Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Lille
Common name	Lille
Image coat of arms	Blason ville fr Lille.svg
Coat of arms legend	Traditional coat of arms
Insee	59350
Postal code	59000, 59800
longitude	3.063333
latitude	50.637222
Time zone	CET (GMT +1)
Region	Nord-Pas de Calais
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Lille
Mayor	Martine Aubry
Party	PS
Term	2008–2014
Area km2	39.51
Population date	2006
Population	226014
Population ranking	10th in France
Urban area km2	450
Urban area date	1999
Urban pop	1,000,900
Urban pop date	1999
Metro area km2	975
Metro area date	1999
Metro area pop	1,164,716
Metro area pop date	2007
Intercommunality	Lille Métropole
Website	http://www.mairie-lille.fr/en }}

Lille (; ) is a city in northern France (French Flanders). It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium. It is the capital of the Nord-Pas de Calais region and the prefecture of the Nord department.

The city of Lille, which annexed Lomme on 27 February 2000, had a population of 226,014 at the 2006 census. Meanwhile, the Lille Métropole, which also includes Roubaix, Tourcoing and numerous suburban communities, had a population of 1,091,438. The eurodistrict of Lille-Kortrijk, which also includes the areas of the Belgian cities of Kortrijk, Tournai, Mouscron and Ypres, had 1,905,000 residents.

History

Origin of the city

The legend of "Lydéric and Phinaert" puts the foundation of the city of "L'Isle" at 640. Although the first mention of the town appears in archives from the year 1066, some archeological digs seem to show the area as inhabited by as early as 2000 BC, most notably in the modern-day ''quartiers'' of Fives, Wazemmes, and Old Lille.

The original inhabitants of this region were the Gauls, such as the Menapians, the Morins, the Atrebates, and the Nervians, who were followed by Germanic peoples, the Saxons and the Frisians, and the Franks later.

From 830 until around 910, the Vikings invaded Flanders. After the destruction caused by Norman and Magyar invasion, the eastern part of the region fell under the eyes of the area's princes.

The name Lille comes from ''insula'' or ''l'Isla'', i. "the island", since the area was at one time marshy. This name was used for the castle of the Counts of Flanders, built on dry land in the middle of the marsh. The Dutch name for the town, ''Rijsel'', has the same meaning ("Ryssel" in French Flemish, from "ter Yssel" meaning "to/at the island").

The Count of Flanders controlled a number of old Roman cities (Boulogne, Arras, Cambrai) as well as some founded by the Carolingians (Valenciennes, Saint-Omer, Ghent, Bruges).

The County of Flanders thus extended to the left bank of the Scheldt, one of the richest and most prosperous regions of Europe.

Middle Ages

A local notable in this period was Évrard, who lived in the 9th century and participated in many of the day's political and military affairs.

From the 12th century, the fame of the Lille cloth fair began to grow. In 1144 Saint-Sauveur parish was formed, which would give its name to the modern-day ''quartier Saint-Sauveur''.

The counts of Flanders, Boulogne, and Hainaut came together with England and the Holy Roman Empire of Germany and declared war on France and Philip II of France, a war that ended with the French victory at Bouvines in 1214. Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders was imprisoned and the county fell into dispute: it would be his wife, Jeanne, Countess of Flanders and Constantinople, who ruled the city. She was said to be well-loved by the residents of Lille, who by that time numbered 10,000.

In 1224, the monk Bertrand of Rains, doubtlessly encouraged by local lords, tried to pass himself off as Baldwin I of Constantinople (the father of Jeanne of Flanders), who had disappeared at the battle of Adrianople. He pushed the kingdoms of Flanders and Hainaut towards sedition against Jeanne in order to recover his land. She called her cousin, Louis VIII ("The Lion"). He unmasked the imposter, whom Countess Jeanne quickly had hanged. In 1226 the King agreed to free Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders. Count Ferrand died in 1233, and his daughter Marie soon after. In 1235, Jeanne granted a city charter by which city governors would be chosen each All Saint's Day by four commissioners chosen by the ruler. On 6 February 1236, she founded the Countess's Hospital (L'hospice de la comtesse), which remains one of the most beautiful buildings in Old Lille. It was in her honor that the hospital of the Regional Medical University of Lille was named "Jeanne of Flanders Hospital" in the 20th century.

The Countess died in 1244 in the Abbey of Marquette, leaving no heirs. The rule of Flanders and Hainaut thus fell to her sister, Margaret II, Countess of Flanders, then to Margaret's son, Guy of Dampierre. Lille fell under the rule of France from 1304 to 1369, after the battle of Mons-en-Pévèle.

The county of Flanders fell to the Duchy of Burgundy next, after the 1369 marriage of Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, and Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Lille thus became one of the three capitals of said Duchy, along with Brussels and Dijon. By 1445, Lille counted some 25,000 residents. Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was even more powerful than the King of France, and made Lille an administrative and financial capital.

On 17 February 1454, one year after the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, Philip the Good organised a Pantagruelian banquet at his Lille palace, the still-celebrated "Feast of the Pheasant". There the Duke and his court undertook an oath to Christianity.

In 1477, at the death of the last duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, Mary of Burgundy married Maximilian of Austria, who thus became Count of Flanders. At the end of the reign of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Spanish Flanders fell to his eldest son, and thus under the rule of Philip II of Spain, King of Spain. The city remained under Spanish rule until the reign of Philip IV of Spain.

The modern era

The 16th century was marked by the outbreak of the Plague, a boom in the regional textile industry, and the Protestant revolts.

The first Calvinists appeared in the area in 1542; by 1555 anti-Protestant oppression was taking place. In 1578, the Hurlus, a group of Protestant rebels, stormed the castle of the Counts of Mouscron. They were removed four months later by a Catholic Wallon regiment, after which they tried several times between 1581 and 1582 to take the city of Lille, all in vain. The Hurlus were notably held back by the legendary Jeanne Maillotte. At the same time (1581), at the call of Elizabeth I of England, the north of the Seventeen Provinces, having gained a Protestant majority, successfully revolted and formed the United Provinces.

In 1667, Louis XIV of France (the Sun-King) successfully laid siege to Lille, resulting in it becoming French in 1668 under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, provoking discontent among the citizens of the prosperous city. A number of important public works undertaken between 1667 and 1670, such as the Citadel (erected by Vauban), or the creation of the quartiers of Saint-André and la Madeleine, enabled the King to gradually gain the confidence of his Lille subjects, some of whom continued to feel Flemish, though they had always spoken the Romance Picard language.

For five years, from 1708 to 1713, the city was occupied by the Dutch, during the War of the Spanish Succession. Throughout the 18th century, Lille remained profoundly Catholic. It took little part in the French Revolution, though there were riots and the destruction of churches. In 1790, the city held its first municipal elections.

After the French Revolution

In 1792, in the aftermath of the French Revolution, the Austrians, then in the United Provinces, laid siege to Lille. The "Column of the Goddess", erected in 1842 in the "Grand-Place" (officially named Place du Général-de-Gaulle), is a tribute to the city's resistance, led by Mayor André Bonte. Although Austrian artillery destroyed many houses and the main church of the city, the city did not surrender and the Austrian army left after eight days.

The city continued to grow, and by 1800 held some 53,000 residents, leading to Lille becoming the county seat of the Nord ''départment'' in 1804. In 1846, a rail line connecting Paris and Lille was built.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Napoleon I's continental blockade against the United Kingdom led to Lille's textile industry developing itself even more fully. The city was known for its cotton, and the nearby towns of Roubaix and Tourcoing worked wool.

In 1853, Alexandre Desrousseaux composed his famous lullaby ''P'tit quinquin''. In 1858, an imperial decree led to the annexation of the adjacent towns of Fives, Wazemmes, and Moulins. Lille's population was 158,000 in 1872, growing to over 200,000 by 1891. In 1896 Lille became the first city in France to be led by a socialist, Gustave Delory.

By 1912, Lille's population was at 217,000: the city profited from the Industrial Revolution, particularly via coal and the steam engine. The entire region had grown wealthy thanks to the mines and to the textile industry.

First World War

Between 4–13 October 1914, the troops in Lille were able to trick the enemy by convincing them that Lille possessed more artillery than was the case; in reality, the city had only a single cannon. Despite the deception, the German bombardments destroyed over 2,200 buildings and homes. When the Germans realised they had been tricked, they burned down an entire section of town, subsequently occupying the city. Lille was liberated by the British on 17 October 1918, when General Sir William Birdwood and his troops were welcomed by joyous crowds. The general was made an honorary citizen of the city of Lille on 28 October of that year.

Lille was also the hunting ground of World War I German flying Ace Max Immelmann who was nicknamed "the Eagle of Lille".

The ''Années Folles'', the Great Depression, and the Popular Front

In July 1921, at the Pasteur Institute in Lille, Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin discovered the first anti-tuberculosis vaccine, known as BCG ("Bacille de Calmette et Guérin"). The Opéra de Lille, designed by Lille architect Louis M. Cordonnier, was dedicated in 1923.

From 1931 Lille felt the repercussions of the Great Depression, and by 1935 a third of the city's population lived in poverty. In 1936, the city's mayor, Roger Salengro, became Minister of the Interior of the Popular Front, eventually killing himself after right-wing groups led a slanderous campaign against him.

Second World War

During the Battle of France, Lille was besieged by German forces for several days. Due to the prolonged French defense, many Allied troops were able to escape to Dunkirk. When Belgium was invaded, the citizens of Lille, still marked by the events of the First World War, began to flee the city in large numbers. Lille was part of the zone under control of the German commander in Brussels, and was never controlled by the Vichy government in France. The ''départments'' of Nord and Pas-de-Calais (with the exception of the coast, notably Dunkirk) were, for the most part, liberated in five days, from the 1 to 5 September 1944 by British, American, Canadian, and Polish troops. On 3 September, the German troops began to leave Lille, fearing the British, who were on their way from Brussels. Following this, the Lille resistance managed to retake part of the city before the British tanks arrived. Rationing came to an end in 1947, and by 1948, some normality had returned to Lille.

Post-war to the present

In 1967, the Chambers of Commerce of Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing were joined, and in 1969 the ''Communauté urbaine de Lille'' (Lille urban community) was created, linking 87 ''communes'' with Lille.

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the region was faced with some problems after the decline of the coal, mining and textile industries. From the start of the 1980s, the city began to turn itself more towards the service sector.

In 1983, the VAL, the world's first automated rapid transit underground network, was opened. In 1993, a high-speed TGV train line was opened, connecting Paris with Lille in one hour. This, with the opening of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 and the arrival of the Eurostar train, put Lille at the centre of a triangle connecting Paris, London and Brussels.

Work on Euralille, an urban remodelling project, began in 1991. The Euralille Centre was opened in 1994, and the remodeled district is now full of parks and modern buildings containing offices, shops and apartments. In 1994 the "Grand Palais" was also opened.

Lille was elected European Capital of Culture in 2004, along with the Italian city of Genoa

Climate

Lille can be described as having a temperate oceanic climate; summers do not reach high temperatures, but winters can fall below zero temperatures. Precipitation is above average year round.

The table below gives temperatures and precipitation levels for 2006 and also the record temperatures. |date=August 2010 }}

Economy

A former major mechanical, food industry and textile manufacturing centre as well as a retail and finance center, Lille forms the heart of a larger conurbation, regrouping Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing and Villeneuve d'Ascq, which is France's 4th-largest urban conglomeration with a 1999 population of over 1.1 million.

Revenues and taxes

For centuries, Lille has been a city of revenues contrasts : as a merchants city, great wealth and precarity have been living side by side, especially until the end of the 19th century. This contrast has been witnessed by Victor Hugo in 1851 in his poem Les Châtiments: « ''Caves de Lille ! on meurt sous vos plafonds de pierre !'' » ( « Lille cellars : there are deaths below your stone roofs») File:Lille courée.JPG|Courée in Wazemmes area File:Lille hotels particuliers Négrier.JPG|Hôtels particuliers rue Négrier, Vieux-Lille File:Lille - Cité Administrative.JPG|Administrative city zone

Employment

Employment in Lille has switched over half a century from a predominant industry to tertiary activities and services. Services account for 91% of employment in 2006.

Employment in Lille-Hellemmes-Lomme from 1968 to 2006

Business area	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Agriculture
Industry and engineering
Tertiairy activities
Total

Employment per categories in 1968 and in 2006

style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000; width:100px;"

Farmers

Businesspersons, entrepreneurs

Upper class

Midlle class

Employees

Blue-collar worker

style="text-align:center;"

''1968''

''2006''

''1968''

''2006''

''1968''

''2006''

''1968''

''2006''

''1968''

''2006''

''1968''

''2006''

Lille

Greater Lille

France

Unemployment in active population from 1968 to 2006

	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006
Lille
Greater Lille
France

Enterprises

In 2007, Lille hosts around industry or service sites.

Enterprises as per 31 December 2007

style="background:#f5f5f5; color:#000; width:100px;"

Number

Size category

Mean number of employees

style="text-align:center;"

''Greater Lille''

''Lille''

''% Lille''

''None''

''1 to 19''

''20 to 99''

''100 to 499''

''500+''

''Lille''

''Greater''

Industries

Construction

Commerce

Transports

Finance

Real property

Business services

Services to consummers

Education and health

Administration

Total

Main sights

Lille features an array of architectural styles with various amounts of Flemish influence, including the use of brown and red brick. In addition, many residential neighborhoods, especially in Greater Lille, consist of attached 2–3 story houses aligned in a row, with narrow gardens in the back. These architectural attributes, many uncommon in France, help make Lille a transition in France to neighboring Belgium, as well as nearby Netherlands and England, where the presence of brick, as well as row houses or the Terraced house is much more prominent.

Points of interest include

Lille Cathedral (''Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Treille'')

Citadel of Lille

Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille

Jardin botanique de la Faculté de Pharmacie

Jardin botanique Nicolas Boulay

Jardin des Plantes de Lille

Transport

Public transport

The Lille Métropole has a mixed mode public transport system, which is considered one of the most modern in the whole of France. It comprises buses, trams and a driverless metro system, all of which are operated under the Transpole name. The Lille Metro is a VAL system (''véhicule automatique léger'' = light automated vehicle) that opened on 16 May 1983, becoming the first automatic metro line in the world. The metro system has two lines, with a total length of 45 km and 60 stations. The tram system consists of two interurban tram lines, connecting central Lille to the nearby communities of Roubaix and Tourcoing, and has 45 stops. 68 urban bus routes cover the metropolis, 8 of which reach into Belgium.

Railways

Lille is an important crossroads in the European high-speed rail network: it lies on the Eurostar line to London and the French TGV network to Paris, Brussels and other major centres in France such as Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse. It has two railway stations, which stand next door to one another: Lille-Europe station (''Gare de Lille-Europe''), which primarily serves high-speed trains and international services (Eurostar), and Lille-Flandres station (''Gare de Lille-Flandres''), which primarily serves lower speed regional trains.

Highways

No fewer than five ''autoroutes'' pass by Lille, the densest confluence of highways in France after Paris:

Autoroute A27 : Lille – Tournai – Brussels / Liège – Germany

Autoroute A23 : Lille – Valenciennes

Autoroute A1 : Lille – Arras – Paris / Reims – Lyon / Orléans / Le Havre

Autoroute A25 : Lille – Dunkirk – Calais – England / North Belgium

Autoroute A22 : Lille – Antwerp – Netherlands

A sixth one – the proposed A24 – will link Amiens to Lille if built, but there is opposition to its route.

Air traffic

Lille Lesquin International Airport is 15 minutes from the city centre by car (11 km). In terms of shipping, it ranks fourth, with almost 38,000 tonnes of freight which pass through each year.

Waterways

Lille is the third largest French river port after Paris and Strasbourg. The river Deûle is connected to regional waterways with over 680 km of navigable waters. The Deûle connects to Northern Europe via the River Scarpe and the River Scheldt (towards Belgium and the Netherlands), and internationally via the Lys River (to Dunkerque and Calais).

Shipping statistics

{| class=wikitable |- ! Year !! 1997 !! 2000 !! 2003 |- | Millions of tonnes||5.56||6.68||7.30 |- | By river or sea||8.00%||8.25%||13.33% |- | By rail||6.28%||4.13%||2.89% |- | By road||85.72%||87.62%||83.78% |}

Education

With over 110 000 students, the metropolitan area of Lille is one France's top student cities.

The Université Catholique de Lille was founded in 1875. Today it has law, economics, medicine, physics faculties and schools. Among the most famous is Institut catholique d'arts et métiers (ICAM) founded in 1898, ranked 20th among engineering schools, with the specificity of graduating polyvalent engineers, Ecole des Hautes études d'ingénieur (HEI) a school of engineering founded in 1885 and offering 10 fields of specialization, École des hautes études commerciales du nord (EDHEC) founded in 1906, SKEMA Business School and the IESEG currently ranked within the top 5, the top 10 and top 15 business schools in France, respectively. In 1924 ESJ – a leading journalism school – was established.

With roots back from 1562 to 1793 as University of Douai (Université de Douai), then as Université Impériale in 1808, the State Université of Lille (Université Lille Nord de France) was established in Lille in 1854 with Louis Pasteur as the first dean of its Faculty of Sciences. A school of medicine and an engineering school were also established in Lille in 1854. The Université de Lille was united as the association of existing public Faculties in 1887 and was split into three independent university campus in 1970, including:

* Université de Lille I, also referred-to as Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille (USTL),

* Université de Lille II with law, management, sports and medical faculties,

* Université Charles-de-Gaulle Lille III with humanities and social sciences courses.

:ESA – Ecole Supérieure des Affaires is a Business Management school established in Lille in 1990. IEP Sciences-Po Lille political studies institute was established in Lille in 1992.

Ecole Centrale de Lille is one of the five Centrale Graduate Schools of engineering in France ; it was founded in Lille city in 1854, its graduate engineering education and research center was established as Institut Industriel du Nord (IDN) in 1872, in 1968 it moved in a modern campus in Lille suburb. École nationale supérieure de chimie de Lille was established as Institut de chimie de Lille in 1894 supporting chemistry research as followers of Kuhlmann's breakthrough works in Lille. Skema Business School established in 1892 is ranked among the top business schools in France. École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers settled in Lille in 1900.

The European Doctoral College Lille Nord-Pas de Calais is headquartered in Lille metropole and includes 3,000 PhD Doctorate students supported by university research laboratories.

Notable people from Lille

Scientists and entrepreneurs

Charles-Joseph Panckoucke, (1736–1788), intellectual and writer

Charles Frédéric Kuhlmann, (1803–1881), chemist professor

Louis Pasteur, (1822–1895), micro-biologist

Joseph Valentin Boussinesq (1842–1929), mathematician and physicist

Charles Barrois (1851–1939), geologist and palaeontologist.

Albert Calmette (1863–1933) and Camille Guérin (1872–1961), scientists who discovered the antituberculosis vaccine.

Henri Padé (1863–1953), mathematician

Paul Painlevé (1863–1933), mathematician and politician

Joseph Kampé de Fériet (1893–1982), researcher on fluid dynamics

Jean Baptiste Perrin (1870–1942), Nobel Prize in physics

Jean Dieudonné (1906–1992), mathematician.

Matthias de l'Obel (1538–1616), physician to King James I of England, scientist

Artists

Renée Adorée (1898–1933), actress.

Alfred-Pierre Agache (1843–1915), academic painter

Alain de Lille (or Alanus ab Insulis) (c. 1128–1202), French theologian and poet

Émile Bernard (1868–1941), neoimpressionist painter and friend of Paul Gauguin

Édouard Chimot (d. 1959), artist and illustrator, editor of the Devambez illustrated art-editions.

Léon Danchin (1887–1938), animal artist and sculptor.

Alain Decaux (1925–), television presenter, minister, writer, and member of the Académie française.

Pierre Dubreuil (1872–1944), photographer.

Pierre De Geyter (1848–1932), textile worker who composed the music of ''The Internationale'' in Lille.

Raoul de Godewaersvelde (1928–1977), singer.

Gabriel Grovlez (1879–1944), pianist, conductor and composer who studied under Gabriel Fauré

Alexandre Desrousseaux (1820–1892), songwriter.

Carolus-Duran (1837–1917), painter.

Julien Duvivier (1896–1967), director.

Yvonne Furneaux (1928–), actress.

Paul Gachet (1828–1909), doctor most famous for treating the painter Vincent van Gogh

Kamini (1980– ), rap singer, hits success in 2006 in France with the funny "rural-rap" ''Marly-Gomont''

Édouard Lalo (1823–1892), composer.

Serge Lutens (born 1942) photographer, make-up artist, interior and set designer, creator of perfumes and fashion designer.

Philippe Noiret (1930–2006), actor.

Albert Samain (1858–1900), poet.

Politicians, professionals and military

Lydéric, (620–?) legendary founder of the city.

Jeanne, Countess of Flanders, (1188/1200? –1244), Countess.

Jeanne Maillotte, (circa 1580), resistance fighter during the Hurlu attacks.

Louis Faidherbe (1818–1889), general, founder of the city of Dakar and senator.

Achille Liénart (1884–1973), « cardinal des ouvriers ».

Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970), general, resistance fighter, President of France.

Roger Salengro (1890–1936), minister, deputy, and Mayor of Lille.

Augustin Laurent (1896–1990), minister, deputy, resistance fighter, and Mayor of Lille.

Madeleine Damerment (1917–1944), French Resistance fighter – Legion of Honor, Croix de Guerre, Médaille combattant volontaire de la Résistance

Pierre Mauroy (1928–), deputy, senator, Prime Minister of France, and Mayor of Lille.

Martine Aubry (1950–), deputy, minister, and Mayor of Lille.

Sports

Lille's football club, the Lille O.S.C., is one of the major teams in the French football league. They have won 8 major national trophies and now regularly feature in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup. And have also recently won the 2010/11 Ligue 1 title

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Lille is twinned with:

Cologne, Germany Erfurt, Germany Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg Kharkiv, Ukraine Leeds, United Kingdom Liège, Belgium Nablus, Palestinian National Authority Oujda, Morocco Rotterdam, Netherlands Safed, Israel Wrocław, Poland Saint-Louis, Senegal Shanghai, People's Republic of China Turin, Italy Valladolid, Spain Buffalo, United States

References

Sources

External links

Official website in English

European Capital of Culture 2004

Proposal for Lille Expo 2017

Category:Communes of Nord Category:European Capitals of Culture

af:Lille ar:ليل (مدينة) an:Lille frp:Lila az:Lill be:Горад Ліль bar:Lille br:Lille bg:Лил ca:Lilla ceb:Lille cs:Lille cy:Lille da:Lille de:Lille et:Lille el:Λιλ es:Lille eo:Lille ext:Lille eu:Lille fa:لیل (فرانسه) fr:Lille ga:Lille gl:Lille ko:릴 hi:लील hr:Lille io:Lille id:Lille is:Lille it:Lilla he:ליל kl:Lille ka:ლილი sw:Lille lad:Lille la:Insula (urbs) lv:Lille lb:Lille lt:Lilis lmo:Lilla hu:Lille mk:Лил mr:लील nl:Rijsel ja:リール (フランス) no:Lille nn:Lille oc:Lilla pnb:للی pcd:Lille pms:Lille tpi:Lille pl:Lille pt:Lille ro:Lille qu:Lille ru:Лилль sq:Lille scn:Lille simple:Lille sk:Lille sl:Lille sr:Лил fi:Lille sv:Lille ta:லீல் th:ลีล tr:Lille uk:Лілль ug:Lil vec:Lille vi:Lille vo:Lille (Fransän) vls:Rysel war:Lille yo:Lille zh:里尔

{{Infobox musical artist| | name = Lisa Hannigan | image = Lisa Hannigan deco16-10.jpg | caption = Lisa Hannigan in Temple Bar, Dublin | image_size = 200 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Lisa Margaret Hannigan | alias = | birth_date = February 12, 1981 | origin = Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland | genre = Indie folk | occupation = Musician | years_active = 2001–''present'' | label = Barp/ATO Records/Play It Again Sam | associated_acts = Damien Rice, Vyvienne Long, Tom Osander, The Frames, Mic Christopher, David Kitt, Herbie Hancock, Paul Noonan, David Geraghty, Bell X1, The Cake Sale, Gary Lightbody, Cathy Davey, Jason Mraz, Mick Flannery. At the age of eighteen, she enrolled at Trinity College, Dublin, where she studied art history. Hannigan enjoyed theater and auditioned for musicals as a teenager and was cast as Second Urchin in her school's production of ''My Fair Lady''.

Career

2001-2007

Hannigan began her six year collaboration with Damien Rice at a concert in the Temple Bar Music Centre in Dublin in early 2001. “It was upsetting, but worse things have happened. For everybody it was coming to the end of its cycle.” She was comforted by members of The Magic Numbers and has not spoken to Rice since the split. In retrospect, Hannigan says the split was the best thing that has ever happened to her.

2008-present

Some of Hannigan's live recordings were made available through trading networks radio shows. These recordings included: "Willy" by Joni Mitchell, "Be My Husband" by Nina Simone (from the 1965 album ''Pastel Blues''), "Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin and "Love Hurts" by Roy Orbison. Hannigan also performed live with her own band, called The Daisy Okell Quartet and contributed guest vocals to the recordings of Mic Christopher, The Frames and Herbie Hancock.

Lisa Hannigan's debut solo album, titled ''Sea Sew'', was rehearsed in a barn in Thomastown and recorded in Dublin before being released in Ireland in September 2008. The lead single, "Lille", was made available as a free Internet download and other tracks were available for preview on her Myspace page. The sleeve featured needle-work by Hannigan. Some music critics called the recording one of the best Irish albums of the year.

''Sea Sew'' was played on the American radio station KCRW and received favorable reviews in the ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''The New York Times''. The single "Lille", released in August 2008 on Irish and American radio stations. Hannigan performed at Electric Picnic 2008. Hannigan supported singer-songwriter Jason Mraz on a 42-date U.S. tour in 2008.

Also in 2008, she appeared on the charity album ''Even Better Than the Disco Thing'' and performed a duet of Mick Flannery's new song "Christmas Past" with Flannery on Tony Fenton's Christmas Special on Today FM. In December 2008, she made her UK solo debut at St Johns Church in London. Hannigan signed with ATO Records in the U.S., where her album was released in February 2009.

''Sea Sew'' was nominated for the Choice Music Prize and Best Irish Album at the Meteor Music Awards in January 2009.

That same year, Hannigan appeared on the American television shows Jay Leno, The Colbert Report and was well received by their respective hosts. In 2009, Hannigan also appeared on the BBC's ''Later... with Jools Holland'', performing her song "I Don't Know". ''Sea Sew'' rose in the UK charts following this appearance and she performed at Glastonbury 2009 music festival and went on tour later in the year. She performed at the nomination ceremony and she was greeted by confused journalists wondering "Lisa who?".

Hannigan performed at Electric Picnic 2009 and Le Chéile. Later in 2009, she toured the United States with David Gray and performed solo shows in New York, Los Angeles and London. She then began a tour of Ireland to finish the year. Hannigan's song "Ocean and Rock" was used in a 2009 Irish video supporting same-sex marriage entitled "Sinéad's Hand".

In 2010, a broadcast of ''Other Voices'' was planned. Hannigan recently recorded her second album, titled ''Passenger'', at Bryn Derwen Studios in North Wales with producer Joe Henry and engineer Ryan Freeland. The album will be released in the US and Canada on September 20, and a month later in Ireland and the UK.

Reception

Her music has received critical praise, airplay and award nominations both in her native Ireland and the United States. In 2008, her debut album ''Sea Sew'' spawned the single "Lille", a Choice Music Prize nomination, two Meteor Music Awards nominations and a Mercury Prize nomination. There has also been praise from fellow musicians and, in recent times, Jools Holland of the United Kingdom and US television hosts Jay Leno and Stephen Colbert.

Hannigan emits "a moan of delicate strength, and stirring warmth and humanity", describing her style as that of "plinky plonk rock", a genre coined by a friend. She performs using "broken-down, wheezy old instruments", assisting her band members in the transportation of this equipment. Her blog posts are noted for containing recipes for baking cakes.

Hannigan also contributed to the 2009 charity album, ''Sparks n' Mind'', released in aid of Aware.

Discography

''Sea Sew'' (2008)

''Lille - EP'' (2009)

''Live at Fingerprints - EP'' (2009)

''Passenger'' (2011)

Awards

''Hot Press'' Readers' Poll

Hannigan has four ''Hot Press'' Readers' Poll awards. She won Best Debut Album, Best Irish Album, Best Irish Track and Best Female in 2009. The award was won by Jape for the album ''Ritual'' on 4 March 2009.

|- | 2009 || ''Sea Sew'' || Irish Album of the Year 2008 || |-

Meteor Music Awards

Hannigan and her work was nominated in the Best Irish Female and Best Irish Album categories at the Meteor Music Awards in 2009. She was the only solo artist nominated in more than one category at the awards. She lost to Imelda May and The Script's self-titled album respectively.

|- | 2009 || ''Sea Sew'' || Best Irish Album || |- | 2009 || Lisa Hannigan || Best Irish Female || |-

Mercury Prize

''Sea Sew'' was nominated for the Mercury Prize on 21 July 2009. It was Hannigan's first nomination; other Irish acts nominated before her included U2 Gemma Hayes, The Thrills and Fionn Regan. The identity of the award-winning album was confirmed as ''Speech Therapy'' by Speech Debelle on 8 September 2009 in London. Hannigan described the nomination as "an incredible honour" and "an amazing affirmation that people like your record". She also said she had "never been so excited about anything before".

Hannigan was referred to as 2009's "token folk nominee" in the UK, with the ''NME'', a music magazine in that country, calling her a "token folkie". One British journalist even claimed she was "truly obscure" and part of the "moribund sensitive singer-songwriter genre". Ed Power, writing in the ''Irish Independent'', criticised such claims, wondering if Jape (whose album ''Ritual'' beat Hannigan to the Choice Music Prize) had come close to receiving a Mercury nomination—"Or, for that matter, how many of the judges had even heard of him".

|- | 2009 || ''Sea Sew'' || Best Album || |-

See also

Side projects of Lisa Hannigan

References

External links

Official site

Official biography

Lisa Hannigan Refined an unofficial website

Lisa Hannigan on ''Other Voices''

Lisa Hannigan interview on LAist

Lisa Hannigan at Eskimo Friends, a Damien Rice site

Lisa Hannigan Review Fazer.ca March 2009

Mercury nomination photos at the ''Irish Independent''

Category:1981 births Category:Irish female singers Category:Irish folk singers Category:Living people Category:Alumni of The King's Hospital Category:People from County Meath

bs:Lisa Hannigan ca:Lisa Hannigan de:Lisa Hannigan es:Lisa Hannigan fr:Lisa Hannigan it:Lisa Hannigan nl:Lisa Hannigan pt:Lisa Hannigan fi:Lisa Hannigan sv:Lisa Hannigan zh:麗莎·漢尼根

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Parov Stelar
alt	Parov Stelar
background	non_performing_personnel
birth name	Marcus Füreder
alias	Plasma, Cash Candy, Nola Grey
born	November 27, 1974
origin	Linz, Austria
genre	Electro Swing, Hip Hop
occupation	Producer, DJ
years active	1998-present
label	Etage Noir Recordings
website
notable instruments	}}

Parov Stelar aka Marcus Füreder (born November 27, 1974) is a musician who lives and works in Linz, Austria. He performs with his Band - the Parov Stelar Band - and as a DJ worldwide. Parov Stelar is the head of Etage Noir Recordings.

Biography

After experience as a DJ at nightclubs during the mid-late 1990s, Parov Stelar got involved in producing and publishing in 2000 for the first time.

After early works under the pseudonym Plasma and his real name, and also being a partner of the label Bushido Recordings, in 2004 he started producing under the pseudonym Parov Stelar. In the same year he founded his own label: Etage Noir Recordings.

His first release,for Etage Noir, "KissKiss EP" and the soon after released LP  "Rough Cuts", provided him immediate breakthrough on the international electronic music scene. His specific approach to music production, combined with a proven sense of sound aesthetics, led to massive reaction of audience and colleagues all around the world, giving him reputation as the founder of a new genre:  "Electroswing"

The following albums "Seven and Storm", "Shine" and latest the double album "Coco", as well as numerous singles and remixes made Parov Stelar one of the most wanted and successful artists of his kind. Parov Stelar's Tracks have been used on more than 700 Compilations (for example: Hôtel Costes, Buddha Bar, Electro Swing) and have been the soundtrack for numerous TV ads (Chrysler, Motorola, Audi,...), TV shows, TV series and movies.

The Parov Stelar Band

After starting as a solo artist and gaining initial success, in 2005 Parov Stelar decided to expand his on-stage music with a full band. This collaboration with four musicians noticeably influenced his work. Since that time, the Parov Stelar Band has increased in popularity.

Instrumentation of the Parov Stelar Band

Max the Sax aka Markus Ecklmayr (Sax)

Jerry Di Monza (Trumpet)

Beate Baumgartner (Vocals)

Gianna Charles (Vocals)

Cleo Panther (Vocals)

Willie Larsson Jr. (Drums)

Michael Wittner (Bass)

Parov Stelar (Programming)

DJ Sets

Parov Stelar's DJ sets often include live saxophone performance of his band member Markus Ecklmayr (Max The Sax), and occasionally, singer Beate Baumgartner (Yola B).

Discography

Albums

2001: Shadow Kingdom LP (2x12" Vinyl & CD, Bushido Recordings, as ''Plasma'')

2004: Rough Cuts (CD, Etage Noir Recordings)

2005: Seven and Storm (CD, Etage Noir Recordings)

2007: Shine (CD, Etage Noir Recordings)

2008: Daylight (CD, Rambling Records)

2009: That Swing - Best Of (CD, Etage Noir Recordings)

2009: Coco (CD, Etage Noir Recordings)

2010: The Paris Swing Box (Etage Noir Recordings)

EPs

2001: Shadow Kingdom EP (12" Vinyl, Bushido Recordings, as ''Plasma'')

2002: Lo Tech Trash (12" Vinyl, Bushido Recordings, as Marcus Füreder)

2004: KissKiss (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2004: Move On! (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2004: Wanna get (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2004: Primavera (12" Vinyl, Auris Recordings)

2005: Music I believe in (12" Vinyl, ~Temp Records, as Marcus Füreder)

2005: A Night In Torino (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2005: Spygame (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2006: Parov Stelar EP (12" Vinyl, Big Sur)

2006: Charleston Butterfly (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2007: Jet Set EP (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Special)

2007: Sugar (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2008: The Flame Of Fame (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2008: Libella Swing (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2009: Coco EP (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2010: The Phantom EP (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2010: The Paris Swingbox EP (Etage Noir Recordings)

2011: La Fête EP (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

Singles

2000: Synthetica/Stompin' Ground (12" Vinyl, Bushido Recordings, as Marcus Füreder)

2001: Guerrilla (12" Vinyl, Bushido Recordings, as Marcus Füreder)

2004: Get Up On Your Feet (12" Vinyl, Sunshine Enterprises)

2005: Faith (Maxi-CD, Etage Noir Recordings)

2007: Rock For / Love (12" Vinyl, Etage Noir Recordings)

2007: Shine (Maxi-CD, Etage Noir Recordings)

Videoclips

Seven (from the album ''Seven and Storm'')

Love (from the album ''Shine'')

Shine (from the album ''Shine'')

Matilda

Coco

Let's Roll

Catgroove

References

External links

Official site

Parov Stelar at Discogs

BBC music's review of his album Shine

Category:Austrian jazz musicians Category:Breakbeat musicians Category:Electronica musicians Category:Intelligent dance music musicians Category:Remixers Category:Musical groups established in 2000 Category:1975 births Category:Living people

da:Parov Stelar de:Parov Stelar fr:Parov Stelar ko:파로브 스텔라 it:Parov Stelar pl:Parov Stelar ru:Parov Stelar

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Eden Hazard
fullname	Eden Hazard
height
birth date	January 07, 1991
birth place	La Louvière, Belgium
currentclub	Lille
clubnumber	10
position	Attacking midfielder Winger
youthyears1	1998–2003
youthyears2	2003–2005
youthyears3	2005–2007
youthclubs1	Royal Stade Brainois
youthclubs2	Tubize
youthclubs3	Lille
clubs1	Lille
years1	2007–
caps1	113
goals1	16
nationalyears1	2007–2008
nationalyears2	2008–2009
nationalyears3	2008–
nationalteam1	Belgium U17
nationalteam2	Belgium U19
nationalteam3	Belgium
nationalcaps1	17
nationalgoals1	4
nationalcaps2	9
nationalgoals2	6
nationalcaps3	20
nationalgoals3	0
ntupdate	3 June 2011
pcupdate	28 August 2011 }}

Eden Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian football player who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1 and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking midfielder who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble". He has also been described as "a defender's nightmare" and has earned critical acclaim for his playing style, which has led to the media, coaches, and players drawing comparisons to FIFA World Player of the Year winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hazard is the son of former Belgian football players Carine and Thierry Hazard and began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize. In 2005, he ventured to France joining first division club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. In his first full season as a starter, he won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award becoming the first non-French player to win the award. In the 2009–10 season, Hazard captured the award again becoming the first player to win the award twice. He was also named to the league's Team of the Year. Since making his debut in 2007, Hazard has become an integral part of the club under manager Rudi Garcia racking up over 140 appearances. In the 2010–11 season, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of his performances, was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player to win the award.

Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his nation at under-17 and under-19 level. Prior to starring for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Hazard made his senior international debut in November 2008, at the age of 17 years and 316 days, in a friendly match against Luxembourg.

Personal life

Hazard was born in the city of La Louvière, but was raised in Braine-le-Comte, a small town in the Wallonia region. He grew up in a football dominant family. His mother, Carine, and father, Thierry (not to be confused with the French singer and songwriter of the same name) were both footballers in Belgium. His father spent most of his career playing in the Belgian Second Division with R.A.A. Louviéroise, while his mother played as a striker in the Belgian Women's First Division. Hazard is the eldest of four children. He has three younger brothers all of whom play football. Thorgan, 18, plays in the youth academy of Lille's most hated rivals RC Lens. Hazard's other younger brothers Kylian, 15, and Ethan, seven, remain in Belgium playing in the youth academy of Eden's former club A.F.C. Tubize. Kylian is set to join Lille when he turns 16. Hazard and his three brothers were raised in a comfortable environment with their parents ensuring they had whatever they needed to excel. The family lived "no more than three meters" from a football training ground and the brothers often ventured onto a training pitch through a small hole in order to hone and develop their skills. Hazard is currently in a relationship with girlfriend Natasha. On 19 December, Belgian and French media announced that she had given birth to a baby boy.

Club career

Early career

Hazard began his football career playing for hometown club Royal Stade Brainois. He spent five years at the club before moving to Tubize. Hazard was spotted by a Lille scout while playing in a local tournament with the club. The scout's subsequent report on the player prompted club officials to meet with Hazard's father and offer the young player an ''aspirant'' (youth) contract. Hazard's parents accepted the offer with hopes that the training facilities in France would be better. Hazard's father later admitted that the decision to let Eden and, later Thorgan, join clubs in the North of France was the best solution stating "They remained so close to home and, at the same time, they integrated at structures where they could grow, because in Belgium, unfortunately, it's a little empty for the training of youth".

Lille

Hazard joined Lille in 2005 and spent two years developing in the club's youth academy in Luchin. On 28 May 2007, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal with Lille. At the start of the 2007–08 season, at the age of 16, Hazard was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football, though he still played with Lille's under-18 team in its league and the Coupe Gambardella. Hazard made his amateur debut on 1 September 2007 in a league match against Racing Club de France appearing as a second half substitute in a 3–1 defeat. He made his first start a week later in the team's 1–0 defeat to Lesquin.

After spending the majority of October and the early part of November playing with the club's under-18 team, on November 14, due to several players being on international duty, Hazard was called up to the senior team by manager Claude Puel to participate in a friendly match against Belgian club Bruges on 16 November. He appeared as a substitute in the match and, as a result of his performance, was included in the 18-man squad to face Nancy in a league match on 24 November. Hazard, subsequently, made his professional debut in the match coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute. Hazard returned to the club's reserve team and spent December playing with the squad. Following the winter break, Hazard returned to the first team in January and made substitute appearances in three league matches against Metz, Sochaux, and Paris Saint-Germain. After-wards, he was relegated back to the amateur level where he played concurrently with the reserve team in the fourth division and the under-18 team in the Coupe Gambardella. On 17 May 2008, he scored his first amateur goal in a 3–2 victory over Vitré. Hazard finished his amateur career with 11 appearances and one goal helping the reserve team finished in fifth place, which was first among professional clubs' reserve teams playing in the group.

2008–09 season

For the 2008–09 season, Hazard switched to the number 26 shirt and was promoted to the senior team permanently by new manager Rudi Garcia. Early on, he made substitute appearances regularly making his season debut as a substitute on 14 September 2008 against Sochaux in a 1–1 draw. One of his substitute appearances proved beneficial against Auxerre on 20 September. With Lille trailing 2–1 in the waning minutes of the match, Hazard, after Lille took a corner kick, quickly scooped up a short clearance from Auxerre and took a right-footed shot just outside the box. It beat the keeper and drew the score 2–2 in the 88th minute. With Lille's confidence high, the club won the match 3–2 in injury time following a goal from Tulio de Melo. Hazard's first career goal resulted in him becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club's history. Four days after scoring his first professional goal, Hazard made his first professional start in a 4–2 defeat on penalties to Montpellier in the Coupe de la Ligue. After featuring as a substitute in the team's next five league matches, on 15 November, Hazard made his first professional league start against Saint-Étienne. He capped the appearance by scoring the opening goal in the club's 3–0 victory. His positive performances with the club resulted in Lille offering him a three-year contract extension, which he agreed to on 18 November 2008, tying him to the club until 2012.

After featuring as a substitute in December, Hazard returned to the starting lineup in January. On 23 January, he scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over amateur club Dunkerque in Round of 32 of the Coupe de France. Two weeks later, he scored a game-winning goal in a league match against Sochaux and, on 22 February, assisted on the winner against Monaco. In the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France, Hazard netted a goal in a 3–2 win over the competition's defending champions Lyon. On 26 April, he scored the opening goal against Marseille, though Lille lost the match 2–1. In the final ten league matches of the campaign, Hazard started eight and contributed to the team finishing in 5th place, which resulted in Lille qualifying for the newly-created UEFA Europa League. After the season, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year, becoming the first international player to achieve the honor.

2009–10 season

}} Following the 2008–09 season, constant media speculation occurred in numerous countries regarding Hazard's availability on the transfer market. Despite Lille chairman Michel Seydoux declaring the player off limits and Hazard stating that he wanted to remain at the club for at least another season, several clubs declared interest in the player. Notable clubs included English clubs Arsenal and Manchester United, Italian club Internazionale, and Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. French football legend Zinedine Zidane personally recommended the player to the latter club.

Hazard began the 2009–10 season on a quick note scoring in the Lille's first competitive match of the season. The goal, contributing to the team's 2–0 victory, came against Serbian club FK Sevojno in the first leg of the club's third qualifying round match in the UEFA Europa League. On 27 August, he scored his second career European goal in the club's second leg tie in the playoff round against Belgian club Genk. It was Lille's final goal in the club's 4–2 victory. The 6–3 aggregate scoreline assured the club progression to the Europa League group stage. On 22 October, he scored a goal in Lille's important 3–0 victory over Italian club Genoa in the 84th minute after entering as a substitute 10 minutes prior. Upon receiving the ball on the left wing, Hazard proceeded to dash through the midfield dribbling past six Genoa defenders before finishing at the 18-yard box. A month later, Hazard was instrumental in Lille's 5–1 thrashing of Czech club Slavia Prague as he was partly responsible for the opening goal after slicing through the defense and delivering a cross near post, which awkwardly went off Slavia player Marek Suchý resulting in an own goal.

On 20 December, he scored his first league goal of the season in the club's 3–0 win over Le Mans. Hazard also provided both the assists on the other two goals. On 30 January, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's win over Derby du Nord rivals Lens. The victory helped the club achieve stability in the league by keeping them in the UEFA Champions League places and, also, ended a disaster of a week which saw Lille suffer elimination from both of France's cup competitions. Five days later, Hazard and Lille reached an agreement on a contract extension, which will keep the player at the club until 2014. On 11 March, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's victory over English club Liverpool in the first leg of the club's UEFA Europa League tie converting a free kick in the 83^rd minute. Three weeks later, Hazard provided two assists in the club's 4–1 win over fellow title contenders Montpellier. The two passes brought his league tally to seven, tied for second in the league. For his impressive displays in the month of March, Hazard was given the UNFP Player of the Month award.

On 29 April, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. He was also nominated, for the second consecutive season, for the Young Player of the Year award. On 9 May, Hazard was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year trophy for the second consecutive season. He is the first player, since the award's inception in 1994, to win the award twice. Hazard lost out on the Player of the Year award, which was awarded to Lyon striker Lisandro López.

2010–11 season

Hazard began the 2010–11 campaign as a starter featuring in Lille's first six league matches of the season, as well as matches in the UEFA Europa League. On 29 August 2010, he scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw with Nice. In late September, Hazard began to struggle with inconsistency and was benched by Garcia in an effort to "allow him (Hazard) to breathe and learn that his performances were insufficient". Hazard, subsequently, appeared as a substitute in the team's 2–1 defeat to Portuguese club Sporting in the Europa League and as a substitute in the next three league matches against Toulouse, Montpellier, and Lyon. Hazard later admitted that his first bout of inconsistency affected him stating "The first two months were a bit tough. I wouldn’t say that I began doubting my abilities, but I definitely went through a really patchy spell".

On 7 October, Belgium national team manager Georges Leekens, citing Hazard's recent spell on the bench at Lille, said that the player needed to work harder, both physically and mentally, to regain his past year's form. The team's assistant coach, Marc Wilmots, also stated that Hazard often displayed a lazy mentality while training with the national team. Garcia responded to Leekens comments the following day stating that he thought they were "excessive" and that "Eden is only 19 years old" and can still "make more progress in all areas." Following Belgium's match against Kazakhstan, in which Hazard failed to start or even appear on the substitute's bench, Leekens responded to Garcia's comments declaring that he would stand by his previous comments and that players must think about the team and not themselves. Hazard, himself, later reflected on Leekens and Garcia comments in February 2011 stating "I learned a lot during those few weeks, mentally speaking. And since then things have got better. The national side has had a fair bit to do with that – I get a lot out of being a part of it".

Following the international break, Hazard re-captured his scoring form netting the final goal in Lille's 4–1 victory over Caen in the Coupe de la Ligue on 27 October. Ten days later, he scored his second league goal of the season in a 3–1 win against the league table leaders Brest. On 21 November, Hazard assisted on both Lille's goals in a 2–1 win over Monaco. The victory continued the club's domestic unbeaten streak, which led to Lille topping the league table following an emphatic 6–3 victory against Lorient on 5 December. Hazard began the 2011 portion of the season scoring in the team's first match of the new year against amateur club Forbach in the Coupe de France. Lille won the match 3–1. In the team's following match, he assisted on goals scored by Moussa Sow and Gervinho in a 2–0 league victory over Nice. On 19 January, Hazard scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory over Nancy. On 4 March, Lille officials confirmed that Hazard had added an extra year to his contract. The new deal ties him to the club until 2015. In his first match after the news, Hazard scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–1 away win over title rivals Marseille. The goal was scored on a left-footed shot from almost out.

On 2 April, Hazard capped his 100th league appearance with Lille by scoring the second goal in a 3–1 win over Caen. The goal tied his career-high for goals in a season and also moved Lille eight points clear as league leader in the table. For his performances in the month of March, Hazard was named the UNFP Player of the Month for the second time in his career. On 19 April, after appearing as a first half substitute, he scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–0 Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice. The victory inserted the club into the 2011 Coupe de France Final; the club's first appearance in the competition's final since 1955. On 7 May, Hazard converted a game-winning free-kick goal in the team's 1–0 win over Nancy. Three days later, he was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. In the Coupe de France final, Hazard played 89 minutes as Lille defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 at the Stade de France. A week later, Lille clinched the Ligue 1 title by drawing 2–2 away to Paris Saint-Germain, achieving the club's first league championship since the 1953–54 season and the club's first double since the 1945–46 season. The domestic cup and league title were the first two honours in Hazard's career. On the day after Lille won the league, Hazard was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player ever to win the award. He was also rewarded with a place in the organization's Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.

2011–12 season

Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Hazard switched to the number 10 shirt. In Lille's first competitive match of the season against Marseille in the 2011 Trophée des Champions, Hazard scored the team's second goal, which put Lille up 2–0. Marseille would later come back to win the match 5–4.

International career

Youth

Eden has played for various Belgian national youth teams, such as the under-17 and under-19 teams. With the under-17 team, Hazard was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring four goals. He played with the team in the Toto Cup, a yearly international youth tournament held in Austria and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, which Belgium hosted. In the tournament, Hazard scored his only goal in the team's opening match against the Netherlands converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw. Throughout the tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo. Belgium suffered elimination in the semi-final portion of the competition losing to Spain 7–6 on penalties. Belgium were minutes away from a victory, courtesy of an own goal from David Rochela, which Hazard was particularly instrumental in, however Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić equalized for his nation to send the match into extra time. Due to finishing in third place at the tournament, Belgium qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, held in South Korea. Hazard was selected to participate and played in all three group stage matches, where Belgium were eliminated.

Hazard bypassed the Belgian under-18 team and began earning call-ups to the under-19 team in October 2007. His first appearance came in a 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification match against Romania coming on as a substitute in a 4–0 victory. He subsequently played in the next two group stage matches against Iceland and England. Belgium lost both matches. The negative results eliminated the country from the tournament. Due to being an underage player the previous year, Hazard was eligible for the under-19 team for the 2008–09 season. Due to his increase participation with Lille's first team, Hazard was only allowed participation in 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification matches by his club and, as a result, missed the 2008 edition of the Milk Cup, which was held during Lille's preseason. On 7 October 2008, he scored his first under-19 goal in the team's 5–0 victory over Estonia. Three days later, he scored a double in a 2–2 draw with Croatia. In the Elite Round, Hazard led the team in goals scoring three. In the opening match against the Republic of Ireland, he scored the lone goal. In the next match, Hazard was influential in the team's 5–0 thrashing of Sweden scoring a goal and assisting on two others. In the team's final match, they faced Switzerland. Belgium needed an outright victory to progress to the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, but were eliminated from qualifying after drawing 1–1 with the Swiss, despite Hazard opening the scoring for Belgium in the 21^st minute.

Senior

Although, Hazard is still eligible to represent Belgium on youth level, on 18 November 2008, he was called up to the Belgium senior team, for the first time, by manager René Vandereycken for the team's match against Luxembourg. He made his highly anticipated debut in that match coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute for Wesley Sonck. On his debut, Hazard became the eighth youngest player in Belgian football history at 17 years and 316 days to play for the national team. On 12 August 2009, after three consecutive substitute appearances with the team, he made his first start under coach Franky Vercauteren in the team's 3–1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic. Following the resignation of Vercauteren, he was replaced with manager Dick Advocaat. Under Advocaat, Hazard became a starter in the team and, on 14 November 2009, played a full match for the first time in his international career. In the match, which was played against Hungary, Hazard assisted on two goals in a 3–0 win.

Advocaat was replaced as manager in May 2010 with Georges Leekens. After featuring as a starter in Leekens first three matches in charge, Hazard began appearing as a substitute for Belgium during the 2010–11 season. Leekens justified his benching of Hazard citing the players' domestic performance, which had been underwhelming at the time, while also admitting that Hazard displayed a lack of desire in training with the national team and often neglected his defensive duties during international matches. After appearing as a substitute in two straight matches, Hazard returned to the starting lineup for the team's November 2010 friendly match against Russia. In the match, which Belgium won 2–0, Hazard assisted on the team's opening goal scored by Romelu Lukaku. After featuring as a starter in the team's 1–1 draw with Finland in February 2011, Hazard was relegated back to the substitute's bench for the team's important March 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches as Leekens preferred Nacer Chadli and Moussa Dembélé on the wings. In the team's 29 March qualifier against Azerbaijan, he appeared as a second-half substitute and assisted on the team's final goal in a 4–1 win. Following the matches, French media began questioning why Hazard was struggling to be appreciated in his home country, while, at the same time, was being praised in France. Marc Wilmots, assistant coach of the national team, responded to the media reports stating "Some people only see Eden's qualities" and "the French press are sometimes blinded by his moments of magic".

In Belgium's next competitive match against Turkey on 3 June 2011, Hazard started the match, but was substituted out after 60 minutes. Disappointed with his performance and substitution, the midfielder retired to the locker room and was later spotted on television outside the stadium with his family eating a hamburger while the match was still ongoing. Following the episode, which has become known as ''Burgergate'' in Belgium, Hazard apologized for the defection, while Leekens attributed Hazard's response to the substitution as "a young player making a mistake". On 4 August, Leekens announced that Hazard would be disciplined for his actions during the Turkey match and, as a result, would miss the team's 10 August friendly match against Slovenia, as well as the team's Euro qualifying return match against Azerbaijan on 2 September and friendly against the United States four days later. On 9 August, Hazard's management group issued a press release to the Belgian media. The release detailed Hazard's actions during the Turkey match, criticized the player's three-match suspension, as well as questioned Leekens constant criticism of Hazard. On 25 August, it was announced that Leekens had lifted Hazard's suspension and the midfielder was subsequently named in the team to play the September fixtures. Leekens decided to lift the suspension after having a meeting with Hazard that was organized by the player's agent.

Style of play

Hazard primarily plays as either an attacking midfielder or a winger and has been credited as being "possibly the outstanding talent in Europe right now". Under Lille manager Rudi Garcia, Hazard often plays in the latter role in the team's 4–3–3 formation and regularly switches flanks due to his ability to effectively use both feet. Two of Hazard's most common exemplary traits is his pace and technical ability, which has been described as both "astonishing" and "mesmerizing", respectively. Club captain Rio Mavuba described Hazard as "a great player, with an immense talent. He’s actually not that big, but he’s so fast. He’s also very difficult to dispossess and his finishing is top notch". Hazard's pace coupled with his finishing and inability to be dispossessed easily led to his former coach Claude Puel dubbing him "little Messi", in reference to the Barcelona star. Puel's sentiments were later echoed by former Marseille manager and media personality Rolland Courbis who commented "At times it looks to me like Lionel Messi on the right-hand side". Hazard's "flair and tricky" style of play has been described as being similar to Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo; a comparison later repeated by former French international Christophe Dugarry. His vision, described as being the trait he has improved on the most, has allowed him to develop into an effective passer, which compensates for his relatively low goal-scoring output.

In Belgium, Hazard's talent and similar ascension up the country's football hierarchy has led to comparisons to former Belgian international Enzo Scifo. Both players share the same birthplace and Scifo himself spent time with Hazard while he was in Tubize admitting "Eden, you know, I've coached in Tubize. During the week, I took care of the young people at least once, and he, in those days, I immediately saw he had a secure future". However, despite the positive opinions, Hazard has endured criticism from some. His former national team coach and mentor Dick Advocaat agreed with the majority in that Hazard possessed everything required to be a world-class player, however Advocaat admitted that the attacker lacked charisma stating "I told him to have more charisma. He is a talent, but he can not be seen like that forever". In 2010, current national team manager Georges Leekens questioned Hazard's work-rate. Lille youth academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme countered both managers criticism by arguing that Hazard simply possesses an intellectual honesty that is out of the ordinary and unexpected of today's footballer declaring "He is a real competitor, not a cheat, nor a moaner, because you don’t hear him complaining when he gets fouled". Hazard's calm and cool demeanor on the field has been cited as one of his best attributes. So far in his career as a professional, in which he has accumulated over 130 appearances, Hazard has collected only nine yellow cards.

Career statistics

Club

''(Correct as of 28 August 2011)''

0 4 5 7 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	!colspan="3"	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists
rowspan="6" valign="center"	Lille		4	|	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0
2008–09 Ligue 1	2008–09	30	|	1	5	2	2	0	0	0	35	6	3
2009–10 Ligue 1	2009–10	37	|	8	3	1	0	12	4	1	52	10	9
2010–11 Ligue 1	2010–11	38	|	10	7	5	0	7	0	0	52	12	10
2011–12 Ligue 1	2011–12	4	|	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	5	1	1
Total	!113!!16!!20!!16!!9!!2!!19!!4!!1!!148!!29!!23
Career total	!113!!16!!20!!16!!9!!2!!19!!4!!1!!148!!29!!23

International

:''(Correct as of 3 June 2011)'' 8 8

National team!!Season!!Apps!!Goals !! Assists
rowspan=3 valign="center"	Belgium	2008–09	4	0
2009–10	|	0	3
2010–11	|	0	3
colspan=2	Total!!20!!0	7

Honours

Club

;Lille

Ligue 1 (1): 2010–11

Coupe de France (1): 2010–11

Individual

UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year (1): 2010–11

UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year (2): 2008–09, 2009–10

UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year (2): 2009–10, 2010–11

UNFP Player of the Month (2): March 2010, March 2011

Notes

References

External links

Eden Hazard Website

Belgian FA Profile

ESPN Profile

Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:People from La Louvière Category:Belgian footballers Category:Belgium international footballers Category:Belgian expatriate footballers Category:Lille OSC players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Expatriate footballers in France Category:Walloon sportspeople

ar:إدين هازارد ca:Eden Hazard da:Eden Hazard de:Eden Hazard es:Eden Hazard fr:Eden Hazard it:Eden Hazard he:אדן הזארד hu:Eden Hazard nl:Eden Hazard ja:エデン・アザール no:Eden Hazard pl:Eden Hazard pt:Eden Hazard ru:Азар, Эден fi:Eden Hazard sv:Eden Hazard tr:Eden Hazard vi:Eden Hazard zh:伊登·夏薩特

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
playername	Axel Witsel
fullname	Axel Thomas Witsel
dateofbirth	January 12, 1989
cityofbirth	Liège
countryofbirth	Belgium
height
currentclub	Benfica
clubnumber	28
position	Midfielder
youthyears1	2004–2006
youthclubs1	Standard Liège
years1	2006–2011
clubs1	Standard Liège
years2	2011–
clubs2	Benfica
caps2	3
goals2	0
caps1	146
goals1	32
nationalyears1	2008–
nationalteam1	Belgium
nationalcaps1	19
nationalgoals1	5
pcupdate	12:26, 27 May 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	07:12, 4 June 2011 (UTC) }}

Axel Thomas Witsel () (born 12 January 1989 in Liège) is a Belgian football player who plays for Benfica. His natural position is attacking midfielder, but he came into the first team as a right-winger. His father has roots in Martinique (French Caribbean) and is a former football player, and his mother is Belgian.

Career

On 17 September 2006 a 17-year-old Witsel made his debut with Standard Liège during a competitive game against FC Brussels when he replaced Steven Defour in the 89th minute. Eleven days later he made his European debut as a substitute.

During the 2007–08 season, at 18 years of age, he was a key member in the squad of Standard Liège, winners of the Belgian League title that year. During this year, he formed a very young midfield together with other Belgian talents Marouane Fellaini and Steven Defour. In the following season he scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in a two-legged playoff to decide the Championship.

Axel Witsel currently plays for Benfica from Portugal, having signed a five year deal on July 13, 2011. Witsel scored twice in the 3-1 win against Fc Twente, in the Champions League play-off second leg, on 24th August 2011.

Honours

Club

Standard Liege

Belgian League winner (2): 2007–08, 2008–09

Belgian Cup (1): 2010–11

Belgian Supercup (2): 2008, 2009

Individual

Belgian Young Footballer of the Year: 2007–08

Belgian Golden Shoe ''- Best player in the Belgian First Division 2008.''

Career statistics

{|border=1 align=center cellpadding=4 cellspacing=2 style="background: ivory; font-size: 95%; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; clear:center" |+ All-Time Club Performance |- style="background:beige" !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="2"|Domestic League !colspan="2"|Domestic Cup !colspan="2"|European Competition !colspan="2"|Total |- style="background:beige" !App !Goals !App !Goals !App  !Goals !App !Goals |- |rowspan="5" align=center valign=center|Standard Liège |align="center"|06–07 |align="center"|16 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|5 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 !22 !3 |- |align="center"|07–08 |align="center"|33 |align="center"|7 |align="center"|6 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|3 |align="center"|2 !42 !10 |- |align="center"|08–09 |align="center"|35 |align="center"|8 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|18 |align="center"|1 !46 !9 |- |align="center"|09–10 |align="center"|27 |align="center"|6 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|12 |align="center"|3 !40 !10 |- |align="center"|10–11 |align="center"|37 |align="center"|10 |align="center"|6 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|- |align="center"|- !43 !12 |- |rowspan="1" align=center valign=center|Benfica |align="center"|11–12 |align="center"|3 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|2 !5 !2 |- |- style="background:lemonchiffon" ! Total !! !! 151 !! 33 !! 18 !! 5 !! 29 !! 8 !! 198 !! 46 |- ! style="background:beige"|Career Totals ! style="background:beige" colspan="1" | ! style="background:beige"| 151 ! style="background:beige"| 33 ! style="background:beige"| 18 ! style="background:beige"| 5 ! style="background:beige"| 29 ! style="background:beige"| 8 ! style="background:beige"| 198 ! style="background:beige"| 46 |- |}

King Baudouin Stadium 17 November 2009 9 February 2011 rowspan=2

+ Axel Witsel: International Goals	Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1	26 March 2008	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels ||		1 – 4	Lost	Exhibition game>Friendly
2	| Stade Louis-Dugauguez, Sedan ||		0 – 2	Won	Friendly
3	|	Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent		1 – 1	Draw	Friendly
4	25 March 2011 ||	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna		0 – 2	Won	rowspan=2
5

Controversies

In Belgium

On 30 August 2009, Witsel sparked controversy when he broke Marcin Wasilewski's leg by stamping on his ankle during the match between Anderlecht and Standard. Following the tackle, Witsel protested the red card, claiming that it was an accident without intent, before being sent off the pitch. He soon apologised, but was the subject of criticism from several media outlets and numerous death threats from angry Anderlecht and Poland fans. The initial ban until 23 November by the Belgian Football Association, was later reduced on appeal to eight matches.

References

External links

AxelWitsel.com

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Belgian footballers Category:Martiniquais footballers Category:Belgium international footballers Category:S.L. Benfica footballers Category:People of Martiniquais descent Category:Belgian Pro League players

da:Axel Witsel de:Axel Witsel es:Axel Witsel fr:Axel Witsel ko:악셀 비첼 it:Axel Witsel la:Axel Witsel nl:Axel Witsel ja:アクセル・ヴィツェル pl:Axel Witsel pt:Axel Witsel ru:Витсель, Аксель fi:Axel Witsel sv:Axel Witsel tr:Axel Witsel