Look up zone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Zone may refer to:

Places[link]

American schools

• Andy

France

• Any of several divisions (Free, Northern, Occupied, and Southern) during the German occupation of France during World War II

Germany

• The Zone (die Zone in German), a derogatory term for the German Democratic Republic

Greece

• Zone (Thrace) (Ζώνη), an ancient Greek city in western Thrace

India

• Zones are administrative divisions of India composed of multiple states, which serve primarily an advisory role

Italy

• Zone, Lombardy, a comune in the Province of Brescia

Korea

• The Korean Demilitarized Zone

Ukraine

• Zone of alienation, the exclusion zone around the site of the Chernobyl disaster

Geography[link]

• Frigid zone, a geographical zone on earth
• Hardiness zone, a geographically-defined zone in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing
• Temperate zone, a geographical zone on earth
• Torrid zone, a geographical zone on earth
• Zone pricing, a geographical area in which charges are constant
• Zones (permaculture), a method of planning civil/agricultural placement
• Zoning, in urban planning, a system of land-use regulation

Entertainment[link]

• The Zone (ITV), a British TV programming strand on ITV1
• Zone (band), an all-female J-pop group
• Zone (guitar), a Fender bass guitar model
• Zone (album), an album by Southern Sons
• "Zone", a poem by Guillaume Apollinaire
• Zone Records, a record label
• Zone.com, alternate name for the MSN Games online video game site
• The Zone (YTV), a programming block on the Canadian television channel YTV
• The Zone (album), an album by Enter Shikari
• The Zone (film), a Swedish short film from the 1970s
• The Zone (TV series), a 2007 interactive game show
• Zones (novel), a 1997 novel by Damien Broderick & Rory Barnes
• In the Zone, Britney Spears' 4th album
  • In the Zone (DVD), released in connection with the album
• In the Zone, a play by Eugene O'Neill
• "In the Zone" (The Outer Limits), TV episode
• In the Zone, the third part of Thomas Pynchon's novel Gravity's Rainbow
• Zones, level names in early Sonic the Hedgehog games
• The Zone, the fictional area central to the story of the Andrei Tarkovsky movie Stalker

Mathematics[link]

• Spherical zone, the surface area of a spherical segment
• Brillouin zone, the primitive cell of a lattice in reciprocal space.

Sport[link]

• The Zone (Michigan), the University of Michigan women's volleyball cheering section
• Zone defense, in basketball
• Zoning (Australian rules football), a method of allocating players to clubs
• The Zone, a brand of gymnastic leotard

Technology[link]

• DNS zone, a portion of the namespace in the Domain Name System
• Solaris Zones, a feature of the Solaris operating system, also known as Solaris Containers
• Fibre Channel zoning, a method for facilitating low interference and high security in computer data storage systems
• A thermal zone, or just zone, in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC)
• Zone, a short name for DVD region code
• One of several terms used for a region in region-based memory management

Other uses[link]

• Zone (vestment), a belt worn by priests and bishops of the Eastern Orthodox Church
• Zone diet, a diet that involves precise proportions by weight of protein, fat and carbohydrate
• Zone System, a photographic technique for determining optimal film exposure and development
• Zone Coopérative de l'Université Laval, a university cooperative in the province of Quebec, Canada
• Erogenous zone, an area on the body which is sexually stimulating
• The zone, or flow, a mental state attained by a person fully immersed in some activity
• Chronozone, a sequence of rocks deposited within a particular time interval
• Time zone

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

The Weeknd
Background information
Birth name	Abel Tesfaye
Born	(1990-02-16) February 16, 1990 (age 22) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Contemporary R&B, post-dubstep, downtempo
Years active	2010–present
Associated acts	Drake, Doc McKinney, Illangelo,
Website	www.the-weeknd.com

Abel Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), better known by his stage name The Weeknd, is an R&B^[1] Canadian recording artist and record producer from Toronto. He began recording songs under The Weeknd and uploading them to YouTube in late 2010,^[2] though the identity of the individual behind the project was initially unknown.^[3][4] In March 2011, The Weeknd released a nine-song free album, House of Balloons which was critically acclaimed.^[5] The title track is based on a sample of Siouxsie and the Banshees' hit single "Happy House.^[6] The first album is a part of a trilogy which includes Thursday released in August of the same year and Echoes of Silence issued in December.^[7] In June, House of Balloons was named as one of ten shortlisted nominees of 2011 Polaris Music Prize but eventually lost to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs.^[8] On December 21, 2011 at 11:07 p.m. EST Tesfaye released his highly anticipated third mixtape Echoes of Silence. The Weeknd's site crashed shortly after due to the large number of downloads. The Weeknd quickly provided a Hulkshare link to keep the album available while the official site was down.

Since hitting the scene, The Weeknd has received praise from a number of musical publications, including those of Pitchfork,^[1] MTV,^[9] BET, Rolling Stone, XXL and The Source, who have all dubbed him the "Songbird of his Generation", as well as the "best musical talent since Michael Jackson" (John Norris, MTV).

[edit] House of Balloons

In late 2010, Abel Tesfaye uploaded three songs: "What You Need," "Loft Music," and "The Morning" to YouTube.^[10] A nine-track free album titled House of Balloons was digitally released on 21 March 2011 through the artist's official website.^[11] The title track is based on the sample of Siouxsie and the Banshees' 1980 hit single "Happy House" with Tesfaye covering the chorus.^[5] Tesfaye’s eclectic music also blends other samples ranging from Beach House to Aaliyah.^[12] Hip-hop artist Drake has been partly credited for generating public awareness for The Weeknd, after he quoted a line from the track "Wicked Games" via Twitter and linked to the singer's music on his website.^[11][13]

House of Balloons was met with universal critical acclaim. Pitchfork's Joe Colly wrote that "all the thematic and sonic pieces fit together - these weird, morning-after tales of lust, hurt, and over-indulgence ... are matched by this incredibly lush, downcast music. It's hard to think of a record since probably The xx's debut ... that so fully embodies such a specific nocturnal quality."^[1] Frontier Psychiatrist's L.V. Lopez claimed the album was "brilliant, disturbing, and not safe for work," calling the song "Loft Music" a song that is "so unsafe it should come with a child-proof cap, so dirty that you’ll feel guilty the next time you see your wife."^[14] Tom Ewing of The Guardian said that although the singing and songwriting on House of Balloons "aren't especially strong by R&B standards," the Weeknd is receiving "so much attention" as a result of its "command of mood."^[15] Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice called the album "impressive" and added, "It's patient, often gorgeous, and consistently louche ... with the sort of blown-out underbelly and echo-laden crooning that has already made Drake's less-than-a-year-old Thank Me Later such an influential guidepost."^[16] Maegan McGregor of Exclaim! also praised the album: "Packed full of sex, drugs and some downright killer production, this easily stands as one of the year's best debuts so far, hipster, Top 40 or otherwise."^[17] Sputnik Music's Tyler Fisher said that "despite being a free album, House of Balloons feels like a true album, a true labor of love."^[18]

In July, The Weeknd then went on tour and gave his first performance at the Mod Club on College Street in Toronto. The hour-and-a-half long performance created a lot of buzz about the young R&B singer.^[19] Tesfaye’s next performance took place at Toronto’s Molson Canadian Amphitheatre. He collaborated with rapper Drake and appeared as one of the special guests to Drake’s 2nd Annual OVO Fest on July 31, 2011 ^[20] That same month, the song "High for This" was featured in the promo for the final season of the HBO show Entourage.^[21]

During the summer, the press noted that Tesfaye refused to give interviews and choose to only communicate via Twitter.^[22]

When House of Balloons was named #1 album of 2011 by Complex magazine, it beat both Drake's Take Care and Watch the Throne by Jay-Z and Kanye West for the number 1 spot.^[12]

[edit] Thursday

Thursday (mixtape) is the second mixtape released by The Weeknd . The mixtape was released shortly after House of Balloons on August 18, 2011. Thursday was released on XO's label along with his other two mixtapes. Although the mixtape was released for free on his website as a digital download, the feedback it received was enormously positive.^[23] Thursday was produced in Toronto, Ontario with the help of Doc McKinney and Illangelo.^[24]

[edit] Echoes of Silence

The Weeknd's third mixtape, entitled Echoes of Silence, was released in December 21, 2011.^[23][25] Echoes of Silence has been described as his most lyrically powerful and emotional mixtape to date.^[24]

In April 2012, The Weeknd debuted his US tour by performing at the Coachella Festival.^[26] Tesfaye and his band visited the Union’s coasts, with a dozen of gigs in various major cities^[26] which culminated in New York where the two sold out shows were positively reviewed by Rolling Stone.^[27] Then, they will be also performing in European major festivals, including the Primavera Sound Festivals in Spain and Portugal,^[28] Wireless Festival in London,^[29] plus concerts in Paris and Brussels.

Discography[link]

Mixtapes[link]

Guest Appearances and Production[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official blog

Riccardo Montolivo

Montolivo playing for Fiorentina
Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-01-18) 18 January 1985 (age 27)[1]
Place of birth	Caravaggio, Italy
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)[2]
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Milan
Number	18
Youth career
2000–2003	Atalanta
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2005	Atalanta	72	(7)
2005–2012	Fiorentina	219	(17)
2012–	Milan	0	(0)
National team‡
2004–2007	Italy U21	20	(3)
2008	Italy U23	5	(1)
2007–	Italy	33	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 June 2012

Riccardo Montolivo (Italian pronunciation: [rikˈkardo montoˈlivo]; born 18 January 1985 in Caravaggio, Province of Bergamo) is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team. He will join Milan on 1 July 2012.

Montolivo is a prototypical "regista" (deep-lying playmaker), similar to Andrea Pirlo. Though he prefers to play in the middle, he can play anywhere including defensive midfield but he is more comfortable in an attacking role.^{[citation needed]} Montolivo was born to an Italian father and German mother.

Club career[link]

Atalanta[link]

Montolivo began his career in Serie B with Atalanta. At the age of 18, he made his debut during the 2003–04 season. He played 41 matches and scored four goals, helping Atalanta gain promotion to Serie A.^[2] In his first season in Serie A, he played 32 times and scored three goals.^[2] However, his efforts were in vain as Atalanta were relegated back down to Serie B.

Fiorentina[link]

Montolivo moved to Fiorentina in the summer of 2005. Initially Atalanta retained part-ownership of the player but the following summer they relinquished that option as Fiorentina took full ownership.^{[citation needed]}

During the 2005–06 season Montolivo's first-team chances were limited, partly due to the fact that he was still an inexperienced player and partly because manager Cesare Prandelli had a relatively stable and reliable squad of players at his disposal.^{[citation needed]} The young man's talents did not go unrecognised though. He became a fixture in Italy's Under-21 team, coached by Pierluigi Casiraghi.^{[citation needed]}

The 2007–08 season started well for the Viola midfielder: in the first match day he was as one of the best on the field against Empoli, against which he also scored a splendid goal from a lob.^{[citation needed]} The season follows between ups and downs, but Montolivo confirms himself during the course of the championship as one of the best talents in Italian Football.

In early 2010, due to the departures of then-captain Dario Dainelli and vice-captain Martin Jørgensen, Montolivo was appointed captain of the Tuscany-based club. At the end of the 2010–11, Montolivo refused to sign a contract extension, which had a year remaining.^[3]

Milan[link]

In May 2012, Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri announced that Montolivo would join the club on a free transfer when his contract with Fiorentina expired on 30 June.^[3][4] "Next season Montolivo will arrive and he is a very talented player with great technique," said Allegri to Milan Channel.^[3][5]

International career[link]

On 10 October 2006, Montolivo scored the winning goal when Italy's under-21 team beat Spain 2–1 and qualified for 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. [1]

On 17 October 2007, Montolivo debuted for the Azzurri in a 2–0 friendly win against South Africa.^[6][7] He was also called up for Italy's provisional squad before the Euro 2008 tournament. However Coach Roberto Donadoni would eventually omit him from the final list of 23.

Montolivo was summoned by Pierluigi Casiraghi to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, scoring one goal in the tournament.^{[citation needed]} After playing a bit-part role at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, he started all 3 games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup partnering Daniele De Rossi as a replacement for the injured Andrea Pirlo. He scored his first senior international goal on 10 August 2011 in a friendly against Spain. Montolivo scored the opening goal in a match that Italy won by two goals to one.^[8]

International goals[link]

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	10 August 2011	Stadio San Nicola, Bari	Spain	1–0	2–1	Friendly

Club statistics[link]

As of match played on 5 May 2012.^[1][2]

Personal life[link]

Montolivo was born to an Italian father and a German mother. In addition to holding an Italian citizenship, Montolivo also holds German citizenship – his mother is from Kiel and his grandparents are from Schleswig-Holstein.^[9] He speaks fluent German and has publicly stated that he is an atheist.^[9]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Profile at ACF Fiorentina official site
• Riccardo Montolivo – FIFA competition record

Italy squads v t e Italy squad – 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship 1 Curci 2 Andreolli 3 Chiellini 4 Nocerino 5 Mantovani 6 Motta 7 Montolivo 8 Aquilani 9 Pazzini 10 Rosina 11 Rossi 12 Viviano 13 Coda 14 Criscito 15 Canini 16 Dessena 17 Raggi 18 Padoin 19 Pellè 20 Palladino 21 Lazzari 22 Consigli 23 Cigarini Coach: Casiraghi v t e Italy squad – 2008 Summer Olympics 1 Viviano 2 Motta 3 De Ceglie 4 Nocerino 5 Cigarini 6 Criscito 7 Montolivo 8 Marchisio 9 Rocchi 10 Giovinco 11 Rossi 12 Dessena 13 Coda 14 Acquafresca 15 Bocchetti 16 De Silvestri 17 Abate 18 Consigli 20 Candreva 21 Russotto Coach: Casiraghi v t e Italy squad – 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Buffon 2 Santon 3 Grosso 4 Chiellini 5 Cannavaro (c) 6 Legrottaglie 7 Pepe 8 Gattuso 9 Toni 10 De Rossi 11 Gilardino 12 De Sanctis 13 Gamberini 14 Amelia 15 Iaquinta 16 Camoranesi 17 Rossi 18 Palombo 19 Zambrotta 20 Montolivo 21 Pirlo 22 Dossena 23 Quagliarella Coach: Lippi v t e Italy squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Buffon 2 Maggio 3 Criscito 4 Chiellini 5 Cannavaro (c) 6 De Rossi 7 Pepe 8 Gattuso 9 Iaquinta 10 Di Natale 11 Gilardino 12 Marchetti 13 Bocchetti 14 De Sanctis 15 Marchisio 16 Camoranesi 17 Palombo 18 Quagliarella 19 Zambrotta 20 Pazzini 21 Pirlo 22 Montolivo 23 Bonucci Coach: Lippi v t e Italy squad – UEFA Euro 2012 1 Buffon (c) 2 Maggio 3 Chiellini 4 Ogbonna 5 Motta 6 Balzaretti 7 Abate 8 Marchisio 9 Balotelli 10 Cassano 11 Di Natale 12 Sirigu 13 Giaccherini 14 De Sanctis 15 Barzagli 16 De Rossi 17 Borini 18 Montolivo 19 Bonucci 20 Giovinco 21 Pirlo 22 Diamanti 23 Nocerino Coach: Prandelli

Thomas Müller

Müller playing for Germany in a 2011 match against Austria.
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Müller
Date of birth	(1989-09-13) 13 September 1989 (age 22)
Place of birth	Weilheim, West Germany
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Playing position	Midfielder/Forward
Club information
Current club	Bayern Munich
Number	25
Youth career
1993–2000	TSV Pähl
2000–2008	Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2008–2009	Bayern Munich II	35	(16)
2008–	Bayern Munich	106	(32)
National team‡
2004–2005	Germany U16	6	(4)
2007	Germany U19	1	(0)
2008	Germany U20	1	(1)
2009–2010	Germany U21	6	(1)
2010–	Germany	27	(10)
Honours Bayern Munich Winner Bundesliga 2010 Winner DFB-Pokal 2010 Runner-up UEFA Champions League 2010 Winner DFL-Supercup 2010 Runner-up DFB-Pokal 2012 Runner-up UEFA Champions League 2012  Germany Third FIFA World Cup 2010
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:21, 5 May 2012 (UTC)[3]. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:11, 31 May 2012 (UTC)[2]

Thomas Müller (German pronunciation: [ˈtʰoː.mas ˈmʏ.lɐ]; born 13 September 1989) is a German footballer who plays for Bayern Munich and the German national team. Müller plays as a midfielder or forward, and has been deployed in a variety of attacking roles—as an attacking midfielder, second striker, and on either wing. He has been praised for his pace, technique and composure, and has shown consistency in scoring and creating goals. A product of Bayern's youth system, he made his first-team breakthrough in the 2009–10 season after Louis van Gaal was appointed as the main coach; he played almost every game as the club won the league and cup double and reached the Champions League final. This accomplishment earned him an international call-up, and at the end of the season he was named in Germany's squad for the 2010 World Cup, where he scored five goals in six appearances as the team finished in third place. He was named as the Best Young Player of the tournament and won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer, with five goals and three assists.

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Born in Weilheim, Müller played as a youth for TSV Pähl, and at the age of 10 he made the 50 km journey to join local Bundesliga side Bayern Munich in 2000.^[4] He progressed through the youth system and was part of the team that finished runner-up in the Under-19 Bundesliga in 2007.^[4] He made his debut for the reserve team in March 2008 when he replaced Stephan Fürstner in a Regionalliga match against SpVgg Unterhaching,^[5] in which he scored. He made two more Regionalliga appearances in the 2007–08 season, while continuing to play for the under-19 team. The following season, Bayern's second string qualified for the newly formed 3rd Liga, and Müller established himself as a key player – he played in 32 out of 38 matches^[6] and scored 15 times to make him the league's fifth top scorer.^[7] He also became involved in the first-team under then manager Jürgen Klinsmann; he appeared in pre-season friendlies,^[8][9] and made his full debut on 15 August 2008, when he came on as a substitute for Miroslav Klose for the last ten minutes of a Bundesliga match against Hamburger SV.^[10] Despite Müller feeling that his performance did not go well,^[11] he made three more Bundesliga appearances that season^[6] and made his Champions League debut on 10 March 2009 when he was substituted on in the 72nd minute for Bastian Schweinsteiger in a 7–1 win over Sporting CP. He scored Bayern's last goal as they won the tie 12–1 on aggregate.^[12]

Breakthrough season[link]

In February 2009, Müller signed his first contract for the senior team, a two year deal effective from the 2009–10 season, along with reserve team-mate Holger Badstuber.^[13] He was prepared to be loaned or even transferred away to find first-team football,^[11] but when Louis van Gaal was appointed manager, both players became fixtures in the Bayern first team from the start of the season.^[14] In the first few matches Müller was a regular substitute, and on 12 September 2009, he was brought on against Borussia Dortmund and scored two goals in a 5–1 victory.^[15] Three days later, he scored another brace in a 3–0 Champions League victory over Maccabi Haifa.^[16] He rounded off September by being named the Bundesliga player of the month^[17] and earned praise from his namesake, legendary former Bayern and Germany striker Gerd Müller.^[18] After the Haifa match, Müller was in the starting eleven for almost every match,^[19] only missing one match – a Champions League match against Bordeaux, for which he was suspended,^[20] because he was sent off in an earlier match against the same team.^[21]

In February 2010, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern Munich through 2013.^[22] During the second half of the season, Müller continued to be a regular first-team starter,^[14] usually playing in a central striking role due to the availability of other wide players Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben. In April 2010, he scored the second goal in a 2–1 win against title rivals Schalke 04,^[23] and in the penultimate league match of the season, he scored the first hat-trick of his career,^[24] in a 3–1 win over Bochum which effectively secured the German title for Bayern.^[25] The title was confirmed a week later with a 3–1 win at Hertha BSC,^[26][27] a match which Müller started. For the season he played in all 34 Bundesliga matches, starting 29, and recorded 13 goals and 11 assists.^[14] Bayern and Müller were back in Berlin the following week, to face Werder Bremen in the final of the DFB-Pokal. Müller started the match and Bayern won 4–0 to complete the domestic double.^[28] Müller scored four goals and made two assists during the competition, which made him its leading scorer for the season.^[29] Bayern's season ended in pursuit of a first treble, in the 2010 Champions League Final against Internazionale at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid. It was not to be, however, as they lost 2–0, with both goals coming from Diego Milito. Müller was in the starting line-up and had a key chance just after half-time, with Bayern 1–0 down, but his shot was saved by Júlio César.^[30] Müller felt particularly disappointed by this defeat,^[11] but he ended his first season as a first-team player with 52 matches played and 19 goals in all competitions.^[14] In a poll conducted by the sports magazine kicker, he was voted by his fellow professionals as the best newcomer of the 2009–10 season^[31] and was named in the Bundesliga team of the season.^[32] Müller credits Van Gaal for having had the biggest part to play in his rise to success – the coach arrived with a reputation for promoting youth team players, particularly at Ajax, and consistently gave Müller his chance in the first-team, going as far to say "Müller spielt bei mir immer" (with me, Müller will always play).^[33] Müller, in return, described Van Gaal as "a genius technician", who makes players "improve every time".^[11]

2010–11 season[link]

Müller returned from his post-World Cup break to sign another contract extension, this time extending his stay at Bayern until 2015.^[34] As with all of Bayern's World Cup participants, he missed much of pre-season,^[35] and his first match back was the Supercup against Schalke 04 on 7 August. He was named in the starting 11, and scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win.^[36] Two weeks later he scored the opening goal of Bayern's league season in a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg.^[37] Müller played in every match of the first half of the season, usually as a starter,^[38] but as the team struggled for results, Müller was unable to match the previous season's goalscoring exploits,^[38] being dropped to the bench,^[33] and even receiving a telling off from Louis van Gaal after missing an easy chance in a 2–0 defeat against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in August.^[11][39] He was philosophical about this dip in form, though,^[40] and after eight league games without a goal, he scored in a 4–1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on 27 November;^[41] He followed that by scoring in consecutive league and cup wins against VfB Stuttgart three weeks later.^[42][43] These goals took his tally to eight goals in all competitions^[38] and included a spectacular goal to open the scoring in a 2–0 Champions League victory against Roma on 15 September.^[11][44] As his team was on its winter break, Müller was left to reflect on "an almost unbelievable first year as a pro".^[40] Müller began the second half of the season in good form, but was involved in an altercation with team-mate Arjen Robben, who was angered when Müller showed his displeasure at a poor free-kick Robben took during a 3–1 win at Werder Bremen.^[45] Müller again played in every game of the season and scored 19 goals (12 in the league),^[46] but the season was less successful for Bayern, as they finished third in the league,^[47] and were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in the semi-finals by Schalke 04^[48] and in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League by Internazionale; Bayern had won 1–0 in the San Siro, and Müller scored 31 minutes into the second leg to make it 3–1 on aggregate, but Inter levelled the score at 3–3 in the 88th minute, to go through on the away goals rule.^[49] Müller's mentor Van Gaal was increasingly criticised for inflexibility in tactical, transfer and selection policy,^[50] and ultimately lost his job, being replaced with Jupp Heynckes.^[51]

2011–12 season[link]

In Bayern's first DFB-Pokal game Müller was awarded the man of the match after earning two penalties which were converted by Mario Gómez and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Müller then added a third in the closing stages to secure a 3–0 victory over Eintracht Braunschweig.^[52] It took Müller five matches for him to get his first league goal he scored it against Schalke 04 in Bayern's 2–0 win. Müller then scored in Bayern's next home game in the early stages of the match, Bayern went on to win the game 3–0. On 26 November 2011, Müller netted the opener on the half-hour in Bayern's 6–0 thrashing of FC Ingolstadt 04 giving him his second DFB-Pokal goal.^[53] Müller was on the short-list of this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or award.^[54] On 10 and 15 January, in Bayern's warm up friendlies Müller scored three goals in two games, a brace against the India national team (which Bayern then went on to win 4–0)^[55] and one goal in Bayern's other 4–0 victory over FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt.^[56] Müller provided two assists in Bayern's win over Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal. On 11 February, Bayern played Kaiserslautern and Müller ended a goal drought lasting since 24 September 2011 with a header in their 2–0 victory.^[57] On 31 March 2012, Müller played his 100th Bundesliga game against 1. FC Nuremberg.^[58][59] On 19 May 2012, Müller scored the opening goal in the UEFA Champions League final with a powerful header. He was substituted shortly afterwards. Bayern Munich however lost the final on penalties.

International career[link]

Müller wearing the number 13 for Germany.

Müller represented Germany at various youth levels, starting with the under-16s in 2004.^[60] In August 2009, he was called up to the under-21 team for his debut in a 3–1 friendly defeat against Turkey.^[61] He earned six caps for the under-21s and scored one goal,^[62] the eighth in an 11–0 thrashing of San Marino.^[63]

In October of the same year, Müller's regular appearances for Bayern's first team caused German national team manager Joachim Löw to publicly consider him for a call-up,^[64][65] despite initial reluctance from the Bayern Munich board;^[66] the following month, Müller was named in the squad for a friendly against Côte d'Ivoire.^[67] However, this coincided with the death of national team goalkeeper Robert Enke, which led to the cancellation of a match against Chile the same week.^[68] With less opportunity to try out new players, and with the under-21 team facing crucial qualifiers for the 2011 European Championship, Löw and under-21 manager Rainer Adrion felt that Müller was needed at the under-21 level, and Müller was called back into the under-21s.^[69]

He was back in the senior squad for its next get-together, a training session in Sindelfingen in January 2010,^[70] and was named in the squad for the following match, a friendly against Argentina in March.^[71] He made his debut in this game in the starting eleven at the Allianz Arena, his home stadium. He was substituted in the 66th minute for fellow debutant Toni Kroos as Germany lost 1–0.^[72]

2010 World Cup[link]

Müller was named in Germany's provisional 27-man squad for the 2010 World Cup along with seven other Bayern Munich players.^[73] Despite suffering a scare when he fell off his bicycle at the team's training camp in South Tyrol,^[74] Müller only received superficial injuries and made the final cut for the tournament when the squad was reduced to 23 players.^[75] He was allocated the number 13,^[76] normally worn by injured captain Michael Ballack,^[76] and previously worn by Müller's namesake Gerd.^[76] He earned his second international cap in the final warm-up match before the World Cup when he came on as a half-time substitute for Piotr Trochowski in a 3–1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[77] He started the first game of Germany's World Cup campaign and scored the third goal – his first internationally – in a 4–0 win over Australia,^[78] winning Germany's goal of the month award in the process.^[79] He played in all Germany's group games, as they finished top of Group D; he scored twice and assisted once in the 4–1 victory over England in the round of 16.^[80] In the third minute of Germany's 4–0 quarter final win against Argentina, he opened the scoring with his fourth tournament goal.^[81] However, he picked up his second booking of the tournament in the first half, for a handball^[82] and was suspended for the semi-final defeat against Spain. Müller said that he felt far more nervous during the Spain game than any he was able to play.^[11] He returned to the team for the third-place playoff against Uruguay and scored the first goal, his fifth of the tournament, as Germany won 3–2 to take the bronze medals.^[83] The team's success was a culmination of a series of changes made after the national team's failure at Euro 2000. The Germans emphasized a more open, attack-minded style not previously associated with Germany, and included prominent young players, including Müller, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil.^[84]

With five goals Müller ended as joint top goalscorer of the tournament. He earned the Golden Boot with these goals and his three assists.^[85] He also won the Best Young Player Award over fellow nominees André Ayew of Ghana and Giovani dos Santos of Mexico.^[86] For both awards, he succeeded a German team-mate, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, respectively, from 2006.^[87] In October 2010, he was named on the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award along with four of his Germany team-mates.^[88] Reflecting on his World Cup success, Müller said "I basically got lucky, I hit form at just the right time".^[40]

Euro 2012[link]

Müller is challenged by Austria's Christian Fuchs in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying.

Müller started all ten of Germany's qualifiers for Euro 2012, as the team qualified for the finals with a 100% record. Müller provided assists for seven goals,^[89] three of which came in a 6–2 win over Austria in September 2011 which secured Germany's qualification for the finals with two games to spare.^[90] He scored three times in the campaign, two goals coming in a 4–0 win over Kazakhstan in March 2011,^[91] the third in a 3–1 win over Turkey in October of the same year.^[92]

Playing style[link]

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder,^[2][84] a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. As he came through the youth system, he was seen primarily as a midfielder,^[11] but since breaking into the first-team he has been used in more forward roles. Both Bayern Munich and the Germany national team usually play a 4-2-3-1 formation, and Müller is most often part of the three attacking midfielders behind the central striker. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich,^[93] and on the right for Germany.^[94] He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion.^[95]

Müller has been praised for his maturity,^[96] pace, technique,^[97] awareness and positioning.^[40] He has been particularly noted for his composure; Germany manager Joachim Löw said he is "impervious to pressure" ^[11] and former Bayern manager Louis van Gaal said he has tremendous mental strength.^[40] A consistent scorer and creator of goals,^[3] he describes himself as a player who can find gaps in the opposition defence but not particularly good at dribbling or one-on-ones.^[11]

Personal life[link]

Müller was born in Weilheim, Upper Bavaria, and grew up in the nearby village of Pähl, which became the centre of media attention during his World Cup exploits.^[98] His parents are named Klaudia and Gerhard, and he has a brother, named Simon, who is two and a half years younger.^[98] He married girlfriend Lisa, a model^[99] in December 2009, after being engaged for two years.^[100] In June 2011 he became an ambassador for YoungWings, a charity that helps children who have suffered bereavement or trauma.^[101]

Career statistics[link]

Club statistics[link]

As of 19 May 2012 (2012 -05-19)^[update].^[3]

• 1.^ Statistics includes DFL-Supercup.

International goals[link]

Scores and results table.^[3] Germany's goal tally first:

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	13 June 2010	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	Australia	3–0	4–0	2010 World Cup
2.	27 June 2010	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa	England	3–1	4–1	2010 World Cup
3.	27 June 2010	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa	England	4–1	4–1	2010 World Cup
4.	3 July 2010	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa	Argentina	1–0	4–0	2010 World Cup
5.	10 July 2010	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa	Uruguay	1–0	3–2	2010 World Cup
6.	26 March 2011	Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany	Kazakhstan	2–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
7.	26 March 2011	Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany	Kazakhstan	3–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
8.	7 October 2011	Turk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey	Turkey	2–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
9.	11 November 2011	Olympic Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine	Ukraine	3–3	3–3	Friendly
10.	15 November 2011	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany	Netherlands	1–0	3–0	Friendly