a penalty kick his first Bundesliga goal during FC Bayern's 4-0 away victory at Werder Bremen.<br />2008<br />April 19: Helped Bayern to a record 14th German Cup title after defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 after extra time in the final in Berlin.<br />May 5: Won the German Bundesliga with FC Bayern, it was the 21st German title for the Bavarian side.<br />May 26: Voted Bundesliga player of the year in a poll of 268 league players published in Kicker newspaper. Ribery won 57.8 percent of the vote, well ahead of Luca Toni who came in second place with 24.8 percent and Diego Ribas with 8.5.<br />June 17: Lasted only ten minutes of the European Championship Group C finale against Italy, lost 0-2, being carried off the pitch after getting caught in a tangle of legs with Gianluca Zambrotta. The exact nature of the injury was a rupture of the ligament connecting the fibula to the tibia in his lower left leg.<br />June 19: Come through an operation on his left leg in Germany, two days after he was forced out of Les Bleus' final European Championship Group C game in Zurich with a severely twisted ankle. Bayern expect Ribery's rehabilitation to take seven to eight weeks.<br />August 6: Became only the second foreign player to be named Footballer of the Year in Germany after claiming the prize ahead of Michael Ballack and Luca Toni.<br />September 24: Made a happy return from injury to help holders FC Bayern M?nchen into the German Cup last 16 with a 2-0 win against 1. FC Nuernberg.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />The Olympique Marseille midfielder recently came into national team calculations and is now on the shopping list of several clubs across Europe.<br />Extremely fast and tricky, leading the charge on the left flank. Tottenham, Arsenal and Turkey’s Galatasaray - where he played in 2005 - are among the clubs to have been linked with him.<br /><br />Marseille is his sixth career club and he is only 23.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-76032910600584135112009-01-08T19:24:00.003+07:002009-01-08T19:34:10.997+07:00Sergio Ramos<div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWXyDHg0COI/AAAAAAAAALM/cCs_yG_Ptq0/s1600-h/sergio_ramos_2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288899472786720994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWXyDHg0COI/AAAAAAAAALM/cCs_yG_Ptq0/s400/sergio_ramos_2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Player Information<br /><br />Full name: Sergio Ramos García<br />Date of birth: March 30, 1986<br />Birthplace: Sevilla, Spain<br />Nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 183 cms<br />Weight: 73 kgs<br /><br />Club: Real Madrid<br />Position: Defender [R, C]<br />Squad Number: 4<br />Previous clubs: Sevilla > (€27m) Real Madrid<br /><br />International debut: March 2005, v China<br />International Caps: 32<br />International Goals: 4<br />World Cups: Germany 2006<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWXyCtJ5SLI/AAAAAAAAALE/Z_vZXinugfI/s1600-h/ramos_5_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288899465711274162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWXyCtJ5SLI/AAAAAAAAALE/Z_vZXinugfI/s400/ramos_5_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a>Awards<br /><br />UEFA European Football Championship (2008)<br /><br />Spanish La Liga (2007, 2008)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWXyCRwj4PI/AAAAAAAAAK8/VZvtrgXEHvY/s1600-h/ramos_8_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288899458357256434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SWXyCRwj4PI/AAAAAAAAAK8/VZvtrgXEHvY/s400/ramos_8_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a>Biography<br /><br />1986<br />Born March 30 in Sevilla, Spain.<br />2007<br />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.<br />2008<br />May 4: Helped Real Madrid to win its 31st Primera Division title.<br />June 29: Won the UEFA Euro 2008 with Spain after defeating Germany 1-0 in the final. Started nervously, and made a horrendous error that could have gifted an early goal to Klose. However he improved greatly as the game wore on.<br />October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-90085719361923972072008-12-31T01:05:00.006+07:002009-01-08T19:34:47.530+07:00Alexandre Pato<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVpqgbYP3oI/AAAAAAAAAKs/1JWLrHMmn4s/s1600-h/pato-wallpaper_58708.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285654218010517122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVpqgbYP3oI/AAAAAAAAAKs/1JWLrHMmn4s/s400/pato-wallpaper_58708.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Alexandre (Pato) Rodrigues da Silva<br />Date of birth: September 02, 1989<br />Birthplace: Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil<br />Nationality: Brazilian<br />EU passport: No<br />Height: 179 cms<br />Weight: 71 kgs<br /><br />Club: Milan<br />Position: Striker [C]<br />Squad Number: 7<br />Previous clubs: Internacional > (€14.5m) Milan<br /><br />International debut: March 2008, v Sweden<br />International Caps: 1<br />International Goals: 1<br />World Cups: none </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVps3h1WcwI/AAAAAAAAAK0/808Fw2F9_qw/s1600-h/1024x768-Alexandre-Pato-2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285656813903442690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVps3h1WcwI/AAAAAAAAAK0/808Fw2F9_qw/s400/1024x768-Alexandre-Pato-2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA Club World Cup (2006)<br /><br />Recopa Sudamericana (2007) </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVpqgC7cunI/AAAAAAAAAKc/auVJvFLc2ic/s1600-h/pato_4_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285654211447274098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVpqgC7cunI/AAAAAAAAAKc/auVJvFLc2ic/s400/pato_4_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1989<br />Born September 2 in Pato Branco, Parana.<br />2001<br />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.<br />2006<br />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.<br />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.<br />December 17: Played 61 minutes in the final as Internacional overcame Barcelona to win the FIFA World Club Cup Japan 2006.<br />2007<br />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.<br />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.<br />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."<br />September 6: Scored one goal on his AC Milan debut, a 2-2 friendly draw organised to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Dinamo Kiev.<br />2008<br />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.<br />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.<br />August 22: Member of the Brazilian team that won the Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.</div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-30633032796639735792008-12-30T06:01:00.004+07:002009-01-08T19:35:10.757+07:00Robinho<div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlY_NMi9LI/AAAAAAAAAKU/l_Ijw2QnyEk/s1600-h/a_166.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285353480593274034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlY_NMi9LI/AAAAAAAAAKU/l_Ijw2QnyEk/s400/a_166.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Robson (Robinho) de Souza<br />Date of birth: January 25, 1984<br />Birthplace: São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil<br />Nationality: Brazilian<br />EU passport: No<br />Height: 172 cms<br />Weight: 60 kgs<br /><br />Club: Manchester City<br />Position: Forward [C]<br />Squad Number: 10<br />Contract expires: June 2012<br />Previous clubs: Santos > (€25m) Real Madrid > (£32.5m) Manchester City<br /><br />International debut: July 2003, v Mexico<br />International Caps: 55<br />International Goals: 13<br />World Cups: Germany 2006 </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlY_HJrg_I/AAAAAAAAAKM/2eiT6itimWI/s1600-h/robbie_1003779c.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285353478970639346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlY_HJrg_I/AAAAAAAAAKM/2eiT6itimWI/s400/robbie_1003779c.jpg" border="0" /></a>Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)<br />Copa America (2007)<br /><br />Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2002, 2004)<br />Spanish La Liga (2007, 2008)<br /><br />Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Player of the Year (2004)Copa America Best Player (2007)<br />Copa America Top Scorer (2007) </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlY-5xIDZI/AAAAAAAAAKE/-ZD0WZEQAqI/s1600-h/robinho_6_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285353475377991058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlY-5xIDZI/AAAAAAAAAKE/-ZD0WZEQAqI/s400/robinho_6_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="justify">Biography</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">1984<br />Born January 25 in Sao Vicente near Santos.<br />1996<br />Discovered by Santos and wins a place in the club's junior divisions.<br />1999<br />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."<br />2000<br />Makes his professional debut for Santos at the age of 16 in a 3-1 win over arch-rivals Corinthians.<br />2002<br />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.<br />2003<br />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.<br />July: Part of Brazil squad that loses Concacaf Gold Cup, makes full team debut against Mexico.<br />2004<br />January: Plays in the Brazil under-23 team which fails to qualify for the Athens Olympics.<br />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.<br />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.<br />December: Collected 37 votes to finish third in the El Pais' South American Player of the Year award.<br />2005<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />2006<br />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.<br />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.<br />2007<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />2008<br />May 4: Helped Real Madrid to win its 31st Primera Division title.<br />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.<br />October 26: Scored his first Man. City hat-trick in the Premier League 3-0 victory over Stoke at the City of Manchester Stadium.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Robinho's dribbling skills have earned him comparison with the great Garrincha.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />The svelte Robson de Souza 'Robinho' is considered one of the brightest attacking talents to have emerged from Brazil in recent years.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />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.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-32721039140699557112008-12-30T05:44:00.004+07:002009-01-08T19:35:27.552+07:00Thierry Henry<div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlTaMFkOLI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/gKnkVeWa9RQ/s1600-h/thierry_henry_4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285347347082262706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlTaMFkOLI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/gKnkVeWa9RQ/s400/thierry_henry_4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Thierry Daniel Henry<br />Date of birth: August 17, 1977<br />Birthplace: Les Ulis, Essonne, France<br />Nationality: French<br />2nd nationality: Martiniquais<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 188 cms<br />Weight: 83 kgs<br /><br />Club: FC Barcelona<br />Position: Striker [C]<br />Squad Number: 14<br />Contract expires: June 2011<br />Previous clubs: Monaco > Juventus > (€17m) Arsenal > (€23.8m) Barcelona<br /><br />International debut: October 1997, v South Africa<br />International Caps: 100<br />International Goals: 44<br />World Cups: France 1998 (1st), Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (2nd)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlTZ9orIbI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/vQWWG36JNyg/s1600-h/henry121024x768fv0.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285347343202984370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlTZ9orIbI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/vQWWG36JNyg/s400/henry121024x768fv0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA World Cup (1998)<br />UEFA European Football Championship (2000)<br />FIFA Confederations Cup (2003)<br /><br />French Ligue 1 (1997)<br />English FA Cup (2002, 2003, 2005)<br />English FA Premier League (2002, 2004)<br /><br />French Young Footballer of the Year (1997)<br />French Footballer of the Year (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)<br />English FA Premier League Top Scorer (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006)<br />English FA Premier League Footballer of the Year (2003, 2004, 2006)<br />FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer (2003)<br />FIFA Confederations Cup MVP (2003)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlTZ0gJ7YI/AAAAAAAAAJs/ymDr-v6oONI/s1600-h/henry_17_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285347340751334786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlTZ0gJ7YI/AAAAAAAAAJs/ymDr-v6oONI/s400/henry_17_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1977<br />Born August 17 in Les Ulis, Essonne, Paris.<br />1990<br />Joins French first division Monaco as a 13-year-old.<br />1994<br />August: Makes French first division debut for Monaco against Nice, Monaco lose 2-0. Monaco coach was Arsene Wenger.<br />1995<br />April: Scores first goals in first division, two in 6-0 victory over RC Lens.<br />1996<br />May: Voted French Young Player of the Year.<br />1997<br />January: Signs first professional contract with Monaco.<br />May: Monaco win French league championship. Henry scores nine goals in 36 matches.<br />June: Helps France reach quarter-finals of World Youth championship in Malaysia.<br />October: Wins first French cap in World Cup warm-up match against South Africa in Lens.<br />1998<br />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.<br />1999<br />January: Joins Juventus on after Italians outbid Arsenal.<br />April: Scores first goals for Juventus, two in 3-1 defeat of league leaders Lazio.<br />1999<br />August: Joins Arsenal for 10.5 million pounds.<br />September: Fails to score in first eight appearances, eventually getting off the mark in 1-0 win over Southampton.<br />2000<br />June: Scores three goals as France win Euro 2000.<br />2001<br />May: Ends season with 22 goals.<br />2002<br />April 15: Named in the PFA Premiership team of the year.<br />May: Scores 31 goals for Arsenal as they clinch the Double.<br />June: Sent off for France against Uruguay in the World Cup finals as his country fail to progress from group stage.<br />2003<br />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.<br />June: Voted PFA player of the year and Football Writers' Association player of the year.<br />December: Runner-up in European Footballer of the Year poll, same position in FIFA world player of the year poll.<br />2004<br />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.<br />December: Runner-up in FIFA world player of the year poll.<br />2005<br />May: Helps Arsenal win FA Cup although injury keeps him out of final against Manchester United.<br />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<br />2006<br />February: Scores 200th goal for Arsenal in win over Birmingham.<br />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.<br />May: Captains Arsenal in their first Champions League final. Arsenal beaten 2-1 by Barcelona after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off.<br />May 19: Signed a new four-year contract, pledging his future to the north London club.<br />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.<br />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.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />November 27: Thierry Henry collected 121 points to finish third in the European Footballer of the Year award.<br />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.<br />2007<br />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.<br />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.<br />July 26: Scored in his first game with Barcelona, a 1-0 exhibition victory at Dundee United.<br />September 29: Scored his first hat-trick in Spanish football as FC Barcelona won 4-1 at Levante UD.<br />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.<br />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.<br />2008<br />April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.<br />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.<br />December 6: Scored a hat-trick as FC Barcelona's 4-0 win at home to Valencia CF.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Finding form<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-15704704712373453312008-12-30T05:22:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:35:47.806+07:00David Beckham<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlROq8f7CI/AAAAAAAAAJk/MMa4P6oBD0E/s1600-h/Men_David_Beckham_003615_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285344950184045602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlROq8f7CI/AAAAAAAAAJk/MMa4P6oBD0E/s400/Men_David_Beckham_003615_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information<br />Full name: David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE<br />Date of birth: May 02, 1975<br />Birthplace: Leytonstone, England<br />Nationality: English<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 180 cms<br />Weight: 74 kgs<br /><br />Club: Milan<br />Position: Midfielder [R, C]<br />Squad Number: 0<br />Contract expires: June 2012 (on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy)<br />Previous clubs: Manchester United > Preston North End > Manchester United > (£25m) Real Madrid > Los Angeles Galaxy > Milan (loan)<br /><br />International debut: September 1996, v Moldova<br />International Caps: 100<br />International Goals: 17<br />World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlROW-tExI/AAAAAAAAAJc/6QsJS9KOlg8/s1600-h/20021016ENGBeckhamwp.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285344944824587026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlROW-tExI/AAAAAAAAAJc/6QsJS9KOlg8/s400/20021016ENGBeckhamwp.jpg" border="0" /></a>Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />UEFA Champions League (1999)<br />Intercontinental Cup (1999)<br /><br />English FA Premier League (1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)<br />English FA Cup (1996, 1999)<br />Spanish Super Cup (2003)<br />Spanish La Liga (2007)<br /><br />English League Young Footballer of the Year (1997)<br />UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1999) </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlROBSRvJI/AAAAAAAAAJU/eKU-2yTJg9k/s1600-h/beckham1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285344939001101458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVlROBSRvJI/AAAAAAAAAJU/eKU-2yTJg9k/s400/beckham1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1975<br />Born May 2 in Leytonstone, London.<br />1991<br />May: Signs for Manchester United as a trainee<br />1992<br />September: First team debut as a substitute in the Rumbelows Cup tie at Brighton and Hove Albion.<br />1994<br />Plays 5 matches on loan for Preston North End.<br />1995<br />April: Premier League debut at home to Leeds United.<br />1996<br />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.<br />1997<br />May: Manchester United win another Premiership title and reach the semi final of the UCL. David is voted Young Player of the Year.<br />1998<br />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.<br />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.<br />1999<br />March: Becomes a father to Brooklyn.<br />May: Manchester United completed the unprecedented Treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. Named UEFA MVP.<br />July: Marries Victoria Adams aka Posh Spice, a member of the Spice Girls.<br />2000<br />Another successful campaign as Manchester United wins again the Premiership, with David scoring 6 goals in 31 apps.<br />November: Peter Taylor gave him the greatest honour of his career in making him the captain of England, fulfilling his childhood dream.<br />2001<br />January: Sven-Goran Eriksson appointed him the permanent captain when he took over as England boss.<br />May: Manchester United won the Premiership title. He was given the English captain armband for the first time in a friendly in Italy.<br />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.<br />2002<br />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.<br />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.<br />2003<br />May: A stray boot, kicked in frustration by Sir Alex Ferguson, accidentally struck Becks on the forehead in the dressing room.<br />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.<br />2004<br />June: Captains England at Euro 2004, where team loses in Quarter finals to host Portugal.<br />2005<br />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.<br />2006<br />June 15: David Beckham was named Budweiser Man of the Match after England's 2-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.<br />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.<br />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.<br />August 11: David Beckham's England career appears to be at an end after new manager Steve McClaren left him out of his squad.<br />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.<br />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.<br />2007<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />August 30: Beckham suffered a sprained right knee and will be sidelined for "approximately six weeks," ending his fist MLS season.<br />2008<br />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.<br />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..<br />April 7: Named Major League Soccer's Player of the Week for Week 2.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />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.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />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.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.</div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-47453795468717682762008-12-29T14:24:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:36:06.603+07:00David Villa<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh8lSEDq5I/AAAAAAAAAI0/pqNyEWBtXao/s1600-h/david_villa_2_800x614.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285111142665137042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 307px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh8lSEDq5I/AAAAAAAAAI0/pqNyEWBtXao/s400/david_villa_2_800x614.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: David Villa Sánchez<br />Date of birth: December 03, 1981<br />Birthplace: Langreo, Spain<br />Nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 175 cms<br />Weight: 69 kgs<br /><br />Club: Valencia<br />Position: Forward [C]<br />Squad Number: 7<br />Contract expires: June 2014<br />Previous clubs: Sporting Gijon B > Sporting Gijon > (€2.5m) Zaragoza > (€12m) Valencia<br /><br />International debut: February 2005, v San Marino<br />International Caps: 33<br />International Goals: 18<br />World Cups: Germany 2006</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh8k8bt5NI/AAAAAAAAAIs/qAX0BzRgNxM/s1600-h/David-Villa_949713.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285111136858793170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh8k8bt5NI/AAAAAAAAAIs/qAX0BzRgNxM/s400/David-Villa_949713.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />UEFA European Football Championship (2008)<br /><br />Spanish Copa del Rey (2004, 2008)<br />Spanish Super Cup (2004)<br /><br />UEFA European Football Championship Top Scorer (2008)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh8kkReFkI/AAAAAAAAAIk/siF6aEcmk7A/s1600-h/david_villa_8_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285111130373363266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh8kkReFkI/AAAAAAAAAIk/siF6aEcmk7A/s400/david_villa_8_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography</div><div align="justify"><br />1981<br />Born December 3 in Langreo, Spain.<br />2006<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />2008<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />June 30: Selected by the UEFA Technical Team in the official UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament.</div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-47031857878178823472008-12-29T14:18:00.003+07:002009-01-08T19:37:11.024+07:00Maicon<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh60dJ12UI/AAAAAAAAAIc/hHDzdbJQseU/s1600-h/MAICON.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285109204316969282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 293px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh60dJ12UI/AAAAAAAAAIc/hHDzdbJQseU/s400/MAICON.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Maicon Douglas Sisenando<br />Date of birth: July 26, 1981<br />Birthplace: Criciuma, Santa Catarina, Brazil<br />Nationality: Brazilian<br />EU passport: No<br />Height: 184 cms<br />Weight: 77 kgs<br /><br />Club: Inter Milan<br />Position: Defender [R]<br />Squad Number: 13<br />Previous clubs: Criciúma > Cruzeiro > Monaco > Inter Milan<br /><br />International debut: July 2003, v Mexico<br />International Caps: 19<br />International Goals: 1<br />World Cups: none </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh6z4HQfTI/AAAAAAAAAIU/5x87Y1FSUZM/s1600-h/22.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285109194374020402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 278px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh6z4HQfTI/AAAAAAAAAIU/5x87Y1FSUZM/s400/22.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards</div><div align="justify"><br />Copa América (2004, 2007)<br />FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)<br /><br />Brazilian Cup (2003)<br />Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2003)<br />Italian Super Cup (2006)<br />Italian Serie A (2007, 2008)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh6zu0DKqI/AAAAAAAAAIM/hKVmEwf_FTo/s1600-h/0,,12030411-EX,00.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285109191877536418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh6zu0DKqI/AAAAAAAAAIM/hKVmEwf_FTo/s400/0,,12030411-EX,00.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography</div><div align="justify"><br />1981<br />Born July 26 in Criciuma, Santa Catarina, Brazil.<br />2001<br />July: Member of the Brazilian team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship quarterfinals in Argentina.<br />2004<br />August: Makes French Ligue 1 Debut in the Monaco 1-0 win at Saint Etienne.<br />2006<br />July: Agrees a five-year contract with Internazionale.<br />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.<br />2007<br />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).<br />May 17: Lost the Coppa Italia final with Internazionale to Roma following a 4-7 aggregate score.<br />July 15: Member of the Brazil squad that stunned bitter rivals and overwhelming favourites Argentina 3-0 to win their eighth Copa America title.</div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-5799160595649024542008-12-29T14:07:00.003+07:002009-01-08T19:37:30.351+07:00John Terry<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh5N1DhRcI/AAAAAAAAAIE/u7KG9jHbvPo/s1600-h/john_terry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285107441206379970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh5N1DhRcI/AAAAAAAAAIE/u7KG9jHbvPo/s400/john_terry.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: John George Terry<br />Date of birth: December 07, 1980<br />Birthplace: Barking, London, England<br />Nationality: English<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 182 cms<br />Weight: 74 kgs<br /><br />Club: Chelsea<br />Position: Defender [C]<br />Squad Number: 26<br />Contract expires: June 2012<br />Previous clubs: (youth) Chelsea<br /><br />International debut: June 2003, v Yugoslavia<br />International Caps: 29<br />International Goals: 1<br />World Cups: Germany 2006</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh5NiXcp-I/AAAAAAAAAH8/40DFXkSCDlo/s1600-h/terry_3_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285107436189689826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh5NiXcp-I/AAAAAAAAAH8/40DFXkSCDlo/s400/terry_3_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />English League Cup (2005, 2007)<br />English FA Premier League (2005, 2006)<br />English FA Community Shield (2005)<br />English FA Cup (2007)<br /><br />UEFA Champions League Best Defender (2005)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh5Nu93b8I/AAAAAAAAAH0/EYsuu56DRp8/s1600-h/john_terry_835172.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285107439572053954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh5Nu93b8I/AAAAAAAAAH0/EYsuu56DRp8/s400/john_terry_835172.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1980<br />Born December 7 in Barking, London, England.<br />2005<br />April: Wins Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year Award.<br />2006<br />April: Helps Chelsea claim its second straight Premier League title.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />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.<br />2007<br />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.<br />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.<br />May 19: Won the English FA Cup with Chelsea over Man United following a 1-0 extra time victory at the New Wembley.<br />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.<br />October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />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.<br />2008<br />February 24: Member of the Chelsea squad that lost the Carling Cup Final in extra time against Tottenham.<br />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.<br />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."<br />October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />Terry became captain of Chelsea in the 2003/2004 season and has since led them to two successive Premiership titles in 2006 and 2006.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />His brother, Paul, plays for another English club, Yeovil Town FC.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />His brother, Paul, plays for another English club, Yeovil Town FC.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-63912878271732545192008-12-29T13:57:00.003+07:002009-01-08T19:37:46.305+07:00Raul Gonzalez<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh2gU-vcoI/AAAAAAAAAHs/sSm6JhPQnRM/s1600-h/raul_gonzales_5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285104460479033986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh2gU-vcoI/AAAAAAAAAHs/sSm6JhPQnRM/s400/raul_gonzales_5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Raúl González Blanco<br />Date of birth: June 27, 1977<br />Birthplace: Madrid, Spain<br />Nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 180 cms<br />Weight: 68 kgs<br /><br />Club: Real Madrid<br />Position: Forward [L, C]<br />Squad Number: 7<br />Contract expires: June 2011 (his contract will be extended each season if he plays 30 competitive games)<br />Previous clubs: none<br /><br />International debut: October 1996, v Czech Republic<br />International Caps: 102<br />International Goals: 44<br />World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh2gdnx1TI/AAAAAAAAAHk/qLuawpAee6E/s1600-h/raul_6_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285104462798640434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh2gdnx1TI/AAAAAAAAAHk/qLuawpAee6E/s400/raul_6_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards</div><div align="justify"><br />UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002)<br />Intercontinental Cup (1998, 2002)<br />UEFA Super Cup (2002)<br /><br />Spanish La Liga (1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008)<br />Spanish Super Cup (1997, 2003)<br /><br />Intercontinental Cup MVP (1998)<br />Spanish La Liga Top Scorer (1998, 2001)<br />UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (2001)<br />Spanish La Liga Player of the Season (2008)<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh2gJRpSUI/AAAAAAAAAHc/vJ2-D9z0Pyc/s1600-h/raul_13_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285104457337096514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh2gJRpSUI/AAAAAAAAAHc/vJ2-D9z0Pyc/s400/raul_13_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography</div><div align="justify"><br />1977<br />Born June 27 in Madrid.<br />1992<br />Joined Real Madrid after city rivals Atletico closed down their youth team set-up.<br />1994<br />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.<br />1995<br />April: Member of the Spanish team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship semifinals in Qatar.<br />May: Won first league title with Real Madrid.<br />1997<br />Won second league. Also won Spanish Super Cup after 5-3 aggregate victory over Barcelona.<br />1998<br />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.<br />1999<br />Finished 1998-99 season as "pichichi", the league's top scorer, with 25 goals.<br />2000<br />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.<br />2001<br />Voted best forward in the Champions League for second successive season.<br />Won third league title, finishing season as Spain's leading scorer for second time, with 24 goals.<br />2002<br />May: Won third Champions League title, scoring the opener in Real's 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden.<br />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.<br />July: Appointed captain of Spain.<br />2003<br />May: Wins fourth league title, finishing the season with 16 goals.<br />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.<br />2004<br />May: Has a poor season, scoring just 11 goals as Real end the campaign without a trophy for the first time in five years.<br />June: Has a disappointing Euro 2004 failing to score as Spain go out in the first round.<br />2005<br />November: Equals Alfredo Di Stefano's all-time record of 49 goals in the European Cup.<br />2006<br />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.<br />August 15: Played his 100th international cap in a goalless draw with Iceland.<br />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.<br />2007<br />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.<br />2008<br />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.<br />April 11: Spain coach Luis Aragones left out Raul from a list of 31 names called upon to have inoculations for the European Championships.<br />May 4: Helped Real Madrid to win its 31st Primera Division title.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Injury absence<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Raúl's contract, which runs until 2010, reportedly has a buy-out clause of €180m.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Raúl's contract with Madrid runs until 2005 and reportedly has a buy-out clause of €190m.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-5377803274108426822008-12-29T13:44:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:38:02.058+07:00Daniel Alves<div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh0T4IAh3I/AAAAAAAAAHU/O2YaKGpLfpM/s1600-h/danielalvesfj1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285102047551588210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 168px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh0T4IAh3I/AAAAAAAAAHU/O2YaKGpLfpM/s400/danielalvesfj1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Daniel Alves Da Silva<br />Date of birth: May 06, 1983<br />Birthplace: Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil<br />Nationality: Brazilian<br />2nd nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 173 cms<br />Weight: 68 kgs<br /><br />Club: FC Barcelona<br />Position: Defender [R]<br />Squad Number: 20<br />Contract expires: June 2012<br />Previous clubs: Bahia > (€1m) Sevilla > (€29m) FC Barcelona<br /><br />International debut: October 2006, v Ecuador<br />International Caps: 1<br />International Goals: 0<br />World Cups: none</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh0T-W2OoI/AAAAAAAAAHM/ZU2KDLu2RLk/s1600-h/alves_6_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285102049224440450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh0T-W2OoI/AAAAAAAAAHM/ZU2KDLu2RLk/s400/alves_6_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA U-20 World Cup (2003)<br />Copa America (2007)<br /><br />UEFA Cup (2006, 2007)<br />UEFA Super Cup (2006)<br /><br />Spanish Copa del Rey (2007)<br />Spanish Super Cup (2007)<br /><br />UEFA Cup Most Valuable Player (2006)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh0ThfgIXI/AAAAAAAAAHE/Hz9hZrg3qXQ/s1600-h/p_daniel_alves.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285102041476112754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 388px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVh0ThfgIXI/AAAAAAAAAHE/Hz9hZrg3qXQ/s400/p_daniel_alves.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1983<br />Born May 6 in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil.<br />2006<br />May: Helps Sevilla to win their first European Trophy against Middlesbrough FC at the PSV Stadion in the UEFA Cup final.<br />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.<br />September 21: Daniel Alves received his first Brazil call up for next month's friendly internationals against Al-Kuwait and Ecuador.<br />2007<br />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.<br />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.<br />July 15: Member of the Brazil squad that stunned bitter rivals and overwhelming favourites Argentina 3-0 to win their eighth Copa America title.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />2008<br />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."</div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-64188278630235956072008-12-29T13:36:00.003+07:002009-01-08T19:38:27.353+07:00Francesco Totti<div align="justify"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhxAKuHt3I/AAAAAAAAAG8/mRdvrEGt0WQ/s1600-h/totti_2_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285098410411014002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhxAKuHt3I/AAAAAAAAAG8/mRdvrEGt0WQ/s400/totti_2_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Francesco Totti<br />Date of birth: September 27, 1976<br />Birthplace: Roma, Italy<br />Nationality: Italian<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 180 cms<br />Weight: 78 kgs<br /><br />Club: Roma<br />Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward [R, L, C]<br />Squad Number: 10<br />Contract expires:<br />Previous clubs: none<br /><br />International debut: October 1998, v Switzerland<br />International Caps: 58<br />International Goals: 9<br />World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (1st)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhw_zYCeiI/AAAAAAAAAG0/oJ3IH1aOG5s/s1600-h/totti_9_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285098404144380450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhw_zYCeiI/AAAAAAAAAG0/oJ3IH1aOG5s/s400/totti_9_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA World Cup (2006)<br /><br />Italian Serie A (2001)<br />Italian Super Cup (2001, 2007)<br />Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)<br /><br />Italian Serie A Young Footballer of the Year (1999)<br />Italian Serie A Footballer of the Year (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004)<br />Italian Serie A Top Scorer (2007) </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhw_EfwMOI/AAAAAAAAAGs/EDopEcwObxY/s1600-h/totti_5_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285098391560270050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhw_EfwMOI/AAAAAAAAAGs/EDopEcwObxY/s400/totti_5_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1976<br />Born September 27 in Roma, Italy.<br />2006<br />February: Suffers an injury and had surgery a day later for the broken leg and strained ankle ligaments.<br />April: Returns to competitive football in an exhibition game with Roma's junior team, two months after breaking his left leg.<br />2007<br />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.<br />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.<br />May 17: Won the Coppa Italia with Roma following a two-legged 7-4 aggregate final score over Serie A champions Inter Milan.<br />June 18: Won the Golden Shoe award as Europe's top League scorer with 26 goals in the Serie A.<br />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.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Ankle worry<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2004-05 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />2003/04: Playing in a more advanced role, Totti hit a career-high 20 goals as Roma finished second in Serie A.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />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.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2005. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />2003/04: Playing in a more advanced role, Totti hit a career-high 20 goals as Roma finished second in Serie A.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />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.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-5052496125944795732008-12-29T13:30:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:38:45.312+07:00Alessandro Del Piero<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhvYZcJ2LI/AAAAAAAAAGk/eVE0l7xgqVY/s1600-h/DelPiero026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285096627655792818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhvYZcJ2LI/AAAAAAAAAGk/eVE0l7xgqVY/s400/DelPiero026.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Alessandro Del Piero<br />Date of birth: November 09, 1974<br />Birthplace: Conegliano, Italy<br />Nationality: Italian<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 173 cms<br />Weight: 73 kgs<br /><br />Club: Juventus<br />Position: Forward [L, C]<br />Squad Number: 10<br />Contract expires: June 2010<br />Previous clubs: Padova > Juventus<br /><br />International debut: March 1995, v Estonia<br />International Caps: 85<br />International Goals: 27<br />World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (1st) </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhvYLJjdgI/AAAAAAAAAGc/9t7cIRYi_Sk/s1600-h/del_piero_7_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285096623819683330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhvYLJjdgI/AAAAAAAAAGc/9t7cIRYi_Sk/s400/del_piero_7_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA World Cup (2006)<br /><br />UEFA Champions League (1996)<br />Intercontinental Cup (1996)<br />UEFA Super Cup (1996)<br /><br />Italian Cup (1995)<br />Italian Serie A (1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003)<br />Italian Super Cup (1995, 1997, 2002, 2003)<br />Italian Serie B (2007)<br /><br />U-21 European Footballer of the Year (1996)<br />Intercontinental Cup MVP (1996)<br />UEFA Champions League Top Scorer (1997, 1998)<br />Italian Serie A Footballer of the Year (1998)<br />Italian Serie A Top Scorer (2008)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhvX7DC2AI/AAAAAAAAAGU/-UANfxUATz0/s1600-h/del_piero_9_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285096619497412610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhvX7DC2AI/AAAAAAAAAGU/-UANfxUATz0/s400/del_piero_9_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography</div><div align="justify"><br />1974<br />Born November 9 in Conegliano, Treviso.<br />1992<br />November 22: Del Piero scored his first ever goal when his Padova defeated Ternana 5-0 in Serie B.<br />1993<br />Joins Juventus FC after just 14 games for Serie B club Padova Calcio.<br />1995<br />March: Makes Italian team debut against Estonia.<br />May: Wins first Scudetto.<br />1996<br />May: Wins UEFA Champions League with Juventus.<br />June: Represents Italy at England Euro Cup.<br />November: Man of the match in Juve's European/South American Cup success against River Plate.<br />1997<br />May: Wins second Italian League championship; Loses first UEFA Champions League final with Juventus against Borussia Dortmund.<br />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.<br />1998<br />May: Wins third Italian League championship; Loses second UEFA Champions League final with Juventus against Real Madrid.<br />June: Represents Italy at France World Cup.<br />2000<br />June: Helps Italy reach the Euro 2000 final.<br />2002<br />May: Wins fourth Italian League championship.<br />June: Scores a goal at Korea/Japan World Cup.<br />2003<br />May: Wins fifth Italian League championship; Loses third UEFA Champions League final with Juventus against arch-rivals AC Milan.<br />2004<br />June: Represents Italy at Portugal Euro Cup.<br />2005<br />May: Played a crucial role in Juve's 28th and his sixth Serie A triumph.<br />December: Equals Giampero Boniperti scoring record as the club's all-time top scorer.<br />2006<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />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.<br />2007<br />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.<br />May 19: Won promotion to Serie A with Juventus with three games to spare in the Serie B.<br />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.<br />2008<br />April 20: Scored a hat-trick in the Juventus' Serie A 4-0 win at Atalanta.<br />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.<br />November 5: Received a standing ovation when he came off at the end of Real Madrid 0-2 Juventus match at the Santiago Bernabeu.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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’.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Comeback battle<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />'Pinturicchio' was man of the match in Juve's European/South American Cup success against CA River Plate in 1996.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />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.<br /><br />National team<br />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.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />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.<br /><br />Club<br />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.<br /><br />2003/04: Del Piero missed 12 games with muscle injuries, but still scored eight goals as Juventus finished third in Serie A.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />'Pinturicchio' was man of the match in Juve's European/South American Cup success against CA River Plate in 1996.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-36258081537566543492008-12-29T13:22:00.004+07:002009-01-08T19:39:11.417+07:00Sergio (Kun) Aguero<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhuBB5j5PI/AAAAAAAAAGM/CoR-THUSFGI/s1600-h/sergio-aguero.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285095126688064754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 321px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhuBB5j5PI/AAAAAAAAAGM/CoR-THUSFGI/s400/sergio-aguero.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div>Player Information</div><br /><div>Full name: Sergio Leonel (Kun) Agüero del Castillo<br />Date of birth: June 02, 1988<br />Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina<br />Nationality: Argentinian<br />EU passport: No<br />Height: 172 cms<br />Weight: 74 kgs<br /><br />Club: Atlético Madrid<br />Position: Striker [C]<br />Squad Number: 10<br />Contract expires: June 2012<br />Previous clubs: Independiente > (€20m) Atlético Madrid<br /><br />International debut: September 2006, v Brazil<br />International Caps: 3<br />International Goals: 0<br />World Cups: none</div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhuA1iXJuI/AAAAAAAAAGE/HY4GC4ekN_k/s1600-h/aguero_5_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285095123369535202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhuA1iXJuI/AAAAAAAAAGE/HY4GC4ekN_k/s400/aguero_5_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Awards</div><div><br />FIFA U-20 World Cup (2005, 2007)<br />Olympic Games (2008)<br /><br />FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Scorer (2007)<br />FIFA U-20 World Cup Best Player (2007)</div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhuAurDabI/AAAAAAAAAF8/xQZsqMj-GnE/s1600-h/aguero_3_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285095121526942130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhuAurDabI/AAAAAAAAAF8/xQZsqMj-GnE/s400/aguero_3_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Biography </div><div><br />1988<br />Born on June 2 in Flores, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province.<br />2003<br />July 07: With only 15 years and 35 days Aguero becomes the youngest player to debut in the Argentine First Division, breaking the record of Diego Maradona.<br />2004<br />November 28: Scored his first Argentinian Primera Division goal in the 22nd minute of the Independiente 2-2 draw with Estudiantes.<br />2005<br />July: Helped Argentina to win their 5th FIFA World Youth Championship.<br />2006<br />May: Signs for Atlético Madrid from Independiente on a six-year contract.<br />August 20: Received his first senior call-up for the Argentinean national team, as he is selected in coach Alfio Basile's 20-man squad for the friendly against Brazil.<br />August 27: Made his Liga Primera debut 23 minutes from the end of the Racing Santander 0-1 Atlético Madrid game in El Sardinero.<br />September 17: Sergio Aguero scored his first Spanish League goal in Atletico's emphatic win at Bilbao.<br />October 9: Sergio Aguero says he would like to stay at Atlético Madrid for ten years or more before returning to retire in his native Argentina.<br />October 14: A Sergio Aguero goal, that replays showed should have been ruled out for handball, gave Atletico Madrid a 2-1 victory at home to Recreativo Huelva.<br />September 3: Made his senior debut for Argentina in a friendly with Brazil played at the Emirates Stadium<br />2007<br />July 22: Was the inspiration as Argentina came from behind to win a record sixth FIFA U-20 World Cup at the expense of the Czech Republic. Aguero, who scored Argentina's first goal in the final, won the Golden Boot Award as tournament top scorer with six goals and was voted the Golden Ball as top player. He also became the second player to play on the winning side in two U-20 finals. Portugal's Joao Pinto did it in 1989 and 1991.<br />2008<br />August 24: Member of the Argentinian team that won the Gold Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.</div></div></div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-64398313170447788862008-12-29T13:07:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:39:27.869+07:00Samuel Eto'o<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhsP1_fYCI/AAAAAAAAAF0/nrZMyHeWkTo/s1600-h/samuel-etoo---pray_37116.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285093182166491170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhsP1_fYCI/AAAAAAAAAF0/nrZMyHeWkTo/s400/samuel-etoo---pray_37116.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Samuel Eto'o Fils<br />Date of birth: March 10, 1981<br />Birthplace: Nikon, Cameroon<br />Nationality: Cameroonian<br />2nd nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 179 cms<br />Weight: 75 kgs<br /><br />Club: FC Barcelona<br />Position: Forward [C]<br />Squad Number: 9<br />Contract expires: June 2010<br />Previous clubs: UCB Douala > Real Madrid > Leganes (loan) > Espanyol (loan) > (part-owned by Real Madrid) Mallorca > (€24m) Barcelona<br /><br />International debut: March 1997, v Costa Rica<br />International Caps: 60<br />International Goals: 24<br />World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhsPSTUrGI/AAAAAAAAAFs/gXB1EVQ3Fhc/s1600-h/Eto%20wallpaper.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285093172585999458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhsPSTUrGI/AAAAAAAAAFs/gXB1EVQ3Fhc/s400/Eto%2520wallpaper.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards</div><div align="justify"><br />African Cup of Nations (2000, 2002)<br />Olympic Games (2000)<br /><br />Intercontinental Cup (1998)<br />UEFA Champions League (2006)<br /><br />Spanish Copa del Rey (2003)<br />Spanish La Liga (2005, 2006)<br />Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006)<br /><br />African Young Footballer of the Year (2001)<br />African Footballer of the Year (2003, 2004, 2005)<br />African Cup of Nations Top Scorer (2006, 2008)<br />Spanish La Liga Top Scorer (2006)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhsPEume7I/AAAAAAAAAFk/F-hvwAybsHw/s1600-h/etoo_1_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285093168942316466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhsPEume7I/AAAAAAAAAFk/F-hvwAybsHw/s400/etoo_1_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1981<br />Born March 10 in Nikon, Cameroon.<br />1997<br />March; Wins first cap for Cameroon, the day before his 16th birthday, in a friendly in Costa Rica.<br />July: Moves from the Kadji academy to Real Madrid after impressing on a tour of Spain and is loaned to second division Leganes to gain experience.<br />1998<br />June: Included in the squad for the 1998 World Cup finals in France, where he plays as a substitute in the match against Italy in Montpellier as the youngest player in the tournament.<br />August: Rejoins the Real Madrid squad for the 1998/99 season but plays just one league match before a brief loan spell at Espanyol.<br />1999<br />Plays in three games in Real Madrid's victorious Champions League campaign.<br />2000<br />Jan-Feb: Scores his first international goal as Cameroon go on to win the African Nations Cup in Nigeria.<br />August: Loaned out to Real Mallorca, who later make the move permanent but Madrid retain an option on him.<br />September: Plays key role in Cameroon under-23 side's Olympic gold medal victory in Sydney with a penalty shootout triumph over Spain.<br />2002<br />Jan-Feb: Helps retain African Nations Cup in Mali as Cameroon beat Senegal on penalties after 0-0 draw in the final.<br />June: Plays in the World Cup finals in Japan where Cameroon fail to get past the first round.<br />2003<br />June: Scores two goals as Mallorca win Spain's King's Cup final 3-0 against Recreativo Huelva and also plays in the Confederations Cup final defeat by France in Paris.<br />2004<br />Jan-Feb: Plays in his third successive African Nations Cup tournament but Cameroon lose in the quarter-finals to Nigeria.<br />April: Named 2003 African Footballer of the Year.<br />May: Ends the season with 17 league goals, including two in Mallorca's 3-2 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.<br />August: Joins Barcelona from Mallorca on a four-year deal for a fee of 24 million euros, half of which went to Real Madrid.<br />November: Scores opener in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the league.<br />2005<br />February: Named African Footballer of the Year for the second season in succession.<br />May: Wins title with Barcelona, the Catalan club's first trophy in six years. Top scorer in the Primera Liga with 24 goals.<br />June: Signs deal extension until 2010 with Barcelona.<br />October: Misses out on World Cup after Cameroon draw 1-1 with Egypt in their final qualifier when Pierre Wome misses an injury-time penalty. Eto'o said he did not take the penalty because Wome asked to.<br />November: Short listed for FIFA's World Player of the Year award together with club colleague Ronaldinho and Chelsea's Frank Lampard.<br />December: Third in Fifa's World Player of the Year award.<br />2006<br />February: Named as the African Player of the Year for a third year in succession, collecting the 2005 award after narrowly edging Chelsea FC's Didier Drogba into second by 108 votes to 106.<br />May: Helps FC Barcelona to win double of Spanish Liga Primera and UEFA Champions League. Ends La Liga as Pichichi (Top Scorer) with 26 goals.<br />August 20: Helped FC Barcelona to won their first trophy of the new season as they defeated Espanyol 3-0 in the second leg of the Super Cup in Camp Nou.<br />August 24: Etoo was recognized as the UEFA Club Forward of the Year.<br />September 27: Samuel Etoo could be out for up to three months after being stretchered off in Barcelona's UEFA Champions League 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.<br />September 28: Barcelona will be without Samuel Eto'o for five months after the striker underwent surgery on the ruptured external meniscus on his right knee. "The operation was to repair the meniscus of the knee, not take it out, which lengthens the recovery to eight weeks," said club doctor Ramon Cugat.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />November 6: Samuel Eto'o was handed the FIFPro Merit Award for his work with football in Africa and efforts to drive racism out of the game.<br />December 15: Samuel Eto'o collected 12.6% of the votes to finish second in the World Soccer's Player of the Year award.<br />2007<br />February 13: Lashed out at coach Frank Rijkaard for saying he did not want to play for the club and team-mate Ronaldinho for saying he should be more of a team player. His comments come after Rijkaard accused him of not wanting to take to the pitch as a replacement during Barcelona's 2-0 win over Racing Santander on Sunday. "To go into the press room and say that I didn't want to play is dishonest," Etoo said.<br />February 14: Samuel Etoo and Ronaldinho made a public display of reconciliation by embracing as Barcelona tried to heal the rifts caused by the Cameroon striker's recent outburst.<br />February 25: Marked his return to the Barcelona starting lineup with a coolly-taken goal as the Spanish champions rediscovered their form to crush Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at the Nou Camp.<br />March 1: Voted second in the 2006 African Footballer of the Year award.<br />August 29: Samuel Etoo will be out of action for at least two months after suffering a partial tear of a tendon in his right thigh. He suffered the injury just two minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 5-0 victory over Italian champion Inter Milan in the Gamper Trophy at the Nou Camp.<br />October 18: Granted Spanish citizenship.<br />2008<br />January 26: Equalled the African Cup of Nations all-time scoring record in Cameroon's 5-1 win against Zambia. Eto'o scored his 14th goal in five tournaments from the penalty spot to make it 4-0 and equal the 38-year-old record held by Laurent Pokou of the Ivory Coast.<br />January 30: Scored twice in Cameroon's 3-0 win against Sudan to surpass Ivorian international Laurent Pokou's 1970 record of 14 finals goals making him the top scorer in African Cup of Nations history.<br />February 10: Though Eto'o could not lead the Indomitable Lions to victory in the African Cup of Nations final against Egypt, he became the competition top goalscorer (5 goals) in Ghana.<br />April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.<br />November 8: Scored four goals to lead FC Barcelona's trounce of Valladolid 6-0.<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />Fast, strong and direct, Samuel Eto'o's commitment and desire, allied to his precocious ability, make him a formidable striking talent.<br /><br />Born on 10 March 1981, Eto'o was signed by Real Madrid CF at the age of 16. He spent 1997/98 on loan at second divison CD Leganés before returning to Madrid, although he was soon off to RCD Mallorca with the capital club retaining half his ownership. Eto'o then established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers, scoring twice as the islanders beat RC Recreativo de Huelva 3-0 in the 2003 Spanish Cup final. His 17 league goals the next season took his total at Son Moix to 54, earning a €24m move to FC Barcelona in summer 2004.<br /><br />Eto'o enjoyed an outstanding first season at Camp Nou, scoring the header against Levante UD that handed Barça the league title on 14 May, and a contract extension until June 2010. If anything, his second campaign was even more glorious as the Cameroonian striker - who appeared at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup finals and won the CAF African Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002 and Olympic gold in 2000 - struck 26 league goals to help Barça to another title. He added six more in the UEFA Champions League including a hat-trick against Panathinaikos FC and, most crucially, the equaliser in the 2-1 final victory against Arsenal FC.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />At the age of 17 years and three months, Eto'o became the youngest player to appear in a World Cup finals in France '98.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-10671215907338139392008-12-29T12:50:00.004+07:002009-01-08T19:39:46.658+07:00Gianluigi Buffon<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhon7t72uI/AAAAAAAAAFc/jC0XTv0DMOo/s1600-h/buffon1yb0.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285089197973822178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 324px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhon7t72uI/AAAAAAAAAFc/jC0XTv0DMOo/s400/buffon1yb0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Gianluigi Buffon<br />Date of birth: January 28, 1978<br />Birthplace: Carrara, Italy<br />Nationality: Italian<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 191 cms<br />Weight: 83 kgs<br /><br />Club: Juventus<br />Position: Goalkeeper<br />Squad Number: 1<br />Contract expires: June 2013<br />Previous clubs: Parma > (£32.6m) Juventus<br /><br />International debut: October 1997, v Russia<br />International Caps: 81<br />International Goals: 0<br />World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (1st)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhonmCehUI/AAAAAAAAAFU/qTL3Q0dxxBo/s1600-h/buffon_1_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285089192154400066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhonmCehUI/AAAAAAAAAFU/qTL3Q0dxxBo/s400/buffon_1_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards</div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA World Cup (2006)<br /><br />UEFA Cup (1999)<br /><br />Italian Cup (1999)<br />Italian Super Cup (1999, 2002, 2003)<br />Italian Serie A (2002, 2003)<br />Italian Serie B (2007)<br /><br />U-21 European Footballer of the Year (1999)<br />Italian Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year (2002, 2006)<br />UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (2003)<br />UEFA Champions League Best GK (2003)<br />World's Best GK of the Year (2003)<br />FIFA World Cup Best GK (2006) </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhonWVUQYI/AAAAAAAAAFM/mjSzYXYE80I/s1600-h/buffon_2_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285089187938451842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhonWVUQYI/AAAAAAAAAFM/mjSzYXYE80I/s400/buffon_2_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography</div><div align="justify"><br />1978<br />Born January 28 in Carrara, Italy.<br />2005<br />August: Damages ligaments in his right shoulder in a collision with AC Milan playmaker Kaka during a pre-season friendly.<br />2006<br />June 26: Gianluigi Buffon was named Budweiser Man of the Match after he kept a clean sheet in Italy's 1-0 win over Australia in the Round of 16.<br />July 09: Wins the FIFA World Cup with Italy. Concedes only 2 goals in 7 matches to collect the Lev Yashin Award, given to the best goalkeeper at the FIFA World Cup finals.<br />August 24: Gianluigi Buffon confirmed that he will still play for the Bianconeri in Serie B, but he would have not minded going to Milan. "I told the club: if you need to sell me do so, but if you want me to remain, I will stay," he said. However, Buffon admitted that if Juventus had not been demoted, he would have surely left the club.<br />August 29: Gianluigi Buffon has slammed FIFA for the two-match ban they gave Marco Materazzi for his role in the dismissal of Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final. "It was an absurd precedent and totally unacceptable," he said.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />November 27: Gianluigi Buffon collected 124 points to finish second in the European Footballer of the Year award.<br />2007<br />January 3: Gianluigi Buffon warned Juventus bosses that failure to build a team capable of challenging for next season's Serie A title could result in him leaving at the end of the season.<br />May 19: Won promotion to Serie A with Juventus with three games to spare in the Serie B.<br />October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />October 13: Almost ten years and 78 appearances since his international debut, Gianluigi Buffon captained the Azzurri for the first time on UEFA EURO 2008 Group B qualifier against Georgia in Genoa.<br />December 28: Buffon's partner Alena Seredova gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, who was given the name Louis Thomas.<br />June 30: Selected by the UEFA Technical Team in the official UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Gianluigi Buffon was born into a sporting family as his mother, Maria Stella Masocco, was the Italian shot put and discus champion.<br />Therefore, it comes as little surprise that the goalkeeper made his Serie A debut at the age of 17 years and nine months. The match against AC Milan, played on 19 November 1995, finished 0-0 with the latest addition to the Parma team giving every indication of an extremely bright future. Buffon was immediately touted as a worthy successor to a long tradition of outstanding Italian goalkeepers, including the likes of Giampiero Combi, Aldo Olivieri and Dino Zoff.<br /><br />As a small boy, ‘Gigi’ idolised the Cameroon goalkeeper, Thomas N’Kono, who played for the ‘Indomitable Lions’ at the 1982 FIFA World Cup™ in Spain, as well as Italia 90. Gigi’s passion for the African team was such that he burst into tears when they were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals of the 1990 tournament.<br /><br />Buffon was first-choice goalkeeper at Parma for six seasons before his world-record transfer to Juventus in 2001. It was with the Turin giants that he won his first Serie A title, a habit he has become used to and which appears destined to continue in the future.<br /><br />Spot-kick save<br />His career with Italy has not been quite as successful, despite enjoying significant personal satisfaction. He saved a penalty in the second-round match that the Azzurri eventually lost to Korea Republic at the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002. This was no mean feat given the partisan crowd’s white-hot support for their opponents and co-hosts.<br /><br />Buffon made his debut for Italy away to Russia in October 1997. He was a reserve goalkeeper in the Azzurri squad at France 98 and injury forced him to miss UEFA EURO 2000. However, he was back for EURO 2004 in Portugal, somewhat unfortunately some might say, given Italy’s ignominious first-round exit.<br /><br />He appears to have left his injury problems behind him and made a full recovery from the dislocated shoulder he suffered in August 2005 while playing for Juventus. As Germany 2006 approaches, Buffon is in excellent form for Juventus. This augurs well for Italy as they attempt to win their fourth FIFA World Cup. Tall and slender, Buffon has the ideal physique for a goalkeeper, and has no obvious weaknesses. He is a brilliant shot-stopper, particularly from close range, and a cool customer in one-on-one situations. He produces spectacular saves as effortlessly as he performs the more mundane tasks required of a world-class number one. A further vital quality is his ability to put his mistakes behind him almost the instant in which he makes them.<br /><br />On a personal note, he may have some saves to make on the domestic front during the build-up and aftermath to Italy’s group game with the Czech Republic at Germany 2006. His fiancée, the model Alena Seredova, is Czech.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />Every successful side needs a top goalkeeper and nowhere is that better understood than in Italy. For too long, though, the No1 position had been undervalued - until, that is, the world-record transfer of Gianluigi Buffon from Parma AC to Juventus FC in July 2001.<br /><br />National team<br />A member of Italy's UEFA European Under-21 Championship-winning team of 1996, he made his senior debut against Russia in 1997 and was an unused squad member at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After missing out on UEFA EURO 2000™ through injury, he was first choice for the Azzurri's 2002 campaign in Korea/Japan. Buffon played every minute of Italy's eight qualifiers for UEFA EURO 2004™ and only conceded four goals, although Italy did not progress beyond the group stage in Portugal. Remains the undisputed No1.<br /><br />Club<br />He made his Parma debut in 1995 at the age of 17, and went on to make 168 appearances for the club. The 1998/99 season was a memorable one as Parma won the Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup with a 3-0 final victory against Olympique de Marseille. Then played every game of the 2000/01 season prior to leaving the Stadio Ennio Tardini for Turin.<br /><br />2001: Juve paid €52.29m for Buffon, who helped the club to yet another title in his first season, being ever-present and conceding 23 goals in 34 league games. They won the Scudetto again in 2003 and reached the UEFA Champions League final, only to lose to AC Milan. The following season was trophyless, however, Juve losing in the final of the Coppa Italia, although Buffon did sign a contract extension until 2009 in July 2004.<br /><br />2004/05: Buffon missed only one game in Serie A as Juventus won their 28th Scudetto, although their Champions League campaign came to a halt in the last eight against eventual winners Liverpool FC. He missed the start of the following season after being ruled out in mid-August for two months with a shoulder injury.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />In 2003, Buffon became the first goalkeeper to win the Most Valuable Player award at the UEFA European Football Awards.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />Every successful side needs a top goalkeeper and nowhere is that better understood than in Italy. For too long, though, the No1 position had been undervalued - until, that is, the world-record transfer of Gianluigi Buffon from Parma AC to Juventus FC in July 2001.<br /><br />National team<br />A member of Italy's UEFA European Under-21 Championship-winning team of 1996, he made his debut against Russia in 1997 and was picked for the 1998 FIFA World Cup but did not play. After missing out on UEFA EURO 2000™ through injury, however, he was confirmed as first choice for the Azzurri's 2002 campaign in Korea/Japan, where he played in all four matches.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />Buffon played every minute of Italy's eight qualifiers and only conceded four goals, keeping five clean sheets along the way. His form ensured that understudies Francesco Toldo and Christian Abbiati never left the bench.<br /><br />Club<br />Buffon made his Parma debut at the age of 17 in 1995, and went on to make 168 appearances for the club. The 1998/99 season was a memorable one for both Buffon and Parma as they won the Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup with a 3-0 final victory against Olympique de Marseille. He played every game of the 2000/01 season for Parma prior to leaving the Ennio Tardini stadium for Turin.<br /><br />2001: The asking price of €52.29m might have scared off FC Barcelona, but not Juve who had found their replacement for Edwin van der Sar. A year on and they were champions again, with the ever-present Buffon conceding 23 goals in 34 league games - the fewest in the division. 2002/03 was another outstanding season for Buffon as Juve won the Scudetto with the meanest defence in the division. Buffon played 15 times in the UEFA Champions League run and excelled in the final, but couldn't avoid defeat to AC Milan.<br /><br />2003/04: Like the previous season, Buffon played 32 times in Serie A. However, the club missed out on the title and also lost the Italian Cup final.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Buffon's father was a shot-putter and his mother threw the discus.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-81505754554487219012008-12-29T12:03:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:40:02.271+07:00Francesc Fabregas<div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhkG0om99I/AAAAAAAAAFE/auzQ1nf1LoQ/s1600-h/cesc-fabregas-wallpaper8.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285084231090239442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhkG0om99I/AAAAAAAAAFE/auzQ1nf1LoQ/s400/cesc-fabregas-wallpaper8.gif" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Francesc Fábregas Soler<br />Date of birth: May 04, 1987<br />Birthplace: Arenys de Mar, Catalonia, Spain<br />Nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 177 cms<br />Weight: 69 kgs<br /><br />Club: Arsenal<br />Position: Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder [C]<br />Squad Number: 4<br />Contract expires: June 2014<br />Previous clubs: (youth) Barcelona > Arsenal<br /><br />International debut: March 2005, v China<br />International Caps: 24<br />International Goals: 0<br />World Cups: Germany 2006<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhkGE2cQhI/AAAAAAAAAE8/38Dk9JXzICA/s1600-h/r195023_740373.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285084218263355922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhkGE2cQhI/AAAAAAAAAE8/38Dk9JXzICA/s400/r195023_740373.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />UEFA European Football Championship (2008)<br /><br />English FA Cup (2005)<br /><br />FIFA U-17 World Cup MVP (2003)<br />FIFA U-17 World Cup Top Scorer (2003)<br />English FA Premier League Young Footballer of the Year (2008) </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhkF6RHOkI/AAAAAAAAAE0/XnJ_qe_riAk/s1600-h/Cesc_Fabregas_victory_650949.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285084215422433858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVhkF6RHOkI/AAAAAAAAAE0/XnJ_qe_riAk/s400/Cesc_Fabregas_victory_650949.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1987<br />Born May 4 in Arenys de Mar, Catalonia, Spain.<br />2003<br />August: Member of the Spanish team that reached the FIFA U-17 World Championship final in Finland, scoring 5 goals.<br />2005<br />March: Becomes the youngest player to debut for Spain in 63 years when he played in an exhibition game against China at 18.<br />June: Member of the Spanish team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship quarterfinals.<br />2006<br />July: Short-listed for the best young player at the 2006 FIFA World Cup award.<br />August 12: Declared he is happy at Arsenal. "At my age - or any age - I do not think there is a better club to be at than Arsenal," he added.<br />August 14: Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon admitted that Fabregas will not now arrive at the club this season.<br />September 12: Arsene Wenger revealed that midfielder Cesc Fabregas will sign a new eight-year contract.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />2007<br />February 25: Member of the "Young Arsenal" squad that lost the English League Cup final against Chelsea 1-2 in the Millennium Stadium.<br />2008<br />April 27: Voted Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year, in the same ceremony he was also included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.<br />June 29: Won the UEFA Euro 2008 with Spain after defeating Germany 1-0 in the final. He contributed to the team effort but was overshadowed by his midfield peers.<br />June 30: Selected by the UEFA Technical Team in the official UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Fabregas is being groomed to become Spain’s midfield playmaker of the future. The Arsenal youngster has so far passed every test with flying colours, holding his place in a star-studded line-up in the Premiership and in the UEFA Champions League. A brilliant passer with an eye for goal, Fabregas won the Golden Boot and the most valuable player award at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He also starred for Spain at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship before making his senior debut in March 2006.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />Spanish midfield playmaker Cesc Fabregas is a brilliant passer of the ball with an eye for goal and is one of a crop of outstanding youngsters beginning to establish themselves at Highbury.<br /><br />National team<br />Fabregas was voted the player of the tournament at the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championship and won the Golden Boot after his six goals helped Spain reach the final. He was a key member of the Spanish squad in the 2004 UEFA Under-17 European Championship, and scored a vital 89th-minute goal against England to take the team through to the final. Has since stepped up to U21 level.<br /><br />Club<br />Despite coming through the ranks at FC Barcelona, Fabregas moved to Arsenal FC in September 2003 at the age of 16 having never played a first-team game at Camp Nou.<br /><br />2003: After impressing with the reserves, he became the youngest player to feature in the Arsenal first team when, at 16 years and 177 days, he made his debut in the English League Cup against Rotherham United FC on 28 October.<br /><br />2004/05: Fabregas made his Premiership debut in the 4-1 win away to Everton FC on the opening day of the season and went on to start 24 matches as Arsenal finished second in the league. He opened his Premiership scoring account in the 3-0 win against Blackburn Rovers FC on 25 August and scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in December's 5-1 victory against Rosenborg BK.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Fabregas is the youngest-ever Arsenal goalscorer, having found the net at the age of 16 years and 212 days in the 5-1 League Cup win against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in December 2003.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-40234174777295781272008-12-28T16:32:00.003+07:002009-01-08T19:40:18.683+07:00Frank Lampard<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdIyGIrt0I/AAAAAAAAAEs/o5STDRMcCKw/s1600-h/lampard_1280x960.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284772713220257602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdIyGIrt0I/AAAAAAAAAEs/o5STDRMcCKw/s400/lampard_1280x960.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Frank James Lampard<br />Date of birth: June 21, 1978<br />Birthplace: Romford, England<br />Nationality: English<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 177 cms<br />Weight: 78 kgs<br /><br />Club: Chelsea<br />Position: Midfielder [C]<br />Squad Number: 8<br />Contract expires: June 2014<br />Previous clubs: West Ham > Swansea > West Ham > (£11m) Chelsea<br /><br />International debut: October 1999, v Belgium<br />International Caps: 50<br />International Goals: 11<br />World Cups: Germany 2006<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdIyFJcBbI/AAAAAAAAAEk/pJ-DHQ_C5BE/s1600-h/frank_lampard_1_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284772712954987954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdIyFJcBbI/AAAAAAAAAEk/pJ-DHQ_C5BE/s400/frank_lampard_1_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />English League Cup (2005, 2007)<br />English FA Premier League (2005, 2006)<br />English FA Community Shield (2005)<br />English FA Cup (2007)<br /><br />English FA Premier League Footballer of the Year (2005)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdIx8fYtNI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Yt8btf-HU-U/s1600-h/1Frank_Lampard_-_Chelsea.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284772710631126226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdIx8fYtNI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Yt8btf-HU-U/s400/1Frank_Lampard_-_Chelsea.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1978<br />Born June 20 in Romford, Essex. Father, also Frank, was professional footballer with West Ham United.<br />1992<br />August: Joins West Ham, where uncle Harry Redknapp is assistant manager, as a trainee. Plays 187 games for the club, scoring 39 times. In 1994, Redknapp becomes manager and Lampard senior is appointed his assistant.<br />1995<br />October: On loan to Swansea for 11 games, scores one goal.<br />1999<br />October: First appearance for England at home to Belgium.<br />2001<br />June: Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri buys the midfielder for 11 million pounds ($19.45 million).<br />2002<br />May: Following a mediocre season, Lampard fails to make England's World Cup squad.<br />2003<br />August: Lampard becomes an England regular, notching his first goal against Croatia.<br />2004<br />June: Scores three goals at Euro 2004.<br />July: Named Chelsea vice-captain when Jose Mourinho takes over at Stamford Bridge.<br />December: Voted England player of the year.<br />2005<br />February: Wins first major trophy when Chelsea hoist League Cup.<br />May: Helps the Blues to their first championship for 50 years with 12 league goals and 18 in total as club's top scorer.<br />June: Wins English football writers' player of the year award.<br />November: Runner-up for European Footballer of the Year.<br />December: Second in Fifa's World Player of the Year award.<br />2006<br />April: Helps Chelsea claim its second straight Premier League title.<br />June 10: Frank Lampard was named Budweiser Man of the Match for his excellent all-round game in England's 1-0 win over Paraguay in their opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.<br />August 20: Reiterated his desire to stay with the Chelsea for the rest of his playing career. "I see myself being here for a long time," he told BBC.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />2007<br />February 25: Member of the Chelsea squad that won the English League Cup after defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the Millennium Stadium.<br />March 19: An angry fan raced on to the pitch and threw a punch at Lampard after Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-1 in an FA Cup quarter-final replay. Lampard, who was celebrating with team mates, ducked to miss the punch and the spectator was manhandled to the ground before being led away by security men.<br />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.<br />May 19: Won the English FA Cup with Chelsea over Man United following a 1-0 extra time victory at the New Wembley.<br />July 1: Rejected a new Chelsea deal which would have eclipsed the £121,000 a week given to Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack.<br />August 5: Member of the Chelsea team that lost the English FA Community Shield against Man Utd 3-0 on penalties at Wembley.<br />August 9: Launched Frank TV, a new Mobile TV programme dedicated to him, available exclusively on OrangeƆs mobile phone TV service.<br />October 31: Took his tally of goals for Chelsea to 96 when he bagged a hat-trick in the holders? 4-3 victory over Leicester City in a thrilling League Cup fourth-round tie.<br />2008<br />February 16: Lampard became the eighth player to score 100 goals for Chelsea, when he scored twice against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup.<br />February 24: Member of the Chelsea squad that lost the Carling Cup Final in extra time against Tottenham.<br />March 12: Scored 4 goals in Chelsea's 6-1 thrashing of Derby County.<br />April 30: Two days before the funeral of the mother he admits was his guiding light, Frank Lampard scored a vital penalty in extra-time to drive Chelsea towards victory over Liverpool FC in the UEFA Champions League semi-final. It was an act of courage that had team-mates queueing up afterwards to praise him.<br />May 21: Lost the UEFA Champions League final with Chelsea 6-5 on penalties against Man Utd at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Lampard was rewarded for another trademark surge into the penalty area as two fortunate deflections allowed to tuck home the equaliser. Unlucky to hit the bar in extra-time.<br />August 13: Signed a five-year contract with Chelsea running until the end of the 2013/14 season, ending a summer of speculation about his future.<br />August 28: Became the first Chelsea player, and only the second English-based footballer after Beckham nine years ago, to take the UEFA Club Best Midfielder of the Year. He said: "It feels very good. When you see the players that you're up against, there are some world-class players there. I've been up for the award for three years now so it's nice to finally win it."<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Voted England’s Player of the Year by supporters of the national team in 2004 and 2005, Frank Lampard has been an inspirational figure for both club and country in that time. He was England’s top scorer in the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup™ and provided Chelsea’s main source of goals during their successive Premiership triumphs in 2004/05 and 2005/06.<br />Lampard, who came second behind Ronaldinho in the 2005 voting for FIFA World Player of the Year, has worked hard to achieve his current status in the game. Steven Gerrard, his partner in England’s midfield, considers him “probably the most improved player in the world” over the last two years, describing his progress in that time as “unbelievable”.<br /><br />A schoolboy cross-country runner, Lampard his shown plenty of resilience in his rise up the football ladder. It is now ten seasons since Lampard made his debut for West Ham United, the club where he grew up under the watchful gaze of his father and uncle, Frank Lampard Sr and Harry Redknapp, who were assistant manager and manager respectively.<br /><br />There were ups and downs at Upton Park for the young Lampard, as he recalled when he collected his award for the English Football Writers’ Player of the Year in May 2005. “I remember running on the touchline and being told, ‘Go and sit down with your uncle and dad because you’re not good enough to get on the pitch’,” he said.<br /><br />Lampard gradually began to fulfil his promise as a goalscoring midfielder, registering seven-goal hauls in each of his last two seasons with West Ham, before he joined Chelsea in an £11million transfer in 2001. By this time he was an England international, having made his debut came against Belgium in 1999, but it was not until the 2003/04 season that he finally won a regular starting place in the national side.<br /><br />Since coming off the bench to claim his first goal for England in the 3-1 friendly win against Croatia in August 2003, however, Lampard has become a near-permanent presence on Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team sheet. He ended 2003/04 with ten league goals for Chelsea and then struck three times as England reached the last eight at UEFA EURO 2004, his first senior international tournament.<br /><br />If those figures were impressive then in the intervening two years, Lampard has got even better. Blessed with supreme fitness, a keen eye for goal and, in his own words, “a natural determination to compete”, he has become one of the best attacking midfielders in world football.<br /><br />He is vice-captain at Chelsea and together with John Terry and Joe Cole brings some English ‘spirit’ to Jose Mourinho’s multi-national collective. Of course, he brings much more than that: Lampard played 164 consecutive league games over the course of the last five seasons and was a key contributor as Chelsea captured successive league titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06, scoring 29 Premiership goals in that period.<br /><br />For England, Lampard was on target in five of their ten Germany 2006 qualifiers and set the seal on a successful campaign with the winning goals in the final two fixtures against Austria and Poland. He struck from the spot against the Austrians, having taken over the penalty-taking duties from David Beckham, while against Poland it was an exquisite volleyed effort that won the match – a goal struck with the confidence becoming a player at the very top of his game.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />A dynamic player who possesses a fine range of passing and devastating shooting, Frank Lampard has developed into one of the finest exponents of the midfield player's art.<br /><br />Club<br />A graduate of the academy at West Ham United FC, Lampard made his Premiership debut in 1996. He spent a spell on loan at Swansea City FC but was back at Upton Park as West Ham won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. He joined Chelsea FC for €16m in the summer of 2001 and missed just one Premiership game in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge. He was Chelsea's best player as they reached the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2003/04, and played a starring role again the following year, scoring 19 goals as Chelsea won the Premiership title and the English League Cup. That display saw him named as Football Writers' Player of the Year, and he scored 16 goals as the London club retained the Premiership crown in 2005/06.<br /><br />National team<br />Lampard made his international debut in October 1999, but missed out on selection for UEFA EURO 2000™ and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He bounced back to feature at UEFA EURO 2004™, scoring three times before England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Portugal, but his form was less impressive as England bowed out at the same stage, against the same opponents, at the 2006 World Cup.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Lampard's father Frank twice won the FA Cup with West Ham while his uncle, Harry Redknapp, is the manager of Portsmouth FC.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />A midfield player who possesses a fine passing range, Frank Lampard is also a tireless worker and regular goalscorer.<br /><br />National team<br />Kevin Keegan was in charge when Lampard made his international debut on 10 October 1999, although he was not selected for England's ill-fated UEFA EURO 2000™ campaign, instead captaining the Under-21s. Was selected for Sven-Göran Eriksson's first match but again missed out when the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad was announced. However, Lampard bounced back to play in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying.<br /><br />Club<br />Like team-mate Joe Cole, he is a graduate of the academy at West Ham United FC. Lampard made his Premiership debut against Sheffield Wednesday FC in 1996 and by 1997/98 - after a spell on loan at Swansea City FC - was a regular. Ever present in 1998/99, he then played 64 matches over the next two seasons to take his tally at Upton Park to 148, scoring 23 goals.<br /><br />2001: Joined Chelsea FC for €16m and missed just one game in a debut season which saw him net five goals in 37 Premiership matches and feature in the UEFA Cup.<br /><br />2002/03: For the second time in his career, Lampard did not miss a game, scoring six times as Chelsea finished fourth to reach the UEFA Champions League qualifying round, where they eliminated MŠK Žilina in August 2003.<br /><br />2003/4: A memorable season for Lampard whose midfield displays earned him second place in the PFA Player of the Year awards. Despite a flood of big name buys, he was consistently Chelsea's best player as they reached the Champions League semi-final and finished second in the Premiership.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Lampard's father, also Frank, twice won the FA Cup with West Ham and his uncle, Harry Redknapp, is the manager of Portsmouth FC.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-41573866182640095172008-12-28T16:22:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:40:35.443+07:00Steven Gerrard<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdGrZSM3dI/AAAAAAAAAEU/EUlPyaHOQQQ/s1600-h/StevenGerrard2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284770399078112722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 303px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdGrZSM3dI/AAAAAAAAAEU/EUlPyaHOQQQ/s400/StevenGerrard2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Steven George Gerrard<br />Date of birth: May 30, 1980<br />Birthplace: Whiston, England<br />Nationality: English<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 188 cms<br />Weight: 78 kgs<br /><br />Club: Liverpool<br />Position: Defensive Midfielder [R, C]<br />Squad Number: 8<br />Contract expires: June 2011<br />Previous clubs: (trainee) Liverpool<br /><br />International debut: May 2000, v Ukraine<br />International Caps: 48<br />International Goals: 11<br />World Cups: Germany 2006</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdGrARUygI/AAAAAAAAAEM/5LsqPOuk28A/s1600-h/gerrard_16_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284770392363551234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdGrARUygI/AAAAAAAAAEM/5LsqPOuk28A/s400/gerrard_16_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />UEFA Cup (2001)<br />UEFA Champions League (2005)<br />UEFA Super Cup (2005)<br /><br />English League Cup (2001, 2003)<br />English FA Cup (2001, 2006)<br />English FA Community Shield (2006)<br /><br />English League Young Footballer of the Year (2001)<br />UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (2005)</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdGqcbCGWI/AAAAAAAAAEE/GeAQknUwgrY/s1600-h/gerrard_12_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284770382740592994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdGqcbCGWI/AAAAAAAAAEE/GeAQknUwgrY/s400/gerrard_12_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1980<br />Born May 30 in Whiston, England.<br />2006<br />April: Wins Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year Award.<br />August 10: Steven Gerrard has been named vice-captain of England's football team the Football Association (FA) has announced.<br />August 13: Helped Liverpool to lift the Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium.<br />August 19: Steven Gerrard revealed he had trials at Manchester United as a 14 year-old.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />2007<br />March 28: Scored his first double for England as he helped his country to a 3-0 win over Andorra and put to end a five-match winless run.<br />April 22: Included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.<br />May 16: Lost the UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool FC to AC Milan following a 2-1 defeat at the OACA Spyro Louis in Athens, Greece.<br />October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />2008<br />April 27: Included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.<br />October 1: Scored his 100th goal for Liverpool with a fantastic free-kick in the Reds 3-1 UEFA Champions League victory against PSV Eindhoven.<br />October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />The heartbeat of his hometown club Liverpool, Steven Gerrard will travel to Germany desperate to make up for the disappointment of missing out on the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ because of injury.<br />Gerrard had highlighted his future importance to England with a stirring performance in their famous 5-1 qualifying win in Germany in September 2001, where he struck a superb long-range goal, his first for his country. However, he then sat out the finals in the Far East, one of several setbacks he suffered earlier in his career when his growing body struggled to cope with the demands of top-level football.<br /><br />In his own words, Gerrard “never had the strength or energy to get around the pitch” – something that seems impossible to believe for anyone who witnessed his heroic display in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final against AC Milan, where he breathed fresh life into Liverpool by heading the first goal of their incredible comeback and ended the match patrolling the right flank as a makeshift full-back.<br /><br />Voted English football's Player of the Year by his peers in April, Gerrard is quite simply Liverpool’s Mr Incredible - versatile enough to play across the midfield or even off the striker, and blessed with the tackling ability, passing skills and shooting power to dominate any match.<br /><br />He struck 22 goals in all competitions for the Reds in 2005/06 - including two spectacular strikes that helped Liverpool win the FA Cup final - but reproducing that scoring form at international level is less straightforward given he is playing alongside two players in Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney who also excel at making runs from deep.<br /><br />A product of the Anfield academy, Gerrard made his Liverpool debut in 1998 as an 18-year-old and within two years was playing for England against Germany at UEFA EURO 2000. By 2001 he was a regular in the national team and it proved a memorable year at club level too.<br /><br />He helped Liverpool to a treble of League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup triumphs, scoring in the last of those finals against Alaves and earning personal recognition for his efforts in the shape of the Young Player of the Year award. In 2003 Gerrard collected further silverware as he scored in Liverpool’s League Cup final defeat of Manchester United and his growing maturity was reflected by his appointment as club captain early in the 2003/04 campaign.<br /><br />That season ended with Gerrard appearing in all four of England’s matches at EURO 2004 but speculation over a possible move to Chelsea meant that he had, by his own admission, a “hot and cold” tournament, despite getting on the scoresheet against Switzerland. When the same speculation surfaced again last summer, in the wake of Liverpool’s Champions League victory, Gerrard looked certain to swap Anfield for Stamford Bridge but had a dramatic change of heart and signed a new four-year deal with the Merseysiders.<br /><br />In between driving on his Liverpool team-mates, Gerrard – who will be 26 when the finals begin - featured in eight of England’s qualifying matches for Germany 2006, netting goals in the 2-2 draw in Austria and 2-0 home win over Azerbaijan. Still, six goals from 39 appearances up to the start of 2006 is a record ‘Stevie G’, as he is known at Anfield, will be keen to improve on. And where better to start than at his first FIFA World Cup?<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />A powerhouse of a midfield player, Liverpudlian Steven Gerrard fulfilled a childhood dream by captaining his local club to the European title.<br /><br />National team<br />It was hugely disappointing for both Gerrard and England that injury ruled him out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals - especially as he scored one of England's goals in the famous 5-1 qualifying defeat of Germany in Munich. Gerrard made his England debut against Ukraine in May 2000, and long before UEFA EURO 2004™ was an automatic choice. Now forms a devastating central partnership with Frank Lampard.<br /><br />Club<br />Born in 1980 and signed as a trainee, Gerrard made his Liverpool FC debut in November 1998 as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers FC. In his first start, against RC Celta de Vigo in the UEFA Cup, Gerrard's ability to tackle, pass and shoot in equal measure shone through.<br /><br />2001: He proved his worth with a selection of outstanding performances in 2000/01 as Liverpool won the FA Cup, English League Cup and UEFA Cup, where he scored his side's second goal in the 5-4 final win against Deportivo Alavés. Gerrard was voted England's Young Player of the Year that year. He won a second League Cup in Cardiff in March 2003, opening the scoring in a 2-0 victory against Manchester United FC. Having replaced Sami Hyypiä as captain in 2003, Gerrard justified his promotion by almost single-handedly guiding Liverpool to fourth place and turning down a lucrative Chelsea FC offer.<br /><br />2004/05: A broken bone in his foot left Gerrard sidelined for two months from September, but he returned to strike the late goal against Olympiacos CFP to take Liverpool past the group stage. Although his own goal proved vital in Chelsea winning the League Cup final, Gerrard remained an inspiration and struck the first goal of the dramatic comeback against AC Milan that allowed him to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup. Although he then seemed set to leave Anfield, he had a dramatic change of heart and signed a new four-year contract. Typically, he struck a hat-trick in the first game after agreeing his new deal, in the Champions League first qualifying round against Total Network Solutions FC.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Gerrard's superb strike against United in March 2001 was voted Liverpool's best Premiership goal.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />A powerhouse of a midfield player with remarkable mental strength and confidence for one so young, Steven Gerrard can play in a variety of positions but is at his devastating best in the centre of the park.<br /><br />National team<br />It was hugely disappointing for both Gerrard and England that injury ruled him out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals - especially as he scored one of England's goals in the famous 5-1 defeat of Germany in a Munich qualifying game. Gerrard made his England debut against Ukraine in May 2000, doing enough to make the squad for UEFA EURO 2000™, where he played once against Germany.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />One of four England players to feature in seven qualifiers, Gerrard scored in the home draw against F.Y.R. Macedonia but missed the corresponding fixture, a victory in Skopje.<br /><br />Club<br />Born in 1980 and signed as a trainee, Gerrard made his Liverpool FC debut in November 1998 as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers FC. In his first start, against RC Celta de Vigo in the UEFA Cup, Gerrard's ability to tackle, pass and shoot in equal measure shone through. He proved his worth to the Anfield cause with a selection of outstanding performances in 2000/01 as they won the FA Cup, English League Cup and UEFA Cup, where he scored his side's second goal in the 5-4 final win against Deportivo Alavés. Having recovered from growing pains - Gerrard was voted England's Young Player of the Year that year. He won a second League Cup in Cardiff in March 2003, opening the scoring in a 2-0 victory against Manchester United FC.<br /><br />2003/04: Having replaced Sami Hyypiä as captain, Gerrard signed a new contract in November committing him to Anfield until 2007. "I've been here since I was eight and I've never wanted to play anywhere else," he said. Justified his promotion by almost single-handedly guiding Liverpool to fourth place.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Gerrard's superb strike against United in March 2001 was voted Liverpool's best Premiership goal.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-76126485114988423462008-12-28T15:58:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:40:53.062+07:00Ronaldinho<div align="justify"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdAz6NcnwI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Uzv8_V0JWv0/s1600-h/Ronaldinho-Ac-Milan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284763948285730562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdAz6NcnwI/AAAAAAAAAD8/Uzv8_V0JWv0/s400/Ronaldinho-Ac-Milan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Ronaldo Assis de Moreira (Ronaldinho)<br />Date of birth: March 21, 1980<br />Birthplace: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil<br />Nationality: Brazilian<br />2nd nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 180 cms<br />Weight: 76 kgs<br /><br />Club: Milan<br />Position: Attacking Midfielder/Forward [L, C]<br />Squad Number: 80<br />Contract expires: June 2011<br />Previous clubs: Grêmio > Paris St-Germain > (€30m) Barcelona > Milan<br /><br />International debut: June 1999, v Latvia<br />International Caps: 62<br />International Goals: 27<br />World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002 (1st), Germany 2006</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdAz7s64II/AAAAAAAAAD0/dgGYV2GZWu4/s1600-h/ronaldinho_14_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284763948686172290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdAz7s64II/AAAAAAAAAD0/dgGYV2GZWu4/s400/ronaldinho_14_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />FIFA U-17 World Cup (1997)<br />Copa América (1999)<br />FIFA World Cup (2002)<br />FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)<br /><br />UEFA Champions League (2006)<br /><br />Spanish La Liga (2005, 2006)<br />Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006)<br /><br />FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer (1999)<br />Spanish La Liga Player of the Season (2004, 2006)<br />World Soccer Player of the World (2004, 2005)<br />FIFA World Player of the Year (2004, 2005)<br />UEFA Champions League Best Forward (2005)<br />FIFPro World Player of the Year (2005, 2006)<br />European Footballer of the Year (2005)<br />UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (2006) </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdAzvSSUDI/AAAAAAAAADs/brW4WpyZYVQ/s1600-h/ronaldinho_20_1600x1200.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284763945353236530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVdAzvSSUDI/AAAAAAAAADs/brW4WpyZYVQ/s400/ronaldinho_20_1600x1200.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1980<br />Born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on March 21. Full name Ronaldo Assis de Moreira. His brother Roberto is a former Brazilian international.<br />1997<br />Top scorer when Brazil win under-17 world championship in Egypt.<br />1998<br />Makes his debut at professional level with his local team Gremio, playing five games.<br />1999<br />April: Member of the Brazilian team that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship quarterfinals in Nigeria.<br />June-July: Plays first game for Brazil senior squad against Latvia. Wins Copa America with Brazil, scoring his first international goal against Venezuela.<br />August: Top scorer in the Confederations Cup with six goals, Brazil loses final against Mexico.<br />2001<br />Signs for Paris St Germain on a five-year contract. Moves to Paris in March but starts playing only at the beginning of the 2001-2002 season after a legal battle between PSG and Gremio over the transfer fee. Gremio receive only $4.5 million.<br />2002<br />June: Wins World Cup with Brazil, scores with a spectacular 35-metre lob against England in the quarter-finals.<br />August: Resumes playing with PSG late after recovering from the World Cup. His relationship with coach Luis Fernandez deteriorates.<br />2003<br />Makes it clear he hopes to leave PSG after they fail to qualify for European competition. His brother and now agent Roberto Assis starts negotiations with Manchester United but Barcelona make an offer for the Brazilian.<br />July: Ronaldinho signs a five-year contract with Barcelona for a reported fee of 25 million euros ($29.4 million).<br />September: Scores his first league goal for Barcelona in the 1-1 draw against Sevilla, completing a meandering run from inside his own half with a stunning 25-metre shot.<br />October: Scores a hat-trick as Barcelona crush Slovak side Puchov 8-0 in the UEFA Cup.<br />Ends his first season with Barca with 14 league goals, inspiring the team to a 17-game unbeaten run that lifts them to a second-place finish.<br />2004<br />November: Inspires Barcelona to a 3-0 win over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Nou Camp.<br />December: Named FIFA World Player of the Year ahead of Thierry Henry and Andriy Shevchenko. Comes third behind Shevchenko and team mate Deco in the vote for European Footballer of the Year.<br />2005<br />May: Wins title with Barcelona, the Catalan club's first trophy in six years.<br />June: Captains Brazil's Confederations Cup-winning side. Scores in the 4-1 victory over Argentina in the final.<br />August: Agrees to renew his contract with Barcelona until 2010.<br />September: Wins the inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year award after a poll of players in 40 countries.<br />November 19: Steers Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, scoring two virtuoso solo goals - the second of which earned a standing ovation from fans of the Madrid club.<br />November: Becomes the third Brazilian to win the Ballon d'Or (European footballer of the year) after his compatriots Ronaldo, who won it in 1997 and 2002, and Rivaldo, who won it in 1999.<br />December: Named Fifa's World Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.<br />2006<br />May: Helps FC Barcelona to win its second straight Spanish league title and 18th overall.. Helps the team to win the UEFA Champions League.<br />August 20: Helped FC Barcelona to won their first trophy of the new season as they defeated Espanyol 3-0 in the second leg of the Super Cup in Camp Nou.<br />August 24: Declared UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in Monaco.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />November 6: Ronaldinho wins the FIFPro Player of the Year award for the second successive season.<br />November 27: Ronaldinho collected 73 points to finish fourth in the European Footballer of the Year award.<br />December 14: Inspired by the brillian Ronaldinho, European champions Barcelona have moved into the Club World Cup final with a classy 4-0 win over Mexico's Club America.<br />December 17: Played in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2006 as Barcelona is defeated by Brazil's Internacional with a late-goal in Yokohama.<br />2007<br />August 27: Granted dual nationality by Spain.<br />October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />2008<br />July 17: Greeted by 40,000 cheering AC Milan supporters after signing a three-year contract with the seven-time European champions.<br />August 22: Member of the Brazilian team that won the Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.<br />September 28: Ronaldinho picked the perfect day to claim his first Serie A goal as his header gave AC Milan a 1-0 victory against FC Internazionale Milano.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Despite being blessed with breathtaking skill and almost supernatural ball control, the endearingly-modest Ronaldinho Gaucho still blushes when he is mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Zico or Pele. He may not pursue the kind of legendary status afforded to Brazilian greats Garrincha, Didi or Vava, but with each passing game the feeling grows that Ronaldinho could become one of the finest players the world has ever seen.<br />Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho, was born on 21 March 1980 in the Restinga district of Porto Alegre, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. At the age of seven, older brother Roberto Assis, a professional at local side Gremio Porto Alegre, took the talented youngster to join his club’s youth set-up. The Barcelona star has never forgotten his sibling’s help in getting him where he is today. “My biggest hero is my brother. He’s a shining example as a father, a brother and a footballer.”<br /><br />Eight years on, Ronaldinho received his first call-up for the Brazilian national team’s junior side, and two years later he was a member of the team that won the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt.<br /><br />The Brazilian maestro turned professional in 1998, celebrating his first contract by helping Gremio to a 1-0 win over Rio de Janeiro side Vasco de Gama.<br /><br />It would be another year before ‘Ronnie’ caught the eye of the world’s footballing elite. In 1999, having top-scored in his side’s State Championship win, Ronaldinho made his official debut for the Seleção in a friendly against Latvia. During that year’s Copa America, the fleet-footed forward gave a tantalising glimpse of what was to come with a wonder goal in Brazil’s 7-0 rout of Venezuela.<br /><br />Namesake Ronaldo<br />It was around that time, as Ronaldinho’s career began to take off, that he was christened with the surname Gaucho, used to describe people from the Rio Grande do Sul region, in order to avoid confusion with the other Ronaldo, still known by many Brazilians as Ronaldinho. Nowadays, the pair’s fame has reached such levels that such a distinction is no longer necessary.<br /><br />In 2001, the rising star moved from Gremio to French side Paris Saint-Germain, though not without a protracted transfer wrangle between the parties involved. The move was completed in time for Ronaldinho to seal a place in the Auriverde squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, where he played a vital role in Brazil’s success.<br /><br />In the aftermath of his country’s record fifth FIFA World Cup win, Ronaldinho returned to PSG, although not for very long. Despite speculation linking him with both Manchester United and Real Madrid, he ended up at Catalan giants Barcelona, who forked out a club-record €30m for his signature.<br /><br />The FIFA World Cup winner arrived at Barça in time for the 2003/04 campaign when, after a rocky start to the season, a Ronaldinho-inspired revival saw Barcelona clinch second place behind Valencia. In 2005, the attacker reaffirmed his hero status in the eyes of the Azulgrana supporters with nine league goals and umpteen assists in his side’s 17th Primera Liga title win, their first since 1998/99.<br /><br />Currently one of the most famous faces in world football, Ronaldinho has amassed an admirable collection of individual awards in a relatively short space of time. In 2005 he was presented with France Football magazine’s Golden Ball, awarded to the European Player of the Year, before crowning an amazing 12 months with his second consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year award.<br /><br />Technically brilliant and a wonderful dribbler, Ronaldinho is an automatic choice in Carlos Alberto Parreira’s Brazil side at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.<br /><br />Despite all his success, Ronaldinho admits: “I used to be always thinking about bizarre things, I was a real dreamer. During the World Cup in 1994, I watched Romario smile and thought: ‘I want to look like that.’ Later on, when Ronaldo was voted the best player in the world, I wanted to be just like him…” The charismatic Brazilian’s words are proof of one thing: Dreams do sometimes come true.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />One of the world's most dangerous and exciting players, Ronaldinho is equally proficient at creating chances or finishing, can play anywhere up front and is deadly from free-kicks.<br /><br />National team<br />Brilliant at the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1997 and top scorer in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, the Brazilian helped his country squeeze narrowly into the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. In Korea/Japan he was exceptional, scoring against China and the quarter-final winner against England to help his country to a record fifth World Cup triumph. Although he sat out the 2004 Copa América, he is a vital component in their 2006 World Cup campaign, and scored in the 2005 Confederations Cup final as Brazil defeated Argentina 4-1.<br /><br />Club<br />Beginning his career with Grêmio Football Porto Alegrense in his homeland, the buck-toothed playmaker appeared in 36 league games over four years, scoring 13 times before making a controversial transfer to French side Paris Saint-Germain FC in 2001.<br /><br />2002: Although his time in Paris was not successful in terms of trophies, Ronaldinho was the outstanding player in an average PSG team, scoring 17 times in more than 50 league games over two seasons in the French capital.<br /><br />2003: Ronaldinho became FC Barcelona's record signing in July when he agreed a €30m move after a protracted transfer saga. The Catalan club's hefty investment was amply rewarded, however, as the Brazilian scored 22 times in his first season to help Barça to second place in the Primera Divisón. He signed an improved contract in summer 2004, increasing his buy-out clause to a reported €150m.<br /><br />2004/05: He was voted FIFA Player of the Year and delighted spectators in the UEFA Champions League: his jaw-dropping, last-gasp winner against AC Milan in the group stage was only surpassed by a seemingly impossible strike in the return leg against Chelsea FC on 8 March but Barça lost the tie 5-4 on aggregate. Consolation came in the form of the Spanish title.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />While filming a television commercial in March 2004, Ronaldinho broke a window in the 12th century cathedral Santiago de Compostela.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-60761407467805509172008-12-28T15:41:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:41:10.233+07:00Didier Drogba<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc9EgXfc-I/AAAAAAAAADk/83kKzXhg-6c/s1600-h/drogba_1_1280x1024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284759835359802338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc9EgXfc-I/AAAAAAAAADk/83kKzXhg-6c/s400/drogba_1_1280x1024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Didier Yves Drogba Tébily<br />Date of birth: March 11, 1978<br />Birthplace: Abidjan, Côte d' Ivoire<br />Nationality: Ivorian<br />2nd nationality: French<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 188 cms<br />Weight: 74 kgs<br /><br />Club: Chelsea<br />Position: Striker [C]<br />Squad Number: 11<br />Contract expires: June 2010<br />Previous clubs: Le Mans > Guingamp > (£4m) Marseille > (£24m) Chelsea<br /><br />International debut: September 2002, v South Africa<br />International Caps: 47<br />International Goals: 31<br />World Cups: Germany 2006</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc9ESYhL9I/AAAAAAAAADc/AciSEVU41XE/s1600-h/drogba_7_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284759831606013906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc9ESYhL9I/AAAAAAAAADc/AciSEVU41XE/s400/drogba_7_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />English League Cup (2005, 2007)<br />English FA Premier League (2005, 2006)<br />English FA Community Shield (2005)<br />English FA Cup (2007)<br /><br />French Ligue 1 Player of the Season (2004)<br />UEFA Cup Top Scorer (2004)<br />Ivorian Player of the Year (2006)<br />African Footballer of the Year (2006)<br />English Premier League Top Scorer (2007)</div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc9EZXMfJI/AAAAAAAAADU/vHWBmwB3MAc/s1600-h/drogba_9_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284759833479511186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc9EZXMfJI/AAAAAAAAADU/vHWBmwB3MAc/s400/drogba_9_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1978<br />Born March 11 in Abidjan.<br />1983<br />Arrives to France as a five-year-old.<br />1998<br />Starts career with second division Le Mans UC 72.<br />2002<br />January: Joins Guingamp.<br />September: Makes Ivorian national team debut in an African Cup of Nations qualifier 0-0 draw against South Africa in Abidjan.<br />2003<br />May: Finish third in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 17 strikes in 34 matches.<br />June: Signs a five-year contract with Marseille for an undisclosed fee.<br />2004<br />May: Loses UEFA Cup final with Marseille; Crowned the French Player of the Year.<br />July: Joins Chelsea for a club-record fee of 37.5m euros.<br />2005<br />May: Wins double of Premier League and League Cup with Chelsea.<br />October: Helps his country to qualify for the first time to the World Cup finals.<br />2006<br />February: Helps Ivory Coast to reach the final of the African Cup of Nations. Defeated by Samuel Etoo in the African Player of the Year 2005 award after collecting 106 votes and the Cameroonian 108.<br />April: Helps Chelsea claim its second straight Premier League title.<br />September 27: Didier Drogba's first UCL hat-trick gave Chelsea a comfortable win against Levski Sofia and made it maximum points from their opening two Champions League games.<br />October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />November 03: Didier Drogba has signed a new four-year contract that will keep him with Chelsea until 2010, the club said.<br />November 12: Drogba's superb form for Chelsea continued with a hat-trick in the Blues 4-0 defeat of Watford at Stamford Bridge.<br />2007<br />February 25: Scored twice as Chelsea came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 in an English League Cup final marred by a head injury to John Terry and an ugly late brawl that led to three red cards.<br />March 1: Named 2006 African Footballer of the Year, edging out Samuel Eto'o to deny him a record fourth successive award.<br />April 22: Included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.<br />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.<br />May 13: Secured the Premiership Golden Boot as his equaliser earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw against Everton, which extended Chelsea's unbeaten run in home league games to 63 - equalling the English top-flight record set by Liverpool.<br />May 19: Scored a goal late in extra time to secure a 1-0 victory for Chelsea over Manchester United in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley.<br />October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.<br />October 18: Drogba admitted he is determined to quit Chelsea because Jose Mourinho's departure has shattered morale at Stamford Bridge. "I want to leave Chelsea," he is quoted as saying in an issue of France Football magazine. "Something is broken with Chelsea. The damage has been big in the dressing room because we know now what happened and who caused Mourinho's departure. Nothing can stop me from leaving now."<br />2008<br />February: Represented Côte d' Ivoire in the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Ghana. He was part of the team that finished in 4th place of the competition.<br />February 24: Member of the Chelsea squad that lost the Carling Cup Final in extra time against Tottenham.<br />April 30: Scored twice in the Chelsea's 3-2 UCL Semifinal defeat of Liverpool to put the blues on its first Champions League final ever.<br />May 21: Lost the UEFA Champions League final with Chelsea 6-5 on penalties against Man Utd at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Drogba flounced through the match before suddenly coming to life and hitting a post. Then became only the second player to be sent off in the Champions League final after needlessly tapping Nemanja Vidic in extra-time.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Côte d’Ivoire’s footballing history can be divided into two distinct periods – before and after Didier Drogba. Granted, the country has known stars in the past such as Laurent Pokou, Youssouf Fofana, Joel Tiehi and Ibrahima Bakayoko, but none of them had such an influence on The Elephants’ and their footballing fortunes as their robust forward and current captain.<br />Perhaps Drogba has sporting blood running through his veins. Born in Yopougon, one of the poorer suburbs of the capital Abidjan, Drogba moved to France when he was only five years old, to join his uncle Michel Goba, himself a former international.<br /><br />The lad was soon following in his uncle’s footsteps. In 1991, at the age of 13, he joined Breton club Vannes, trying his hand at various positions in the team and gradually realising he could perhaps make a living as a professional. His next move was up to join Levallois-Perret, on the outskirts of Paris. Despite his tender age, he was already an impressive physical specimen, and spent four years cutting his teeth in the suburbs, often putting in extra training to keep up with his team-mates who had all learned the tricks of the trade at specialised youth football centres.<br /><br />In 1997, he signed professional terms with Le Mans in the French second division, and spent five up-and-down years with club. Often hampered by injuries, he only managed to score 12 goals in 64 matches, but this was enough to catch the eye of Guingamp, who had recently been promoted to the first division. Drogba found the net 17 times as he formed an explosive strike pairing with Florent Malouda.<br /><br />This was enough to thrust Drogba into the spotlight, and the big names – PSG, Marseille, Lyon and Monaco – all came calling. Marseille were the lucky winners of the Drogba lottery, and while the critics presumed he would take a while to settle in at such a prestigious club, the forward soon set about proving them wrong. Drogba’s success on the south coast came almost too easily. The notoriously harsh fans at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome took him to their hearts, and he became a star of French and international proportions. Marseille reached the final of the UEFA Cup, and Drogba was voted France’s player of the season.<br /><br />Chelsea swoop<br />A tally of 19 league goals and another 11 in Europe were more than enough to catch the eye of Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea. The Blues’ manager Jose Mourinho set about convincing Drogba to swap Marseille for London, and after one unbelievable season, he was off to join Chelsea for a staggering €32m.<br /><br />His success for his country has mirrored his domestic career. He made his debut in 2003 under Robert Nouzaret against South Africa, and despite the fact he did not manage to open his account, it turned out to be Drogba’s first step towards becoming a legend in the eyes of the Ivorian fans.<br /><br />Three years on, and the Chelsea forward finds himself captaining the national side. His positional awareness is matched only by his precision in front of goal, while he is capable of using his size to wear down defenders before finishing them off, with either foot or a powerful header.<br /><br />Drogba was the second highest scorer in the African qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup GermanyTM with a total of nine goals, which has served only to heighten his already glowing reputation in his homeland. Songs and dances have been written in his honour, and there are drinks and other products bearing his likeness. They say that elephants never forget, but no ‘Elephant’ international in living memory has enjoyed such popularity. Imagine the reaction if Drogba were to lead his country to glory in Germany this summer.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />Fresh from action at the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals with Ivory Coast, the pacy, powerful and prolific Didier Drogba faces fierce competition from new signing Andriy Shevchenko for a place in Chelsea FC's starting XI in 2006/07.<br /><br />Born in Abidjan in 1978, Drogba started his career with Ligue 2 side Le Mans UC 72, making his debut in 1998/99 before joining EA Guingamp in January 2002. The tall forward raised his game in the top flight in 2001/02 before properly establishing himself the following season, finishing third in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 17 strikes in 34 matches and inspiring Guingamp to seventh place and qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.<br /><br />Drogba joined Olympique de Marseille in June 2003 and then scored against every team he faced in the UEFA Champions League proper and the UEFA Cup until the final loss against Valencia CF. A further 18 Ligue 1 goals led to him being crowned the French Player of the Year and made him the hottest property in Europe. He opted to join Chelsea, scoring ten league goals in his first season and 12 in his second as the London club won consecutive Premiership titles. He also captained his country to the 2006 African Cup of Nations final and at the World Cup finals the same year, scoring against Argentina.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Chelsea paid a club-record €37.5m fee to Marseille for Drogba, but broke that record by signing Shevchenko for €45m in the summer of 2006.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-53938149428966848142008-12-28T15:30:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:41:31.669+07:00Zlatan Ibrahimovic<div align="justify"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc7Bhvg5oI/AAAAAAAAADM/Zit7ZRS2O-c/s1600-h/Ibra6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284757585166132866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc7Bhvg5oI/AAAAAAAAADM/Zit7ZRS2O-c/s400/Ibra6.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Player Information</div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">Full name: Zlatan Ibrahimović<br />Date of birth: October 03, 1981<br />Birthplace: Malmö, Sweden<br />Nationality: Swedish<br />2nd nationality: Bosnian<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 192 cms<br />Weight: 84 kgs<br /><br />Club: Inter Milan<br />Position: Striker [C]<br />Squad Number: 8<br />Contract expires: June 2010<br />Previous clubs: Malmo > (€7.8m) Ajax > (€16.9m) Juventus > (€24.8m) Inter Milan<br /><br />International debut: January 2001, v Faroe Islands<br />International Caps: 56<br />International Goals: 20<br />World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006</div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc7BplBDdI/AAAAAAAAADE/S0dmkTM_kek/s1600-h/ibrahimovic_7_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284757587269586386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc7BplBDdI/AAAAAAAAADE/S0dmkTM_kek/s400/ibrahimovic_7_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br />Dutch Eredivisie (2002, 2004)<br />Dutch KNVB Cup (2002)<br />Dutch Super Cup (2002)<br />Italian Super Cup (2006)<br />Italian Serie A (2007, 2008)<br /><br />Sweden's Footballer of the Year (2005, 2007, 2008)<br />Italian Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year (2005)</div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc7BVeRbtI/AAAAAAAAAC8/tZ49ci2uE50/s1600-h/Ibra3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284757581872590546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc7BVeRbtI/AAAAAAAAAC8/tZ49ci2uE50/s400/Ibra3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br />1981<br />Born October 3 in a troubled immigrant neighborhood of Malmo to a Croatian mother and Bosnian father.<br />1995<br />Joins hometown club Malmo FF.<br />1999<br />Plays for Malmo in the Swedish second division. Scores 12 goals in 26 appearances and help his team win promotion to Allsvenskan.<br />2001<br />January 31: Makes National team debut against Faroe Islands.<br />July: Joins Ajax for a record 7.8m euros fee.<br />October: Banned for five matches for elbowing the Groningen defender Melchior Schoenmakers.<br />2002<br />May: Wins double of Eredivisie and Dutch Cup titles with Ajax; Scores the winning goal in the Dutch Cup final.<br />June: Selected in the Sweden squad at the World Cup finals.<br />2004<br />May: Wins second Eredivisie title with Ajax.<br />June: Scores 2 goals at Euro cup with Sweden.<br />August: Signs for Juventus in a 19m euros transfer.<br />2005<br />May: Wins Serie A title with Juve, Zlatan contributed with 16 goals in the season.<br />August 5: Ibrahimovic underlines his desire to leave Juventus by refusing to travel with the Italian side for a pre-season friendly fixture.<br />August 10: Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the latest big name to desert Juventus when he moved to Italian rivals Inter Milan for 24.8 million euros. The Sweden striker signed a four year contract, Inter said on their Web site after completing the most expensive incoming deal in Italy of the close-season.<br />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 AS Roma in Milan.<br />September 04: Sweden sent home Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Olof Mellberg and Christian Wilhelmsson for staying out too late on Sunday ahead of the Euro 2008 qualifier with Liechtenstein.<br />September 15: Ibrahimovic told national team coach Lars Lagerback he will not be available for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Spain and Iceland next month in a dispute over recent disciplinary matters.<br />2007<br />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).<br />November 13: Zlatan Ibrahimovic won the Swedish Golden Ball award for footballer of year.<br />2008<br />January 14: Became the first individual footballer to win the public vote for Sweden's Sports Personality of the Year.<br />May 18: Having not played since March because of a knee injury, Zlatan took the pitch in the 51st minute and scored both goals as Inter Milan won 2-0 at Parma FC to snuff out AS Roma's hopes of stealing the Scudetto.<br />June 10: Put an end to his 13-game international goal drought with a superb strike that helped Sweden to a 2-0 victory over European champions Greece. Zlatan received the Carlsberg Man of the March Award for the strike and for being "undoubtedly the crucial performer."<br />November 18: Named Sweden's player of the year for an unprecedented third time at the Swedish annual football awards ceremony at Stockholm's Globe Arena.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the man with the golden boots and he does seem to have found the Midas touch when it comes to scoring important goals for his country.<br />He hit the headlines with an incredible strike against Italy in the 2004 UEFA European Championship as Sweden advanced to the quarter-finals. He followed that performance by leading Sweden to the finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ by scoring eight goals in ten qualifying matches.<br /><br />However, what really sets the 24-year-old striker apart from his compatriots is his personality. “I don’t think there has ever been a Swedish player who is as confident in himself as Zlatan,” said international team-mate Niclas Alexandersson.<br /><br />“It really is different from a lot of Swedes. We don’t like to say we’re the favorites to win or things like that, but Zlatan is very confident and he has the ability to back it up. He has done tremendously well.”<br /><br />Ibrahimovic came to prominence when he agreed a Swedish-record €7.8m transfer to Ajax in 2000. He spent three seasons with them in the Netherlands, where we won a Dutch Cup and Eridivisie title.<br /><br />He scored the winning goal in the 2002 Dutch Cup final and when Juventus came calling, few were surprised and he moved to Italy for €19m in 2004. Ibrahimovic, by now known to all simply as ‘Zlatan’, quickly cemented his place in the first team and he won the Italian league title with Juventus in 2005.<br /><br />His performances in the qualifiers for Germany 2006 convinced people he really could do it all. He finished third in scoring overall in Europe and national manager Lars Lagerback is naturally delighted to have him in his side. Lagerback said: “Zlatan is big and strong and has an almost un-Swedish technique: He can dribble as well as shoot, and his mobility and team play are extremely good.”<br /><br />Ibrahimovic made his international debut on 31 January 2001 in a scoreless draw against the Faroe Islands and, up to early 2006, had scored 16 goals from 38 games for his country. Swedish football recognised the brash youngster in 2005, naming him their player and forward of the year and a man with that much talent should finish his career with a lot more titles to his name.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />Occasionally irrational and hot-tempered, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an enigmatic striker who possesses skill in abundance. His fine technique and ability to retain possession make him a useful foil, although scoring remains his primary focus.<br /><br />National team<br />A place in the Sweden squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals marked his arrival on the international scene at the tender age of 20, Ibrahimovic having made his debut against the Faroe Islands in January 2001. A substitute in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying, he claimed a starting place alongside Henrik Larsson in Portugal as Sweden reached the last eight, scoring against Bulgaria and, stunningly, Italy to help take his team through. Remains a key compenent of their World Cup qualifying side.<br /><br />Club<br />Born in 1981 and a prodigiously talented youngster, Ibrahimovic joined his hometown club Malmö FF in 1995 after starting his career with amateur side FBK Balkan. In 2000 Arsenal FC tried to sign him, but it was AFC Ajax who won the battle for his signature, bringing him to the Netherlands for a record €7.8m fee.<br /><br />2001: Ibrahimovic grabbed the winning goal in the 2002 Dutch Cup final and scored four UEFA Champions League goals in 2002/03 and ten in the league as Ajax finished second. The following year, despite missing three months of the season following groin surgery, the Swede struck 13 goals in 16 games as Ajax wrested back the Eredivisie title from PSV Eindhoven.<br /><br />2004/05: Having scored a memorable solo goal against NAC Breda in what turned out to be his penultimate Ajax appearance, he signed for Juventus FC in a €19m transfer on 31 August 2004 and struck 16 Serie A goals as Juve won the Italian title for the 28th time.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />After previously wearing his first name Zlatan on the back of his shirt, he opted for Ibrahimovic at the start of 2004/05 as a sign of gratitude to his father.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />Occasionally irrational and hot-tempered, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an enigmatic striker who possesses skill in abundance. His fine technique and ability to retain possession make him a useful foil, although scoring remains his primary focus.<br /><br />National team<br />A place in the Sweden squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals marked his arrival on the international scene at the tender age of 20 having previously made his debut against the Faroe Islands in January 2001.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />Tommy Söderberg and Lars Lagerbäck continued to nurture Ibrahimovic's talent by using him sporadically, but to great effect. The striker scored twice in his only full outing against San Marino having already registered a crucial equaliser against Hungary at the Råsunda.<br /><br />Club<br />Born in 1981 and a prodigiously talented youngster, Ibrahimovic joined his hometown club, Malmö FF, in 1995 after starting his career with the amateur side FBK Balkan. In 2000 Arsenal FC tried to sign him - manager Arsène Wenger going as far as giving him a No9 shirt with his name on the back.<br /><br />2001: But it was Ajax who won the battle for his signature, bringing him to the Netherlands for a record €7.8m fee. In October 2001, he was banned for five matches for elbowing the FC Groningen defender Melchior Schoenmakers. Still, there would be a happy ending to 2001/02 for the giant striker, Ibrahimovic grabbing the headlines with the winning goal in the 2002 Dutch Cup final. He scored four times in 13 UEFA Champions League outings in 2002/03 and ten in the league as Ajax finished second.<br /><br />2003/04: Despite missing three months of the season following groin surgery, Ibrahimovic struck 13 goals in 16 games as Ajax wrested back the Eredivisie title from PSV Eindhoven.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />His eleventh-minute strike against Olympique Lyonnais on 17 September 2003 was the first of that season's opening group stage.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-48343300909989698072008-12-28T15:17:00.005+07:002009-01-08T19:42:01.980+07:00Fernando Torres<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc27n3z2zI/AAAAAAAAACs/XukwCGBiu3Y/s1600-h/torres_9_996x748b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284753085685816114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 284px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc27n3z2zI/AAAAAAAAACs/XukwCGBiu3Y/s400/torres_9_996x748b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><br />Player Information</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Full name: Fernando José Torres Sanz<br />Date of birth: April 20, 1984<br />Birthplace: Madrid, Spain<br />Nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 183 cms<br />Weight: 70 kgs<br /><br />Club: Liverpool<br />Position: Forward [L, C]<br />Squad Number: 9<br />Contract expires: June 2013<br />Previous clubs: Atletico Madrid > (€30m) Liverpool<br /><br />International debut: September 2003, v Portugal<br />International Caps: 47<br />International Goals: 15<br />World Cups: Germany 2006 </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc30_PAldI/AAAAAAAAAC0/3HChtRmMoT8/s1600-h/fernando_torres_9.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284754071209678290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc30_PAldI/AAAAAAAAAC0/3HChtRmMoT8/s400/fernando_torres_9.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Awards </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify">UEFA European Football Championship (2008)<br /><br />Spanish Segunda División (2001)</div><br /><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc27WOED7I/AAAAAAAAACk/Dz7HiylLadE/s1600-h/torres_6_1024x768b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284753080947314610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SVc27WOED7I/AAAAAAAAACk/Dz7HiylLadE/s400/torres_6_1024x768b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Biography </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify">1984<br />Born April 20 in Madrid, Spain.<br />2001<br />May 6: Was top scorer and named player of the tournament when Spain won the European Under-16 Championship.<br />May 27: Made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old when Atletico Madrid were in the Spanish second division. In only his second appearance he produced a virtuoso match-winning performance against Albacete that brought the house down at the Vicente Calderon.<br />September: Member of the Spanish team that was eliminated in the first round of the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Trinidad and Tobago.<br />2002<br />July 28: Was top scorer and named player of the tournament when Spain won the European Under-19 Championship.<br />2003<br />September 6: Earned his first senior cap for Spain in a 3-0 friendly win against Portugal at the age of 19.<br />2004<br />April 28: Scored his first international goal in a friendly against Italy.<br />2006<br />August 12: Fernando Torres has indicated his wish to sign an improved contract with Atlético Madrid.<br />September 04: Fernando Torres has agreed a one-year contract extension with Atlético Madrid, keeping him until 2009.<br />October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br />2007<br />June 30: Liverpool are on the brink of sealing a club record £26.5m deal to sign Fernando Torres. Luis Garcia is likely to go in the opposite direction for £4.5m, but the deal will collapse if he rejects the switch.<br />July 4: One day after passing a medical at Liverpool, Torres completed his €30m move to Anfield. The deal shattered Liverpool's previous club transfer record, the £14m paid to Auxerre for Djibril Cisse three seasons ago. It also made him the most expensive Spanish player in history.<br />September 25: Fernando Torres hit a second-half hat-trick to earn Liverpool a 4-2 win over Reading and a place in the fourth round of the English League Cup.<br />2008<br />March 5: Torres struck a hat-trick to help Liverpool FC overwhelm West Ham United FC 4-0 in the English Premier League.<br />April 27: Included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.<br />May 11: Set a record for the highest league tally by a foreign player in his Premier League debut season for Liverpool, surpassing Ruud van Nistelrooy's mark of 23 league goals in the final game of the 2007-08 campaign against Tottenham to reach the milestone of 24.<br />June 29: Torres took the Carlsberg Man of the March award for his display in Spain' 1-0 final victory over Germany at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna in which he scored the only goal of the match to end his country's 44-year wait for a major international title.<br />June 30: Selected by the UEFA Technical Team in the official UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament.<br />October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.<br />December 2: Claimed 179 points to finish third after Cristiano Ronaldo (446) and Lio Messi (281) in the European Footballer of the Year Award.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Atletico Madrid starlet Torres is being monitored by a host of major European clubs following his excellent performances in the Spanish top flight. The 22-year-old forward was Spain’s top scorer in 2006 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying, scoring seven goals in eleven matches. Earlier in his career, Torres led Spain to win both the 2001 UEFA U-16 and the 2002 UEFA U-19 Championships, and he also played at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship. He failed to score in three appearances for Spain during UEFA Euro 2004.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile<br /><br />A technically-gifted attacking player with a dazzling turn of pace, Fernando Torres possesses self-confidence and ability in equal abundance.<br /><br />National team<br />Torres enjoyed a magnificent career with Spain's representative sides, earning a place in the youth football pantheon by scoring the only goal of the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Championship final against France and repeating the feat against Germany at Under-19 level the following summer.<br /><br />UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying<br />Promoted from the Under-21s for the September 2003 victory against Ukraine, Torres played once more as Spain qualified for Portugal, 69 minutes of the first leg of the play-off victory against Norway.<br /><br />Club<br />Torres has been a key component in Club Atlético de Madrid's attack since scoring on his debut against Albacete Balompié in June 2001 aged 17. He scored six goals in 38 games in his first full campaign, 2001/02, and 13 in 29 the next to establish himself as a leading light in the Primera División.<br /><br />2003/04: Agreed new terms with Atlético which will tie him to the club until 30 June 2008. "This is a dream for me, it is what I wanted to happen," Torres said. His superb season was not reflected in Atlético's final league position - just outside the European placings in seventh. Strikes against Real Betis Balompié and Sevilla FC were candidates for goal of the season. He continued to mature and surpassed his goal total from the previous year, scoring 19 times.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Torres missed a penalty in his second international against Ukraine.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-14643540841202239592008-12-21T05:59:00.002+07:002009-01-08T19:42:23.620+07:00Xavi Hernandez<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU17V7D9vYI/AAAAAAAAACU/W-BqN6HT5H8/s1600-h/xavi_4_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282013554537250178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU17V7D9vYI/AAAAAAAAACU/W-BqN6HT5H8/s400/xavi_4_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div>Player Information</div><br /><div>Full name: Xavier Hernández Creus<br />Date of birth: January 25, 1980<br />Birthplace: Terrassa, Spain<br />Nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 175 cms<br />Weight: 68 kgs<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Club: FC Barcelona<br />Position: Defensive Midfielder [C]<br />Squad Number: 6<br />Contract expires: June 2010<br />Previous clubs: (youth) Barcelona<br /><br />International debut: November 2000, v Netherlands<br />International Caps: 63<br />International Goals: 5<br />World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 </div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU17V1n5yAI/AAAAAAAAACM/v6qI0j7EARc/s1600-h/xaviwalcopiafz7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282013553077372930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU17V1n5yAI/AAAAAAAAACM/v6qI0j7EARc/s400/xaviwalcopiafz7.jpg" border="0" /></a>Awards</div><br /><div>FIFA U-20 World Cup (1999)<br />UEFA European Football Championship (2008)<br /><br />UEFA Champions League (2006)<br /><br />Spanish La Liga (1999, 2005, 2006)<br />Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006)<br /><br />UEFA European Football Championship Player of the Tournament (2008) </div><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU17VRDMEVI/AAAAAAAAACE/nTgfjKhOokY/s1600-h/xavi_3_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282013543259705682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU17VRDMEVI/AAAAAAAAACE/nTgfjKhOokY/s400/xavi_3_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a>Biography</div><br /><div>1980<br />Born January 25 in Terrassa, Spain.<br />1997<br />September: Member of the Spanish team that reached the FIFA U-17 World Championship semifinals in Egypt.<br />1999<br />April: Member of the Spanish team that won the FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria.<br />2000<br />September: Member of the Spanish team that won the Silver Medal at the Sydney Olympic Games.<br />2005<br />December: Tears ligaments in his right knee during training. Xavi got hurt in a clash with Brazilian midfielder Edmilson.<br />2006<br />March: Resumes training almost 4 months after injury.<br />April: Returns to action after suffering a serious knee injury when he came on as a second-half substitute during Barcelona 1-0 Primera Liga win at home to Cadiz.<br />May: Helps FC Barcelona to win its second straight Spanish league title and 18th overall.<br />June 14: In a game in which a number of Spanish players stood out, Xavi was named Budweiser Man of the Match for being the primary creative figure in Spain's 4-0 victory over Ukraine.<br />August 20: Helped FC Barcelona to won their first trophy of the new season as they defeated Espanyol 3-0 in the second leg of the Super Cup in Camp Nou.<br />December 17: Played in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2006 as Barcelona is defeated by Brazil's Internacional with a late-goal in Yokohama.<br />2008<br />April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.<br />June 29: Won the UEFA Euro 2008 with Spain after defeating Germany 1-0 in the final. Xavi displayed all of his classy playmaking skills and ran the show in the middle.<br />June 30: Named the Castrol Player of the Tournament for UEFA EURO 2008 after his stirring displays helped his country to the title. His ability to dictate the pace of the game from midfield brought him to the attention of the UEFA Technical Team who decide upon the Castrol Player of the Tournament, taking into account votes from the public.<br />October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />Xavi Hernandez is a product of the FC Barcelona youth system, moulded in the image of his boyhood hero, Josep Guardiola, his predecessor in the Barcelona engine room. Xavi joined the club at the age of 11, making swift and impressive progress through their junior teams.<br />In the summer of 1998, the Spanish Supercup was the setting for Xavi’s first appearance in the senior side, marking his debut with a goal on an unforgettable day for the young star. The following season, Xavi was called into service following an injury to team captain Guardiola and he never looked back.<br /><br />As the years have gone by, Xavi’s importance to the Barcelona cause has continued to grow, having remained an automatic choice in the side despite a host of coaching changes at the Camp Nou. His outstanding performances at the heart of the Azulgrana midfield saw him make his debut for the senior national team in 2000, although the gifted young Spaniard had already amassed a wealth of international experience. Xavi was a member of the golden generation that triumphed at the FIFA World Youth Championship Nigeria 1999, and a year later helped his side to a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.<br /><br />Prodigious talent<br />Xavi is a magnificent reader of the game and an excellent ball-winner. Besides which, the visionary playmaker is a creative genius and is outstanding going forward, being able to dictate the pace of the game almost at will. Xavi has an uncanny knack for picking the right moment to pierce the opposition defence with a perfectly-weighted through ball.<br /><br />Hard work and skill earned him a place in the Spanish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, although he played just 124 minutes in the Far East. Having featured in almost every qualifying game in the lead-up to UEFA Euro 2004, then coach Inaki Saez decided against using him at the tournament on Portuguese soil. Despite these disappointments, Xavi has become a key figure for Spain since the appointment of veteran coach Luis Aragones. The stocky midfielder broke his national team scoring duck in a friendly against China, and is becoming a more familiar face at set-pieces thanks to his formidable long-range shooting ability.<br /><br />Unfortunately for the Barcelona star, a serious knee injury had seen his involvement at Germany 2006 cast into doubt. Nevertheless, his determination and hard-work in recovery have kept his FIFA World Cup dream alive, with the Spanish fans desperate to see him back in action and pulling the strings in midfield.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />An FC Barcelona stalwart, Xavi Hernández filled the midfield anchorman role left by Josep Guardiola at his club and proves an integral squad member for Spain.<br /><br />National team<br />Having played under Iñaki Sáez in the side that won the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, Xavi's senior Spain debut came in November 2000 against the Netherlands, and he later won his way into the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. He played three times in Korea/Japan, but did not make it off the bench at UEFA EURO 2004™. However, he won a regular starting place in 2006 World Cup qualifying, and scored his first goal for Spain in a 3-0 friendly win against China.<br /><br />Club<br />A product of the Barcelona academy, Xavi's debut in the first team was in the 1998 Spanish Super Cup against RCD Mallorca. Barcelona went on to win the league that season, with Xavi making 17 appearances and scoring a vital goal against Real Valladolid. He was soon a regular, and in 2001/02 played 14 times in their run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. One of the great moments of his career came in April 2004 as he scored the late winner that secured Barcelona's first victory at Real Madrid CF since November 1997, the Catalan side later claiming second place behind Valencia CF.<br /><br />2004/05: Once again Xavi was the catalyst in many of the team's domestic and European wins. He missed just two league matches on the way to the title and scored three goals including a stunning, swerving volley to hand Barça victory against Albacete Balompié on 11 December. He was rewarded at the end of the season with a three-year contract extension until June 2010.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Xavi has turned down a number of big-money offers in order to stay with his beloved Barça.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div></div></div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-838453312540756228.post-42888761728283853602008-12-21T05:45:00.002+07:002009-01-08T19:42:41.653+07:00Iker Casillas<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU13qyslJNI/AAAAAAAAAB8/e-sZI1xuUi8/s1600-h/casillas_2_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282009515022427346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU13qyslJNI/AAAAAAAAAB8/e-sZI1xuUi8/s400/casillas_2_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div>Player Information</div><div>Full name: Íker Casillas Fernández<br />Date of birth: May 20, 1981<br />Birthplace: Madrid, Spain<br />Nationality: Spanish<br />EU passport: Yes<br />Height: 185 cms<br />Weight: 70 kgs<br /><br />Club: Real Madrid<br />Position: Goalkeeper<br />Squad Number: 1<br />Contract expires: June 2017 (his contract will be extended each season if he plays 30 competitive games)<br />Previous clubs: none<br /><br />International debut: June 2000, v Sweden<br />International Caps: 87<br />International Goals: 0<br />World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006</div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU13qghvuJI/AAAAAAAAAB0/NLQOiiUDRy8/s1600-h/casillas_3_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282009510145144978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU13qghvuJI/AAAAAAAAAB0/NLQOiiUDRy8/s400/casillas_3_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div>Awards</div><div> </div><div>FIFA U-20 World Cup (1999)<br />UEFA European Football Championship (2008)<br /><br />UEFA Champions League (2000, 2002)<br />Intercontinental Cup (2002)<br />Spanish La Liga (2001, 2003, 2007, 2008)<br />UEFA Super Cup (2002)<br />Spanish Super Cup (2003)<br /><br />U-21 European Footballer of the Year (2000)<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU13qX9yCMI/AAAAAAAAABs/e3ASsfPgs8U/s1600-h/casillas_4_1024x768.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282009507846817986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VhYc664SuWQ/SU13qX9yCMI/AAAAAAAAABs/e3ASsfPgs8U/s400/casillas_4_1024x768.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Biography</div><div> </div><div>1981<br />Born May 20 in Madrid, Spain.<br />1997<br />September: Member of the Spanish team that reached the FIFA U-17 World Championship semifinals in Egypt.<br />1999<br />April: Member of the Spanish team that won the FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria.<br />2005<br />November: Extends Real Madrid contract until 2011.<br />2007<br />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.<br />2008<br />May 4: Helped Real Madrid to win its 31st Primera Division title.<br />June 22: Casillas was the penalty shoot-out hero as Spain held their collective nerve to throw out the record book and claim a UEFA Euro 2008 semi-final against Russia. Before this night Spain had lost three quarter-final penalty shoot-outs on 22 June but they stopped the rot at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, prevailing 4-2 on spot-kicks after 120 minutes had failed to produce a goal. Although Gianluigi Buffon saved from Daniel Guiza, Casillas denied Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Di Natale, allowing Cesc Fabregas to step up and send his side through.<br />June 29: Won the UEFA Euro 2008 with Spain after defeating Germany 1-0 in the final. Casillas dealed with everything that came his way, basically crosses and no spectacular saves.<br />June 30: Selected by the UEFA Technical Team in the official UEFA EURO 2008 Team of the Tournament.<br />October 15: Conceded a goal in the 7th minute of Spain's 2-1 away victory at Belgium to finish his (and Pepe Reina's) record of 717 minutes without conceding a goal in the Spanish national team. Iker Casillas also held the "individual" award after remaining a total of 617 minutes without conceding a goal while playing for the Spanish team.<br />October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.<br /><br />FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile<br /><br />It is often said that being a goalkeeper is a thankless task, but prodigious displays between the sticks by Iker Casillas have seen him rise to the top of world football in record time.<br />Casillas was born in Mostoles (Madrid) on 20 May 1981, and the 25-year-old has already acquired a medal collection the envy of many an older man. Casillas claims that he only became a goalkeeper under duress, stuck between the goalposts while his football-mad father peppered him with shots. The practice certainly came in handy as the eight-year-old Casillas was soon snapped up by Spanish giants Real Madrid following a successful trial at the Bernabeu.<br /><br />Focused, cool under pressure, agile, and blessed with lightning reflexes, Casillas is solidity personified, a defender’s dream. Fearless and quick off his line, Casillas specialises in one-on-one situations and is not afraid to give his senior defensive colleagues a good ear-bashing, should the situation arise.<br /><br />At the age of 17, Casillas was pulled out of his high-school art class with the news that he was in the squad for Madrid’s upcoming UEFA Champions League game. He may have been an unused substitute on that occasion, but within a year he would be an established member of the first-team squad. Casillas continued to impress the Madrid coaching staff, gradually gaining the edge in the battle for a starting role as Los Blancos won the Primera Liga title. Having started the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League Final in Glasgow as a substitute, Casillas leapt off the bench to replace his injured colleague and almost single-handedly kept Madrid in the game, pulling off a series of incredible saves to deny a rampant Bayer Leverkusen side.<br /><br />Youth success<br />His talent did not go unnoticed by the national team coaching staff, who were quick to select him for Spain’s youth categories. Casillas was part of a Spanish squad that took gold at the FIFA World Youth Championship Nigeria 1999, although he was not the first-choice goalkeeper.<br /><br />Casillas made his debut for the senior side on 3 June 2000 in a friendly match prior to UEFA Euro 2000, although he would remain second in line behind Valencia’s Santiago Canizares at the finals. He made the Spanish number one jersey his own in qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, playing in nearly every game for La Furia Roja (The Red Fury). At the tournament, he became a key figure in the Spanish line-up as they reached the quarter-finals by defeating the Republic of Ireland on penalties. However, there was little Casillas could do when Spain went out against hosts Korea Republic in the last eight.<br /><br />Having won the hearts and minds of followers of Spanish football, it would be his performances during the 2004/05 campaign that earned him the nickname ‘Saint Iker’. Casillas conceded just 30 goals in 36 appearances for Real Madrid that season, and has become something of a life insurance policy in recent years for a Madrid side not known for its defensive solidity. At national team level, he continues to be Spain’s undisputed first-choice, despite fierce competition from the likes of Pepe Reina, Víctor Valdes and Santiago Canizares.<br /><br />© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved<br /><br />UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile<br /><br />Still a youngster in goalkeeping terms, Iker Casillas has gained a huge reputation in European football. A shot-stopper par excellence, the Real Madrid CF player is gradually developing the commanding presence in his area which could make him an all-time great.<br /><br />National team<br />Following his international debut against Sweden, Casillas was an unused substitute at UEFA EURO 2000™. However, he was first choice two years later at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, and enjoyed hero status after Spain knocked out the Republic of Ireland in a penalty shoot-out to advance to the quarter-finals. Casillas played in Spain's entire 13-game UEFA EURO 2004™ campaign, and showed excellent form in subsequent 2006 World Cup qualifiers.<br /><br />Club<br />Born in Madrid in 1981, Casillas' entire career has been spent with his hometown club, whom he joined as an eight-year old. His breakthrough came in 1999/00 when, still taking public transport to training as he had no driving licence, he replaced the injured Bodo Illgner and played in Madrid's UEFA Champions League triumph in an all-Spanish final against Valencia CF. Loss of form subsequently allowed César Sánchez to take the No1 jersey but Casillas reclaimed the limelight after replacing the veteran in the 2001/02 Champions League final against Bayer 04 Leverkusen and preserving Madrid's 2-1 lead with a series of fine saves. He was first choice again as Madrid claimed the 2002/03 Spanish title.<br /><br />2004/05: Widely lauded as the team’s best player, a smattering of outstanding performances saw him hailed as 'Saint Iker' in the national press, conceding only 30 goals in 36 Primera División matches for the runners-up.<br /><br />Did you know?<br />Casillas' father almost won a small fortune on the football pools but young Iker forgot to hand in the winning slip.<br /><br />©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved. </div></div></div>Football Database Soccer Databasehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18264204707186857974noreply@blogger.com0