- published: 06 Aug 2011
- views: 5316559
- author: MoodySZ
Vimeo results:
Youtube results:
MORE VIDEOS
Loading...
![Zinedine Zidane Best Player Ever [HQ]](http://web.archive.org./web/20121215071311im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cYrWxb7UMVo/default.jpg "a way better zidane video here: www.youtube.com")
Open Collage in a new Window
Email the Collage
- Loading...
Loading suggestions ...
- 1934 FIFA World Cup
- 1938 FIFA World Cup
- 1950 FIFA World Cup
- 1954 FIFA World Cup
- 1958 FIFA World Cup
- 1962 FIFA World Cup
- 1966 FIFA World Cup
- 1970 FIFA World Cup
- 1974 FIFA World Cup
- 1978 FIFA World Cup
- 1982 FIFA World Cup
- 1986 FIFA World Cup
- 1990 FIFA World Cup
- 1994 FIFA World Cup
- 1995–96 UEFA Cup
- 1996 UEFA Super Cup
- 1996–97 Serie A
- 1997–98 Serie A
- 1998 FIFA World Cup
- 2000–01 Serie A
- 2002 FIFA World Cup
- 2002 UEFA Super Cup
- 2002–03 La Liga
- 2006 FIFA World Cup
- 2010 FIFA World Cup
- Abdelaziz Bouteflika
- Abdelhamid Kermali
- Abedi Pele
- Adidas
- Aguemoune
- Aimé Jacquet
- Aix-en-Provence
- Alain Boghossian
- Alain Giresse
- Alain Roche
- Alan Shearer
- Alberto Gilardino
- Alessandro Del Piero
- Alessandro Nesta
- Alfredo Di Stéfano
- Algeria
- Algerian War
- Ali Benarbia
- Allan Simonsen
- Allianz Arena
- Alou Diarra
- Andriy Shevchenko
- André Lerond
- Antonio Di Natale
- Arc de Triomphe
- AS Cannes
- Audi
- Authority control
- Baht
- Ballon d'Or
- Ballon D'or
- Ballon d'Or 1956
- Ballon d'Or 1957
- Ballon d'Or 1958
- Ballon d'Or 1959
- Ballon d'Or 1962
- Ballon d'Or 1963
- Ballon d'Or 1965
- Ballon d'Or 1966
- Ballon d'Or 1968
- Ballon d'Or 1971
- Ballon d'Or 1973
- Ballon d'Or 1982
- Ballon d'Or 1987
- Ballon d'Or 1991
- Ballon d'Or 1994
- Ballon d'Or 2000
- Ballon d'Or 2001
- Ballon d'Or 2002
- Ballon d'Or 2003
- Ballon d'Or 2004
- Ballon d'Or 2005
- Ballon d'Or 2006
- Ballon d'Or 2007
- Ballon d'Or 2008
- Ballon d'Or 2009
- Bangladesh
- Bayer Leverkusen
- BBC
- Benoît Pedretti
- Berber people
- Bernard Bosquier
- Bernard Diomède
- Bernard Lama
- Bernd Schuster
- Birgit Prinz
- Bixente Lizarazu
- Blaž Slišković
- Bobby Charlton
- Borussia Dortmund
- Brian Laudrup
- Bruno Martini
- Brussels
- Cafu
- Cap (sport)
- Celtic Football Club
- Christian Dior
- Christian Karembeu
- Christian Vieri
- Christophe Dugarry
- Clarence Seedorf
- Claude Makélélé
- CONCACAF
- CONMEBOL
- Copa del Rey
- Coppa Italia
- Corentin Martins
- Coupe de France
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Daniel Passarella
- Danone Nations Cup
- David Beckham
- David Ginola
- David Seaman
- David Suazo
- David Trezeguet
- Davor Šuker
- Deco
- Demetrio Albertini
- Denis Law
- Dennis Bergkamp
- Didi (footballer)
- Didier Deschamps
- Didier Drogba
- Diego Forlán
- Diego Maradona
- Diego Milito
- Dino Zoff
- Djalma Santos
- Djibril Cissé
- Don Balón Award
- Eden Hazard
- Edgar Davids
- Ejection (sports)
- El Hadji Diouf
- Elías Figueroa
- Emilio Butragueño
- Emmanuel Petit
- Emre Belözoğlu
- England
- Enzo Francescoli
- Enzo Zidane
- Eric Cantona
- ESPN
- Estádio da Luz
- Eusébio
- Fabien Barthez
- Fabio Cannavaro
- FC Nantes
- Ferenc Puskás
- Fernando Redondo
- FIFA
- FIFA 100
- FIFA World Cup
- FIFPro World XI
- Florent Malouda
- Florentino Perez
- Florian Maurice
- Flórián Albert
- Football in France
- Forbes
- France
- France Football
- France Telecom
- Francesco Toldo
- Francesco Totti
- Franck Ribéry
- Franco Baresi
- Frank de Boer
- Frank Leboeuf
- Frank Rijkaard
- Franky Van der Elst
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Friendly match
- Futsal
- Gabriel Batistuta
- Garrincha
- Gary Lineker
- Gaël Givet
- Geoff Hurst
- George Best
- George Weah
- Georges Bereta
- Georges Carnus
- Gerd Müller
- Ghencea
- Gheorghe Hagi
- Giacinto Facchetti
- Giampiero Boniperti
- Gianluca Vialli
- Gianluigi Buffon
- Gianni Rivera
- Giuseppe Bergomi
- Giuseppe Meazza
- Golden Generation
- Golden goal
- Gordon Banks
- Grégory Coupet
- Hamburger SV
- Hat-trick
- Hatem Ben Arfa
- Headbutt
- Henrik Larsson
- Hernán Crespo
- Hervé Revelli
- Hidetoshi Nakata
- Hong Myung-Bo
- Hrazdan Stadium
- Hristo Stoichkov
- Hugo Sánchez
- Ihor Belanov
- Italy
- Iván Zamorano
- Jack Walker
- Jacques Santini
- Jan Breydel
- Jan Ceulemans
- Javier Saviola
- Javier Zanetti
- Jay-Jay Okocha
- Jean Petit
- Jean Tigana
- Jean-Alain Boumsong
- Jean-François Larios
- Jean-Marc Guillou
- Jean-Marie Pfaff
- Jean-Pierre Papin
- Jocelyn Angloma
- Jochen Kientz
- Johan Cruyff
- Johan Micoud
- Johan Neeskens
- Jon Stevenson
- Jorge Valdano
- Jose Mourinho
- Josef Masopust
- José Nasazzi
- Juan Barbas
- Juan Román Riquelme
- Juan Sebastián Verón
- Jules Sbroglia
- Julio César Romero
- Juninho Pernambucano
- Just Fontaine
- Juventus
- Juventus F.C.
- Jérémy Toulalan
- Jérôme Rothen
- Jürgen Klinsmann
- Kabyle people
- Kabylie
- Kaká
- Karim Benzema
- Kenny Dalglish
- Kevin Keegan
- L'Équipe
- La Liga
- Laurent Blanc
- Lego
- Lev Yashin
- Leônidas da Silva
- Ligue 1
- Lilian Thuram
- Lionel Charbonnier
- Lionel Mathis
- Lionel Messi
- Lisandro López
- Liverpool
- Lothar Matthäus
- Louis Saha
- Luis Fernández
- Luis Figo
- Luís Figo
- Légion d'honneur
- Mahi Khennane
- Malaysia
- Mamadou Sakho
- Man of the Match
- Manuel Amoros
- Marca Leyenda
- Marcel Artelesa
- Marcel Desailly
- Marcello Lippi
- Marcelo Gallardo
- Marco Materazzi
- Marco Simone
- Marco van Basten
- Mario Kempes
- Marius Trésor
- Marseille
- Marta (footballer)
- Matthias Sammer
- Maxime Bossis
- Mia Hamm
- Michael Ballack
- Michael Essien
- Michael Laudrup
- Michael Owen
- Michel Platini
- Michelle Akers
- Mickaël Landreau
- Mickaël Madar
- Midfielder
- Miguel Pardeza
- Mikaël Silvestre
- Miroslav Đukić
- Muhammad Yunus
- Multiple citizenship
- Muslim
- Málaga
- Name Authority File
- Nicolas Anelka
- Niedersachsenstadion
- Nihat Kahveci
- Nobel Peace Prize
- Nuno Gomes
- Nílton Santos
- Oleg Blokhin
- Oliver Kahn
- Olivier Dacourt
- Olivier Monterrubio
- Olympic Stadium
- Omar Sívori
- Onze d'Or
- Orange SA
- Oscar Ruggeri
- Paolo Maldini
- Paolo Rossi
- Parc des Princes
- Pascal Chimbonda
- Patrice Evra
- Patrice Loko
- Patrick Kluivert
- Patrick Vieira
- Paul Breitner
- Paul Lambert
- Pauleta
- Paulo Roberto Falcão
- Pavel Nedvěd
- Pelé
- Pep Guardiola
- Peter Schmeichel
- Philippe Christanval
- Philippe Gondet
- Predrag Mijatović
- Qatar
- Raymond Domenech
- Raymond Kopa
- Raúl (footballer)
- Raúl González
- Real Madrid
- Real Madrid C.F.
- Renzo Barbera
- René van de Kerkhof
- Reynald Pedros
- Rinat Dasayev
- Rivaldo
- Rob Rensenbrink
- Robbie Williams
- Robert Pirès
- Roberto Baggio
- Roberto Mancini
- Roberto Rivelino
- Roger Lemerre
- Roger Milla
- Romário
- Ronaldinho
- Ronaldo
- Roy Keane
- Rui Costa
- Ruud Gullit
- Ruud van Nistelrooy
- Rüştü Reçber
- Sabri Lamouchi
- Saint-Denis
- Salvatore Schillaci
- Samir Nasri
- Samuel Eto'o
- Savo Milošević
- Sepp Maier
- Sergio Agüero
- Serie A
- Sevilla FC
- Sidney Govou
- Soccer Aid
- Sonny Anderson
- Spain
- Stade Abbe Deschamps
- Stade Chaban-Delmas
- Stade de France
- Stade de la Mosson
- Stade des Costières
- Stade Félix-Bollaert
- Stade Mohamed V
- Stanley Matthews
- Stefan Effenberg
- Steve Marlet
- Steven Gerrard
- Stéphane Guivarc'h
- Stéphane Paille
- Supercopa de España
- Supercoppa Italiana
- Sylvain Wiltord
- Sócrates
- Teddy Sheringham
- Template FIFA 100
- Teófilo Cubillas
- Thailand
- The New York Times
- Theodoros Zagorakis
- Thierry Henry
- Tim Sherwood
- Tournoi de France
- UEFA
- UEFA Euro 1996
- UEFA Euro 2000
- UEFA Euro 2004
- UEFA Europa League
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- UEFA Super Cup
- Uli Stielike
- Ulrich Ramé
- Unicef
- Uwe Seeler
- Vavá
- Velodrome
- Vikash Dhorasoo
- Villarreal CF
- Vincent Candela
- Vincent Guérin
- Wikipedia Link rot
- Wikipedia Persondata
- William Gallas
- Willy Sagnol
- Willy van de Kerkhof
- World Soccer Awards
- WorldCat
- WP IPA for French
- Xavi
- Yoann Gourcuff
- Younès Belhanda
- Youri Djorkaeff
- Yvon Douis
- Zbigniew Boniek
- Zico
- Zinedine Zidane
- Zizinho
- Zlatan Ibrahimović
- Éric Abidal
- Éric Carrière
- Éric Di Meco
-
Algeria
Coordinates: 28°N 2°E / 28°N 2°E / 28; 2
Algeria
i/ælˈdʒɪəriə/ (Arabic: الجزائر, al-Jazā'ir; Berber: ⴷⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشعبية, al-Jumhūriyyah al-Jazāʾiriyyah ad-Dīmuqrāṭiyyah ash-Shaʿbiyyah), also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a large country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.
When referring to its land area, Algeria is the largest country in Africa, Maghreb and the Arab World. It is also the largest of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea; it is also the tenth-largest country in the world. The country is bordered in the northeast by Tunisia, in the east by Libya, in the west by Morocco, in the southwest by Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Mali, in the southeast by Niger, and in the north by the Mediterranean Sea. Its size is almost 2,400,000 square kilometres (926,645 sq mi) with an estimated population of 37.1 million as of 2012. Algeria is a member of the African Union, the Arab League, OPEC and the United Nations. The country is also a founding member of the Arab Maghreb Union.
wn.com/Algeria -
Allianz Arena
The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at the Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season. Both clubs had previously played their home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium since 1972, where FC Bayern Munich played all of their games and TSV 1860 München most of their games. The Allianz Arena is the third biggest stadium in Germany behind Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund and the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
The large financial services provider Allianz purchased the rights to name the stadium for 30 years. During the 2006 World Cup it was known as FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich. Near Allianz Arena, Fröttmaning U-Bahn station, on U6 can be seen.
The stadium was the venue for the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final.
The stadium is located at the northern edge of Munich's borough of Schwabing on the Fröttmaning Heath. It is the first stadium in the world that has a full changing color outside.
wn.com/Allianz_Arena -
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe (Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle (originally named Place de l'Étoile), at the western end of the Champs-Élysées. There is a smaller arch, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which stands west of the Louvre. The Arc de Triomphe (in English: "Triumphal Arch") honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.
The Arc de Triomphe is the linchpin of the historic axis (Axe historique) – a sequence of monuments and grand thoroughfares on a route which goes from the courtyard of the Louvre, to the Grande Arche de la Défense. The monument was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806, and its iconographic program pitted heroically nude French youths against bearded Germanic warriors in chain mail. It set the tone for public monuments, with triumphant patriotic messages.
wn.com/Arc_de_Triomphe -
Bangladesh
Coordinates: 23°N 90°E / 23°N 90°E / 23; 90
Bangladesh (i/ˈbɑːŋɡlədɛʃ/ or i/bæŋɡləˈdɛʃ/ (Anglicized pronunciation); Bengali: বাংলাদেশ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (Bengali: গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ Gônoprojatontri Bangladesh) is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India and Burma and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. The capital (and largest city) is Dhaka, located in central Bangladesh. The official state language is Bengali. The name Bangladesh means "Land of Bengal" or "Country of Bengal" the in the Bengali language, from Bangla "Bengal" and desh holding a dual meaning of "land" and "country" as English "country," German land, French pays, etc.
The borders of present-day Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal during the reign and demise of the British India. Its map was chartered by Sir Cyril Radcliffe during the creation of Pakistan and India in 1947, when the region became East Pakistan, part of the newly formed nation of Pakistan. Due to political exclusion and economic exploitation by the politically dominant West Pakistan, popular agitation grew against West Pakistan and led to the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, after the Bangladeshi Declaration of Independence on 26 March 1971. With the intervention of the Indian Army, the war came to an end on 16 December 1971 with the surrender of the Pakistan Army at Ramna Race Course.
wn.com/Bangladesh -
Brussels
Brussels (French: Bruxelles, pronounced [bʁysɛl] (
listen); Dutch: Brussel, pronounced [ˈbrʏ.səɫ] ( listen); German: Brüssel, pronounced [ˈbʁyː.səl]), officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region (French: 
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (help·info), Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (help·info)), is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union (EU). It is also the largest urban area in Belgium, comprising 19 municipalities, including the municipality of the City of Brussels, which is the de jure capital of Belgium, in addition to the seat of the French Community of Belgium and of the Flemish Community.
Brussels has grown from a 10th-century fortress town founded by a descendant of Charlemagne into a metropolis of more than one million inhabitants. The metropolitan area has a population of over 1.8 million, making it the largest in Belgium.
Since the end of the Second World War, Brussels has been a main centre for international politics. Hosting principal EU institutions as well as the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the city has become the polyglot home of numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants.
wn.com/Brussels -
England
Englandi/ˈɪŋɡlənd/ is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, while the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.
The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. The English language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Society laid the foundations of modern experimental science.
wn.com/England -
Estádio da Luz
The Estádio da Luz (Portuguese pronunciation: [(ɨ)ˈʃtadiu dɐ ˈluʒ]), officially named the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica and commonly translated as the Stadium of Light, is a football stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, the home of Sport Lisboa e Benfica. It is also called A Catedral ("The Cathedral") by Benfica's supporters.
The ground is named after "Our Lady of the Light" (Nossa Senhora da Luz, or more commonly, Luz), which is the name of the Lisbon parish where the stadium stands. "Da luz," or "of light," is a common concept in Portuguese Catholic tradition, and basically translates as those "in the presence of God." The people of Lisbon often refer to the original stadium, demolished beginning in 2002, as simply "the light," but the common English name for the stadium became "the stadium of light."
It hosted several matches in the 2004 European Championship, including the final. The previous Benfica stadium (also called Estádio da Luz and one of the largest stadiums in the world with 120,000 seats) was demolished and the new one was built for the tournament with an official capacity of 65,400. Populous designed the stadium to use as much natural light as possible. The original Estádio da Luz, opened in 1954, hosted the 1992 European Cup Winners' Cup final before a crowd of well over 120,000, its absolute capacity in those years. Before that final, it also hosted the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship final held in Portugal with an impressive attendance of 130,000. The original stadium replaced the Estádio do Campo Grande.
wn.com/Estádio_da_Luz -
France
France (Englishi/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km2 (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km2 / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
wn.com/France -
Ghencea
Ghencea is a district of the Romanian capital city Bucharest, which is home to the famous football team FC Steaua Bucureşti. It is also home to the rugby team Steaua Bucureşti Rugby. Nearby districts are Drumul Taberei and Rahova.
Construction of apartment blocks started in the area in 1950. The textile factory Tricodava and the plastic factory Munplast were build by the communist regime in the neighborhood. Tricodava was demolished in 2007 and an apartment complex was built on the former location.
The infrastructure of the neighborhood is not very good. There are no subway stations in the area and the only way to get around fast is by using lightrail line 41. Getting around by car, bus or trolleybus can be very time consuming especially during rush hours.
There are no markets in the area but in the morning people come from the nearby village of Domneşti and sell fruits and vegetables on the street. There is a Billa supermarket that serves the area. The district hosts the famous football team FC Steaua Bucureşti. When the team plays at home ground the neighborhood tends to become extremely crowded as supporters come from all over Bucharest.
wn.com/Ghencea -
Hrazdan Stadium
Hrazdan Stadium (Armenian: «Հրազդան» մարզադաշտ) is a multi-use, all-seater stadium in Yerevan, Armenia, opened in 1970. Being the largest sports venue in Armenia, Hrazdan is mostly used for football matches. It is the home stadium of FC Ararat Yerevan and Ulisses. The stadium is able to host 53,849 after the most recent reconstruction in 2008, which converted the stadium to an all-seater one. Before the reconstruction, "Hrazdan" was able to hold up to 75,000 spectators. It was among the top three stadiums of the Soviet Union by its capacity. The stadium hosted the Armenian Cup finals during many occasions as well as the opening ceremony of the Pan-Armenian Games in 2003. Hrazdan was also one of the home grounds of the USSR national team during the late period of the Soviet Union.
The earliest idea of building a football stadium in the valley of Hrazdan river was proposed by the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union Anastas Mikoyan in his visit to Yerevan in the 1950s. During his stay at the presidential mansion on a hill overlooking the Hrazdan river, he observed a "natural amphitheater" in Hrazdan gorge and proposed the construction of a football venue with a capacity of 30,000 seats. However, the idea never became serious during that period.
wn.com/Hrazdan_Stadium -
Italy
Italyi/ˈɪtəli/ (Italian: Italia [iˈtaːlja]), officially the Italian Republic or the Republic of Italy (Italian: Repubblica italiana), is a unitary parliamentary republic in south-central Europe. To the north, it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the entirety of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands. The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. The territory of Italy covers some 301,338 km2 (116,347 sq mi) and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With 60.6 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world.
Rome, the capital of Italy, was for centuries a political and religious centre of Western civilisation as the capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy See. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the Byzantines and later, the Normans, among others. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the Renaissance, an immensely fruitful intellectual movement that would prove to be integral in shaping the subsequent course of European thought.
wn.com/Italy -
Kabylie
Kabylie or Kabylia (Berber: Tamurt n Leqbayel), is a region in the north of Algeria.
It is part of the Tell Atlas and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Kabylia covers several provinces of Algeria: the whole of Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia (Vgayet), most of Bouira (Tubirett) and parts of the wilayas of Bordj Bou Arreridj, Jijel, Boumerdes, and Setif. Gouraya National Park and Djurdjura National Park are also located in Kabylie.
It is important not to confuse "Kabylia" and the global "Kabyle people" elsewhere: around 25% of Kabyle people live in the Algiers capital region. This article concerns only the territorial "Kabylie" region, and does not include Algiers's Kabyle population and society.
Algeria was known as Numidia (202 BC – 46 BC).
The Kabyle country remained as unconquerable as it was inaccessible to the Ottoman deys, who had to content themselves with a few disturbed coastal military settlements and some valleys where the rule of the Islamic Ottoman empire was imposed. The mountainous core land, however, remained independent and the Islamic faith found its way through peaceful means only, namely the Marabout movement, which many argue is the reason of the Kabyls' indifference towards Islam. The Ottoman threat disappeared with the arrival of the European and American navies to put an end to Islamic piracy from bases on the coast of North Africa.
wn.com/Kabylie -
Liverpool
Liverpool ( /ˈlɪvəpuːl/) is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Liverpool was 445,200 and was part of a larger urban area of 816,216.
Historically a part of Lancashire, the urbanisation and expansion of Liverpool were both largely brought about by the city's status as a major port. By the 18th century, trade from the West Indies, Ireland and mainland Europe coupled with close links with the Atlantic Slave Trade furthered the economic expansion of Liverpool. By the early 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through Liverpool's docks, contributing to Liverpool's rise as a major city.
Inhabitants of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians but are also colloquially known as "Scousers", in reference to the local dish known as "scouse", a form of stew. The word "Scouse" has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect. Liverpool's status as a port city has contributed to its diverse population, which, historically, were drawn from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, particularly those from Ireland. The city is also home to the oldest Black African community in the country and the oldest Chinese community in Europe.
wn.com/Liverpool -
Malaysia
Malaysia (i/məˈleɪʒə/ mə-LAY-zhə or i/məˈleɪsiə/ mə-LAY-see-ə) is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,350 sq mi) separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and maritime borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. In 2010 the population exceeded 27.5 million, with over 20 million living on the Peninsula.
Malaysia has its origins in the Malay Kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, became subject to the British Empire. The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates. The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Malaya united with Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963, with si being added to give the new country the name Malaysia. However, less than two years later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation. Since independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5% for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its natural resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism.
wn.com/Malaysia -
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize (Norwegian and Swedish: Nobels fredspris) is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Literature. It is awarded to those who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
Per Alfred Nobel's will, the recipient is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a 5-member committee appointed by the Parliament of Norway. Since 1990, the prize is awarded in Oslo City Hall on 10 December each year. The prize was formerly awarded in the Atrium of the University of Oslo Faculty of Law (1947–89), the Norwegian Nobel Institute (1905–46) and the Parliament (1901–04).
According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
wn.com/Nobel_Peace_Prize -
Qatar
Qatar (i/ˈkɑːtɑr/ or i/kəˈtɑr/;Arabic: قطر [ˈqɑtˤɑr]; local vernacular pronunciation: [ɡɪtˤɑr]), also known as the country or State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island state of Bahrain.
Qatar has been ruled as an absolute monarchy by Al Thani family since the mid-19th century. Formerly a British protectorate noted mainly for pearling, it became independent in 1971, and has become one of the region's wealthiest states due to its enormous oil and natural gas revenues. In 1995, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani became Emir when he seized power from his father, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a peaceful coup d'état. The most important positions in Qatar are held by the members of the Al Thani family, or close confidants of the al-Thani family. Beginning in 1992, Qatar has built intimate military ties with the United States, and is now the location of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center.
wn.com/Qatar -
Spain
Spain (i/ˈspeɪn/ SPAYN; Spanish: España, pronounced: [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state and a member of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France, and the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France.
wn.com/Spain -
Stade Abbe Deschamps
The Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps is the home of AJ Auxerre football club in Auxerre, France. It has a capacity of 24,493. The stadium is the only Ligue 1 team stadium owned by the team. Renovated in 1994, it was renamed the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps after Abbe Deschamps, who founded the club in 1905.
Coordinates: 47°47′12.31″N 3°35′19.19″E / 47.7867528°N 3.5886639°E / 47.7867528; 3.5886639
wn.com/Stade_Abbe_Deschamps -
Stade de France
The Stade de France (French pronunciation: [stad də fʁɑ̃s]) is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 81,338, making it the eighth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for international competition. On 12 July 1998, France defeated Brazil 3–0 in the FIFA World Cup Final contested at the stadium. The Stade de France is listed as a category four stadium by UEFA and has hosted matches for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, some matches for the 1999 Rugby World Cup, 2003 World Championships in Athletics, and the 2007 Rugby World Cup making it the only stadium in the world to have hosted both a Football World Cup final and a Rugby World Cup final. The facility also hosted the annual Motorsport event Race of Champions in 2004, 2005, and 2006 before the event moved to Wembley Stadium in London. The stadium hosted the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and since 1999 it has hosted the annual Meeting Areva athletics meet.
wn.com/Stade_de_France -
Stade de la Mosson
Stade de la Mosson is a football stadium in Montpellier, France. It is the home of Montpellier HSC (Ligue 1) and has a capacity of 32,900. Formerly a 16,000-seater stadium, it was entirely rebuilt in 1998 to host 6 games of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It was also used as a venue for group stage matches in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
On Saturday 9 June 2012, the stadium will host rugby league for the first time. The Catalan Dragons will continue their policy of playing home games away from the Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan by playing their Stobart Super League fixture against Wigan Warriors at the stadium. This will be the second time the fixture has been played in Montpellier with the previous year's game being held in the Stade Yves-du-Manoir.
The stadium was one of the venues for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The following games were played at the stadium during the World Cup of 1998:
wn.com/Stade_de_la_Mosson -
Stade des Costières
Stade des Costières is a football stadium in Nîmes, France. It is the current home of Nîmes Olympique. The stadium is able to hold 18,482 people and opened in 1989.
wn.com/Stade_des_Costières -
Stade Félix-Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert is the main football stadium in Lens, France, that was built in 1933. It is the home of RC Lens. The stadium's capacity is 41,229 – about 4,000 more than the city's population. This is similar to that of SC Heerenveen ground the Abe Lenstra Stadion which has a bigger capacity than Heerenveen itself. It owes its name to Commercial Director of the Compagnie des Mines de Lens who was anxious to promote the development of sports clubs in the city and decided the construction in 1931, though he died shortly before the stadium's inauguration.
The stadium has hosted matches in the following major international tournaments:
Bollaert is constructed in the English style with four separate stands dedicated respectively to:
All parts of the stadium contain seating. However, most supporters in the Marek stand as it is considered the kop. As in many other stadiums, the most fervent fans tend to sit behind the nets.
wn.com/Stade_Félix-Bollaert -
Thailand
Thailand (
/ˈtaɪlænd/ TY-land or /ˈtaɪlənd/;Thai: ประเทศไทย, RTGS: Prathet Thai), officially the Kingdom of Thailand (Thai: ราชอาณาจักรไทย, RTGS: Ratcha Anachak Thai; IPA: [râːt.tɕʰā ʔāːnāːtɕàk tʰāj] (
listen)), formerly known as Siam (Thai: สยาม; RTGS: Sayam), is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
The country is a constitutional monarchy, headed by King Rama IX, the ninth king of the House of Chakri, who, having reigned since 1946, is the world's longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. The king of Thailand is titled Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, the Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the Defender of all Faiths.
wn.com/Thailand
-
Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika (Arabic pronunciation: [ʕaːbd lʕziz butfliqaː]; Arabic: عبد العزيز بوتفليقة) (born 2 March 1937) is an Algerian politician who has been the fifth President of Algeria since 1999. He presided over the end of the bloody Algerian Civil War in 2002, and he ended emergency rule in February 2011 amidst regional unrest.
He has also served as president of the United Nations General Assembly.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika was born on 2 March 1937 in Oujda, Morocco. He was the first child of his mother and the second child of his father (Fatima, his half-sister, preceded him). His father (Ahmed Bouteflika) and mother (Mansouria Ghezlaoui) originated from the region of Tlemcen. Bouteflika has three half-sisters (Fatima, Yamina, and Aïcha), as well as four brothers (Abdelghani, Mustapha, Abderahim and Saïd) and one sister (Latifa). Saïd serves as Abdelaziz Bouteflika's personal physician, and is said by some to be an important figure in Bouteflika's inner circle of advisers.
Bouteflika was raised in Oujda, where his father had emigrated as a youngster. He successively attended three schools there: "Sidi Ziane", "El Hoceinia" and the "Abdel Moumen" high-school, where he reportedly excelled academically. He was also affiliated with Kadiri Zaouia in Oujda.
wn.com/Abdelaziz_Bouteflika -
Abdelhamid Kermali
Abdelhamid Kermali (born April 24, 1931 in Sétif, Algeria) is a former Algerian footballer and football manager of the Algerian national team.
He played in several Algerian clubs as a striker, including USM Alger, before leaving for France to play for FC Mulhouse, AS Cannes and the Olympique Lyonnais.
As a manager, Kermali was the head of the Algerian national team during the 1990 African Cup of Nations hosted in Algeria.
Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent French-language Wikipedia article, accessed December 1, 2006.
Barreaud, Marc (1998). Dictionnaire des footballeurs étrangers du championnat professionnel français (1932-1997). L'Harmattan, Paris. ISBN 2-7384-6608-7.
wn.com/Abdelhamid_Kermali -
Aimé Jacquet
Aimé Étienne Jacquet (born November 27, 1941) is a French football coach and former player, and manager of the France national football team when they won the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Aimé Jacquet was born in Sail-sous-Couzan, Loire. He began his career as an amateur player for his local club, US Couzan, while working in a factory. Scouted by Saint-Étienne, he joined Les Verts in 1959 and signed his first professional contract in 1961. One of the most successful soccer clubs of the time, Saint-Étienne, won an impressive 5 league titles and 3 French Cups in his 11 years with the club. He also played for the national side, but his international career failed to take off because Les Bleus performed poorly during his years on the team. In 1973, he left Saint-Étienne for bitter regional rivals Olympique Lyonnais , where he ended his career as a player.
Jacquet worked as a manager for clubs around France and gained an impressive list of accolades for Bordeaux during the 1980s, leading them to 3 league titles, 2 French Cups, 2 European semi-finals and 1 quarter-final. Dismissed by President Claude Bez, he left Bordeaux to hone his managerial skills with more modest teams like Montpellier and Nancy.
wn.com/Aimé_Jacquet -
Alain Boghossian
Alain Boghossian (born 27 October 1970 in Digne-les-Bains, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) is a retired French-Armenian football player and now assistant coach for the French national team.
After a sole season in the French league with Olympique de Marseille, Boghossian moved to Italy, and played in Serie A with S.S.C. Napoli, U.C. Sampdoria and Parma F.C., where he had his most successful years, alongside compatriot Lilian Thuram.
Dogged with injury several times, Boghossian's career ended in June 2003, after just five La Liga appearances with RCD Espanyol.
An international with France since 1997, Boghossian won the 1998 World Cup with France, but was injured the day before Euro 2000 started. He also appeared at the 2002 World Cup, and in total made 26 international appearances, scoring 2 goals.
wn.com/Alain_Boghossian -
Alain Giresse
Alain Giresse (born 2 August 1952 in Langoiran, Gironde) is a retired French international footballer who played as a midfielder. He was French footballer of the year in 1982, 1983 and 1987. Nominally an attacking midfielder or central midfielder, Giresse was an intelligent playmaker who possessed fine agility and acceleration due to his short frame.
He played for the France national football team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup (fourth place) and the 1986 FIFA World Cup (third place). He was a member of the Euro 84 winning team, and alongside Michel Platini, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana formed the legendary "Carré Magique" (Magic Square) in midfield.
He has been in charge of Toulouse and the Georgian national team, among others. Giresse worked as the Head Coach of the Gabon national football team, and was named a few months after the 2010 African Cup of Nations the Mali national football team manager.
wn.com/Alain_Giresse -
Alain Roche
Alain Roche is a former French association football defender. He spent significant time at the Paris Saint-Germain where he notably won the European Cup Winners' Cup (C2). He earned his first cap on 19 November 1988 against Yugoslavia in a 3–2 loss.
He played for Bordeaux, Marseille, Auxerre,Paris SG and Valencia.
wn.com/Alain_Roche -
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL (born 13 August 1970) is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team. He is considered by some as one of England's best strikers, being both Newcastle's and the Premier League's record goalscorer. After retiring as a player in 2006, Shearer worked as a television pundit for the BBC. In 2009 he briefly left his BBC role to become Newcastle United's manager in the last eight games of their 2008–09 season, in an unsuccessful attempt to save them from relegation.
A native of Newcastle upon Tyne, Shearer made his professional debut with English top-flight club Southampton in 1988, scoring a hat-trick in the process. During several years on the south coast, he became known for his classic style of play, strength and goalscoring ability; he soon received an international call-up along with a transfer to Blackburn Rovers in 1992. Shearer established himself as a player in northern England; he became a regular in the England squad, and his 34-goal tally helped Blackburn secure the Premier League title in 1994–95. He was named Football Writers' Association Player of the Year in 1994 and won the PFA Player of the Year award in 1995. The 1995–96 season saw Shearer make his first Champions League appearances and finish as the top scorer in the Premier League with 31 goals. He was also top scorer at Euro 1996 with England, scoring five goals, and in the 1996–97 Premier League, with 25 goals. He scored 283 league goals in his career, including a record 260 in the Premier League, and a total of 422 in all competitions including international at all levels. Shearer has amassed a goals to game ratio of 0.667 throughout his career at every level.
wn.com/Alan_Shearer -
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro del ˈpjɛːro]) Ufficiale OMRI (born 9 November 1974 in Conegliano, Veneto) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Juventus. He will be a free agent from 30 June 2012. Del Piero was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. Del Piero was also voted in the list of best European players for the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. In the year 2000, Del Piero was the world's best-paid football player from salary, bonuses, and advertising revenue.
Along with three awards in Italy for gentlemanly conduct he has also won the Golden Foot award, which pertains to personality and playing ability.http://www.channel4. May com/sport/football_italia/sep3q.html Del Piero usually plays as a supporting-striker and occasionally between the midfield and the strikers, known in Italy as the "trequartista" position. Del Piero's playing style is regarded by critics as creative in attacking, assisting many goals as well as scoring himself, as opposed to just "goal poaching." His free-kick and penalty taking is also highly regarded. Del Piero has become famous over the years for scoring from a special "Del Piero Zone"("Gol alla Del Piero"), approaching from the left flank and curling a precise lob into the far top corner of the goal.
wn.com/Alessandro_Del_Piero -
Ali Benarbia
Ali Benarbia (Arabic: علي بن عربية; born October 8, 1968 in Oran, Algeria) is a retired Algerian footballer.
Ali Benarbia was born in Oran, with his family originating from Sidi Bel Abbès. When he was only a year old, the family settled in south of France. It was not long before the young Ali would started kicking a ball around of the streets grabbing the attention of district side ROC Narbonne at only 10 years and seven years later he had already signed for FC Martigues. Encouraged by his father, Ali wanted to have a professional career in the game but knew that it would only come through hard-work. Playing in the youth team, Ali was quickly promoted to the first team in 1987 and went onto help the club into the French first division after winning the second division title in 1993. He was part of the side that was promoted to Ligue 1 in 1993, operating as a midfielder.
After Martigues were relegated in 1995, he was signed by AS Monaco and two seasons later he helped the club to a league title mounting speculation in the French media on whether the coach of France Aime Jacquet should select him for the national team after several breathtaking performances including an outstanding double in a 3-1 win over Newcastle United in the UEFA Cup. In season 1997-98, he was named Player of the Year in the France but still no call came from the French coach. Bénarbia had turned down several offers to play for his home country of Algeria, as he had always hoped to play for France. After three seasons with AS Monaco, he moved to Bordeaux for £1m and helped the club, where Zidane made his name to the league title. With Ali playing the best football of his career, Paris St.Germain tabled an offer of £2m for the Algerian player only a month before the end of the season, the club accepted but the deal was kept quiet until Bordeaux had clinched the title, although he failed to capture the same form there.
wn.com/Ali_Benarbia -
Allan Simonsen
Allan Rodenkam Simonsen (born 15 December 1952) is a former Danish footballer and manager. He most prominently played for German team Borussia Mönchengladbach, winning the 1975 and 1979 UEFA Cups, as well as for Barcelona from Spain, winning the 1982 Cup Winners' Cup. Allan Simonsen is the only footballer to have scored in the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup finals, and he was named 1977 European Footballer of the Year.
For the Denmark national football team, Simonsen was capped 55 times, scoring 20 goals. He represented Denmark at the 1972 Summer Olympics, 1984 European Championship and 1986 World Cup tournaments. He was voted into the Danish Football Hall of Fame in November 2008.
Born in Vejle, Simonsen started playing football with Vejle FC, before he joined the youth team of local top-flight club Vejle BK (VB) in 1963. He made his senior debut for VB on 24 March 1971 in a 3–1 home win against Karlskoga FF. He won the 1971 and 1972 Danish championship with the club, as well as the 1972 Danish Cup to complete The Double. Following an impressive three goals in six matches at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Simonsen moved to Germany to play professionally for defending German Bundesliga champions Borussia Mönchengladbach.
wn.com/Allan_Simonsen -
Alou Diarra
Alou Diarra (French pronunciation: [alu djaʁa]; born 15 July 1981 in Villepinte) is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also deputized as a centre back if necessary. Diarra is described as a player who is "strong, athletic and very powerful" and possesses a "combative edge" similar to former French international Patrick Vieira. Diarra is also known for his leadership ability and has served as captain of both Bordeaux domestically and France internationally.
Diarra began his career playing for clubs based in Seine-Saint-Denis, such as CSL Aulnay and hometown club FC Villepinte. In 1997, he joined Louhans-Cuiseaux and made his professional debut with the club in the 1999–2000 season while the club was playing in the second division. In 2000, Diarra was recruited by German club Bayern Munich. He spent two years playing on the club's reserve team, Bayern Munich II. In 2002, he was signed by compatriot Gérard Houllier as part of the manager's French Revolution to play for English club Liverpool. Diarra's stint at the club was deemed a disappointment as he spent both years at the club on loan in France playing for Le Havre, Bastia, and Lens.
wn.com/Alou_Diarra -
André Lerond
André Lerond (born 6 December 1930 in Le Havre, Seine-Maritime), is a retired French football defender. He was part of the French national teams of the 1950s.
wn.com/André_Lerond -
Antonio Di Natale
Antonio Di Natale (Italian pronunciation: [anˈtɔnjo dinaˈtale]) (born 13 October 1977) is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Udinese.
A versatile striker with a lethal eye for goal, Di Natale can play anywhere in the front line, as a lone striker or out wide in an attacking trident. He is notable for his dribbling skills, pace and for his ability to score and create goals. Di Natale earned the prestigious award of being the Serie A 'Capocannoniere' for the 2009/10 season, as well as the 2010/11 season.
Though born in Naples, Antonio Di Natale moved up north and joined Empoli's youth system. He impressed while playing for the Tuscany side in Serie A.
After having joined Udinese in the 2004–05 Serie A season, Di Natale partnered with Vincenzo Iaquinta and David Di Michele in attack, and the Friulian club finished 4th place at the end of the season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the following year. Di Natale finished his debut season with a record of 33 games and seven goals.
wn.com/Antonio_Di_Natale -
Benoît Pedretti
Benoît Pedretti (born 12 November 1980 in Audincourt, Doubs) is a French association football midfielder playing for Lille. He is a deep lying playmaker well known for his wide range of passing.
He started his professional career at Sochaux, and played there from 1999 to 2004. He then played for Marseille for one season. Following his brief stint with Marseille he joined Lyon before moving once again to the club he now plays for, Auxerre. He has gained 22 caps for France.
Pedretti began his career at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard in 1999 at the clubs youth system and in the same year, Pedretti played his first professional match. During this season, Sochaux fails to place on the podium but the following season, becoming Pedretti, despite his inexperience, the mainstay of the team so that he takes part in all matches and D2 becomes champion in 2001 and captain of training York Return. He became a regular first team player in the 2002-2003 season when he made 35 league appearances and scored 3 goals. The team also had a strong cup run that year, reaching the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, but losing 4-1 to Monaco. Pedretti also featured in the UEFA Cup with Sochaux the following year as they defied all expectations to qualify for European football. However they struggled to make any significant impact on the competition.
wn.com/Benoît_Pedretti -
Berber people
Berbers (Berber: ⵉⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⴻⵏ Imazighen / Imaziɣen) are the indigenous ethnic group of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch of the Afro-Asiatic linguistic family. Today, varieties of Maghrebi colloquial Arabic are spoken by a large portion of Berbers besides the Berber language itself. Foreign languages like French are used by the educated in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Spanish is also known by some Berbers in Morocco and in the annexed Western Sahara and Italian in Libya. This presence of European languages was due to Europe's occupation and colonization of the Berber world. Today, most Berber-speaking people live in Morocco and Algeria, smaller Berber-speaking populations are scattered throughout Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger, as well as various diasporas living in Europe.
wn.com/Berber_people -
Bernard Diomède
Bernard Diomède (born 23 January 1974 in Saint-Doulchard) is a retired French footballer of Guadeloupean descent. He played as a winger.
Diomède's career began with AJ Auxerre. After playing at the youth level for the Burgundy club, he made his Ligue 1 début in 1992. He played in the first team during eight years, under Guy Roux Auxerre won the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in 1996. The winger scored 30 goals in 175 Ligue 1 matches for Auxerre.
In June 2000, Diomède was signed for £3m by then Liverpool F.C. manager Gérard Houllier. Making his debut against Sunderland, Diomède appeared to have scored with an overhead kick, but the goal was not given even though replays showed that the ball had crossed the line. However, he did not settle in England, and only played five games for Liverpool. In January 2003 he was loaned out to AC Ajaccio, newly-promoted in France's Ligue 1, until the end of his contract. After his spell at Liverpool had come to an end, he joined the Ligue 2 team Créteil, and then Clermont Foot in the Championnat National (3rd division). As of 18 January 2008, Bernard Diomede has announced his retirement after being without a club for the past 18 months.
wn.com/Bernard_Diomède -
Bernard Lama
Bernard Pascal Maurice Lama (born April 7, 1963) is a French football coach and former goalkeeper. He was born in the Indre-et-Loire département but grew up in French Guiana. He spent a number of years in goal for Lille and Paris Saint-Germain. He was also a member of the France national team that won the 1998 World Cup and the Euro 2000.
Lama left Guiana in 1981 to come to metropolitan France, without his father's consent but determined to become a professional footballer, where he was first signed by Division 1 club Lille. He was loaned to Abbeville in 1982, where he failed to make a single appearance, and he returned to Lille after just one year, only to be loaned again to Besançon. He did get some play time that year, and his performances were convincing enough for Lille to agree to keep him for the following season. From then on, Lama played regularly, and even scored a goal (a penalty kick during the 8–0 win over Laval on May 31, 1989), but was never the indisputable number 1 keeper he aspired to be, and so he decided to leave. He spent one year in Metz, and then took part in Brest's last season in first division. Lama actually played every single league game during those two seasons. He then spent one year with RC Lens, where his performances attracted the attention of Paris Saint-Germain, who offered him a five-year contract.
wn.com/Bernard_Lama -
Bernd Schuster
Bernhard Schuster (born 22 December 1959 in Augsburg) is a German football manager and former player. His nickname is "der Blonde Engel" (the Blond Angel).
Schuster started his professional career with 1. FC Köln at age 18 in 1978 after a number of promising performances with the West German Under-18 National team. Schuster left Köln after the 1980 European campaign to sign with Spain's FC Barcelona, where he flourished. During his career, he played for clubs Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen. At his final team, the Mexican side Pumas de la UNAüM he appeared in ten matches in spring 1997.
Schuster was an important part of the FC Barcelona team during the 1980s, leading the game from midfield and scoring many goals. His club president Josep Lluís Núñez and some trainers like Helenio Herrera, Udo Lattek, Terry Venables and Luis Aragonés had difficult relations with him. He won, however, the European Silver Ball in 1980 and Bronze Ball in 1981 and 1985. At age 21, in 1981, he received a bad injury on his right knee by Athletic Bilbao defender Andoni Goikoetxea.
wn.com/Bernd_Schuster -
Birgit Prinz
Birgit Prinz (born 25 October 1977) is a former German female professional association football player. She last played for 1. FFC Frankfurt and the German national team. Prinz is one of the game's most prolific strikers and the FIFA Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals (tied with Marta). She has been named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005. On 12 August 2011, she announced the end of her active career.
Prinz began her career at SV Dörnigheim FC. She made her Bundesliga debut for FSV Frankfurt, where she played from 1992 to 1998. During that time Prinz won two Bundesliga titles and two German Cups. In 1997 and 1998 she was the Bundesliga top scorer. In 1998, she moved to local rivals 1. FFC Frankfurt, where she has had her biggest success at club level. In 13 seasons at the club, Prinz won six Bundesliga and eight German Cup titles. She also won the Bundesliga top-scorer award twice more in 2001 and 2007. Prinz won the UEFA Women's Cup three times with Frankfurt, in the 2001–02, 2005–06 and 2007–08 seasons. She also reached the final in 2004, but lost to the Swedish side Umeå IK.
wn.com/Birgit_Prinz -
Bixente Lizarazu
Bixente Lizarazu (Basque pronunciation: [biˈʃente lis̻aˈɾas̻u]), initialy registered as Vincent Lizarazu, (born 9 December 1969 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz) is a former football left defender who played most notably for Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.
Lizarazu (nicknamed "Liza"), of Basque descent, has been capped 97 times for France (for the first time on 14 November 1992 against Finland), scoring two goals, and helped them win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. He has won six Bundesliga championships with Bayern Munich, as well as five German Cups, the Champions League, and the Intercontinental Cup. During his second spell with Bayern Munich in 2005 and 2006, Lizarazu wore the shirt number 69. Clarifying that it wasn't a lewd gesture, he said this was because he was born in 1969, his height is 1.69 m and he weighed 69 kg.
Before moving to Germany, Lizarazu played for Girondins de Bordeaux, where he played in the 1996 UEFA Cup Final against Bayern; and Athletic Bilbao. He said he would leave Bayern in the 2004 offseason, and eventually signed with Olympique Marseille. However, six months after signing with Marseille, he returned to Bayern Munich in January 2005.
wn.com/Bixente_Lizarazu -
Blaž Slišković
Blaž "Baka" Slišković (born 30 May 1959) is a former Bosnian Croat football player and currently the manager of Zrinjski Mostar.
Slišković was nicknamed "Balkan Maradona." In July 2011, Zinedine Zidane named Slišković as one of his idols while growing up. and included him in his "All time BEST 11" of Marseille.
Slišković was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia. He was married to Bosnian Serb handball player, Svetlana Kitić.
During his time Slišković was considered one of the most technically gifted players of his generation. In 1985 he was named Yugoslav Footballer of the Year.
In 2011, for the 100th anniversary of Hajduk Split, he was chosen in the "Hajduk Split Best 11 of all-time".
Although most experts expected him to create a great international career, he was only capped 26 times for Yugoslavia. He scored 3 goals in the process. Slišković played two friendly games for Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team in 1993 as the captain in both games.
He managed the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team from 2002 until 2006.
wn.com/Blaž_Slišković -
Bobby Charlton
Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is an English former professional football player, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. A member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966. He played almost all of his club football at Manchester United, where he became renowned for his attacking instincts and passing abilities from midfield and his ferocious long-range shot. He was also well known for his fitness and stamina, allowing him to dominate the pitch. His elder brother Jack, who was also in the World Cup-winning team, is an ex-defender for Leeds United and manager.
He began to play for Manchester United's first team in 1956, and over the next two seasons gained a regular place in the team, during which time he survived the Munich air disaster of 1958 after being rescued by Harry Gregg. After helping United to win the Football League in 1965, he won a World Cup medal with England in 1966 and another Football League title with United the following year. In 1968, he captained the Manchester United team that won the European Cup, scoring two goals in the final to help his team be the first English side to win the competition. He has scored more goals for England and United than any other player. Charlton held the record for most appearances for Manchester United (758), but this was surpassed by Ryan Giggs on 21 May 2008 (the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final). Charlton also held the club record for most league appearances (606) until this too was overtaken by Ryan Giggs on 6 March 2011.
wn.com/Bobby_Charlton -
Bruno Martini
Bruno Martini (born 25 January 1962) is a retired French footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
His professional career was closely associated with Auxerre, for which he played 13 years. Having gained more than 30 caps for France during nine years, Martini represented the nation in two European Championships.
Born in Challuy, Nevers, Martini started playing professionally for AJ Auxerre. After a loan stint with AS Nancy, he took the place of Paris Saint-Germain-bound Joël Bats, going on to appear in 322 top division games, while also helping it to a 1992–93 semifinal run in the UEFA Cup.
Martini left the squad in the season prior to the 1995–96 double conquest, pushed to the sidelines by Lionel Charbonnier. He finished his career in 1999 at 37, after four seasons with Montpellier HSC.
Martini won 31 caps with France, and participated at the UEFA European Football Championship in 1992 (as a starter) and 1996. Immediately after his retirement, he started serving as goalkeeping coach for the national side.
wn.com/Bruno_Martini -
Christian Dior
Christian Dior (French pronunciation: [kʁistjɑ̃ djɔːʁ]) (21 January 1905 – 23 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.
Christian Dior was born in Granville, a seaside town on the coast of Normandy, France, the second of the five children of Maurice Dior, a wealthy fertilizer manufacturer (the family firm was Dior Frères), and his wife, the former Isabelle Cardamone. He had four siblings: Raymond (father of Françoise Dior), Jacqueline, Bernard, and Ginette (aka Catherine). When Christian was about five years old, the family moved to Paris, France, but still returned to the Normandy coast for summer vacations.
Dior's family had hopes he would become a diplomat, but Dior was artistic and wished to be involved in fashion. To make money, he sold his fashion sketches outside his house for about 10 cents each. In 1928, Dior left school and received money from his father to finance a small art gallery, where he and a friend sold art by the likes of Pablo Picasso. Three years later, after the death of Dior's mother and brother and a financial disaster in the family’s fertilizer business, during the Great Depression, that resulted in his father losing control of Dior Frères, the gallery had to be closed. From then until about 1940 he worked with fashion designer Robert Piguet, when he was called up for military service.
wn.com/Christian_Dior -
Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu (born 3 December 1970 in Lifou, New Caledonia) is a retired French international footballer and current scout for Arsenal Football Club. He is also part of a Paris-based consortium to expand the A-League with a Pacific Island team.
During his career Karembeu played for Nantes (1990–95), Sampdoria (1995–97), Real Madrid (1997–2000), Middlesbrough (2000–01), Olympiakos (2001–04), Servette Genève (2004–05), Bastia (2005). With Real Madrid, he won the Champions League in 1998 and 2000, starting in the former but remaining on the bench for the latter. He last played midfield for Bastia in the French Ligue 1. He announced his retirement on 13 October 2006, although he added that he would "be having a kickabout from time to time". The France legend also took part in a friendly competition for Kettering Town FC with Gianfranco Zola, Les Ferdinand and Gus Poyet.
Born in the French territory of New Caledonia, he was a vital player in the French team that won the 1998 World Cup. In Euro 2000, he was on the squad as well but played only one game. He compiled 53 caps in his career, earning his first one on 14 November 1992 against Finland in a 2–1 victory.
wn.com/Christian_Karembeu -
Christophe Dugarry
Christophe Jérôme Dugarry (born 24 March 1972) is a former French international footballer. His clubs include Bordeaux, Milan, Barcelona, Marseille, Birmingham City and Qatar SC. He was also a member of the France team that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
Dugarry came through the youth ranks at Bordeaux alongside future France teammates Bixente Lizarazu and Zinedine Zidane. Dugarry spent eight years at Bordeaux, hitting 34 goals in 187 appearances. His two goals against AC Milan in the 1996 UEFA Cup quarter finals helped to seal a move to the Italians for the 1996–97 season.
Dugarry managed just 5 goals in 27 appearances for Milan, before joining Barcelona the following season. After just seven appearances he returned to France, having spells with Marseille and returning to Bordeaux, where he played another 65 games, scoring 9 goals. In 2003, he joined Birmingham City on loan. After a run of 5 goals in 5 matches cemented the club's Premiership status, Dugarry joined the club on a permanent deal but could only manage a single goal in 15 appearances before leaving the club by mutual consent, citing family reasons. He signed a one-year contract with Qatar SC, where he made no appearances. Following this, he retired from football in 2005. He has since been inducted in to Birmingham City's Hall of Fame.
wn.com/Christophe_Dugarry -
Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélelé Sinda (French pronunciation: [klod makelele]; born 18 February 1973) is a retired football player and coach who is currently assistant coach of Carlo Ancelotti in Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Prior to joining Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé played for Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea. In homage to Makélélé, many fans and pundits alike have dubbed the defensive midfield position as the "Makélélé Role."
Makélelé was born in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). "Makelele" means "noises" in Lingala, one of the languages spoken in Congo DR.
He moved to Savigny-le-Temple, a suburb of Paris in Seine-et-Marne, in 1977, when he was four years old. His father, André-Joseph Makélelé, was also a football player. He represented the Congo DR, and ended his career in the Belgian First Division.
Makélélé had never left Savigny-le-Temple until the age of 16, when he joined the training centre of Brest-Armorique in Brittany. According to him, it wasn't easy to adapt to the new life in Brest. The training academy life was tough, especially as it was the first time he was far from his family.
wn.com/Claude_Makélélé -
Corentin Martins
Corentin Martins da Silva (born July 11, 1969 in Brest), known as Martins, is a retired French footballer of Portuguese descent, who played as an attacking midfielder.
After starting at hometown's Stade Brestois 29, Martins moved to AJ Auxerre in 1991, being a crucial part of an emergent side led by legendary Guy Roux; in 1992–93, it reached the UEFA Cup semifinals and, four years later, achieved an historical double.
In July 1996, Martins signed with Deportivo de La Coruña: after an impressive first season in La Liga, he was pushed to the bench by new signing Djalminha, and returned in January 1998 to France, joining Racing Club Strasbourg for one 1/2 seasons.
After a season loaned at FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Martins rejoined Strasbourg until 2004, and closed out his career with lowly Clermont Foot.
In 2006, he started his manager career, with modest side Quimper Cornouaille FC. In the following year, he was named his first club's director of Football, but had a brief spell as interim coach in the beginnings of 2008–09; shortly after, he stayed on the bench, now as an assistant for the second division team.
wn.com/Corentin_Martins -
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE (born 2 May 1975) is an English association footballer who plays for Los Angeles Galaxy. He has played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, and the England national team for which he holds the appearance record for an outfield player.
Beckham's career began when he signed a professional contract with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17. During his time there, United won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He left Manchester United to sign for Real Madrid in 2003, where he remained for four seasons, clinching the La Liga championship in his final season with the club. In January 2007, it was announced that Beckham would leave Real Madrid for the Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy, signing a five-year contract with them on 1 July 2007. While a Galaxy player, he spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan in 2009 and 2010. On 20 November 2011, he joined an elite group of players to have won three league titles in three different countries, when Los Angeles won their third MLS Cup.
wn.com/David_Beckham -
David Ginola
David Desire Marc Ginola (English pronunciation: /ˈdʒɪnəlɑː/) (born 25 January 1967) is a French former international football player who has also worked as an actor and model.
Ginola was born in Gassin, Var. He played football for ten seasons in his native France before moving to England in 1995, when he signed for Newcastle United. He stayed in the country until retiring seven years later, having also turned out for Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Everton. Since his retirement from the game in 2002 he has become involved in several new pursuits, including acting.
Ginola played at club level for Toulon (1985–88), Racing Levallois 92 (1988–90), Brest (1990–92), Paris Saint-Germain (1992–95), Newcastle United (1995–97), Tottenham Hotspur (1997–2000), Aston Villa (2000–2002) and Everton (2002).
Ginola made his first senior appearance for Sporting Toulon as an eighteen year-old in a 1985 2–0 victory away at Metz. He played fourteen times in his first season, and by 1986 he was a regular in the Toulon line-up.
wn.com/David_Ginola -
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE (born 19 September 1963 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) is an English former football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury. He was awarded the MBE in 1997 for services to the sport.
The peak of his career was during his period as Arsenal and England goalkeeper in the 1990s and early 2000s; during his time at Arsenal he won many medals including three league championships (1991, 1998, 2002), four FA Cups (1993, 1998, 2002, 2003), the League Cup in 1993 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994. During this time he also played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, and Euro 96 and Euro 2000, and is England's second-most capped goalkeeper with 75 caps, after Peter Shilton.
Seaman's career highs came in his successful performance in UEFA Euro 96 and in Arsenal's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Premier League and FA Cup (including a superb save from Paul Peschisolido for Sheffield United in the FA Cup 2002–03) campaigns in the mid-90s and early-2000s. Notable lows came with two costly errors, both from long-range efforts — conceding a last-minute goal in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final to Nayim and conceding to a Ronaldinho free-kick in the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarter-final.
wn.com/David_Seaman -
David Suazo
Óscar David Suazo Velázquez (born 5 November 1979 in San Pedro Sula) is a Honduran football striker who currently plays for Calcio Catania in the Italian Serie A. He is also a member of the Honduran national team.
In his early career, Suazo developed alongside his cousin, Maynor Suazo, who now also plays for the Honduran national football team. Suazo took his first steps at Olimpia Reservas and later went on to play at the Liga Bancaria. After his participation in 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship held at Nigeria, he was acquired by domestic club team Olimpia. Suazo continued to impress playing for Olimpia's youth system under the coaching of Angel Ramon Paz (Mon Paz) and earned a spot on the top squad before turning 20 years old.
Oscar Tabarez, when coach of the Italian side Cagliari Calcio, was impressed by Suazo's performance and did not hesitate in bringing him across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Suazo officially joined Cagliari ahead of the 1999–20000 Serie A season. In his first season with the team, he scored one goal in 13 league appearances, and at the end of the 1999–00 season, Cagliari were relegated to Serie B, where they would remain until the 2003–04 season. In four years in Serie B, Suazo played 113 matches and scored 40 goals for the club. His scoring efficiency was impressive enough for him to earn the nickname La Pantera (the Panther). Suazo's time in Serie B provided him with great experience which would help ease his transition into more difficult competition at the top of the Italian Lega Calcio.
wn.com/David_Suazo -
Deco
Anderson Luís de Souza, OIH (born 27 August 1977 in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil), commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense.
Deco is one of the few players to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs – FC Porto in 2004 and FC Barcelona in 2006. He was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and UEFA Best Midfielder in Porto's Champions League-winning season and was named Man of the Match in the 2003–04 Champions League final. Deco was the first player to win the UEFA Best Midfielder Award with two different clubs, Porto and Barcelona. He was awarded the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball and the Man of the Match award in the final despite losing to Internacional.
Deco received Portuguese citizenship in 2002 having completed six years of Portuguese residence, subsequently opting to play internationally for the Portugal national football team.
Deco started off his career at Nacional Atlético Clube in the city of São Paulo, where he was spotted and signed by Corinthians. Deco arrived in Portugal in 1997 at the age of 19 along with fellow Brazilian player Caju after being acquired by Benfica of Lisbon.
wn.com/Deco -
Demetrio Albertini
Demetrio Albertini (born 23 August 1971) is a former professional Italian football midfielder who spent most of his career with AC Milan of the Italian Serie A, winning five Serie A titles and three UEFA Champions League titles with that club. He also played for FC Barcelona in the Spanish League before retiring winning La Liga that year.
Also a member of the Italian national team, Albertini was part of the squads that competed at the World Cups of 1994 and 1998, as well as the 1996 and 2000 European Championships.
Albertini, born in Besana in Brianza, province of Milan, emerged as a product of AC Milan's youth system, and went on to spend 14 highly successful years with the club after debuting as a 17-year-old in 1989. He spent part of the 1990/91 season on loan at Padova Calcio, but established himself in the Milan side in 1991/92 and went on to make almost 300 appearances for the club, claiming three successive Serie A titles between 1992 and 1994 and further scudetti in 1996 and 1999. In addition, he made 41 Champions League appearances, helping the Rossoneri reach three consecutive finals between 1993 and 1995, lifting the trophy in 1994. He also won three UEFA Super Cups.
wn.com/Demetrio_Albertini -
Denis Law
Denis Law CBE (born 24 February 1940) is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Law's career as a football player began at Second Division Huddersfield Town in 1956. After four years at Huddersfield, Manchester City signed him for a transfer fee of £55,000, setting a new British record. Law spent one year there before Torino bought him for £110,000, this time setting a new record fee for a transfer between an English and an Italian club. Although he played well in Italy, he found it difficult to settle there and signed for Manchester United in 1962, setting another British record transfer fee of £115,000.
He is best known for the eleven years that he spent at United, where he scored 237 goals in 404 appearances and was nicknamed The King and The Lawman by supporters. He is the only Scottish player in history to have won the prestigious European Footballer of the Year award, doing so in 1964, and helped his club win the First Division in 1965 and 1967. Law left Manchester United in 1973 and returned to Manchester City for a season, then represented Scotland in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Law played for Scotland a total of 55 times and jointly holds the Scottish international record goal tally with 30 goals. Law is also United's second highest goalscorer behind Bobby Charlton. Law holds a United record for scoring 46 goals in a single season.
wn.com/Denis_Law -
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɛnɪs ˈbɛrχkɑmp] ( listen); born 10 May 1969) is a Dutch former professional footballer who is the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder and subsequently a main striker, he was deployed as a second striker, where he remained throughout his playing career. Bergkamp has been described by Jan Mulder as having "the finest technique" of any Dutch international and a "dream for a striker" by teammate Thierry Henry.
The son of an electrician, Bergkamp was born in Amsterdam and played as an amateur in the lower leagues. He was spotted by Ajax at the age of 11 and made his professional debut in 1986. Good form led to an international call-up a year later, attracting the attention of several European clubs. Bergkamp signed for Italian club Internazionale in 1993 where he had two disappointing seasons, before joining Arsenal in 1995. It was at Arsenal where Bergkamp rejuvenated his career, helping the club to win three Premier League titles, four FA Cup trophies and reach the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, which marked his last appearance as a player. With the Netherlands national team, Bergkamp surpassed Faas Wilkes's record to become the Netherlands' top goalscorer of all time in 1998, later surpassed by Patrick Kluivert.
wn.com/Dennis_Bergkamp -
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (French pronunciation: [didje dʁɔɡba]; born 11 March 1978) is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a centre forward for Chelsea. He is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team (Ivory Coast). He has scored more goals for Chelsea than any other foreign player and is currently Chelsea's fourth highest goal scorer of all time. His key attributes include his physical strength, ability in the air, and his ability to retain possession of the ball.
After playing in youth teams, Drogba made his professional debut aged 18 for Ligue 2 club Le Mans. A late bloomer, he signed his first professional contract aged 21; it was not until the 2002–03 season that he realized his potential, scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances in Ligue 1 for Guingamp. During the same season he made his first international appearance for Côte d'Ivoire, in September, and scored his first international goal the following February. He moved to Olympique de Marseille in 2003 for £3.3 million. His scoring success at Olympique de Marseille continued, finishing as the third highest scorer in Ligue 1 with 19 goals and helped the club to reach the 2004 UEFA Cup Final.
wn.com/Didier_Drogba -
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo foɾˈlan]; born 19 May 1979) is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.
Forlán was born into a family of footballers; his father Pablo having played for São Paulo (1970–1975) and Uruguay in the 1966 and 1974 World Cups and his maternal grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazo, for Independiente in Argentina.
Forlán joined Independiente himself after rising through their youth team, and after a successful four-year spell, he signed for Manchester United of England's Premier League. His form for United was not as successful as at Independiente, although he won the Premier League in 2003 and the FA Cup in 2004. In the Summer of 2004 he moved on to La Liga side Villarreal.
In his first season in Spanish football with Villarreal, Forlán scored 25 league goals and won the Pichichi Trophy. After two more successful seasons with Villarreal, Forlán joined Atlético Madrid, where he once again became the league's top scorer, and became the first player to win the Pichichi Trophy twice since Ronaldo achieved this feat in 2003–04. Forlán scored in Atlético's 2010 Europa League final victory against Fulham. In 2011 he joined Internazionale of Italy's Serie A.
wn.com/Diego_Forlán -
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona Franco (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo maɾaˈðona]; born 30 October 1960) is a retired Argentine football player, and current manager of Al Wasl FC in Dubai. Many experts, football critics, former and current players consider Maradona the greatest football player of all time. He won FIFA Player of the Century award which was to be decided by votes on their official website, their official magazine and a grand jury.
He is the only player in football history who set world-record contract fees twice. The first, when he was transferred to Barcelona for a then world record £5m and the second, when he was transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9m. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys. In his international career, playing for Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals.
He played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, including the 1986 tournament, where he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany in the final, winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player. In that same tournament's quarterfinal round, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history, though for two different reasons. The first goal was via an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted "The Goal of the Century" by FIFA.com voters in 2002.
wn.com/Diego_Maradona -
Diego Milito
Diego Alberto Milito (born 12 June 1979) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Italian Serie A club Internazionale and the Argentine national team. A prolific and consistent center-forward, Milito has statistically averaged just over a goal every two appearances, over the course of his 10-year professional career. He was pivotal in Inter's 2009–10 treble-winning season and his two goals in the Champions League final confirmed his status as one of the world's most clinical finishers.
He has been nicknamed El Príncipe ("The Prince" in Spanish) because of his physical resemblance with former Uruguayan footballer Enzo Francescoli, who was nicknamed that way.
Diego Milito started playing at Argentine first division team Racing Club in 1999, where he won the 2001 Apertura tournament. During this time, his younger brother Gabriel played for Racing's main rival, Independiente, as a defender. The two clubs would contest the Avellaneda derby with the two brothers lining up against each other.
wn.com/Diego_Milito -
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff (born February 28, 1942 in Mariano del Friuli) is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.
Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the history of the sport among the very best in this role, being named the 3rd greatest goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS behind Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks. He holds the record for the longest playing time without allowing goals in international tournaments (1142 minutes) set between 1972 and 1974. With 112 caps, he is the fourth most capped player for the Azzurri. In 2004 Pelé named him as one of the 125 greatest living footballers.
After retiring as a footballer, Zoff went on to become coach for the Italian national team and several other Italian clubs.
Dino Zoff was born in Mariano del Friuli, Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy), and was elected in a poll by the IFFHS as the third best goalkeeper of the 20th Century - after Lev Yashin (1st) and Gordon Banks (2nd).
wn.com/Dino_Zoff -
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Cissé (French pronunciation: [dʒibʁil sise]; born 12 August 1981) is a European Cup winning French international footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a striker. He is well known for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham. Cissé started his career at AC Arles in 1989 at the age of eight. After seven years at the club, he had a six-month spell at Nîmes Olympique before moving to Auxerre joining the club's youth system. Cissé spent two years in the system before graduating to the first team in 1998. Having had a move to Liverpool delayed once, he moved to the Merseyside-based club in 2004, after playing for Auxerre for six seasons, scoring 90 goals in 166 appearances.
During his time at Anfield, he played 79 games, scoring 24 times. He had a loan spell to Marseille, scoring 15 goals in 25 appearances before the deal was made permanent. Cissé returned to the Premier League in 2008 with a loan spell at Sunderland, scoring 11 goals in 39 appearances. On 25 June 2009, he signed a four-year contract with Greek side Panathinaikos. In the summer of 2011 he secured a move to Serie A side Lazio. On 31 January 2012, Cissé signed for Queens Park Rangers for a reported £4 million, scoring in his debut in a 2–2 draw with Aston Villa.
wn.com/Djibril_Cissé -
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian international footballer 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 footballers and began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize. In 2005, he moved 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 190 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 was also given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo for his performances during the 2010–11 season.
wn.com/Eden_Hazard -
Edgar Davids
Edgar Steven Davids (born 13 March 1973) is a retired Dutch footballer. After beginning his career with Ajax, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan and Juventus before a loan spell with Barcelona. He went on to play for Internazionale and Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Ajax. Having struggled with injuries for two years, Davids returned to competitive football during a brief spell with Crystal Palace before retiring at the age of 37.
He was capped 74 times by the Netherlands at international level, scoring six goals, and represented his country at the FIFA World Cup (once) and the UEFA European Football Championship (three times). His dreadlocked hair and protective goggles – which he wore due to glaucoma – made Davids one of the most recognisable players of his generation. A combative and creative midfielder, Davids was nicknamed "the Pitbull" by Louis van Gaal because of his marking ability. He was one of the players chosen by Pelé to feature in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living footballers. He was born in Suriname to an African father and Jewish mother. His cousin Lorenzo is also a footballer.
wn.com/Edgar_Davids -
Emilio Butragueño
Emilio Butragueño Santos (born 22 July 1963 in Madrid) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.
He was best known for his spell with Real Madrid. Nicknamed El Buitre (The Vulture), he was a member of the legendary Quinta del Buitre, along with Manolo Sanchís, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Míchel and Miguel Pardeza.
Butragueño amassed La Liga totals of 341 games and 123 goals for his main club, in 12 seasons, and represented the Spanish national team in two World Cups (being the second top scorer in the 1986 edition) and as many European Championships, scoring 26 international goals for his country, a record that stood for several years.
In 1981, skilled Butragueño joined Real Madrid's youth system, and played first for its reserve side, before being given his senior debut by Alfredo Di Stéfano on 5 February 1984 against Cádiz CF. He made an instant impact, scoring twice and assisting for the third goal in a 3–2 away turnaround, after Real trailed by 0–2. On 12 December that year, he made his European competition debut, contributing to a 6–1 home triumph against R.S.C. Anderlecht for the UEFA Cup third round (after a 0–3 loss in Brussels), as the Merengues went on to win the competition.
wn.com/Emilio_Butragueño -
Emmanuel Petit
Emmanuel Laurent "Manu" Petit (born 22 September 1970) is a French retired footballer, who played club football for Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea. He represented France at international level, and scored the third goal in France's 3–0 victory in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final.
Petit was born in Dieppe, Seine-Maritime. He began his career at minor club ES Arques-la-Bataille, before being signed by Arsène Wenger's AS Monaco at the age of 18. He made his debut soon after and played in the 1989 French Cup final. Petit became a regular at Monaco, at left back or centre back; in 1991 he won the Cup with Monaco, and also played in the 1992 European Cup Winners' Cup final (which Monaco lost to Werder Bremen). In 1996–97, his final season at Monaco he captained his side to the Ligue 1 title.
Despite interest from Rangers[citation needed], Petit joined Arsenal in June 1997 £2.5m, where he was reunited with his former Monaco manager, Arsène Wenger. Wenger switched Petit from centre-back to defensive midfielder, and partnered him with fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira. The French duo formed a midfield partnership which brought instant success, as Petit won the Double with Arsenal in his very first season, clinching both the Premier League title and the FA Cup. Altogether, in the three seasons in his Arsenal career, Petit made 118 appearances and scored 11 goals, including a stunning drive from outside the area against Derby County (which was also the winning goal), during the 1997–98 season.
wn.com/Emmanuel_Petit -
Eric Cantona
Éric Daniel Pierre Cantona (French pronunciation: [kantɔna]) (born 24 May 1966) is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in five years and two League and FA Cup Doubles.
Cantona is often regarded as having played a key role in the revival of Manchester United as a footballing force and he enjoys iconic status at the club. He wore the number 7 shirt at United, which was previously worn by George Best and Bryan Robson, and subsequently worn by David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. Cantona is affectionately nicknamed by Manchester United fans as "King Eric", and was voted as Manchester United's greatest ever player by Inside United magazine. Set against his footballing achievements was a poor disciplinary record throughout his career, including a conviction for assault on a fan in 1995.
wn.com/Eric_Cantona -
Eusébio
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM (Portuguese pronunciation: [ewˈzɛbiu dɐ ˈsiɫvɐ fɨˈʁɐjɾɐ]; born 25 January 1942), commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans. He helped the Portuguese national team reach third place at the 1966 World Cup, being the top goalscorer of the tournament with nine goals (six of which were scored at Goodison Park) and receiving the Bronze Ball award. He won the Ballon d'Or award in 1965 and was runner-up in 1962 and 1966. He played for Benfica for 15 years out of his 22 as a footballer, thus being mainly associated with the Portuguese club, and is the team's all-time top scorer with 638 goals scored in 614 official games. There, he won 11 Primeira Liga titles (1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1974–75), 5 Portuguese Cup titles (1961–62, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1969–70 and 1971–72), 1 European Cup title (1961–62) and managed to help them reach three additional European Cup finals (1962–63, 1964–65 and 1967–68). He was the European Cup top scorer in 1965, 1966 and 1968. He also won the Bola de Prata (Primeira Liga top scorer award) seven times (a national record) in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1973. He was the first ever player to win the European Golden Boot award, in 1968, a feat he later replicated in 1973.
wn.com/Eusébio -
Fabien Barthez
Fabien Alain Barthez (born 28 June 1971 in Lavelanet) is a former French footballer goalkeeper who won honours with Manchester United and the French national team, with whom he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 World Cup. He shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets with Peter Shilton, with 10. In club football he won the Champions League as well as several Ligue 1 and Premier League titles.
Born in Lavelanet, France, Barthez made his first division debut for Toulouse on 21 September 1991, against Nancy. He joined Marseille in 1992, and won both the French championship and the Champions League at the end of his first season in Marseille. The 1993 victory made him the youngest goalkeeper to win a Champions League title until Iker Casillas did so in 2000. However, Marseille would be stripped of their domestic title, though not of the Champions League crown, due to their involvement in a domestic match fixing scandal, and a year later (1994) would suffer a forced relegation to the second division due to a related financial bankruptcy. He stayed with the club in Division 2 for the 1994–95 season despite many offers from elite French clubs.
wn.com/Fabien_Barthez -
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI (born 13 September 1973 in Naples) is a retired Italian footballer. He is considered one of the greatest defenders of his generation and was given the name "Muro di Berlino," which means "The Berlin Wall," by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy. He started his career at Napoli, before spending seven years at Parma, with whom he won two Coppa Italias and the 1999 UEFA Cup. After spells at Internazionale and Juventus, Cannavaro transferred along with manager Fabio Capello from Juventus to Real Madrid, with whom he won consecutive La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008. After returning to Juventus for one season in 2009–10, he joined Al-Ahli in Dubai. He retired from professional football in 2011 due to an injury troubled season in Al-Ahli.
Cannavaro has also achieved success with the Italian national team. He was part of the Italy team that won consecutive Under-21 European Championships in 1994 and 1996. After earning his first senior cap in 1997, he eventually became captain. Cannavaro led Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup, and in 2009 overtook Paolo Maldini as the most capped player in the country's history. He announced his retirement from international football on 25 June 2010 following Italy's failure to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2010 World Cup, having amassed 136 caps and scored two goals for the senior national team.
wn.com/Fabio_Cannavaro -
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈfɛrɛnt͡s ˈpuʃkaːʃ]; born Ferenc Purczeld; 1 April 1927 – 17 November 2006) was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954. He won three European Cups (1959, 1960, 1966), 10 national championships (5 Hungarian & 5 Spanish Primera División) and 8 top individual scoring honors. He is regarded as the best Hungarian football player ever and one of the best football players of all time.
Puskás started his career in Hungary playing for Kispest and Budapest Honvéd. He was top scorer in the Hungarian League on four occasions, and in 1948, he was the top goal scorer in Europe. During the 1950s, he was both a prominent member and captain of the Hungarian national team, known as the Mighty Magyars. In 1958, two years after the Hungarian Revolution, he emigrated to Spain where he played for Real Madrid.
wn.com/Ferenc_Puskás -
Fernando Redondo
Fernando Carlos Redondo Neri (born 6 June 1969) is an Argentine retired footballer.
A defensive midfielder with the ability to contribute both defensively and offensively, he played one full decade in La Liga, mainly for Real Madrid, then finished his career (curtailed by several injury problems) in Italy with Milan.
Redondo was a member of the Argentine national team in the 1990s, representing the nation in the 1994 World Cup.
Born in Adrogué, Buenos Aires, Redondo made his debut for Argentinos Juniors in 1985 in the first division, and played for five years for the team before moving abroad, to Spain.
He made his debut in La Liga with CD Tenerife, under the management of countryman Jorge Solari. During this period, Real Madrid twice lost the league title to arch-rivals FC Barcelona on the final day of the season, in matches against Tenerife, who were managed by Jorge Valdano and, when Valdano was appointed manager of Real Madrid in the summer of 1994, the player also made the move, for a fee of $5 million dollars.
wn.com/Fernando_Redondo -
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda (French pronunciation: [flɔʁɑ̃ maluda]; born 13 June 1980) is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the France national football team.
A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defences with his technical skills and imaginative play.
Malouda soon attracted the interest of scouts from French club Châteauroux and he soon moved to Paris to join the club. Despite the difficulties of living far away from his family home in French Guiana, Malouda was able to continue his studies and play professional football. Malouda played 57 games for Châteauroux, making his senior debut at the age of 16 in the French Ligue 2. He also got sent off in his second game for the club.
Malouda was then signed by top division side Guingamp following Châteauroux's inability to secure a Ligue 1 berth. It was in Guingamp where his talent was showcased in French top-flight football. Under the tutelage of coach Guy Lacombe, Malouda demonstrated his ability and formed a combination with then team-mate Didier Drogba.
wn.com/Florent_Malouda -
Florentino Perez
Florentino Pérez Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [floɾenˈtino ˈpeɾeθ roˈðɾiɣeθ]; born 8 March 1947) is a Spanish businessman, civil engineer, former politician, and current president of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, as well as ACS. He is most famous for ushering Real Madrid's period of Los Galácticos, a time in which he paid extremely high transfer fees for elite footballers.
Pérez joined the Democratic Center Union party in 1979, serving among other in the city council of Madrid.
In 1986, Pérez ran in the Spanish general elections as candidate for the Partido Reformista Democrático. He attended Polytechnic University of Madrid.
In 1993, he was named president of OCP Construcciones, S.A. After the fusion of OCP with Gines y Navarro into Actividades de Construcción y Servicios, S.A. (ACS) in 1997, he became president of the new company.
Florentino Pérez first ran for the presidency of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol in the 19 February 1995 election. He campaigned on the poor financial situation of the club and the alleged mismanagement by the board extensively, but lost to the incumbent Ramón Mendoza by 700 votes.
wn.com/Florentino_Perez -
Florian Maurice
Florian Maurice (born 20 January 1974) is a French retired footballer. He played as a striker, and most notably won the 1998 Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue with French team Paris Saint-Germain. He played six games and scored a single goal for the France national football team.
Born in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, Rhône, Florian Maurice started playing youth football with local top-flight team Olympique Lyonnais in 1986. A great hope in French football, Maurice was touted as the new Jean-Pierre Papin. He was included in Lyonnais' senior squad for the Ligue 1 championship in the 1991-92 season, but did not make his Ligue 1 debut until August 1992. His national breakthrough came during the 1994-95 season, when he scored 15 league goals. In the 1995-96 season, he scored 18 league goals for Lyonnais and took part in both the 1996 European Under-21 Championship and 1996 Summer Olympics tournaments.
He made his debut for the French national team in August 1996, under national manager Aimé Jacquet. However, Maurice's progress was halted during the 1996-97 season, when he suffered a ruptured achilles tendon and went through several months of recovery. In the summer 1997, he moved from Lyonnais to league rivals Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer deal worth FF 41 million. He was a part of the Paris SG team which won both the 1998 Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue trophies. He played a single season at Paris SG, scoring seven league goals, before he moved on to Olympique de Marseille in the summer 1998.
wn.com/Florian_Maurice -
Flórián Albert
Flórián Albert (15 September 1941 – 31 October 2011) was a Hungarian international football player, later manager and sports official, who was named European Footballer of the Year in 1967. Nicknamed "The Emperor", he has been described as one of the most elegant footballers of all time.
A club legend of Ferencvárosi TC, Albert joined the team yet as a schoolboy and spent his whole playing career at Fradi. He also starred for Hungary, winning 75 international caps and scoring 31 goals. He was joint top-scorer at the 1962 World Cup with four goals and played a key role in Hungary's third-place finish at the European Championship in 1964.
He stayed loyal to Ferencváros after his retirement as well, actively participated in the club's life and also held administrative positions. Since 2007 the stadium of Ferencváros wears his name.
Albert died in October 2011, aged 70, in a hospital in Budapest after complications following heart surgery carried out a few days earlier.
The son of a blacksmith, Albert was born and brought up in the little town of Hercegszántó near the border with the former Yugoslavia, where he got his first taste of the game playing with his two brothers. His mother was Hungarian Croat, from the group of Šokci. She died when he was 2. When the family later moved to Budapest, Albert participated on a talent day by Ferencvárosi TC. He impressed the coaches and was selected by club. Albert was 11 years old at the time.
wn.com/Flórián_Albert -
Francesco Toldo
Francesco Toldo (born 2 December 1971) is a retired Italian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
In a professional career which spanned two full decades, he mainly represented Fiorentina and Internazionale (eight and nine seasons respectively), winning a total of 15 titles combined – in his last five years, however, he was solely a backup for the Nerazzurri.
For Italy, Toldo appeared in five international competitions, being a starter in Euro 2000.
Born in Padua, Veneto, Toldo started his career with A.C. Milan; however, he never played a game with the club, being loaned during his link, successively to Hellas Verona FC, Trentino Calcio 1921 and Ravenna Calcio.
He then joined ACF Fiorentina, and became the Viola club's starter for eight seasons, winning the Coppa Italia twice, and playing in one edition of the UEFA Champions League. One year before Fiorentina faced bankruptcy, in 2001, Toldo transferred to F.C. Internazionale Milano, where he was the number one until the summer of 2005, when Brazilian Júlio César relegated him to the bench, after he had elected to sit out Inter's summer friendly match tour of England.
wn.com/Francesco_Toldo -
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃k ʁibeʁi]; born 7 April 1983) is a French international footballer who plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and for the France national team. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler" who "has great control with the ball at his feet". Since joining Bayern, he has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of French national team, Zinedine Zidane, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football".
Ribéry's career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two different clubs (Alès and Brest), in 2004, Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1 club FC Metz. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey in January 2005 joining Galatasaray where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club helping the Marseillais reach the final of the Coupe de France in back-to-back seasons. In 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he has won the double on two occasions; in the 2007–08 and 2009–10 seasons. In 2010, Ribéry contributed to the team that reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but was unable to participate in the match due to suspension.
wn.com/Franck_Ribéry -
Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi (born 8 May 1960 in Travagliato, Italy) is an Italian football youth team coach and former player. He played as a sweeper and spent his entire career with Serie A club AC Milan. Baresi was nicknamed "Piscinin", Milanese for "Little one". In 1999, Baresi was voted AC Milan Player of the Century and is widely regarded as one of the finest defenders of all time.
He is also the younger brother of Internazionale legend and current vice coach Giuseppe Baresi.
Baresi was brought by his older brother Giuseppe for a trial in Inter's youth team, but was rejected. Despite this setback, Baresi refused to give up his dream and tried out for the Milan youth team, where he was accepted.
Baresi led the Milan team and its defence for the best part of a decade. During that time, the back four consisting of him, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti gained a reputation for being of the meanest defenses in Europe. He is also one of the few players who spent his entire career at one club, AC Milan, for whom he played 719 games, scoring 33 goals. Unconventional for an Italian defender trained in the catenaccio tradition, Baresi was an attacking defender who often assisted the team in counterattacks but without neglecting his defensive duties.
wn.com/Franco_Baresi -
Frank de Boer
Franciscus "Frank" de Boer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfrɑn.sɪs.kʏs ˈfrɑŋk də ˈbur]) (born 15 May 1970 in Hoorn, Noord-Holland) is a Dutch former professional footballer, and the younger twin brother of Ronald de Boer. Since 6 December 2010 he is the Manager of AFC Ajax.
De Boer began his career as a left back at Ajax before switching to centre back, a position he made his own for many years in the national team. He won both the UEFA Cup and Champions League while at Ajax. However, after signing a 6-year contract extension with Ajax for the 1998–99 season, he and his twin brother Ronald took successful legal action to have it voided. Ajax had agreed orally that if a lucrative offer for one brother came by, he would be released provided the other stayed. However Ajax apparently backed down on that agreement after floating the club on the stock market and pledging to shareholders that it would hold both of the de Boers and build around them a team to recapture the UEFA Champions League.
Both de Boers then joined FC Barcelona for 22 million pounds. However, they were unable to repeat his earlier triumphs and Frank suffered the ignominy of testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone. De Boer was suspended but he was reinstated after a successful appeal.
wn.com/Frank_de_Boer -
Frank Leboeuf
Franck Alain James Leboeuf or Lebœuf (born on 22 January 1968) is a former French international footballer who played as a defender. With the French national team, Leboeuf won the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
After starting his career in 1986 in the lower divisions of the French league, Leboeuf moved to Laval in 1988. In 1991, he moved to Strasbourg and played there until 1996, when he made a switch to English club Chelsea for £2.5m.
He played over 200 games for the club and scored 24 goals, mainly from penalties and set pieces. With Chelsea, he won two FA Cups, one League Cup and one Cup Winners' Cup. He left in 2001 for his hometown club Olympique Marseille, before finishing out his career in Qatar.
For France, Leboeuf was capped 50 times, scoring four goals. Although he was mainly a substitiute in the 1998 World Cup, he stepped in for red carded Laurent Blanc to play in the final, a 3–0 win against Brazil, a match in which he famously man-marked Ronaldo. In the final Ronaldo only was able to do a couple of his trademark runs thanks to an almost flawless defensive performance by Leboeuf.
wn.com/Frank_Leboeuf -
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer [fʁants ˈbɛkənˌbaʊ̯ɐ] (born 11 September 1945 in Munich) is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser ("The Emperor") because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" (reminiscent of the Austrian emperors), and his dominance on the football pitch. He is generally regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and one of the greatest and most decorated footballers in the history of the game. Beckenbauer was a versatile player who started out as a midfielder but made his name as a defender. He is often credited as having invented the role of the modern sweeper or libero.
Twice selected the European Footballer of the Year, he appeared 103 times for West Germany and played in three World Cups. He lifted the World Cup trophy as captain in 1974, and repeated the feat as a manager in 1990. With the club Bayern Munich, he won three consecutive European Cups from 1974 to 1976, and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1967. He is one of only two footballers, along with Brazil's Mário Zagallo, to have won the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. Beckenbauer is one of two players (along with Carles Puyol) to captain three European Cup winning sides. He went on to become coach and president of the institution. He is also a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
wn.com/Franz_Beckenbauer -
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos (October 28, 1933 – January 20, 1983), known by the nickname "Garrincha" (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɡaˈʁĩʃɐ], "little bird"), was an association football right winger and forward who helped the Brazil national team win the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. He played the majority of his professional career for the Brazilian club Botafogo.
The word garrincha itself means wren. Garrincha was also known as Mané (short for Manuel) by his friends. The combined "Mané Garrincha" is common among fans in Brazil. Due to his immense popularity in Brazil, he was also called Alegria do Povo (Joy of the People) and Anjo de Pernas Tortas (Angel with Bent Legs).
Garrincha is regarded as the best dribbler in football history. In the Estádio do Maracanã the home team room is known as "Garrincha," while the visiting team room is known as "Pelé."
Garrincha was born in Pau Grande, a district of Magé, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in 1933. His father was an alcoholic, drinking cachaça heavily, a problem which Garrincha would inherit. He had several birth defects: his spine was deformed, his right leg bent inwards and his left leg six centimeters shorter and curved outwards, none of which impeded his ability to play football at the highest level.
wn.com/Garrincha -
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE (born 30 November 1960), is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live. He remains England's top scorer in the FIFA World Cup finals, with ten goals.
Lineker began his football career at Leicester City and became known as a prolific goalscorer; despite failing to score in his first ten games, he finished as the First Division's joint top goalscorer in 1984–85 and earned his first England cap. He then moved to League Champions Everton where he remained a clinical finisher, scoring 40 goals in 57 games. His first team honours came at Barcelona, where he won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989. He returned to England in 1989, joining Tottenham Hotspur, and over three seasons he scored 67 goals in 105 games and won the FA Cup. Lineker's final club was Nagoya Grampus Eight and he retired in 1994 after two seasons at the Japanese side.
wn.com/Gary_Lineker -
Gaël Givet
Gaël Givet-Viaros (born 9 October 1981) is a French footballer who plays as a defender for Blackburn Rovers. Givet is a left-footed centre back who can also play left-back.
Born in Arles, France, Givet started his professional career at AS Monaco as a left back before moving to centre half. He made his debut in a 2–2 draw against Guingamp in December 2000. He played for Monaco between 2000 and 2007, making 178 league appearances and scoring a respectable 8 goals. The highlights of his time at the club were winning the French League Cup in 2003 and reaching the UEFA Champions League Final in 2004, where he missed out on a winner's medal with a 3–0 defeat against Jose Mourinho's FC Porto. He played a pivotal role in their success, making 13 Champions League appearances during the campaign. He made a name for himself in the 2003/04 season where he blossomed in the Monaco defense with the likes of Manchester United's Patrice Evra, Olympique de Marseille's Julien Rodriguez and Arsenal's Sébastien Squillaci.
wn.com/Gaël_Givet -
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE (born 8 December 1941 in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire) is a retired England footballer best remembered for making his mark in history as the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West Germany at the old Wembley. Such an achievement was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was only five months and eight games into his international career, and was not considered his country's premier centre forward.
In club football Hurst played for West Ham United where he spent 13 years scoring 180 goals in the First Division. He joined Stoke City in 1972 where he spent three years before finishing his Football League career with West Bromwich Albion. Hurst went to play football in Ireland, USA and Kuwait before returning to England to play for Telford United. Hurst became manager of Telford in 1976 and after three years joined Chelsea but was sacked in August 1981.
Hurst was born in the Lake Hospital Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, but moved with his family to Chelmsford, Essex, at the age of eight. He attended Kings Road Primary School, where a house is now named after him. The son of a lower-division footballer, Hurst's own footballing career began when he was apprenticed to West Ham United.
wn.com/Geoff_Hurst -
George Best
George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. In 1968 he won the European Cup with United, and was named the European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Association Player of the Year. He is described by the national team's governing body, the Irish Football Association, as the "greatest player to ever pull on the green shirt of Northern Ireland".
Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Best began his club career in England with Manchester United, who had spotted his talent at the age of 15. He went on to see success with United scoring 179 goals from 470 appearances over 11 years. His playing style combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders. Best unexpectedly quit United relatively early in 1974 at age 27, but returned to football for a number of clubs around the world in short spells, until finally retiring in 1983, age 37. In international football, he was an automatic choice when fit, being capped 37 times and scoring nine goals from 1964 to 1977, although the team's performance never allowed his talent to be displayed in the finals of a European Championship or World Cup.
wn.com/George_Best -
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈɡe̯orɡe ˈhad͡ʒi] ( listen); born 5 February 1965 in Săcele) is a former Romanian footballer. He was one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time.Galatasaray fans called him 'Commandante' (The Commander) and the Romanians called him 'Regele' (The King).
Nicknamed "The Maradona of the Carpathians", he is considered a hero in his homeland. He has won his country's "Player of the Year" award six times, and is regarded as one of the best football players of the 20th century.
He played for the Romanian national team in three World Cups in 1990, 1994 and 1998, as well as in three European Football Championships in 1984, 1996 and 2000. He won a total of 125 caps for Romania, being ranked second after Dorinel Munteanu, and scored 35 goals, being ranked first.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Romania by the Romanian Football Federation as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. Hagi is one of the few footballers to have played for both the Spanish rival clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
wn.com/Gheorghe_Hagi -
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli (born 9 July 1964 in Cremona) is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia.
Vialli started his career at Cremonese in 1980 in his native Italy where he made 105 league appearances scoring 23 goals. His performances impressed Sampdoria who signed him in 1984. During which time he scored 85 league goals, won 3 Italian cups, the Serie A and the European Cup Winners Cup. Vialli transferred to Juventus for a World record £12.5 million in 1992. During this time he won the Italian Cup, the Serie A, Italian Supercup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. In 1996 Vialli joined Chelsea and became Chelsea player manager the following season. In England he won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He is one of nine footballers to have won the three main European club competitions and is the only player in European footballing history to have winner's and runner's up medals in all three main European club competitions. During his twenty years long career as a professional footballer he has scored 259 goals at club level, 16 goals with the national team, 11 goals with the under 21 national team for a total of 286 goals in more than 500 appearances.
wn.com/Gianluca_Vialli -
Golden Generation
In sport, a golden generation or golden team is an exceptionally gifted group of players of similar age, whose achievements reach or are expected to reach a level of success beyond that which their team had previously achieved. Below is a list of teams who have been referred to by the media as golden generations.
It was first coined by the Portuguese sports media to refer to a group of exceptionally gifted teenage Portuguese footballers. This group of players, spearheaded by "Golden Boy" Luís Figo, won several Football World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991. This group were close to retirement in the early part of the 21st century, leading the European sports media to spotlight the Golden Generation's chances of winning a senior trophy at tournaments like Euro 2000, World Cup 2002, Euro 2004 - which Portugal hosted, and World Cup 2006.
Since then, it has been used by media in many different countries, with usage spreading to other areas, for example, in rugby.
By winning the gold medal in the Americas Championship 2001, silver medal in 2002 FIBA World Championship, the gold medal in Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics, gold medal in FIBA Diamond Ball 2008, bronze medal in Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and gold medal in 2011 FIBA Americas Championship played in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Resulting in Argentina reached the first position in the FIBA Men's Ranking at the end of the 2008 Olympic Games..
wn.com/Golden_Generation -
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks, OBE (born 30 December 1937) is a retired English football goalkeeper. The IFFHS named Banks the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century – after Lev Yashin (1st) and ahead of Dino Zoff (3rd).
Banks was a member of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup. In March 2004 Pelé listed Banks as one of the 125 greatest living footballers. His most famous moment occurred in the 1970 World Cup against Brazil, where he pulled off a stunning save from a goalbound header from Pelé, which is often regarded as arguably the greatest save ever. Banks' consistent performances in goal led to the re-wording of a common English idiom to "Safe as the Banks of England".
Banks, born in Sheffield, was a careful student of goalkeepers during childhood. Banks played in local colliery football as a boy and was offered an apprenticeship by Chesterfield after initially going to work as a coal bagger and then as a bricklayer on leaving school. After performances in the youth and A teams gained him promotion to the reserves, Banks was posted to Germany with the Royal Signals on National service, winning the Rhine Cup with his regimental team. On his return he was offered a full-time contract by the Chesterfield manager, Teddy Davison.
wn.com/Gordon_Banks -
Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet (born 31 December 1972) is a retired French association football goalkeeper who last played for Paris Saint-Germain. He has played for clubs such as Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Atlético Madrid. He has also played for the France national team.
Coupet began his club career with hometown team Club Olympique Le Puy, before going pro with Saint-Étienne in 1994. He made his Ligue 1 debut on 26 March 1994 in a 2–0 victory against Angers. After three seasons, he surprisingly moved to league rival Lyon (the two cities are only 80 kilometers apart, and are long-time local and national rivals). His gamble paid off as Lyon have regularly dominated Le Championnat since 2002 and are also a regular fixture in the UEFA Champions League.
Coupet performed a memorable double save against Barcelona during an UEFA Champions League 2001–02 match, when he first acrobatically headed an unintended lob by a defender to his own crossbar, and then immediately parried a close header by the arriving Barcelona striker Rivaldo.Video of Coupet meorable save against FC Barcelona UCL 01/02
wn.com/Grégory_Coupet -
Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa (Arabic: حاتم بن عرفة; born 7 March 1987) is a French footballer who plays for English club Newcastle United in the Premier League. He plays as a winger and an attacking midfielder. Ben Arfa has been described as "one of the best-rated talents in France", but has been criticized by the media and players alike for lacking discipline.
Ben Arfa started his career throughout various clubs in the Île-de-France region, having trained at AC Boulogne-Billancourt and Versailles. In 1999, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy. Ben Arfa spent three years at the academy and, upon leaving, signed with Lyon, where he won four Ligue 1 titles. In his early career at Lyon, he played as a centre forward, but moved into a winger role during the 2007–08 season. In the summer of 2008, Ben Arfa signed with rivals Marseille for €11 million through a move which required the intervention of the Ligue de Football Professionnel. With Marseille, he won the 2009–10 league title, his fifth overall, as well as the Coupe de la Ligue in 2010. After two years at Marseille, Ben Arfa joined English club Newcastle United on loan for the 2010–11 season with a view to a permanent deal. In January 2011, the loan deal was made permanent.
wn.com/Hatem_Ben_Arfa -
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhɛnrɪk ˈlɑːʂɔn]; born 20 September 1971) is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS. He was a striker whose main attributes were good pace and the ability to turn and shoot in tight areas.
Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they won promotion to the Allsvenskan in 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before leaving for Celtic in 1997. He won four league titles in seven years with Celtic, scoring 242 goals in 315 competitive matches, before moving to FC Barcelona in 2004, where he won two league titles and the 2006 Champions League. Following the expiration of his contract at Barcelona, Larsson returned to his hometown club of Helsingborg, and joined Manchester United on a brief loan spell between January and March 2007. He announced his retirement from football on 20 October 2009.
Larsson played for Sweden in three World Cups and three European Championships and is a former captain of the national team. Larsson ended his international career with 37 goals in 106 matches.
wn.com/Henrik_Larsson -
Hernán Crespo
Hernán Jorge Crespo (born 5 July 1975) is an Argentine footballer who is currently out of contract. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in the 2000–01 Serie A with 26 goals, while playing for Lazio. Crespo once held the world record in transfer fee, when he was bought by Lazio from Parma in July 2000.
Crespo made his debut with River Plate during the 1993–94 season, scoring 13 goals in 25 league appearances as River Plate won the Apertura league title. In 1996, Crespo helped River win the Copa Libertadores, scoring twice in the home leg of the final in Buenos Aires.
Crespo left River Plate for Parma on 14 August 1996 after he won the silver medal with Argentina at the 1996 Summer Olympics and finished as the top scorer with six goals. He failed to score in his first six months at the club and was routinely booed with head coach Carlo Ancelotti coming in for much criticism for keeping faith with the selection of Crespo. His faith was, however, vindicated: the young Argentine went on to score 12 times in 27 matches in his first Serie A season and Parma finished runners-up to Juventus. The turning point was the standing applause he received for his brace against Calcio in March 1997. Parma won the 1998–99 Italian Cup and he scored the opening goal in Parma's 3–0 UEFA Cup final victory over Olympique de Marseille. He had scored 80 goals in four seasons.
wn.com/Hernán_Crespo -
Hidetoshi Nakata
Hidetoshi Nakata, Cavaliere OSSI (中田 英寿, Nakata Hidetoshi?, born January 22, 1977 in Yamanashi Prefecture), is a retired Japanese football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation.
Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S. Roma in 2001, played for Japan in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (1998, 2002 and 2006) and played in the Olympics twice (1996 and 2000). In 2005, he was made the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, one of Italy's highest honors, for improving the country's image overseas. Nakata has also been involved in fashion, regularly attending runway shows and wearing designer clothing.
Nakata announced his retirement at age 29 on July 3, 2006 after a ten-year career that included seven seasons in the Italian Serie A and a season in the English Premier League. In March 2004, Pelé named Nakata in his FIFA 100, a list of the top living footballers at the time.
wn.com/Hidetoshi_Nakata -
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez (born July 11, 1958), popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi, or Hugol, is a Mexican football coach and former striker. He played for four European clubs, including Real Madrid. He was also a member of the Mexico national team, and participated in three World Cups. He is currently manager of Pachuca of the Primera División de México.
As a coach, he won two championships as head coach of the club Pumas de la UNAM and briefly with Club Necaxa, both teams in the Mexican Primera División. He also had a sixteen-month stint with the Mexican national team, but was fired on March 31, 2008. Hugo Sanchez has signed up to start coaching again, now in Europe, for UD Almería [1] from the Spanish First Division starting December 29, in an attempt to save the team from descending to the 2nd Division by the Summer. He has succeeded in keeping UD Almeria free from relegation from La Liga for the 2009–2010 season.
In 1999, the IFFHS voted him the 26th best footballer of the 20th century, and the best footballer from the CONCACAF region.
wn.com/Hugo_Sánchez -
Ihor Belanov
Ihor Ivanovych (or Ivanovich) Belanov (Ukrainian: Ігор Іванович Беланов, Russian: Игорь Иванович Беланов; born 25 September 1960) is a retired Ukrainian footballer who played as a striker.
He made a name for himself at Dynamo Kyiv, winning five major titles and being named European Footballer of the Year in 1986. He then spent six years in Germany with two teams, with little success.
Belanov represented the Soviet Union at one World Cup and one European Championship.
Belanov was born in Odessa, Ukraine, Soviet Union. He started playing professionally in his hometown, with SKA Odessa and FC Chornomorets Odessa, joining country giants FC Dynamo Kyiv in 1985, and scoring ten goals in his first season, which ended with league and cup conquest.
Alongside with teammates Oleg Blokhin and Oleksandr Zavarov, Belanov led the scoring charts at the 1985–86 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (five apiece) as Dynamo won the competition for the second time. He played the full 90 minutes in the final against Atlético Madrid (3–0).
wn.com/Ihor_Belanov -
Iván Zamorano
Iván Luis Zamorano Zamora (born January 18, 1967 in Santiago) is a retired Chilean football striker. Along with Marcelo Salas and Elias Figueroa he is regarded as one of Chile's most recognized footballers.
He was a member of the Chilean national team and played in the 1998 World Cup. He played for several clubs, notably Spanish clubs Sevilla and Real Madrid C.F. as well as Italian club Internazionale. He won the 1994-95 La Liga title and was the season's top scorer with Real Madrid. He also won the UEFA Cup with Internazionale.
In 2004, Zamorano was selected among the FIFA 100, a list of the best living football players in the world compiled by Pelé.
Zamorano started his career at the club Trasandino then he moved to Cobresal in Chile in 1985. In 1988, he moved to Europe to Swiss team FC St. Gallen, scoring 34 goals in 56 matches in three seasons. In 1991 Zamorano debuted in the Spanish Primera División with Sevilla, where he would play 59 matches and score 21 goals before he was sold to Real Madrid for $5 million.
wn.com/Iván_Zamorano -
Jack Walker
Jack Walker (19 May 1929 – 17 August 2000) was a British industrialist and businessman, from Blackburn, Lancashire. Walker invested tens of millions of pounds in Blackburn Rovers Football Club after amassing a personal fortune of £600 million. He moved to St Helier, Jersey to become a tax exile in 1974. He also funded the Jersey Rugby Club and First Tower Football Club
The youngest of three children, he was born into a working class family in Blackburn and left school at 13. After leaving school Walker worked as a sheet metal worker and a conscript craftsman in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers before taking over the family business with his brother, Fred Walker after the death of their father in 1951. Together, they transformed Walkersteel from a back-street scrap metal business started by their father after the war into a steel stockholding concern. By 1990 they had built up the business so successfully that it had become the largest steel stockholder in Britain, employing 3,400 people at 50 sites. In 1956 the turnover was £46,000. In 1988 the business was making an annual profit of £48m. The Walker brothers bought GKN and then sold it to British Steel for a reported £360m, the highest price ever paid for a private company at the time.
wn.com/Jack_Walker -
Jacques Santini
Jacques Santini (born 25 April 1952 in Delle, France) is a former football player and manager. He played for Saint-Étienne during the 1970s, and reached the European Cup final with them in 1976. He has coached both Tottenham Hotspur and the French team AJ Auxerre.
Jacques Santini is one of the most accomplished football managers - coach in France. Together with Jean Michel Aulas and Bernard Lacombe he was involved in the transformation of Lyon into a French football giant. From 1997 to 2000 he was Sports' director, helping lay the foundation which resulted in Lyon becoming the best football club in France. As manager of Lyon from 2000-2002 he was winner of French League Cup in 2001, and in 2002 he won the French Championship.
Santini was chosen as "The best French coach " on 2002 by France Football and World's The Best National Coach of the Year on 2003 by International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) Santini replaced Roger Lemerre as France manager in 2002. He had already resigned from the position before Euro 2004, where France surprisingly lost to Greece in the quarter-final.
wn.com/Jacques_Santini -
Jan Breydel
Jan Breydel (born in Bruges in the 13th century) is credited with leading the Bruges Matins (Brugse Metten), a violent uprising against Philip the Fair.
Breydel, who was by trade a butcher, led the Bruges Matins together with Pieter de Coninck, a weaver, in May 1302. About three weeks before, on 1 May that year, they had partaken in an attack on the castle of Male and the complete annihilation of the French garrison there. The city archives of Bruges show that Jan Breydel was present from 8 July until 10 July 1302, in Kortrijk, as a supplier of meat for the troops. On the basis of this record, it is generally accepted that he had fought on 11 July 1302 in the Battle of the Golden Spurs.
In 1308, he helped to disengage Willem of Saeftinghe, who had fought on the same side at Kortrijk six years earlier, from the church of Lissewege where Willem had barricaded himself during an uprising.
In 1309, Breydel, together with Pieter de Coninck and Jan Heem, again led an uprising in Bruges, aimed against the Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge (1305) forced upon Flanders by the French; he killed the substitute of the Count of Flanders the same year.
wn.com/Jan_Breydel -
Javier Saviola
Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández (born 11 December 1981) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, as a striker.
Known for his speed, he represented both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid during his career (amongst others), and was named, as the youngest player, to Pelé's FIFA 100 list of the 125 greatest living footballers. Due to his Spanish ancestors, he also holds Spanish nationality since 2004.
An Argentine international in the 2000s, Saviola represented the country at the 2006 World Cup and the 2004 Copa América.
Nicknamed El Conejo (The Rabbit), Buenos Aires-born Saviola made his debut for Club Atlético River Plate at the age of 16, and went on to be a prolific goalscorer for the club.
He helped River to the 1999 Apertura and 2000 Clausura championships, and earned the 1999 South American Footballer of the Year award. Still only 18, he gained a reputation as a phenomenal prospect.
In 2001, aged 19, Saviola moved abroad to play for FC Barcelona in a £15 million transfer. He obtained Spanish citizenship shortly after, thereby not being restricted by the Spanish league maximum on the number of non-European Union citizens allowed in each club. Under coach Louis van Gaal, he scored 17 goals in his first season, finishing third best scorer in La Liga.
wn.com/Javier_Saviola -
Jay-Jay Okocha
Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha (born 14 August 1973 in Enugu) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. Okocha is due to play in the newly formed Indian Soccer League in March 2012 and is up for auction for £351,000. He is known for his stepovers, skill, technique, and being 'so good that they named him twice' (a line immortalised in a terrace chant while Okocha played for Bolton Wanderers). While playing at Süper Lig team Fenerbahçe, he became a Turkish citizen as "Muhammet Yavuz".
Okocha's "Jay-Jay" name was actually passed down from his older brother James, who started playing football first. His immediate older brother Emmanuel was also called Emma Jay-jay, but the name stuck with Augustine. Okocha first began playing football on the street just like many other football stars, usually with a makeshift ball. Jay Jay Okocha was born in Enugu, Nigeria to Mr. & Mrs Okocha of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria. In an interview with BBC Sport he said "as far as I can remember, we used to play with anything, with any round thing we could find, and whenever we managed to get hold of a ball, that was a bonus! I mean it was amazing!" Known for making the move,"Sombrero Flick." In 1990 he joined Enugu Rangers. In his time at the club he produced many spectacular displays including one where he rounded off and scored a goal, against experienced Nigerian goalkeeper William Okpara in a match against BCC Lions. Later he travelled to Germany to meet a friend, where he was asked to train with his team after impressing in training, and landed a deal with German Third Division side Borussia Neunkirchen.
wn.com/Jay-Jay_Okocha -
Jean Petit
Jean Petit (born September 25, 1949 in Toulouse, Haute-Garonne) is a former football midfielder from France, who earned twelve international caps (one goal) for the French national team during the late 1970s. Petit played most of his professional career for AS Monaco, with whom he won the French title in 1978. He was a member of the French team in the 1978 FIFA World Cup.
wn.com/Jean_Petit -
Jean Tigana
Jean Amadou Tigana (born 23 June 1955 in Bamako, Mali, previously named French Sudan) is a former French international footballer, having played in midfield and managed professional football extensively throughout France, including 52 appearances and 1 goal for the France national football team during the 1980s. He most recently coached Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua.
Tigana started his professional career as a player at Toulon, having been spotted fairly late playing part-time while employed in a spaghetti factory and then as a postman. He moved to Lyon in 1978 and then to Bordeaux in a $4million transfer. He was part of the French national football team that won the European Championship in 1984, defeating Spain in the final. In Bordeaux's midfield for eight years, Tigana helped them to three league titles and three French cups, as well as taking them close to European glory on two occasions, losing in the semi-final of the European Cup and Cup Winners' Cup in 1985 and 1987 respectively.
wn.com/Jean_Tigana -
Jean-Alain Boumsong
Jean-Alain Boumsong-Somkong (born December 14, 1979, in Douala) is a French football defender who currently plays for the Greek team Panathinaikos and the French national team.
Boumsong started his career with French team Le Havre before joining Auxerre. He notably scored the 89th-minute winning goal in Auxerre's 2–1 win in the 2003 French Cup Final against Paris Saint-Germain.
A long-time target for then Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier, the press speculated that it was only a matter of time before Boumsong signed for Liverpool.[citation needed] However, as Boumsong was a free agent, his agent, the Monaco based Scot Willie McKay negotiated the best sign-on fee to the player for Boumsong from Scottish Premier League club Rangers.[citation needed]
As a result, Boumsong joined Alex McLeish at Rangers in 2004 and signed a five year contract. Boumsong quickly adapted to the Scottish game and showed his skill as a centre back, leading to rumours that his stay in Glasgow may be shorter than expected. Halfway through the 2004–05 season, Newcastle under new manager Graeme Souness, made an £8 million bid for him, which Rangers accepted in a deal that was finalized once the January 2005 transfer window opened.
wn.com/Jean-Alain_Boumsong -
Jean-François Larios
Jean-François Larios, nicknamed "Turbo" (born August 27, 1956 in Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria) is a retired football midfielder from France. He earned seventeen international caps (five goals) for the French national team during the late 1970s, early 1980s.
A player of AS Saint-Étienne (1978–1982), Larios was a member of the French team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. However, he had to leave the France camp during the tournament after rumours surfaced that he was having an affair with Michel Platini's wife.
wn.com/Jean-François_Larios -
Jean-Marc Guillou
Jean-Marc Guillou (born December 20, 1945 in Bouaye, Loire-Atlantique) is a French ex-footballer and current trainer, who played at the 1978 World Cup.
Guillou was the founder of the Abidjan football school, eventually becoming the manager, technical director and trainer of ASEC Abidjan.
On a personal note, Guillou also gave Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger his 1st break in coaching.
Guillou made his debut for the France national football team in March 1974 during a match against Romania, with France winning 1-0. Between 1974 and 1978 he played 19 times for the French national side, including at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
He played his last match for France at the 1978 World Cup losing to Italy 1-2 on June 2 in Mar del Plata.
Guillou is the founder of football d'Abidjan ('Académie de Sol Beni) et successivement technical director and Head Coach ASEC Abidjan. He currently runs a number of football schools in Africa and Thailand under the name Académie Jean-Marc Guillou (Academy J.M.G.) seeking to develop young footballers who are often transferred to European clubs, the football talent academys are based in Abidjan, Antsika, Algiers and Bangkok.
wn.com/Jean-Marc_Guillou -
Jocelyn Angloma
Jocelyn Angloma (born August 7, 1965 in Abymes, Guadeloupe) is a French-Guadeloupean football defender currently playing for a Guadeloupean club, L'Etoile de Morne-à-l'Eau.
He was a member of the Marseille team which won the 1993 UEFA Champions League. He played more than 400 games in European first divisions, including 120 appearances with Valencia in Spain, where he played until his retirement in 2002. He played in the UEFA Champions League Finals of 2000 and 2001 for them, but was on the losing side on both occasions.
He played 37 times for France and scoring a goal. Angloma was part of the squad at Euro 92 and Euro 96.
In 2006, Angloma came out of retirement to play for his native région, Guadeloupe, and help them qualify for the 2007 Caribbean Nations Cup. He was allowed to represent Guadeloupe because Guadeloupe is not a FIFA member and only participates in regional competitions. After his return from retirement, Angloma moved from his natural position as a right back and played as a midfield playmaker for Guadeloupe.
wn.com/Jocelyn_Angloma -
Jochen Kientz
Jochen Kientz (born 17 September 1972) is a German retired footballer who played as a central defender.
Born in Mannheim, Kientz played youth football at several clubs, including local VfR Mannheim and SV Waldhof Mannheim, but made his professional debuts with Eintracht Frankfurt, with whom he signed in January 1991; during the course of three Bundesliga seasons, he only made one league appearance and, in another winter transfer market move, in 1994, dropped down a division and joined TSV 1860 München.
After only seven matches with the Lions, Kientz tried an abroad adventure, playing two seasons in Spain, one apiece with RCD Mallorca and CD Logroñés – the former in Segunda División where he appeared and scored regularly, the latter in the top division, in a season which ended in relegation.
In the 1997 summer, he returned to his country and to 1860 Munich, now in the top level, starting in one season and being backup in the other; on 7 November 1998, Kientz scored his first goal in the competition, albeit in a 1–3 derby loss against FC Bayern Munich.
wn.com/Jochen_Kientz -
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON (Dutch: [ˈjoˑɦɑn ˈkrœy̆f]) born 25 April 1947 in Amsterdam), known as Johan Cruyff, is a former Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Lionel Messi. Cruyff was one of the most famous exponents of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in association football.
After his retirement from playing in 1984, Cruyff became highly successful as manager of Ajax and later FC Barcelona; he remains an influential advisor to both clubs. His son Jordi has also gone on to play football professionally.
In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the IFFHS, and came second behind Pelé in their World Player of the Century poll. He came third in a vote organised by the French weekly magazine France Football consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect their Football Player of the Century. He was named as the greatest football player of all time by the Bleacher Report for the combination of his skill and his revolutionary application of Rinus Michels's total football to the sport.
wn.com/Johan_Cruyff -
Johan Micoud
Johan Micoud (born 24 July 1973) is a retired French footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder.
Left-footed, he was considered a skilled midfielder and a dead-ball expert; during a 16-year professional career, he played professionally, other than in his country, in Italy and Germany.
Micoud gained nearly 20 caps for France, and represented the nation at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2000, winning the latter tournament.
Born in Cannes, Micoud was a youth product of local AS Cannes' youth system, becoming the side's playmaker after Zinedine Zidane's departure to FC Girondins de Bordeaux. He helped the club to promotion from the second division in 1993 and UEFA Cup qualification the following season.
In 1998–99, two years after also moving to Bordeaux, Micoud played a pivotal role as the club were crowned Ligue 1 champions, and helped it to the following season UEFA Champions League's second group stage.
In 2000, he was seduced by the attraction of playing abroad, initially joining Parma AC, where he stayed for two seasons. Micoud then moved to Germany, signing for SV Werder Bremen, where he enjoyed a successful four-year stay, the peak of which being a major force in the league and cup double in 2004, as he netted 10 league goals, the highest for a midfielder alongside Bayer 04 Leverkusen's Bernd Schneider.
wn.com/Johan_Micoud -
Jon Stevenson
Jonathan Stevenson (born 13 October 1982) is an English footballer, currently playing for East Midlands Counties League team Owen Town, where he plays as a striker.
Born in Leicester, Leicestershire, Stevenson started his career with home town side Leicester City as a trainee. Stevenson did not start a game for the club, making only 12 appearances in the league, all coming on as a substitute. His debut came against West Ham United in a FA Premier League match on 12 January 2002. He went on to score only two goals for the club; one against Aston Villa in a 2–2 draw, and the solitary goal in a 6–1 defeat at the hands of Ipswich Town.
After being released by Leicester City in June 2003, he was snapped up by Swindon Town. At Swindon he made just eight appearances, four as a substitute.
After failing to make his mark, Stevenson was signed by Cambridge City before moving on to Conference North club Alfreton Town.
After year at Alfreton, Stevenson joined Tamworth, where he signed a 12-month deal on 18 May 2006.
wn.com/Jon_Stevenson -
Jose Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix, OIH, or simply José Mourinho (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ moˈɾiɲu]; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese football manager, currently the head coach of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One". Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches, and critics as one of the best football coaches of all time. Mourinho started out as a player and eventually switched to management. After working as a physical education teacher and spells working as a youth team coach, a scout, and an assistant manager in the early 1990s, he became an interpreter for Sir Bobby Robson. He worked with Robson at Sporting Lisbon and Porto in Portugal, and Barcelona in Spain. He remained at the Catalonian club after Robson's departure and worked with his successor Louis van Gaal.
He began focusing on coaching and impressed with brief but successful managerial periods at Benfica and União de Leiria, taking the latter to their highest ever league finish. He returned to Porto in early 2002 as head coach, winning the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal, and UEFA Cup in 2003. In the next season Mourinho guided the team to victory in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, to the top of the league for a second time, and won the highest honour in European club football, the UEFA Champions League. Mourinho moved to Chelsea the following year and won the Premier League title, the club's first league title in 50 years, and the League Cup in his first season season. In his second year Chelsea retained the Premier League and in 2006-07 he took the club to an FA Cup and League Cup double, though they were league runners-up. He often courted controversy for his outspokenness, but his victories at Chelsea and Porto established him as one of the world's top football managers. Mourinho left Chelsea in September 2007, amidst reports of a rift with club owner Roman Abramovich.
wn.com/Jose_Mourinho -
José Nasazzi
José Nasazzi Yarza (May 24, 1901 – June 17, 1968) was the Uruguayan footballer who captained his country when they won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930.
He was born in Bella Vista, Montevideo to Giuseppe, an Italian immigrant from Milan, and María from the Basque Country of Spain.
Nasazzi is regarded by many as Uruguay's greatest ever football player. He was known as "El Gran Mariscal" (The Great Marshal) and had already won the gold medal at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games, as well as the Copa América in 1923, 1924 and 1926, by the time of the first World Cup.
During the World Cup tournament, Uruguay's only serious rivals were their neighbors Argentina. After defeating Peru and Romania in the first round, Uruguay defeated the Yugoslavia 6-1 in the semi-finals to set up a final against Argentina. Although his team were 2-1 behind at half-time, Nasazzi rallied his teammates in the second half, leading them to a 4-2 victory and making himself the first captain to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy.
wn.com/José_Nasazzi -
Juan Barbas
Juan Alberto Barbas (born August 23, 1959 in San Martín, Buenos Aires) is a retired Argentine football defensive midfielder, He played for a number of clubs in Argentina, Spain, Italy and Switzerland before turning his hand to management in 2009 with Racing Club de Avellaneda.
Barbas started his career in 1977 at Racing Club de Avellaneda in the Primera Division Argentina. He then went on to play for Real Zaragoza in Spain, U.S. Lecce in Italy, FC Locarno and FC Sion in Switzerland.
Barbas was a part of the Sion team that won the 1991-1992 Swiss Championship.
After another spell at Locarno Barbas returned to Argentina where he had a short spell with Club Atlético Huracán before dropping down to the lower leagues to play for Alvarado de Mar del Plata and then All Boys where he retired in 1997.
Barbas was part of the Argentina Under-20 squad that won the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship, he went on to play for Argentina 33 times including appearances at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
On 13 October 2009 Racing Club de Avellaneda officials hired their former player as their caretaker coach, replacing Ricardo Caruso Lombardi.
wn.com/Juan_Barbas -
Juan Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme (born 24 June 1978) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Boca Juniors as an attacking midfielder.
A playmaker, he combines passing, vision and skills with goalscoring ability from midfield. He spent most of his career with Boca Juniors, but also had a significant spell in Spain with Villarreal. He was named the Argentine Footballer of the Year four times.
A longtime Argentine international, Riquelme represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup and two Copa América tournaments.
Born in San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Riquelme was born into a family of ten in poverty, and grew up in Don Torcuato. Boca Juniors and Club Atlético River Plate spotted him when he was a youth player for Argentinos Juniors, and he chose to move to the former in 1995 for US$800,000, as he had been a fan of the club since childhood.
On 10 November 1996, aged 18, Riquelme made his Primera División debut, in a 2–0 win against Unión de Santa Fe. Two weeks later, he scored his first senior goal, in a 6–0 triumph over Club Atlético Huracán.
wn.com/Juan_Román_Riquelme -
Juan Sebastián Verón
Juan Sebastián Verón (born 9 March 1975) is an Argentinian professional football player who is the current captain and midfielder for Estudiantes de La Plata in the Argentine Primera División. Verón's career started in Estudiantes, continued in Argentina's Boca Juniors, and included stints in several Serie A clubs (where he won the Scudetto with Lazio and with Internazionale, and a UEFA Cup with Parma), and England's Manchester United and Chelsea. In 2006, Verón returned to Estudiantes.
In 2004, he was included in the FIFA 100 centenary list of the 125 greatest living footballers, selected by Pelé as part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. Verón has both Argentine and Italian citizenship. His nickname is La Brujita (Little Witch), a nod to his father Juan Ramón who was known as La Bruja (The Witch) and was also a championship winning player with Estudiantes.
Juan Sebastián Verón is the eldest son of former Argentina striker Juan Ramón Verón, who scored against Manchester United in the 1968 Intercontinental Cup at Old Trafford for Estudiantes. He was born the day his father played a derby for Estudiantes against cross-town rivals Gimnasia y Esgrima. As a boy, Verón dreamed of playing for English club Sheffield United, as his uncle, Pedro Verde, played for the club at the time. When his son started to play professionally, his father tried to persuade one of his former clubs Panathinaikos to sign him. However, after a short trial with them, they finally decided that he was not good enough for their team. After his transfer to Manchester United, Verón said, "So there I was hoping to play for Sheffield United and here I am at Manchester United!"
wn.com/Juan_Sebastián_Verón -
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. (born 30 January 1975 in Recife), commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time. Juninho led Olympique Lyonnais to 7 consecutive Ligue 1 titles before leaving the club in 2009 while scoring 100 goals in 344 games for Lyon, and six goals in 40 games for the Brazilian national team. He retired from international football after the 2006 World Cup.
Juninho started his career at Sport Recife and quickly established himself as a rising star in Brazilian football. After winning two regional titles with Sport, he moved to Vasco da Gama in 1995, and won several trophies with the club, including the Brazilian Championship in 1997 and 2000, the Copa Libertadores in 1998, the Copa Mercosur in 2000, as well as the 2000 Brazilian Silver Ball award as one of the best Brazilian midfielders of the season. In that time, he was part of an incredible squad, playing with Romário, Edmundo, and Juninho Paulista.
wn.com/Juninho_Pernambucano -
Jérémy Toulalan
Jérémy Toulalan (French pronunciation: [ʒeʁemi tulalɑ̃]; born 10 September 1983 in Nantes) is a French footballer who currently plays for Málaga CF in La Liga. His usual position is as a defensive midfielder, but he can also be utilized as a central defender. He is best known for his shy and humble demeanor, simple distribution, good technique, and effective tackling.
Toulalan started his career at hometown club FC Nantes and made his debut in March 2002. His performances during the 2004–05 season earned him the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and also an appearance in the Team of the Year. In May 2006, Toulalan joined Lyon on a four-year contract and helped the team win back-to-back league titles 2007 and 2008. In June 2011, he joined Malaga CF.
Toulalan is also a French international having previously represented his country at youth level. He made his senior international debut in October 2006 and has represented his nation at two international tournaments: UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Toulalan is regular in the starting eleven often starting in the holding midfielder role.
wn.com/Jérémy_Toulalan -
Jérôme Rothen
Jérôme Renée Marcel Rothen (French pronunciation: [ʒeʁom roten]) born 31 March 1978 of Châtenay-Malabry) is a French footballer who plays as a winger for SC Bastia.
Rothen has won 13 caps for the French national team. He represented his country at the 2004 European Football Championship and won the FIFA Confederations Cup with France in 2003. In club competition, Rothen won the Coupe de France once and the Coupe de la Ligue twice with Paris Saint-Germain. He also won the Coupe de la Ligue with Monaco. Rothen is a skilled winger who specialises in free kicks, crossing and passing.
Rothen underwent training at the famous Clairefontaine National Football Academy in France.
He started his career with SM Caen.
He then played for Troyes AC under Alain Perrin.
He was brought to AS Monaco on 1 January 2002 for €5 million. Rothen was one of the stars of the Monaco side that reached the 2004 final of the Champions League, in May 2004.
A native of the Paris metropolitan area, he fulfilled a childhood dream when he signed for the capital side Paris Saint-Germain in 2004 for €11 million.[citation needed] He rejected lucrative offers from more powerful European clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea F.C. and Valencia C.F. in order to join PSG, the club he supported during his youth.[citation needed]
wn.com/Jérôme_Rothen -
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann (born 30 July 1964 in Göppingen) is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States men's National team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship. One of West Germany's/Germany's premier strikers during the 1990s, Klinsmann scored in all six major international tournaments he participated, from Euro 1988 to 1998 World Cup.
He managed the German national team to a third-place finish in the 2006 World Cup. On 12 July 2006, Klinsmann officially announced that he would step down as Germany's coach after two years in charge and be replaced by assistant coach Joachim Löw. He took over as coach of Bayern Munich in July 2008, when Ottmar Hitzfeld stepped down to take over as the head coach of the Swiss National Team. On 27 April 2009 he was released early, even though he had won five of the previous seven league games and was only three points behind league leader VfL Wolfsburg. In the jointly initiated reforms at Bayern it emerged there was a severe clash of opinions between coach and club management.
wn.com/Jürgen_Klinsmann -
Kabyle people
The Kabyle people (in Kabyle: Iqvayliyen) are the largest homogeneous Algerian ethno-cultural and linguistical community and the largest nation in North Africa to be considered exclusively Berber. Their traditional homeland is Kabylia (or Kabylia) in the north of Algeria, one hundred miles east of Algiers. Tradionally, they have also had a strong presence in the Algérois (Algiers region). There are also, due to emigration during the 19th and 20th centuries, large Algerian-Kabyle (or Kabyle) communities in France and to a lesser extent in Canada.
Kabyles speak the Kabyle language, and since the Berber Spring in 1980, they have been at the forefront of the fight for the official recognition of the Berber languages in Algeria (see Languages of Algeria). The Kabyle region is referred to as Al Qabayel ("tribes") by the Arabic-speaking population and as Kabylia in French, but its inhabitants call it Tamurt Idurar ("Land of Mountains") or Tamurt n Iqvayliyen/Tamurt n Iqbayliyen ("Land of the Kabyles"). It is part of the Atlas Mountains and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean.
wn.com/Kabyle_people -
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁiˈkaɾdu iˈzɛksõw duˈsɐ̃tus ˈlejtʃi]; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká (Portuguese: [kaˈka] ( listen)), is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club. At the time, he also played tennis, and it was not until he moved on to São Paulo FC and signed his first professional contract with the club at the age of 15 that he chose to focus on football.
In 2003 he joined Milan for a fee of €8.5 million. While at Milan, Kaká won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007. After his success with Milan, Kaká joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €65 million, second only to that of Zinedine Zidane, €75 million. Later Real Madrid transferred Cristiano Ronaldo for a fee of €96 million, setting a new transfer fee record, making Kaka's fee the third highest ever. In addition to his contributions on the pitch, Kaká is known for his humanitarian work. In 2004, by the time of his appointment, he became the youngest ambassador of the UN World Food Programme. Kaka is the first sportsperson to amass 10 million followers in twitter.
wn.com/Kaká -
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema (Arabic: كريم بن زيمة; born 19 December 1987) is a French international footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid in La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability. He is described as an "immensely-talented striker" who is "strong and powerful" and "a potent finisher from inside the box".
Benzema was born in the city of Lyon beginning his football career with local club Bron Terraillon. In 1996, he joined the biggest club in the city Olympique Lyonnais and, subsequently, came through the club's youth academy. Benzema made his professional debut in the 2004–05 season and appeared sporadically in his first three seasons as Lyon won three titles in that span. In the 2007–08 season, Benzema became a starter and had a breakthrough year scoring over 30 goals as Lyon won its seventh straight league title. For his performances, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and named to the organization's Team of the Year. Benzema was also the league's top scorer and given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo. After another season at Lyon, in July 2009, Benzema signed a six-year contract with Spanish outfit Real Madrid. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season with the club, in the ensuing two seasons, Benzema reached prominence scoring 58 goals en-route to helping Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey in 2011 and the 2011–12 edition of La Liga. In December 2011, he was named the French Player of the Year for his performances during the calendar year.
wn.com/Karim_Benzema -
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish (Scottish pronunciation: [dɛlɡliːʃ]) MBE (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former footballer and manager. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two clubs, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is Scotland's most capped player, with 102 appearances, and joint leading goal scorer, with 30 international goals. Dalglish was voted PFA Player of the Year for the 1982–83 season, and Football Writers' Footballer of the Year in 1979 and 1983. In 2009 FourFourTwo magazine named Dalglish as the greatest striker in post-war British football, and in 2006 he topped a Liverpool fans' poll of "100 Players Who Shook the Kop". He has been inducted into both the Scottish and English football Halls of Fame.
Dalglish began his career with Celtic and between 1971 and 1977 he won four Scottish First Division titles, four Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup with the club. In 1977, Bob Paisley paid a British transfer record of £440,000 to bring Dalglish to Liverpool. His years at Liverpool marked one of the club's most successful periods: he won seven league titles, three European Cups and five domestic trophies. For these achievements and his style of play he was given the name King Kenny by Liverpool supporters. Dalglish became player-manager of Liverpool in 1985 and in a six-year tenure won three league titles and two FA Cups. He resigned as Liverpool manager in 1991.
wn.com/Kenny_Dalglish -
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born 14 February 1951) is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United.
As a player in the 1970s and 1980s, he has been described as "arguably the first superstar English player to attract the modern media spotlight". He began his playing career at Scunthorpe United in 1968, before moving to Liverpool of Division One in 1971. At Liverpool, Keegan won three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups, one FA Cup and the European Cup. He also gained his first England cap in 1972, and moved to German top-flight club Hamburger SV in the summer of 1977. At Hamburg he was crowned European Footballer of the Year in both 1978 and 1979, won the Bundesliga title in 1978–79, and reached the European Cup final the following year. Keegan moved to Southampton that summer, and spent two seasons at the club before a transfer to second-tier Newcastle United in 1982. He helped Newcastle to promotion in his second season, and retired from football in 1984, having been capped 63 times for England, scoring 21 goals.
wn.com/Kevin_Keegan -
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc (French pronunciation: [loʁɑ̃ blɑ̃]; born 19 November 1965 in Alès) is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux.
Blanc formerly played professional football for numerous clubs, notably Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Internazionale, and Manchester United, often operating in the sweeper position. He is also a former French international, playing in several international tournaments, which includes the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, both of which France won. On 28 June 1998, Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history against Paraguay. Blanc has the nickname Le Président, which was given to him following his stint at Marseille in tribute to his leadership skills.
Laurent Blanc's career started in Montpellier, where he signed his first professional contract in 1983. A very technical player, he played as an offensive midfielder and helped Montpellier get promoted to Division 1 in 1987. Only a few years later did he settle as a defender following the advice from Michel Mézy, a position in which his physical stature (1.91 m, 82 kg) and his temper would prove invaluable. His game being perfectly fitted for the French league, he managed to score at least 12 goals in every season at Montpellier, for the most part penalties and headers. He also won the Coupe de France in 1990, scoring a goal in the final. Blanc became, and remains, Montpellier's all-time leading goal scorer, with 84 in all competitions (76 in league play).
wn.com/Laurent_Blanc -
Lev Yashin
Lev Ivanovich Yashin (Russian: Лев Ива́нович Я́шин) (22 October 1929 – 20 March 1990) nicknamed as "The Black Spider", "The Black Octopus" or "The Lion", was a Soviet-Russian football goalkeeper, considered by many to be the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the game. He was known for his superior athleticism in goal, imposing stature, amazing reflex saves and inventing the idea of goalkeeper sweeping. Yashin was voted the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS.
Yashin was born in Moscow into a family of industrial workers. At twelve years of age, the Second World War forced him to turn to factory work to aid in the war effort. He was sent to work in a military factory in Moscow, where he played for its football team. It was there that he was spotted and invited to join the Dynamo Moscow youth team. Yashin’s debut for Dynamo came in 1950 in a friendly match. It was not the debut he would have hoped for, as he conceded a soft goal scored straight from a clearance by the opposing keeper. That year he played in only two league games, and did not appear in a senior match again until 1953. But he remained determined, and stayed at Dynamo in the reserves waiting for another opportunity. Yashin also played goalie for the Dynamo ice hockey team during those early years of trying to break into the senior squad. He managed to win a USSR ice hockey cup in 1953 and was third in the USSR hockey championship as goalkeeper.
wn.com/Lev_Yashin -
Leônidas da Silva
Leônidas da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [leˈõnidɐz dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born Rio de Janeiro, 6 September 1913 – died, Cotia, 24 January 2004) was an association footballer and commentator. He is regarded to be one of the most important players of the first half of the 20th century. He played for Brazil in two World Cups, and was the top scorer of the 1938 World Cup.
He was known as the "Black Diamond", and as the "Rubber Man" – due to his elasticity. He is known for having created the bicycle kick.
Leônidas, born in Rio de Janeiro, started his career at São Cristóvão. In 1931 and in 1932, he played for Bonsucesso.
He joined Peñarol in Uruguay in 1933. After one year, he came back to Brazil to play for Vasco da Gama. He helped them win the Rio State Championship. After playing in the World Cup in 1934 he joined Botafogo and won another Rio State Championship in 1935. On the following year, he joined Flamengo, where he stayed until 1941. Once again, in 1939, he won Rio State Championship. He also fought prejudice, being one of the first black players to join the then-elitist Flamengo team.
wn.com/Leônidas_da_Silva -
Lionel Charbonnier
Lionel André Michel Charbonnier (born 25 October 1966 in Poitiers) is a retired French footballer who played as a goalkeeper. After retiring, he became a football manager and is currently the manager of Atjeh United of the Liga Primer Indonesia.
He played for the AJ Auxerre side which won the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France in the 1995-96 season under the management of Guy Roux. After eleven seasons with Auxerre from 1987 to 1998 he joined Rangers FC in Scotland, where he won the treble of Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup in his first season, 1998-99. They retained the League and Cup in his second season. He retired in 2002 after a season with Lausanne Sports of the Swiss Super League.
Charbonnier earned his only full cap for France in 1997. He was a member of the squad which won the 1998 World Cup on home soil, although he did not play a game.
He also managed Tahiti, a French overseas colony, at under-20 level, winning the Oceania Football Confederation's championship in that age bracket. Charbonnier qualified the Under-20 team to the 2009 World Cup in Egypt, the first time that any Tahitian team had reached a World Cup.
wn.com/Lionel_Charbonnier -
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi], born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays in La Liga for FC Barcelona and is the captain of the Argentina national team, mainly as a forward.
By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year in 2009 he won both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, and won the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010 and 2011. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Messi is the fourth football player to win three Ballons d'Or, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten and the second player to win three consecutive Ballons d'Or, after Michel Platini. His playing style and small stature have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi as his "successor".
Messi has won five La Liga titles and three Champions League titles. In 2012, Messi made UEFA Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match, in a 7–1 win against Bayer Leverkusen. With two goals in the next round against A.C. Milan, he matched José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single UEFA Champions League/European Cup season. He also became the first player to top-score in four successive European Champion Clubs' Cup campaigns. He set the world record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals.
wn.com/Lionel_Messi -
Lisandro López
Lisandro López (born 2 March 1983 in Rafael Obligado, Buenos Aires Province), sometimes known as Lisandro, is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France.
Primarily a striker, he is also capable of playing on the wings. He is known for his great movement, positional awareness and pace.
López started his career at Racing Club de Avellaneda, in the Argentine first division, making his first-team debuts at the age of 19.
He was the league's top scorer in the 2004 Apertura tournament, going on to net more than 30 official goals during his three-year spell.
In April 2005, Lisandro signed for F.C. Porto for a transfer fee of €2.3 million, moving to Portugal alongside countryman Lucho González. His agents, Global Soccer Agencies (later renamed Rio Football Services), retained 50% of the player's rights- in the same transfer window, Luís Fabiano, whose rights were owned by GSA's sister company, "Global Soccer Investments" (75%), left the club. He scored seven top division goals in his first season, in 26 games, repeating the feat in the following campaign, appearing in one match less; he also found the net against Rangers in the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League (1–1 home draw), adding two against Hamburger SV (also in the UEFA Champions League, but in the following season, 4–1 home win).
wn.com/Lisandro_López -
Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus German pronunciation: [ˈloːtaɐ̯ maˈtɛːʊs], (born 21 March 1961 in Erlangen, West Germany) is a German football manager and former player.
In 1990, he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup. One year later, he was also named the first ever FIFA World Player of the Year.
He has played in five World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) more than any other outfield player, and holds the record for the most World Cup matches played (25 games). He also won Euro 80, and played in Euro 84, Euro 88, and Euro 2000. In 1999, he was again voted German Footballer of the Year despite being 38 years old. He is the most capped German player of all time, retiring with a total of 150 appearances (83 of them when the team was called West Germany) and 23 goals for the German national team. Matthäus is a member of the FIFA 100 – a list of 125 of the greatest living football players chosen by Pelé. Maradona said about Matthäus "he is the best rival I've ever had. I guess that's enough to define him" in his book Yo soy el Diego (I am Diego).
wn.com/Lothar_Matthäus -
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha (born 8 August 1978) is a French footballer who is currently a free agent. Saha is capped at national level for, France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United. Before the start of the 2000–01 season, Saha moved to Fulham where he established himself as first choice striker, helping them to gain promotion to the Premier League in his first season with them.
His performances gained attraction from Manchester United, who eventually secured his signing for around £12.4 million midway through the 2003–04 season. Injuries plagued his Old Trafford career, however he did enjoy success with twice winning the Premier League, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and also scored six times en route to victory in the League Cup, including one goal in the final.
After four and a half years at United, Everton took him to Goodison Park, where he opened the scoring in the 2009 FA Cup Final after 25 seconds, setting the record for the fastest goal scored in FA Cup Final history. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer in the 2012 January transfer window. Saha made his France debut in 2004 in a 2–0 victory over Belgium. He represented France at the 2004 European Football Championships and also the 2006 FIFA World Cup which they reached the final, however Saha was suspended for the final against Italy after receiving a yellow card against Portugal in the semi-final.
wn.com/Louis_Saha -
Luis Fernández
Luis Fernández (born on 2 October 1959 in Tarifa, Spain) is a Spanish-French footballer who played as a defender / midfielder. He retired as a player in 1993 to become a manager.
Fernández has managed AS Cannes and Paris Saint-Germain among other clubs, and is the individual credited with bringing Ronaldinho to Europe.
As an active player, Fernández got 60 international caps and 6 goals for the French national team, between 1982 and 1992. He served as the Stade de Reims manager from December 2008 to June 2009.
He is currently a sport radio talk host with RMC, his daily show is called "Luis Attaque"
It was at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that Spanish-born Luis Fernández signed his first professional contract, at 19 years of age.
After the elimination from the 1986 World Cup, and just after he had won the French Ligue 1 championship with PSG, Fernández made the decision to join Jean-Luc Lagardere's team Racing Club de Paris. But in spite of a team that was strong on paper, the club and Fernandez didn't succeed, and he left Racing after three seasons. Following the 1986 World Cup, the French national team did not manage to qualify for Euro 1988 and the 1990 World Cup.
wn.com/Luis_Fernández -
Luis Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, (born 4 November 1972) is a former Portuguese international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009. He won 127 caps for the Portuguese national football team, a number that makes him the most capped Portuguese player in history.
Figo was the 2000 European Footballer of the Year, the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, and was named amongst the FIFA 100.
Figo is one of the few football players to have played for both the Spanish rival clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. He had a successful career highlighted by several trophy wins, such as one Portuguese Cup, four La Liga titles, two Spanish Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, four Serie A titles, one Italian Cup and three Italian Super Cups.
Figo started his career at Sporting CP. He won his first senior international cap in 1991. Prior to that, he won the Under-21 World Championships and Under-16 European Championships with Portugal junior sides, alongside Rui Costa, João Pinto and he was also a significant part of Portugal's "Golden Generation".
wn.com/Luis_Figo -
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, (born 4 November 1972) is a former Portuguese international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009. He won 127 caps for the Portuguese national football team, a number that makes him the most capped Portuguese player in history.
Figo was the 2000 European Footballer of the Year, the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, and was named amongst the FIFA 100.
Figo is one of the few football players to have played for both the Spanish rival clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. He had a successful career highlighted by several trophy wins, such as one Portuguese Cup, four La Liga titles, two Spanish Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, four Serie A titles, one Italian Cup and three Italian Super Cups.
Figo started his career at Sporting CP. He won his first senior international cap in 1991. Prior to that, he won the Under-21 World Championships and Under-16 European Championships with Portugal junior sides, alongside Rui Costa, João Pinto and he was also a significant part of Portugal's "Golden Generation".
wn.com/Luís_Figo -
Mahi Khennane
Mahi Khennane (born 21 October 1936 in Mascara) is a retired French-Algerian footballer who represented both the French and Algerian sides. In 1967, he was part of the first professional team of FC Lorient, before coming back in Algeria.
wn.com/Mahi_Khennane -
Mamadou Sakho
Mamadou Sakho (born 13 February 1990) is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a centre back for his club, but can also deputized as a left back if necessary. Sakho is known for his leadership credentials, his tireless engine, hard-working attitude, and his tackling ability. He has also been praised for his "physical and tactical qualities". Sakho is also known for his eccentric hairstyles he often displays while playing and has earned the nickname Kirikou by club supporters as a result.
Of Senegalese descent, Sakho started his career at Paris FC in 1996 before moving to professional club Paris Saint-Germain in 2002. After excelling in the youth system, Sakho earned a call up the senior team by manager Paul Le Guen. In October 2007, on his league debut, he became the youngest player ever to captain a Ligue 1 club after wearing the armband in the club's 0–0 draw with Valenciennes. Since making his debut with the club, Sakho has become an integral part of the team earning starting berths in the first 11 under managers Paul Le Guen and Antoine Kombouaré. Sakho's playing style and ability have led to the media and former players drawing comparisons to former French international Lilian Thuram.
wn.com/Mamadou_Sakho -
Manuel Amoros
Manuel Amoros (born February 1, 1962 in Nimes) is a retired football defender from France with Valencian ancestry. He was capped 82 times (one goal) for the France national football team, and played in the Euro Cup finals of 1984 and 1992, and the World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986.
Amoros played most of his career for AS Monaco in the French first division. He missed his penalty in the 1991 European Cup Final for Marseille and subsequently Red Star Belgrade won the match 5–3 on penalties.
It was his stints with the tricolor during the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups in which he stood out. In the 1982 World Cup semifinal against West Germany, Amoros' crossbar-hitting 30-yard shot in the 89th minute sent chills to the spines of many a West German fan.[citation needed] In the penalty shoot-out he converted his kick before France bowed out.
In the 1984 European Championships held in France, Amoros showed an egregious side of him. During the inaugural game against Denmark, the French back was harshly tackled by Danish midfielder Jesper Olsen. As the referee went searching for the yellow card to book the offender, Amoros quickly jumped on his feet and head-butted his tackler on the forehead in front of a stunned ref who also yanked a red card out of his pocket to send Amoros off. He was banned for three games. However, in the final against Spain, national coach Michel Hidalgo took him on as a sub in a game that Les Bleus won by 2–0 at Le Parc des Princes.
wn.com/Manuel_Amoros -
Marcel Desailly
Marcel Desailly (French pronunciation: [maʁsɛl dəsaji]; born Odenke Abbey 7 September 1968 in Accra, Ghana) is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. He also enjoyed a distinguished career at club level with several major European clubs.
Born as Odenke Abbey to Ghanaian parents, Marcel had his name changed when his mother married the head of the French Consulate in Accra who adopted all the children (the former professional footballer Seth Adonkor, seven years his elder, was a half-brother of his). He arrived in France as a four-year-old and, following Adonkor's lead, began his career at FC Nantes. There, as part of the famed FC Nantes youth programme, he played alongside a young Didier Deschamps, who became his closest friend. Desailly turned professional in 1986, two years after his half-brother had died in a car accident. In 1992, he moved to Olympique de Marseille, where he reunited with Deschamps, and won the UEFA Champions League the following year. In 1994, while playing for AC Milan, he again won the Cup (scoring in the final himself), being the first player to win the Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs. During his time in Milan he won two Italian league titles, in 1994 and 1996. Although he prefers to be a central defender, he also played as a defensive midfield for some time while being at A.C. Milan.
wn.com/Marcel_Desailly -
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [marˈtʃɛllo ˈlippi]; born 11 April 1948 in Viareggio, Province of Lucca) is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He is currently the headcoach of Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande F.C.. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian national team head coach in the summer of 2008 and was succeeded by Cesare Prandelli after the disappointing performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
As manager he won five Serie A titles, four Italian Supercup, one Champions League, one UEFA Supercup and one Intercontinental Cup.
He was named the world's best football manager by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) both in 1996 and 1998, and world's best National coach in 2006. He was the first coach to win the most prestigious international competitions both for clubs and for national teams (the Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup in 1996 with Juventus and the FIFA World Cup in 2006 with Italy) a record now shared by Vicente Del Bosque.
wn.com/Marcello_Lippi -
Marcelo Gallardo
Marcelo Daniel Gallardo (born 18 January 1976 in Merlo, Buenos Aires) is a former Argentine footballer who is the manager for Nacional de Uruguay. He was an attacking midfielder in the role of playmaker.
Nicknamed El Muñeco (the doll) due to his small frame (169 cm, 70 kg), Gallardo started his football career back in 1992-93 season with River Plate and won 4 Argentinian Torneo de Apertura (93, 94, 96 and 97), 1 Argentinian Torneo de Clausura (1997) and 1 Copa Libertadores (1996).
His initial spell with los millonarios lasted until season 1992-99, by then he had played 109 league games for them and scored 17 goals.
In 1999, he was snapped up by Monaco. In his first season in Europe, Gallardo proved his worth and played 28 games, scoring 8 goals and formed lethal partnership with Ludovic Giuly in Midfield.
In the following season, Gallardo won his first Première Division and Trophée Des Champions with Monaco.
As a team containing many big-name players such as Marco Simone, Fabien Barthez, Willy Sagnol, Martin Djetou, Pablo Contreras, Ludovic Giuly, Philippe Christanval, Rafael Márquez, Sabri Lamouchi, David Trezeguet, and John Arne Riise, Monaco enjoyed their success domestically and it was evident Gallardo was one of the star players, having won the French League Footballer of the Year that year.
wn.com/Marcelo_Gallardo -
Marco Simone
Marco Simone (born 7 January 1969 in Castellanza) is an Italian former professional football player in the striker or winger position. He most prominently played for AC Milan, with whom he won four Italian Serie A championships, as well as French clubs Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco. He played four games for the Italian national team.
He was also the head coach of Monaco in the French Ligue 2.
He debuted in the Italian Serie A championship for Como on 11 January 1987. After a few appearances in the top-flight Serie A, he was put on loan at Virescit Boccaleone in the secondary Serie C1 league. He scored 15 goals for Virescit in the 1987-88 season, and finished as top scorer of the Serie C1 league.
He returned to Como for the 1988-89 Serie A season, in which he scored 6 goals. Como finished dead last in the tournament, and was relegated to Serie B, and Simone was brought into the squad of third-place finishers AC Milan by Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi. His stay at Milan would be long and successful, as he won the 1990 European Cup under manager Sacchi, as well as four Serie A titles in five years from 1992 to 1996 and the 1994 UEFA Champions League under the management of Fabio Capello. Simone made his debut for the Italian national team in 1992 under then national team manager Arrigo Sacchi. He would go on to play four games for the national team, but did not score any national team goals.
wn.com/Marco_Simone -
Marco van Basten
Marcel "Marco" van Basten (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑr.koʊ̯ vɑm.ˈbɑs.tə(n)]; 31 October 1964) is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played for Ajax and Milan, as well as the Dutch national team, in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is regarded as one of the greatest forwards of all time and has scored 277 goals in a high-profile career, which ended in 1995 as a result of an injury suffered two years earlier. He was later the head coach of Ajax and the Dutch national team.
Known for his strength on the ball, his tactical awareness and spectacular strikes and volleys, van Basten was named European Footballer of the Year three times (1988, '89 and '92) and FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992. Van Basten was voted eighth in a poll organised by the French weekly magazine France Football consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. In 2004, a nationwide poll was held for the 100 greatest Dutch people (De Grootste Nederlander) and van Basten was number 25, the second highest for a football player[citation needed]. In March 2007, Sky Sports ranked van Basten first on its list of great athletes who had their careers cut short.
wn.com/Marco_van_Basten -
Matthias Sammer
Matthias Sammer (born September 5, 1967 in Dresden) is a retired German football player and coach who is now working as technical director of the DFB (German Football Association). He played as a midfielder, and later in his career as a sweeper.
With Borussia Dortmund, he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1996, the year he led Germany to victory in the European Championship. Sammer retired with 74 total caps, 23 for East Germany and 51 for the unified side.
Sammer played for his hometown club Dynamo Dresden from 1987 to 1990, the club his father, Klaus had played for and managed. He was one of the first notable East German players to join a Western club after the German re-unification when he signed with VfB Stuttgart in 1990 (the first being Andreas Thom, who joined Bayer Leverkusen from BFC Dynamo). He then went on to play with Italian club Internazionale (1992–1993), and Borussia Dortmund (1993–1998). He won two East German championships with Dynamo Dresden (1989, 1990), and three German championships, (1992 with VfB Stuttgart, 1995 and 1996 with Borussia Dortmund). During his time in Dortmund he also won the UEFA Champions League in 1997. Sammer also scored the last ever goal for the East Germany football team before re-unification.
wn.com/Matthias_Sammer -
Maxime Bossis
Maxime Bossis (born June 26, 1955 in Saint-André-Treize-Voies, Vendée) is a retired football defender from France, who obtained 76 caps (one goal) for the French national team.
A longtime starter for FC Nantes during the club's most successful period during the 1970's and 1980's, Bossis was noted chiefly as a left fullback but filled various roles in defense. Bossis spent much of his time at right back during Nantes' championship-winning seasons in 1977 and 1980, in which Thierry Tusseau normally started on the left, but made the left back position his own beginning in 1981. Bossis helped Nantes to finish first or second in every season between 1976 and 1981. The club added a third title in 1983, finishing ten points ahead of second-place Girondins Bordeaux. In 1985, Bossis moved to the ambitious Matra Racing, but the Parisian club achieved only modest success in spite of heavy spending that acquired such players as Enzo Francescoli and Pierre Littbarski. Bossis returned to Nantes for one final season in 1990, lining up next to future French international Marcel Desailly before retiring from play.
wn.com/Maxime_Bossis -
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm (born on March 17, 1972, in Selma, Alabama) is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female, in the history of U.S. soccer (158). She is the second most capped female player in soccer history behind Kristine Lilly, appearing in 275 international matches throughout her career.
Hamm was named the women's FIFA World Player of the Year the first two times that award was given (in 2001 and 2002), and is listed as one of FIFA's 125 best living players (as chosen by Pelé). Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon called Hamm, "Perhaps the most important athlete of the last 15 years."
She retired from the sport in 2004, when she played her last game in the 2004 Fan Celebration Tour to commemorate the U.S. women's national team's victory in the 2004 Olympics. In 2007, her first year of eligibility, she was selected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame by having 137 votes of the 141 ballots cast. Women's Professional Soccer, a professional soccer league that launched in 2009, features Hamm's silhouette in its logo.
wn.com/Mia_Hamm -
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack (born 26 September 1976) is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern. He was selected by Pelé as one of FIFA's 100 Greatest Living Players, and as the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year in 2002. He has won the German Footballer of the Year award three times – in 2002, 2003 and 2005. In his prime, Ballack was known for his passing range, scoring ability, ball skills and commanding presence in the midfield.
Ballack began his career as a youth at Chemnitz, his local team, and made his professional debut in 1995. Although the team were relegated in his first season, his performances in the Regionalliga the following season led to a transfer to Kaiserslautern in 1997. He won the Bundesliga in his first season at the club; his first major honour. He became a first team regular in 1998–99 season and also earned his first senior national cap for Germany. He moved to Bayer Leverkusen for €4.1 million in 1999. The 2002 season saw him win a slew of runners-up medals: Bayer Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga, German Cup, UEFA Champions League and Germany lost to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup Final.
wn.com/Michael_Ballack -
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien (also known as Mickaël Essien; born 3 December 1982) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play. Essien can also play in the defending position, as a right back or centre back.
Essien began his career playing for Liberty Professionals in his home country. In 2000, he moved to France joining SC Bastia. Essien spent three seasons at the club appearing in over 60 matches before joining league champions Olympique Lyonnais in 2003. At Lyon, Essien won back-to-back league titles in 2003–04 and 2004–05 and also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. During his five-year stint in France, he acquired French citizenship. In 2005, Essien signed with Chelsea for a fee of £24.4 million and, at the time of his signing, was the most expensive African footballer in history. At Chelsea, Essien helped the club win the Premier League in 2006 and 2010, as well as three FA Cups and one Football League Cup. In 2008, he appeared in the UEFA Champions League Final. He has won the Chelsea Goal of the season award twice, in the 2006–07 and 2008–09 seasons.
wn.com/Michael_Essien -
Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup (born 15 June 1964 in Frederiksberg) is a retired Danish footballer, who works as a manager and last coached La Liga side RCD Mallorca. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of football. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club Barcelona, with whom he won four straight La Liga championships. He famously moved to arch rivals Real Madrid in 1994, with whom he won his fifth La Liga title in a row. He made his debut for the Denmark national football team on his 18th birthday in 1982, and scored 37 goals in a total of 104 appearances for his country. From November 1994, he captained Denmark for a total of 28 matches, including the victorious 1995 Confederations Cup tournament. He retired as an active player in June 1998.
In 1999, he was voted the Best Foreign Player in Spanish Football over the preceding 25-year period and in April 2000 he was knighted, receiving the Order of the Dannebrog. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Denmark by the Danish Football Association; their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. He was officially named the best Danish footballer of all time by the Danish Football Association (DBU) in November 2006.
wn.com/Michael_Laudrup -
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979 in Chester) is an English professional footballer who is currently a free agent after being released by Manchester United in June 2012.
The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997. In his first full season in the Premier League he finished as joint top scorer with 18 goals. He repeated this the following year and was Liverpool's top goal scorer from 1997–2004, despite a recurring hamstring injury. In 2001, Liverpool won a cup treble of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and Football League Cup, and Owen was the recipient of the Ballon d'Or. He went on to score 118 goals in 216 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool.
Owen moved to Real Madrid for £8 million in mid-2004; he was frequently used as a substitute. He scored 13 goals in La Liga and had the season's highest ratio of goals scored to number of minutes played. He returned to England the following season, joining Newcastle United for £16 million. After a promising start to the 2005–06 season, injuries largely ruled him out over the next 18 months. After his return he became team captain and was the team's top scorer for the 2007–08 season. After the final season of his four-year contract, Newcastle were relegated, and Owen moved to Manchester United as a free agent.
wn.com/Michael_Owen -
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini (born 21 June 1955) is a former French football player and manager, and the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 2007.
During his professional footballing career, Platini played for the clubs Nancy, Saint-Étienne, and Juventus, and was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He also participated in the 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cups, reaching the semi-finals in the latter two. Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana together made up the "carré magique" (French for "magic square"), the group of midfield players that formed the heart of the French national team throughout the 1980s.
Considered one of the best passers in football history as well as one the best free kick specialists and finishers, he holds the record for most goals (9) scored in European Championship final tournaments despite only appearing in the 1984 edition. Despite being a midfielder, he held the national team top scorer record until striker Thierry Henry surpassed the 41 goals mark in 2007.
wn.com/Michel_Platini -
Michelle Akers
Michelle Akers (born February 1, 1966 in Santa Clara, California) is a former leading American association football player, who starred in the historic 1991 and 1999 Women's World Cup victory by the U.S.. She won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1991 tournament. She is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Michelle Akers was born on February 1, 1966 to Robert and Anne Akers in Santa Clara, California. She grew up in a suburb of Seattle, Washington. She went to and played soccer at Shorecrest High School. She was named an All-American three times while attending that school.
Akers attended the University of Central Florida on a scholarship where she was selected as four-time NCAA All-American. She was Central Florida's Athlete of the Year in 1988-89, the all-time leading scorer in UCF history, won the Hermann Trophy in 1988, and had her #10 jersey retired by the school.
She played for the first-ever U.S. Women's National team in August 1985 on the first international trip for the US Women. Due to an ankle injury, she did not play in the first game. However, she played in the second ever international game and scored the second goal in the history of the program against Denmark, in a 2-2 tie.
wn.com/Michelle_Akers -
Mickaël Landreau
Mickaël Vincent André-Marie Landreau (born May 14, 1979 in Machecoul) is a French professional football goalkeeper, who currently plays for French Ligue 1 side Lille OSC. He has 11 caps for the French national team.
Landreau graduated from the Nantes Atlantique "Centre of Excellence" in La Jonelière. His first professional match for Nantes was a 0–0 draw against Bastia in 1996. Since 1996, he remained a mainstay in the Nantes starting line-up, and consistently produced excellent performances. He was selected to represent the France youth national team at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.In the next ten years, he hardly missed a mandatory meeting, completed in July 2005 his 300th Point game and was an important support for his team during their successes around the turn of the millennium. Having won two consecutive French Cup trophies in 1999 and 2000, Landreau and Nantes were crowned 2001 Ligue 1 champions. In the semi-final of the 2004 French Cup, Landreau produced several saves, but to no avail as the team could not score and were eliminated from the competition. At the end of the 2005–06 Ligue 1 season, Landreau's contract with Nantes was set to expire. He gave a press conference and announced that after thirteen years, he would leave FC Nantes to meet new challenges in a more important team. He announced his intention to leave his first club just before the end of the 2005-2006 season . During his last match at Stade de la Beaujoire on 6 May 2006 , he received a tribute from the fans who salute his dedication and loyalty to the club for thirteen years. The season following his departure, FC Nantes is relegated to Ligue 2.
wn.com/Mickaël_Landreau -
Mickaël Madar
Mickaël Madar (born 8 May 1968 in Paris) is a retired French footballer. He played as a striker.
Madar began his professional career with Sochaux. He then spent one season with Laval before returning to Sochaux. In 1992 he moved to Cannes before moving to Monaco in 1994. In 1996 he moved to Spain and signed for Deportivo de La Coruña, but suffered a broken leg. After recovering from his injury, Madar left Spain for England where he was signed by then-Everton manager Howard Kendall. In two seasons he played 19 league games for the club, scoring six goals. In 1999 Madar moved to Paris Saint-Germain, then in 2001 he transferred to Créteil. Madar retired at the end of the season in 2002.
Madar was picked three times for France and was in the French squad for Euro 96.
wn.com/Mickaël_Madar -
Miguel Pardeza
Miguel Pardeza Pichardo (born 8 February 1965) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward.
He was part of Real Madrid's generation of footballers known as Quinta del Buitre, but spent the better part of his career at Real Zaragoza. After retiring as a player, he returned to his first club, in directorial capacities.
Pardeza was part of the Spanish squad at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
Born in La Palma del Condado, Province of Huelva, Pardeza was a youth system graduate from Real Madrid, making his first-team debuts during the 1983–84 season. After a loan at Real Zaragoza, he returned, helping with 25 games and five goals to the side's 1987 national league conquest.
In 1987–88, Pardeza joined Zaragoza permanently, going on two develop into one of the Aragonese outfit's most prominent players, as an offensive player with skills, vision and netting ability (he scored in double figures in four seasons). During the 1994–95 campaign, he scored 11 La Liga goals, while also helping the club to that season's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, against Arsenal.
wn.com/Miguel_Pardeza -
Mikaël Silvestre
Mikaël Samy Silvestre (born 9 August 1977) is a French international footballer. He plays as defender and last played for Werder Bremen of the Bundesliga. He has also played for the French national team. Silvestre is adept as both a centre-back and a left-back, though he has stated that he prefers playing in the centre.
Born in Chambray-lès-Tours, Silvestre started playing football with Urmatullah Ahmadi in the Tours area, in the Loire Valley, where his father Franck, originally from Guadeloupe, was an amateur player. Silvestre was then drafted by the Rennes Football Academy in Brittany and began his league career with the French club in the 1995–96 season. His time at the club helped build his reputation, and in the 1997–98 season was signed by Internazionale. He made 18 league appearances for Inter, as well as six European Cup games.
Silvestre signed for Manchester United on 10 September 1999 for £4 million. He made his debut against Liverpool at Anfield in 1999. His first season at Manchester United was not exceptional replacing an injured Ronny Johnsen in the centre with Jaap Stam; he appeared to struggle initially to adapt to the English league. By the 2001–02 season, however, Silvestre had established himself in defence ahead of the veteran Denis Irwin, and was proving to be adept both in defence and getting forward. He set up numerous goals for Ruud van Nistelrooy, notably away to Deportivo de La Coruña in a 2–0 towards the end of the season. There was criticism put his way after the Bayer 04 Leverkusen game where he was largely blamed for the late equaliser in the 1–1 draw, but this typified Manchester United's season as a whole, and he was one of their better performers.
wn.com/Mikaël_Silvestre -
Miroslav Đukić
Miroslav Đukić (Serbian: Мирослав Ђукић; born 19 February 1966) is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a sweeper, and the current coach of Real Valladolid.
He spent 14 years of his professional career in Spain, notably at the service of Deportivo de La Coruña and Valencia, amassing La Liga totals of 368 games and 11 goals, and winning six major titles for the two clubs combined.
Đukić represented Serbia in one World Cup and one European Championship. After retiring, he embarked in a managerial career, at both club and international level.
Born in Šabac, Serbia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Đukić began his playing career with hometown club FK Mačva Šabac, moving in 1988 to Belgrade with FK Rad, after reported interest from both national giants, FK Partizan and Red Star Belgrade.
In the 1990 summer, Đukić signed for Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain, who purchased him for 40 million pesetas in 1990. He only appeared in five league games for the Galicians in his first season, which ended in La Liga promotion, but, from there onwards, became an undisputed starter, never totalling less than 35 games and 3,000 minutes of action in five consecutive campaigns, as Super Depor was coming to fruition.
wn.com/Miroslav_Đukić -
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (French pronunciation: [nikɔlas anɛlka]) (born 14 March 1979 in Le Chesnay, France) is a professional football player who is currently a player and assistant manager of Shanghai Shenhua. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team. Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has described him as a quick player with good aerial ability, technique, shooting, and movement off the ball.
Anelka began his career at Paris Saint-Germain, but soon moved to Arsenal. He became a first team regular and won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award the following season. Real Madrid signed him for £22.3 million in 1999, a record fee at the time, but he did not settle in well and returned to Paris Saint-Germain in a £20 million deal. Despite regular first team football in Paris, Anelka set his eyes upon the Premier League once more; he went on loan to Liverpool in January 2002 but joined Manchester City for £13 million at the start of the 2002–03 season.
After three seasons in Manchester, he moved to Fenerbahçe for two seasons before returning to England to join Bolton Wanderers – in deals worth £7 million and £8 million, respectively. He transferred to Chelsea from Bolton for a reported £15 million in January 2008. During his transfers over the years, he has built an aggregate transfer cost of just under £90 million. On 12 December 2011, Shanghai Shenhua announced that they have reached an agreement with Anelka to join the team when the winter transfer window opens.
wn.com/Nicolas_Anelka -
Nihat Kahveci
Nihat Kahveci (born 23 November 1979 in Istanbul, Turkey) is a former Turkish footballer. Nihat played as a Forward.
Nihat's family name, Kahveci, means "coffee maker." Many people in Turkey adopted the name of their profession as their family name in the early 20th century, suggesting that Nihat's ancestors were in the coffee business. Like most Turkish players, his shirt carries his first name, Nihat, rather than his family name, Kahveci. He married Pınar Kaşgören on 5 July 2003. Their daughter Selin was born in May 2008.
Nihat is a product of Beşiktaş's youth system and was discovered by Hürser Mustafa Cindir when Nihat played in Beşiktaş in the 1996–97 season. He joined the first team at Beşiktaş in the 1997–98 season when he was just 17, at the time John Toshack was the coach.
In January 2002, he was transferred to Real Sociedad in Spain by former Beşiktaş coach Toshack. While at Real Sociedad, Nihat scored 57 goals in 115 appearances. In the 2002–03 season, Nihat scored 23 goals making him the league's joint-second highest scorer for the season behind Roy Makaay (29 goals) and tied with Ronaldo. Real Sociedad finished 2nd in the league that season, just 2 points behind Real Madrid. He had a very fruitful strike partnership with Serbian forward Darko Kovačević, such that sports journalist Phil Ball nicknamed the pair "Little and large", in reference to the height difference between them (Nihat's height is 1.75 m and Kovačević's is 1.87 m).
wn.com/Nihat_Kahveci -
Nuno Gomes
Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro (born 5 July 1976), commonly known as Nuno Gomes, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for S.C. Braga as a striker.
He was given the nickname Gomes during childhood after F.C. Porto great Fernando Gomes, and was one of the country's most recognisable offensive players in the 1990s/2000s; he consistently scored for both club and country, and was capable of being a good link-up player, accumulating a number of assists throughout his career, which was spent mainly with Benfica, for which he netted 166 times in 398 games, over the course of 12 professional seasons.
Gomes represented Portugal in two World Cups and three European Championships - helping the national team finish third at Euro 2000 - winning more than 100 caps all categories comprised (nearly 80 for the senior side alone).
Born in Amarante, Gomes established his reputation with Boavista FC, where he made his top division debut in the 1994–95 season, aged 18.
He collected his first silverware as Boavista beat Sport Lisboa e Benfica to lift the Portuguese Cup in 1996–97, and scored 23 goals in 79 appearances in three years for the northerners, including 15 in his last term, before moving to Benfica.
wn.com/Nuno_Gomes -
Oleg Blokhin
Oleh Volodymyrovych "Oleg" Blokhin (Ukrainian: Олег Володимирович Блохін) (born 5 November 1952 in Kiev) is a Ukrainian football coach and current head coach of the Ukrainian national team. Blokhin was formerly a standout striker for Dynamo Kyiv and the Soviet national team. In 1975 he was named European Footballer of the Year, winning the Ballon d'Or, becoming the second Soviet and the first Ukrainian player to achieve such a feat.
Blokhin was born in Kiev, the capital of the Ukrainian SSR, in 1952 to a Russian father and Ukrainian mother.
Blokhin was one of the greatest strikers in the world throughout the 1970s, hitting the target regularly through a period of great success at his hometown club Dynamo Kiev and becoming the greatest goalscorer in the history of the Soviet League. Only the regime in the Soviet Union prevented him from moving abroad to play in Europe's strongest leagues.
Blokhin played during most of his career for Dynamo Kyiv, becoming the USSR national championship's all-time leader and goalscorer with 211 goals, as well as making more appearances than any other player with 432 appearances. He won the championship 8 times. He led Dynamo to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1975 and 1986, scoring a goal in each final. Blokhin is also the USSR national football team's most capped player with 112 caps, as well as their all time leading goalscorer with 42 goals; he played in the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups where he scored 1 goal in each. He was one of the first Soviet players to play abroad, signing for Austria's Vorwärts Steyr in 1988, he also played in Cyprus with Aris.
wn.com/Oleg_Blokhin -
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn (German pronunciation: [ˈɔ.lɪ.vɐ ˈkʰaːn], byname Der Titan [deɐ̯ ti.ˈtʰaːn] (the Titan); born 15 June 1969) is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich for the fee of 4,600,000 DM, where he played until the end of his career in 2008.
He is one of the most successful German players in recent history, having won eight German championships, six German cups, the UEFA Cup (1996), the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup (both 2001). His individual contributions have earned him four consecutive UEFA Best European Goalkeeper awards, three IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper awards, and two German Footballer of the Year trophies. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he became the first and only goalkeeper in the tournament's history to win the Golden Ball.
From 1994 to 2006, Kahn was part of the German national team, in which he played as a starter after the retirement of Andreas Köpke. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the team reached the Finals. While the team was several times derided for their poor performance, Kahn's prowess proved to be the deciding factor in several games up until the final, where Germany lost to Brazil 0–2 and Kahn received criticism for two blunders. Nonetheless, he was named the tournament's best player and received the Golden Ball award.
wn.com/Oliver_Kahn -
Olivier Dacourt
Olivier Nicolas André Dacourt (born 25 September 1974 in Montreuil-sous-Bois) is a former French footballer. He is also a former French international and is best known for his spells at Leeds United, AS Roma and Internazionale.
Dacourt made his debut match in Division 1 with Strasbourg on 20 March 1993 in an away game with Auxerre, which Strasbourg lost 2–0. On 24 May 1997, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Strasbourg in an away match against Paris Saint-Germain, however, Strasbourg lost the match 2–1.
Dacourt transferred to Everton in 1998 and his debut game in the Premier League was a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa on 15 August 1998. On 17 February 1999, he scored his first goal in the 5–0 victory against Middlesbrough.
Dacourt returned to France after one season at Everton playing for RC Lens. Where he impressed and earned a multi million pound move back to the Premier League to the Yorkshire club Leeds United.
Dacourt joined Leeds United from Lens in a £7.2 million move in 2000, and broke Leeds' transfer record at the time. He proved to be an instant hero at Elland Road with his tenacious style and ball winning play. His time at Leeds saw them reach the Champions League semi finals and also finishing in the top 4 of the Premier League. He was a regular in centre midfield under manager David O'Leary mainly partnering David Batty at the heart of Leeds' midfield. His form at Leeds also saw Dacourt become a regular for the French national side. But after the sacking of O'Leary his replacement Terry Venables dropped Dacourt from the Leeds team and favoured players like Paul Okon ahead of him in the pecking order.
wn.com/Olivier_Dacourt -
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini (born 26 June 1968) is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender, being adept with either foot although naturally right footed. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club. During that period, he won the Champions League five times, as well as seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana, five European Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups. He played for 14 years for the Italian national team, making his debut in 1988 before retiring in 2002 with 126 caps and four World Cup participations.
Maldini played at a world class level for his entire career spanning 2 and a half decades, and won the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards at the age of 39. He came second to George Weah for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 1995, the closest a defender had ever reached to winning the award at the time. He was also the Milan and Italy captain for many years and was considered a leader amongst leaders by fellow footballers, leading to the nickname "Il Capitano" (the Captain). Paolo's father Cesare formerly played for and captained Milan, and is a successful national U-21 manager.
wn.com/Paolo_Maldini -
Pascal Chimbonda
Pascal Chimbonda (born 21 February 1979) is a French footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers, having been released early from a short term deal by Queens Park Rangers. Chimbonda can play at centre back or left back but prefers right back.
Chimbonda was born in Les Abymes, Guadeloupe and began his career at Le Havre in France in 1999, making his debut against Strasbourg on 29 April 2000. He spent four years with the club, until Le Havre were relegated to Ligue 2, when he transferred to Bastia. During his stay at Bastia, Chimbonda received racist taunts from his own fans after a heavy loss against Saint-Étienne; this may have contributed to his leaving the club. However, his former teammates at Bastia firmly denied Chimbonda's accusations of racism.
After Bastia were relegated in July 2005, he left the club, turning down an offer from Marseille, and moved to Wigan Athletic for £500,000 on a three-year contract. He cited the fact that he was "ready for a new challenge and coming to Wigan is the perfect opportunity to test myself against the best players in the world" as the reason for selecting Wigan Athletic.
wn.com/Pascal_Chimbonda -
Patrice Evra
Patrice Latyr Evra (French pronunciation: [patʁis evʁa]; born 15 May 1981) is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester United in the Premier League and the France national team. Originally an attacker, he primarily plays as a left back and is described as "the classic example of a modern full-back" who is renowned for his "pace, athleticism, and determination". Evra "offers a genuine attacking outlet down the left" and is also "strong in the air" despite his noticeably small frame. Evra, whom Sir Alex Ferguson praised for his leadership, has served as captain for both Manchester United and France.
The son of a diplomat, Evra was born in Senegal and arrived in Europe when he was a year old. He was raised in France and began his football career playing for various clubs in the Île-de-France region such as hometown club CO Les Ulis and CSF Brétigny. In 1997, he had a stint at professional club Paris Saint-Germain. A year later, Evra seized his first footballing opportunity in neighboring Italy when he signed his first professional contract with Marsala in Sicily. He made his professional debut with the club and, in the ensuing season, joined Monza. After a year playing with Monza, Evra returned to France to play for Nice. Originally a midfielder, while playing at Nice, he was converted into a full back. In 2002, Evra moved to Monégasque club Monaco and contributed to the team that won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003. He also featured in European competition for the first time in his career and, in the 2003–04 season, was the starting left back on the Monaco team that reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final. In that same season domestically, Evra was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. He was also named to the organization's Ligue 1 Team of the Year.
wn.com/Patrice_Evra -
Patrice Loko
Patrice Loko (born February 6, 1970) is former French footballer. Playing as a striker he began his career at Nantes and then moved on to Paris Saint-Germain, where he was part of the team that won the 1996 Cup Winners' Cup and lost to Barcelona in the 1997 Cup Winners' Cup final. From there he went on to play for Montpellier, Lyon, Troyes, FC Lorient and Ajaccio. He also made appearances for the French national football team, including scoring at Euro 1996 against Bulgaria.
wn.com/Patrice_Loko -
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976 in Dakar, Senegal) is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City in the English Premier League.
He rose to prominence during his time at Arsenal from 1996 to 2005, where he won three Premier League titles – one unbeaten – and four FA Cups, eventually becoming club captain. After leaving Arsenal in 2005, he spent one season at Juventus before joining Internazionale in 2006, following Juventus' relegation for their part in a match-fixing scandal. He has 107 caps for France, and was part of their 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000-winning sides.
In May 2010, Vieira was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He announced his retirement from professional football on 14 July 2011. Vieira is currently Football Development Executive at Manchester City with a role to oversee aspects such as youth development, commercial partners and the club's social responsibility programme, "City in the Community".
wn.com/Patrick_Vieira -
Paul Breitner
Paul Breitner (born 5 September 1951 in Kolbermoor, Bavaria) is a former German football player. One of Germany's most controversial players, he was capped 48 times for his country.
His football career lasted from 1970 until 1983, mainly playing for Bayern Munich (1970–74 and 1978–83) and Real Madrid (1974–78), with one season playing for Eintracht Braunschweig. His early success was as a free roaming left back, as likely to score from the right midfield as to stop an attacker in his own penalty area. Later in his career he moved to midfield and became one of the top midfielders through the early 1980s.
The early peak of Breitner's long and successful career was at age 21 in 1972 as part of the winning German European Championship team. This was followed two years later with victory as a member of the German World Cup squad. The final was played in Munich against the Netherlands, and Breitner scored the first German goal on a penalty kick. In the final, he, Franz Beckenbauer and Berti Vogts formed a slick unit at the back and their water-tight defense prevented the Dutch from winning the World Cup. He moved to Real Madrid following the World Cup and quit the West German squad, remaining off the side until enticed to return by Jupp Derwall in 1981. Breitner is one of only four footballers to have achieved the feat of scoring in two different World Cup final matches, sharing that honour with Pelé, Vavá, and Zinédine Zidane. He achieved this in 1974 against the Netherlands and in 1982 against Italy.
wn.com/Paul_Breitner -
Paul Lambert
Paul Christopher Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish professional association football manager and former player who is the manager of Norwich City.
Lambert won numerous honours as a player, winning the Scottish Cup with St. Mirren as a 17-year-old, the UEFA Champions League with Borussia Dortmund, all the Scottish domestic honours with Celtic and 40 caps for Scotland.
He achieved success managing in England's lower divisions and guided Norwich into English football's Premier League.
Lambert started his playing career at Linwood Rangers Boys' Club in 1980 in his hometown of Linwood, before entering the professional game with St. Mirren in 1985. With St Mirren the 17 year old Lambert won his first senior winner's medal courtesy of the 1987 Scottish Cup Final. Saints beat favourites and that season's UEFA Cup Finalists, Jim McLean's Dundee Utd, in what turned out to be the last time the Scottish Cup was won by a team composed entirely of Scottish players. Lambert played with St Mirren for eight years.
wn.com/Paul_Lambert -
Pauleta
Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes, OIH (born 28 April 1973), commonly known as Pauleta (Portuguese pronunciation: [pawˈletɐ]), is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a striker.
During 18 years as a senior, he never played in the Portuguese first division, having spent most of his professional career in Spain and France (12 seasons combined, mostly for Paris Saint-Germain).
Pauleta scored 47 goals in 88 matches for the Portuguese national team, a national record at the time of his retirement. He played for his country in two World Cups and as many European Championships.
Born in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Pauleta started his career at youth level playing for local clubs in his native island, before turning professional with lower league clubs in Portugal, working his way up the ranks. He was part of F.C. Porto's youth team for a brief stint, but left soon due to homesickness. Pauleta signed his first professional contract with Clube União Micaelense in 1994, spending a season at the club. He then moved to second division's G.D. Estoril Praia in 1995, scoring 19 goals in 30 league games.
wn.com/Pauleta -
Paulo Roberto Falcão
Paulo Roberto Falcão (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu ʁoˈbɛʁtu fawˈkɐ̃w̃]; born October 16, 1953) is a Brazilian head coach and former footballer, currently managing Bahia. He is widely considered one of the best players in Internacional and Roma history, and one of the most talented midfielders of all time, especially at his peak in the mid 1980s. At one stage, he was the world's highest paid footballer, earning £10,000 a week.
For the Brazil national team, he was capped 34 times between February 1976 and June 1986. He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers to mark FIFA’s centennial in March 2004.
Falcão began his professional career at Sport Club Internacional of Porto Alegre, in Rio Grande do Sul, where he played from 1973 to 1980, winning three Brazilian National Championships(1975, 1976, 1979) and reaching the finals of the 1980 Copa Libertadores, losing to Nacional. During his time at Sport Club Internacional, he was surprisingly left out of the Brazil squad for the World Cup in Argentina in 1978, though he made the shortlisted pre-tournament 40.
wn.com/Paulo_Roberto_Falcão -
Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (name given as Edison on birth certificate, born 21 October 1940 (however, Pelé himself claims that he was born on 23 October) ), known by his nickname Pelé (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [peˈlɛ]), is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as the best football player of all time. In 1999, he was voted Football Player of the Century by the IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics. In the same year French weekly magazine France-Football consulted their former "Ballon D'Or" winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. Pelé came in first place. In 1999 the International Olympic Committee named Pelé the "Athlete of the Century". In his career he scored 760 official goals. He is also the most successful Top Division goal scorer of all time with 541 League goals. In total Pelé scored 1281 goals in 1363 games.
In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of football. He is also acknowledged for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor (when he scored his 1,000th goal he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil). During his career, he became known as "The King of Football" (O Rei do Futebol), "The King Pelé" (O Rei Pelé) or simply "The King" (O Rei).
wn.com/Pelé -
Pep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛb ɡwəɾðiˈɔɫə]; born 18 January 1971) is a Spanish football manager and former player. As a player, Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona. He was part of Johan Cruyff's "dream team" that won Barcelona's first European Cup. He also played for Brescia and Roma in Italy; Al-Ahli in Qatar; and for Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico while attending managing school. While playing in Italy, he served a four-month ban for a positive drug test although he was cleared of wrongdoing twice on appeal in 2009 before the Courts of Justice of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Federal Anti-Doping Courts of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). As an international, he played for Spain, and in friendly matches for Catalonia.
After retiring as a player, Guardiola became coach of FC Barcelona B. On 8 May 2008, Barcelona President Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola would succeed Frank Rijkaard as the first team manager. He signed his contract on 5 June 2008. In his first season as manager, Barcelona won the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. In doing so, Guardiola became the youngest UEFA Champions League-winning manager ever. The following season, Guardiola and Barcelona won the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup, bringing the manager's tally to the maximum of six trophies in six competitions in one year, thus completing the first ever sextuple.
wn.com/Pep_Guardiola -
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE (Danish pronunciation: [ped̥ɐ ˈsmɑɪ̯ˀɡ̊l̩]; born 18 November 1963) is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993. He is best remembered for his most successful years at English club Manchester United, whom he captained to the 1999 UEFA Champions League to complete the Treble, and for winning UEFA Euro 1992 with Denmark.
Born in Gladsaxe, Copenhagen, Schmeichel was famous for his intimidating physique (he is 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) tall and weighed about 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) during his playing days. He wore specially made size XXXL football shirts. Unusual for a goalkeeper, Schmeichel scored 11 goals during his career, including one for the national team. He is also the most capped player for the Denmark national team, with 129 games between 1987 and 2001. In addition to Euro 92, he played for his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and three additional European Championship tournaments. He captained the national team in 30 matches.
wn.com/Peter_Schmeichel -
Philippe Christanval
Philippe Charles Lucien Christanval (born 31 August 1978 in Paris) is a retired French footballer of Guadeloupian origin who most recently played for Fulham as a centre back.
His career began at AS Monaco in 1999, where he made 81 appearances, scoring one goal. Here he also won the French title in the 1999/00 season and made several UEFA Champions League appearances.
He was then snapped up by Barcelona for a £6.5million fee in June 2001. He had a terrible time from then on attempting to cope with various injuries, particularly following his 2003 move to Marseille.
Having spent two weeks on trial at Arsenal, Gunners manager Arsène Wenger opted not to sign him. He then joined rival London team, Fulham. Upon his signing, Chris Coleman stated:
"Philippe is a player I have been looking at since I have been Fulham manager. I have always admired him. He was excellent at Barcelona but then had problems with injury and fell out of favour with the last few managers he has had."
"His quality is there – you can see that. He makes the right decisions. For me the best defenders make the right decisions more often than not and he fits into that category."
wn.com/Philippe_Christanval -
Predrag Mijatović
Predrag "Peđa" Mijatović (Serbian: Предраг Мијатовић Пеђа) (born 19 January 1969) is a Montenegrin football player and former sports director of Real Madrid. He is considered[by whom?] one of Yugoslavia's best players of the 1990s. He was acclaimed as the best athlete of Yugoslavia in 1997. During his career his position on the pitch was striker but was very often deployed, especially later in his career, as a midfield creator.
On the club level, Mijatović played for 6 different clubs: Budućnost Podgorica, FK Partizan, Valencia, Real Madrid, Fiorentina, and Levante. Internationally, Mijatović has been capped 73 times, scoring 28 goals (the appearances are split between the SFR Yugoslavia and the FR Yugoslavia national teams). He played in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.
A very technically gifted player known for his outstanding skill and vision, as well as his prolific goalscoring ability, Mijatović is well remembered for scoring impressive 28 goals in the 1995/1996 Primera División season for Valencia, which in turn led him to controversially move to Real Madrid, where he scored a goal for Real Madrid in the 1998 UEFA Champions League Final that brought the biggest European title back to Madrid after 32 years. He also had many memorable moments on the big stage, at both club and international levels.
wn.com/Predrag_Mijatović -
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech (French pronunciation: [ʁɛmɔ̃ dɔmɛnɛk]; born 24 January 1952 in Lyon) is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.
On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the eventual tournament-upset winners Greece. He was given the objective by the FFF to reach "at least" the 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
France struggled in the qualifiers, even though the team was seeded in a group that included the relatively unheralded teams of Israel and Switzerland. The Republic of Ireland were France's main contenders in the group, and looked like contributing to France's exit until Zinédine Zidane returned to inspire France[neutrality is disputed] to a 1–0 win at Landsdowne Road, ultimately ending the hopes of the Irish. Domenech had to force[citation needed]Claude Makélélé, Lilian Thuram and Zinedine Zidane, members of France's "golden generation," out of international retirement to aid the national team to eventually qualify. The general consensus in France, however, was that France was too dated a side to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup,[citation needed] despite the return of their cherished talisman, Zidane.
wn.com/Raymond_Domenech -
Raúl González
Raúl González Blanco (born 27 June 1977), commonly known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish footballer who has joined the Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd as a striker in 2012.
Raúl had spent most of his career playing for Spanish club Real Madrid and is the club's all-time top goalscorer. He was known for his technique, shooting ability and creating chances for other teammates. Raúl is a three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League and has long been the competition's all-time leading goalscorer. He left Real Madrid on 25 July 2010, having scored 323 goals in 741 appearances, and joined FC Schalke 04.
He joined Al Sadd after two seasons with FC Schalke 04, following the 2011–12 Bundesliga season.
Raúl González's career began at his local team CD San Cristóbal de los Ángeles playing for their Alevín team and the Infantil the next season. He signed with Atlético Madrid's Infantil team and won a national title with the Cadete team the following season. Following Atlético's then-president Jesús Gil decision to close their youth academy as a cost-saving measure, Raúl moved on to Real Madrid's Cadete team. The following season, he was promoted to the Juvenil C team and subsequently went on to play for their Juvenil B and Juvenil A team.
wn.com/Raúl_González -
Reynald Pedros
Reynald Pedros (born October 10, 1971) is a French former footballer of Portuguese descent who played as a midfielder.
Born in Orléans, Loiret, Pedros played as a left-footed attacking midfielder, formed in Nantes. He was part of the magic trio of FC Nantes with Patrice Loko and Nicolas Ouédec. He won the Ligue 1 title with Nantes in 1995. The following year he reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
His career bears some similarity to David Ginola's – a horrible mistake in the last World Cup '94 qualifying game leading to French elimination, and subsequently being dropped from the national side.
Before Euro 96, he was considered one of the best French midfielders, on par with Zinedine Zidane.
However, the Euro 96 semi-final, against the Czech Republic, came to a draw. The game went through extra time, and into a penalty shootout. After 5 successful penalties for each team, Pedros was to take the first of the penalties in sudden death. His shot was weak and slow, and was easily saved by the Czech goalkeeper, Petr Kouba. Miroslav Kadlec came to take the next penalty, scored it, and knocked France out of the tournament.
wn.com/Reynald_Pedros -
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (born 19 April 1972), commonly known as Rivaldo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁiˈvawdu]), is a Brazilian professional footballer for Kabuscorp. He plays as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.
He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he won the 1998 and 1999 Spanish La Liga championship and the 1998 Copa del Rey. Between 1993 and 2003, Rivaldo played 74 matches and scored 34 goals for the Brazil national football team and was an integral part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup winning Brazilian team.
In 1999, Rivaldo was honoured as FIFA World Player of the Year, Ballon d'Or winner and European Footballer of the Year. He was named by Pelé as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony in 2004. He is also the president of Mogi Mirim Esporte Clube in his native Brazil.
Born in Paulista, Pernambuco, Brazil, Rivaldo had an extremely poor upbringing in the favelas of the port town of Recife. His physical appearance still marks the poverty he experienced in his childhood: malnourishment-caused bowleggedness and the loss of several teeth. Rivaldo began his professional career at the age of 16, when he signed with Paulistano, from Pernambuco, in 1989, despite the Paulistano coaches believing him too physically weak to succeed. Rivaldo's father Romildo was killed in a road accident in 1989, but Rivaldo went on to his first professional contract later that year.
wn.com/Rivaldo -
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That.
Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams left the group in 1995 to launch his solo career. On 15 July 2010, it was announced he had rejoined Take That and that the group intended to release a new album in November 2010 which became the second fastest-selling album of all-time in UK chart history and the fastest-selling record of the century.
Williams has sold over 70 million records worldwide, which ranks him among the best-selling music artists worldwide. He is the best-selling British solo artist in the United Kingdom and the best selling non-Latino artist in Latin America. Six of his albums are among the top 100 biggest-selling albums in the United Kingdom. He has also been honoured with seventeen BRIT Awards—more than any other artist—and seven ECHO Awards. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame after being voted as the "Greatest Artist of the 1990s."
wn.com/Robbie_Williams -
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈbaddʒo]; born 18 February 1967) is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of all time (4th in the Fifa internet poll; member of the Fifa World Cup Dream Team), Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time goalscorers for Italy. Baggio is known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail), for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career and his Buddhist background.
Baggio was born in Caldogno, Veneto, son of Matilde and Fiorindo Baggio. He has 7 brothers and sisters. As a youngster, he always had a keen interest in the sport of football and played for a local youth club over a period of nine years. After scoring 6 goals in one game, Baggio was persuaded by scout Antonio Mora to join Vicenza. Roberto Baggio is the 6th of 8 siblings. His younger brother, Eddy Baggio, was also a footballer who played 86 games in Serie B. After his serious career threatening injury in 1985, Baggio, formerly a Roman Catholic, converted to Buddhism. He married his girlfriend Andreina Fabbi in 1989, in a traditional Roman Catholic ceremony however. They have a daughter, Valentina, and two sons, Mattia and Leonardo.
wn.com/Roberto_Baggio -
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto manˈtʃini]; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian former football player and manager of Premier League club Manchester City. As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa Italias and the Cup Winners Cup, whilst being capped 36 times by Italy. As a player, he gained a penchant for becoming a future manager and would often give team talks at half-time and ultimately became an assistant to Sven-Göran Eriksson at Lazio near the end of his playing career. After his retirement, Mancini embarked on a successful managerial career.
A cup specialist, Mancini has never failed to reach a semi-final of a major national cup competition in every season he has been a manager, from 2002 to 2012. He also guided the Italian clubs he managed to a record 5 consecutive Coppa Italia finals from 2004 to 2008, with Lazio once in 2004 and with Inter in the following four seasons. Mancini's first managerial role was at a cash stricken Fiorentina at only 35 years old and managed to win a Coppa Italia, but left with Fiorentina facing bankruptcy. Months later, he took over as manager at Lazio, where again he inherited financial constraints and was forced to lose a number of key players. With limited resources during his two season tenure, he still managed to win another Coppa Italia, reach a UEFA Cup semi-final, and secure a lucrative Champions League place.
wn.com/Roberto_Mancini -
Roberto Rivelino
Roberto Rivellino (born 1 January 1946 in São Paulo) is a former Brazilian footballer.
The son of Italian immigrants from Macchiagodena (Isernia), he was famous for his large moustache, thunderous long-range free kicks, excellent long passes, quick thinking and distinct way of controlling the ball. He also invented a football move called the "flip flap", famously copied by Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years. He is widely regarded as one of the most graceful football players ever, and among the very best midfielders of his generation.
Rivellino started as a futsal player at Clube Atletico Barcelona. After that, he tried his luck with Barcelona's biggest rival in futsal, Corinthians, where he moved on to professional football and quickly became a favourite of the fans—and was therefore nicknamed "O Rei do Parque" (King of the Park) (after the club's home ground, Parque São Jorge). However, the late 60s and early 70s were one of the most troubled periods in the history of the club, which did not win a single São Paulo state league title from 1954 to 1977.
wn.com/Roberto_Rivelino -
Roger Lemerre
Roger Lemerre (born 18 June 1941 in Bricquebec, Manche) is a French association football manager and former football player. During his managerial career, he has managed the French, Tunisian and Moroccan national football teams.
His professional playing career spanned 15 seasons, from 1961 to 1975: between 1961 and 1969 he played for Sedan and lose the Cup in 1965, before moving to Nantes (1968–1971), Nancy (1971–1973) and Lens (1973–1975). He won 6 caps for France between 1968 and 1971.
Between 1975 and 1978, he was the coach of Red Star from Saint-Ouen, and then went back to RC Lens for a season as coach, before moving to Paris FC for two seasons. In the 1983–1984 season, he ran Espérance Sportive de Tunis in Tunisia. On his return to France, he again took up his post as Red Star manager.
For 10 seasons, he coached the French national military team, with whom he won the World Championships.
In 1997, he finished the season with Lens and saved it from relegation.
He assisted Aimé Jacquet in the French team's 1998 World Cup victory. This paved the way for him to take over as the national coach, winning Euro 2000 in Netherlands/Belgium. However, after the team suffered a stunning first-round exit in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he was dismissed by the French Football Federation.
wn.com/Roger_Lemerre -
Roger Milla
Roger Milla (born Albert Roger Mooh Miller, 20 May 1952) is a retired Cameroonian footballer who played as a striker. He was one of the first African players to be a major star on the international stage. He played in three World Cups for the Cameroon national team.
He achieved international stardom at 38 years old, an age at which most forward-playing footballers have retired, by scoring four goals at the 1990 World Cup, the most memorable of which came in the match against Colombia when he dispossessed the showboating Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita 35 yards from goal, going on to score in the empty net with Higuita stranded. He helped the Cameroon team reach the quarter-finals.
He is also remembered for his trademark goal celebration of running to the corner flag and performing a dance. In the years that have followed, he has been recognised as a pioneer of the many unconventional and imaginative goal celebrations seen since then. He was named one of the 125 greatest living football players in 2004 by the legendary Brazilian football player Pelé.
wn.com/Roger_Milla -
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre), commonly known as Ronaldinho (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁonawˈdʒĩɲu]) or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who is currently a free agent and plays for the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year. He won the award in both 2004 and 2005.
"Ronaldinho," the diminutive and term of endearment for "Ronaldo," is accompanied in Brazilian usage by the nickname "Gaúcho," in order to distinguish him from fellow footballer and countryman Ronaldo, who was known as "Ronaldinho" in Brazil beforehand. Ronaldo simply went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" and go by the name Ronaldinho abroad.
Prior to his move to Flamengo, he played for Paris Saint-Germain F.C., FC Barcelona and A.C. Milan. With the Spanish club, he won his first Champions League in 2006 and the Ballon d'Or in 2005. He became a Spanish citizen in January 2007.
wn.com/Ronaldinho -
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima (Portuguese pronunciation: [χoˈnawdu luˈiz naˈzaɾiu dʒi ˈlimɐ]; born 18 September 1976), commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. He is considered by experts and fans as one of the greatest football players of all time. In 2012, he was voted Goal.com's "Player of the Decades" in an online poll gathering 29.55% of all votes. He won his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 (aged only 21) and again won the award in 2002 (26 years old). Additionally, he is one of only three men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with French footballer Zinedine Zidane and Argentine striker Lionel Messi.
Considered by many as the most complete striker in the past 30 years, in 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football and was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pelé. In 2010, he was voted Goal.com's "Player of the Decade" in an online poll, gathering 43.63 percent of all votes and was also included as centre forward in the "Team of the Decade". On 23 February 2010, Ronaldo announced that he would retire after the 2011 season, signing a two-year contract extension with the Corinthians at the same time. Ronaldo has played for Brazil in 98 international matches, scoring 62 goals. He was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing Gerd Müller's previous record of 14. He is also the only player to have won the World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot in separate tournaments. Having suffered a string of serious injuries throughout his career, Ronaldo retired on 14 February 2011, citing pain and hypothyroidism as the reasons for his premature retirement.
wn.com/Ronaldo -
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic. Keane was a dominating central-midfielder, noted for his aggressive and highly competitive style of play, an attitude which helped him excel as captain of Manchester United from 1997 until his departure in 2005, having joined the club in 1993. Keane helped United achieve a sustained period of success in more than 12 years at the club. He then signed for Celtic but retired as a player less than a year later.
He played at international level for much of his career, representing the Republic of Ireland over a period of 14 years, most of which he spent as captain. He played in every Republic of Ireland game at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, although he was sent home from the 2002 World Cup after an incident with national coach Mick McCarthy.
He was appointed manager of Sunderland shortly after his retirement as a player, and took the club from 23rd position in the Football League Championship in late August to win the division title and gain promotion to the Premier League. Keane's arrival was cited as the catalyst for Sunderland's recovery. He managed to keep Sunderland from relegation in the 2007–08 season, but in his second season as a top-flight manager he left his position with Sunderland in the relegation zone. In April 2009, he was appointed as manager of Ipswich Town, but was sacked by the club in January 2011 with them 19th in the Championship.
wn.com/Roy_Keane -
Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit (help·info) (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈryt ˈɣʏɫɪt], born as Ruud Dil [ˈryt ˈdɪɫ], September 1, 1962 in Amsterdam) OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. He was a versatile player, playing in numerous positions during his career. Gullit was working to promote the Belgian-Dutch 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid.
Gullit was born Ruud Dil in Amsterdam to George Gullit, a Suriname migrant, and Ria Dil, his buitenvrouw, from the Amsterdam Jordaan inner city district. The family lived in one split level room on the top floor of a small apartment building. Gullit's father worked as an economics teacher at a local school, his mother as a custodian at the Rijksmuseum.
wn.com/Ruud_Gullit -
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooij (Dutch pronunciation: [ryt vɑn ˈnɪstəlroːi̯] ( listen); born 1 July 1976) is a retired Dutch footballer. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals. He is a three-time Champions League top scorer, as well as a top scorer in three different European domestic leagues. He was a pure goal scorer known for his shooting ability, calmness in front of goal and positioning.
Van Nistelrooy began his career with Den Bosch, before moving onto Heerenveen, eventually making a name for himself at PSV Eindhoven where he won two Dutch leagues. His goalscoring record at PSV attracted attention from Manchester United; a deal was in place in the summer of 2000, but because of injury problems his move was secured a year later for a then British record fee of £19 million. His time at United was successful, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield, along with winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year twice. Van Nistelrooy hit 150 goals in just 219 games for United, as well as being their all time European record goalscorer, but fell out of favour towards the end of his tenure. Real Madrid then secured his services in 2006. Although an injury blighted the end of his days with Madrid, he did win La Liga twice and the Supercopa de España before signing for Hamburg during the January transfer window in 2010. After a season-and-a-half with Hamburg, he moved back to Spain with Málaga in the summer of 2011. His retirement from football was announced on 14 May 2012.
wn.com/Ruud_van_Nistelrooy -
Rüştü Reçber
Rüştü Reçber (pronounced [ˈɾyʃty ˈɾetʃbeɾ]; born 10 May 1973, Korkuteli) is a Turkish international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Beşiktaş J.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig, having previously played for Antalyaspor, Fenerbahçe and Barcelona.
He has played a key role in the success of the Turkish national squad, and it was at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where Turkey finished third, that his performances saw him selected for the tournament's all-star team. He is Turkey's record appearance holder, having earned 119 caps. He made his debut against Iceland in 1994 and his final appearance came against Armenia in 2009.
Rüştü was named the best goalkeeper in European competitions in 2002, selected for the 2002 UEFA Team Of The Year by public vote. In 2004, he was selected to FIFA 100 by Pelé as one of the 125 best living footballers in the world. Rüştü retired from international level after UEFA Euro 2008 with 120 international caps to his name but was called to play against Spain on 28 March 2009 and 1 April.
wn.com/Rüştü_Reçber -
Sabri Lamouchi
Sabri Lamouchi (born 9 November 1971 in Lyon, France) is a former French football midfielder of Tunisian descent. From May 2012, he became manager of Côte d'Ivoire national team, his first managerial position.
Lamouchi started his professional career with Alès in France. During his time there, he impressed Auxerre and played with them for four years. He then went on to join Monaco before being snapped up by Parma of Italy. Even though he had an average season, he was again on the move this time to Italian giants Internazionale. He also struggled there, and failed to win a place in the team.
Lamouchi had a spell at Genoa before joining Olympique de Marseille on loan the following year. In January 2006, the loan deal was made a permanent move. He played for Olympique de Marseille for six further months, until he announced that he was leaving the club on September 18, 2006, although his contract ran until June 2007.
Next, Lamouchi moves to Al-Rayyan in the Qatari League, scoring a spectacular goal in his first match. The next season, he moved on to Umm-Salal.
wn.com/Sabri_Lamouchi -
Salvatore Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci (Italian pronunciation: [salvaˈtɔre skilˈlatʃi]; born December 1, 1964), commonly referred to by his nickname Totò is a former Italian football player. During his career, he played for Messina (1982–1989), Juventus (1989–1992), Internazionale (1992–1994) and Júbilo Iwata (1994–1997). He was the Golden Boot winner for the 1990 FIFA World Cup after leading the tournament with six goals.
He made an appearance in a television advert for the Irish beer Smithwick's. The ad was originally created in the mid-90's when his goal that had eliminated Ireland from Italy 90 as well as the Irish win over Italy in 1994 FIFA World Cup were still vivid memories in the beer's home country.
A champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse (see Schillaci) was named after him following his performances at the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Born in Palermo, Italy, from a poor family, Schillaci, nicknamed Totò, started to play for an amateur team of his native city, Amat Palermo. He then signed in 1982 for the Sicilian club Messina, where he played till 1989 and showed his goal-scoring abilities. He then joined Juventus of Turin, and debuted in Serie A on August 27, 1989. Juventus, the "Old Lady" of Italian football was at the time suffering from the breakup of the wonder team which dominated Italian football in the 1980s and Schillaci's arrival coincided with a return to form under the direction of former goalkeeper Dino Zoff. He featured prominently, scoring 15 goals, in a very positive year for the Turinese club which ended the season winning both the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup. Due to his inventive, aggressive attack style he was then selected by head coach of Italy, Azeglio Vicini, to play in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by Italy itself, despite being a novice in the arena of national team competitions.
wn.com/Salvatore_Schillaci -
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri (born 26 June 1987) is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical ability, creativity, pace, and ability to read the game. Of Algerian heritage, he is described as a player whose "vision and imagination make him an unpredictable opponent". His playing style, ability, and cultural background have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane.
Nasri began his football career playing for local youth clubs in his hometown of Marseille. At the age of nine, he joined professional club Olympique de Marseille and spent the next seven years developing in the club's youth academy at La Commanderie, the club's training center. In the 2004–05 season, Nasri made his professional debut in September 2004 at the age of 17 against Sochaux. In the following season, he became a regular starter in the team and also participated in European competition for the first time after playing in the 2005–06 edition of the UEFA Cup. In the 2006–07 campaign, Nasri won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award and was also named to the Team of the Year. He finished his career with Marseille amassing over 160 appearances. He played in the teams that reached back-to-back Coupe de France finals in 2006 and 2007.
wn.com/Samir_Nasri -
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils (French pronunciation: [samɥɛl eto fis]) (born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team. Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy. He also holds a Spanish passport, enabling him not to count among the "foreign players" working in the European Union.
Eto'o scored over 100 goals in five seasons with FC Barcelona, and is also the record holder in number of appearances by an African player in La Liga. In 2010, he became the first player to win two European Continental Trebles following his back-to-back achievements with Barcelona and Internazionale. He is the second player to have ever scored in two separate UEFA Champions League finals and the fourth player, after Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa, and Gerard Piqué, to have won the UEFA Champions League two years in a row with different teams. He is the most decorated African player of all time having won the African Player of the Year award a record four times in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2010.
wn.com/Samuel_Eto'o -
Savo Milošević
Savo Milošević (Serbian Cyrillic: Саво Милошевић, Serbian pronunciation: [sǎʋɔ milɔ̌ːʃɛʋitɕ]; born 2 September 1973) is a retired Serbian footballer who played as a striker.
After making a name for himself at Partizan, he signed for Aston Villa, and went on to spend the vast majority of the following decade playing in Spain, where he represented four clubs, amassing La Liga totals of 241 games and 91 goals, and netting nearly 300 official goals over a 16-year professional career.
At international level, Milošević played for the national team of FR Yugoslavia (later renamed Serbia and Montenegro), and later for Serbia, surpassing the century of caps for both teams combined, and appearing in two World Cups and one European Championship.
Born in Bijeljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Milošević joined the youth ranks of FK Partizan at not yet 14, making his senior debuts in 1992, and scoring an astonishing 60 league goals in his last two seasons combined - a competition-best in both years - as the Belgrade side won back-to-back national championships, including the double in 1993–94.
wn.com/Savo_Milošević -
Sepp Maier
Josef Dieter "Sepp" Maier (born 28 February 1944) is a German former professional football goalkeeper. His nickname was "Die Katze von Anzing" ("the cat from Anzing") for his fast reflexes.
Born in Metten, Bavaria, Maier has spent his entire professional career at Bayern Munich. He began playing for Bayern's youth sides in 1958. During the 1970s, he was part of the legendary Bayern team which included the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller and won three European Cups in a row, a German record. Between 1966 and 1979 he played in 442 consecutive Bundesliga matches, still a German national record.
Maier was selected in the West Germany squad for four consecutive World Cups. In 1966 in England, he was a non-playing deputy to Hans Tilkowski. At the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, he was the undisputed starter and played all games (including the legendary 3–4 semifinal loss to Italy after extra time) except the third-place match.
In the 1974 FIFA World Cup on home soil, at the top of his footballing abilities, he reached the peak of his international career as the Germans went all the way to the final with a legendary team that included the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Berti Vogts, Gerd Müller and Paul Breitner. The greatest triumph came when the hosts defeated a Johan Cruyff-inspired Netherlands team 2–1 in the final in Maier's own hometown Munich.
wn.com/Sepp_Maier -
Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo aˈɣweɾo]; born 2 June 1988) is an Argentine professional association football player who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team. On 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to debut in the Argentine First Division at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona in 1976. He plays with the shirt name Kun Aguero.
At international level, Agüero represented the Argentina under-20 team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005 and in 2007, winning both tournaments. Agüero played at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he scored two goals in the 3–0 semi-final win against Brazil as Argentina went on to win the gold medal. Agüero was selected to represent Argentina in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2011 Copa América.
In 2006, Agüero moved to Europe to play for La Liga side Atlético Madrid for a fee of €23 million from Independiente. He made a name for himself, attracting attention from Europe's top clubs by scoring 101 goals in 234 appearances while winning the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010. Agüero moved to Premier League club Manchester City in July 2011 for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £35 million. On the last day of his début season with the club, Agüero scored a 94th-minute winner against Queen's Park Rangers that earned Manchester City their first league title in 44 years.
wn.com/Sergio_Agüero -
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou (French pronunciation: [sidnɛ ɡɔvu]) (born 27 July 1979) is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Evian Thonon Gaillard. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace. At the start of the 2009–10 season, Govou was given the captain's armband of Lyon after the departure of Juninho.
Staying at school to complete his studies to a comparatively late age for a footballer, Govou was a late-comer to the sporting world, joining Lyon's youth academy at the age of 17 in 1996. Loyal to his first club, until 2010, Govou had played at the Stade Gerland for his entire professional career. Govou broke onto the scene during the 2000–01 Ligue 1 season helping Lyon finish in second, just four points behind champions FC Nantes. Because of his great performances for the club, Govou won the 2001 Young Player of the Year Award in Ligue 1.
Govou has often been criticised for his lack of composure in front of goal, especially in high-pressure situations, which partly explains why he now occupies a deeper role, often in wide positions, rather than playing as the focal point of the team's attack. His offensive role, however, does not prevent him from often playing an important role in recovering possession for his team, due largely to his great athletic capabilities and high levels of fitness. He also has a good heading ability.
wn.com/Sidney_Govou -
Sonny Anderson
Sonny Anderson da Silva (born 19 September 1970), known as Sonny or Anderson, is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a striker.
A prolific goalscorer in the club level, he is best known for his spells with Lyon, Monaco (he played most of his abroad career in France) and Barcelona.
Born in Goiatuba, Goiás, Anderson started playing professionally with CR Vasco da Gama, but failed to make an early impression; after failing to score in 18 matches in his last year, he moved to Guarani Futebol Clube. His first abroad experience came with Servette FC, and his impact was instant, scoring 20 goals in his first season, then helping the club to the national league in the following, bagging 11 in just the first half of the season, as he left in January 1994 to Olympique de Marseille.
After six months, with L'OM relegated due to a bribery scandal, Anderson moved to fellow Ligue 1 team AS Monaco FC, scoring at an equally impressive pace, and winning team (1997 league) and individual accolades alike.
wn.com/Sonny_Anderson -
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year awards. Matthews' nicknames included "The Wizard of the Dribble" and "The Magician".
A near-vegetarian teetotaller, he kept fit enough to play at the top level until he was 50 years old. He was also the oldest player ever to play in England's top football division and the oldest player ever to represent the country. He played his final competitive game in 1985, at the age of 70. Matthews was also an inaugural inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 to honour his contribution to the English game.
He spent nineteen years with Stoke City, playing for the "Potters" from 1932 to 1947, and again from 1961 to 1965. He helped Stoke to the Second Division title in 1932–33 and 1962–63. In between his two spells at Stoke he spent fourteen years with Blackpool; where he became an FA Cup winner in 1953 (known as the Matthews Final), after he was on the losing side in the 1948 and 1951 finals. Between 1937 and 1957 he won 54 caps for England, playing in the FIFA World Cup in 1950 and 1954, and winning nine British Home Championship titles.
wn.com/Stanley_Matthews -
Stefan Effenberg
Stefan Effenberg (born 2 August 1968) is a retired German footballer. A central midfielder, he possessed leadership skills, powerful shooting ability, physical strength, but also a fearsome and controversial character.
In the Bundesliga alone – where he represented most notably Bayern Munich, in six seasons in two different spells – Effenberg collected 109 yellow cards, an all-time worst at the time of his retirement.
He played for Germany on more than 30 occasions – in a career which was cut short after a run-in with the management – representing the nation in one World Cup and one European Championship. His nickname is Der Tiger.
Born and raised in Niendorf, Hamburg, Effenberg started his professional career with Borussia Mönchengladbach, being an undisputed first-choice by age 20. This prompted the interest from Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich, and he proceeded to score 19 goals in his first two seasons combined, but the club did not win any silverware whatsoever.
After legendary Lothar Matthäus (who also represented M'gladbach) returned to Bayern in 1992, Effenberg moved to ACF Fiorentina, being relegated from Serie A in his first season, on a side that also included Dane Brian Laudrup and Argentine Gabriel Batistuta.
wn.com/Stefan_Effenberg -
Steve Marlet
Steve Marlet (born 10 January 1974 in Pithiviers) is a French footballer who is currently playing for amateur club CM Aubervilliers. The forward was capped 23 times and scored six goals for the French national team.
Marlet held the record for Fulham's biggest transfer fee until July 2008, as Fulham paid £11.5 million for the player back in 2001–02, to Olympique Lyonnais. He only managed 11 goals in 54 games, as then-manager Jean Tigana was dismissed during the season. He played just one game in the 2003–04 season for Fulham as well as scoring in that game before he was loaned out to Olympique de Marseille for 18 months, with his sizeable contract still being paid by the English team, before his contract was cancelled.
Marlet's terrible performances for Fulham led to chairman Mohammed Al Fayed taking Tigana to court for the overpayment of Marlet. It was suspected that Tigana, who had ties to Olympique Lyonnais, signed Marlet for an exorbitant fee, taking a cut of the fee himself. The charges were quickly dropped.
wn.com/Steve_Marlet -
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE ( /ˈdʒɛrɑrd/; born 30 May 1980) is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 91 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfield role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger.
Gerrard, who has spent his entire career at Anfield, made his début in 1998 and cemented his place in the first team in 2000, succeeding Sami Hyypiä as team captain in 2003. His honours include two FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup, and two Super Cups. In 2005, Gerrard came third in voting for the Ballon d'Or.
Gerrard made his international debut in 2000 and has represented England at the Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, as well as the 2006 World Cup where he was the team's top goalscorer with two goals. Gerrard first captained his country at the 2010 World Cup in the absence of regular captain Rio Ferdinand, who missed the tournament through injury. He was named again as England captain for the Euro 2012.
wn.com/Steven_Gerrard -
Stéphane Guivarc'h
Stéphane Guivarc'h (born 6 September 1970 in Concarneau, Finistère, Brittany) is a retired French footballer who played as striker. He featured in the France squad that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil.
His early career was spent in France with the Breton clubs Stade Brestois and En Avant Guingamp before moving to AJ Auxerre, where he won the double of Ligue 1 and Coupe de France in 1996. He returned to Brittany with Stade Rennais with whom he won Ligue 1's Golden Boot. At a second spell at Auxerre he retained the Golden Boot in Ligue 1 and also won the Golden Boot for the 1997-98 UEFA Cup. That Summer he won the World Cup.
Guivarc'h left France for Newcastle United of the Premier League after the World Cup but left after three months having failed to make an impact at St James' Park. He finished the season at Rangers FC of the Scottish Premier League with medals in the league, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup, of which he scored in the final. He then returned to Auxerre before retiring after the 2001-02 season with En Avant Guingamp.
wn.com/Stéphane_Guivarc'h -
Sylvain Wiltord
Sylvain Claude Wiltord (born 10 May 1974 in Neuilly-sur-Marne) is a French footballer who currently plays for FC Nantes. With the French national team, Wiltord has won Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He can play as a striker or on the wing.
Wiltord's career began at Stade Rennais FC, where he emerged in 1993–94 with eight goals in 26 games. He joined RC Deportivo La Coruña briefly in 1996, where he continued to plunder goals on loan for one season before moving to FC Girondins de Bordeaux.
He was ever-present in his first term at Bordeaux and scored 22 goals the next season, 1998–99, as Bordeaux won the French Ligue 1 championship.
Wiltord was signed by English club Arsenal for, what was then, a club record fee of £13 million in August 2000, weeks after scoring the stoppage-time equalizer in the Euro 2000 Final. He played 175 times occasionally pairing Thierry Henry up front or otherwise starting either from the bench or on the wing. The record fee was not surpassed for the next eight-and-a-half years until Arsenal paid £15 million for Russian striker Andrei Arshavin in January 2009.
wn.com/Sylvain_Wiltord -
Sócrates
Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, MD (19 February 1954 – 4 December 2011), simply Sócrates, was a Brazilian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was also a qualified doctor.
He played for Botafogo-SP before joining Corinthians in 1978. He then moved to Italy to play for Fiorentina, returning to Brazil in 1985 to end his career.
Sócrates was a technical playmaker, known for great through passes and his vision on the field, as well as his physical strength. He was also a two-footed player and a prolific goal scorer. His ability to read the game was highly valued, and his signature move was the blind heel pass. He was considered to be one of the greatest midfielders ever to play the game. Easily recognizable for his beard and headband, he became the "symbol of cool for a whole generation of football supporters".
Sócrates played for Brazil during seven years, scoring more than 20 goals and representing the nation in two World Cups, captaining the team in the 1982 edition; he also appeared in the 1979 and 1983 Copa América tournaments, and was named South American Footballer of the Year in 1983, being selected to Pelé's FIFA 100 list in 2004.
wn.com/Sócrates -
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE (born 2 April 1966) is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester United in the 1998–99 season. The pinnacle of his career came when he scored the equaliser and provided the assist for Manchester United's winning goal in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich. Sheringham also represented England at international level. He was awarded an MBE in June 2007. He retired from competitive football at the end of the 2007–08 season with Colchester United, at the age of 42, after a career lasting 25 years.
Sheringham began his professional career at Millwall in 1982 at the age of 16, after impressing a scout when playing for non-league club Leytonstone & Ilford during a youth team game against Millwall. He was signed up, initially as an apprentice and scored on only his second appearance for the club in a match away at Bournemouth in January 1984. After being loaned out by the club twice in 1985 to Aldershot and later a Swedish side, Djurgården, he quickly became a first choice selection at Millwall and during the late 1980s formed a striking partnership with Tony Cascarino. He was the club's top goalscorer in four seasons (1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1990–91) and played in every game of the season twice, in 1986–87 and 1990–91.
wn.com/Teddy_Sheringham -
Theodoros Zagorakis
Theodoros Zagorakis (Greek: Θεόδωρος Ζαγοράκης, born 27 October 1971, is a retired Greek footballer. He was the captain of the Greece national football team that won the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, and is the current president of PAOK F.C..
Zagorakis was a defensive midfielder who usually operated on the right hand side of midfield. He started his career with Kavala, the club that also produced Zisis Vryzas, with whom he became close friends. Zagorakis was crucial in helping Kavala win promotion to the Greek second division.
In the 1992–93 season, Zagorakis left Kavala as a winter transfer to join PAOK, part of a string of star-transfers made that season. He played for PAOK until December 1997, and also captained the squad in his last two seasons. He rose to become an iconic figure for the fans.
Zagorakis left in another winter transfer window to Leicester City. While in England, he took part in two consecutive League Cup finals at Wembley Stadium, losing the first against Tottenham Hotspur in 1999 and defeating Tranmere Rovers in the second. Nevertheless, he was disappointed with Martin O'Neill's reluctance to use him regularly and decided to return to Greece.
wn.com/Theodoros_Zagorakis -
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ɑ̃ʁi]; born 17 August 1977) is a French footballer who plays as a striker for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.
Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne (a suburb of Paris) where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and signed instantly, making his professional debut in 1994. Good form led to an international call-up in 1998, after which he signed for the Serie A defending champions Juventus. He had a disappointing season playing on the wing, before joining Arsenal for £11 million in 1999.
It was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer. Despite initially struggling in the Premier League, he emerged as Arsenal's top goal-scorer for almost every season of his tenure there. Under long-time mentor and coach Arsène Wenger, Henry became a prolific striker and Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions. The Frenchman won two league titles and three FA Cups with the Gunners; he was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year twice, was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, and the FWA Footballer of the Year three times. Henry spent his final two seasons with Arsenal as club captain, leading them to the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final.
wn.com/Thierry_Henry -
Tim Sherwood
Timothy "Tim" Sherwood (born 6 February 1969 in St Albans) is an English former professional footballer and current assistant first-team coach of Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
As a player he was a midfielder from 1987 until 2005, he was notably the captain of Blackburn Rovers' Premiership title-winning side in 1995. He also played for Watford, Norwich City, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth and Coventry City. He also made three appearances for the England national team.
Sherwood made his debut for Watford against Sheffield Wednesday on 12 September 1987. 31 more league appearances followed in Division Two. He moved to Norwich City in July 1989 and notched up a total of 88 games and 13 goals in Norwich colours before joining Blackburn Rovers in February 1992.
As one of Kenny Dalglish's first signings for Blackburn, he initially struggled to make the first team but became an integral part of Dalglish's big spending Rovers side. Under Sherwood's captaincy, Blackburn finished second in the Premiership in 1993-94 before winning it the following season. At this point it was a surprise that he did not gain international recognition, adding only an England B cap to the England Under 21 honours he picked up whilst at Norwich. During his time at the club Dalglish had wanted to sign both Zinedine Zidane and Christophe Dugarry who were playing in France for FC Girondins de Bordeaux, however Rovers Chairman Jack Walker reportedly said to Dalglish: "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"
wn.com/Tim_Sherwood -
Uli Stielike
Ulrich "Uli" Stielike (born 15 November 1954 in Ketsch, West Germany) is a German football manager and former player.
Stielike was a West Germany youth international for hometown club SpVgg Ketsch when he got signed by UEFA Cup runner-up Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1973, first coming to action as a full back for the then two times German Bundesliga champion. Playing in defending midfield for his club, afterwards, he was part of the Mönchengladbach team that won the Bundesliga titles in 1975, 1976 and 1977, the UEFA Cup in 1975 and gained a runner-up medal in the European Cup in 1977 following a 1–3 against Liverpool F.C. in Rome.
Ahead of the 1977–78 season, Stielike moved on to join Real Madrid to become a reliable fan-favourite in his eight years with Los merengues. His first three seasons at Santiago Bernabéu all ended in Real winning La Liga. In 1980 and 1982, he was part of the side winning Copa del Rey, in 1985 he added the Copa de la Liga, and finished off his Madrid years with the UEFA Cup triumph of the same summer.
wn.com/Uli_Stielike -
Ulrich Ramé
Ulrich Ramé (born 19 September 1972) is a French footballer who plays for CS Sedan Ardennes as a goalkeeper.
In a professional career which spanned two decades, he played mainly for Bordeaux (14 seasons), appearing in more than 500 official games and winning six major titles.
A French international during four years, Ramé represented the nation at Euro 2000.
Born in Nantes, Ramé started playing professionally with SCO Angers, making his Ligue 1 debuts in the 1993–94 season, but being immediately relegated. Two years later, the Maine-et-Loire dropped down another division, but the player returned to the top flight the following season, joining FC Girondins de Bordeaux.
After 23 matches in his first season, helping his team finish fifth, and reach the domestic League Cup final the following year, Ramé became Bordeaux's undisputed first-choice, going on to appear in nearly 500 official matches, with the team winning two national championships - separated by ten years - and three more league cups.
wn.com/Ulrich_Ramé -
Uwe Seeler
Uwe Seeler (born 5 November 1936 in Hamburg) is a former German football official and retired football player. He played for Hamburger SV and also made 72 appearances for the West German national team.
Seeler followed in his father's footsteps as a player for Hamburger SV, making his first team debut in 1954 in a German Cup match, aged just under 18, scoring four goals (8–2 vs. Holstein Kiel). In later years, despite tempting offers from Italian and Spanish clubs he remained loyal to Hamburg, working on a second career as a merchant besides playing football, as in those days football stars in Germany did not earn the huge salaries seen now.
Seeler was a gifted striker who, among other things, was renowned for his overhead kick. He scored 137 times in 239 Bundesliga games, 43 times in 72 international games for the German national team, and 21 times in 29 European club tournament games. He was captain of both his club team and the national team for many years. He and his club won the German championship in 1960 and the DFB-Pokal (German FA Cup) in 1963. He was top scorer of the first Bundesliga season 1963–64 and German Footballer of the Year in 1960, 1964 and 1970.
wn.com/Uwe_Seeler -
Vavá
Vavá, real name Edvaldo Izídio Neto, (born 12 November 1934 in Recife, Brazil; died 19 January 2002 in Rio de Janeiro) was an association footballer who is widely considered one of the best strikers of his generation. His nickname was "Peito de Aço" (Steel Chest). He played as a full striker (center forward) whose only role was to score goals, which he did for Sport Club do Recife, C.R. Vasco da Gama, S.E. Palmeiras and the Brazilian national team.
Vava earned 20 caps with the Brazilian national team, scoring a total of 15 goals. He was on the side that won both the 1958 and 1962 World Cup, in which he scored 5 and 4 goals, respectively. Furthermore, he was a joint recipient of the 1962 World Cup Golden Shoe award.
Vavá scored in the final of both 1958 (twice) and 1962 (once), thus becoming the first player to score in the final of two different world cups. To this day, only four players achieved this feat, the other three being Pelé, Paul Breitner and Zinedine Zidane.
wn.com/Vavá -
Vincent Candela
Vincent Philippe Antoine Candela (French pronunciation: [vɛ̃sɑ̃ kɑ̃dəˈla]; born October 24, 1973, is a former French footballer. With the French national team, Candela won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as well as Euro 2000.
Candela was a skilled right-footed left wingback, effective at joining the attack as well as being able in defence.
On the club level, Candela played for Toulouse (1992–95), Guingamp (1995–97), A.S. Roma (1997–2005), Bolton Wanderers (2005), Udinese (2005–2006) and Siena (2006–2007). He won one scudetto with Roma.
On January 28, 2007 he played his last Serie A match for Messina against Ascoli.
For France, Candela was capped 40 times, scoring five goals. His playing time was often limited by Bixente Lizarazu, but he did play in one match during the 1998 triumph. During the winning Euro 2000 Candela did play two matches, both as a starter. He also played at the 1996 Olympic Games and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Candela is married. He and his wife, Mara, welcomed their first child, Angelica, in April 2005.
wn.com/Vincent_Candela -
Vincent Guérin
Vincent Guérin (born 22 November 1965 in Boulogne-Billancourt) is a former footballer who played in a midfield role, currently the reserve coach at Paris Saint-Germain.
In a career stretching from 1984 to 2002, he played for Stade Brestois 29, Matra Racing, Montpellier Hérault, Paris Saint-Germain, Heart of Midlothian in Scotland and, finally, with Red Star 93.
With Paris Saint Germain he won one Ligue 1 in 1994, placed second in 1993, 1996 and 1997, won the Coupe de France twice, in 1993 and 1995, won one Coupe de la Ligue in 1995, and one Cup Winners' Cup in 1996. He was also a finalist in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1997, and won another Coupe de France in 1990 with Montpellier.
With France he won the UEFA Under 21 European Cup in 1988 (13 matches played), and earned 19 full international caps, scoring 2 goals, as well as participating at Euro 1996.
In 1997, the French Football Federation moved to suspend Guérin after he failed a drugs test administered after a PSG game on 5 October. Guérin appealed unsuccessfully to the FFF's doping appeals commission, who awarded him an 18-month ban, 12 months of which were suspended. Guérin subsequently appealed to the French federal Administrative Court at Versaille, contesting the FFF's decision on several counts. The court at Versaille upheld one of Guérin's contentions, that the drugs test was improperly administered, and thus decreed that the entire process should be deemed void. Resultantly, the FFF-imposed suspension was annulled.
wn.com/Vincent_Guérin -
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas (French pronunciation: [wiljam ɡalas]; born 17 August 1977) is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006. While his career has been marked by both individual and team successes – including Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 – he has also encountered controversy as a consequence of his on-field behaviour and friction with other personnel. In 2007, he was named Arsenal's captain, but was removed from the role during the 2008–09 season after criticising teammates in a media interview. Gallas left Arsenal at the end of the 2009–10 season, when his contract expired.
Gallas was born in Asnières-sur-Seine. He is the cousin of fellow footballer Ludovic Quistin and of Mathieu Bastareaud, a French rugby union centre playing for Stade Français.
A graduate of the French Football academy at Clairefontaine, Gallas started his professional career at second division SM Caen, helping them to promotion as champions in 1996. He was subsequently transferred to Olympique Marseille in 1997. Gallas spent four seasons at Marseille, where he played alongside Robert Pirès among others. He made his debut in the UEFA Champions League playing for Marseille, and he also played against Chelsea in that competition in 2000.
wn.com/William_Gallas -
Willy Sagnol
William Sagnol (born 18 March 1977 in Saint-Étienne) is a former French international footballer who played as a defender. He spent much of his professional career playing for Bayern Munich in Germany's Bundesliga. He was also part of the French squad at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.
Willy first made his way in the world of football at his father's former club in Haute-Loire, Montfaucon-en-Velay where he developed his defensive game at right-back, as well as performing exceptionally on the right-hand side of midfield.
From there he progressed, eventually joining the region's flagship club AS Saint-Étienne. An impressive two-year spell saw him earn a transfer to AS Monaco in 1997 and he experienced his first taste of success, winning Ligue 1 in 2000. His excellent form saw him pressing for a call up to represent Les Bleus, but he was initially overlooked by national coach Roger Lemerre.
wn.com/Willy_Sagnol -
Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff (French pronunciation: [joan ɡuʁkyf]; born 11 July 1986) is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He operates mainly as an attacking midfielder, but can also be utilized as a withdrawn striker and is described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an accomplished passer of the ball". Gourcuff has been described by former French international David Ginola as the best French player of his generation. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to French legend Zinedine Zidane.
Gourcuff is the son of Christian Gourcuff, the current manager of Ligue 1 club FC Lorient, where Yoann began his career. In 2001, he followed in his father's footsteps and joined Rennes. After progressing through the youth ranks and making the senior team, Gourcuff quickly became a fan favorite among supporters and his individual achievements soon led to interest from clubs abroad, which resulted in a move to Italian club AC Milan. Gourcuff achieved many club honours despite not being able to break into the starting eleven, which resulted in the player being sent on loan to Ligue 1 club Bordeaux in his home country of France. Following a successful season, in which Bordeaux captured the league and league cup double and Gourcuff attained several individuals honours, he signed with the club permanently. Gourcuff is a former winner of the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and, in December 2009, was named the French Player of the Year for the 2009 calendar year. In August 2010, he joined Olympique Lyonnais on a five-year contract.
wn.com/Yoann_Gourcuff -
Younès Belhanda
Younès Belhanda (Arabic: يونس بلهندة; born 25 February 1990) is a Moroccan international footballer who plays for French club Montpellier in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger and is described as a player who possesses "vision, technique and intelligent decision-making". After beginning his career in a defensive role, he has developed into an attacker, which has led to his current coach René Girard comparing him to former France international Robert Pirès.
Belhanda is a former France youth international having represented the country at under-20 level. In 2010, he announced his attentions to represent Morocco at senior international level. Belhanda made his senior international debut in November 2010 against Northern Ireland and scored his first international goal in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations match against Niger.
Belhanda was born in Avignon, a commune in southeastern France, but was raised in nearby Aramon. He is of Moroccan descent through his parents and has five other siblings. Belhanda began his football career playing for hometown club Racing Club Aramon. He spent one year at the club before joining MJC Avignon, a local cultural center based in his birthplace. The center offered a variety of activities, which included football. While at the club, Belhanda was utilized as a libero and mentored by trainer Jean-Christophe Gleyze. The player has admitted that Gleyze played a huge part in determining his future stating "He is more than a coach. Since my father worked and I lived in the Gard, it was him who took me to training and my home for three years. Without him and MJC Avignon, I would never have been spotted by other clubs".
wn.com/Younès_Belhanda -
Youri Djorkaeff
Youri Raffi Djorkaeff (born 9 March 1968) is a former French international footballer who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. He is the son of former player Jean Djorkaeff.
Djorkaeff is mix of Kalmyk (Mongolian and Russian) and Polish (through his father) and Armenian origins (his mother, Mary Ohanian is a pure Armenian).
He started his career in 1984 with French club Grenoble, before moving to RC Strasbourg in 1989, AS Monaco in 1990, and then Paris Saint-Germain in 1995. In 1994, Djorkaeff led Division 1 in goals with 20.
In 1996, he signed with Italian giants Internazionale and in 1999, he transferred to Germany and Kaiserslautern. Djorkaeff turned many heads when signing with English club Bolton Wanderers in 2002, but added a lot of class to the team during his two seasons there, resulting in the creation of an international "dream-team" alongside the tricky Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha and former Real Madrid midfielder Iván Campo. He then transferred to Blackburn Rovers for the 2004–05 season, but left the club after playing in only three games. Djorkaeff then signed with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer in February 2005 for $180,000 plus incentives, turning down higher paid offers from other countries. He became the first French player to play in MLS and ended the season as the team's MVP with ten goals and seven assists in league play.
wn.com/Youri_Djorkaeff -
Yvon Douis
Yvon Douis (born 16 May 1935 in Les Andelys) is a former French international footballer.
During his career he played for Lille OSC (1953–59), Le Havre AC (1959–61), AS Monaco (1961–67) and AS Cannes (1967–69). He earned 20 caps and scored 4 goals for the France national football team between 1957 and 1965, and played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup when France finished third.
wn.com/Yvon_Douis -
Zbigniew Boniek
Zbigniew "Zibì" Kazimierz Boniek (Polish pronunciation: [ˈzbiɡɲɛv ˈbɔɲɛk]; born 3 March 1956 in Bydgoszcz) is a former Polish footballer and coach. He first played at Zawisza Bydgoszcz and later at Widzew Łódź. Boniek was named by Pelé as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers and by FIFA as one of the 100 best-ever players. On 12 October 2009 he received a Golden Foot career award.
Boniek was transferred to Italian football giants Juventus in 1982. That same year he won a bronze medal (third place) as part of the Polish team at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. With Juventus he won the Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1984 (scoring in the final of the former) and the European Cup in 1985.
Boniek represented Poland in 80 internationals and scored 24 goals. After finishing his professional career at A.S. Roma in 1988 he had a successful business career.
As a player, Boniek was known for his blistering pace and acceleration. He was one of the best dribblers of his time and also displayed superb technique.
wn.com/Zbigniew_Boniek -
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane (French pronunciation: [zinedin zidan]) (born 23 June 1972) is a retired French footballer. Zidane was the leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. After a brief international retirement, he returned to the national team in 2005 and captained France to the 2006 World Cup Final where he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's most outstanding player.
In club level Zidane won the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, two Serie A league championships with Juventus and an Intercontinental Cup and a UEFA Super Cup each with both aforementioned sides. He is one of only four players to have been FIFA World Player of the Year three or more times (Brazilian forward Marta is a five time winner (female award), while Brazilian striker Ronaldo (male award) and German striker Birgit Prinz (female award) have won three each). He also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998. He retired from professional football after the 2006 World Cup.
wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane -
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Bosnian pronunciation: [ˈzlatan ibraˈxiːmɔʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain.
Ibrahimović started his career at Malmö FF in the late 1990s under Roland Andersson. He was signed by Ajax, and made a name for himself under Ronald Koeman. Years later, he signed with Juventus for €16 million. Ibrahimović gained fame in Serie A, benefiting from his strike partnership with David Trezeguet. In 2006, he signed with league rival Internazionale, where he won individual awards such as the Italian Oscar del Calcio and the Swedish Guldbollen, and was named in the 2007 and 2009 UEFA Team of the Year, in addition to finishing as the league's highest scorer in 2008–09 while winning three straight Scudetti. In the summer of 2009, he transferred to Barcelona for €69 million, the second highest transfer fee in football history. His time at Barcelona was short lived however; moving back to Serie A football with Milan the following season, in a deal which made him one of the highest paid footballers in the world and cost the Italian club a confirmed €24 million.
wn.com/Zlatan_Ibrahimović -
Éric Abidal
Éric Sylvain Abidal (French pronunciation: [eʁik abidal]; born 11 September 1979) is a retired French footballer who last played as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.
Abidal was trained at Lyon-Duchère, a team playing in the suburbs of Lyon. He started his professional career with Monaco on 16 September 2000, where he made 25 first-team appearances. He moved to Lille OSC where he was reunited with his former manager Claude Puel and earned 62 first-team appearances. At the end of 2004, he returned to his native region by joining Olympique Lyonnais, which had just won its second successive Ligue 1 championship. During his time in France he was considered "one of the best fullbacks in the Ligue 1", self confidence of this title was shown when Lyon played Manchester United: "As a defender, my aim is to infuriate the opponent," Abidal explained. "I want him to be so sick of the sight of me that he has to move somewhere else on the pitch to get away." In the Lyon defence, he played alongside other French internationals (Grégory Coupet, François Clerc, and Anthony Réveillère) and two Brazilian internationals (Cris and Caçapa).
wn.com/Éric_Abidal -
Éric Carrière
Éric Carrière (born 24 May 1973 in Foix, Ariège) is a former professional French association footballer who played for Dijon. He is a skilful playmaker who is adept at taking free-kicks, penalties, and corners for his team, as well as scoring from the run of play although he is primarily known for defence splitting passes. He is also known for the infamous picture of him getting a football straight to the face.
He has also played and started for previous clubs FC Nantes, Olympique Lyonnais, with whom he won 4 Ligue 1 titles with, and RC Lens. After Lens suffered relegation, he now plays for Dijon FCO after signing a two-year contract on 26 June 2008.
He has been capped 10 times and scored five goals for the France national team.
He is married to Rachel and has one child, Lola (born 4 March 2004).
wn.com/Éric_Carrière -
Éric Di Meco
Éric Di Meco (born 7 September 1963 in Avignon, Vaucluse) is a retired French footballer who played as a left defender.
During his career, Di Meco played mostly for Olympique de Marseille; after starting as a midfielder, and serving loans at AS Nancy and FC Martigues, he returned definitely in 1988, going on to amass a further 153 Ligue 1 matches, in an eventual four-in-a-row run of domestic leagues.
After Marseille's relegation in 1993–94 due to irregularities, Di Meco joined AS Monaco FC, still appearing regularly until his 1998 retirement, at almost 35, with another league title.
For France, he won the Kirin Cup in 1994 and was in roster for UEFA Euro 1996. After the latter competition, where he was now only backup, to younger Bixente Lizarazu, Di Meco retired internationally.
After retiring from the pitches, Di Meco pursued a career as a politician, acting as municipal council for UMP, in Marseille.
wn.com/Éric_Di_Meco
Famous quotes by Zinedine Zidane:
"It was the last chance free kick, we were not expecting a match like that,"
"It was an exceptional game, like we had in 2000 with Portugal and Italy, ... In these two matches we managed to reverse the trend, and we did it again."
"I think we have the team to go very far at the European championships. Now we just have to be ready on time."
"It went well for Real tonight and we can be happy with how we've done in the tournament until now. We played our game and I think our victory was deserved."
"The sooner we find the net the better. We know that we must slot a fair number of goals to compensate for a possible away victory by the Swiss."
"think -- and I stress my words -- about the consequences of voting for a party that does not at all correspond to the values of France."
"Hello Mr President,"
"We are back to being the old Real Madrid. If we keep playing like this then I'm sure we'll win something."
"I came out of retirement not just to help qualification but also because this team has the players who can do something."
"We must not let ourselves get driven off course, no matter what happens we must stick to our natural game,"
"It was the last chance free kick, we were not expecting a match like that,"
"It was an exceptional game, like we had in 2000 with Portugal and Italy, ... In these two matches we managed to reverse the trend, and we did it again."
"I think we have the team to go very far at the European championships. Now we just have to be ready on time."
"It went well for Real tonight and we can be happy with how we've done in the tournament until now. We played our game and I think our victory was deserved."
"The sooner we find the net the better. We know that we must slot a fair number of goals to compensate for a possible away victory by the Swiss."
"think -- and I stress my words -- about the consequences of voting for a party that does not at all correspond to the values of France."
"Hello Mr President,"
"We are back to being the old Real Madrid. If we keep playing like this then I'm sure we'll win something."
"I came out of retirement not just to help qualification but also because this team has the players who can do something."
"We must not let ourselves get driven off course, no matter what happens we must stick to our natural game,"
Send this Playlist by SMS
Email this Page
Zinedine Zidane - The Maestro Of The Decade HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:59
- Updated: 15 Dec 2012
The Best Of Zinedine Zidane Enjoy!
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_The_Maestro_Of_The_Decade_HD
Zinedine Zidane Best Player Ever [HQ]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:04
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
a way better zidane video here: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Best_Player_Ever_HQ_
a way better zidane video here: www.youtube.com
- published: 23 May 2010
- views: 2011435
- author: rifway22
Zidane The Scientist
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:04
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
Zinedine Zidane is a football scientist forever...my tribute... Copies of this video are on youtube and others sites, please notice that I'm the original maker. This video was made in 2005, that's why the world cup 2006 is missing. About the leverkusen goal, at the time I couldn't find any good video quality for it. Thanks for watching. See my second football video here : www.youtube.com Thank you for your support.
http://wn.com/Zidane_The_Scientist
Zinedine Zidane is a football scientist forever...my tribute... Copies of this video are on youtube and others sites, please notice that I'm the original maker. This video was made in 2005, that's why the world cup 2006 is missing. About the leverkusen goal, at the time I couldn't find any good video quality for it. Thanks for watching. See my second football video here : www.youtube.com Thank you for your support.
- published: 12 Jan 2006
- views: 5736330
- author: Keitar0u
Zidane headbutt
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:53
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
Zidane headbutts Materazzi in extra time of the 2006 World Cup Final. France lose 5-3 in the following shootout.
http://wn.com/Zidane_headbutt
Zidane headbutts Materazzi in extra time of the 2006 World Cup Final. France lose 5-3 in the following shootout.
- published: 10 Jul 2006
- views: 5944547
- author: metallica018
Zinedine Zidane Greatest Skills
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:09
- Updated: 11 Dec 2012
One of the greatest players to have ever graced the pitch, heres a video of his great skills.
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Greatest_Skills
One of the greatest players to have ever graced the pitch, heres a video of his great skills.
- published: 17 Aug 2008
- views: 263393
- author: RonaldoBestInWorld
Zinedine Zidane Top 10 Best Ever Moves
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:59
- Updated: 15 Dec 2012
way better zidane video here: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Top_10_Best_Ever_Moves
way better zidane video here: www.youtube.com
- published: 23 May 2010
- views: 4433511
- author: rifway22
Footballs Greatest - Zinedine Zidane
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 26:49
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
Documentary about Zinedine Zidane.....Enjoy
http://wn.com/Footballs_Greatest_Zinedine_Zidane
Zinedine Zidane - Career Highlights
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:30
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
a way better zidane video here: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Career_Highlights
a way better zidane video here: www.youtube.com
- published: 29 May 2012
- views: 121326
- author: rifway22
Zinedine Zidane " Elegance "
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:13
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
join my facebook page : www.facebook.com follow me on twitter : twitter.com
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Elegance_
join my facebook page : www.facebook.com follow me on twitter : twitter.com
- published: 11 Jun 2012
- views: 44528
- author: gobs5999HD4
Zinedine ZIDANE - Son Parcours ( Documentaire complet )
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 72:22
- Updated: 13 Dec 2012
ZIDANE la légende du football mondial
http://wn.com/Zinedine_ZIDANE_Son_Parcours_Documentaire_complet_
ZIDANE la légende du football mondial
- published: 02 Jun 2012
- views: 283689
- author: TAZROUTSBOUZEGUENE
Zinedine Zidane | One Of A Kind - Tribute HD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 11:02
- Updated: 12 Dec 2012
I loved football because of you! football misses you.. I MISS YOU! Goodbye legend.. Rate, comment and subscribe. - Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com Enjoy! Zinedine Zidane | One Of A Kind - Tribute HD Zinedine Zidane - The Maestro Of The Decade HD Z.ZIDANE Vs Manchester United...
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_|_One_Of_A_Kind_Tribute_HD
I loved football because of you! football misses you.. I MISS YOU! Goodbye legend.. Rate, comment and subscribe. - Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com Enjoy! Zinedine Zidane | One Of A Kind - Tribute HD Zinedine Zidane - The Maestro Of The Decade HD Z.ZIDANE Vs Manchester United...
- published: 15 Nov 2012
- views: 2723
- author: Azza ProdTV
Zinedine Zidane's Last Match
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:00
- Updated: 09 Dec 2012
"Playing against Zidane you have only one chance; praying. You can't stop Zidane! The problem about playing with Zidane is that it's a bit like playing "Bunto" (a game with three bells under which you hide a ball): You see the ball, you don't see it anymore, you see the ball, you don't see it anymore!" - Gennaro Gattuso.
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane's_Last_Match
"Playing against Zidane you have only one chance; praying. You can't stop Zidane! The problem about playing with Zidane is that it's a bit like playing "Bunto" (a game with three bells under which you hide a ball): You see the ball, you don't see it anymore, you see the ball, you don't see it anymore!" - Gennaro Gattuso.
- published: 26 Nov 2012
- views: 7959
- author: rifway22
Zinedine Zidane Teaching Children Football In Schools - Wants To Open In School Russia
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:11
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
Despite the frantic end to the Spanish season, Real Madrid's sporting director and former star player Zinedine Zidane found time to come to Moscow. He's been promoting a project close to his heart -- developing football in schools around the world. "I can confirm that this project is indeed underway in Aix-en-Provence. We would also like to start it off in Marseilles, but we have not succeeded in it as yet for a number of reasons. It's a family project for me, to a large extent, and a very important one. The project is a success, the children can come to these schools and learn to play football, and we hope that it will, one day, become a national project and, who knows, maybe one day we'll open a school in Russia", said Zidane. There's plenty of talent in Russia which would appreciate whatever the famous Frenchman has to offer. With the Zidane-branded product launch out of the way, he then went on to play two 10-minute halves with local kids who probably wanted to show off more than they wanted to learn. "I can't describe my feelings. I played with Zidane, he is great!", Mikhail Ignatov, a schoolboy said. "I support Real Madrid and Zidane used to play for them. There were so many photographers here today. I hope I got on one of those pictures", another young player, Platon Rupold, said. Despite his relatively short visit to the Russian capital, Zinedine Zidane left a huge mark in the hearts of Moscow kids. The football legend once said that he wanted to become a ...
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Teaching_Children_Football_In_Schools_Wants_To_Open_In_School_Russia
Despite the frantic end to the Spanish season, Real Madrid's sporting director and former star player Zinedine Zidane found time to come to Moscow. He's been promoting a project close to his heart -- developing football in schools around the world. "I can confirm that this project is indeed underway in Aix-en-Provence. We would also like to start it off in Marseilles, but we have not succeeded in it as yet for a number of reasons. It's a family project for me, to a large extent, and a very important one. The project is a success, the children can come to these schools and learn to play football, and we hope that it will, one day, become a national project and, who knows, maybe one day we'll open a school in Russia", said Zidane. There's plenty of talent in Russia which would appreciate whatever the famous Frenchman has to offer. With the Zidane-branded product launch out of the way, he then went on to play two 10-minute halves with local kids who probably wanted to show off more than they wanted to learn. "I can't describe my feelings. I played with Zidane, he is great!", Mikhail Ignatov, a schoolboy said. "I support Real Madrid and Zidane used to play for them. There were so many photographers here today. I hope I got on one of those pictures", another young player, Platon Rupold, said. Despite his relatively short visit to the Russian capital, Zinedine Zidane left a huge mark in the hearts of Moscow kids. The football legend once said that he wanted to become a ...
- published: 05 May 2012
- views: 9408
- author: Alun Hill
Zinedine Zidane - Skills and Goals
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:36
- Updated: 13 Dec 2012
Zinedine Zidane - Skills and Goals
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Skills_and_Goals
Zinedine Zidane - Juventus
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 17:43
- Updated: 07 Dec 2012
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_Juventus
Zinedine Zidane
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:00
- Updated: 12 Dec 2012
Zidane The Legend
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane
Zinedine Zidane vs Brazil World
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:14
- Updated: 17 Nov 2012
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_vs_Brazil_World
Zinedine Zidane vs South Africa - 98 World Cup
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:30
- Updated: 07 Dec 2012
man of the match
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_vs_South_Africa_98_World_Cup
Zinedine Zidane - I am Legend
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:16
- Updated: 30 Nov 2012
Zinedine Zidane the Legend of the Football
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane_I_am_Legend
Famous Quotes about Zinedine Zidane
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:55
- Updated: 08 Dec 2012
From the Website www.zidanefans.com Song Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 Famous Quotes about Zinedine Zidane from Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Alfredo Di Stefano, Luis Figo, Thierry Henry, Marcello Lippi, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Ronaldinho, Bixente Lizarazu, Gennaro Gattuso, Arsene Wenger, Marcel Desailly, Fabien Bathez, Michel Denisot, Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Jamel Debouzze, Jean-Louis Murat and Magic Johnson
http://wn.com/Famous_Quotes_about_Zinedine_Zidane
From the Website www.zidanefans.com Song Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 Famous Quotes about Zinedine Zidane from Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Alfredo Di Stefano, Luis Figo, Thierry Henry, Marcello Lippi, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Ronaldinho, Bixente Lizarazu, Gennaro Gattuso, Arsene Wenger, Marcel Desailly, Fabien Bathez, Michel Denisot, Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Jamel Debouzze, Jean-Louis Murat and Magic Johnson
- published: 24 Jun 2012
- views: 1932
- author: BVB1992PAO
Zinédine Zidane- The Assassin | HD | Skills and Goals
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:39
- Updated: 14 Dec 2012
This is a New Vid on The Legendary Player Zinedine Zidane on Some of His Best Skills and Goals, in HD... Song- Assassins Creed Revelations Soundtrack Ignore Tags- * FIFA World Cup o All-Time World Cup Goalscorer - 15 Goals in 19 games in 3 World Cups o 2006 Bronze Boot - Third highest...
http://wn.com/Zinédine_Zidane_The_Assassin_|_HD_|_Skills_and_Goals
This is a New Vid on The Legendary Player Zinedine Zidane on Some of His Best Skills and Goals, in HD... Song- Assassins Creed Revelations Soundtrack Ignore Tags- * FIFA World Cup o All-Time World Cup Goalscorer - 15 Goals in 19 games in 3 World Cups o 2006 Bronze Boot - Third highest...
- published: 05 Dec 2012
- views: 414
- author: NinjitsuProdHDi
Zidane headbutts Materazzi - BEST ANGLE *****
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:20
- Updated: 13 Dec 2012
twitter.com France captain Zinedine Zidane was red carded for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest after the two exchanged words while walking down the field.
http://wn.com/Zidane_headbutts_Materazzi_BEST_ANGLE_*****
twitter.com France captain Zinedine Zidane was red carded for headbutting Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest after the two exchanged words while walking down the field.
- published: 09 Jul 2006
- views: 4736431
- author: danmotut
2006 Zinedine Zidane vs Italy - World Cup Final
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:35
- Updated: 04 Dec 2012
Berlin, July 9, 2006 Italy 1-1 France [aet] Italy wins 5-3 on penalties Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Materazzi, Grosso, Camoranesi (86' Del Piero), Gattuso, Pirlo, Perrotta (61' De Rossi), Totti (61' Iaquinta), Toni France: Barthez, Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal, Ribéry (100' Trezeguet), Makélélé, Zidane, Vieira (56' Alou Diarra), Malouda, Henry (107' Wiltord) Referee: Elizondo (Argentina) Attendance: 69000 Scorers: 7' Zidane (pen) 0-1; 19' Materazzi 1-1. Penalty kicks: Pirlo 1-0, Wiltord 1-1, Materazzi 2-1, Trezeguet (bar), De Rossi 3-1, Abidal 3-2, Del Piero 4-2, Sagnol 4-3, Grosso 5-3. Red card: Zidane (110', direct red).
http://wn.com/2006_Zinedine_Zidane_vs_Italy_World_Cup_Final
Berlin, July 9, 2006 Italy 1-1 France [aet] Italy wins 5-3 on penalties Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Materazzi, Grosso, Camoranesi (86' Del Piero), Gattuso, Pirlo, Perrotta (61' De Rossi), Totti (61' Iaquinta), Toni France: Barthez, Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal, Ribéry (100' Trezeguet), Makélélé, Zidane, Vieira (56' Alou Diarra), Malouda, Henry (107' Wiltord) Referee: Elizondo (Argentina) Attendance: 69000 Scorers: 7' Zidane (pen) 0-1; 19' Materazzi 1-1. Penalty kicks: Pirlo 1-0, Wiltord 1-1, Materazzi 2-1, Trezeguet (bar), De Rossi 3-1, Abidal 3-2, Del Piero 4-2, Sagnol 4-3, Grosso 5-3. Red card: Zidane (110', direct red).
- published: 04 Oct 2012
- views: 1335
- author: 55bructrax
photo: AP / Nick Ut
14 Dec 2012
Former President Bill Clinton, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, meet 55-year-old Martha Sellers. For the past nine years, Sellers has worked as a Walmart cashier in Paramount, California ... More than 10,000 community members joined more than 30 striking employees who walked off the job to demand better working conditions. . "It was wonderful ... That's not too much to ask for." ... 1698 ... ....(size: 23.6Kb)
photo: AP / Jessica Hill
14 Dec 2012
More than two dozen people, mostly elementary school children, were shot and killed at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school this morning, federal and state sources tell ABC News. The massacre involved two gunmen at a Connecticut school this morning, prompting the town of Newtown to lock down all of its schools and draw SWAT teams to the school, authorities said today. State Police confirm that one shooter is dead ... at ABCNews.com ... ....(size: 4.5Kb)
photo: AP / Manu Brabo
13 Dec 2012
MOSCOW, December 13 (RIA Novosti) – Syrian rebels behind the kidnapping of Ukrainian journalist Ankhar Kochneva have released a video threatening more attacks on Russians and Ukrainians, as a deadline for her execution approaches on Thursday. Kochneva, a 40-year-old Ukrainian citizen, was abducted in October by Syrian rebels as she traveled to the city of Homs, and has been held there by them since, they claim ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)
photo: AP / KCNA
14 Dec 2012
North Koreans have gathered in Pyongyang for a mass rally to celebrate Wednesday's long-range rocket launch. State television showed huge crowds cheering to mark the launch, which has been condemned by many nations as a banned test of missile technology. South Korea, meanwhile, says it has retrieved debris from the rocket and will study it to assess its technology. The first stage of the rocket fell west of the Korean peninsula ... ....(size: 2.7Kb)
photo: AP / Manu Brabo
14 Dec 2012
One of Syria's key allies has admitted for the first time the Assad regime is losing the 20-month ground war. Russia’s deputy foreign minister’s comments are significant because Russia has blocked action to stem the violence, supplied weapons to the Assad regime, and vetoed three UN resolutions -- even as other countries called for Assad to step down. The comments are expected to put new pressure on the Syrian leader ... Reporter ... ... ....(size: 6.6Kb)
Irish Times
15 Dec 2012
SID LOWE Never Panic. And so it’s that time again. Two clubs, two cities, face to face. Sunday night at Camp Nou. first versus second in La Liga. Two teams that are way out in front, two players too ... “Fury, unleashed.”. No, not Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid ... Five ... It was a reference to how he signed Zinedine Zidane at a similar dinner in 2002, passing a napkin to him upon which he had written ... ....(size: 6.0Kb)
noodls
14 Dec 2012
(Source. Juventus Football Club SpA) ... The result, 3-1, (with strikes from Marrone, Del Piero, a Lichtsteiner own goal and penalty from Barzagli) has occurred on two other occasions ... Up stepped Zinedine Zidane however, the Frenchman scoring a brace to secure the points for the Bianconeri ... distributed by ... (noodl. 16963893) ....(size: 1.9Kb)
noodls
14 Dec 2012
(Source. PFA - Professional Footballers' Association) Published 2012/12/14 04.39 by David Ruan. Pep Guardiola knew, even back in 1998. He told Xavi about him. In fact, he warned Xavi. "Hey kid, listen. One day, you're going to retire me ... Rightfully named European football's best player by UEFA earlier in the year, Iniesta's performances have proven him as the best attacking midfielder since Zinedine Zidane ... Ballon d'Or Iniesta ... (noodl....(size: 3.3Kb)
The Guardian
14 Dec 2012
Atlético Madrid visit Camp Nou this weekend for a top-of-the-table clash and with a striker in supreme, scintillating form. Radamel Falcao celebrates one of his five goals for Atlético Madrid against Deportivo de La Coruña last Sunday. Photograph. Susana Vera/Reuters. And so it's that time again ... Five ... It was a reference to how he signed Zinedine Zidane at a similar dinner in 2002, passing a napkin to him upon which he had written ... ....(size: 8.0Kb)
noodls
14 Dec 2012
(Source. USA Gymnastics). Gabby Douglas Nominated for Breakthrough of the Year at the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards ... U.S ... Among the winners who have received awards at previous awards ceremonies have been Jenson Button, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Justine Henin, Kelly Holmes, Rafael Nadal, Oscar Pistorius, Steve Redgrave, Ronaldo, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane....(size: 13.1Kb)
The Guardian
12 Dec 2012
Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving. An indictment of Arsène Wenger's tenure, earlier. Photograph. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images. IN ARSÈNE WE RUST ... Step one ... "Re ... Ever wondered what momentous footballing moments such as The Hand of God, Zinedine Zidane's chestbutt and Aston Villa 0-0 Stoke City would look like in Subbuteo? Then wonder no longer … ... He has ... ....(size: 9.7Kb)
The Times of India
11 Dec 2012
Yahoo Daily News
11 Dec 2012
The diminutive genius breaks the record for the most goals scored in a calendar year — and is being talked up (again) as the sport's ultimate hero. Soccer is not usually considered a sport for number crunchers ... But he can't be considered a contender for the best of all time, alongside Pele, Maradona, and Zinedine Zidane, who, for example, lifted (at times singlehandedly) a solid supporting cast of players into a World-Cup winning team....(size: 4.5Kb)
The Washington Times
11 Dec 2012
John Haydon. Ask me a question. Follow @JohnAHaydon. WASHINGTON, DC, December 11, 2012 - I’m still shaking my head. It’s quite hard to believe. Barcelona star Lionel Messi has scored 86 goals since the start of this year. That is an unbelievable feat ... His positioning is instinctive ... Like, Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Messi really needs to win a World Cup with Argentina to be claimed the greatest of all time ... Dr ... Rev ... 3 ... ....(size: 6.3Kb)
noodls
11 Dec 2012
(Source. FIFA - Fédération Internationale de Football Association). Former German tennis star Boris Becker can look back on a hugely successful career. In 1985 he announced his arrival in the sport with an unforgettable victory at his inaugural Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon as a 17-year-old ... FIFA.com. You are known to be a huge football fan ... Boris Becker ... That was the case with figures like Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane....(size: 8.7Kb)
noodls
09 Dec 2012
(Source. JSC FC Shakhtar Donetsk). The official UEFA Champions League magazine has published Shakhtar midfielder's story. Here we present to your attention the most interesting extracts from the Group E column about Henrikh Mkhitaryan ... "I appreciated the style of Zinedine Zidane, what he did on the pitch, he says ... While Zidane had to move to Italy to reach his peak, Mkhitaryan believes he can scale the heights with Shakhtar ... FC Shakhtar....(size: 5.2Kb)
The Independent
07 Dec 2012
Ever since he was four years old, playing in a team of children twice his age, Eden Hazard has been marked out as a prodigy and the pressure has been there to deliver, to achieve and to win. If anyone should be cut out for life at Chelsea, with all the unique demands it makes of players, then it is the 21-year-old attacker who cost £32m this summer ... But he is durable too ... Zinedine Zidane said he would be ideal for Real Madrid ... Food....(size: 6.6Kb)
The Independent
07 Dec 2012
Ever since he was four years old, playing in a team of children twice his age, Eden Hazard has been marked out as a prodigy and the pressure has been there to deliver, to achieve and to win. If anyone should be cut out for life at Chelsea, with all the unique demands it makes of players, then it is the 21-year-old attacker who cost £32m this summer ... But he is durable too ... Zinedine Zidane said he would be ideal for Real Madrid ... Food....(size: 6.6Kb)
"Zidane" redirects here. For other uses, see Zidane (disambiguation).
 Zidane in 2006 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zinedine Yazid Zidane | ||
| Date of birth | (1972-06-23) 23 June 1972 (age 40)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Marseille, France | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1983 | US Saint-Henri | ||
| 1983–1986 | SO Septèmes-les-Vallons | ||
| 1986–1988 | Cannes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1988–1992 | Cannes | 61 | (10) |
| 1992–1996 | Bordeaux | 139 | (58) |
| 1996–2001 | Juventus | 151 | (47) |
| 2001–2006 | Real Madrid | 155 | (37) |
| Total | 506 | (152) | |
| National team | |||
| 1992–2006 | France | 108 | (31) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Zinedine Zidane (French pronunciation: [zinedin zidan]) (born 23 June 1972) is a retired French footballer. Zidane was the leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. After a brief international retirement, he returned to the national team in 2005 and captained France to the 2006 World Cup Final where he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's most outstanding player.
In club level Zidane won the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, two Serie A league championships with Juventus and an Intercontinental Cup and a UEFA Super Cup each with both aforementioned sides. He is one of only four players to have been FIFA World Player of the Year three or more times (Brazilian forward Marta is a five time winner (female award), while Brazilian striker Ronaldo (male award) and German striker Birgit Prinz (female award) have won three each). He also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998. He retired from professional football after the 2006 World Cup.
He currently holds the post of Real Madrid Director of Football, filling the spot previously held by Jorge Valdano.[2] He used to play at attacking midfielder.
Contents |
Early life[link]
Zidane is of Algerian Kabyle Berber descent. His parents, Smaïl and Malika, emigrated to Paris from the village of Aguemoune in the Berber-speaking region of Kabylie in northern Algeria in 1953 before the start of the Algerian War. The family, which had settled in the city's tough northern districts of Barbès and Saint-Denis, found little work in the region. So in the mid-1960s, they moved to the northern Marseille suburb of La Castellane where, on June 23, 1972, Zidane was born as the youngest of five siblings. Zidane's father Smaïl worked as a warehouseman at a department store, often on the night shift, while his mother was a housewife.[3] The family lived a reasonably comfortable life by the standards of the neighbourhood, which was notorious throughout Marseille for its high crime and unemployment rates.[4]
It was at La Castellane that Zidane had his earliest introduction to football, joining in at the age of five, in football games that the neighbourhood's children played on the Place Tartane, an 80-by-12-yard plaza that served as the main square of the housing complex.[5] In July 2011, Zidane named Blaž Slišković, Enzo Francescoli and Jean-Pierre Papin as his idols while growing up.[6][7]
Club career[link]
Youth clubs[link]
At the age of ten, Zidane got his first player's license after joining the junior team of a local club from La Castellane by the name of US Saint-Henri. After spending a year and a half at US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined SO Septèmes Valons when the Septèmes coach Robert Centenero convinced the club's Director to get Zidane.
Zidane stayed with Septèmes till the age of fourteen, at which time he was selected to attend a three-day training camp at the CREPS (Regional Centre for Sports and Physical Education) in Aix-en-Provence, one of several such footballing institutes run by the French Football Federation. It was here that Zidane was spotted by AS Cannes scout Jean Varraud who recommended him to the training center director of the club.
Cannes[link]
Zidane went to Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. Having left his family at the age of fourteen to join Cannes, the youngster was invited by Cannes director Jean-Claude Elineau, to leave the dormitory he shared with 20 other trainees and to come and stay with him and his family. Zidane later said that it was in living with the Elineaus that he found equilibrium.[8]
Zidane made his professional debut with Cannes on 18 May 1989 at the age of seventeen in a Ligue 1 match against Nantes.[9] He scored his first goal for the club on 8 February 1991 also against Nantes in a 2–1 win. After the match during a party for all the Cannes players, Zidane was gifted a car by Cannes chairman Alain Pedretti, who had promised him one the day he scored his first goal for the club.[10] In his first full season with Cannes, the club secured its first ever European football berth by qualifying for the UEFA Cup after finishing 4th in the league. This remains the club's highest finish in the top flight since getting relegated for the first time from the first division in the 1948–49 season.[11]
Bordeaux[link]
Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup,[12] and finishing runner-up in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup in four years with the club. He played a set of midfield combinations with Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, which would become the trademark of both Bordeaux and the 1998 French national team. In 1995, Blackburn Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish had expressed interest in signing both Zidane and Dugarry, to which team owner Jack Walker reportedly replied, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"[13]
Juventus[link]
In 1996, Zidane moved to UEFA Champions League winners Juventus for a fee of £3.2 million[citation needed] and won the 1996–97 Serie A and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup.[14] He lost in the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final 3–1 to Borussia Dortmund when he was unable to make an impression against the close marking of Paul Lambert.[15][16][17][18][19] The following season, Zidane netted 7 goals in 32 matches in the league to help Juventus win the 1997–98 Serie A and thus retain the Scudetto. In Europe, Juventus made their third consecutive UEFA Champions League Final appearance, but lost the game 1–0 to Real Madrid, a club Zidane would later join. Juventus finished second in the 2000–01 Serie A, but were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, after Zidane was banned for head-butting Hamburger SV player Jochen Kientz.[20] In 2001, Zidane was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second time.
Real Madrid[link]
In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a then world record fee of 150 billion Italian lire.[21] (about €75 million[22]) and signed a four-year contract. He scored a famous match-winning goal, a volley hit with his weaker foot, in Madrid's 2–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final completing his personal quadruple. The next season, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the 2002–03 La Liga and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time. In 2004, fans voted him as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll.
While Zidane's final season of club football ended trophyless, he enjoyed success on a personal note recording the maiden hat-trick of his career, scoring thrice against Sevilla FC in a 4–2 win in January 2006.[23] He ended the season for Real Madrid as their second highest goal scorer and assists provider behind team-mates Ronaldo and Beckham respectively, with 9 goals and 10 assists in 28 games.[24] On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup,[25] played his last home match and scored in a 3–3 draw with Villarreal CF. The squad wore commemorative shirts with ZIDANE 2001–2006 below the club logo. He left Real Madrid in 2006.
International career[link]
Both France and Algeria consider Zidane a citizen, but he was ineligible to play for the Algerian national team. It was rumoured that coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied Zidane a position for the Algerian squad because he felt the young midfielder was not fast enough.[26] However, Zidane dismissed the rumour in a 2005 interview, saying that he would have been ineligible to play for Algeria because he had already played for France.[27]
He earned his first cap with France as a substitute in a friendly against the Czech Republic on 17 August 1994, which ended in a 2–2 draw after Zidane scored twice to help France erase a 2–0 deficit. After Éric Cantona was handed a year-long suspension in January 1995 for assaulting a fan, Zidane took over the playmaker position. France were eliminated in the Euro 96 semi-finals in a penalty shootout by the Czech Republic after the match ended 0–0 in extra time.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the first World Cup that Zidane participated in. It was held in his home country France. The French team won all three games in the group stage but Zidane was sent off in the second match against Saudi Arabia for a stamp on Fuad Anwar, becoming the first French player to receive a red card in a World Cup finals. Without their suspended playmaker France proceeded to win 1–0 in the last sixteen game against Paraguay and, on his return to the side, defeated Italy 4–3 on penalties after a goalless draw in the quarter finals. France then defeated Croatia 2–1 in the semi final. Zidane played a major role in the team's accomplishment, though he had yet to score a goal at the World Cup.
Zidane and France went on to play against defending champions and favourites Brazil at the Stade de France in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final. France dominated Brazil from the kick-off, with Zidane scoring two identical goals, both headers from corner kicks taken by Emmanuel Petit and Youri Djorkaeff. Courtesy of Zidane's brace, France went into the break 2–0 up at half-time with one hand already on the World Cup trophy. Emmanuel Petit added a third goal deep in stoppage time to seal the 3–0 win and France's first ever World Cup. Zidane became an instant national hero and his image was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe.
Two years later France won Euro 2000, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and the European Championship since West Germany in 1974. Zidane finished with two goals, a memorable free kick against Spain in the quarter final and the golden goal in the semi final against Portugal, and was named player of the tournament by UEFA.
As reigning world and European champions, France entered the 2002 World Cup as favourites but a thigh injury prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches and without their talisman the French team failed to score in either match. He was rushed back prematurely for the third game despite not being fully fit, but could not prevent France from being ignominiously eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal; the worst performance by a defending champion in the history of the competition.[28]
At Euro 2004, France topped their group with wins over England and Switzerland, before being knocked out in the quarter finals by eventual champions Greece in a surprise 1-0 loss. In the opening match against England, Zidane scored a free kick and penalty in stoppage time to turn defeat into a 2–1 victory for France. After France's elimination Zidane announced his retirement from international football.[29]
With the mass retirement of veteran key players such as Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly, Claude Makélélé and Lilian Thuram, France struggled to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. At the urging of coach Raymond Domenech, Zidane came out of retirement and was immediately reinstated as team captain.[30] Zidane, along with Thuram and Makélélé, made his competitive return for France in a 3–0 win over the Faroe Islands on 3 September 2005. The trio helped France rise from fourth place to win their qualifying group.[31] On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his hundredth cap for France in a 1–0 friendly win over Mexico, in what would also be his last match at the Stade de France. Zidane became France's fourth player to reach 100 caps, after Desailly, Thuram and Didier Deschamps.[32]
France had a slow start to the 2006 World Cup and, after being suspended for the final match of the group stage, Zidane returned to set up a goal for Patrick Vieira and score one himself in the second round match against Spain. In the quarter final France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final. Zidane assisted Thierry Henry's deciding goal and he was named Man of the Match by FIFA.[33] France faced Portugal in the semi final and, as in Brussels six years earlier, Zidane's penalty kick decided the contest and sent France to another major final.
Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final in Berlin, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition.[34] Having already announced he was to retire after the expiration of his Real Madrid contract at the end of the 2005–06 season, the world of football already knew Zidane's second World Cup final was to be the last match of his career. Seven minutes into the match Zidane put France ahead with a penalty kick and became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals, along with Pelé, Paul Breitner, and Vavá, in addition to being tied for first place with Vavá, Pelé and Geoff Hurst with three World Cup final goals apiece. He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Zidane was then sent off in the 110th minute of the game after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest,[35] so he did not participate in the penalty shootout which Italy won 5–3.[36] In 2010, Zidane said that he "would rather die" than apologize to Materazzi for the headbutt in the final,[37] but also admitted that he “could never have lived with himself” had he been allowed to remain on the pitch and help France win the match.[38]
Following his red card in the final, Zidane retired from professional football, and confirmed that he would not go back on his decision.[39] He was sentenced by FIFA to a three game suspension for his red card, but since he had retired from professional football, he agreed to complete three days of community service with children as part of FIFA’s humanitarian projects.
Post-retirement[link]
Since his retirement, Zidane regularly plays for the Real Madrid Veterans team. He has also made several futsal appearances.
In an interview in June 2008, Zidane stated that he wanted to return to football, but that he had no imminent plans to do so.[40]
On 1 June 2009, Zidane was announced as the Advisor to the President after Florentino Perez was named President of Real Madrid for the second time.[41] He along with Jorge Valdano, General Director, and Miguel Pardeza, Sporting Director, were to be the key decision makers on the sporting side of the club.
After France's dismal campaign in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Zidane said that he did not plan to move into coaching any time soon.[42]
Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid committee announced in September 2010 that Zidane had been appointed as an ambassador for Qatar's attempt to host the 2022 World Cup.[43] After FIFA announced on 2 December 2010 that Qatar had won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup,[44] Zidane stated that he was "very pleased" with the outcome.[45]
In November 2010, Zidane was appointed as a special adviser to Real Madrid's first team in response to an appeal made by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for the former Real midfielder to work more closely with the team. In his new role, Zidane is expected to participate in Champions League events and functions. He is also to travel with the first team on a regular basis and participate in pre-match gatherings, training sessions and meetings with the head coach.[46] In July 2011 it was announced that he would become Real Madrid's new sporting director.[47]
Charity activities[link]
On 24 February 2007, before a crowd of 10,000 fans at a match in northern Thailand for the Keuydaroon children's AIDS charity, Zidane scored the first goal and set up the second for a Malaysian teammate as the match ended 2–2. The event raised ฿260,000 ($7,750). This money paid for the building of two schools and 16 three-bedroom houses.[48]
On 19 November 2008, Zidane took part in the fifth annual Match Against Poverty in Málaga, Spain, which also ended in a 2–2 draw; he went scoreless but set up his team’s second goal. He and Ronaldo, who collaborated in conceiving the yearly event to benefit the United Nations Development Programme, regularly captain their respective teams consisting of active footballers, other professional athletes and celebrities. Zidane, a UN goodwill ambassador since 2001, stated before the game that "everyone can do something to make the world a better place"[49]
In June and July 2009, Zidane toured across Canada with stops in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Although billed as Zidane and "Friends", the likes of which included Fabien Barthez and Samuel Eto'o, the exhibition matches featured local players. Tournament organisers cited lack of sponsorship and support from the Canadian Soccer Association for the disorganized rosters. Some proceeds were given to Unicef.
On 6 June 2010, Zidane took part in the bi-annual charity event Soccer Aid. He played for the Rest Of The World Team, managed by Liverpool and Celtic hero Kenny Dalglish against England alongside former Real Madrid teammate Luis Figo, and Celtic legend Henrik Larsson. He played against former players such as Teddy Sheringham, David Seaman and Alan Shearer, as well as celebrities such as Robbie Williams. The Match took place at Old Trafford in Manchester and was won by The Rest of the World for the first time, by penalties after a 2–2 draw.
Tributes and legacy[link]
In 2004, Forbes magazine named him the 42nd-highest paid athlete in the world, with earnings of US$15.8 million a year.[50] In November 2006, Zidane toured Bangladesh as the guest of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. He also visited the Algerian birthplace of his parents, and met personally with Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who gave him an official reception.[51]
Filmmakers Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon filmed a documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, which follows Zidane during an entire match, filmed with 17 cameras. The documentary was part of the 2009 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.[52]
Many experts have testified to Zidane's skills and impact as an all-time great, such as Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira who has labelled Zidane "a monster" for his performance and playing skills. French footballer Michel Platini states Zidane is one of the most skillful players the game has ever known: "Technically, I think he is the king of what's fundamental in the game – control and passing. I don't think anyone can match him when it comes to controlling or receiving the ball."
German coach Franz Beckenbauer stated: "Zidane is one of the greatest players in history, a truly magnificent player." Pelé, a World Cup winner three times with Brazil, hailed Zidane after seeing Brazil losing to France: "Zidane was the magician in the game." Italy's manager Marcello Lippi, who has also coached Zidane, opined "I think Zidane is the greatest talent we've known in football these last 20 years, yet he never played the prima donna. I am honoured to have been his manager."[53] Among his peers, David Beckham has described Zidane as "the greatest of all time",[54][55] FC Barcelona star Xavi has stated in a 2010 interview that Zidane was "the '90s and early 2000's best player"[56] while Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos has said of Zidane that, "he is the best player I've seen", in a 2010 interview with French newspaper L'equipe.[57] At the 1998 World Cup, Cesare Maldini, the manager of the Italian team, said: "I would give up five players to have Zizou in my squad."[8] In 2011 Uefa.com asked players, journalist and their users to crown the best player in the UEFA Champions League of the past 20 years, Zidane topped the poll ahead of Lionel Messi.[58]
Sponsorships[link]
Zidane has had endorsements with many companies, including: Adidas, Lego, France Telecom, Orange, Audi, Volvic and Christian Dior. These sponsorship deals earned him €8.6 million on top of his €61.4 million Real Madrid salary in his final season, making him the sixth-highest paid footballer.[59][60] In May 2010 he appeared in an ad for Louis Vuitton, alongside fellow legends Pelé and Diego Maradona.
Personal life[link]
Zidane met his wife, Véronique Fernandez,[61] while playing for Cannes in the 1988–89 season. They have four sons: Enzo Zidane Fernandez (b. 24 March 1995), Luca Zinedine Zidane Fernandez (b. 13 May 1998),[62] Theo (b. 18 May 2002),[63] and Elyaz Zidane Fernandez (b. 26 December 2006). Enzo, Luca and Theo are all members of the Real Madrid Academy. Enzo (Midfielder) is in Juvenil C ( Real Madrid's U-17 ), Luca (Goalkeeper) is in Infantil A and Theo (Striker) is in Benjamin A. Zidane is a non-practicing Muslim. [64]
Career statistics[link]
Club[link]
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| France | League | Coupe de France | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 1988–89 | Cannes | Division 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |
| 1989–90 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1990–91 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 31 | 1 | |||
| 1991–92 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 5 | ||
| 1992–93 | Bordeaux | 35 | 10 | 4 | 1 | - | 39 | 11 | ||
| 1993–94 | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 43 | 8 | ||
| 1994–95 | 37 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 9 | 49 | 15 | ||
| Italy | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 1996–97 | Juventus | Serie A | 29 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 41 | 7 |
| 1997–98 | 32 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 48 | 11 | ||
| 1998–99 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 40 | 2 | ||
| 1999–2000 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 41 | 5 | ||
| 2000–01 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 39 | 6 | ||
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2001–02 | Real Madrid | La Liga | 31 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 49 | 12 |
| 2002–03 | 33 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 48 | 12 | ||
| 2003–04 | 33 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 50 | 10 | ||
| 2004–05 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 40 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | 29 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 9 | ||
| Country | France | 200 | 34 | 18 | 2 | 29 | 12 | 247 | 48 | |
| Italy | 151 | 24 | 17 | 2 | 41 | 5 | 209 | 31 | ||
| Spain | 155 | 37 | 23 | 3 | 47 | 9 | 225 | 49 | ||
| Total | 506 | 95 | 58 | 7 | 117 | 26 | 681 | 128 | ||
International[link]
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1994 | 2 | 2 |
| 1995 | 6 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 12 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 15 | 5 | |
| 1999 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 13[A] | 4 | |
| 2001 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2005 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 10 | 3 | |
| Total | 108 | 31 | |
- Note
A Includes one appearance from the match against FIFA XI on 16 August 2000 which FIFA and the French Football Federation count as an official friendly match.[67]
International goals[link]
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-08-17 | Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France |  Czech Republic |
1–2 | 2–2 | Friendly Match |
| 2 | 1994-08-17 | Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France | Czech Republic |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly Match |
| 3 | 1995-09-06 | Stade Abbe Deschamps, Auxerre, France |  Azerbaijan |
7–0 | 10–0 | 1996 UEFA Euro Qualifying |
| 4 | 1995-10-11 | Ghencea, Bucharest, Romania |  Romania |
1–3 | 1–3 | 1996 UEFA Euro Qualifying |
| 5 | 1996-02-21 | Stade des Costières, Nimes, France |  Greece |
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly Match |
| 6 | 1997-06-11 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France |  Italy |
1–0 | 2–2 | Tournoi de France |
| 7 | 1998-01-28 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Spain |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly Match |
| 8 | 1998-02-25 | Velodrome, Marseille, France |  Norway |
2–1 | 3–3 | Friendly Match |
| 9 | 1998-05-27 | Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco |  Belgium |
0–1 | 0–1 | 1998 Hassan II Trophy |
| 10 | 1998-07-12 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Brazil |
1–0 | 3–0 | Final, 1998 World Cup |
| 11 | 1998-07-12 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France | Brazil |
2–0 | 3–0 | Final, 1998 World Cup |
| 12 | 1999-09-08 | Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia |  Armenia |
1–2 | 2–3 | 2000 UEFA Euro Qualifying |
| 13 | 2000-02-23 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Poland |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly Match |
| 14 | 2000-06-04 | Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco |  Japan |
1–1 | 2–2 | 2000 Hassan II Trophy |
| 15 | 2000-06-25 | Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium | Spain |
0–1 | 1–2 | Quarter-final, 2000 UEFA Euro |
| 16 | 2000-06-28 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Portugal |
1–2 | 1–2 | Semi-final, 2000 UEFA Euro |
| 17 | 2001-02-27 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Germany |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly Match |
| 18 | 2001-03-24 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France | Japan |
1–0 | 5–0 | Friendly Match |
| 19 | 2002-03-27 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Scotland |
1–0 | 5–0 | Friendly Match |
| 20 | 2003-03-29 | Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France |  Malta |
4–0 | 6–0 | 2004 UEFA Euro Qualifying |
| 21 | 2003-03-29 | Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France | Malta |
6–0 | 6–0 | 2004 UEFA Euro Qualifying |
| 22 | 2003-04-02 | Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy |  Israel |
0–2 | 1–2 | 2004 UEFA Euro Qualifying |
| 23 | 2004-06-06 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Ukraine |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly Match |
| 24 | 2004-06-13 | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal |  England |
1–1 | 2–1 | Group Stage, 2004 UEFA Euro |
| 25 | 2004-06-13 | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal | England |
2–1 | 2–1 | Group Stage, 2004 UEFA Euro |
| 26 | 2004-06-21 | Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal |  Switzerland |
0–1 | 1–3 | Group Stage, 2004 UEFA Euro |
| 27 | 2005-08-17 | Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France |  Côte d'Ivoire |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly Match |
| 28 | 2005-10-12 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Cyprus |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying |
| 29 | 2006-06-27 | Niedersachsenstadion, Hannover, Germany | Spain |
1–3 | 1–3 | Round of 16, 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 30 | 2006-07-05 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | Portugal |
0–1 | 0–1 | Semi-final, 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 31 | 2006-07-09 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany | Italy |
0–1 | 1–1 | Final, 2006 FIFA World Cup |
Awards and honors[link]
Club[link]
Notes and references[link]
- ^ "Zinedine Zidane Profile". ESPN. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/player/bio/_/id/11066/zinedine-zidane&cc=4716?ver=global.
- ^ "Zinedine Zidane set to become Real Madrid director of football". The Guardian (London). 7 July 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/07/zinedine-zidane-real-madrid.
- ^ "ZZ is back on top", The Guardian 4 April 2004
- ^ "Why France still loves Zidane", The Independent (uk)
- ^ In the footsteps Of Zidane, The Independent (uk)
- ^ "Zidane: Slišković mi je bio idol, uživao sam gledati ga - Klix.ba". Sarajevo-x.com. http://www.sarajevo-x.com/sport/nogomet/clanak/110702058. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ "Zinedine Zidane: Kad porastem želim biti Baka Slišković!". Scsport.ba. http://scsport.ba/v2/tekst.php?ID=21674. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ a b Zizou Top, The Guardian, 2 July 2000
- ^ [1], BBC Sport
- ^ Virebayre, Jean. Zinedine Zidane: A diamond in the rough. FIFA magazine Portrait, September 2006, p. 16.
- ^ "Club Cannes (Cannes), France". Wildstat.com. http://www.wildstat.com/p/2601/club/FRA_AS_Cannes. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "1995: Bordeaux lay down Intertoto gauntlet". UEFA.com (Union of European Football Associations). 1 August 1995. http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/intertotocup/history/season=1995/intro.html. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ The Ones That Got Away...Zidane – VitalFootball.co.uk, 2006
- ^ "Toyota Cup 1996". fifa,com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 26 November 1996. http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/matchreport/newsid=512164.html. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ ""Paul Lambert - The Norwich wizard" 4th May 2011 ESPN". Espnstar.com. 2009-11-15. http://www.espnstar.com/rss-feed/detail/item617249/. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ Murray, Scott (2011-11-25). "The Joy of Six: British and Irish footballers abroad". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/nov/25/joy-of-six-football-exports. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ Phil Gordon (2009-09-06). "Norwich City manager Paul Lambert on his vision for the future". Sunday Herald. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/english-football/norwich-city-manager-paul-lambert-on-his-vision-for-the-future-1.917708. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ "Revealed: The six British Football League managers capable of being the next Roy Hodgson". Mirrorfootball.co.uk. 1 May 2010. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/michael-calvin/Ian-Holloway-Nigel-Pearson-Paul-Lambert-Kenny-Jacket-Keith-Hill-and-Eddie-Howe-the-British-Football-League-managers-capable-of-being-the-next-Roy-Hodgson-The-Michael-Calvin-Column-article411383.html. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ Layton, Peter (2011-08-09). "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP NEW BOYS UP". Dailystar.co.uk. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/205190/Mission-impossible-to-keep-new-boys-up/. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ "Five-match ban for Zidane". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 27 October 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/champions_league/994847.stm. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ "Zidane al Real" (in Italian). Juventus F.C.. 9 July 2001. Archived from the original on 6 August 2001. http://web.archive.org/web/20010806031702/http://www.juventus.com/news/0,,A_336083%7CL_IT,00.html. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ^ "Reports and Financial Statements at 30 June 2002". Juventus F.C.. 28 October 2002. http://www.juventus.com/wps/wcm/connect/7665be8a-c95d-406e-91db-4de08d142c0c/28_ott_2002_eng_.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=7665be8a-c95d-406e-91db-4de08d142c0c. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
- ^ "Zidane revels in maiden hat-trick". Uefa.com. 16 January 2006. http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=385453.html. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Real Madrid Squad Stats (Spanish Primera División) – 2005–06". ESPN. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/squad/_/id/86/season/2005/league/esp.1/real-madrid?cc=4716.
- ^ "Zidane to retire after FIFA World Cup". Reuters. 25 April 2006. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071211053601/http://www.fifa.com/en/news/feature/0,1451,117237,00.html. Retrieved 11 July 2006.
- ^ "',The scarred French messiah',". Specials.rediff.com. http://specials.rediff.com/sports/2006/jul/10sld-zid1.htm. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ Le Buteur magazine 7 May 2005
- ^ Brewin, John (12 June 2002). "Arrogant approach finishes favourites". ESPNsoccernet. http://worldcup.espnsoccernet.com/story?id=216185. Retrieved 11 July 2006.
- ^ "Zidane quits French national team". CNN. 12 August 2004. http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/08/12/zidane.retirement/. Retrieved 11 July 2006.
- ^ "Zidane & Makélélé back for France". BBC Sport. 3 August 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/4743069.stm. Retrieved 11 July 2006.
- ^ "France 3–0 Faroe Islands: Cisse double strike". ESPNsoccernet. 3 September 2005. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=178912. Retrieved 11 July 2006.
- ^ Pugmire, Jerome (27 May 2006). "Malouda leads France past Mexico". Associated Press. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/WorldCup/Groups/G/2006/05/27/1601315-ap.html. Retrieved 11 July 2006. [dead link]
- ^ "Man of the Match: Stage 2". FIFA. 1 July 2006. http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/mom/s2.html. Retrieved 2 July 2006.
- ^ "Zidane wins Golden Ball award". Reuters UK. 10 July 2006. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=2006-07-10T101142Z_01_L10691436_RTRIDST_0_SPORT-SOCCER-WORLD-ZIDANE-AWARD-UPDATE-1.XML&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2. Retrieved 13 July 2006. [dead link]
- ^ "And Materazzi's exact words to Zidane were... , Football , guardian.co.uk". Guardian (UK). 18 August 2007. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/aug/18/newsstory.sport2. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "Materazzi admits to insulting Zidane". ESPN. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=373706&cc=5901. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ "Zidane: I'd "rather die" than say sorry". ESPN. 1 March 2010. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/749212/ce/uk/?cc=5739&ver=global. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ "Zidane is glad he was sent off in 2006 World Cup final.". http://momento24.com/en/2009/12/22/zidane-is-glad-he-was-sent-off-in-the-2006-world-cup-final/comment-page-1/.
- ^ "I'm sorry but no regrets – Zidane". BBC News. 12 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5169342.stm.
- ^ Gordos, Phil (22 June 2008). "Zidane tips Ronaldo for Real move". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7468229.stm. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Real Madrid Board of Director Announcement". Realmadrid.com. 1 June 2009. http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/1202773095983/noticia/ComunicadoOficial/ANNOUNCEMENT_OF_THE_BOARD_OF_DIRECTORS.htm. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "World Cup 2010: Zinedine Zidane doesn't agree with France 'strike'". The Daily Telegraph (London). 21 June 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/france/7843258/World-Cup-2010-Zinedine-Zidane-doesnt-agree-with-France-strike.html.
- ^ "Zidane named Qatar's World Cup bid ambassador". Reuters. http://football.uk.reuters.com/leagues/world/news/2010/09/17/LDE68G10A.php. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "2022 FIFA World Cup awarded to Qatar". Fifa.com. 2 December 2010. http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/news/newsid=1344500.html. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Zidane ‘very pleased’ with Qatar WC choice; Obama disagrees". Gulftoday.ae. 4 December 2010. http://gulftoday.ae/portal/56d0645c-63c5-4358-bab8-f561f0d5932f.aspx. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Zidane made special adviser to Real Madrid first team". Reuters. 12 November 2010. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6AB4K120101112. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Zinedine Zidane to become Real Madrid sporting director". Daily Telegraph. 7 July 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14067827.stm. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ "Zidane big fan of Celtic star Nakamura". Zinedine-zidane-news.newslib.com. http://zinedine-zidane-news.newslib.com/story/1409-3237631/. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "French Soccer Champion Zinédine Zidane to Be Appointed" (Press release). United Nations Information Service Vienna. 7 March 2001. http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2001/note126.html. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
- ^ "The Best Paid Athletes". Forbes. 24 June 2004. http://www.forbes.com/2004/06/23/04athletesland.html. Retrieved 19 July 2006.
- ^ "Bangladesh hails 'messiah' Zidane". BBC. 7 November 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6123718.stm. Retrieved 12 November 2006.
- ^ Harrington, Rob (1 April 2009). "Dreams don't cost a thing". Independent Weekly. http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A355289. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
- ^ Jon Stevenson. Zidane's lasting legacy. BBC. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
- ^ "Zidane is the best player ever, says Beckham". Soccernews.com. 13 July 2008. http://www.soccernews.com/zidane-is-the-best-player-ever-says-beckham/4033/. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "Zidane is the best player ever, says Beckham , Real Madrid Galacticos". Madridgalacticos.com. 14 July 2008. http://www.madridgalacticos.com/2008/07/14/zidane-is-the-best-player-ever-says-beckham/. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "Xavi: "Winning el Clasico is like having an orgasm" , totalBarça". Totalbarca.com. 25 November 2010. http://www.totalbarca.com/2010/news/xavi-winning-el-clasico-is-like-an-orgasm/. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "Roberto Carlos : "Zizou était à part" – Foot – BRE – L'EQUIPE.FR". L'Équipe. France. 23 October 2010. http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2010/20101023_111013_roberto-carlos-zizou-etait-a-part.html. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "Eurostars! Giggs and Gerrard named in top 10 best ever Champions League players". dailymail.co.uk. 18 November 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2063185/Ryan-Giggs-Steven-Gerrard-best-Champions-League-players.html. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- ^ Stehli, Jean-Sébastien; Anne Vidalie, Paul Miquel (8 June 2006). "Icône malgré lui" (in French). L'Express. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071014204041/http://lexpress.fr/mag/sports/dossier/mondial-2006/dossier.asp?ida=438679&p=3. Retrieved 11 July 2006.
- ^ Berthold, Von Norbert (10 July 2006). "Warum verdienen Fußballspieler so viel Geld?" (in German). FAZ.net. http://www.faz.net/s/RubEC1ACFE1EE274C81BCD3621EF555C83C/Doc~E0DB6C733FD4B4271BB2DF785640AD9EA~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html. Retrieved 11 July 2006.
- ^ "Comment on wife upset Zidane". Rediff.com. 31 December 2004. http://www.rediff.com/sports/2006/jul/11fwlead02.htm. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ Victor García (22 November 2007). "Mi papá es jugador del Real Madrid" (in Spanish). ElConfidencial.com. http://www.elconfidencial.com/cache/2007/11/19/63_jugador_madrid.html. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Portada > Plantilla > Otras Categorías > Benjamín B" (in Spanish). RealMadrid.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/es/1193040967842/1330021868266/jugador/Jugador/Theo.htm. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
- ^ "Muslims and the World Cup: Zinedine Zidane becomes the football". Patheos.com. 2006-07-12. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2006/07/zinedine_zidane_becomes_the_football/. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ "Zinedine Zidane". Footballdatabase.eu. http://www.footballdatabase.eu/football.joueurs.zinedine.zidane.12.en.html. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "Zinedine Zidane". National Football Teams. http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=2511. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ a b c Pla Diaz, Emilio (23 July 2006). "Zinedine Zidane – Century of International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/zidane-intl.html. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ "Zinedine Zidane". French Football Federation. http://www.fff.fr/individus/selections/visu_fiche.php?in_no=942&id_cat=1. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ "France honors World Cup winners". CNN/SI. 1 September 1998. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/world/news/1998/09/01/france_legionhonor. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
- ^ "Décret du 24 juillet 1998 portant nomination à titre exceptionnel". JORF 1998 (170): 11376. 25 July 1998. PREX9801916D. http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=PREX9801916D. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ "Décret du 31 décembre 2008 portant promotion et nomination". JORF 2009 (1): 15. 1 January 2009. PREX0828237D. http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=PREX0828237D. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zinedine Zidane |
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Zinedine Zidane |
- (French) / (Spanish) Official website
- Zinedine Zidane at the Internet Movie Database
- European Champions Cup/UEFA Champions League Winning Squads
- Works by or about Zinedine Zidane in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Zinedine Zidane collected news and commentary at The New York Times
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Patrick Vieira |
France national football team captain 2005–2006 |
Succeeded by Patrick Vieira |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Zidane, Zinedine |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | French footballer |
| Date of birth | 23 June 1972 |
| Place of birth | Marseille, France |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Zinedine_Zidane
Related pages:
http://it.wn.com/Zinédine Zidane
http://cs.wn.com/Zinedine Zidane
http://id.wn.com/Zinédine Zidane
http://es.wn.com/Zinedine Zidane
http://ru.wn.com/Зидан, Зинедин
http://nl.wn.com/Zinédine Zidane
http://pl.wn.com/Zinedine Zidane
http://fr.wn.com/Zinedine Zidane
http://de.wn.com/Zinédine Zidane
http://hi.wn.com/ज़िनेदिन जिदेन
http://pt.wn.com/Zinédine Zidane
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinedine_Zidane
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
