Frank James Lampard was born on 20th June, 1978, in Romford, London.
Frank Lampard plays in midfield for Chelsea and England. His father, Frank Lampard senior also played for England. His cousin is Jamie Redknapp and his uncle is the manager, Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp and Frank Lampard senior were on the managerial side of West Ham when Frank was emerging through the Hammers' youth system but in 2001 Frank Lampard left Upton Park after the departure both of his father; and Rio Ferdinand, one of his close friends, to Leeds. He was bought by Chelsea for £11.5m.
During Frank Lampard's first two seasons at Stamford Bridge he seemed bogged down by his huge transfer fee and his good performances were outclassed by Gianfranco Zola's magical play.
However, in his third season there he shined for Chelsea and was the only outfield player to play every single league match in the 2003-04 season.
Frank Lampard became vice-captain of Chelsea and a firm favourite with the fans with his high scoring rate as a midfielder.
Lampard has become known for his pin-point shooting from the edge of the box and his wide range of passing.
In 2004-05 he was voted English Player of the Year after guiding Chelsea to the Premiership crown and the League Cup.
On the international scene, Frank Lampard didn't play a part in the 2002 World Cup despite making his England debut in 1999 against Belgium.
However, with Paul Scholes's retirement, Lampard was called up after good form for his club and played a major part in Euro 2004 scoring 3 goals and he became a regular starter for England.
In August 2005, Frank Lampard's fiancee, Elen Rives, gave birth to their first child, Luna.
In the run-up to Lampard's record-breaking 160th consecutive Premiership match when Chelsea played Portsmouth in November 2005, Jose Mourinho said he would not swap Frank Lampard for Ronaldinho "or any other player". Remarkably, Lampard had not missed a Premiership game since Oct 13, 2001.
Also in November 2005, Lampard came second to Ronaldinho in the European Footballer of the Year - the award known as the Ballon D'Or - voted for by European football journalists selected by French magazine France Football.
Frank Lampard was part of England's 2006 World Cup squad, but did not perform to his best and along with Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher missed his penalty in the losing shoot-out against Portugal.
On 30 April 2008, six days after his mother's death, Frank Lampard scored an extra-time penalty, which helped Chelsea to a 4-3 aggregate victory over Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
In August 2008, Frank Lampard signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea.
Frank Lampard biography by Ben Rosenbaum
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
David Beckham
David Beckham was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on 2 May 1975 in Leytonstone, London.
In his football career, David Beckham has only played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Major League Soccer side L.A. Galaxy, for whom he made his debut as a substitute in a friendly against Chelsea in July 2007.
David Beckham joined Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991. On 23 September 1992, Beckham made his first team debut as a substitute in the Coca Cola Cup tie against Brighton, but didn't sign as a professional until 22 January 1993.
Beckham's debut in the league for Man United was in 1995 against Leeds. Beckham's first premiership goal came on 19 August of that year against Aston Villa.
His full international debut was for England against Moldova on 1 September 1996, but his first goal for his country did not come until a couple of years later, on 26 June 1998 against Columbia.
He first captained England on 15 November 2000 in the match against Italy. Beckham's appointment was made by caretaker manager, Peter Taylor.
On 4 July 1999 he married Victoria Adams, better known as Posh Spice, in a ceremony at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland.
They have three sons: Brooklyn Beckham, who was born on 4 March 1999, Romeo Beckham, who was born on 1 September 2002, and Cruz Beckham, who was born on 20 February 2005.
On 13 June 2003 Beckham was awarded the OBE.
On 1 July 2003 David Beckham joined Real Madrid.
On 25 June 2006 with a stunning free-kick from 30 yards in the last 16 of the World Cup match against Ecuador, David Beckham became the first England player to score at three World Cups.
However, the quarter-finals of the World Cup saw England go out on penalties to Portugal and the following day David Beckham announced that he was standing down as England captain.
On 11 August 2006, new England coach Steve McClaren announced his squad for the friendly against Greece and he omitted David Beckham - leading many to believe that Beckham's 94 England caps would be his final total.
However, Beckham's performances for Real Madrid forced McClaren to recall him to the national side.
On 26 March 2008, Fabio Capello, the new England manager, recalled David Beckham for his 100th cap in an England friendly against France.
David Beckham became the fifth player to reach 100 England caps, after Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton.
In his football career, David Beckham has only played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Major League Soccer side L.A. Galaxy, for whom he made his debut as a substitute in a friendly against Chelsea in July 2007.
David Beckham joined Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991. On 23 September 1992, Beckham made his first team debut as a substitute in the Coca Cola Cup tie against Brighton, but didn't sign as a professional until 22 January 1993.
Beckham's debut in the league for Man United was in 1995 against Leeds. Beckham's first premiership goal came on 19 August of that year against Aston Villa.
His full international debut was for England against Moldova on 1 September 1996, but his first goal for his country did not come until a couple of years later, on 26 June 1998 against Columbia.
He first captained England on 15 November 2000 in the match against Italy. Beckham's appointment was made by caretaker manager, Peter Taylor.
On 4 July 1999 he married Victoria Adams, better known as Posh Spice, in a ceremony at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland.
They have three sons: Brooklyn Beckham, who was born on 4 March 1999, Romeo Beckham, who was born on 1 September 2002, and Cruz Beckham, who was born on 20 February 2005.
On 13 June 2003 Beckham was awarded the OBE.
On 1 July 2003 David Beckham joined Real Madrid.
On 25 June 2006 with a stunning free-kick from 30 yards in the last 16 of the World Cup match against Ecuador, David Beckham became the first England player to score at three World Cups.
However, the quarter-finals of the World Cup saw England go out on penalties to Portugal and the following day David Beckham announced that he was standing down as England captain.
On 11 August 2006, new England coach Steve McClaren announced his squad for the friendly against Greece and he omitted David Beckham - leading many to believe that Beckham's 94 England caps would be his final total.
However, Beckham's performances for Real Madrid forced McClaren to recall him to the national side.
On 26 March 2008, Fabio Capello, the new England manager, recalled David Beckham for his 100th cap in an England friendly against France.
David Beckham became the fifth player to reach 100 England caps, after Billy Wright, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Robinho
I have to admit, when I saw Robinho for the first time, when Real Madrid bought him, he didn't look like much. His small frame and lack of physical strength didn't recommend him as a great soccer player, but Robinho soon proved me wrong.
His lightning fast reflexes and agility, his dribbles and his ability to score in decisive moments reminded me of Ronaldo during his FC Barcelona season. Actually Robinho came to Europe as a "Second Ronaldo" and although he has yet to proven his worth for this name, his skills recommend him as a future "El Phenomeno". But let's take a look at how the Brazilian managed to get himself to Real Madrid in this short Robinho biography.
Robinho Biography – Youth Days
Like most Brazilian soccer players, Robinho doesn't come from a wealthy family, in fact he was raised in a very poor neighborhood of Sao Vicente. Lacking any training facilities in the area, Robinho learnt how to play soccer on the streets, with his neighborhood kids at an early age.
His first move to professionalism was in 1990, when Robinho was 6 years old and was signed to a local soccer school called Beira-Mar, with which Robinho managed to win the youth championship, putting the spotlight on him for the first time.
Robinho and one of his younger teammates Marcelo, were so closely resembling each other that they were often called "the twins". Little did they know they would soon be teammates again in a few years...at Real Madrid.
Robinho Biography – Santos
After trying his luck in futsal, where he was extremely prolific and managed to chisel his dribbling and acceleration traits, Robinho was spotted by the youth scouts of Santos, one of the most important clubs in Brazil. At just 13 years of age, Robinho was already regarded as a future talent, some even comparing him to Ronaldo, who at that time (1996-1997) was rampant throughout Europe.
After 6 years spent in the different youth departments of Santos, Robinho was finally taken to the senior team His first season with Santos was already extremely successful, as Robinho played in 24 games, scoring 9 times and assisting for many other goals.
He held the headline of Brazilian (and international) newspapers after a game, where he did 6 step-overs in a matter of seconds, confusing his opponents so much that they had to foul him and award Santos with a penalty. He also won the title with Santos that year, getting the first taste of success as a professional soccer player.
The next three seasons at Santos saw Robinho earning a solid place in the first team as he managed to score 47 times in 106 matches, attracting the appetite of Real Madrid's scouts, who are always hungry for fresh young talents.
Robinho Biography – Real Madrid
Robinho was brought on as a talented player for the future of Real, since no one really believed he could win a first squad spot in a team that features strikers such as Raul, Ronaldo, Antonio Cassano or Ruud Van Nistelrooy. He did get his chance however, but he only managed to score 9 times in over 30 games for Real in his first season, which was a little under what the exigent Real crowd expected.
Nevertheless, with Ronaldo leaving for Milan in the winter of 2007, Casssano being in a constant conflict with Real's managers & with Raul being re-positioned into a midfielder, Robinho earned a first team spot & he is now one of Real's first team regulars.
Many consider that Robinho still needs one more season to settle in and play at his full potential and this remark is backed up by his awesome performances for Brazil soccer team, being one of the key players in Dunga's squad at the moment.
His lightning fast reflexes and agility, his dribbles and his ability to score in decisive moments reminded me of Ronaldo during his FC Barcelona season. Actually Robinho came to Europe as a "Second Ronaldo" and although he has yet to proven his worth for this name, his skills recommend him as a future "El Phenomeno". But let's take a look at how the Brazilian managed to get himself to Real Madrid in this short Robinho biography.
Robinho Biography – Youth Days
Like most Brazilian soccer players, Robinho doesn't come from a wealthy family, in fact he was raised in a very poor neighborhood of Sao Vicente. Lacking any training facilities in the area, Robinho learnt how to play soccer on the streets, with his neighborhood kids at an early age.
His first move to professionalism was in 1990, when Robinho was 6 years old and was signed to a local soccer school called Beira-Mar, with which Robinho managed to win the youth championship, putting the spotlight on him for the first time.
Robinho and one of his younger teammates Marcelo, were so closely resembling each other that they were often called "the twins". Little did they know they would soon be teammates again in a few years...at Real Madrid.
Robinho Biography – Santos
After trying his luck in futsal, where he was extremely prolific and managed to chisel his dribbling and acceleration traits, Robinho was spotted by the youth scouts of Santos, one of the most important clubs in Brazil. At just 13 years of age, Robinho was already regarded as a future talent, some even comparing him to Ronaldo, who at that time (1996-1997) was rampant throughout Europe.
After 6 years spent in the different youth departments of Santos, Robinho was finally taken to the senior team His first season with Santos was already extremely successful, as Robinho played in 24 games, scoring 9 times and assisting for many other goals.
He held the headline of Brazilian (and international) newspapers after a game, where he did 6 step-overs in a matter of seconds, confusing his opponents so much that they had to foul him and award Santos with a penalty. He also won the title with Santos that year, getting the first taste of success as a professional soccer player.
The next three seasons at Santos saw Robinho earning a solid place in the first team as he managed to score 47 times in 106 matches, attracting the appetite of Real Madrid's scouts, who are always hungry for fresh young talents.
Robinho Biography – Real Madrid
Robinho was brought on as a talented player for the future of Real, since no one really believed he could win a first squad spot in a team that features strikers such as Raul, Ronaldo, Antonio Cassano or Ruud Van Nistelrooy. He did get his chance however, but he only managed to score 9 times in over 30 games for Real in his first season, which was a little under what the exigent Real crowd expected.
Nevertheless, with Ronaldo leaving for Milan in the winter of 2007, Casssano being in a constant conflict with Real's managers & with Raul being re-positioned into a midfielder, Robinho earned a first team spot & he is now one of Real's first team regulars.
Many consider that Robinho still needs one more season to settle in and play at his full potential and this remark is backed up by his awesome performances for Brazil soccer team, being one of the key players in Dunga's squad at the moment.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Liverpool) is an English footballer. He currently plays for the English Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team. He normally played as a second striker to Ruud van Nistelrooy for his club team before van Nistelrooy's move to Real Madrid, although during 2005-06, he showed his versatility as a player by shifting to the midfield and playing on both flanks. He wears number 8 for Manchester United and wears number 9 the English national team.
Rooney was brought up in an urban area of eastern Liverpool called Croxteth, where he and his two brothers attended the local De La Salle Catholic School.
His boyhood team was always Everton; his love for his home town club was famously bore out when he wore a T-shirt reading "Once a blue, Always a blue". However, he would end up playing just two seasons with Everton before demanding, and then executing, a transfer. This has left him on unfavourable terms with Everton fans, as they showed when he returned to Goodison Park and he was booed severely.
Although he has been under an intense media spotlight since first arriving on the scene in 2002, it was not until his performances at Euro 2004 that he gained a reputation on the world stage, as he spearheaded the English attack, scoring four goals. Rooney is also on the cover of the FIFA 07 video game in the United Kingdom.
Rooney has also been compared to George Best and Paul Gascoigne in terms of talent.[4]
Wayne Rooney in the Premiership
After excelling for Liverpool Schoolboys and The Dynamo Brownwings, Rooney was signed by Everton shortly before his 11th birthday. Rooney gained national prominence on the 19th of October 2002 when he became the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League at 16 years and 360 days while playing for Everton (though this record has since been surpassed twice). His goal against then-champions Arsenal was a last-minute winner and brought to an end the London side's 30-match unbeaten run. At the end of 2002 he won the BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year award. On 26 December 2002 he "achieved" the record of becoming the youngest player ever to be sent off in a Premiership game. This is also his only standing record in the Everton books.
National team career
He has also figured prominently in recent England international matches, after having become the youngest ever player to play for England, in a friendly against Australia, on 12 February 2003, aged 17 years, 111 days. This record has since been surpassed by Theo Walcott, who came off the bench to play in England's friendly against Hungary on 30 May 2006. England's youngest ever player previous to Rooney was James F. M. Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, who made his debut almost one and a quarter centuries before, on 5 April 1879, aged 17 years, 253 days. Rooney is also the youngest England scorer ever (17 years, 317 days).
His reputation as one of the world's most exciting young players was further enhanced by his impressive performances for England at Euro 2004 in Portugal. At the tournament Rooney became the youngest player ever to score in the UEFA European Football Championships, when on 17 June 2004 he scored twice against Switzerland; although the Swiss player, Johan Vonlanthen, broke this record against France four days later. Unfortunately Rooney was injured early in the quarter final match against Portugal and England were subsequently knocked out on penalties.
World Cup 2006 - Wayne Rooney
There was concern for Rooney's fitness ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup after the fourth metatarsal on his right foot was broken, possibly in several places, following a seemingly innocuous challenge from Paulo Ferreira during Manchester United's 3-0 defeat away at Chelsea on 29 April 2006, putting him out of action for an estimated six weeks. This was also the first match he played in the re-branded Nike Total 90 'Supremacy'. The boot's safety went under the spotlight after many considered it unsafe to wear.
A bone scan on 25 May 2006 suggested he would not be expected to return in time for the World Cup group ties, with a decision to be made on his return to training after these games had passed. Shortly afterwards his international manager confirmed he would travel with the squad to Germany, and would return to have another bone scan on 7 June. Ahead of this scan, Wayne claimed to be feeling fine and was "300% confident" of his own fitness. Rooney was reported to be back, doing light training on 2 June, working on kicking the ball and running.
On 7 June, Wayne Rooney had his second scan, with reports saying he would play in the World Cup as he boarded a flight to Baden-Baden to regroup with the England squad.
On 8 June, Sven-Göran Eriksson said that he was "injury free" and that "he just needs to get back his fitness before he can play". Eriksson hinted at a possible involvement in the later group stage matches and almost certainly, should England progress, in the second round of the competition.
On 15 June, Sven-Göran Eriksson and FA doctors declared Rooney match fit in time for the match against Trinidad & Tobago. Prior to the match there was much speculation as to whether his health would be risked by playing him at this stage; the speculation was ended when he entered the match in the 58th minute, replacing Michael Owen. Although Rooney did not score, England's fans were keen to see him running with pace (as if he was match fit many weeks before his medical clearance) and making his presence felt on the attack. On 18 June, Eriksson announced that Rooney would be starting England's next game. Rooney's rush into play was much to the dismay of his club team, Manchester United, who were concerned that a full recovery would be jeopardised.
On 20 June, Rooney started in the final group match, England against Sweden, helping England to a 2-2 draw.
On 25 June, Rooney once again started in England's second round game (knock-out rounds) against Ecuador. Although he failed to score, he looked lively and appeared to be fully fit and definitely match fit.
On 1 July, Rooney was sent off in the quarter final against Portugal while fighting for possession with Chelsea and Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. Rooney appeared to stamp down on Carvalho's groin and was sent off by referee, Horacio Elizondo. Rooney later announced, through the serialisation of his biography in the Daily Mail, that the stamp on Ricardo Carvalho was unintentional. He became only the third English player to be sent off in a World Cup Finals. Due to his red card, he missed England's opening Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra on 2 September and Macedonia on 6 September.
Rooney was brought up in an urban area of eastern Liverpool called Croxteth, where he and his two brothers attended the local De La Salle Catholic School.
His boyhood team was always Everton; his love for his home town club was famously bore out when he wore a T-shirt reading "Once a blue, Always a blue". However, he would end up playing just two seasons with Everton before demanding, and then executing, a transfer. This has left him on unfavourable terms with Everton fans, as they showed when he returned to Goodison Park and he was booed severely.
Although he has been under an intense media spotlight since first arriving on the scene in 2002, it was not until his performances at Euro 2004 that he gained a reputation on the world stage, as he spearheaded the English attack, scoring four goals. Rooney is also on the cover of the FIFA 07 video game in the United Kingdom.
Rooney has also been compared to George Best and Paul Gascoigne in terms of talent.[4]
Wayne Rooney in the Premiership
After excelling for Liverpool Schoolboys and The Dynamo Brownwings, Rooney was signed by Everton shortly before his 11th birthday. Rooney gained national prominence on the 19th of October 2002 when he became the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League at 16 years and 360 days while playing for Everton (though this record has since been surpassed twice). His goal against then-champions Arsenal was a last-minute winner and brought to an end the London side's 30-match unbeaten run. At the end of 2002 he won the BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year award. On 26 December 2002 he "achieved" the record of becoming the youngest player ever to be sent off in a Premiership game. This is also his only standing record in the Everton books.
National team career
He has also figured prominently in recent England international matches, after having become the youngest ever player to play for England, in a friendly against Australia, on 12 February 2003, aged 17 years, 111 days. This record has since been surpassed by Theo Walcott, who came off the bench to play in England's friendly against Hungary on 30 May 2006. England's youngest ever player previous to Rooney was James F. M. Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, who made his debut almost one and a quarter centuries before, on 5 April 1879, aged 17 years, 253 days. Rooney is also the youngest England scorer ever (17 years, 317 days).
His reputation as one of the world's most exciting young players was further enhanced by his impressive performances for England at Euro 2004 in Portugal. At the tournament Rooney became the youngest player ever to score in the UEFA European Football Championships, when on 17 June 2004 he scored twice against Switzerland; although the Swiss player, Johan Vonlanthen, broke this record against France four days later. Unfortunately Rooney was injured early in the quarter final match against Portugal and England were subsequently knocked out on penalties.
World Cup 2006 - Wayne Rooney
There was concern for Rooney's fitness ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup after the fourth metatarsal on his right foot was broken, possibly in several places, following a seemingly innocuous challenge from Paulo Ferreira during Manchester United's 3-0 defeat away at Chelsea on 29 April 2006, putting him out of action for an estimated six weeks. This was also the first match he played in the re-branded Nike Total 90 'Supremacy'. The boot's safety went under the spotlight after many considered it unsafe to wear.
A bone scan on 25 May 2006 suggested he would not be expected to return in time for the World Cup group ties, with a decision to be made on his return to training after these games had passed. Shortly afterwards his international manager confirmed he would travel with the squad to Germany, and would return to have another bone scan on 7 June. Ahead of this scan, Wayne claimed to be feeling fine and was "300% confident" of his own fitness. Rooney was reported to be back, doing light training on 2 June, working on kicking the ball and running.
On 7 June, Wayne Rooney had his second scan, with reports saying he would play in the World Cup as he boarded a flight to Baden-Baden to regroup with the England squad.
On 8 June, Sven-Göran Eriksson said that he was "injury free" and that "he just needs to get back his fitness before he can play". Eriksson hinted at a possible involvement in the later group stage matches and almost certainly, should England progress, in the second round of the competition.
On 15 June, Sven-Göran Eriksson and FA doctors declared Rooney match fit in time for the match against Trinidad & Tobago. Prior to the match there was much speculation as to whether his health would be risked by playing him at this stage; the speculation was ended when he entered the match in the 58th minute, replacing Michael Owen. Although Rooney did not score, England's fans were keen to see him running with pace (as if he was match fit many weeks before his medical clearance) and making his presence felt on the attack. On 18 June, Eriksson announced that Rooney would be starting England's next game. Rooney's rush into play was much to the dismay of his club team, Manchester United, who were concerned that a full recovery would be jeopardised.
On 20 June, Rooney started in the final group match, England against Sweden, helping England to a 2-2 draw.
On 25 June, Rooney once again started in England's second round game (knock-out rounds) against Ecuador. Although he failed to score, he looked lively and appeared to be fully fit and definitely match fit.
On 1 July, Rooney was sent off in the quarter final against Portugal while fighting for possession with Chelsea and Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. Rooney appeared to stamp down on Carvalho's groin and was sent off by referee, Horacio Elizondo. Rooney later announced, through the serialisation of his biography in the Daily Mail, that the stamp on Ricardo Carvalho was unintentional. He became only the third English player to be sent off in a World Cup Finals. Due to his red card, he missed England's opening Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra on 2 September and Macedonia on 6 September.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz (born 20 March 1984 in Madrid, Spain), nicknamed El Niño ("The Kid"), is a Spanish footballer, who plays as a striker for English side Liverpool and Spain.
Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, with whom he progressed through the youth ranks. He made his professional debut in 2001 and finished his career with the club having scored 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Prior to this, Torres played two seasons in the Segunda División, making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals. He joined Liverpool in 2007, after the club paid their record transfer fee to sign him and marked his first season with the club by being their first player to score more than 20 league goals for the club in a season since Robbie Fowler in 1995–96.
He is also a Spanish international and made his debut for the team against Portugal in 2003. He has since participated in three major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. He was unable to score for Spain during the 2004 tournament, but did so on three occasions in the 2006 World Cup. Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in their 1–0 win over Germany in the Euro 2008 final.
Early career
Fernando Torres, born on 20 March 1984, became interested in football as a child and joined his first team, Parque 84, at the age of five.[1] His grandfather was not passionate about football, but prided himself in being an Atlético Madrid supporter, and Torres inherited his love for the Madrid club.[1]
Originally Torres wanted to be a goalkeeper, the position his brother played in.[2] However, when he was seven years old, he started playing regularly as a striker in an indoor league for his neighbourhood club, Mario’s Holland.[1] Three years later, aged ten, he progressed to playing for an 11-side team, Rayo 13.[1] After an impressive season with his new club, in which he scored 55 goals, Torres was one of three Rayo 13 players to earn a trial with Atlético Madrid.[1] He impressed the scouts and, aged just eleven, joined the club in 1995.[1]
Club career
Atlético Madrid
After progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998. Atlético Madrid sent an under-15 team to compete in the Nike Cup, both domestically and European, to play youth teams from prominent European clubs; Atlético won the tournament.[1][3] He was later voted the best player in Europe for that age-group.[3] In 1999, aged fifteen, Torres signed his first contract with Atlético Madrid.[1] He spent his first year playing in the youth team and them moved onto the participating in the Honour Division when he was 16.[1] The 2000–01 season had started badly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone that kept him out of action until December.[1] Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut for the team on 27 May 2001, at Vicente Calderón, against Leganés.[1] A week later, he scored his first goal for the club against Albacete and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion to La Liga.[1]
The 2001–02 season saw Atlético win promotion back to La Liga, which was a poor one for Torres, during which he netted only six times in 36 appearances in the Segunda Division.[4] Torres' first season at the highest level of Spanish football, 2002–03, was a good one which saw him manage to score 12 goals in 29 appearances as Atlético finished 11th.[1][4] In the 2003–04 season, his second in La Liga, Torres made further strides, scoring 19 league goals in 35 appearances,[4] meaning he finished as joint third highest scorer in the league.[5] Aged just nineteen, he was also named Atlético's club captain.[3] Atlético narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Cup, but by finishing in 7th place in 2004 they qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, giving Torres his first taste of European club competition. He scored two goals in the two round four matches against OFK Beograd, with one coming in each leg.[6] Atlético reached the final, but lost on penalties to Villarreal.[6] Premier League champions Chelsea were believed to be interested in Torres in 2005, but Atlético president Enrique Cerezo said that they had "no chance" of signing him.[7] Cerezo later said in January 2006 that the club were willing to listen to offers for Torres, and Torres claimed Newcastle United had made a bid to sign him in March.[8][9]
After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which Torres participated as a member of the Spanish national team, he admitted that he had turned down the chance to join Chelsea at the end of the 2005–06 season.[10] Following the 2006–07 season, in which he scored 14 La Liga goals,[4] Torres' future at Atlético was once again the subject of speculation after their inability to secure an automatic UEFA Cup spot. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United were all linked with a move for him,[11] with reports in the English media stating that Torres was the main transfer target of Liverpool.[12] The rumours reached such a fever pitch that Atlético president Enrique Cerezo made a statement saying, "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player."[13] However, a few days later, new reports suggested Atlético had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres; the fee rumoured was £25 million with Luis García moving in the opposite direction in a separate transfer deal. Then on 30 June Atlético announced a deal with Villarreal to sign Diego Forlán, which was seen as a move to replace Torres before his departure had become official.[14] On 2 July it was reported Torres had cut short a holiday to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool.[15] The following day, Torres passed a medical for Liverpool and it was announced that a farewell press conference would be held in Madrid on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético fans.[16] The transfer fee is the highest paid in Liverpool's history,[14] and in March 2008, manager Rafael Benítez confirmed to The Times that Torres was acquired for around £20 million.[17]
Liverpool
Torres made his competitive debut for Liverpool against Aston Villa in a 2–1 win on 11 August 2007.[18] He made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League four days later in a 1–0 victory over Toulouse, after coming on as a 79th minute substitute.[19] His first Premier League goal came on his Anfield debut on 19 August, in the 16th minute in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea.[20] His first hat-trick came in a 4–2 victory over Reading in the League Cup in September, with all of his goals coming in the second half.[21] His first goals in the Champions League came on his third appearance in the competition as Liverpool beat F.C. Porto 4–1, during which he scored twice.[22]
He won the Premier League's player of the month award for February,[23] during which he scored four goals in two league appearances, including a hat-trick against Middlesbrough on 23 February 2008.[24] This hat-trick and another in a 4–0 victory over West Ham United on 5 March 2008 meant he became the first Liverpool player since Jackie Balmer in November 1946 to score a hat-trick in successive home matches.[25] Later in March, after he scored a 47th minute header against Reading at Anfield, he became the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season campaign to score 20 league goals in a season.[26]
In April, he scored another Champions League goal, this time against Arsenal in the quarter-final second leg, to help take Liverpool through to the semi-final.[27] This goal took him onto 29 goals for the season in all competitions, eclipsing former Liverpool favourite Michael Owen's personal record for goals in a season.[24][28] On 11 April 2008, it was announced Torres had made a six man shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year Award,[29] which was eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.[30] The Spanish international was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, which was won by Cesc Fàbregas of Arsenal and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.[30] In May, he finished second to Ronaldo for the FWA Footballer of the Year award.[31]
On 4 May 2008, Torres scored a 57th minute winner against Manchester City, which equalled the consecutive Anfield league goal record of eight games set by Roger Hunt.[32] After scoring his 24th league goal in the final game of the season, a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, he set a new record for the most prolific foreign goal scorer ever in a debut season in England, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy's 23 goals.[24][33] He ended the season in joint second with Emmanuel Adebayor in the race for the Premier League golden boot.[34] Torres was subject to media speculation that Chelsea were willing pay £50 million to sign him but Torres responded by saying it would be "many years" before he left Liverpool.[35][36] Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks also negated the idea of a transfer, saying he would not allow Torres to leave the club at any price.[37] Torres made a promising start to the Premier League 2008–09 season, scoring the only goal in a 0–1 away win against Sunderland.[38] He suffered what was later confirmed as a hamstring tear in a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa, which would keep him out for two to three weeks.[39] Torres made his return in a 2–1 victory against Marseille in the Champions League and went on to score a brace in the Merseyside derby against Everton on 27 September to give Liverpool a 2–0 win.[40][41] He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Manchester City in a 3–2 win away at the City of Manchester Stadium as Liverpool came back from a two goal deficit.[42] The first of these goals was the 1,000th goal Liverpool have scored since the inception of the Premier League.[43] On 22 October, Liverpool played Torres' former club Atlético Madrid in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderon, but he was injured and so missed out on the game.[44] The Atlético president, Enrique Cerezo, had given Torres a VIP invitation to watch the game, but he declined this to recover his rehabilitation from injury in Merseyside.[45]
International career
In February 2001, Torres won the Algarve Tournament with the Spain under-16 team.[46] The under-16s took part in the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship in May, which they also won, with Torres scoring the only goal in the final, as well as finishing as the tournament's leading goalscorer and was also named the player of the tournament.[3][4] In November 2001, Torres represented Spain at the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship, but the team failed to progress through the group stage.[4] In July 2002, he won the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, finishing as top scorer and being named player of the tournament and was again the only goalscorer in the final.[3][4]
In 2003, Torres made his senior debut for the senior Spanish national team on 6 September 2003 in a friendly against Portugal.[4] His first goal for Spain came against Italy on 28 April 2004.[4] He was chosen as part of the Spanish squad for Euro 2004, but only managed to appear as a late substitute in Spain's first two group games, but made the first eleven for the deciding game against Portugal; Spain lost 1–0 and were eliminated.[4]
He scored seven goals in eleven appearances in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup,[47] making him Spain's top scorer for qualification.[4] At his first ever appearance in a World Cup finals at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Torres scored the final goal in a 4–0 victory over Ukraine with a volley.[48] In the second group match, Torres scored twice against Tunisia; firstly in the 76th minute to take Spain 2–1 into the lead and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th.[49] He finished the tournament as Spain's joint top scorer alongside fellow striker David Villa with three goals.[50] The Madrileño was called up to Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 squad,[51] where he set up Villa to score Spain's first goal of the tournament in the opening game against Russia.[52] Torres came under criticism for apparently refusing to shake the hand of Spanish manager, Luis Aragonés, after being substituted.[53] He has since denied being angry with the coaching, citing that he was actually "angry with himself".[53] He scored the opening goal, his first goal of the tournament, in Spain's next game, a 2–1 win over Sweden.[54] Torres scored the winner and claimed the Man of the match award in the final against Germany in a 1–0 victory.[55][56] He was later named as a striker along with his striking partner David Villa in the "team of the tournament".[57]
Torres picked up a thigh injury during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier, meaning he was likely to miss three games for Liverpool.[58]
Torres started his career with Atlético Madrid, with whom he progressed through the youth ranks. He made his professional debut in 2001 and finished his career with the club having scored 75 goals in 174 La Liga appearances. Prior to this, Torres played two seasons in the Segunda División, making 40 appearances and scoring seven goals. He joined Liverpool in 2007, after the club paid their record transfer fee to sign him and marked his first season with the club by being their first player to score more than 20 league goals for the club in a season since Robbie Fowler in 1995–96.
He is also a Spanish international and made his debut for the team against Portugal in 2003. He has since participated in three major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. He was unable to score for Spain during the 2004 tournament, but did so on three occasions in the 2006 World Cup. Torres scored the winning goal for Spain in their 1–0 win over Germany in the Euro 2008 final.
Early career
Fernando Torres, born on 20 March 1984, became interested in football as a child and joined his first team, Parque 84, at the age of five.[1] His grandfather was not passionate about football, but prided himself in being an Atlético Madrid supporter, and Torres inherited his love for the Madrid club.[1]
Originally Torres wanted to be a goalkeeper, the position his brother played in.[2] However, when he was seven years old, he started playing regularly as a striker in an indoor league for his neighbourhood club, Mario’s Holland.[1] Three years later, aged ten, he progressed to playing for an 11-side team, Rayo 13.[1] After an impressive season with his new club, in which he scored 55 goals, Torres was one of three Rayo 13 players to earn a trial with Atlético Madrid.[1] He impressed the scouts and, aged just eleven, joined the club in 1995.[1]
Club career
Atlético Madrid
After progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998. Atlético Madrid sent an under-15 team to compete in the Nike Cup, both domestically and European, to play youth teams from prominent European clubs; Atlético won the tournament.[1][3] He was later voted the best player in Europe for that age-group.[3] In 1999, aged fifteen, Torres signed his first contract with Atlético Madrid.[1] He spent his first year playing in the youth team and them moved onto the participating in the Honour Division when he was 16.[1] The 2000–01 season had started badly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone that kept him out of action until December.[1] Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut for the team on 27 May 2001, at Vicente Calderón, against Leganés.[1] A week later, he scored his first goal for the club against Albacete and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion to La Liga.[1]
The 2001–02 season saw Atlético win promotion back to La Liga, which was a poor one for Torres, during which he netted only six times in 36 appearances in the Segunda Division.[4] Torres' first season at the highest level of Spanish football, 2002–03, was a good one which saw him manage to score 12 goals in 29 appearances as Atlético finished 11th.[1][4] In the 2003–04 season, his second in La Liga, Torres made further strides, scoring 19 league goals in 35 appearances,[4] meaning he finished as joint third highest scorer in the league.[5] Aged just nineteen, he was also named Atlético's club captain.[3] Atlético narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Cup, but by finishing in 7th place in 2004 they qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, giving Torres his first taste of European club competition. He scored two goals in the two round four matches against OFK Beograd, with one coming in each leg.[6] Atlético reached the final, but lost on penalties to Villarreal.[6] Premier League champions Chelsea were believed to be interested in Torres in 2005, but Atlético president Enrique Cerezo said that they had "no chance" of signing him.[7] Cerezo later said in January 2006 that the club were willing to listen to offers for Torres, and Torres claimed Newcastle United had made a bid to sign him in March.[8][9]
After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which Torres participated as a member of the Spanish national team, he admitted that he had turned down the chance to join Chelsea at the end of the 2005–06 season.[10] Following the 2006–07 season, in which he scored 14 La Liga goals,[4] Torres' future at Atlético was once again the subject of speculation after their inability to secure an automatic UEFA Cup spot. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United were all linked with a move for him,[11] with reports in the English media stating that Torres was the main transfer target of Liverpool.[12] The rumours reached such a fever pitch that Atlético president Enrique Cerezo made a statement saying, "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player."[13] However, a few days later, new reports suggested Atlético had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres; the fee rumoured was £25 million with Luis García moving in the opposite direction in a separate transfer deal. Then on 30 June Atlético announced a deal with Villarreal to sign Diego Forlán, which was seen as a move to replace Torres before his departure had become official.[14] On 2 July it was reported Torres had cut short a holiday to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool.[15] The following day, Torres passed a medical for Liverpool and it was announced that a farewell press conference would be held in Madrid on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético fans.[16] The transfer fee is the highest paid in Liverpool's history,[14] and in March 2008, manager Rafael Benítez confirmed to The Times that Torres was acquired for around £20 million.[17]
Liverpool
Torres made his competitive debut for Liverpool against Aston Villa in a 2–1 win on 11 August 2007.[18] He made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League four days later in a 1–0 victory over Toulouse, after coming on as a 79th minute substitute.[19] His first Premier League goal came on his Anfield debut on 19 August, in the 16th minute in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea.[20] His first hat-trick came in a 4–2 victory over Reading in the League Cup in September, with all of his goals coming in the second half.[21] His first goals in the Champions League came on his third appearance in the competition as Liverpool beat F.C. Porto 4–1, during which he scored twice.[22]
He won the Premier League's player of the month award for February,[23] during which he scored four goals in two league appearances, including a hat-trick against Middlesbrough on 23 February 2008.[24] This hat-trick and another in a 4–0 victory over West Ham United on 5 March 2008 meant he became the first Liverpool player since Jackie Balmer in November 1946 to score a hat-trick in successive home matches.[25] Later in March, after he scored a 47th minute header against Reading at Anfield, he became the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season campaign to score 20 league goals in a season.[26]
In April, he scored another Champions League goal, this time against Arsenal in the quarter-final second leg, to help take Liverpool through to the semi-final.[27] This goal took him onto 29 goals for the season in all competitions, eclipsing former Liverpool favourite Michael Owen's personal record for goals in a season.[24][28] On 11 April 2008, it was announced Torres had made a six man shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year Award,[29] which was eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United.[30] The Spanish international was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, which was won by Cesc Fàbregas of Arsenal and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.[30] In May, he finished second to Ronaldo for the FWA Footballer of the Year award.[31]
On 4 May 2008, Torres scored a 57th minute winner against Manchester City, which equalled the consecutive Anfield league goal record of eight games set by Roger Hunt.[32] After scoring his 24th league goal in the final game of the season, a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, he set a new record for the most prolific foreign goal scorer ever in a debut season in England, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy's 23 goals.[24][33] He ended the season in joint second with Emmanuel Adebayor in the race for the Premier League golden boot.[34] Torres was subject to media speculation that Chelsea were willing pay £50 million to sign him but Torres responded by saying it would be "many years" before he left Liverpool.[35][36] Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks also negated the idea of a transfer, saying he would not allow Torres to leave the club at any price.[37] Torres made a promising start to the Premier League 2008–09 season, scoring the only goal in a 0–1 away win against Sunderland.[38] He suffered what was later confirmed as a hamstring tear in a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa, which would keep him out for two to three weeks.[39] Torres made his return in a 2–1 victory against Marseille in the Champions League and went on to score a brace in the Merseyside derby against Everton on 27 September to give Liverpool a 2–0 win.[40][41] He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Manchester City in a 3–2 win away at the City of Manchester Stadium as Liverpool came back from a two goal deficit.[42] The first of these goals was the 1,000th goal Liverpool have scored since the inception of the Premier League.[43] On 22 October, Liverpool played Torres' former club Atlético Madrid in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderon, but he was injured and so missed out on the game.[44] The Atlético president, Enrique Cerezo, had given Torres a VIP invitation to watch the game, but he declined this to recover his rehabilitation from injury in Merseyside.[45]
International career
In February 2001, Torres won the Algarve Tournament with the Spain under-16 team.[46] The under-16s took part in the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship in May, which they also won, with Torres scoring the only goal in the final, as well as finishing as the tournament's leading goalscorer and was also named the player of the tournament.[3][4] In November 2001, Torres represented Spain at the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship, but the team failed to progress through the group stage.[4] In July 2002, he won the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, finishing as top scorer and being named player of the tournament and was again the only goalscorer in the final.[3][4]
In 2003, Torres made his senior debut for the senior Spanish national team on 6 September 2003 in a friendly against Portugal.[4] His first goal for Spain came against Italy on 28 April 2004.[4] He was chosen as part of the Spanish squad for Euro 2004, but only managed to appear as a late substitute in Spain's first two group games, but made the first eleven for the deciding game against Portugal; Spain lost 1–0 and were eliminated.[4]
He scored seven goals in eleven appearances in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup,[47] making him Spain's top scorer for qualification.[4] At his first ever appearance in a World Cup finals at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Torres scored the final goal in a 4–0 victory over Ukraine with a volley.[48] In the second group match, Torres scored twice against Tunisia; firstly in the 76th minute to take Spain 2–1 into the lead and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th.[49] He finished the tournament as Spain's joint top scorer alongside fellow striker David Villa with three goals.[50] The Madrileño was called up to Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 squad,[51] where he set up Villa to score Spain's first goal of the tournament in the opening game against Russia.[52] Torres came under criticism for apparently refusing to shake the hand of Spanish manager, Luis Aragonés, after being substituted.[53] He has since denied being angry with the coaching, citing that he was actually "angry with himself".[53] He scored the opening goal, his first goal of the tournament, in Spain's next game, a 2–1 win over Sweden.[54] Torres scored the winner and claimed the Man of the match award in the final against Germany in a 1–0 victory.[55][56] He was later named as a striker along with his striking partner David Villa in the "team of the tournament".[57]
Torres picked up a thigh injury during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier, meaning he was likely to miss three games for Liverpool.[58]
Friday, October 31, 2008
Lionel Andrés Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province) is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga. He is also a member of the Argentine national team.
He has drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, and Maradona himself named Messi his "successor".[3]
Beginnings
At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a club coached by his father. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys.[4] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[5] River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness that cost $1500 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messi's talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play,[6] offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain.[4] His family moved with the young player to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams.[6]
FC Barcelona Career
Messi made his unofficial debut for the first team against FC Porto on 16 November 2003. Less than a year later he made his official debut against Espanyol on 16 October 2004, becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for FC Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga (a record broken by team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007).[7] When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for FC Barcelona until 2007 when Bojan Krkić broke this record, a goal assisted by Messi.[8]
2005–2006 season
On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract - this time improved to pay him as a first team member and extended till June 2014.[4][9] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 25 September and was finally able to make his début in the season's Spanish First Division. He had previously been unable to play because FC Barcelona had filled their quota of non-EU players. Messi's first home outing in the UEFA Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese.[10] He impressed with some great passing and a seemingly telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho that earned him a standing ovation from the 70,000-odd Nou Camp faithful.[11] In December of that year, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe, ahead of Lukas Podolski, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.[12]
Messi netted 6 goals from 17 league appearances and scored 1 Champions League goal from the 6 games he featured in. His reputation for big match temperament was helped by performances in Barcelona's important away leg victories against Real Madrid and Chelsea in the league and Champions League respectively, each considered his best of the respective campaign.[6] Messi's season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006 when he tore a muscle in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.[13] Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.
2006–2007 season
Consistently strong performances and the occasional goal meant Messi was not starting any more games on the bench. Failure to effectively replace the injured Samuel Eto'o and poor defensive displays prevented Barcelona from taking advantage of Messi's showings against Chelsea and Real Madrid.[14] This would later prove critical to their title challenges. On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal from tackles, ruling him out for 3 months.[15][16] Messi carried out his recuperation in native Argentina. During this period there were rumours of interest in the player from Inter Milan.[17][18] Messi returned to action against Racing Santander on the 11 February, coming on as a second-half substitute[2]. Rijkaard carefully managed his complete return, gradually increasing playing minutes with each game. One month since his return, on the 10th of March, he played his first full league match since the injury, Real Madrid being the opposition. Once again, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3-3 draw, equalising thrice and with the final goal coming in injury time. In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994-95 season) and the first Barcelona player since Romario (1993-94 season) to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico. Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. The game also marked the beginning of Messi's best spell of form with Barça. He also began finding the net more often, 11 of his 14 league goals for the season coming from the last 13 games. Despite his spirited efforts, Barcelona felt marginally short in its defence of the La Liga title, Real Madrid winning on a better head-to-head record.
Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by near-replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season.[19] On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century.[20] The world's sports press exploded with Maradona comparisons, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona". He ran about the same distance (62 m), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before. In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: "There's no other like Leo."[21] Later on, in a crucial league match with Espanyol, Messi scored a goal with his hand that drew even more comparisons to Maradona's Hand of God.
2007–2008 season
Messi scored five goals in a week leading Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. He dedicated the two goals he scored against FC Sevilla on 22 September to Ronaldinho, who was injured and under fire from media outlets at the time. A few days earlier he had scored as Barcelona defeated Lyon 3-0 at home in a Champions League match and then on 26 September, Messi scored another goal in a 4-1 victory over Real Zaragoza.
He has been nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward. A recent poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca has him as the current best player of the world with 77 percent of the votes.[22] Also, other columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport began asking for the Ballon d'Or to be given to Leo Messi this year. This observation was also made by world soccer legends Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.[23] Various football personalities such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Frank Rijkaard, Víctor Fernández, Bernd Schuster, Guti, Raul, Gianluca Zambrotta, Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Diego Maradona and Pelé have all, at one time or another, declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.[24][25]
On 27 February Messi played in his 100th official match for FC Barcelona.
Barcelona's medical staff decided to sideline Messi for six weeks following an injury on 4 March where he experienced a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. Messi left the field at the Nou Camp in the 35th minute with tears in his eyes. It was the fourth time in three seasons that the player suffered this type of injury.[26]
2008–2009 season
It was announced that Messi will inherit Ronaldinho's number 10 jersey after the Brazilian left for AC Milan. On October 1, 2008 during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn the score from 0-1 to a victory for FC Barcelona 2-1. The next league game was versus Atletico Madrid, a match billed as a friendly battle between Lionel and good friend Sergio Aguero. Messi scored a goal from a free kick and assisted another as FC Barcelona went on to win the match 6-1.
International career
In June 2004, he got his first chance in Argentina colours, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In 2005 he was part of the team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. Here, he won the prize for best player of the tournament and became top-scorer.
On 4 August 2005, José Pekerman called Messi up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary, but it was a forgettable occasion. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt, and left the pitch in tears. The decision was contentious. Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated.[27][28] Messi then had his first international start on 3 September in Argentina's 0-1 World Cup qualifier away loss against Paraguay.[29] Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-début. The first one was a bit short."[30]
FIFA World Cup 2006
The injury that kept him from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the farewell match against the Argentinian U-20 team for fifteen minutes and a friendly against Angola from the 64th minute.[31][32] He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the bench.[33] In the next match against Serbia, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6-0 victory, that made him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the fifth youngest goalscorer in the whole World Cup.[34] Messi started in Argentina's following 0-0 tie against the Netherlands.[35] In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied 1-1. He appeared to score a goal, but was ruled offside in a dubious decision,[36][37] Argentina needing an extra time winner to proceed. Messi sat on the bench during the quarter-finals match against Germany, which Argentina lost in a penalty shootout.[38]
Copa America 2007
When Copa started Leo was the youngest player in the tournament. Messi played his first game in Copa America on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4-1 in the first game. In this game, Messi showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.[39]
His second game was against Colombia, in which he caused a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1-1. He also played part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3-1. The final score of the game was 4-2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.[40]
In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with 0-0. In the 79th minute he created a goal for Javier Mascherano.
In the quarterfinals, as Argentina faced Peru, Riquelme made a pass to Messi and the latter scored the second goal for Argentina, which advanced to the semifinals after a 4-0 win.[41]
During the Semi Final match against Mexico, Messi scored a fine lob over Oswaldo Sanchez to see Argetnina through to the Final.[42] Argentina went on to lose to Brazil in the Final, and Messi won the Young Player of the Tournament award.
Olympic Games 2008
Having originally been barred from playing for his country in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Messi joined the Argentina squad to score the first goal in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. He then scored the opening goal and assisted in the second to help his side to a 2-1 extra-time win against the Netherlands. He gave another strong performance in Argentina's match against rival Brazil, in which Argentina took a 3-0 victory, thus advancing to the finals. In the gold-medal match, Messi assisted Ángel Di María for the only goal in a 1-0 Argentine victory over Nigeria.
He has drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, and Maradona himself named Messi his "successor".[3]
Beginnings
At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a club coached by his father. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys.[4] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[5] River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness that cost $1500 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messi's talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play,[6] offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain.[4] His family moved with the young player to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams.[6]
FC Barcelona Career
Messi made his unofficial debut for the first team against FC Porto on 16 November 2003. Less than a year later he made his official debut against Espanyol on 16 October 2004, becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for FC Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga (a record broken by team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007).[7] When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for FC Barcelona until 2007 when Bojan Krkić broke this record, a goal assisted by Messi.[8]
2005–2006 season
On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract - this time improved to pay him as a first team member and extended till June 2014.[4][9] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 25 September and was finally able to make his début in the season's Spanish First Division. He had previously been unable to play because FC Barcelona had filled their quota of non-EU players. Messi's first home outing in the UEFA Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese.[10] He impressed with some great passing and a seemingly telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho that earned him a standing ovation from the 70,000-odd Nou Camp faithful.[11] In December of that year, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe, ahead of Lukas Podolski, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.[12]
Messi netted 6 goals from 17 league appearances and scored 1 Champions League goal from the 6 games he featured in. His reputation for big match temperament was helped by performances in Barcelona's important away leg victories against Real Madrid and Chelsea in the league and Champions League respectively, each considered his best of the respective campaign.[6] Messi's season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006 when he tore a muscle in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.[13] Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.
2006–2007 season
Consistently strong performances and the occasional goal meant Messi was not starting any more games on the bench. Failure to effectively replace the injured Samuel Eto'o and poor defensive displays prevented Barcelona from taking advantage of Messi's showings against Chelsea and Real Madrid.[14] This would later prove critical to their title challenges. On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal from tackles, ruling him out for 3 months.[15][16] Messi carried out his recuperation in native Argentina. During this period there were rumours of interest in the player from Inter Milan.[17][18] Messi returned to action against Racing Santander on the 11 February, coming on as a second-half substitute[2]. Rijkaard carefully managed his complete return, gradually increasing playing minutes with each game. One month since his return, on the 10th of March, he played his first full league match since the injury, Real Madrid being the opposition. Once again, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3-3 draw, equalising thrice and with the final goal coming in injury time. In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994-95 season) and the first Barcelona player since Romario (1993-94 season) to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico. Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. The game also marked the beginning of Messi's best spell of form with Barça. He also began finding the net more often, 11 of his 14 league goals for the season coming from the last 13 games. Despite his spirited efforts, Barcelona felt marginally short in its defence of the La Liga title, Real Madrid winning on a better head-to-head record.
Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by near-replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season.[19] On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century.[20] The world's sports press exploded with Maradona comparisons, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona". He ran about the same distance (62 m), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before. In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: "There's no other like Leo."[21] Later on, in a crucial league match with Espanyol, Messi scored a goal with his hand that drew even more comparisons to Maradona's Hand of God.
2007–2008 season
Messi scored five goals in a week leading Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. He dedicated the two goals he scored against FC Sevilla on 22 September to Ronaldinho, who was injured and under fire from media outlets at the time. A few days earlier he had scored as Barcelona defeated Lyon 3-0 at home in a Champions League match and then on 26 September, Messi scored another goal in a 4-1 victory over Real Zaragoza.
He has been nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward. A recent poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca has him as the current best player of the world with 77 percent of the votes.[22] Also, other columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport began asking for the Ballon d'Or to be given to Leo Messi this year. This observation was also made by world soccer legends Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.[23] Various football personalities such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Frank Rijkaard, Víctor Fernández, Bernd Schuster, Guti, Raul, Gianluca Zambrotta, Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Diego Maradona and Pelé have all, at one time or another, declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.[24][25]
On 27 February Messi played in his 100th official match for FC Barcelona.
Barcelona's medical staff decided to sideline Messi for six weeks following an injury on 4 March where he experienced a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. Messi left the field at the Nou Camp in the 35th minute with tears in his eyes. It was the fourth time in three seasons that the player suffered this type of injury.[26]
2008–2009 season
It was announced that Messi will inherit Ronaldinho's number 10 jersey after the Brazilian left for AC Milan. On October 1, 2008 during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn the score from 0-1 to a victory for FC Barcelona 2-1. The next league game was versus Atletico Madrid, a match billed as a friendly battle between Lionel and good friend Sergio Aguero. Messi scored a goal from a free kick and assisted another as FC Barcelona went on to win the match 6-1.
International career
In June 2004, he got his first chance in Argentina colours, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In 2005 he was part of the team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. Here, he won the prize for best player of the tournament and became top-scorer.
On 4 August 2005, José Pekerman called Messi up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary, but it was a forgettable occasion. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt, and left the pitch in tears. The decision was contentious. Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated.[27][28] Messi then had his first international start on 3 September in Argentina's 0-1 World Cup qualifier away loss against Paraguay.[29] Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-début. The first one was a bit short."[30]
FIFA World Cup 2006
The injury that kept him from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the farewell match against the Argentinian U-20 team for fifteen minutes and a friendly against Angola from the 64th minute.[31][32] He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the bench.[33] In the next match against Serbia, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6-0 victory, that made him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the fifth youngest goalscorer in the whole World Cup.[34] Messi started in Argentina's following 0-0 tie against the Netherlands.[35] In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied 1-1. He appeared to score a goal, but was ruled offside in a dubious decision,[36][37] Argentina needing an extra time winner to proceed. Messi sat on the bench during the quarter-finals match against Germany, which Argentina lost in a penalty shootout.[38]
Copa America 2007
When Copa started Leo was the youngest player in the tournament. Messi played his first game in Copa America on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4-1 in the first game. In this game, Messi showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.[39]
His second game was against Colombia, in which he caused a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1-1. He also played part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3-1. The final score of the game was 4-2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.[40]
In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with 0-0. In the 79th minute he created a goal for Javier Mascherano.
In the quarterfinals, as Argentina faced Peru, Riquelme made a pass to Messi and the latter scored the second goal for Argentina, which advanced to the semifinals after a 4-0 win.[41]
During the Semi Final match against Mexico, Messi scored a fine lob over Oswaldo Sanchez to see Argetnina through to the Final.[42] Argentina went on to lose to Brazil in the Final, and Messi won the Young Player of the Tournament award.
Olympic Games 2008
Having originally been barred from playing for his country in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Messi joined the Argentina squad to score the first goal in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. He then scored the opening goal and assisted in the second to help his side to a 2-1 extra-time win against the Netherlands. He gave another strong performance in Argentina's match against rival Brazil, in which Argentina took a 3-0 victory, thus advancing to the finals. In the gold-medal match, Messi assisted Ángel Di María for the only goal in a 1-0 Argentine victory over Nigeria.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (IPA: [kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu]; born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira)[1] is a Portuguese footballer who plays for English Premier League club Manchester United and the Portuguese national team. In addition to winning the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League, he is a winner of the 2007 English PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.[2]
Johan Cruijff said in an interview on 2 April 2008, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."[3]
Biography
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro. His second given name, "Ronaldo," was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor at the time.[4] He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia.
Club career
Early career
Ronaldo's favourite boyhood team was S.L. Benfica. At the age of eight, he played for amateur team C.F. Andorinha, where his father was the kit man. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club CD Nacional, and after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting Portugal, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.[5]
Sporting Clube de Portugal
Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Alcochete, the club's football academy. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's U-16, U-17, U-18, B-team, and first team, all within one season.[6] He scored two goals in his Sporting debut against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the UEFA Under 17 Championships.[7]
He was first spotted by then-Liverpool F.C. manager Gérard Houllier at sixteen, but Liverpool declined to take him on because they decided he was too young and needed some time to develop his skills.[8] However, he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3-1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo's performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.[9]
Manchester United
Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for £12.24 million after the 2002–03 season.[10] He requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by team legends like Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour."[11]
Ronaldo playing for Manchester United
Ronaldo made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4-0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers, and scored United's thousandth Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4-1 loss to Middlesbrough He scored ten goals in all competitions, and fans voted him to consecutive FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year awards in 2005 and 2006.
In November and December of 2006, Ronaldo received consecutive Barclays Player of the Month honours, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to do so after Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996.[12][13] He scored his fiftieth career Manchester United goal against city rivals Manchester City F.C. as United claimed their first Premier League title in four years.
Despite rumours circulating in March 2007 that Real Madrid were willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo,[14] he signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week extension with United on 13 April, making him the highest-paid player in team history.[15][16]
Ronaldo was involved in several diving incidents during the 2006-07 campaign. He was criticised by manager Gareth Southgate for diving in a December 2006 match against Middlesbrough.[17] On 4 February 2007, Ronaldo was again accused of diving in a match against Tottenham Hotspur when he won a penalty kick despite little contact from Tottenham winger Steed Malbranque.[18] Despite the controversies, Ronaldo nonetheless amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards, joining Andy Gray (in 1977) as the only players to receive this honor.[19] In April, he completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Ronaldo was also one of seven Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Ronaldo's 2007–08 season began with a red card for an alleged headbutt of Portsmouth F.C. player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the season, for which he was punished with a three-match ban.[20] Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in the future.[21] After scoring the only goal in a Champions League road match against Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo also scored the injury-time winner in the return fixture as Manchester United topped their CL group.[22]
He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon D'or,[23] and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.[24]
Ronaldo scored his first hat trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of the Premier League table.[25] He scored his twenty-third league goal of the season in a 2–0 win against Reading, equalling his entire total for the 2006–07 season.[26] During a 1–1 Champions League first knockout round draw against Olympique Lyonnais on 20 February, an unidentified Lyon supporter continuously aimed a green laser at Ronaldo and United teammate Nani, prompting an investigation by UEFA.[27] One month later, Lyon were fined CHF5,000 (£2,427) for the incident.[28]
On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained the United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory.[29] The second of the goals was his 33rd of the campaign, which set a new club single-season scoring record by a midfielder and thus topped George Best's forty-year-old total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season.[30] Ronaldo scored another brace in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa on 29 March, which at the time gave him 35 goals in 37 domestic and European matches as both a starter and substitute. Ronaldo's torrid scoring streak was rewarded with his becoming the first winger to win the 2007–08 European Golden Shoe, finishing eight points ahead of Mallorca's Dani Güiza.[31]
In the 2007–08 Champions League final on 21 May against league rivals Chelsea, Ronaldo scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, which was negated by a Chelsea equalizer in the 45th minute as the match ended 1–1 after extra time. His misfire in the penalty shoot-out put Chelsea in position to win the trophy, but John Terry shot wide right after slipping on the pitch surface, and Manchester United emerged victorious 6–5 on penalties. Ronaldo was named the UEFA Fans' Man of the Match,[32] and wrapped up the campaign with a career-high 42 goals in all competitions, falling just four short of Denis Law's team-record mark of 46 in the 1963–64 season.
On 5 June 2008, Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year.[33] Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with FIFA on 9 June over Madrid's alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.[34][35] Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at Manchester for at least another year.[36]
Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam on 7 July.[37] He returned to action on 17 September in United's UEFA Champions League goalless group-stage draw with Villarreal CF as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung,[38] and scored his first overall goal of the season in a 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough on August 30.
International career
Ronaldo earned his first cap for Portugal in a 1-0 victory against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He was called up for Euro 2004, scoring in a 2-1 group stage loss to eventual champions Greece and in a 2-1 semifinal win over the Netherlands. He was named in the team of the tournament despite finishing with only two goals.[39] That same year, he also represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
2006 World Cup
He was the second-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with seven goals,[39] and scored his first and only World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick.[40]
During a quarter-final match against England on 8 July 2006, Ronaldo's United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stomping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced referee Horacio Elizondo's decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney's dismissal. After the match, Ronaldo insisted that Rooney was a friend and that he was not pushing for Rooney to be sent off.[41] On 4 July, Elizondo clarified that the red card was due to Rooney's infraction and not the fracas between Rooney and Ronaldo that followed.[42]
The angry reaction from the English press caused Ronaldo to consider leaving United,[43] and he allegedly told Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid.[44] In response to the speculation, Ferguson sent Portuguese assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in attempt to change his mind, a sentiment that was shared by Rooney.[45][46] Ronaldo stayed, and signed his new five-year extension in April 2007.[47]
Ronaldo was booed during Portugal's semifinal defeat to France, and missed out on the competition's Best Young Player award due to a negative e-mail campaign from England fans.[48] Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA's Technical Study Group awarded the honor to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo's behaviour as a factor in the decision.[49]
Post-World Cup
One day after his twenty-second birthday, Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil on 6 February 2007. This move was in honour of Portuguese Football Federation president Carlos Silva, who had died two days earlier. Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari explained, "Mr. Silva asked me to make [Ronaldo] captain as a gesture...[he] is too young to be captain, but Mr. Silva asked me, and now he is no longer with us."[50]
Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign,[51] but finished with only one goal in the tournament as Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Johan Cruijff said in an interview on 2 April 2008, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."[3]
Biography
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro. His second given name, "Ronaldo," was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor at the time.[4] He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia.
Club career
Early career
Ronaldo's favourite boyhood team was S.L. Benfica. At the age of eight, he played for amateur team C.F. Andorinha, where his father was the kit man. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club CD Nacional, and after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting Portugal, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.[5]
Sporting Clube de Portugal
Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Alcochete, the club's football academy. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's U-16, U-17, U-18, B-team, and first team, all within one season.[6] He scored two goals in his Sporting debut against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the UEFA Under 17 Championships.[7]
He was first spotted by then-Liverpool F.C. manager Gérard Houllier at sixteen, but Liverpool declined to take him on because they decided he was too young and needed some time to develop his skills.[8] However, he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3-1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo's performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.[9]
Manchester United
Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for £12.24 million after the 2002–03 season.[10] He requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by team legends like Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour."[11]
Ronaldo playing for Manchester United
Ronaldo made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4-0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers, and scored United's thousandth Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4-1 loss to Middlesbrough He scored ten goals in all competitions, and fans voted him to consecutive FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year awards in 2005 and 2006.
In November and December of 2006, Ronaldo received consecutive Barclays Player of the Month honours, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to do so after Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996.[12][13] He scored his fiftieth career Manchester United goal against city rivals Manchester City F.C. as United claimed their first Premier League title in four years.
Despite rumours circulating in March 2007 that Real Madrid were willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo,[14] he signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week extension with United on 13 April, making him the highest-paid player in team history.[15][16]
Ronaldo was involved in several diving incidents during the 2006-07 campaign. He was criticised by manager Gareth Southgate for diving in a December 2006 match against Middlesbrough.[17] On 4 February 2007, Ronaldo was again accused of diving in a match against Tottenham Hotspur when he won a penalty kick despite little contact from Tottenham winger Steed Malbranque.[18] Despite the controversies, Ronaldo nonetheless amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards, joining Andy Gray (in 1977) as the only players to receive this honor.[19] In April, he completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Ronaldo was also one of seven Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Ronaldo's 2007–08 season began with a red card for an alleged headbutt of Portsmouth F.C. player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the season, for which he was punished with a three-match ban.[20] Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in the future.[21] After scoring the only goal in a Champions League road match against Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo also scored the injury-time winner in the return fixture as Manchester United topped their CL group.[22]
He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon D'or,[23] and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.[24]
Ronaldo scored his first hat trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of the Premier League table.[25] He scored his twenty-third league goal of the season in a 2–0 win against Reading, equalling his entire total for the 2006–07 season.[26] During a 1–1 Champions League first knockout round draw against Olympique Lyonnais on 20 February, an unidentified Lyon supporter continuously aimed a green laser at Ronaldo and United teammate Nani, prompting an investigation by UEFA.[27] One month later, Lyon were fined CHF5,000 (£2,427) for the incident.[28]
On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained the United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory.[29] The second of the goals was his 33rd of the campaign, which set a new club single-season scoring record by a midfielder and thus topped George Best's forty-year-old total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season.[30] Ronaldo scored another brace in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa on 29 March, which at the time gave him 35 goals in 37 domestic and European matches as both a starter and substitute. Ronaldo's torrid scoring streak was rewarded with his becoming the first winger to win the 2007–08 European Golden Shoe, finishing eight points ahead of Mallorca's Dani Güiza.[31]
In the 2007–08 Champions League final on 21 May against league rivals Chelsea, Ronaldo scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, which was negated by a Chelsea equalizer in the 45th minute as the match ended 1–1 after extra time. His misfire in the penalty shoot-out put Chelsea in position to win the trophy, but John Terry shot wide right after slipping on the pitch surface, and Manchester United emerged victorious 6–5 on penalties. Ronaldo was named the UEFA Fans' Man of the Match,[32] and wrapped up the campaign with a career-high 42 goals in all competitions, falling just four short of Denis Law's team-record mark of 46 in the 1963–64 season.
On 5 June 2008, Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year.[33] Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with FIFA on 9 June over Madrid's alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.[34][35] Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at Manchester for at least another year.[36]
Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam on 7 July.[37] He returned to action on 17 September in United's UEFA Champions League goalless group-stage draw with Villarreal CF as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung,[38] and scored his first overall goal of the season in a 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough on August 30.
International career
Ronaldo earned his first cap for Portugal in a 1-0 victory against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He was called up for Euro 2004, scoring in a 2-1 group stage loss to eventual champions Greece and in a 2-1 semifinal win over the Netherlands. He was named in the team of the tournament despite finishing with only two goals.[39] That same year, he also represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
2006 World Cup
He was the second-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with seven goals,[39] and scored his first and only World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick.[40]
During a quarter-final match against England on 8 July 2006, Ronaldo's United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stomping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced referee Horacio Elizondo's decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney's dismissal. After the match, Ronaldo insisted that Rooney was a friend and that he was not pushing for Rooney to be sent off.[41] On 4 July, Elizondo clarified that the red card was due to Rooney's infraction and not the fracas between Rooney and Ronaldo that followed.[42]
The angry reaction from the English press caused Ronaldo to consider leaving United,[43] and he allegedly told Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid.[44] In response to the speculation, Ferguson sent Portuguese assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in attempt to change his mind, a sentiment that was shared by Rooney.[45][46] Ronaldo stayed, and signed his new five-year extension in April 2007.[47]
Ronaldo was booed during Portugal's semifinal defeat to France, and missed out on the competition's Best Young Player award due to a negative e-mail campaign from England fans.[48] Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA's Technical Study Group awarded the honor to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo's behaviour as a factor in the decision.[49]
Post-World Cup
One day after his twenty-second birthday, Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil on 6 February 2007. This move was in honour of Portuguese Football Federation president Carlos Silva, who had died two days earlier. Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari explained, "Mr. Silva asked me to make [Ronaldo] captain as a gesture...[he] is too young to be captain, but Mr. Silva asked me, and now he is no longer with us."[50]
Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign,[51] but finished with only one goal in the tournament as Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
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