Johan Cruyff

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Johan Cruyff - Dribble Skill ( Ajax Amsterdam)

FC Barcelona - El Salvador - Johan Cruyff (HD)

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Amsterdam
Amsterdam (English /ˈæmstərdæm/; Dutch: [ˌɑmstərˈdɑm] ( listen)) is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The city's status as the capital of the nation is governed by the constitution. Amsterdam has a population of 790,654 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,289,762. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.
Amsterdam's name is derived from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were formed. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam (in Dutch: 'Grachtengordel'), located in the heart of Amsterdam, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2010.

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Argentina
Argentina ⁱ/ˌɑrdʒənˈtiːnə/, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is a country in South America, the continent's second largest by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations.
Argentina's continental area is between the Andes mountain range in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. It borders Paraguay and Bolivia to the north, Brazil and Uruguay to the northeast, and Chile to the west and south. Argentine claims over Antarctica, as well as overlapping claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom, are suspended by the Antarctic Treaty of 1961. Argentina also claims the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom as British Overseas Territories.
A recognised middle power, Argentina is Latin America's third-largest economy, with a "very high" rating on the Human development index. Within Latin America, Argentina has the fifth highest nominal GDP per capita and the highest in purchasing power terms. Analysts have argued that the country has a "foundation for future growth due to its market size, levels of foreign direct investment, and percentage of high-tech exports as share of total manufactured goods", and it is classed by investors as middle emerging economy. Argentina is a founding member of the United Nations, Mercosur, the Union of South American Nations, the Organization of Ibero-American States, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, and is one of the G-15 and G-20 major economies.

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Barcelona
Barcelona (English /bɑrsɨˈloʊnə/, Catalan: [bərsəˈɫonə], Spanish: [barθeˈlona]) is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, after Madrid, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of 101.4 km² (39 sq mi). The urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of between 4,200,000 and 4,500,000 within an area of 803 km² (310 sq mi), being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, the Ruhr, Madrid and Milan. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is also Europe's largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the main component of an administrative area of Greater Barcelona, with a population of 3,218,071 in an area of 636 km² (density 5,060 hab/km²). It is located on the Mediterranean coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft).
Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions, including the 1888 Exposición Universal de Barcelona, the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition (Expo 1929), the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures, and the 2004 World Urban Forum.

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Belgium
Belgium (ⁱ/ˈbɛldʒəm/ BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish (about 60%), and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons (about 40%), plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.

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Catalonia
Catalonia (English /kætəˈloʊniə/, /kætəˈloʊnjə/; Catalan: Catalunya [kətəˈɫuɲə] or [kataˈluɲa]; Spanish: Cataluña [kataˈluɲa]; Occitan: Catalonha [kataˈluɲɔ]) is an autonomous region of Spain in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula, with the official status of a "nationality". Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona which is the second largest Spanish city by population after Madrid. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,535,251. Its borders essentially reflect those of the former Principality of Catalonia. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the east (580 km coastline). The official languages are Catalan, Spanish and Aranese (Occitan).
The name Catalunya (Catalonia) began to be used in the late 11th century in reference to the group of counties that comprised the Marca Hispanica. The origin of the term is subject to diverse interpretations. A theory suggests that Catalunya derives from the term "Land of Castles", having evolved from the term castlà, the ruler of a castle (see castellan). This theory therefore suggests that the names Castile and Catalonia have the same etymology.

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Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia (Czech and Slovak: Československo, Česko-Slovensko) was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992. From 1939 to 1945, the state did not de facto exist because of its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, but the Czechoslovak government-in-exile nevertheless continued to exist during this period. In 1945, the eastern part of Carpathian Ruthenia was taken over by the Soviet Union. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Form of state:
Neighbours:
Topography:
The country was of generally irregular terrain. The western area was part of north-central European uplands. The eastern region was composed of northern reaches of Carpathian Mountains and Danube River basin lands.
Climate:
The weather was predominantly continental, but varied from the moderate temperature of Western Europe in the west, to more severe weather of Eastern Europe and the western Soviet Union in the east.

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Deventer
Deventer [ˈdeɪ̯.vən.tər] ( listen) is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen (pop. 5,000) was merged with Deventer as part of a national effort to reduce bureaucracy in the country.
Associated hamlets at second level
Deventer was probably founded around 768 by the English missionary Lebuinus, who built a wooden church on the east bank of the river IJssel. This was not the first human settlement at the location; from the Bronze Age to about 400 AD, there was a settlement at Colmschate, 4 km east of the city centre. Remains of this settlement were excavated between 1981 and 2006.
The village of Deventer, already important because of a trading road crossing the river IJssel, was looted and burnt down by the Vikings in 882. It was immediately rebuilt and fortified with an earthen wall (in the street Stenen Wal remains of this wall have been excavated and restored).

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Downing Stadium
Downing Stadium, previously known as Triborough Stadium and Randall's Island Stadium, was a 22,000-seat stadium in New York City. It was renamed Downing Stadium in 1955 after John J. Downing, a director at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Built on Randall's Island in the East River as a WPA project, 15,000 attendees witnessed Jesse Owens compete at Randall's Island Stadium in the Olympic Trials on July 11, 1936, the opening night of the new facility. Downing Stadium also hosted the Women's Olympic Trials in 1964. It was the site of an international soccer friendly in which England defeated the USA 10-0 on May 27, 1964.
Triborough Stadium served as one of two home stadia of the football New York Yankees of the second AFL (along with Yankee Stadium) in 1936 and 1937; about four decades later, Downing Stadium became the home of the New York Stars of the WFL in 1974, and the New York Cosmos of the NASL in 1975 (for years after the Cosmos played there, the words "COSMOS SOCCER" remained on the stadium to be seen from the nearby highway viaduct on the Triborough Bridge).

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Eindhoven
Eindhoven (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛi̯nt.ˌhoʊ̯.və(n)] ( listen)) is a municipality and a city located in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence of the Dommel and Gender streams. The Gender was dammed off short of the city centre in the 1950s, but the Dommel still runs through the city. The city counts 217,192 inhabitants (February 2012) and 261,082 if adjacent Veldhoven is included, making it the fifth-largest city of the Netherlands and the largest of North Brabant.
Neighbouring cities and towns include Son en Breugel, Nuenen, Geldrop-Mierlo, Heeze-Leende, Waalre, Veldhoven, Eersel, Oirschot and Best. The agglomeration has some 440,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area (which includes Helmond) has nearly 750,000 inhabitants. Also, Eindhoven is part of Brabant Stad, a combined metropolitan area with more than 2 million inhabitants. In 2011, Eindhoven was named world's most intelligent community by Intelligent Community Forum.
The name Eindhoven derives from the contraction of the regional words eind (meaning last or end) and hove (or hoeve; a section of some 14 hectares of land). "Eind" is toponymically a common prefix and postfix in local place- and streetnames. A "hove" was a parcel of land that might be given in leasehold to private persons such as farmers by the local lord. Taken in conjunction with the fact that a string of such parcels existed around Woensel, the original location of Eindhoven may be understood to be the "last hove on the land of Woensel".

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Helsinki
Helsinki ( listen (help·info); Swedish: Helsingfors, listen (help·info)) is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is 596,233 (31 January 2012), making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is located some 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Stockholm, Sweden, 300 kilometres (190 mi) west of St. Petersburg, Russia and 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Tallinn, Estonia. Helsinki has close historical connections with these three cities.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area includes the city of Helsinki and three other cities: Espoo and Vantaa, which immediately border Helsinki to the west and north, respectively; and Kauniainen, which is an enclave within the city of Espoo. The Helsinki metropolitan area is the world's northernmost urban area among those with a population of over one million people, and the city is the northernmost capital of a EU member state. Altogether 1.1 million people, approximately one in five Finns, live in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

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Italy
Italy ⁱ/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.

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Netherlands
The Netherlands (ⁱ/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] ( listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").

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New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. The city is referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. As a global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.
Located on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which comprises a state county. The five boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a Census-estimated 2011 population of 8,244,910 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km²), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. The New York City Metropolitan Area's population is the United States' largest, with 18.9 million people distributed over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km²), and is also part of the most populous combined statistical area in the United States, containing 22.1 million people as of the 2010 Census.

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Oslo
Oslo (English pronunciation: /ˈɒzloʊ/, OZ-loh,Norwegian pronunciation: [²ʊʃlʊ] ( listen) or [²ʊslʊ]) is the capital of and most populous city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, the city was moved closer to Akershus Castle during the reign of King Christian IV and renamed Christiania in his honour. It was established as a municipality (formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. Following a spelling reform, it was known as Kristiania from 1877 to 1925, when its original Norwegian name was restored.
Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are amongst the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities programme.

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Prague
Prague ( /ˈprɑːɡ/; Czech: Praha pronounced [ˈpraɦa] ( listen)) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and fourteenth largest city in European Union. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of nearly 2.0 million. The city has a temperate oceanic climate with warm summers and chilly winters.
Prague has been a political, cultural, and economic centre of central Europe with waxing and waning fortunes during its 1,100 year existence. Founded during the Romanesque and flourishing by the Gothic and Renaissance eras, Prague was the seat of two Holy Roman Emperors and thus then also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. It was an important city to the Habsburg Monarchy and its Austro-Hungarian Empire and after World War I became the capital of Czechoslovakia. The city played major roles in the Protestant Reformation, the Thirty Years' War, and in modern history generally as the principal conurbation in Bohemia and Moravia whose second city is Brno.

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Romania
Romania (ⁱ/roʊˈmeɪniə/ roh-MAY-nee-ə; dated: Roumania; or Rumania;Romanian: România [romɨˈni.a] ( listen)) is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Romania shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and Moldova to the northeast and east, and Bulgaria to the south.
At 238,400 square kilometers (92,000 sq mi), Romania is the ninth largest country of the European Union by area, and has the seventh largest population of the European Union with over 19 million people. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, the tenth largest city in the EU with about two million people.
The Kingdom of Romania emerged when the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were united under Prince Alexander Ioan Cuza in 1859. Independence from the Ottoman Empire was declared on 9 May 1877, and was internationally recognized the following year. At the end of World War I, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia united with the Kingdom of Romania. Greater Romania emerged into an era of progression and prosperity that would continue until World War II. By the end of the War, many north-eastern areas of Romania's territories were occupied by the Soviet Union, and Romania forcibly became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact.

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Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( /ˈrɒtərdæm/; Dutch [ˌrɔ.tər.ˈdɑm] ( listen)) is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam constructed in 1270 on the Rotte River, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre. Its strategic location at the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta on the North Sea and at the heart of a massive rail, road, air and inland waterway distribution system extending throughout Europe is the reason that Rotterdam is often called the "Gateway to Europe".
Located in the Province of South Holland, Rotterdam is found in the west of the Netherlands and at the south end of the Randstad. The population of the city proper was 616,250 on February 1st 2012. The population of the greater Rotterdam area, called "Rotterdam-Rijnmond" or just "Rijnmond", is around 1.3 million people. Rotterdam is one of Europe's most vibrant, multicultural cities. The city is known for its university (Erasmus), its cutting-edge architecture, its lively cultural life, its striking riverside setting, its maritime heritage and the Rotterdam Blitz.

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Stockholm
Stockholm (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈstɔkːˈhɔlm, ˈstɔkːˈɔlm, ˈstɔkːɔlm]( listen to the second one)) is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 864,324 in the municipality (2010), 1.4 million in the urban area (2010), and around 2.1 million in the 6,519 km² (2,517.00 sq mi) metropolitan area (2010). As of 2010, the Stockholm metropolitan area is home to approximately 22% of Sweden's population.
Founded no later than c. 1250, possibly as early as 1187, Stockholm has long been one of Sweden's cultural, media, political, and economic centres. Its strategic location on 14 islands on the south-central east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, by the Stockholm archipelago, has been historically important. Stockholm has been nominated by GaWC as a global city, with a ranking of Alpha-. In The 2008 Global Cities Index, Stockholm ranked 24th in the world, 10th in Europe, and first in Scandinavia. Stockholm is known for its beauty, its buildings and architecture, its abundant clean and open water, and its many parks. It is sometimes referred to as Venice of the North.

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Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or services from those of other entities.
A trademark may be designated by the following symbols:
A trademark is typically a name, word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, image, or a combination of these elements. There is also a range of non-conventional trademarks comprising marks which do not fall into these standard categories, such as those based on color, smell, or sound.
The owner of a trademark may initiate legal proceedings for trademark infringement to prevent unauthorized use of that trademark. Most countries require formal registration of a trademark in order to pursue this type of action. A few countries, including the United States, recognize common law trademark rights, which means action can be taken for trademark that is in use but not registered. In the United States, registration is not required, but it increases the legal protections offered to the trademark holder.

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Vinkeveen
Vinkeveen is a town in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of De Ronde Venen, and lies about 18 km south of Amsterdam.
The neighbourhood of Vinkeveen, which covers the town of Vinkeveen and the neighbouring hamlet of Achterbos, has about 8400 inhabitants.
Vinkeveen used to be a separate municipality. It merged with Waverveen in 1841, to form the municipality Vinkeveen en Waverveen. In 1989 there was a reorganisation of local governments, and Vinkeveen became a part of De Ronde Venen.
Vinkeveen is mainly famous for the Vinkeveense Plassen, a lake area east of the village. They are an important recreational area, with facilities for swimming, diving and yachting. There is a marina on the north shore of the lakes.
Coordinates: 52°13′N 4°56′E / 52.217°N 4.933°E / 52.217; 4.933

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Aad de Mos
Aad de Mos (born 27 March 1947 in The Hague) is a Dutch football coach, currently managing Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam. De Mos has coached teams in his home country, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Greece, as well managing the United Arab Emirates national team. De Mos won the 1988 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as manager of KV Mechelen.
De Mos began his management career at Ajax. He replaced Kurt Linder as manager in 1982, and retained the role until he was dismissed shortly before the end of the 1984–1985 season. With Ajax de Mos won the national championship twice and the cup once.
After leaving Ajax, de Mos became coach of KV Mechelen in Belgium. Here he won the national title, cup and, in 1988, the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating his former club Ajax 1–0 in the final. He left to become RSC Anderlecht manager, where he again reached the Cup Winners' Cup final in 1990, this time losing to Sampdoria in Gothenburg.
In 1993, after his successful stints with KV Mechelen and Anderlecht, he signed as manager of PSV faced with the task with cleaning up an aging team. In his first season PSV placed third in the league. In his second season, despite some major purchases, he did not perform well. In September 1994, de Mos positioned the centre forward Erik Meijer, known for being able to make good headers, for incomprehensible reasons as a back against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

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Abedi Pele
Abedi Ayew ( /æˈbeɪdɪ/ /æˈjjuː/ a-BAYDI a-YEW), known professionally as Abedi Pele (born 5 November 1964) is a former Ghana International football player and captain. Having been given the nickname "Pelé" in recognition of his superior ability that evoked comparisons to Brazilian great Pelé, he found fame in France's Ligue 1 with Lille OSC and Olympique Marseille.
Three of his sons, Ibrahim, André and Jordan also became Internationals for Ghana, in which Ibrahim and André were selected for the FIFA World Cup 2010.
Abedi Ayew was born into a family in a small village called Kyebi near Dome at the northern outskirts of Accra.
Abedi Pele was one of the pioneers of African football in Europe. One of the first great African players to make an impact on European club football, he played for teams in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and most famously France where he was very instrumental in Marseille's prominence in the European Champions League during the early 1990s. Amongst his international accolades, he was often included in FIFA "All-star" selections and captained the African all-stars in their victory over their European counterparts in the Meridian Cup of 1997.

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Abraham Løkin
Abraham Løkin (born Abraham Hansen 16 June 1959, Fuglafjørður, Faroe Islands) is a former Faroe Islands football (soccer) player, currently the manager of Faroese football club ÍF Fuglafjørður.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's jubilee, he was selected by the Faroe Islands Football Association as the country's Golden Player - the greatest player of the last 50 years. [1]
His son, Bogi Løkin, is also an international Faroese football (soccer) player and is currently playing in NSÍ Runavík, whilst the younger brother Karl Løkin is playing under his fathers managing with ÍF Fuglafjørður.
Løkin is Fuglafjørður's most famous player, serving his local team for many years. He also had spells in Sweden, Denmark and France as well as at Faroe club teams NSÍ Runavík and B68.
He is currently signed as the manager for ÍF Fuglafjørður for the 2009/2010 season, with the possibility for prolonging.
Løkin made his debut in an August 1988 friendly match against Iceland, the country's first FIFA-recognized match. He was a regular for the Faroe Islands in their first competitive years, earning a total of 22 caps (38 including unofficial matches). He played his last international match in September 1994 against Greece.

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Adrie Koster
Adrianus Cornelis „Adrie“ Koster (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɑdrij.ˈaːn.ʏs kɔr.ˈne.ˌlɪs ˈɑd.ri ˈkɔs.tər]) (born 18 November 1954 in Zierikzee, Zeeland) is a former football winger from the Netherlands, who was last in charge of coaching Club Brugge.
He played for Roda JC (1977–1979) and PSV Eindhoven (1979–1983). He played his last match in the Eredivisie on 2 October 1982, replacing Jurrie Koolhof. In the follow season 1983/1984 retired from his professional football career.
Koster obtained three caps (no goals) for the Netherlands national football team in 1978.
Koster later became a football manager, and started to work as an assistant for FC Eindhoven (1985–1986).
Since then he worked for Willem II Tilburg (1986–1991), Roda JC (1991–1993), Helmond Sport (1993–1995), TOP Oss (1995–1997), Excelsior Rotterdam (1997–2003), VVV-Venlo (2004–2005), and RKC Waalwijk (2005–2006). At the last club he was fired due to poor performances on 27 November 2006.
He became head of the youth academy of AFC Ajax, and was appointed manager of the club's main squad on 9 October 2007, when Henk ten Cate went to Chelsea.

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Adrie van Kraay
Adrianus Ambrosius Cornelis van Kraaij (born August 1, 1953 in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant), commonly known as Adrie van Kraay, is a retired football central defender from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, wearing the number four jersey. He played for PSV Eindhoven from 1971 until 1982, making over 300 appearances for the club. At the end of his career, he had short spells at K. Waterschei S.V. Thor Genk of Belgium and FC Basel of Switzerland. From 2008 he will be technical manager for PSV Eindhoven, after Stan Valckx left the club.

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Afonso Alves
Afonso Alves Martins Júnior (born 30 January 1981) is a Brazilian footballer who plays for the Qatari club Al Rayyan Sports Club as a striker. He enjoyed the most successful period of his career playing at Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie, where his goal-to-game ratio was higher than a goal a game. This precipitated a club record move to English club Middlesbrough, the transfer completed on the last day of the transfer window in January 2008.
Alves has been capped for Brazil on eight occasions.
Alves was born on 30 January 1981, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil's third biggest city. He was brought up by his mother, Dona Eliade, and has a brother, Alexsander, and sister, Alexandra. His father died when he was nine years old.
Alves started his career with Brazilian side Atlético Mineiro. In 2002 he left Atlético Mineiro for the Swedish club Örgryte from Göteborg. In 2004 he moved to Malmö FF, where he won the Swedish League that year. He stayed for the 2005 season, scoring 14 in 24 games, becoming the club's top-scorer for the second year running when Malmö finished fifth. Alves was at Malmo for the start of the 2006 season, and scored three goals in seven matches.

wn.com/Afonso_Alves
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
Aleksandrs Starkovs
Aleksandrs Starkovs (born 26 July 1955 in Madona, Latvia) is a Latvian football coach and a former footballer. Starkovs is currently in his second spell as manager of the Latvian national team and is also the manager of FK Baku, having previously managed clubs such as Spartak Moscow in Russia and Skonto FC in Latvia.
Starkovs started playing football in Madona where he played for the local Olimpija Madona playing for which he was selected the best forward of the 1969 Latvia Leather ball tournament. In 1975 Starkovs joined FK Daugava Rīga. In 1978 Starkovs went to FC Dynamo Moscow but it wasn't the right team for him, so soon Starkovs was back in Riga. However his best years were still to come - in 1980s Starkovs was one of the best snipers of the Soviet first league, scoring over a hundred goals for Daugava.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Latvia by the Latvian Football Federation as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. [1]

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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
Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta, Ufficiale OMRI (born 19 March 1976 in Rome), is an Italian World Cup-winning professional footballer who currently plays for AC Milan. Considered by many as one of the best centre backs to have ever played the game, he is a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year.
Nesta was raised in the Cinecittà area of Rome. He attended the Margherita Bosco primary school where he first started playing football. His older brother, Fernando, was advised to play a sport because of a back problem and enrolled at the local football club. Alessandro threw a tantrum until his father gave in and enrolled him as well, thus marking the beginning of his career.
Nesta's talent was first discovered by Francesco Rocca, then a scout for Roma, but Nesta's father, a Lazio fan, turned down the offer. In 1985, he joined Lazio's youth academy, where he rose through the ranks playing in various positions, including striker and midfielder, before settling in defence. His international career first showed signs of growth when he played for Italy's under-15 and under-16 sides. He was promoted to Lazio's senior squad in 1993, and first came to the attention of fans for being involved in a training ground accident that broke teammate Paul Gascoigne's leg.

wn.com/Alessandro_Nesta
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé(born 4 July 1926 in Barracas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He is most associated with Real Madrid and was instrumental in their domination of the European Champions' Cup during the 1950s, a period in which the club won the trophy in five consecutive seasons from 1956. Along with Francisco Gento, he was one of only two players to play a part in all five victories. Di Stéfano played international football mostly for Spain, but he also played for Argentina and Colombia.
Di Stéfano, nicknamed "Saeta rubia" ("blond arrow"), was a powerful forward with great stamina, tactical versatility, and vision, who could also play almost anywhere on the pitch. He is currently the 4th highest scorer in the history of Spain's top division, and Real Madrid's 2nd highest league goalscorer of all time, with 216 goals in 282 league matches between 1953 and 1964.

wn.com/Alfredo_Di_Stéfano
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
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: Андрі́й Микола́йович Шевче́нко; born 29 September 1976) is a Ukrainian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 10 March 2011, behind Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with Milan, Shevchenko is the second most prolific player in the history of the club, and is also the all-time top scorer of the Derby della Madonnina (derby between Milan and their local rivals Internazionale) with 14 goals, as well as for the Ukrainian national team with 46 goals.
Shevchenko's career has been highlighted by many awards, the most prestigious of which was the Ballon d'Or in 2004 (becoming the third Ukrainian, after Oleg Blokhin and Igor Belanov, to receive it). He won the UEFA Champions League in 2003 with Milan, and he has also won various league and cup titles in Ukraine, Italy, and England.
In his illustrious international career, the striker led Ukraine as captain to the quarter-finals in their first ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006. He is capable of playing centre-forward or attacking from the left wing and is effective with set-pieces and penalties.

wn.com/Andriy_Shevchenko
Antoine Kohn
Antoine "Spitz" Kohn (born 1 November 1933) is a retired Luxembourgian football player and football manager.
He played as a striker, and spent most of his career plying his trade abroad, in Germany, Switzerland, and finally Netherlands, where he later became a successful manager. During his playing days, he earned the nickname 'Spitz' for his ferocity and goal-scoring instinct.
Kohn made his debut for Luxembourg in a September 1953 World Cup qualification match against France, in which he immediately scored a goal. He went on to earn 7 caps, scoring one goal, all of them in FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He won a total of 16 caps (6 goals) including unofficial matches.
He played his final international game in September 1965, a 2–5 defeat by Yugoslavia.
After retiring as a player, Kohn became manager at FC Twente in 1972 and clinched runner-up spot in the Eredivisie in the 1973/1974 season. In May 1975 they reached the UEFA Cup Final, losing 1–5 on aggregate to German side Borussia Mönchengladbach.

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Antonio de la Cruz
Jesús Antonio de la Cruz Gallego (born 7 May 1947 in León, Spain) is a former Spanish football player and manager.

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Ard Schenk
Adrianus "Ard" Schenk (born 16 September 1944, Anna Paulowna, North Holland) is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World Allround Speed Skating Championships. He won three gold medals at the 1972 Winter Olympics, becoming, along with Galina Kulakova of Soviet Union, the most successful athlete there.
In the early 1970s Schenk dominated international speed skating. His career peaked in 1972, when in addition to winning three gold medals during the Olympic Games in Sapporo (a fall on the 500 m caused him to miss the opportunity to win gold in all 4 distances), he also won the European Allround and the World Allround Championships. He became World Allround Champion by winning all 4 distances, a feat that nobody had performed since Ivar Ballangrud 40 years earlier. In addition, he won bronze that year at the World Sprint Championships. By the end of the season, he held all world records except for the 500 m. The next season (1973), he turned professional with a number of other prominent speed skaters, thereby foregoing the opportunity of winning more championships. The professional circuit lasted two seasons and Schenk retired from speed skating at the relatively young age of 30.

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Arie Haan

Adrianus ("Arend" or "Arie") Haan (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɑdriˈjaːnʏs (ˈaːrɛnt / ˈaːri) ˈɦaːn]) (born 16 November 1948 in Finsterwolde, Netherlands) is a former Dutch footballer and coach, who scored 6 goals in 35 matches for the Dutch national squad of the 1970s. At club level he enjoyed a successful career with AFC Ajax, R.S.C. Anderlecht, Standard Liège and PSV Eindhoven. He participated seven times in European Cup finals with five victories and two defeats.
Haan joined AFC Ajax in 1969, and was a member of Ajax that won the European Champions' Cup for three consecutive years, from 1971 until 1973, the Intercontinental Cup in 1972 and two European Super Cups in 1972 and 1973. Also, with Ajax he won three Dutch Championships in 1969–70, 1971–72 and 1972–73 and the Dutch Cup from 1970 until 1972. In 1970 his team won the Double and in 1972 the Treble.
He joined R.S.C. Anderlecht in 1975 and was a member of the club's greatest ever success when they won their two European Cup Winners' Cups in 1976 and 1978. Those two years, he won two more European Super Cups (the previous two were with Ajax). They reached the final of that competition in 1977 too, but they were beaten by Hamburger SV. Also, with his team he won the Belgian Cup in 1975–76 and the Belgian Championship in 1980–81.

wn.com/Arie_Haan
Arminas Narbekovas
Arminas Andreyevich Narbekovas (born 28 January 1965 in Gargždai) is a former Lithuanian football player, he is currently the Head Coach of Banga Gargždai.
Narbekovas made his debut in 1983 with Žalgiris Vilnius, Lithuania's sole representative in the Soviet Elite League, at the age of 18. In 1987, he finished second in league scoring with 16 goals while leading his club to a third-place finish, their best in history. Zalgiris would then participate in the UEFA Cup for the first time, losing to Austria Vienna.Austria would become Narbekovas' destination after Lithuanian players were allowed to move abroad. Arminas moved there in 1990 after a short stint with Lokomotiv Moscow, since Lithuania was not a part of UEFA yet and players from its clubs were not permitted to transfer. Narbekovas would spend the rest of his club career in Austria, with Austria Vienna until 1995 and then with Admira Wacker and a number of other lower division clubs.
Although he never received a FIFA-sanctioned cap for the USSR national team, he did play for them, and win the Gold Medal, at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Narbekovas scored two goals in the tournament, including an extra time one in the semifinals against Italy, helping the Soviets to a 3-2 victory. Arminas first played for Lithuania in its first ever game as a newly independent country, on 27 May 1990 against Georgia, and scored the first goal in the 2-2 tie. Unfortunately, injuries limited his career to just 13 caps and four goals for his country.

wn.com/Arminas_Narbekovas
Arnold Mühren
Arnold Johannes Hyacinthus Mühren (born 2 June 1951 in Volendam, Noord-Holland) is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. His older brother Gerrie, also a midfield player, won three European Cup titles with Ajax in the early 1970s. Mühren is among the few players to have won all three major UEFA-organised club competitions, the European Cup (1972–73), the Cup Winners' Cup (1986–87) and the UEFA Cup (1980–81). The last of which was won with Ipswich Town, while the other titles were all won while playing for Ajax.
After starting his career at FC Volendam, Mühren moved to Ajax Amsterdam in 1971. He had his first domestic success with FC Twente, winning the KNVB Cup in 1977. A year later he moved to Ipswich Town in England for a fee of £150,000; in the same year he made his international debut in a 4–0 win against Tunisia. He was part of the successful Ipswich team that won the 1981 UEFA Cup. In 1982 he transferred to Manchester United. He helped United win the 1983 FA Cup Final by scoring a penalty in the replay, and left the club after the 1985 FA Cup Final, in which United defeated Everton. He did not feature in the match squad for the 1985 final.

wn.com/Arnold_Mühren
Arnold Scholten
Arnold Scholten (born December 5, 1962 in Den Bosch, North Brabant) is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands. He played for Den Bosch, Ajax, Feyenoord and JEF United Ichihara (Japan). Because of his white-blonde haircolor, Scholten was nicknamed The White Socrates after Brazilian playmaker Sócrates.
Dutch Champion: 1990, 1996, (Ajax). 1993, (Feyenoord).
Dutch Cup: 1987, (Ajax). 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, (Feyenoord).

wn.com/Arnold_Scholten
Aron Winter
Aron Mohamed Winter (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaː.rɔn ˈʋɪn.tər], English approximation [VIN-ter]; born 1 March 1967 in Paramaribo, Suriname) is a retired Dutch football midfielder and current head coach of Toronto FC. He has played for Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam in the Netherlands, for Italian sides Lazio and Internazionale, and for the Dutch national team.
He began his career with amateur club Unicum, he also played for SV Lelystad, before joining AFC Ajax when he was 19 years old. His first game for Ajax was a match against FC Utrecht on 6 April 1986, which Ajax won 3–0. Winter won two KNVB Cups (1987 and 1988), the Eredivisie title (1990), the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1987) and the UEFA Cup (1992) with the club before moving on to Italy, where he played for Lazio in 1992.
His role during his time at Lazio was to replace Paul Gascoigne, and he played the defensive midfield position for many years in the Serie A.
In 1996, Winter joined Inter Milan which won the UEFA Cup in 1998. He had also played in the previous year's final, with the game going to penalties. However, Winter missed his penalty as Inter lost to Schalke.

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Arsenio Iglesias
Arsenio Iglesias Pardo (born 24 December 1930) is a Spanish retired football forward and coach.
Nicknamed O Raposo de Arteixo ("The Fox of Arteixo"), his professional career, which spanned more than four decades, was closely associated to Deportivo La Coruña, as both a player and manager.
Born in Arteixo, Province of A Coruña, Iglesias started his career with local Deportivo de La Coruña. He made his La Liga debut on 28 October 1951 in a 1–6 away loss against FC Barcelona, and scored in the following weekend against RCD Español (3–1 home win).
Iglesias netted seven goals in three separate seasons for the Galicians, adding a career-best eight in 1956–57, which nonetheless ended in relegation. In six of the following eight years, he also competed in the top division, representing Sevilla FC, Granada CF and Real Oviedo; he amassed totals in the main category of 238 games and 50 goals, and retired at 35 after a spell in the lower leagues with Albacete Balompié.
One year after retiring, Iglesias started coaching, his first appointment being at Deportivo's reserves, which he accumulated with assistant duties in the main squad. Midway through 1970–71, he was named the first team's manager, leading it to a top flight promotion, and being relegated back in 1973.

wn.com/Arsenio_Iglesias
Barry Hulshoff
Bernardus "Barry" Adriaan Hulshoff (born 30 September 1946 in Deventer, Overijssel) is a former Dutch footballer who played for Ajax Amsterdam and was part of their European Cup victories in 1971, 1972 and 1973. He earned 14 caps for the Netherlands national football team.
After his playing career, he coached a number of Belgian football teams.

wn.com/Barry_Hulshoff
Bas Dost
Bas Dost (born 31 May 1989 in Deventer) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a striker for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg.
Dost's first club was Germanicus, where he spent his youth career. After a few seasons, FC Emmen took Dost into their youth academy.
Dost showed his potential at Emmen and the club offered him a contract before the start of the 2007/08 season, during which he played for the main squad. He started as on the bench, but later on in the season he was given more time to play. At one point he was just about to move to Finland, to RoPS as Emmen's former technical director Tom Saintfiet was coaching there. The move was turned down by RoPS's management. Dost scored his first goal for Emmen on 8 February 2008 in the game against Fortuna Sittard. Among later goals, the most notable were a hat trick in the Derby match against BV Veendam, which Emmen won 3–2.
Dost moved to Heracles Almelo in the summer of 2008, for a transfer fee of more than €300,000. Dost showed his potential and was considered one of the Eredivisie's greatest talents. After this succesful season there were many rumours that Dost would be transferred to Ajax. These rumours wouldn't come true because he signed for SC Heerenveen on the 4th of February 2010 on his agent Srinjoy von Chakravarty's advice.

wn.com/Bas_Dost
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
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts (German pronunciation: [ˈbɛɐ̯tiː ˈfoːkts]; born 30 December 1946 in Büttgen) is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany (winning Euro 96 with them), Scotland and Nigeria. He is currently manager of the Azerbaijan national team.
Vogts joined the boys' football team of local sports club VfR Büttgen in 1954 at the age of seven, staying with them until his 1965 transfer to Borussia Mönchengladbach. A right-side defender, his tenacity earned him the nickname "Der Terrier".
He was one of the key figures during Borussia's golden years in the 1970s, when it won the Bundesliga five times, the German Cup once, and the UEFA Cup twice. Vogts also played in the 1977 European Cup Final defeat by Liverpool.
Vogts made 419 Bundesliga appearances for Mönchengladbach, scoring 32 times and also appeared 64 times for the club in European competition, scoring 8 goals. Vogts remained with Mönchengladbach until he retired from playing in 1979.

wn.com/Berti_Vogts
Björn Vleminckx
Björn Vleminckx (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbjʏrn ˈvleː.mɪŋks]) (born 1 December 1985 in Boom, Antwerp) is a Belgian footballer currently playing for Club Brugge and the Belgian national team.
Vleminckx began his career with Beveren and joined in July 2005 to Oostende, after just one year left the club to sign with KV Mechelen. On 6 June 2009 N.E.C. bought the 23-year-old striker of KV Mechelen for €1,8 million, he signed a four-year contract until July 2013.
Vleminckx was the top goalscorer in the Eredivisie during the 2010-11 season, with 23 goals.
On 25 March 2011, Vleminckx signed a contract starting from June 2011 at Club Brugge. Brugge paid €3,3 million to NEC as transfer sum.
As of 15 December 2011

wn.com/Björn_Vleminckx
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
Bobby Haarms
Bobby Haarms (8 March 1934 – 6 June 2009) was a Dutch professional football player and coach.
Haarms joined the youth team of Ajax in 1947 and made his professional debut in 1952. Between 1952 and 1960, Haarms made 58 appearances for Ajax, scoring once, before he had to retire due to a knee injury.
Haarms was an Assistant Manager at Ajax from 1967 to 1981, and was Intermin Manager briefly in 1974. He scouted for Ajax between 1981 and 1982, before leaving to become Manager of VV Aalsmeer. He became Assistant at FC Volendam from 1984 to 1986, before returning to Ajax, where he was once again an Assistant Manager from 1986 to 2000 (minus a second spell as Interim Manager from 1988 to 1989).
Haarms died on 6 June 2009, aged 75.

wn.com/Bobby_Haarms
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE (12 April 1941 – 24 February 1993) was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and was cited by Pelé as the greatest defender that he had ever played against.
He won a total of 108 caps for the England team, which at the time of his international retirement in 1973 was a national record. This record was later broken by 125-cap goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Moore's total of 108 caps continued as a record for outfield players until 28 March 2009, when David Beckham gained his 109th cap. However, unlike Beckham, Moore played every minute of every one of his caps.
Moore attended Westbury Primary School and Tom Hood School, Leyton.
He played for both schools.
Moore joined West Ham United as a player in 1956 and, after advancing through their youth set-up, he played his first game on 8 September 1958 against Manchester United. In putting on the number six shirt, he replaced his mentor Malcolm Allison, who was suffering from tuberculosis.

wn.com/Bobby_Moore
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and manager, who managed seven European clubs and the England national team during his career.
His professional playing career as an inside-forward spanned nearly 20 years, during which he played for three clubs: Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and, briefly, Vancouver Royals. He also made 20 appearances for England, scoring four goals.
After his playing career he found success as both a club and international manager, winning league championships in both the Netherlands and Portugal, earning trophies in England and Spain, and taking England to the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup. His last management role was as a mentor to the manager of the Irish national football team.
Robson was created a Knight Bachelor in 2002, was inducted as a member of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003, and was the honorary president of Ipswich Town. From 1991 onwards he suffered recurrent medical problems with cancer, and in March 2008, put his name and efforts into the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a cancer research charity. In August 2008, his lung cancer was confirmed to be terminal; he said: "My condition is described as static and has not altered since my last bout of chemotherapy...I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go sometime and I have enjoyed every minute". He died just under a year later.

wn.com/Bobby_Robson
Branko Oblak
Branko Oblak (born on 27 May 1947 in Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Slovenian football coach and former international player. He usually played as an offensive midfielder or deep-lying playmaker, notable for his excellent dribbling, stamina, great vision and precision passing. He was also capable of helping out defensively.
Brane, as he is often known, started playing football at the youth team of Svoboda Ljubljana. In 1965 he went to Ljubljana's more famous club, Olimpija. He made his debut on 20 May 1966 against Partizan in Belgrade, where he scored both Olimpija's goals for a 1–2 win. He stayed with Olimpija until 1973. During that time he played 181 matches and scored 33 goals.
In 1973 he moved to Hajduk Split and stayed there for two seasons. In both seasons Hajduk won the national champion and cup winner titles. In 1975 he signed a two-year contract with Schalke 04 of the German Bundesliga. In the 1976–77 season, Oblak's second year at the club, Schalke 04 finished the league in second place, behind Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the summer of 1977, Oblak went to Bayern Munich. He stayed there for three seasons and in his final season with the club (1979–80), Bayern became the German champion. After that, Oblak played in various Austrian amateur clubs until 1987, when he retired as a football player.

wn.com/Branko_Oblak
Brian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup (born 22 February 1969) is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth. He is widely regarded alongside his brother, Michael, as one of the greatest Danish football players in history.
During his playing career, Laudrup represented a number of European clubs. He started with Danish club Brøndby, winning two Danish championships in the late 1980s. He then played for German and Italian clubs, winning the 1994 Serie A as well as the 1994 UEFA Champions League title with AC Milan. He was a vital part of the Rangers team which dominated the Scottish Premier League in the 1990s, winning three championships among others. He won the 1998 UEFA Super Cup with English club Chelsea, had a brief stint with FC Copenhagen in Denmark, before ending his career with Dutch club Ajax in 2000. He played 82 games and scored 21 goals for the Danish national team, and was a vital part of the Danish teams who won the Euro 1992 and 1995 Intercontinental Cup tournaments.

wn.com/Brian_Laudrup
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes (born 7 June 1970), better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer. He is the most internationally capped male Brazilian player and also made history playing for São Paulo, Roma and Milan. He is the only player ever to have appeared in three World Cup finals, having won two, 1994 and 2002.
Cafu was named by Pelé as one of the 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He is best known for his tireless overlapping runs.
One of six children, Cafu was raised in the Jardim Irene favela of São Paulo. He was an average student as he soon discovered his love for football and preferred playing over studying. At the age of seven, he was able to attend a football academy and soon moved up to the junior sides of Nacional-SP, Portuguesa and Itaquaquecetuba. He also played futsal for two years.
In the early 1980s, he could not get his foot in the door as he was rejected from the youth squads of Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, Atlético Mineiro, and Portuguesa. It was not until 1988 that he made the youth squad of hometown club São Paulo, and subsequently won the Copa São Paulo youth tournament that year, but he warmed the bench the next season as São Paulo won the 1989 Campeonato Paulista.

wn.com/Cafu
Carles Rexach
Carles Rexach i Cerdà (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkarɫəz rəˈʃak]) (born 13 January 1947 in Pedralbes, Barcelona, Catalonia), also referred to as Charly Rexach, is a former Spanish Catalan footballer and manager. He has spent the majority of his career at FC Barcelona. Rexach first joined the club as a junior player when he was 12. He was a player at the club for 22 years and then worked for them as a scout, coach and manager for another 22 years. Rexach formed a successful partnership with Johan Cruyff, both on and off the field. As players they helped FC Barcelona win La Liga in 1974, the club's first win in 14 years. He also served as assistant coach to Cruyff during the Dream Team era between 1988 and 1996. Rexach also served as caretaker manager of the club on three occasions before he was appointed manager in 2001.
Rexach made his senior debut for FC Barcelona in 1965 in a Copa del Generalísimo game against Racing de Santander and scored the fourth goal in a 4–0 win. Between 1965 and 1967 he also played for CD Condal, the reserve team. In 1971 he shared the Pichichi Trophy with Atlético's Gárate, scoring 17 goals in 29 games.

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Carmel Busuttil
Carmel Busuttil (born 29 February 1964 in Rabat, Malta) is one of Malta's most experienced football players. Now retired from playing, he is assistant coach of the Malta national football team.
Busuttil started his career with Rabat Ajax and won 2 titles there. He then went on to have a short one year spell at Verbania Calcio in Italy, where he was capped 20 times and scored 8 goals. He then moved on to spend 6 years playing for Belgian Club FC KRC Genk (322), four of them as captain, and finishing as the club's top scorer for three seasons. In 1994 he returned to play for the Maltese club Sliema Wanderers, where he scored 78 goals, helping his team to win the Maltese Premier League and also the Maltese Cup. He was capped 113 times for the Malta national football team and was their top scorer with 23 goals, until recently Michael Mifsud broke Busuttil's record.
He is known as 'Il-Bużu', an abbreviation of his surname. After he hung up his boots he was football coach at a couple of respected Maltese private schools, most notably St. Michael's Foundation for Education. He then formed his own youth training academy, The Buzu football school. In November 2003, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of UEFA, he was selected as the Golden Player by the Malta Football Association as the most outstanding player of Malta in the last 50 years. Busuttil has also won wider acclaim. In 2000 he received the prestigious Order of Merit of the Republic from the then president of Malta, Professor Guido de Marco, for his contribution to Maltese sport.

wn.com/Carmel_Busuttil
Cas Janssens
Frans Cas Janssens (born August 3, 1944 in Tilburg) is a former Dutch football player.
In 1973 he shared the first place on the list of top scorers with 18 goals together with Willy Brokamp.

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Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri (born 12 July 1973 in Bologna) is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.
Vieri 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. For a number of years he was regarded as one of the finest strikers in Europe, leading to him becoming the world's most expensive footballer in 1999 when Internazionale paid Lazio £32 million for his services. This record has since been broken only a handful of times.
Somewhat of a footballing nomad, Vieri played for no fewer than 12 clubs throughout his career. Most notable were his spells at Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Lazio and Inter; with the latter he hit the net on more than 100 occasions. Vieri has often been described as an old fashioned centre forward, due to his physical presence and outstanding aerial ability, he is the all time top scorer of headed goals in Italian league history.
As well as picking up several winners medals during his career, Vieri also claimed many individual honours including the Pichichi and Capocannoniere (top scorer) titles in Spain and Italy and Italian Footballer of the Year twice. He is one of Italy's highest ever World Cup scorers with 9 goals from 9 matches at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups respectively.

wn.com/Christian_Vieri
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈklɛ.rəns ˈseɪ̯.dɔrf], born 1 April 1976 in Paramaribo, Suriname) is a Dutch professional footballer who is currently a free agent. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League four times and with three different clubs – Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007.
Seedorf started his career as a right midfielder for Ajax during the early 1990s. He made his professional debut on 29 November 1992 against Groningen at the age of 16 years and 242 days, making him the youngest debutant for Ajax ever. In his early career, he played a role in Ajax's Eredivisie winning years of 1994 and 1995. He was also a key member during Ajax's 1995 UEFA Champions League winning campaign. After making his name in the Ajax side, Seedorf had one season with Sampdoria, scoring three goals.
Seedorf moved to Real Madrid in 1996, where he was "virtually ever present in the Blancos team for the first three seasons". In his first season he helped that team regain the La Liga title; in his second season (1997–1998), he played a major role in the team's Champions League success, as Real Madrid secured a 1–0 victory over Juventus in the final. It was the second Champions League title of his career.

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Co Adriaanse
Jacobus "Co" Adriaanse (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkoʊ̯ ˈaːd.ri.ˌjaːn.sə], born 21 July 1947 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland) is a Dutch football manager and former football player.
As a professional player, Adriaanse played for six seasons with De Volewijckers (from 1964 until 1970) and a further six with FC Utrecht (1970 until 1976), retiring from football at the age of 29.
He started his managing career with Zilvermeeuwen in 1979, and after four years he joined AZ for the first time as scout and youth trainer. After a year, for the 1984-85 season he resumed his coaching career with two four-year stints with PEC Zwolle and FC Den Haag, where he would be sacked for the first time. He was then chosen to direct the youth side of AFC Ajax, a position he would occupy for five seasons.
Willem II followed in his career, and after ending his first season fifth place, achieved a second place and the title of best Dutch team of the year. This meant that Willem II, a team better known for finishing in the bottom half of the Dutch league, would be playing in the Champions League. The Champions was a bridge too far for Willem II, and the team ended up last in the 1999-2000 UEFA Champions League group stage, and after failing to achieve a European spot, Adriaanse resigned on 20 May 2000.

wn.com/Co_Adriaanse
Coen Dillen
Coenraad Henrik Dillen (5 October 1926 – 24 July 1990) was a Dutch footballer who played for Brabantia, PSV and Helmondia '55, as well as the Dutch national side. After retiring from playing he spent a two year spell as manager of amateur side RKSV Nuenen.
His goal tally of 43 in the 1956/57 season remains the highest score by an individual in the Eredivisie. He scored twenty goals in a nine-match period between 27 January and 31 March 1957.

wn.com/Coen_Dillen
Conyers Kirby
Conyers Kirby (1884 – 9 April 1946), also known as Ralph Kirby, was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Birmingham. He played as an outside right.
Kirby was born in the Bordesley Green district of Birmingham. While serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he represented them at football and became a champion sprinter. In 1905 he joined Southern League club Fulham, for whom he played four league games. In the 1906 close season he joined Birmingham, for whom he made his only Football League appearance, on 6 September 1906 in the First Division match at home to Newcastle United which Birmingham lost 4–2. He later joined Blackpool, without appearing in the Football League, and played non-league football for Worcester City, Kidderminster Harriers and Willenhall Pickwick, before returning to Fulham in 1913.
Kirby retired from playing in 1918 and moved to Spain, where he became a referee and a football manager. He coached both CE Europa and FC Barcelona during the 1920s. He was appointed CE Europa manager in August 1922 In 1923 he guided Europa to the Campionat de Catalunya. After finishing level on points with FC Barcelona, Europa then beat them 1-0 in a title play-off. They then represented Catalonia in the Copa del Rey and after defeating Sevilla FC and Sporting Gijon in earlier rounds, they lost 1-0 to Athletic Bilbao in the final at the Les Corts.

wn.com/Conyers_Kirby
Cor Brom
Cor Brom (27 August 1932 – 29 October 2008) was a Dutch football player and manager. Brom died in Amsterdam on 29 October 2008, of Parkinson's disease.
During his playing career, Brom played with Telstar.
After retiring as a player, Brom managed Vitesse from 1969 to 1972, Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax from 1978 to 1979,RWD Molenbeek from 1981 to 1982, and FC Zwolle from 1982 to 1984. With Ajax he won the Dutch championship and cup in 1979.

wn.com/Cor_Brom
Cor van der Hart
Cor van der Hart (25 January 1928 - 12 December 2006) was a Dutch footballer. He is known as one of the best defenders of the Dutch national team in history, who was physically strong, who read the game very well and who had a quality kicking technique.
Van der Hart was born in Amsterdam and as a youngster he tried to become part of the famous youth academy of Ajax Amsterdam. He attended a special young talents day held at the club and out of 300 players only two were chosen to represent the club, Van der Hart and Rinus Michels. He made his Ajax debut in 1947 and won the Eredivisie title in the same year.
After Faas Wilkes as the third player in Dutch history moved abroad to become a professional football player more and more players decided it was time to leave the country and create a job out of their hobby. Van der Hart was one of these players as he moved to France to play for Lille OSC, where he became one of the first professional footballers of his country. The KNVB, which suspended all players that left the country to play professional football also suspended Van der Hart.

wn.com/Cor_van_der_Hart
Cristian Chivu
Cristian Eugen Chivu (Romanian pronunciation: [kristiˈan ˈkivu]) (born 26 October 1980 in Reşiţa) is a Romanian footballer. He currently plays for Internazionale in the Italian Serie A. He usually plays left back, but prefers playing center back, he can play as defensive midfielder when needed.
Chivu's first professional club was FCM Reşiţa. After moving to Universitatea Craiova, his reputation began to rise and his performances sparked interest from some larger clubs outside of Romania. Dutch club Ajax was particularly impressed with Chivu and signed him in 1999.
At Ajax he developed a reputation as a reliable fullback and a free-kick specialist. Then-manager Ronald Koeman appointed him as captain of the club. With Chivu as captain, Ajax dominated the Dutch Eredivisie with an exciting young squad. Playing alongside Chivu were future stars such as Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, Johnny Heitinga, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Maxwell. Chivu played a pivotal role for Ajax in their Champions League run in the 2002–03 season, when they came to within a minute of the semi-finals. That season Chivu was in a trio of Ajax players - himself, Maxwell and Andy Van der Meyde - who all went on to join Internazionale.

wn.com/Cristian_Chivu
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro,OIH, (born 5 February 1985), commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth £80 million (€93.9 million/$131.6 million). In addition, his contract with Real Madrid, in which he is paid €12 million per year, makes him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, and his buyout clause is valued at €1 billion as per his contract.
Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal. Ronaldo's precocious talent caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £12.24 million (€15 million) in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup. He also played at Euro 2004 with Portugal and scored his first international goal in the opening game of the tournament against Greece, in addition to helping Portugal reach the final. He was featured in the UEFA Euro All-Star Team of this competition.

wn.com/Cristiano_Ronaldo
César Luis Menotti
César Luis Menotti, known as El Flaco ("the slim one") (born November 5, 1938 in Rosario) is an Argentine football coach and former player, who as coach, won the 1978 FIFA World Cup for Argentina.
Menotti grew up in the Fisherton district of Rosario, and played for local clubs before a scout for Rosario Central picked him up. He played in the youth divisions while attending high school (he graduated as a chemical technician) and was signed by Central. He also played for the Argentine national football team and Pelé's Santos FC.
After retiring from play, he became friends with coach Miguel "Gitano" Juárez, with whom he traveled to the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Fascinated by the Brazilian style of play led by his pal Pele, he decided to become a coach himself.
His first significant success was achieving the 1973 Metropolitano title with Huracán, with a legendary attacking lineup: René Houseman, Miguel Brindisi, Roque Avallay, Carlos Babington, and Omar Larrosa, backed up by veteran midfielder Alfio Basile and left-back Jorge Carrascosa, known as el lobo ("the wolf"), who was the team captain.

wn.com/César_Luis_Menotti
Daniel Hechter
Daniel Hechter (born 30 July 1938) is a French fashion designer, sometimes referred to as the inventor of Pret-a-Porter or ready-to-wear. (by whom?)
Daniel Hechter was born in Paris, France, in a family who owned a ready-to-wear company. As such, Hechter was brought up in an environment sympathetic to fashion. At the age of four, he was forced to flee from Paris with his mother and did not see his father, a prisoner of war, until he was seven. He married Marika Hechter; they have a daughter, Hechter then married Jennifer Chambon in 1980. He served in the French Army from 1958–60.
Hechter completed his secondary education and worked as a storekeeper to a fashion house until 1955. By 1956, Louis Féraud and Jacques Esterel were selling Hechter's designs, and he worked for designer Pierre d'Alby from 1958. Hechter founded the Daniel Hechter Company in 1962 with friend Armand Ornstein. His stated goal was to offer wearable yet high-quality, creative fashion for a wide range of consumer groups. Over time he expanded his company, developing it into an international label that encompasses seven different collections. Brigitte Bardot helped bring his designs to a wider audience when she wore one of his outfits in La Parisienne.

wn.com/Daniel_Hechter
Daniel Passarella
Daniel Alberto Passarella (born 25 May 1953 in Chacabuco, Buenos Aires province) is a former Argentine football centre back and former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup. He is the current President of River Plate after winning the elections by a very close margin in December 2009.
Passarella started his career at Sarmiento of Junin, Buenos Aires province. From there he joined River Plate, then Fiorentina of Italy and briefly, Internazionale. After his successful spell in the Serie A, he returned to River Plate, where he played until his retirement.
He was called "El Gran Capitán" (the Great Captain, nickname of Argentine Independence heroe José de San Martín) or "El Kaiser" (an allusion to Franz Beckenbauer) because of his leadership ability, his passion, and his organisational prowess on the field. He was a defender who often joined the attack, and helped generate and finish offensive plays. At some point, he became football's top scoring defender, with 134 goals in 451 matches (that record was since broken by Dutch defender Ronald Koeman).

wn.com/Daniel_Passarella
Danny Blind
Dirk Franciscus "Danny" Blind (born 1 August 1961) is a former football coach and Dutch international player. He played as a defender for Sparta Rotterdam, AFC Ajax and the Dutch national team.
Blind was born in Oost-Souburg, Netherlands. He is the only Dutch player to have won all international club competitions recognised by UEFA and FIFA.
Blind made his professional football debut on 29 August 1979 with Sparta. He stayed under contract with Sparta for seven seasons. In July 1986 he transferred to Ajax, attracted there by manager Johan Cruijff. However, Blind's signing was much to the chagrin of Ajax superstar Marco van Basten, who was upset that his manager had brought in a relatively unknown, defensive player from a fairly small cub like Sparta, instead of splashing out on a big-money, big-name transfer. With Ajax he amassed an amazing trophy list, winning all three European trophies (UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1987, the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the UEFA Champions League in 1995). He secured the Intercontinental Cup, in 1995 against Brazil's Grêmio, by scoring the winning penalty in the penalty shoot-out.

wn.com/Danny_Blind
Darko Pančev
Darko Pančev (Macedonian: Дарко Панчев [ˈdarkɔ ˈpantʃɛf] ( listen); born 7 September 1965 in Skopje) is a retired Yugoslav and Macedonian footballer, and winner of the Golden Boot award in 1991.
Pančev was the highest scorer in top-division European football in the 1990–91 season with 34 goals, and should have won the European Golden Boot award. However, UEFA decided to make the competition unofficial for the season because of suspect scoring sprees in Cyprus. Pančev did not get the prize at the time, but received it fifteen years later on 3 August 2006 in Skopje. The Golden Boot was presented at a special gala by Michel Platini, Dragan Stojković and Dragan Džajić.
His playing career started in 1982 at Vardar Skopje where he quickly developed into one of the most feared strikers in the Yugoslav First League, becoming league top scorer in the 1983-84 season. The skill and seeming ease of his goal scoring exploits in Skopje made him a target for bigger Yugoslav clubs.
During summer 1988, Pančev was snapped up by Red Star Belgrade, which beat cross-town rivals FK Partizan to the twenty-two-year-old's signature. Another talented youngester Dejan Savićević also arrived to the club during the same transfer window, but both promptly got sent to serve the mandatory Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) stint that kept them off the pitch for the entire league season.

wn.com/Darko_Pančev
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 Trezeguet
David Sergio Trezeguet (French pronunciation: [david sɛʀʒjo tʀezeˈɡɛ]) (born 15 October 1977) is a World Cup winning French-Argentinian international footballer who plays for hometown club River Plate.
He previously played for Juventus in the Italian Serie A for ten years and for the French national team. He is the highest scoring non-Italian ever to play for Juventus. He is perhaps most famous for scoring the golden goal in the Euro 2000 final against Italy, which gave France a 2–1 win in extra time.
Trezeguet was born in Rouen, Upper Normandy, France, and grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is the son of former French-Argentine footballer Jorge Trezeguet, who now works as his agent. David and his wife Béatrice have two children together: Aaron and Noraan. His wife is from Alicante, Spain.
At club level, Trezeguet played for Club Atlético Platense and Club Atlético River Plate in the Argentine Primera División, AS Monaco in Ligue 1, Juventus in Serie A and Hércules CF in La Liga.
In 1998, Trezeguet scored the fastest ever goal in terms of velocity in UEFA Champions League history in a quarter-final match against Manchester United. The shot that resulted in a goal was clocked at 97.6 mph (157.3 km/h).^{[citation needed]} With AS Monaco, he won Ligue 1 twice and was named Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year in 1998. He scored a total of 60 goals in 113 appearances for the French club and it was here that he made his name as a potent goalscoring poacher.

wn.com/David_Trezeguet
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker listen (help·info) IPA: [dâʋɔr ʃǔːkɛr], (born 1 January 1968 in Osijek) is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals.
Šuker was born in Osijek. His parents came there from village of Lištani in Livno municipality. Šuker began his footballing career in his hometown, playing for the local first division team Osijek as a 16-year-old. During his final season there, he became the league's top goal scorer. He signed for a bigger club, Dinamo Zagreb in 1989. The war in Croatia halted a promising season for the 21-year-old, eventually resulting in Šuker's move to Sevilla in 1991.
In La Liga Šuker was highly regarded, showing consistent form with Seville and being amongst the top goal scorers for consecutive seasons. He signed with Real Madrid 5 years later, and was again amongst the league's top scorers, which helped Madrid claim the La Liga title, the Supercup trophy and win the Champions League during his tenure there.

wn.com/Davor_Šuker
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
Dick Tol
Dick Tol (21 August 1934 – 13 December 1973) was a Dutch semi-professional footballer who spent his entire career with FC Volendam. Playing as a striker, Tol was top scorer in the Eredivisie in the 1961-62 season, scoring 27 goals.

wn.com/Dick_Tol
Dick van Dijk
Dick van Dijk (15 February 1946 in Gouda – 8 July 1997 in Nice, France) was a Dutch footballer who played for FC Twente and Ajax Amsterdam. He was a member of Ajax' European Cup victory in 1971. He earned 7 caps for the Netherlands national football team. [1]
Dick van Dijk grew up in Gouda and Balde foot in his youth in the local amateurvereniging ONA. At its sixteenth, he was coach Hans Croon to SVV, which was released in the Second division, met. Van Dijk was topscorer club and doctorate in 1966 with his club to the First Division. He was invited to the Dutch youth team and the Dutch military team. The scoring ability of the young peak attracted the interest of FC Twente, but the asking price of 200,000 guilders were Tukker too much. A less season ensured that the transfer fee a year later had dropped to 70,000 guilders, after which Van Dijk FC Twente in the summer of 1967 still joined.
Art Twente. Van Dijk made a promising start with seven goals in five matches. He was a strong aanvalsduo with Theo Pahlplatz. The arrival of Van Dijk provided a positive impact to FC Twente, the young team ended in part thanks to the 22 goals he scored in his first season in a creditable eighth place. The following year was even better. Twente did in the long struggle for the national championship and Van Dijk was topscorer with 30 goals in the Premier League. Legendary is the home match against Ajax on November 3, 1968. Twente won 5-1 and Van Dijk scored three goals. It is believed that this contest with the interest of Ajax in Van Dijk was finally awakened. The transition was likely well before the end of the season and already an open secret in June 1969 it became clear that the peak for a transfer fee of 750,000 guilders moved to Amsterdam. Meanwhile had Van Dijk on March 26, 1969 as international made his debut in a match of the Dutch national team against Luxembourg. Orange won 4-0 and Van Dijk scored once.

wn.com/Dick_van_Dijk
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps (French pronunciation: [didje deˈʃɑ̃]; born 15 October 1968 in Bayonne) is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Deschamps captained France to victory in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil. After a short passage at rugby in the Biarritz Olympique Deschamps started his football career at an amateur club, Aviron Bayonnais whilst still at school. His potential was spotted by scouts from Nantes, for whom he signed in April 1983. Deschamps made his league debut on 27 September 1985. Transferred to Marseille in 1989, Deschamps spent a season with Bordeaux in 1990 before returning to Marseille. In this second spell with Marseille Deschamps gained his first honours.
Receiving his first international call-up from Michel Platini on 29 April 1989 against Yugoslavia, Deschamps started his international career in what was a dark time for the French team as they failed to qualify for the World Cup in both 1990 and 1994. When new team coach Aimé Jacquet began to rebuild the team for Euro 1996, he initially selected Eric Cantona as captain. After Cantona earned a year-long suspension in January 1995, the make-up of the team changed dramatically, with veterans Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin, and David Ginola being dropped in favour of younger players such as Zinedine Zidane. Deschamps, as one of the few remaining veterans, was chosen to lead what would later be called the "Golden Generation". He first captained France in 1996 in a friendly match against Germany as a warmup for Euro 96. During that tournament, held in England, he led them all the way to the semi-finals, their best finish in an international tournament since the 1986 World Cup. In 1998, Deschamps captained France as they won 1998 World Cup on home soil in Paris, holding an integral role in the team.

wn.com/Didier_Deschamps
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
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
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɪrk ˈkœy̆t] ( listen); born 22 July 1980) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Liverpool as a forward.
Kuyt began his professional career with FC Utrecht in 1998 and quickly became part of their first team. He spent five years at the club and in his final season he won his first senior honour, the Dutch Cup, and was chosen as the season's Dutch Golden Shoe Winner. Following this, he left Utrecht in a €1 million transfer to Feyenoord. He became the club captain in 2005 and was a prolific goalscorer at the Rotterdam club; he was the club's top scorer for three consecutive seasons, the top goalscorer in the 2004–05 Eredivisie season, and the 2005–06 Dutch Footballer of the Year. Kuyt missed only five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006 and appeared in 179 consecutive matches between 2001–06, striking up a fruitful partnership with fellow Feyenoord teammate Salomon Kalou.
He left Feyenoord after three years, having scored 71 league goals in 101 appearances, and joined Premier League side Liverpool for £10 million. He made his Premier League debut late in 2006 and became part of the first team squad. He scored in his first ever UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool against AC Milan.

wn.com/Dirk_Kuyt
Djalma Santos
Djalma Pereira Dias dos Santos known simply as Djalma Santos (also spelled Dejalma Santos, born 27 February 1929 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a former Brazilian footballer who started for the Brazil national team in four World Cups, winning two, in 1958 and 1962. Santos is considered to be one of the greatest right-backs of all time. While primarily known for his defensive skills, he often ventured upfield and displayed some impressive attacking skills.
Along with Franz Beckenbauer, he is one of only two players to be included into three FIFA World Cup All Star teams (in 1954, 1958 and 1962). He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
Santos started his career in his hometown with Portuguesa. He initially played in the centre of defence, but was later moved to the right side of defence. In 1959, he moved to Palmeiras. He played almost 500 games for the club, winning several league and cup titles. He left the club in 1968, joining Atlético Paranaense for a short spell before retiring in 1970.

wn.com/Djalma_Santos
Dolf van Kol
Dolf van Kol (2 August 1902 – 20 January 1989) was a Dutch footballer who earned 33 caps for the Dutch national side between 1925 and 1931, scoring four goals. He also participated at the 1928 Summer Olympics. He played club football for Ajax, and would later go on to manage Ajax from 1942 to 1945.

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Domènec Balmanya
Domènec Balmanya i Perera (Catalan pronunciation: [duˈmɛnəg bəɫˈmaɲə]) (born Girona, December 29, 1914; died Barcelona, February 14, 2002), also referred to as Domingo Balmanya, is a former Spanish footballer and manager who spent most of his playing career at FC Barcelona. As a manager he guided CF Barcelona to the a Copa del Generalísimo win in 1957 and to victory in the first ever Fairs Cup in 1958. He then had moderately successful spells at Valencia CF, Real Betis and CD Málaga before he guided Atlético Madrid to a La Liga title in 1966. He subsequently managed Spain between 1966 and 1968. After retiring as a coach he worked as a director of sport at both RCD Espanyol and FC Barcelona and as a director at a Catalan coaching school. He also worked as a radio commentator.
Before joining FC Barcelona, Balmanya began his playing career with his hometown club, Girona FC. He made his La Liga debut with Barça on November 10, 1935, under coach Patrick O'Connell, in a 1-0 defeat to RCD Espanyol. During his time at FC Barcelona he played 111 games for the club in various competitions and among his early team mates were Joan Josep Nogués, Josep Escolà and Enrique Fernández. During his debut season, 1935–36, he helped the club win the Campionat de Catalunya and reach the Copa de España final. During the following season, 1936–37, national football was suspended because of the Spanish Civil War. However FC Barcelona and other clubs in the Republican area of Spain competed in the Mediterranean League and Balmanya and O’Connell helped the club win this title.

wn.com/Domènec_Balmanya
Dragan Džajić
Dragan Džajić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драган Џајић) (born 30 May 1946 in Ub, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia) is widely considered to have been one of the best Serbian football players to emerge from former Yugoslavia. Regarded as a preeminent and very proficient left winger, he is strongly reputed to have been one of the finest European players of his generation. Džajić has been known for his "great crosses and passes, unstoppable dribbling with great pace, natural technique and some of the best left footed free kicks ever seen". Through soccer fanatics, Džajić is viewed as perhaps one of the most underrated players in European football, partly because he played in Yugoslavia. In December 2011 Džajić was named in being part of "the greatest European Championship XI of all time" by Goal.com!
Džajić's professional career (1961–1978) was spent primarily with Red Star Belgrade. Džajić was a brilliant left winger who guided a Red Star Belgrade career spanning 590 games and 287 goals by winning five league titles and four Yugoslavian Cups. In 1969 Džajić received the Sport newspaper's Golden Badge, award for Yugoslavia's best athlete. He is considered one of the most important players in the history of the club and is one of only five players to have been awarded the Zvezdine zvezde status.

wn.com/Dragan_Džajić
Ed de Goey
Eduard "Ed" Franciscus de Goeij, usually referred to as Ed de Goey (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛd də ˈɣui]) in the English media (born 20 December 1966) is a Dutch former football goalkeeper. He was most recently a coach at Queens Park Rangers. In a 20-year career, he played for Sparta Rotterdam, Feyenoord, Chelsea and Stoke City.
He signed for Feyenoord in 1990 and stayed there for seven years. During his time in Rotterdam, De Goey missed a total of just eight games and won one Eredivisie title (in 1993) and four KNVB Cups in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995. He was awarded the Dutch Golden Shoe in 1994.
De Goey joined Chelsea in June 1997 from Feyenoord for £2,250,000, which at the time made him the most expensive goalkeeper in the Premier League. He was first choice goalkeeper for most of his time in West London, and was a member of the sides that won the League Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup (both in 1998) and the FA Cup in 2000. In 1999-00 he set club records for most appearances (59) and clean sheets (27) during a season, both since surpassed by Frank Lampard and Petr Čech respectively. De Goey later lost his place in the side to Italian Carlo Cudicini and made just 25 appearances in his final three seasons. He joined Stoke City on a free transfer in 2003 having played 179 games for Chelsea, keeping 71 clean sheets.

wn.com/Ed_de_Goey
Eddy Treijtel
Eduard ("Eddy") Willem Treijtel (born May 23, 1946 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland) is a retired football goalkeeper from the Netherlands, who won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord Rotterdam in the 1973-1974 season.
Treijtel obtained five caps for the Netherlands national football team. He came to Feyenoord in 1968, alongside Willem van Hanegem, and moved to AZ'67 in 1979. He retired in 1985.
The Rotterdam-born goalie is famous for shooting down a gull with a high ball, on November 15, 1970 during the derby between Sparta Rotterdam vs. Feyenoord Rotterdam.

wn.com/Eddy_Treijtel
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
Edward Sturing
Edward Jeroen Sturing (born 13 June 1963 in Apeldoorn, Gelderland) is former footballer (soccer) defender from the Netherlands, who obtained three caps for the Dutch national team. He played for De Graafschap (1982–1987) and Vitesse Arnhem (1987–1998). After his career he became a football manager, first as an assistant and later as head coach. Sturing was named head coach of FC Volendam after the departure of Frans Adelaar at the end of the 2008-2009 season.

wn.com/Edward_Sturing
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛtʋɪn vɑn dɛr ˈsɑr]) (born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national team's history. He currently works as an analyst and has stated an interest in coaching in the near future.
He started his senior career at Ajax and is considered to be a member of a golden generation of players at the club. He remained there for nine years before moving to Italian club Juventus and then to England, first to Fulham and then to Manchester United. He is one of the few footballers to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different teams – with Ajax in 1995 and Manchester United in 2008; in the latter, he was also named UEFA Man of the Match. Van der Sar also won the UEFA Cup with Ajax in 1992.
Throughout a long and successful career, Van der Sar achieved and set numerous records. In the 2008–09 season he set the world league clean sheet record by not conceding a single goal for 1,311 minutes. Along with being the most capped player for the Netherlands national team, with 130 caps, he is also the oldest player to win the Premier League, at 40 years and 205 days old. Individually Van der Sar has won several honours, including Best European Goalkeeper in 1995 and 2009, and UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year in 2009. He is considered, by critics and fellow players, as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.

wn.com/Edwin_van_der_Sar
El Hadji Diouf
El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (born 15 January 1981 in Dakar, Senegal) is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for Doncaster Rovers. He can play on both wings as well as in attack. He has also garnered a large amount of notoriety for a series of controversial incidents.
Diouf came from a Serer background of the noble Diouf family. His father, who was also a footballer, left when he was 8 years old. Raised by his grandparents, Diouf was reunited with his father after 22 years absence. Although they did not see each other for many years, Diouf is reported to have said his father is someone he loves very much and was happy to see him again in spite of not growing up with him.
Diouf started his career in France with Sochaux-Montbéliard. He made his debut appearance in a 2–1 win against Bastia on 12 November 1998, before moving to Rennes for the 1999-00 season. He moved to Lens the following season, spending two years at the Pas-de-Calais club before moving to English club Liverpool in 2002 for a fee of £10millon.

wn.com/El_Hadji_Diouf
Elías Figueroa
Elías Ricardo Figueroa Brander (born October 25, 1946 in Valparaíso) is a former football player from Chile. He is considered the best Chilean footballer of all time, as well as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game.
He played for several clubs during his long career, notably his hometown club Santiago Wanderers, Brazilian club Internacional and Uruguayan club Peñarol. He also represented Chile 47 times, appearing in three world cups, in 1966, 1974, and 1982.
Figueroa was noted for his elegant style of play, his calmness in the centre of defence and his ability to cut out opposition attacks and immediately launch counterattacks from the back. He was also praised throughout his career for being a gentleman on and off the pitch. He was twice awarded the Bola de Ouro, the Brazilian Player of the year award whilst playing for Internacional in 1972 and 1976. He was also awarded the South American Footballer of the Year three times in a row by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo in 1974, 1975 and 1976. He was designated Best Player in Uruguay in 1967 and 1968 and Best Player in Chile in 1977 and 1978. He has subsequently been voted into the world's 125 best living soccer players and was also voted 8th best South American and 37th best player in the world of the 20th Century by the IFFHS in 1999.

wn.com/Elías_Figueroa
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
Emre Belözoğlu
Emre Belözoğlu (Turkish pronunciation: [emˈɾɛ beˈløzoːɫʊ]; born 7 September 1980 in Istanbul) is a Turkish football midfielder who plays for Atlético Madrid. Having also played for clubs Galatasaray, Internazionale, Newcastle United and Fenerbahçe, Emre has been a part of the Turkey national team at the 2002 World Cup and at Euro 2008 among other tournaments. Pelé named Emre in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations.
Emre's inspiration came from his father, who introduced him to football at the Zeytinburnuspor training ground. Emre's mother had seen the problems that her husband had faced through his football career, and thus did not want his son to become a professional football player. His father, however, urged and inspired Emre to embark on a career. The fans of Zeytinburnuspor quickly took an interest in Emre, stating his wonderful control with his left foot. Trainer Salih Bulgurlu noticed his talent and started giving him special training. Salih looked after Emre for four years, teaching him all the basic techniques, improving and harnessing his fitness and stamina dramatically. Emre was quickly discovered by former Galatasaray legend Bülent Ünder, a close friend of legendary Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim. Bülent Ünder pleaded to Salih Bulgurlu that Emre join Galatasaray: Wait and see. In two years, this teenager will be playing proudly within the battlegrounds of Europe.

wn.com/Emre_Belözoğlu
Enrique Orizaola
Enrique Orizaola Velázquez (born 26 March 1922 in Santander) is a Spanish former footballer and coach.
Orizaola played for Racing de Santander.
Orizaola coached Gimnástica Torrelavega, Racing de Santander, Real Jaén,Real Murcia, Barcelona,Osasuna, Real Oviedo,Levante,Deportivo,Real Valladolid, Rayo Vallecano, Sabadell,Albacete Balompié,Salamanca,CD Badajoz,Calvo Sotelo and Xerez CD.
His son, Enrique Orizaola Paz, was the chairman of Córdoba CF.

wn.com/Enrique_Orizaola
Enzo Francescoli
Enzo Francescoli Uriarte (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛntso franˈtʃeskoli]; born November 12, 1961 in Montevideo) is a former Uruguayan football player of Italian and Spanish origin, who retired in 1997. An elegant and highly skillful dribbler, passer, and goal-scorer, Francescoli was nicknamed El Príncipe ("The Prince" in Spanish) or Le Prince (in French). He played 72 times for the Uruguay national team between 1982 and 1997, making him the most capped outfield player in Uruguayan international football.
His official debut was with the Uruguayan team Montevideo Wanderers. He played several years for River Plate of Argentina where he won five league titles and the Copa Libertadores in 1996 in his two spells with the club.
He also played for the French Racing Club de Paris (Matra Racing Paris at the time), Olympique de Marseille, and the Italian teams Cagliari and Torino.
Francescoli played 73 times for the Uruguay national team scoring 17 goals, between 1982 and 1997. He made appearances at the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups. He won the Copa América three times with Uruguay in 1983, 1987 and 1995, he also played in the 1989 and 1993 editions of the tournament.

wn.com/Enzo_Francescoli
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
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
Ferdinand Daučík
Ferdinand Daučík (also known as Fernando Daucik; 30 May 1910 — 14 November 1986) is a former Slovak football player and manager. Daucik was the manager of several La Liga clubs, most notably CF Barcelona, Atlético Bilbao, Atlético Madrid and Real Zaragoza. During his career he managed La Liga clubs in 488 games, won three La Liga titles and won the Copa del Generalísimo on five occasions and won three La Liga/Copa doubles. He died in Alcalá de Henares.
Daucik played as a defender for 1. ČsŠK Bratislava, SK Slavia Praha and Czechoslovakia. He was only the third Slovak player ever to play for Czechoslovakia. He represented them at both the 1934 and 1938 World Cups. He also coached ŠK Slovan Bratislava between 1942 and 1946 and again in 1948. In 1948 he coached Czechoslovakia for two games.
Daucik arrived in Spain as coach of Hungaria, a team made up of refugees fleeing the various Communist regimes of Eastern Europe. The team included his son-in-law, Ladislao Kubala, who had married Daucik's daughter, Anna Viola Daucik, in 1947. Hungaria played a series of friendlies against Madrid Select XI, a Spain XI and RCD Español and during these games, Kubala was spotted by Josep Samitier, then chief scout at CF Barcelona. Kubala was offered a contract and as part of the deal, Daucik became the CF Barcelona coach in 1950.

wn.com/Ferdinand_Daučík
Ferenc Plattkó
Ferenc Plattkó also known Franz Platko Kopiletz, Francisco Platko (born Budapest, Hungary, 2 December 1898, died Santiago, Chile, 1 September 1983), also known as Ferenc Platko or Francisco Platko, was a Hungarian footballer and manager. During the 1910s and 1920s he played as a goalkeeper for Vasas SC, WAC Vienna, KAFK Kula, MTK Hungária FC, FC Barcelona, Recreativo de Huelva. He subsequently worked as a coach in Europe and South America, most notably with FC Barcelona, Colo-Colo, River Plate, Boca Juniors and Chile. Platko was an early FC Barcelona legend and was a team-mate of Paulino Alcántara, Josep Samitier and Sagibarba. His bravery as a goalkeeper was immortalized by Rafael Alberti in the poem Oda A Platko. After retiring as a player he returned to the club as a coach on two occasions (1934–35, 1955–56).
He played 6 matches for the Hungarian national team between 1917 and 1923.
Platko began his career as a goalkeeper in his hometown of Budapest with local club Vasas SC in 1917 . After a brief spell at WAC Vienna in 1920, he returned to Vasas for another season. Between 1917 and 1923, Platko also played six games for Hungary. In the season 1921/22 he was the coach and goalkeeper for KAFK Kula from Kula (Serbia) where he won the Subotica sub-association championship earning promotion to the Second League of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1922 MTK played two friendlies against FC Barcelona. Both games finished as 0-0 draws and FC Barcelona, impressed with Platko offered him a contract.

wn.com/Ferenc_Plattkó
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
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 Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, (born 27 September 1976 in Rome) is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most capped player in the club's history. He is considered as one of the finest players in his generation, and also Roma's greatest player ever.
A 2006 World Cup winner and Euro 2000 finalist, Totti was selected in the All-Star team for both tournaments. He has won many individual awards, including a record five Italian Footballer of the Year awards and two Serie A Footballer of the Year awards. He 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. In 2011, Totti has been recognized by IFFHS as the most popular footballer in Europe.
Often referred to as Il Bimbo d'Oro (The Golden Boy), Er Pupone (The Big Baby), and Il Gladiatore (The Gladiator) by the Italian sports media, Totti is currently the top active Serie A goalscorer and fifth all-time in league history with 215 goals.

wn.com/Francesco_Totti
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 Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo "Frank" Rijkaard (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfrɑŋk ˈrɛi̯.kaːrt], born 30 September 1962, in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football manager and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side, Sparta Rotterdam, Barcelona and Galatasaray. He currently manages the Saudi Arabian national football team.
In 2010 Rijkaard was described by The Daily Telegraph as having been "a stylish player of faultless pedigree".

wn.com/Frank_Rijkaard
Frank Verlaat
Frank Verlaat (born 5 March 1968) is a Dutch former international football defender, who retired in 2007, after a professional career of 21 years.
He had a long career throughout Europe, playing in Holland, Switzerland, France, Germany and finishing his career in Austria.

wn.com/Frank_Verlaat
Franky Van der Elst
Franky Van der Elst (born 30 April 1961) is a retired Belgian footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.
During a 21-year professional career, he played mainly with Club Brugge, being regarded as a legend there, and briefly coaching the team in the 2000s (decade). Also, he was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers, in March 2004.
Van der Elst won 86 caps for the Belgian national team, representing the country in four FIFA World Cups, and retiring from football at nearly 40 years of age.
Born in Ninove, Van der Elst started his professional career at R.W.D. Molenbeek, earning his first call-up for Belgium in 1982. Two years later, he moved to Club Brugge K.V. and stayed there until he finished his career in 1999, going on to total over 500 overall appearances with the side (462 in the league alone). During four seasons, he often partnered in midfield his namesake Leo - no relation.
Van der Elst won the Golden Shoe twice in his career, an accomplishment for an eminently defensive-minded player. He also appeared in four FIFA World Cups, from 1986 to 1998. Only having scored once for his country in nearly 90 matches, against Norway, he reacted with astonishment upon its realization.

wn.com/Franky_Van_der_Elst
Frans Geurtsen
Frans Geurtsen (born 17 February 1942 in Utrecht) is a Dutch former footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a striker. Geurtsen played club football for DWS, and was the Eredivisie top scorer in both the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons.
Geurtsen also earned one cap for the Netherlands in 1964, scoring one goal.

wn.com/Frans_Geurtsen
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
Fritz Walter
Friedrich "Fritz" Walter (31 October 1920 – 17 June 2002) was a German footballer. In his time with the German national team, he won 61 caps and scored 33 goals.
Walter was exposed to football early with his parents working at the 1. FC Kaiserslautern club restaurant. By 1928 he had joined the Kaiserslautern youth academy, and he made his first team debut at 17, continuing an association with the club that would be his only professional club.
International pro teams had repeatedly offered him hefty sums, but with support from his wife always declined in order to stay at home, to play for his home town, the national team and "Chef" (German for "boss") Herberger.
Walter debuted with the German national team in 1940 under Sepp Herberger, and scored a hat-trick against Romania.
Walter was drafted into the armed forces in 1942, however, the end of the war found 24 year old Fritz in a Prisoner of War camp in Máramarossziget in which he played with Hungarian and Slovakian guards. When the Soviets arrived they in general took all German prisoners back to a Gulag in Soviet Union where life expectancy was about five years. Fortunately, one of the Hungarian prison guards had seen Fritz playing for Germany, and told them that Fritz was not German but Austrian.

wn.com/Fritz_Walter
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta (born 1 February 1969), nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches. On the international level, he is Argentina's all-time leading goal scorer, with 56 goals in 78 national team matches, and represented his country at three World Cups. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the "125 Greatest Living Footballers". With an all-round game with clinical finishing, heading and free-kick taking abilities, he is known as one of the most complete strikers of his generation.
When his club Fiorentina was relegated to Serie B in 1993, Batistuta stayed with the club and helped it return to the top-flight league a year later. A popular sporting figure in Florence, the Fiorentina fans erected a life-size bronze statue of him in 1996, in recognition of his performances for Fiorentina. He never won the Italian league with Fiorentina, but when he moved to Roma in 2000, he finally won the Serie A championship to crown his career in Italy. He played his last professional season in Qatar with Al-Arabi before he retired in 2005.

wn.com/Gabriel_Batistuta
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
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
George Knobel
George Knobel (Chinese: 盧保, 10 December 1922 – 5 May 2012) was a Dutch football manager.
Knobel was born and died in Roosendaal. He was the coach of the Netherlands national football team for 15 matches (9 wins, 1 draw, 5 losses) from 1974 to 1976. During his period the Dutch finished third at the European Championship of 1976. He also coached Dutch clubs AFC Ajax and MVV. He had a brief stint with Seiko SA in Hong Kong.^{[citation needed]}

wn.com/George_Knobel
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (born October 1, 1966) is a Liberian humanitarian and politician, and an ex-footballer. He ran unsuccessfully for president in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting. In the 2011 election he ran for vice president on Winston Tubman's ticket.
He also spent 14 years of his professional football career playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England, and won trophies in each of these three countries. In 1995, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year.
George Tawlon Oppong Ousman Weah was born on October 1, 1966 in the Clara Town slum of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. Little did his parents know at the time that their baby boy would one day rise to become their country’s most famous son.
Raised largely by his grandmother, Weah studied hard at school although it was apparent from a young age that he was destined for football stardom. Little George Weah was prodigiously talented with a football at his feet but this aptitude wouldn’t truly become evident until he made the move overseas.

wn.com/George_Weah
Gerald Vanenburg
Gerald Mervin Vanenburg (born 5 March 1964) is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a right winger.
He amassed Eredivisie totals of 372 games and 112 goals for Ajax and PSV combined, winning fifteen major titles between the two clubs, including the 1988 European Cup with the latter. Subsequently, he played in Japan, France and Germany, in a 20-year professional career.
Vanenburg earned more than 40 caps for Holland, appearing at the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988, winning the latter tournament.
Born in Utrecht, Vanenburg finished his football formation with AFC Ajax, and made his Eredivisie debuts exactly one month after his 17th birthday, against ADO Den Haag. He finished his first season with 11 games and three goals, being soon dubbed Vaantje and Geraldinho for his above-average skills.
Vanenburg became an undisputed starter for the Amsterdam outfit shortly after, providing countless assists for strikers Marco van Basten and Wim Kieft and adding 30 himself in two seasons combined, as the club won back-to-back national championships; before leaving the club in June 1986, he scored in double digits in two more seasons.

wn.com/Gerald_Vanenburg
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller (German pronunciation: [ˈɡɛɐt ˈmʏlɐ]; born 3 November 1945 in Nördlingen) is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.
With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the most successful goalscorers of his era. Müller is now 8th on the list of all time international goalscorers despite playing fewer matches than every player in the top 15. His nicknames are “Bomber der Nation” (the nation's Bomber) and “kleines dickes Müller” (short fat Müller; this name was given to him by Čik Čajkovski, his first coach at Bayern Munich. Čajkovski was Yugoslavian and got the German declension wrong).
In 1970 Müller was elected European Footballer of the Year after a successful season at Bayern Munich and scoring 10 goals at the 1970 World Cup. Müller held the all-time goal-scoring record in the tournament with a 14-goal total, a record that stood for 32 years until it was broken by Brazil's Ronaldo against Ghana in the Round of 16 of the 2006 World Cup. In 1999, he was voted ninth place in the European player of the Century election held by the IFFHS and he was voted thirteenth in the IFFHS' "World Player of the Century" election.

wn.com/Gerd_Müller
Gerrie Mühren
Gerardus ("Gerrie") Dominicus Hyacinthus Mühren (born 2 February 1946 in Volendam Noord-Holland) is a former Dutch international footballer.
He started his career at FC Volendam, before moving to play for Ajax between 1968 and 1976. Whilst at Ajax he won three European Cup winners medals.
He later played for Real Betis and Seiko in Hong Kong.
He was capped by Holland on 10 occasions, his first cap coming against England in November 1969, and his last against Belgium in November 1973.
He is the older brother of Arnold Mühren, who also played for Holland.

wn.com/Gerrie_Mühren
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
Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaˈtʃinto fakˈketti]; 18 July 1942 – 4 September 2006) was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered as “Grande Inter”. Facchetti is remembered as one of the first truly great attacking-full backs, and one of the best ever in his position.
Born at Treviglio, in the Province of Bergamo (Lombardy), Facchetti began his career with his hometown club, Trevigliese, as a forward. He was soon noticed by Helenio Herrera, then manager of Internazionale, who launched him in Serie A in the late 1960–61 season as a full back. The change of role was a good choice, and eventually Facchetti developed into one of the most effective defenders of Italian football.
With his club, Facchetti won four scudetti in 1963, 1965, 1966 and 1971; one Italian Cup in 1978; two European Cups in 1964 and 1965; and two Intercontinental Cups in 1964 and 1965.

wn.com/Giacinto_Facchetti
Giampiero Boniperti
Giampiero Boniperti (born 4 July 1928 in Barengo, Piedmont) is an Italian former football player who played his entire career at Juventus between 1946 and 1961. He also played for the Italian national football team. After retirement from professional football, Boniperti has been a president of Juventus and a deputy to the European Parliament.
With 182 goals in all-competitions, Boniperti was the highest goalscorer in Juventus' history for more than 40 years, until his record was bested by Alessandro Del Piero (who was himself signed by Boniperti in 1993) on 10 January 2006. Del Piero also broke his appearance record on 14 February 2010 when he played his 445th Serie A game. Notably, Boniperti is the eleventh-highest goalscorer of all-time in Serie A and was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
Boniperti signed for Juventus at age 16, he had already built himself a reputation prior to this at youth level, as he scored 11 goals in one match.
The youngster played his first match for the Old Lady in Serie A on 2 March 1947 against A.C. Milan, unfortunately for Boniperti it ended in a 2–1 defeat. His first goal for them in the league was three months later, against Sampdoria. Juventus ended the Serie A 1946-47 season as runners-up to local rivals Torino, Giampiero ended the season with 5 goals in 6 games to his name.

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Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI (born 28 January 1978 in Carrara, Italy), is a FIFA World Cup-winning Italian goalkeeper who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is widely considered by experts to be one of the most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history. Buffon was declared by Pelé to be one of the 125 greatest living footballers in the world. He has been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record eight times. Also, he has been named the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) goalkeeper of the year four times and was named goalkeeper of the 21st Century by the same organisation.
Buffon began his career with the youth system of Parma in 1991 at the age of 13. He graduated from the youth squad in 1995 and at the young age of just 17, Gianluigi made his Serie A debut for Parma in a 0–0 home draw against Milan on 19 November 1995. He went on to make 8 more first team appearances that season. In 1996, his second full season with the club, Buffon was named as the starting goalkeeper and would go on to make well over 200 appearances for his club in all competitions. In his fourth season with the club, he won the UEFA Cup. He was by this time, already considered a major prospect and in the summer of 2001, he was snatched up by Italian giants Juventus for a world-record goalkeeper's transfer fee of a reported £32.6 million, with part of the transfer fees paid via the transfer of Jonathan Bachini to Parma.

wn.com/Gianluigi_Buffon
Gianni Rivera
Giovanni ("Gianni") Rivera (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒanni riˈvɛra]; born 18 August 1943 in Alessandria) is an Italian former football midfielder, mostly as an offensive playmaker, who was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969. He played the majority of his career with Serie A side A.C. Milan. Internationally, he represented Italy, 60 times scoring 14 goals, at four World Cups (1962, 1966, 1970, and 1974) as well as being part of the first Italian side to win the European Football Championship in 1968.
Rivera is considered as one of the greatest Italian footballers ever and as one of the greatest passers of all time. He was a creative midfielder with offensive ideas, often at odds with the proponents of the classic Italian defensive schemes. Rivera was known for his classy, elegant and aesthetic style of play, known for his impeccable dribbling and distribution.
After retiring from football, Rivera has gone into politics and currently is a Member of the European Parliament for the Uniti nell'Ulivo party. He has been appointed as the President of the educational youth sector by the FIGC for the Italy national football team, along with Roberto Baggio and Arrigo Sacchi under head coach Cesare Prandelli.

wn.com/Gianni_Rivera
Giuseppe Bergomi
Giuseppe "Beppe" Bergomi (born 22 December 1963) is a retired Italian footballer who spent his entire career at Internazionale, being equally at ease as a central or right defender.
He held the record of most appearances for the club for several years, while also being the side's longtime captain. He was affectionately referred to as "Lo zio" ("the uncle") because of the impressive moustache he wore even as a youngster.
Bergomi won more than 80 caps for the Italian national team, appearing in four World Cups - including the 1982 edition which ended in triumph - and Euro 1988.
Born in Milan, Bergomi begun training with F.C. Internazionale Milano's first team at the age of only 16, and made his professional debut in the 1980–81 season, the following year. The 20 Serie A seasons he went on to spend with his sole club were often in the shadow of A.C. Milan, as he only won the Scudetto once, in 1989 (he did conquer the UEFA Cup on three occasions). For a moment in his career, he held the records for both the most appearances in European competition by an Italian player and the most Milan derbies played, both broken by Paolo Maldini.

wn.com/Giuseppe_Bergomi
Giuseppe Savoldi
Giuseppe Savoldi (born 21 January 1947 in Gorlago, Bergamo) is a retired Italian professional football player, who played during the sixties, seventies and eighties. He played as an attacker for Atalanta, Bologna and S.S.C. Napoli, as well as the Italian national side.
Savoldi made his debut in Series A in 1965 with Atalanta. From 1968 to 1975 he played in the red and blue of Bologna, making 201 appearances, scoring 85 goals. In 1975 he was signed by S.S.C. Napoli for the then world record figure of two billion Lira (£1.2 million).
He closed his career playing again with Bologna and finally for one season (1982/83) with the club he started his career with; Atalanta.
During his career in Serie A he made 405 appearances scoring 168 goals. Despite this impressive record he did not have as much fortune in the national squad, winning only four caps, and scoring one goal.
His younger brother Gianluigi Savoldi and son Gianluca Savoldi also played football professionally.

wn.com/Giuseppe_Savoldi
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
Gregorio Manzano
Gregorio "Goyo" Manzano Ballesteros (born 11 March 1956) is a Spanish football manager.
Born in Bailén, Jaén, Andalusia, Manzano's training career started in 1983, at the age of 27. He took charge of several teams in his native region, including Real Jaén, in the fourth division.
In 1996, Manzano signed with Talavera CF from Segunda División B. During his two-season spell, he led the Castile-La Mancha side to a second-place finish in its group (1996–97), and a narrow miss on promotion (1997–98). His good work there prompted the interest - and signing - from second level's CD Toledo, which he helped retain league status, with a comfortable 7th place.
Manzano had his first La Liga experience with Real Valladolid, in 1999–2000. His new club finished eighth, and the season included a 1–0 win over Real Madrid, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. For the following campaign, he stayed in the top flight, with Racing de Santander; in spite of a 4–0 home success against FC Barcelona, the Cantabrians were relegated and the coach was fired.

wn.com/Gregorio_Manzano
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣys ˈɦɪdɪŋk]; born 8 November 1946) is a Dutch football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Russian side, FC Anzhi Makhachkala. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation^{[dubious – discuss]} and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009. His achievements include winning the European treble (Eredivisie, Dutch Cup and European Cup) with PSV Eindhoven; managing the Netherlands and taking them to the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup; leading South Korea to a fourth place finish in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the first and only Asian team to reach the semi-final stages; leading Australia to their best ever finish in the 2006 FIFA World Cup; leading Russia to the semi-finals of Euro 2008, Russia's best performance since the breakup of the Soviet Union; and leading Chelsea to an FA Cup win against Everton in 2009. Hiddink has also previously managed Fenerbahçe, Valencia, and Real Madrid.

wn.com/Guus_Hiddink
Hakan Şükür
Hakan Şükür (born 1 September 1971) is a retired Turkish footballer who played as a striker. He spent the majority of his professional career with Galatasaray, being a three-time Gol Kralı (Goal King, title and award given to the annual top goalscorer of the Süper Lig), representing the club in three different spells and winning a total of 14 major titles.
Şükür represented Turkey a total of 112 times, scoring 51 goals, making him the nation's top goalscorer and 19th in the world. One of the most prolific strikers of the modern era, he netted 383 goals throughout his club career, as well as the fastest ever in a World Cup, in 2002. He retired from football in 2008, only scoring once in single digits for his main team in 13 seasons; nicknamed the "Bull of the Bosphorus", he was renowned for his heading ability.
Born in Adapazarı, Sakarya Province, Şükür began his football career with local club Sakaryaspor, making his professional debut shortly after his 17th birthday. His first goal came in a match against Eskişehirspor on 26 February 1989: with the match tied 2–2, he entered the pitch as a substitute and scored the winning goal. He went on to score a further 18 Süper Lig goals in his three-year spell with the club.

wn.com/Hakan_Şükür
Hans Kraay
Hans Kraay (born 14 October 1936) is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a defender and then in football management and television.
Born in Utrecht, Kraay made his professional debut at DOS and also played for Feijenoord.
After his playing career, Kraay became manager at DFC, USV Elinkwijk, Go Ahead Eagles, Ajax Amsterdam, AZ'67, Edmonton Drillers, Sparta Rotterdam (only two days due to some health trouble), FC Den Haag and Feyenoord Rotterdam. He also served Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven as a technical director, as well as the NOS and other television channels with his views on football, both commentary and analysis. In 1986, he took place at PSV Eindhoven, as manager. The team was first in the League, but in March, 1987, he was replaced by Guus Hiddink, after a loss against FC Den Bosch, on penalties, for the KNVB Cup.
His son Hans Kraay, Jr. is also a retired professional footballer and television announcer.
Currently Kraay is working for N.E.C. Nijmegen as head of scouting and personal adviser of chairman Marcel Boekhoorn.

wn.com/Hans_Kraay
Hans Westerhof
Hans Westerhof (born 24 November 1948 in Terborg, Gelderland) is a Dutch football (soccer) coach and currently technical director at Pachuca.
As a player, Westerhof played for BV Veendam and BVO Cambuur of the Dutch First Division. He began his coaching career in 1986, and has managed Groningen (1988–92 and 1994–96), PSV Eindhoven (1992–1994), the Dutch U-21 national team (1996–97), Ajax Amsterdam (2000), Willem II Tilburg (2000–03)and Chivas de Guadalajara(2003–04), Necaxa (2007–2008)
Westerhof originally joined Chivas de Guadalajara in 2003 to oversee the club's youth teams, but took over as head coach of the first team in October of that year. He stepped down as coach after the Clausura 2004 season. On 3 June 2005, Guadalajara's "sister" team, Chivas USA, named Westerhof its head coach, after a disastrous start under Thomas Rongen. He was replaced after the season by Bob Bradley and then came back to the parent club as its head coach.
Besides coaching, he has been a teacher in Heerenveen (the Netherlands) at the Central Institute for Sports Education (CIOS) for many years. For Apertura 2007, Westerhof was appointed New Head Coach of Necaxa of Mexico.

wn.com/Hans_Westerhof
Harold Rose
Harold Bernard Rose (May 1900 – May 1990) was an English football player and manager.
Rose, who played as a centre half, played in the Football League for Reading and Bristol Rovers. He also played for Mid Rhondda United.
Rose managed Dutch side Ajax between 1925 and 1926.

wn.com/Harold_Rose
Harry Vos
Henry Antonie "Harry" Vos [1] (4 September 1946 – 19 May 2010) was a Dutch footballer.
During his club career he played for ADO Den Haag, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Eredivisie.
He was part of the Netherlands squad who finished as runners-up in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. However, he never earned any caps for the national team.
He died of cancer in 2010.

wn.com/Harry_Vos
Helenio Herrera
Helenio Herrera Gavilán (10 April 1910 – 9 November 1997) was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success with Internazionale team known as Grande Inter.
Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile. He emigrated at age four with his parents to Casablanca, Morocco where he adopted French citizenship.
The exact date of his birth is unknown, and it is alleged that in the 50s, he changed his year of birth from 1910 to 1916.
Playing as a defender, in 1932 he earned a transfer from RC Casablanca to mainland France – CASG Paris. Before World War II, Herrera (or H.H. as he was known) played in Stade Français, FCO Charleville (where he was called up for the national team twice) and Excelsior Roubaix. During the war, he played for five years more in Red Star Paris, Stade Français, EF Paris-Capitale and Puteaux, where he started his managing career in 1944 as a player-manager. He retired in 1945, and while his playing career was very short of notable successes, his managing career, coinciding with the early beginnings of UEFA competitions, had a marked effect on the game's tactical definitions.

wn.com/Helenio_Herrera
Henk Groot
Henk Groot (born 22 May 1938) is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a striker. Groot made his professional debut at Ajax Amsterdam, but also played for Feijenoord. He was born in Zaandijk.

wn.com/Henk_Groot
Henk ten Cate
Henk ten Cate (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɛŋk tɛn ˈkaː.tə], born 9 December 1954 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland) is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player.
In the 2005–06 season, he was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona that guided the team to a Champions League Trophy and La Liga title. He then served as manager of Ajax until October 2007, when he was released by mutual consent, allowing him to begin talks with Chelsea. Ten Cate joined the London club on 11 October 2007, as assistant manager but was sacked on 29 May 2008 just 5 days after the departure of manager Avram Grant.
Henk ten Cate started his football career at amateur side FC Rheden before signing his first professional contract at Go Ahead Eagles. He made his Eredivisie debut in the 1979–80 season and earned himself 27 appearances throughout the season in which he scored 4 goals. These performances earned him a transfer to NASL side Edmonton Drillers in Canada.
After the North American season he returned to Go Ahead Eagles and continued his Eredivisie campaign. He became however unsure of his position and was sent on loan to Eerste Divisie side Telstar where he was one of their key players. After the season at Telstar he returned to Deventer and became a first team regular for Go Ahead Eagles again for three more seasons. In 1985 he switched to SC Heracles where he ended his professional career as a player.

wn.com/Henk_ten_Cate
Hennes Weisweiler
Hans "Hennes" Weisweiler (December 5, 1919, Lechenich, Rhine Province – July 5, 1983 in Zürich, Switzerland) was a German football (soccer) player and coach.
With 11 titles, 8 thereof with German clubs, he is one of the most successful coaches of all time. But his influence went well beyond. At the German Sports Academy in Cologne he was between 1957 and 1970 responsible for the training of hundreds of coaches from all over the world. In 2005 the training centre for coaches there was named in his honour Hennes-Weisweiler-Academy.
His work will remain most closely associated with the fortunes of Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1960s and 70s and 1. FC Köln in the 1950s and the second half of the 1970s. He is also famous for having unearthed the talents of many outstanding football players, such as Günter Netzer, Berti Vogts, Jupp Heynckes, Rainer Bonhof, Allan Simonsen, Uli Stielike, and many more.
After 1. FC Köln was founded in 1948 Hennes Weisweiler featured in the first ever line up of the club. After the club was promoted in 1949 into the western division of the then five ways split West-German first division (Oberliga), he was given the role of player manager. In this position, which he held until 1952 he played himself still 62 times in the league.

wn.com/Hennes_Weisweiler
Hennie Meijer
Hennie Meijer (born 17 February 1962) is a retired Dutch football player.
Meijer was born in Paramaribo, Suriname. He is known for scoring the first ever J. League goal in the 19th minute of a game against Yokohama Marinos on 15 May 1993.

wn.com/Hennie_Meijer
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
Herbert Prohaska
Herbert Prohaska (born 8 August 1955 in Vienna, Austria) is a retired Austrian football player. He ranks among Austria's greatest football players of all time. Prohaska is currently working as a football pundit for the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). His nickname "Schneckerl", Viennese dialect for curly hair, derives from his curly haircut in his younger years. A talented, combative midfielder, Prohaska played as a deep-lying playmaker, known for his precision passing.
Prohaska started his professional career in 1972 at the football club Austria Vienna. By 1980 he had helped his club to win four Austrian league titles and three Austrian cup wins. In 1980 he joined Inter Milan, and won the Italian Cup in his second season with the nerazzurri. In 1982 he moved to AS Roma, where he won the Italian championship in his first year. He returned to Austria Vienna in 1983 to finish his playing career.
Prohaska made his debut for Austria in a November 1974 friendly match against Turkey and was a participant at the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups. He earned 83 caps, scoring 10 goals. His final international was a June 1989 World Cup qualification match against Iceland, but he retired before the 1990 World Cup.

wn.com/Herbert_Prohaska
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
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov (Bulgarian: Христо Стоичков Стоичков), sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger (Камата), The Dog (Кучето), The Modern Left (Модерния ляв). At Barcelona he earned the Spanish nickname 'El Pistolero' which translates to 'the gunslinger'. He was a member of the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 World Cup. Apart from his footballing talent, he was notable for his on-pitch temper. He was honoured as European Footballer of the Year in 1994. He was named by Pelé as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at a FIFA Awards Ceremony in 2004.
Dr.H.C.Hr.Stoichkov began his career in his hometown, moving to Hebros in 1984. The next year he went to CSKA Sofia. There, he was involved in a fight during the final of the 1985 Bulgarian Cup which resulted in an original lifelong ban, which was eventually reduced to a month suspension. After he was brought back to football, he managed to win the European Golden Boot with CSKA by scoring 38 goals in 30 games. He then moved on to FC Barcelona, where he was part of Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team', Stoichkov helped Barcelona to one of the most successful eras of the club, winning the Primera Division four years in a row between 1991 and 1994 and the European Cup after defeating Sampdoria in 1992. During his stay in Barcelona, he had become an idol for the club's fans, and was Barça's most popular player at the time, having earned a place in the supporters' hearts much like Johan Neeskens and Diego Maradona in the past. In Barcelona Stoichkov played in tandem with Romário.

wn.com/Hristo_Stoichkov
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
Héctor Cúper
Héctor Raúl Cúper (born 16 November 1955 in Chabás, Santa Fe Province, Argentina) is an Argentinean former football defender and now a manager who currently manages Orduspor in Turkish Süper Lig.
Cúper started his coaching career in Huracán, a year and a half after his retirement. After three years he moved to Club Atlético Lanús, and two years later he made the jump to Europe. In 1997 he was hired by RCD Mallorca, and in the very first season he drove the modest club to the final of the Copa del Rey, which he would lose against FC Barcelona. The following season the team reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, beating Heart of Midlothian on the way, losing to S.S. Lazio. However, in the same season the team had its revenge against Barcelona, winning the Supercopa de España in 1998. That season RCD Mallorca also recorded their best historical position at the end of the league with a 3rd place, allowing the team to play in the UEFA Champions League.
Cúper moved to the Valencia in 1999, where he maintained his bad luck in finals, losing the final of the Champions League two consecutive times; in 2000 against Real Madrid, and in 2001 against Bayern Munich on penalty shootout.

wn.com/Héctor_Cúper
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
Jaap Stam
Jakob "Jaap" Stam (born 17 July 1972 in Kampen) is a retired Dutch football player who was twice voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played for several European clubs including PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, S.S. Lazio, A.C. Milan and AFC Ajax before retiring in October 2007. Stam is currently the assistant manager of Art Langeler at his former club FC Zwolle.
Stam started his career with local amateur football club DOS Kampen. On 15 August 1992, Stam made his professional debut for FC Zwolle in a 1–1 draw against SC Heracles in the Eerste Divisie. He became a first team regular right away and moved to Eredivisie side Cambuur Leeuwarden for the following season, but relegated in his first season which brought him back into the Eerste Divisie. Two seasons at Cambuur earned him a transfer to Eredivisie side Willem II. At Willem II he impressed at the Eredivisie level straight away, which meant his final breakthrough. A shock 1–0 home victory over Ajax led to Stam's transfer to PSV Eindhoven in the same season in which they eventually won the KNVB Cup, his first professional trophy.

wn.com/Jaap_Stam
Jack Greenwell
Jack Greenwell (born in Crook, County Durham, England; 2 January, 1884 – 20 November, 1942) was an English footballer and manager. He served as manager of Barcelona for seven consecutive seasons, a record that has only been beaten by Johan Cruyff and later had a second spell as Barcelona manager. In 1939 Greenwell became the only non-South American coach to date to win the South American Championship when he guided Peru to their first win. He also served as a manager with CD Castellón, RCD Español, Valencia CF, Sporting de Gijón,RCD Mallorca and Universitario de Deportes.
Before joining Barcelona, Greenwell, the son of a County Durham miner, played for Crook Town of the English Northern League. He made his debut as player for Barcelona on 29 September 1912 in a 4–2 win over FC Espanya de Barcelona. In 1913. Greenwell arranged for his former team, Crook Town to play a series of games against Barcelona. The visiting English team beat them 4–2 and then held them to 1–1 and 2–2 draws. Together with a very young Paulino Alcántara, Francisco Bru and Romà Forns, Greenwell subsequently helped Barcelona win the Campionat de Catalunya in 1912/13 and 1915/16.

wn.com/Jack_Greenwell
Jack Kirwan
John Henry Kirwan (9 February 1878, County Wicklow, Ireland – 9 January 1959, London, England), commonly referred to as John Kirwan or Jack Kirwan, is a former Irish footballer and coach. As a football player, he was described as an out and out winger with good pace and skills, playing as an outside-left for, among others, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Ireland. He had previously played gaelic football for Dublin. As a football coach he became the first professional manager of Dutch side Ajax. He was the last survivor of the Tottenham team that won the 1901 FA Cup.
Kirwan initially played Gaelic football for Dublin and won an All-Ireland medal with Dublin in 1894 when they defeated Cork by 1–2 to 0–5 after a replay. Although both the final and the replay finished level, Dublin were awarded the cup. He then played soccer joined Southport Central of the Lancashire League where he attracted the attentions of both Everton and Blackburn Rovers. He opted to sign for Everton in July 1898 and was subsequently used to replace John Cameron who had been sold to Tottenham Hotspur. He made his league debut for Everton against Preston N.E. in September 1898. During his one season at the club he made 24 league appearances and scored 5 goals. He also played a further 2 games in the FA Cup. While at Everton his team-mates included among others Samuel Wolstenholme.

wn.com/Jack_Kirwan
Jack Rowley
John Frederick "Jack" Rowley (7 October 1920 – 28 June 1998) was an English football striker from the 1930s to the 1950s, mainly remembered for playing for Manchester United. He was nicknamed "The Gunner" because of his prolific and explosive goalscoring, achieving scoring statistics with United of 208 goals in 422 appearances . His younger brother, Arthur, still holds the record for the most number of goals scored in the Football League during a career with 434.
Rowley started his professional career in 1935 with Wolverhampton Wanderers, although he never found a place in the first team. In 1937, he moved to Bournemouth & Boscombe, scoring 10 goals in his first 11 games. His talent soon brought him to the attention of larger clubs and Rowley was purchased 8 months later by Manchester United for £3,000. Still only 17, his debut for the club came on 23 October 1937 against Sheffield Wednesday. In his second game, he scored 4 goals against Swansea Town.
Initially bought as a left sided winger, he was to develop into a highly effective centre forward in Matt Busby's first United team. He helped United to the 1948 FA Cup (scoring two goals in the final) and their 1952 championship. Rowley is one of only three players in the history of Manchester United to score over 200 goals for the club, the other two being Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. He left the club in 1955 to become player/manager of Plymouth Argyle.

wn.com/Jack_Rowley
Jan Ceulemans
Jan Anna Gumaar Ceulemans (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjɑn ˈkøːləmɑns]; born 28 February 1957 in Lier, Belgium) is a Belgian former football player who played as a midfielder.
He is his country's most capped player with 96 international appearances. Most of his time with Belgium took place under the guidance of Guy Thys. This period saw the Belgium squad record some of their finest results, which include reaching the final of Euro 80 and fourth place at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Ceulemans' first of three World Cup appearances was at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, where Belgium beat the defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the opening game of the tournament at Nou Camp en route to reaching the second round. Among one of Ceulemans' finest achievements was captaining his national side to fourth place in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals in the tournament including a beautiful diving header against Spain in the quarter-finals. His performance earned the nickname "Captain Courageous".[1]. He retired from international competition after the 1990 FIFA World Cup; Jan scored the 3rd goal in a 3-1 win over Uruguay but Belgium was eliminated by England in the round of sixteen, with the winning goal being scored by David Platt in the 119th minute in extra time. Jan had struck the post during the game.

wn.com/Jan_Ceulemans
Jan Jongbloed
Jan Jongbloed (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjɑn ˈjɔŋ.blut]) (born 25 November 1940 in Amsterdam) was a football goalkeeper with the Netherlands national football team at the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups, wearing the number 8 jersey.
Jongbloed was known as a mobile goalkeeper who would often act as an extra defender, in the style of Gyula Grosics. In terms of clubs, he played with DWS (later FC Amsterdam), Roda JC and Go Ahead Eagles. The 707 games he played in the Eredivisie is still a record.
Jongbloed made a total of 24 appearances for the Netherlands, winning his first cap in 1962 and last in the 1978 World Cup final.

wn.com/Jan_Jongbloed
Jan Ruiter
Jan Ruiter (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjɑn ˈrœy̯.tər]) (born 24 November 1946 in Enkhuizen, Noord-Holland) is a former Dutch football goalkeeper.
During his club career he played for FC Volendam, R.S.C. Anderlecht, R.W.D. Molenbeek, K. Beerschot V.A.C. and Royal Antwerp FC. He earned 1 cap for the Netherlands national football team, and was included in their squad for the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship.
He later managed Berchem.

wn.com/Jan_Ruiter
Jan Wouters
Jan Jacobus Wouters (born 17 July 1960 in Utrecht, Netherlands) is a former professional football midfielder. He used to play defensive midfielder and was Dutch Footballer of the Year in 1990.
Wouters played for several clubs including PSV, FC Utrecht, Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam. He was also a Dutch international (70 caps, 4 goals) and was hugely influential in 1988 when the Netherlands won the European Football Championship.
He was coach of Scottish Premier League club Rangers under Dick Advocaat and then Alex McLeish. He left Rangers at the end of the 2005–06 season along with McLeish and Andy Watson.
Wouters is infamous to England supporters after elbowing Paul Gascoigne and fracturing his cheekbone during a World Cup qualifier in 1993 at Wembley. Paul Gascoigne was forced to wear a Phantom of the Opera style facemask to protect his fractured cheekbone until his injury healed. The following day, the 'Daily Mirror' newspaper labelled Wouters a "Dutch thug". The match was drawn 2–2 and damaged England's hopes of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup finals in the U.S.A., despite England leading the match 2–0.

wn.com/Jan_Wouters
Jari Litmanen
Jari Olavi Litmanen ( pronunciation (help·info)) (born 20 February 1971 in Lahti) is a Finnish footballer who last played for HJK. He also played for the Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008. His international career ran from 1989 to 2010, making him the only footballer to play an International in four different decades.^{[citation needed]}
He is widely considered to be Finland's greatest football player of all time. He was chosen as the best Finnish player of the last 50 years by the Football Association of Finland in the UEFA Jubilee Awards in November 2003. Litmanen also finished 42nd in the 100 Greatest Finns voting in 2004. The Association of Football Statisticians' (The AFS) compendium of 'Greatest Ever Footballers' listed Litmanen as the 53rd best footballer ever.
In Finland he is often called "Litti" (after Pierre Littbarski), which dates from his early years in Finland; his childhood playmate Tommi Kautonen was "Auge" after Klaus Augenthaler. He is very often also called "Kuningas" ("The King").

wn.com/Jari_Litmanen
Javier Clemente
Javier Clemente Lázaro, (born 12 March 1950 in Barakaldo) is a Spanish football manager. Nicknamed The Barakaldo blonde one for his place of origin; the veteran La Liga manager has spent most of his career at two clubs: Athletic Bilbao and RCD Espanyol. Between 1992 and 1998, he managed Spain and went 31 games unbeaten. After training Spain and especially recently, has largely been chosen to train teams in difficult situation, but most times finished in relegation or failing to qualify in the objective competition: Betis, Marseille, Tenerife, Athletic Bilbao, Serbia, Murcia, Valladolid, Cameroon and Sporting de Gijón.
As a player, Clemente made 47 La Liga appearances for Athletic Bilbao and scored six goals between 1968 and 1971. He was also a member of the Athletic team that won the Copa del Generalísimo in 1969, but his playing career was cut short because of injury. Clemente served his apprenticeship as a coach with Arenas Club de Getxo, CD Baskonia and then Bilbao Athletic, before becoming manager of Athletic Bilbao for the first time in 1981.

wn.com/Javier_Clemente
Javier Irureta
Javier Iruretagoyena Amiano (born 1 April 1948), Irureta for short, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a forward, and a current manager.
Irureta had a distinguished playing career with both Atlético de Madrid and Athletic de Bilbao, playing in 344 La Liga games for both teams combined, and scoring 70 goals. Along with Adelardo, Luis Aragonés and José Eulogio Gárate, he was a prominent member of the successful Atlético teams of the early 1970s.
As a manager, he coached several Spanish top flight clubs, most notably Deportivo de La Coruña. He is the only person to have coached both the two major Galician (Deportivo and Celta de Vigo) and Basque (Athletic and Real Sociedad) sides.
Irureta was born in Irun, Gipuzkoa. As a player, he made his senior debut for local team Real Unión, in 1965. Two years later he helped it reach the second division play-offs before joining Atlético Madrid later that year. During his time at Atlético he was part of a team that won two La Liga titles and a domestic cup.

wn.com/Javier_Irureta
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
Javier Zanetti
Javier Adelmar Zanetti (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈχaβ̞je̞ɾ saˈne̞ti]; born 10 August 1973 in Dock Sud, Buenos Aires Province) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Internazionale. Javier Zanetti has played for Inter since 1995, taking the captain's armband from 29 August 1999. Known for his versatility, he is adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a fullback as well as a winger. He slots into several midfield positions with ease, particularly as a defensive or central midfielder. Internationally, he holds the record of the most capped player in the history of the Argentine national team and has played in the 1996 Olympic tournament and in two World Cups, in 1998 and 2002.
Known as "Pupi" in Argentina, Zanetti was born in Buenos Aires, picking up the nickname "El Tractor" (The Tractor) soon after his move to Italy where his strength, resilience, stamina, and his ability to run past opposing defenders when joining the attack from his right back position earned him notoriety. More recently, he plays in the right midfield. He ended a 4-year goal drought when he scored on 5 November 2006. In the national team, he is deployed as a right back but is able to switch between defense and attack easily.

wn.com/Javier_Zanetti
Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Henryk Dudek (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjɛʐɨ ˈdudɛk]; born 23 March 1973 in Rybnik) is a Polish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
After beginning his career in his home country, he went on to have successful spells in Netherlands and England, winning the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, appearing in 186 official games for the club over the course of six seasons. He also spent four years at Real Madrid.
Dudek played 59 times for Poland - the second most-capped player in his position for several years - representing the nation at the 2002 World Cup.
Dudek began playing football at twelve, for Górnik Knurów. Six years later he made his senior debuts, with Concordia Knurów in the third division, where he set a record of 416 minutes without conceding a goal.
Dudek only played one season in the Polish top flight, appearing in roughly half of the matches for Sokół Tychy as the club finished in mid-table, making his debut in the competition against Legia Warsaw.
Dudek left his country in 1996 at the age of 23, joining Feyenoord Rotterdam, but had to wait a year before he made his debut, proceeding to appear in all Eredivisie games for the club in the following four seasons combined. He won his first trophy in 1998–99 – the national championship – along with the following season's Dutch Super Cup, after a 3–2 win against Ajax Amsterdam.

wn.com/Jerzy_Dudek
Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen (born 20 March 1961) is a Danish former footballer who most notably played for Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. Olsen was a regular left winger for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches. He represented Denmark at the Euro 1984 and 1986 World Cup tournaments.
He started his senior career for Næstved IF, and made his debut for the Danish national team in a July 1980 friendly match against the Soviet Union. He had a trial with Arsenal FC in 1978-79, scoring a goal in a reserve team game. After a failed attempt by Ajax July 1980 to get Jesper Olsen to Amsterdam, he moved abroad in July 1981 to play professionally for Ajax in the Netherlands.
While playing for Ajax, Olsen became well known for his part in the infamous "passed penalty" routine he performed with Johan Cruyff. When Cruyff was awarded a penalty kick in a Dutch Eredivisie league match against Helmond Sport on 5 December 1982, with Ajax leading 1-0, Cruyff passed the ball sideways to Olsen, who returned it to Cruyff, with the Dutchman then slotting the ball past the bemused goalkeeper to make the score 2-0. It was allowed by the referee because the penalty is a direct free kick, so it can also be taken indirectly. During his stay with Ajax, Olsen earned the nickname De Vlo (The Flea) due to his posture and his ability to twist, turn and jump to avoid tackles. He was also called "The Untouchable". The Ajax coach in the 1981-82 season, Kurt Linder, regarded him the most surprisingly talented player in the young Ajax squad, both technically and tactically phenomenal.

wn.com/Jesper_Olsen
Jesza Poszony
Jesza Poszony (born Imre Pozsonyi) is a former Hungarian football manager who coached FC Barcelona during the 1924–25 season. In his only season running the first team he managed to win both competitions Barça participated in: the Spanish Cup and the Campeonat de Catalunya.
Pozsonyi started his career playing for Újpest. He also played for the Hungarian national team
Despite his startling success, he decided to return to his beloved native Hungary. He was the coach of Újpest FC between 1926 and 1928.
Cracovia Kraków
FC Barcelona
Građanski Zagreb

wn.com/Jesza_Poszony
Jim Bellamy
James Francis "Jim" Bellamy (born 11 September 1881 – 30 March 1969) is a former football player who played as right half or outside right for a number of clubs in the Football League, including Woolwich Arsenal, Burnley and Fulham.
Bellamy went on to coach in various European countries, such as Germany, Italy with Brescia Calcio, and Spain with FC Barcelona.

wn.com/Jim_Bellamy
Joan Laporta
Joan Laporta i Estruch (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈan ɫəˈpɔrtə]; born June 29, 1962) is a Spanish politician and former president of Futbol Club Barcelona between 2003 and 2010.
Laporta is a lawyer (he graduated from the University of Barcelona) with his own firm, Laporta & Arbós, which has important firms as clients. Laporta was married to Constanza Echevarría and has three sons, Pol, Guillem and Jan. He is currently serving as MP in the Parliament of Catalonia.
He started his involvement with Barcelona leading the "Elefant Blau" (Blue Elephant), a group which opposed former president Josep Lluís Nuñez and which, in 1998, tried, unsuccessfully, a vote of no confidence against him.
In the 2003 elections, Laporta did not start as the favourite, but his charisma grew during the electoral campaign and he finally won against the expected victor, publicist Lluís Bassat, in part because of a widely published (and ultimately unfulfilled) promise to bring David Beckham to Barcelona. Laporta had the support of other young businessmen of Barcelona, such as Sandro Rosell. Laporta quickly became a media star, even more than some of the players.

wn.com/Joan_Laporta
Joaquim Rifé
Joaquim Rifé Climent (born 4 February 1942 in Barcelona, Catalonia) was a Spanish footballer, captain of the FC Barcelona, who has most worn the Barcelona shirt a total of 548 played matches. He played in the first team for 12 seasons for the club, between 1964 and 1976. Following his retirement as a player, he became one of the team trainers and at the end of the season 1978–79 he took charge of the team along with Torres. This duo helped the team to attain The Recopa of Basilea.
He ranks nine among players, by number of starts, in the history of Barcelona.

wn.com/Joaquim_Rifé
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 Neeskens
Johannes Jacobus "Johan" Neeskens (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjoʊ̯.ɦɑ.nəs ja.ˈkoʊ̯.bʏs ˈjoʊ̯.ɦɑn ˈneɪ̯s.kəns]; born 15 September 1951 in Heemstede, Netherlands) is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. As a player, he was an important member of the Dutch national team that finished as runners-up in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups. Former England manager Alf Ramsey said Neeskens was "as good as any player" in the tournament. He was the assistant coach to Frank Rijkaard at Barcelona but was sacked along with Rijkaard as the end of the 2007–08 season. He was the head coach of the Dutch B national team until June 2009, at which date he has been appointed as the assistant coach to Frank Rijkaard at Galatasaray SK.
Neeskens, a native of Heemstede, Noord-Holland, started his career at RCH Heemstede in 1968, before being spotted by Rinus Michels and signed for Ajax in 1970. The youngster impressed at right-back, playing in that position for Ajax in the 1971 European Cup Final win against Panathinaikos. During the 1971–72 season, Neeskens took up more of a central midfield role, in support of Johan Cruijff. He adapted well to his new central midfield role because he was a tireless runner, had great technical skills and scored his fair share of goals. Ajax completed a hat-trick of European Cup wins between 1971 and 1973, and Neeskens moved on to FC Barcelona in 1974 to join Cruijff and Michels. There he was nicknamed Johan Segon (Johan the Second).

wn.com/Johan_Neeskens
Johann Vogel
Johann Louis François Vogel (born 8 March 1977 in Geneva) is a former Swiss footballer.
Vogel joined Swiss amateur club Meyrin in his youth, but made the cut into professional football by joining Grasshoppers. In his time at Grasshoppers, he usually played central defence or rightback although on occasion, he could be called to feature in a central defensive midfield role.
In his role as a defensive midfield player, in which he uses his ability to pass accurately and to effectively retain possession of the ball, Vogel can be counted on to add depth to either defence or attack.
Dutch club PSV sought his services in 1999 and he became a prominent member of the team until he decided to leave to join Milan at the end of the 2004–05 season. In his final season with PSV, he was noted for forming a formidable midfield partnership with Mark van Bommel and Phillip Cocu where the club managed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League tournament.
On 31 August 2006, he joined Real Betis in an exchange deal for Ricardo Oliveira. Vogel made his Betis debut against Athletic Bilbao on 10 September 2006 at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera, which Betis won 3–0.

wn.com/Johann_Vogel
John Bosman
Johannes "John" Jacobus Bosman (born 1 February 1965) is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a striker.
A prolific goalscorer for both club and country, he played professionally for 19 years, most notably with Ajax (five seasons) and Anderlecht (five), surpassing the 100-goal mark with both clubs and winning a total of eight major titles combined.
Nicknamed Bossie, Bosman represented Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup and Euro 1988, helping the national team win the latter tournament.
Born in Bovenkerk, Amstelveen, Bosman began his professional career at AFC Ajax, making his Eredivisie debut on 20 November 1983 at the age of 18, in a 5–2 home win against Roda JC, scoring in the match. He finished his first season with four goals in 14 games.
From 1984–87, Bosman and fellow youth graduate Marco van Basten scored an astonishing 138 league goals combined (48 for Bosman), as the Amsterdam outfit won the 1985 national championship and two cups. After van Basten left for A.C. Milan in the 1987 summer, he netted 25 goals in 32 games, with the club finishing second to PSV Eindhoven; he also helped his team to the season's UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final, a 0–1 loss against KV Mechelen - the previous year, as Ajax won the competition, he was crowned top scorer with eight goals.

wn.com/John_Bosman
John Charles
William John Charles, CBE (27 December 1931 – 21 February 2004), commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back. He has since been included in the Football League 100 Legends and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.
He was never cautioned or sent off during his entire career, due to his philosophy of never kicking or intentionally hurting opposing players. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches, he was nicknamed Il Gigante Buono – The Gentle Giant.
His brother, Mel Charles and nephew Jeremy Charles, also represented Wales.
Charles was born in the Cwmbwrla district of Swansea during late 1931. Charles would play football as a child, with younger brother Mel Charles who also went on to become a professional, later playing alongside each other for the Welsh national team.
While still at school, Charles joined the boys section of the local team Swansea Town, who later became Swansea City. When he left school at age 14, he was taken onto the groundstaff at Vetch Field, yet because of his young age; Third Division Swansea never gave him a first-team call up. His only senior appearances came for the reserve side in the Welsh Football League.

wn.com/John_Charles
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan ("Johnny") Heitinga (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdʒɔn ˈɣɛi̯s.bɛrt ˈaː.lɑn (ˈʃɔ.ni) ˈɦɛi̯.ˌtɪ.ŋɣa]; born 15 November 1983 in Alphen aan den Rijn) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009.
Heitinga previously represented various youth squads for the Netherlands. He is now a regular player for the Dutch national team, having made his debut in February 2004. He has represented his country at two World Cups (2006 and 2010) and two European Championships (2004 and 2008). In 2008, Heitinga was named Dutch Footballer of the Year.
Heitinga was part of the Ajax youth team before making his debut for the first team on 26 August 2001 against Feyenoord. He was part a new wave of talent that fielded the likes of homegrown stars Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder as well as Zlatan Ibrahimović and Cristian Chivu. He was featured in a documentary entitled Ajax: Hark the Herald Angel Sings alongside Ajax academy pupils Gregory van der Wiel, Mitchell Donald, Jeffrey Sarpong, Donovan Slijngard, Nordin Amrabat, Evander Sno and Jeremain Lens.

wn.com/John_Heitinga
John Metgod
Johannes ("John" or "Johnny") Antonius Bernardus Metgod (born 27 February 1958 in Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a retired Dutch footballer, who is a first-team coach at Derby County.
Playing as a defender, Metgod started his professional career in the 1970s playing for HFC Haarlem. After one season with Haarlem, Metgod moved to play for AZ Alkmaar, spending six years at the club, including their UEFA Cup final defeat against English side Ipswich Town, during which he scored a consolation goal in the second leg of the final.
In 1982, Metgod moved to Spain to play for Real Madrid. He then moved to England in 1984 to sign for Nottingham Forest, where he was a regular player for three seasons before signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 1987. He spent just one season with the North London club before he moved back to the Netherlands, where he signed for Feyenoord. He spent six years at Feyenoord before finally retiring as a player in 1994.
During his career Metgod obtained 21 caps for the Netherlands national football team, scoring four goals. He was noted for his stunning free-kicks, particularly during his spell at Nottingham Forest.

wn.com/John_Metgod
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE (born 22 March 1949) is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.
As a player, he is remembered for being part of the Liverpool side of the 1970s, where he formed a forward partnership with Kevin Keegan.
Toshack was born in 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, to a Scottish father and Welsh mother.
Toshack started his footballing career with Cardiff City, signing for them as a 16 year old. He became the youngest ever player to play in a league match for the club when he came off the bench to make a goalscoring debut during a 3–1 win over Leyton Orient on 13 November 1965 at the age of 16 years and 236 days old, a record which stood for 41 years until it was broken by Aaron Ramsey in 2007. Establishing himself in the side over the next few years, scoring his first hat-trick in January 1968 in an 8–0 win over Ebbw Vale in the Welsh Cup, he went on to form one of the most lethal strike partnerships in the club's history alongside Brian Clark.

wn.com/John_Toshack
Johnny Giles
Michael John "Johnny" Giles (born 6 November 1940, in Ormond Square,Dublin, Ireland) is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s. Since retirement he has served as "the Senior Analyst" on RTÉ Sport's coverage of association football.
Giles grew up in Ormond Square, a working-class area of inner-city Dublin, where he developed much of the skills that would aid him in becoming a professional footballer. He was encouraged to enter the game through his father Christy who played for Bohemians in the 1920s and managed Drumcondra during the 1940s.
The FAI voted Giles as the greatest Republic of Ireland player of the last 50 years at the UEFA Jubilee Awards in 2004. In 2006, he was chosen by supporters at Elland Road as a member of the best ever Leeds United XI.
England's World Cup winning manager, Sir Alf Ramsey, said of Giles' influence as a player on English football:
"As I look at all the talent and character at my disposal today, my one regret is that John Giles wasn't born an Englishman."

wn.com/Johnny_Giles
Johnny Rep
John Nicholaas "Johnny" Rep (born 25 November 1951 in Zaandam, North Holland) is a former Dutch footballer. He currently holds the all time record for FIFA World Cup goals for the Netherlands with 7.
He played as a right-sided forward in the Dutch World Cup teams of 1974 (West Germany) and 1978 (Argentina). Rep scored the winning goal for Ajax Amsterdam against Juventus in the 1973 European Cup final in Belgrade. He also helped SC Bastia reach the finals of the 1978 UEFA Cup.
After his time in Bastia, Rep joined St-Etienne and was part of a side that included Michel Platini.
Rep is included in the 'Classic Netherlands' team in Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 6 under the name of 'Rak'.

wn.com/Johnny_Rep
Jordi Cruyff
Johan Jordi Cruijff (born 9 February 1974 in Amsterdam), also known as Jordi Cruyff (both forms are acceptable in Dutch), is a Dutch former footballer and currently Maccabi Tel Aviv General Manager of Football. He played from 1992 through to 2010, his clubs including Barcelona and Manchester United. He gained nine caps for the Netherlands national football team, playing in the 1996 European Championships. Cruyff is the son of Dutch former player and manager Johan Cruijff.
Jordi played mainly as an attacking midfielder, though he could also appear as a second striker. In his later years, notably with Metalurh Donetsk, he also played as a centre back. After starting his career with Barcelona (under his father's management) and playing for the Netherlands aged 22, Cruyff's career stalled whilst at Manchester United, as he appeared just 36 times in the league over four years due largely to injuries. His most successful period was arguably with Deportivo Alavés, whom he led to the 2001 UEFA Cup Final. He also played for Celta Vigo, Espanyol and finished his playing career with Valletta in the Maltese Premier League.

wn.com/Jordi_Cruyff
Jorge Valdano
Jorge Alberto Francisco Valdano Castellanos (born October 4, 1955 in Las Parejas, Santa Fe Province) is an Argentine former football player and the former General Manager of Real Madrid CF.
He is sometimes nicknamed The Philosopher of Football. He was part of the Argentine team that won the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico (he scored Argentina's second goal in their 3-2 victory over Germany), a starter for Spanish giant Real Madrid, and later became sporting director of the Spanish club.
Valdano started playing when he was 16 years old for Rosario's club Newell's Old Boys, where he also started playing professionally, as well as with the Argentina national football team, in 1972. In 1975 he was transferred to Deportivo Alavés of the Spanish Second Division, where he played until 1979. In that year he moved to Real Zaragoza of the first division, and then to Real Madrid in 1984, playing with the Quinta del Buitre. He helped them win the UEFA Cup in 1985 and 1986, scoring once in the 1985 final and twice in the 1986 final. Stricken by Hepatitis, he decided to retire in 1988, and became a sports commentator and Real Madrid youth team's coach. In the 1991/1992 season he became CD Tenerife's coach, helping it avoid relegation, and qualifying for the UEFA Cup in the following season. He went back to Real Madrid, now as coach, and won them the 1994/1995 league. He finally coached Valencia CF in 1996/1997, before becoming Real Madrid's Sporting Director until his resignation in June 2005. In June 2009 he came back to Real Madrid as Director General and Presidential Aide of Real Madrid. He was sacked from the position on 25 May 2011, after his relationship with the coaching staff, especially head coach José Mourinho, had deteriorated.

wn.com/Jorge_Valdano
Jorge Vergara
Jorge Vergara is a businessman and film producer. He's the founder of Grupo Omnilife, one of the top 200 corporations in Mexico. Grupo Omnilife owns the football (soccer) clubs: Club Deportivo Guadalajara of Mexico, C.D. Chivas USA of Major League Soccer, and Chivas Hefei.
He has also produced internationally recognized movies like The Assassination of Richard Nixon and the Oscar-nominated Y tu mamá también through Producciones Anhelo.
Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Vergara once sold tacos on Mexican streets. Back in the 1980s Vergara sold condominiums and timeshares in Manzanillo, Mexico, where he met and began working with John Peterson.
When Peterson became a Herbalife salesperson, he recruited Vergara and together they began selling Herbalife products in Mexico. Since Herbalife had not received Mexican government approval to sell their products, Peterson and Vergara had to smuggle the products into the country. After six months of smuggling the products into Mexico, Herbalife took notice and began the process of getting government approval. Vergara was asked to help get the Herbalife products approved by the Mexican government and was instrumental in helping Herbalife's founder, Mark Hughes deal with the Mexican Government. This gave Vergara insight into how a multi-level company profits and expands into other countries. Vergara was partners with Roger Daley, Jim Fobair and Charlie Ragus. With already the 51% of the company, Vergara acquired the rest of Omnitrition at the end of the deal with his U.S. partners and took the whole control of Omnitrition de Mexico. Since its foundation in 1991, the privately owned corporation has grown from one company, Omnilife de Mexico, to comprise nineteen companies. Today, approximately 5.2 million people distribute Omnilife products in 22 countries, while the company has reached annual sales of nearly $1 billion dollars.

wn.com/Jorge_Vergara
Jos Hermens
Josephus ("Jos") Maria Melchior Hermens (born January 8, 1950 in Nijmegen, Gelderland) is a former Dutch long-distance runner, also known for his latter career as a sports manager.
Hermens is a three-time national champion in the men's 5,000 metres, and collected his first title on July 14, 1973 in The Hague. He was named Dutch Sportsman of the Year in 1975. He was a 10,000 metres finalist at the 1976 Summer Olympics and set the world record for the hour run the same year.
Hermens twice improved the world hour record, on the Papendal track. In September 1975, with Gerard Tebroke as a pacemaker, he ran 20,907 meters. In May 1976, without a pacemaker, he ran an additional 37 meters. This record held until 1991.
After his athletic career was cut short by injuries, Hermens worked for Nike, leaving it in 1985 to start his management company, Global Sports Communications. Hermens' company manages in excess of 100 athletes; his current and former clients include Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Gabriela Szabo, Nils Schumann and Hezekiél Sepeng.

wn.com/Jos_Hermens
Josef Bican
Josef "Pepi" Bican (25 September 1913 – 12 December 2001) was a Czech-Austrian football forward. It is estimated by footballing statistics page RSSSF that Bican scored around 800 goals in all competitive matches, not including friendly games. This would make him the all-time most prolific scorer in football history known to date.
He was a member of the Austrian Wunderteam of the 1930s and was the season's highest scorer in the whole of Europe on five separate occasions. Bican had the ability to play with both feet, he also had considerable pace and was able to run 100 metres in 10.8 seconds, which was as fast as many sprinters of the time. The IFFHS awarded Bican the "Golden Ball" as the greatest goalscorer of the last century.
In the domestic leagues, Bican scored an incredible 607 goals in 406 games.
Bican was born in Vienna to Ludmila and František Bican. He was the second of three children. Ludmila was Viennese Czech and František came from Sedlice in Southern Bohemia. Josef's father František was a footballer who played for Hertha Vienna. He went to fight in World War I and returned uninjured. However, František was to die at the age of just 30 in 1921 because he refused an operation to treat a kidney injury sustained in a football match. His mother worked in a restaurant kitchen. The family's poverty meant that Bican had to play football without any shoes, which helped him hone his ball control skills. Bican attended the Jan Amos Komenský school, a Czech school in Vienna. Four years after his father's death in 1925, twelve-year old Bican started to play for the Hertha Vienna junior team, Hertha Vienna II. When he was 18, Bican was spotted by Rapid Vienna, who were a big club in the city at the time.

wn.com/Josef_Bican
Josef Masopust
Josef Masopust (born 9 February 1931 in Střimice near Most) is a Czechoslovak former football player and coach. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1962. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of the Czech Republic by the Football Association of the Czech Republic as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. He played as midfielder and was an indispensable player for Czechoslovakia. He capped 63 times, scoring 10 goals for his country.
He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
In 1962, Masopust led the Czechoslovakia team that reached the 1962 FIFA World Cup final, losing to Brazil. He scored in the Final and Czechoslovakia took the lead, Brazil however came back to win 3-1. Because of his performance at the World Cup Finals, he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1962. Overall, he was capped 63 times for his country, scoring ten goals (he also played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup). In Europe, he took Czechoslovakia to third place at the 1960 UEFA European Football Championship.

wn.com/Josef_Masopust
Josep Lluís Núñez
Josep Lluís Núñez i Clemente (born on 7 September 1931 in Barakaldo, Spain) was president of FC Barcelona between 1978 and 2000. Núñez also owns the Núñez i Navarro construction company (Navarro being his wife) and Núñez i Navarro Hotels chain. He was elected club president on 1 July 1978 despite having no previous connection with the club. His main objectives were to establish Barça as a world class sports club and to give the club financial stability.
Núñez oversaw one of the club's most successful eras and has been Barça’s most successful president in terms of winning trophies. During his presidency, the club’s four professional teams amassed 176 trophies – 30 in football, 36 in basketball, 65 in handball and 45 in roller hockey. This included a remarkable quartet in 1999, the club’s centenary year, when the four teams were all crowned champions of Spain. FC Barcelona were also European football champions in 1992.
During his presidency, FC Barcelona membership increased from 77,905 to 106,000, leading to the increase in the capacity of the Camp Nou stadium. The number of penyes (fan clubs) also increased from 96 based in Spain to over 1,300 based throughout the world. Núñez gave the club a solid economical base and increased the club's wealth. The club built the Mini Estadi in 1982, opened the FC Barcelona Museum in 1984, expanded the Palau Blaugrana to a capacity of 8,500, bought los terrenos de la futura Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper and opened the La Masia, a residence for young players.

wn.com/Josep_Lluís_Núñez
Josep Samitier
Josep Samitier Vilalta (2 February 1902 – 5 May 1972), also known as José Samitier, was a Spanish footballer, manager and scout who played for FC Barcelona, Madrid CF, OGC Nice, the Catalan XI and Spain. He later coached Athletic Madrid, OGC Nice and CF Barcelona and worked as a scout for both CF Barcelona and Real Madrid.
During his playing career with FC Barcelona he scored 326 goals and is second only to Paulino Alcántara as the clubs all time top goalscorer. As a player he pioneered the midfield general role and was nicknamed El Mag (The Magician) and Home Llagosta (The Grasshopper Man) due to his style. As a manager he led CF Barcelona to a La Liga title in 1945 and as a scout he recruited another CF Barcelona legend Ladislao Kubala. However he was later accused of acting as a double agent when the club tried to sign Alfredo Di Stéfano and in the 1960s he fell out with Helenio Herrera and went to work for Real Madrid. Despite his role in the Di Stéfano affair^{[citation needed]}, twice defecting to Real Madrid and his friendship with Franco^{[citation needed]}, he remained a legendary figure at FC Barcelona and when he died in 1972 he was given a virtual state funeral by the club.

wn.com/Josep_Samitier
Josep Seguer
Josep Seguer Sans (born 6 May 1923 in Parets del Vallès) is a Spanish former footballer and coach.
Seguer played club football for Barcelona and Betis. He capped 4 times for Spain.
Seguer coached Betis,Lleida and Barcelona.

wn.com/Josep_Seguer
Joseph Gruber
Joseph Gruber (died 1967 in Vienna) was an Austrian football player and manager who managed Dutch side Ajax between 1962 and 1963.
He also coached Alemannia Aachen,DOS,Vitesse Pittsburgh Phantoms

wn.com/Joseph_Gruber
José Gonzalvo
José Gonzalvo Falcón (Mollet del Vallès, Catalonia, 16 January 1920 – Barcelona, 31 May 1978), sometimes referred to as Gonzalvo II or –especially as of late– by the Catalan rendition of his given name Josep Gonzalvo, was a former Spanish Catalan footballer and manager. Gonzalvo played for, among others, FC Barcelona, Spain and the Catalan XI. His two brothers were also notable footballers. Juli Gonzalvo, known as Gonzalvo I played for RCD Espanyol while Marià Gonzalvo, known as Gonzalvo III, also played for Barcelona and Spain. After retiring as a player, he became a coach and briefly managed Barcelona. He died in 1978 after an unsuccessful operation.
Gonzalvo played for Segunda División team SD Ceuta while doing his military service. He then joined CE Sabadell FC, playing alongside his older brother Juli. He made his La Liga debut with CD Sabadell on 26 September 1943 in a 5-2 defeat to Sevilla CF. After just one season he signed for FC Barcelona. During six seasons with the club he played 198 games and scored 5 goals games in all competitions. Together with a team that included, among others Antoni Ramallets, Velasco, Josep Escolà, Joan Segarra, Estanislao Basora, César, Ladislao Kubala and his younger brother, Marià, he helped Barcelona win three La Liga titles. He finished his playing career with one season at Real Zaragoza.

wn.com/José_Gonzalvo
José Luis Romero
José Luis Romero Robledo (born 5 January 1945 in Madrid) is a Spanish former footballer and coach.
Romero played for Villarrobledo, Sabadell, Xerez, Barcelona, Espanyol, Burgos and Sant Andreu.
Romero coached Sabadell,Barcelona,Real Oviedo, Logroñés,Betis,Cádiz and Atlético Madrid.

wn.com/José_Luis_Romero
José Manuel Esnal
José Manuel Esnal Pardo (born 25 March 1950 in Balmaseda, Basque Country), aka Mané, is a Spanish football manager.
His career was mostly associated to Lleida and Alavés, coaching the latter in five La Liga seasons and taking it to the 2001 UEFA Cup Final.
Mané started coaching in his late 20's, his first job being with his hometown club. Safe for two years with UE Figueres, he worked exclusively in the Basque Country area during this time.
In 1988, he returned to Catalonia and joined UE Lleida, taking the club from Segunda División B to La Liga in only four years. In 1993–94, the team's second ever top flight experience, in spite of a 1–0 away win against FC Barcelona and a 2–1 success against Real Madrid at the Camp d´Esports, relegation befell, after only five more wins in the season.
Lleida finished third in Segunda División in the following season, but lost in the subsequent promotion playoffs against Sporting de Gijón.
After second division spells at RCD Mallorca (only 12 games) and Levante UD, Mané signed with Deportivo Alavés, returning to the team after coaching it in 1984–85, in the third division. In his first season in his second spell, he led them to the league championship, adding a semifinal presence in the Copa del Rey, after ousting Real Madrid in the round of 16 and Deportivo de La Coruña in the quarter-finals.

wn.com/José_Manuel_Esnal
José Mari Bakero
José María Bakero Escudero (born 11 February 1963) is a retired Spanish footballer and a current coach.
At the moment he is linked to Odense Boldklub to be new manager.
Having played mainly for Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona, he began his career as a forward (not being a prolific goalscorer) but was converted into an attacking midfielder, who possessed passing and netting ability (with both his right foot and his head, the second despite his short stature) and great leadership skills.
During a 17-year professional career, Bakero amassed 483 games in La Liga, scoring a total of 139 goals and collecting a total of 18 titles. In the 2000s, he embarked in a coaching career.
A Spanish international during seven years, Bakero represented the nation in two World Cups and one European Championship.
Born in Goizueta, Navarre, Bakero made his senior debut with Real Sociedad on 6 September 1980 when only 17, coming from the bench in a 2–3 loss at Valencia CF, and finished his debut season with 27 appearances, but no goals. Appearing only in two games in 1981–82, he was however part of the Basque sides which won back-to-back first division titles, his teammates including Luis Arconada, Jesús María Zamora and Jesús María Satrústegui.

wn.com/José_Mari_Bakero
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 José Nogués
Juan José Nogués Portalatín (March 28, 1909 – 1998), also known as Joan Josep Nogués, was a Spanish Aragonese footballer and manager. During the 1930s and 1940s, he played as goalkeeper for FC Barcelona, the Catalan XI and Spain. He later became manager of several La Liga clubs including CF Barcelona, Gimnàstic de Tarragona and RCD Español.
He was keeper from Zaragoza C.D. (known as Tomates -named Tomatoes because of their all red uniform-, team that merged with Iberia to create R. Zaragoza in 1932). Nogués made his La Liga debut for FC Barcelona on December 12, 1930 in a 1-1 draw with Racing de Santander. During his playing career with the club he helped them win the Campionat de Catalunya five times. Between 1932 and 1941 he also played 10 games for the Catalan XI. On February 14, 1934 he played against Spain at Les Corts. Spain, who were preparing for the 1934 World Cup, won 2-0. Nogués was subsequently included in the Spain squad for the World Cup. He played his only game for Spain in a quarter-final replay against Italy on June 1, 1934, replacing Ricardo Zamora who had been injured in the first game. After the World Cup was over, Brazil, with a team that included Leônidas, played the Catalan XI twice before going home and Nogués played in both games. On June 17 the Catalan XI beat Brazil 2-1 at Les Corts and then on June 24 they held them to a 2-2 draw in Girona.

wn.com/Juan_José_Nogués
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
Juande Ramos
Juan de la Cruz "Juande" Ramos Cano (born 25 September 1954 in Pedro Muñoz, Ciudad Real, Spain) is a Spanish former footballer and manager who is currently in charge of the Ukrainian football club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
Ramos played for Elche, Alcoyano, Linares, Eldense, Alicante and Dénia as a midfielder, until he retired due to a knee injury at the age of 28.
During his BLA first season with Sevilla, he won the UEFA Cup in the final against Middlesbrough, where his side won 4–0, and also winning the UEFA Super Cup, beating European champions and fellow La Liga side FC Barcelona 3–0. In the 2006–07 season, Ramos won the UEFA Cup for the second consecutive season after a 2–2 draw against RCD Espanyol, which Sevilla won 3–1 on penalties. Ramos also led Sevilla to a 3rd place finish in La Liga in the 2006–07 season, which qualified them for the European Champions League for the 2007–08 season. He also won the Copa del Rey, beating Getafe CF and pipped La Liga title holders Real Madrid to the Spanish Super Cup.

wn.com/Juande_Ramos
Julio César Romero
Julio César Romero Insfrán, nicknamed Romerito (born 28 August 1960 in Luque, Paraguay) is a former football midfielder from Paraguay, considered among the best players in Paraguayan football history. He is the only Paraguayan named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
Romero started his career at local club Sportivo Luqueño in 1977, by 1979 Romerito's consistent performances had earned him a place in the Paraguay national football team that played in the FIFA World Youth Championship and was considered one of the best players of the tournament along with Maradona. In the same year, Romerito played the Copa América which was eventually won by Paraguay.
In 1980 he joined now defunct New York Cosmos where he played alongside such greats as Carlos Alberto and Franz Beckenbauer.
Romero moved to Brazil to play for Fluminense where he was selected as the South American Footballer of the Year in 1985. He became a fan favorite after leading the team to a Campeonato Brasileiro.

wn.com/Julio_César_Romero
Just Fontaine
Just "Justo" Fontaine (born 18 August 1933 in Marrakech, Morocco) is a former French football player.
He holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup finals tournament, with 13 in 1958. He has also scored the fourth most goals for any player in the World Cup finals overall, beaten only by Ronaldo, who scored fifteen goals (in three World Cup tournaments), Gerd Müller who scored 14 goals (in two World Cup tournaments) and Miroslav Klose (in three World Cup tournaments), who scored fourteen goals as well. Although France did not win the 1958 World Cup, Fontaine became the second player after Alcides Ghiggia to score in every match of a World Cup.
Though born in Marrakech, he moved to Casablanca, where he attended the Lycée Lyautey.
Fontaine began his amateur career at USM Casablanca, where he played from 1950 to 1953. Nice recruited him in 1953, and he went on to score 44 goals in three seasons for the club. In 1956, he moved on to Stade de Reims where he teamed up with Raymond Kopa, Kopa went to Real Madrid in 1958, Fontaine scored 121 goals in six seasons at the Stade de Reims. In total, Fontaine scored 165 goals in 200 matches in the Ligue 1, and twice won the championship; in 1958 and 1960.

wn.com/Just_Fontaine
Ján Popluhár
Ján Popluhár (12 September 1935 – 6 March 2011) was a former Slovak football player who played primarily for club ŠK Slovan Bratislava and was also a member of the Czechoslovakia national team, playing in two World Cups (1958 and 1962).
Popluhár started his football career after high school with RH Brno. However, he is best known for the 15 seasons he spent with ŠK Slovan Bratislava where he made 262 competitive appearances in defence, scoring 21 goals, and following further stints with Brno and Zbrojovka Brno finished on 306 Czechoslovakian league games and a goalscoring tally of 24. After finishing his career with Slovan in 1968 he moved to French league side Olympique Lyonnais. Two seasons there were enough, but subsequently he spent five years with Austrian amateur club SK Slovan Vienna as player/coach. Many of the thousands of fans in Vienna thought that Popluhár would be shown up by players twenty years younger than he was, but this did not happen. However, at the age of 44 Popluhár realised that his playing career was over.

wn.com/Ján_Popluhár
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
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
Karl Humenberger
Karl Humenberger (25 October 1906 – 28 December 1989) was an Austrian association football player and manager, the brother of fellow player Ferdinand Humenberger.
Humenberger played in Austria for Floridsdorfer AC and Admira Vienna, in Switzerland for FC Zürich, and in France for RC Strasbourg and AS Saint-Étienne.
Humenberger earned one cap for the Austrian national side in 1928.
Humenberger managed in a number of European countries, including Austria (with SC Ortmann and Austria Salzburg), the Netherlands (with Ajax), and in Belgium (with Royal Antwerp). With Ajax he won the championship in the first professional season (1956–57).

wn.com/Karl_Humenberger
Kees Fens
Kees Fens (18 October 1929, Amsterdam – 14 June 2008) was a Dutch writer, essayist and literary critic.
Fens received the P. C. Hooft Award in 1990.

wn.com/Kees_Fens
Kees Kist
Kees Kist (born August 7, 1952 in Steenwijk, Overijssel) is a retired football striker from the Netherlands, who obtained 21 caps for his national team, in which he scored four goals, in the years 1975–1980. He played for SC Heerenveen (1970–1972), AZ '67 (now AZ) (1972–1982), winning the Dutch title in 1981, Paris Saint-Germain (1982–1983), FC Mulhouse (1983–1984), AZ (1984–1986), and returned for his last season to SC Heerenveen. Kist scored 259 goals in 441 games for AZ. He made 212 of these goals while AZ Alkmaar was in the highest division (eredivisie), which puts him in fourth place on the all-time leaders list, behind Willy van der Kuijlen, Ruud Geels and Johan Cruijff. He was the first Dutch player to win the European Golden Boot in 1979, after having scored 34 goals in the 1978-79 season for AZ.

wn.com/Kees_Kist
Kees van Ierssel
Cornelius "Kees" Claudius Henricus van Ierssel (Dutch pronunciation: [kɔr.ˈneː.li.jʏs ˈkeːs ˈklʌu.di.jʏs ˈɦɛn.ri.kʏs vɐn ˈiːr.səl]) (born 6 December 1945, Breda) is a former Dutch footballer.
During his club career he played for FC Twente from 1969 to 1979. He earned 6 caps for the Netherlands national football team, and was part of the squad that finished as runners-up in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

wn.com/Kees_van_Ierssel
Keith Spurgeon
Keith Spurgeon (1933–1990) was an English football player and manager.
Spurgeon played non-league football in England for Margate, Leytonstone, Folkestone Town, Herne Bay and Snowdown Colliery Welfare.
Spurgeon was manager of Dutch club Ajax from 1961 to 1962, and he later coached the Libyan national side, the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League, Swedish side AIK, Cypriot side APOEL, and Landskrona, also of Sweden.

wn.com/Keith_Spurgeon
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.

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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
Khoren Oganesian
Khoren Georgijević Oganesian(Hovhannisyan) (Armenian: Խորեն Հովհաննիսյան, born on 10 January 1955 in Yerevan, Soviet Union) is a former Armenian and Soviet football midfielder, and a member of the USSR national football team. At the club level, he mostly played for Ararat Yerevan. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Armenia by the Football Federation of Armenia as the most outstanding player of the past 50 years.

wn.com/Khoren_Oganesian
Koldo
Jesús Luis Álvarez de Eulate (born 4 September 1970), aka Koldo, is a retired Andorran footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and the current manager of the Andorra national football team.
Born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Basque Country, Spain, Koldo played his entire career in the country. He signed in the 1991 January transfer window with Atlético Madrid, from local CD Aurrerá de Vitoria, but struggled to appear even for the reserves; due to injury to main squad first-choice Abel Resino, he was on the substitutes bench in the 1990–91 Copa del Rey final, against RCD Mallorca.
Koldo resumed his career in the lower leagues, being second or third-choice. In 1994, he signed with FC Andorra which competed in the Spanish football league system, going on to remain with the club for 14 of the following 15 seasons, retiring at nearly 39 years of age. After being naturalized, he began appearing with the Andorra national team, making his debut on 3 June 1998 in a 0–3 friendly loss with Brazil.
In 10 June 2009, Koldo played his last international, a 0–6 defeat against England for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Arguably of one the best players in the match, he received a standing ovation from the opposing fans for his efforts, after he was substituted in injury time. Previously, in November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as Andorra's Golden Player by the Andorran Football Federation as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.

wn.com/Koldo
Kurt Linder
Kurt Linder (born October 8, 1933) is a former German footballer and coach. As a player Linder played for most notably for Rapid Vienna,Rot-Weiß Essen and Olympique Lyonnais.
After his playing career, he became a coach in Switzerland with Lausanne Sports and BSC Young Boys, Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven and AFC Ajax and France with Olympique de Marseille.

wn.com/Kurt_Linder
Laureano Ruiz
Laureano Ruiz Quevedo (born 21 October 1937 in Escobedo de Villafufre, Cantabria) is a retired Spanish footballer and manager.
Ruiz played for local Racing de Santander and Gimnástica de Torrelavega, ending his career at the age of 28 to become a fulltime coach. At the age of 15, he had his first experiences as a manager, and often accumulated duties whilst still an active footballer. His first professional spell was with the former club in the 1967–68 season, being relegated from Segunda División.
In the following years, Ruiz worked extensively in youth football, being charged with FC Barcelona's cantera in the 70s/80s, as well as the Generalitat of Catalonia's youth facilities.
In 1975–76, Ruiz was in charge of Barcelona's first team for six La Liga games, taking the place of German Hennes Weisweiler. He managed three wins - including one at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium against Real Madrid on 30 April 1976 (2–0) - two draws and one loss during his spell, as the Catalans finished in second position; he was replaced by Rinus Michels in the summer, but continued working with the club.

wn.com/Laureano_Ruiz
Leo Beenhakker
Leo Beenhakker (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈle.joʊ̯ ˈbeɪ̯n.ˌɦɑ.kər], born 2 August 1942 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland) is an international Dutch football coach, who is the current Sports Director of Újpest FC.
He has been the coach of several prestigious clubs including Ajax, Feyenoord, Real Madrid, Real Zaragoza and Club América. He has also coached the Saudi Arabian and Dutch national teams. He coached the national team of Trinidad and Tobago in the year leading up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Under Beenhakker's guidance the team managed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, where the team secured a (goalless) draw against Sweden in its first match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and gave England cause for concern in the second match.
From 2000 to 2003 Beenhakker was Director of Technical Affairs with Ajax. In that period he fired coach Co Adriaanse and replaced him with Ronald Koeman.
Because he has been active in Spanish football he has the nickname "Don Leo". He is famous for his fondness of cigars and his dry humour.

wn.com/Leo_Beenhakker
Leo Canjels
Leonard "Leo" Canjels (1 April 1933 – 26 May 2010) was a Dutch international footballer who played for NAC Breda.
Canjels started playing football at Breda side VV Baronie. He made his debut for NAC in the 1956/1957 season and played seven years for the club before retiring. As a NAC Breda player, Canjels twice won the Eredivisie top goalscorers award, in 1958 and 1959.
Canjels was nicknamed Het Kanon (the Gun) because of his powerful shooting.
After retiring as a player, Canjels became a coach and managed NAC Breda, as well as Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge among others in Belgium. He retired from coaching in 1990.
He died on May 26, 2010 after a long illness.

wn.com/Leo_Canjels
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
Lilian Thuram
Lilian Thuram (born Ruddy Lilian Thuram-Ulien on 1 January 1972 in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe) is a retired professional football defender and is the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time.
He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. With France national football team, Thuram won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Thuram holds the record for most appearances at the European Championship, with 16.
Thuram's football career began with AS Monaco of the French Ligue 1 in 1991. He then transferred to Parma FC (1996–2001) and then to Juventus FC (2001–2006) for £25 million, and eventually to FC Barcelona in 2006.
Thuram started his professional career with AS Monaco in 1991. He only made 1 appearance that season, but was officially promoted to the first team the following season, when he would go on to make 19 appearances. He was inserted into the starting eleven by the end of 1992 and would go onto make 155 league appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit, before transferring to Parma FC in the summer of 1996. He made his national team debut in 1994, while at Monaco.

wn.com/Lilian_Thuram
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
Ljubiša Broćić
Ljubiša Broćić (Serbian Cyrillic: Љубиша Бpoћић )(3 October 1911 in Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia – 16 August 1995) was a Serbian football manager.
Over the course of his career he was at the helm of some of the top European sides: PSV Eindhoven, Juventus, and FC Barcelona. He also was the manager of Al-Nasr in Saudi Arabia, as well as the Albania, OFK Beograd,Racing Beirut, Lebanon,Kuwait's and Bahrain's national teams. With Albania Broćić won the Balkan Cup in the 1946 tournament.
1953 the Yugoslav national team was traveling in Brazil, where, according to senior officials in the then Yugoslav Football Association contacted the Chetnik emigrants, why was never allowed to return to Belgrade.
He also coached Footscray JUST and South Melbourne Hellas in the Victorian State League during the 1960s, and also had stints with the New Zealand national football team.

wn.com/Ljubiša_Broćić
Ljupko Petrović
Ljubomir "Ljupko" Petrović (Serbian Cyrillic: Љубомир Петровић Љупко) (born 15 May 1947) is a Bosnian Serb former football player, today a football manager of FC Taraz in Kazakhstan Premier League. He was the winner of the European Cup in 1991 with Red Star.
Born in Brusnica Velika village near Bosanski Brod, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia, Petrović played for the NK Osijek during most of his career. He is remembered as one of the best player of the generation which achieve promotion for NK Osijek in late 1970s. After his career at NK Osijek he also spent some time in the United States.
As a manager, he has been in charge of NK Osijek, FK Spartak Subotica, FK Rad, FK Vojvodina, and finally Red Star, with whom he won the 1991 European Cup. He has also managed Spanish RCD Espanyol, Uruguayan C.A. Peñarol, Austrian Grazer AK and Chinese Shanghai Shenhua and Beijing Guoan. He had another two spells at Red Star before moving to Bulgaria in the 2000s to coach PFC Levski Sofia and later PFC Litex Lovech. He came back to Serbia in March 2008 to become the manager of OFK Beograd, but he resigned from this position one month later. July 2, 2008, Petrović became the head coach of Croatian First League team Croatia Sesvete, thus becoming the first Serbian head coach of a Croatian first division team after the Yugoslav wars. On December 23, 2008 he was appointed for the head coach of his former team FK Vojvodina from Novi Sad, title challengers in the Serbian Superliga for 2008-09 season. Yet, after gaining only one point in the first two matches of the second part of the season, he resigned from this position on March 8, 2009. As of 2010 he is coached Croatian side NK Lokomotiva a youth division of Croatian football giant NK Dinamo Zagreb.

wn.com/Ljupko_Petrović
Lorenzo Serra Ferrer
Lorenzo Serra Ferrer (Llorenç in Catalan; born 5 March 1953) is a Spanish football coach.
His career was mainly associated with RCD Mallorca and Real Betis, and he also served the former in various other capacities.
Born in Sa Pobla, Majorca, Balearic Islands, Serra Ferrer played three years with local amateurs UD Poblense, in the fourth division, retiring from football at only 23.
After coaching youth team La Salle, Ferrer joined his only club as a player in 1980. After two national championships, he led them to a first ever promotion to the third division in his second and final season.
In 1983, Serra Ferrer signed for another club in the region, RCD Mallorca, spending two years with the B team - in the 1983–84 season, he also coached the main squad in one game, as an interim manager.
With the Balearic Islands side, Ferrer twice promoted to La Liga, in 1986 and 1989, also reaching the Copa del Rey final in 1991, losing 0–1 to Atlético Madrid.
After eight full seasons with Mallorca, Serra Ferrer joined Real Betis in division two, immediately leading them to promotion, then achieving a third place in the following season, only trailing champions Real Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña, whilst posting the best defensive record in the league (25 goals in 38 matches) and qualifying to the UEFA Cup.

wn.com/Lorenzo_Serra_Ferrer
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 Pilot
Louis Pilot (born 11 November 1940 in Esch-sur-Alzette) is a former Luxembourgian football player and manager.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's jubilee, he was selected by the Luxembourg Football Federation as the country's Golden Player - the greatest player of the last 50 years.
Pilot started his footballing career at his home town club CS Fola Esch, before signing for Belgian team Standard Liège at the age of 20. He went on to play 337 times for Standard, winning 4 Belgian league titles and 2 Belgian cups and then moved onto Royal Antwerp and Racing Jet. Pilot also represented the national team, winning 49 caps between 1959 and 1971, scoring seven goals in this time. He played in 14 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.
He retired from playing football in 1978.
Later that year, Pilot returned to Luxembourg and became the national team coach on April 12, leading his nation in this capacity until 1984, when he became the head coach at the club where he had enjoyed his most successful playing period, Standard Liège. He lasted only one season at Standard, before returning to Luxembourg and taking up similar roles at Etzella Ettelbruck and FC Avenir Beggen, before assuming a less active role in football.

wn.com/Louis_Pilot
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON (Dutch pronunciation: [luˈwi vɑn ˈɣaːɫ]; born 8 August 1951 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich. Before his career as coach van Gaal played as a midfielder for Royal Antwerp, Telstar, Sparta Rotterdam and AZ. Van Gaal is also a fully qualified gymnastics teacher, and has worked as such at high-schools during various stages of his career as a semi-professional football-player.
After a brief spell as coach at AZ, Van Gaal served as assistant coach under Leo Beenhakker at Ajax, and eventually took over as head coach in 1991. Under his lead, the club won three league titles, the UEFA Cup, and the Champions League. Van Gaal moved to Barcelona in 1997 and won two Spanish league titles and one Spanish Cup. After some disagreements at Barcelona, he was appointed coach of the Dutch national team, but then failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. Another brief spell at Barcelona followed, before he became manager of AZ. After having won the Dutch championship with AZ in 2008–09, he was hired by Bayern Munich on 1 July 2009. In his first season at Munich, he secured the German league title and won the German Cup, and made it to the final of the Champions League.

wn.com/Louis_van_Gaal
Luc Nilis
Luc Nilis (born 25 May 1967 in Hasselt, Belgium) is a former Belgian football striker. He ended his career early in the 2000–01 season after he broke his leg in a match with his club Aston Villa following a clash with Ipswich Town goalkeeper Richard Wright.
His former clubs include K.F.C. Winterslag, R.S.C. Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven. During his time with PSV, Nilis formed one of the deadliest partnerships in Europe with team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy. In the 1998–1999 season, Nilis and van Nistelrooy scored 55 league goals between them. van Nistelrooy finished as top-scorer, Nilis came second. In the following season, Nilis' last for PSV, they scored 48 league goals between them. Ronaldo occasionally names him as one of the best strike partner he had played with despite sharing only a brief time with him at PSV.Ruud van Nistelrooy has also stated on several occasions that Nilis was one of the best players, if not the best, he had ever played with.
Nilis played 56 times for the Belgian national team, scoring 10 times. A prolific goalscorer with his clubs, he scored his first goal for Belgium only on his 24th cap (a 9–0 win against Zambia). Nilis played in the 1994 World Cup, the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, the latter was co-hosted by his birth-country Belgium and the Netherlands. After his career, he was assigned as a trainer with PSV. In this job he was responsible for training the attackers of the club. His son, Arne, played for the PSV reserve team but currently plays with Belgians fourth division team KSK Hasselt. In January 2011, Nilis became assistant manager at Kasimpasaspor

wn.com/Luc_Nilis
Lucien Muller
Lucien Muller-Schmidt (born September 3, 1934) is a former French footballer and manager born in Bischwiller who played as a midfielder.
He was part of France at FIFA World Cup 1966 but did not play any match.

wn.com/Lucien_Muller
Luigi Riva
Luigi Riva (born November 7, 1944), best known as Gigi Riva or by his nickname Rombo di Tuono (Roar of Thunder), is a former Italian footballer, the all-time leading scorer for the Italian national team. Considered one of the best forwards of his generation, Riva enjoyed a remarkable scoring record for Cagliari thanks to his composure in front of goal, fearsome left foot and aerial ability.
Riva was born in Leggiuno, in the province of Varese, Lombardy.
His career started in 1962 when he joined Legnano. He was acquired by Cagliari the next season and was to stay there for the rest of his career. He made his league debut for Cagliari on September 13, 1964, when the team lost 2-1 against Roma. He was Serie A top-scorer three times with Cagliari, in 1966/67, in 1968/69 and in 1969/70. His only Serie A title came in 1970.
He made his international debut on June 27, 1965 in a 2-1 defeat against Hungary. He would go on to become Italy's top-goalscorer of all-time, with 35 goals in just 42 matches and would win the 1968 European Championships, in the final of which he scored. In the 1970 World Cup in Mexico the Italian team finished runners up after losing 4-1 to Brazil in the final, before Mexico 70 he had scored 19 goals in 16 matches. He was Italy's topscorer in the competition and he netted the crucial extra-time goal - his 22nd in 21 internationals - against Germany in the semi-final.

wn.com/Luigi_Riva
Luis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse ˈlwis aɾaɣoˈnes ˈswaɾeθ]; born July 28, 1938), usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach.
Aragonés has spent the majority of his career as a player and coach at Atlético Madrid. He was a prominent player and then coach of the successful Atlético team of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The team won La Liga four times, reached the final of the European Cup and won the Intercontinental Cup. Between 1964 and 1974 he played 265 La Liga games for Atlético and scored 123 goals. Aragonés has coached the club on four separate occasions. He has also played with several other clubs, most notably Real Betis, and played 11 times for Spain, scoring three goals. Apart from Atlético he has also coached seven other La Liga clubs as well as the Spanish national football team whom he led to their second European Championship title in 2008. He became the head coach of the Turkish football team Fenerbahçe after Euro 2008, and this is the first time that Aragonés has coached outside of his native Spain.

wn.com/Luis_Aragonés
Luis Miró
Luis Miró Doñate (born March 3, 1913; died September 15, 1991) was a Spanish footballer and coach. As a player Miró played for FC Barcelona.
He then coached several teams in Spain, such as Sabadell, Valencia CF, Sevilla FC and former club FC Barcelona. He had then short spells abroad with Olympique de Marseille and A.S. Roma, before coming back in Spain with CD Málaga.

wn.com/Luis_Miró
Luis Molowny
Luis Molowny Arbelo (12 May 1925 – 12 February 2010) was a Spanish football (soccer) striker and coach.
He was born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands. He was the son of Raúl Molowny, who played for CD Tenerife in the '20s.
During his club career he played for Tenerife (1943–1944), Marino (1944–1946), Real Madrid (1946–1957) and Las Palmas (1957–1958).
He earned 7 caps and scored 2 goals for the Spain national football team from 1950 to 1955, and was part of the Spanish team that finished fourth in the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
He later coached Spain for four games in 1969.
He managed Real Madrid four times between 1974 and 1986. He won two consecutive UEFA Cup in 1985 and 1986. He was also its sport director between 1986 and 1990.
He is tied with Leo Beenhakker at three trophies for the second most number of Spanish League trophies acquired by a Real Madrid manager.

wn.com/Luis_Molowny
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
László Kubala
László Kubala Stecz (10 June 1927 – 17 May 2002), also referred to as Ladislav Kubala, Ladislao Kubala, was a footballer, who played as a forward with, among others, Ferencvárosi TC, ŠK Slovan Bratislava, Vasas SC, FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol. He also played for three different national teams, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Spain, as well as a Europe XI and the Catalan XI. During the 1950s he was a leading member of the successful FC Barcelona team. During his playing career with that club he scored 194 goals in 256 appearances. In 1999, during the club's centenary celebrations, a fan's poll declared him the best player ever to play for the club. After retiring as a player he began a career as coach. He had two spells as coach of FC Barcelona and he also coached both the senior Spain national team and the Spain Olympic Team.
A striker with great passing qualities, Kubala also had an uncommon dribbling ability, combining pace and skill. Kubala's composure in finishing, and power when striking for goal were also highly renowned. Also, he was one of history's greatest free kick specialists, able to bend the ball with pace and accuracy.

wn.com/László_Kubala
Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑrk ˈoʊ̯.vər.mɑrs], born 29 March 1973 in Emst, Gelderland) is a retired Dutch footballer. He is best known as a right-footed left winger, although he is able to use both his feet with equal precision and power. Known for his speed, Overmars' nicknames included "the Roadrunner" or its famous sound "meep-meep".
Overmars first joined a small Dutch club called SV Epe, before joining Go Ahead Eagles in 1987 at the age of 14. Three years later, Willem II bought him from Go Ahead Eagles for £200,000, and a year later he signed for Ajax.
Overmars became famous with Ajax under Louis van Gaal. He was a member of the Ajax team that won the European Cup in 1995 against Milan. However, in early 1996, he suffered a serious injury, which kept him out of Euro 1996. Having returned to action in the 1996–97 season, Overmars was signed by Arsène Wenger's Arsenal in the summer of 1997 for £5.5 million.
He scored many vital goals for Arsenal, including one in the 1998 FA Cup Final and another in a 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, which helped Arsenal to secure the Double in his first season there. However, the next two seasons were trophyless, as Arsenal were pipped to the Premier League title by a single point and suffered an FA Cup semi-final replay defeat (both times by Manchester United) in the 1998–99 season, and were on the losing side to Galatasaray of Turkey in the UEFA Cup final a year later, also finishing runners-up to Manchester United in the league for the second season running – this time by an 18-point margin.

wn.com/Marc_Overmars
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
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
Mario Kempes
Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi (born 15 July 1954 in Bell Ville, Córdoba) is a retired Argentine footballer. His father, Mario, also a footballer, inspired him to play from a young age. At the age of 7, he began playing with a junior team and at 14, he joined the Talleres reserves. He is most notable for playing for Valencia and being the focal point of Argentina's 1978 World Cup win.
Kempes was nicknamed El Toro and El Matador. During his first stint with Valencia, he won two consecutive Pichichis, scoring 24 and 28 goals in 1976–77 and 1977–78. His career started at local club Instituto, where he played alongside Osvaldo Ardiles before quickly moving on to Rosario Central, where he scored 85 goals in 105 matches and established himself as a notorious goalscorer, which prompted a move to Valencia, where he would go on to win the Copa del Rey, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. Famous as a hard-working forward, he used to strike from outside the penalty area with his surging runs goalwards and was not the traditional center-forward operating solely inside the box. Many defenders found difficulty handling his attacking style.

wn.com/Mario_Kempes
Marius Trésor
Marius Trésor (born January 15, 1950 in Sainte-Anne, Guadeloupe) is a retired football defender from France, who was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.
Trésor's career began with the French club Ajaccio. He also played for Olympique de Marseille and Girondins de Bordeaux. With Marseille, he won the French Cup in 1976. He also won the Ligue 1 title in 1984 with Girondins de Bordeaux. For the French national team, Trésor played in the World Cup in 1978 and 1982. He obtained 65 international caps, scoring four goals.

wn.com/Marius_Trésor
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑr(ə)k fɐm ˈbɔməl]; born 22 April 1977 in Maasbracht) is a Dutch professional footballer and plays as a midfielder.
He is also the son-in-law of the Dutch national team manager, Bert van Marwijk. He served as the first non-German captain for FC Bayern Munich. During this period, he led the team to two Championship titles, and finished runner-up in the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final.
He won the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final with FC Barcelona and was part of the team that finished runner-up of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His 2010 FIFA World Cup profile describes him as "a tackling machine and expert ball-winner, but he also boasts a fine array of passes and a powerful shot, having been a free-kick specialist during his PSV days."

Mark van Bommel started his amateur career at local club RKVV Maasbracht before earning a professional contract with Fortuna Sittard in 1992. His other colleagues at Fortuna at that time who would later join PSV alongside him were Wilfred Bouma and Kevin Hofland.

wn.com/Mark_van_Bommel
Mart Poom
Mart Poom (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈmɑrt ˈpoːm]; English: /ˌmɑrt ˈpoʊm/; born 3 February 1972) is an Estonian former football goalkeeper. He retired after Estonia's 0–0 draw against Portugal on 10 June 2009 to focus on his job as goalkeeping coach at Arsenal and the Estonian national team, as well as other more "personal" projects.
Poom started his football career in the clubs Tallinna Lõvid ("Lions of Tallinn") and Flora Tallinn in his home country, before a brief stint at Finnish club KuPS and Swiss club Wil. In 1994, he moved to English club Portsmouth, but only played seven games and was loaned back to his former club Flora.
In 1997, Poom moved to Derby County, making his Premier League debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Poom became a fan favourite at Derby, with supporters often confusing unfamiliar commentators with a low chant of 'Pooooom' before games, which sounded like booing. Poom won the Jack Stamps Trophy (player of the year) at the end of the 99/00 season. While at Derby Poom also conceded a penalty in a 5 a-side tournement in South Wingfield to promising young forward Adam Morris from Chesterfield at the beginning of the 1998/99 season

wn.com/Mart_Poom
Martin Haar
Martin Haar (born May 2, 1952 in Zwolle, Overijssel) is a retired football defender from the Netherlands, who is the current serving as assistant coach at AZ Alkmaar. He played for Go Ahead Eagles (1971–1977), HFC Haarlem (1977–1983), AZ '67 (1983–1986), HFC Haarlem (1986–1988), Sparta Rotterdam (1988–1989) and FC Wageningen (1989). He was a member of the famous Haarlem team, that competed in the UEFA Cup in the 1982-1983 season, for the first time in the club's history. However this campaign was to be overshadowed by the Luzhniki disaster.
Since then, he served as assistant coach to Louis van Gaal during the successful 2008–09 Eredivisie campaign of AZ, that ended in the second Dutch champions title for the Alkmaar club. He was confirmed also in the 2009–10 season under new trainer Ronald Koeman, after van Gaal left AZ to join FC Bayern Munich, and briefly served as caretaker manager after Koeman was fired in December 2009.

wn.com/Martin_Haar
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol (born 16 January 1956) is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team. He subsequently became a manager and has worked for Roda JC, RKC Waalwijk and Ajax in his homeland, as well as German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV and English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Jol was born in The Hague. He started his playing career with an amateur team before joining the local professional side ADO Den Haag. He turned professional with Den Haag in 1973. He won the 1975 Dutch Cup with the team defeating FC Twente. He played in the Bundesliga for the 1978–79 season with Bayern Munich before returning to the Dutch Eredivisie to play for FC Twente in 1979. While with Twente, he won his first cap for the Netherlands national football team in October 1980. Jol moved to England in 1982, joining West Bromwich Albion. He appeared in the semi-finals of both domestic cup competitions in 1981–82. He signed for Coventry City in 1984. Jol returned to Den Haag in 1985, and won the 1985 Dutch Footballer of the Year award in the Eerste Divisie league.

wn.com/Martin_Jol
Massimo Bonini
Massimo Bonini (born 13 October 1959 in San Marino) is a retired Sanmarinese footballer and coach, who played as a midfielder for Italian sides Bellaria Igea Marina, Forlì, Cesena, Juventus and Bologna.
Bonini played for Juventus between 1981 and 1988, in which he played 296 matches and scored 6 goals. He won 3 Scudetti, 1 Italian Cup, 1 European Champion Clubs' Cup, 1 Cup Winners' Cup, 1 European Super Cup and 1 Intercontinental Cup. He is the only Sanmarinese footballer to have won a European Cup.
Since the San Marino Football Federation was not officially recognised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) until 1990, players from San Marino were assimilated to Italian players. For this reason, Bonini was entitled to play for the Italian Football Federation and actually played for the Italian Under-21 football team. Since he always refused to give up the citizenship of San Marino, he had to wait until 1990 in order to play for San Marino’s first team, winning 19 full caps since then. He was also briefly the national coach of the San Marino national team after retirement.

wn.com/Massimo_Bonini
Mateja Kežman
Mateja Kežman (Serbian Cyrillic: Матеја Кежман, pronounced [mǎtɛja kɛ̂ʒman]; born 12 April 1979 in Belgrade) is a retired Serbian football striker.
Kežman has played top-flight football in Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, England, Spain, Turkey, France, Russia, Hong Kong and Belarus and has won league championships in five of these countries.
At the age of 19, Kežman signed for FK Partizan. For two seasons at the club, Kežman made a name for himself as a prolific goalscorer and became a favourite among the fans of the club. He scored a total of 33 league goals in 54 appearances and has also been the top goalscorer of the national championship in the 1999–00 season. His father Zlatko Kežman was a goalkeeper for FK Zemun.
In the summer of 2000, Kežman completed his move to Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. In his debut season, he was the league's top scorer, achieving 24 goals in 33 games as PSV won the title. He also picked up the nickname 'Batman', because the famous theme song was played at Philips Stadion every time he scored. He formed a successful partnership with Arjen Robben, and they gained the epithet 'Batman and Robben', a pun on Batman and Robin.

wn.com/Mateja_Kežman
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
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 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 Mols
Michael Alexander Mols (born 17 December 1970) is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a striker.
Born in Amsterdam to Indo (Eurasian) parents, Mols, a product of local AFC Ajax's youth system, never appeared officially for its first team, making his professional debuts in the second division, with Cambuur Leeuwarden, which he helped obtain Eredivisie promotion in 1992. Early into the following year, he signed with another club in the top level, FC Twente, continuing to score regularly with this and his following team, FC Utrecht.
In the 1999 summer, Mols signed with Scottish giants Rangers, scoring nine times in his first nine Scottish Premier League matches. However, during a UEFA Champions League clash against FC Bayern Munich, he collided with opposing goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, which resulted in a serious knee injury - in the same competition, he previously helped his club crush PSV Eindhoven 4–1 at home by scoring twice, whilst in the league, he put four past former Ranger Andy Goram's Motherwell.

wn.com/Michael_Mols
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
Miguel Reina
Miguel Reina Santos (born 21 January 1946) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
He played in 312 La Liga games over the course of 16 seasons, mainly in representation of Barcelona and Atlético Madrid (seven years apiece), winning six major titles combined.
Born in Córdoba, Andalusia, Reina finished his formation with local Córdoba CF. He made his La Liga debut on 11 October 1964 in a 2–0 home win against Elche CF, aged only 18, and finished his first season with 26 appearances as his club finished in fifth position.
In the 1966 off-season, Reina joined FC Barcelona, appearing in only four league games in his first three seasons as he acted as understudy to both José Manuel Pesudo and Salvador Sadurní. From 1969–70 he became first-choice, going on to win his second Copa del Rey with the Catalans (the first as an active member), and adding the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the 1972–73 campaign (all 34 matches played for the runners-up and only 21 goals conceded, posting a record of 824 minutes without a goal which would last until 1 November 2011, when he was surpassed by Víctor Valdés).

wn.com/Miguel_Reina
Miljan Miljanić
Miljan Miljanić (Serbian Cyrillic: Миљан Миљанић; 4 May 1930 – 13 January 2012) was a Yugoslav football player, coach and administrator.
Born in Bitola, Vardar Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, to a family originating from the Banjani clan in the Nikšić municipality in Montenegro, Miljanić spent the first years of his life in what would later become the SR Macedonia within SFR Yugoslavia and eventually present day Republic of Macedonia.
During his colourful career, Miljanić coached Red Star Belgrade (won 10 trophies), Real Madrid (won back-to-back La Liga titles, including a League/Cup double in the 1974/1975 season), Valencia CF (disappointing stint that lasted three quarters of the 1982/83 season when he got sacked with the team in 17th place in the league), and the Yugoslav national side, of which he was a head coach in the 1974 and 1982 World Cups.
He is equally known as the all-powerful president of the Football Association of FR Yugoslavia (FSJ), a post he occupied for years before leaving in 2001. His influence on the game of football in Yugoslavia is huge as an entire generation of coaches including Ćiro Blažević, Ivica Osim, Toza Veselinović, etc. came up under his tutelage. In addition to admirers, Miljanić has his share of detractors who feel his trademark cautious and defensive tactics as well as reliance on older players contributed to the Yugoslav national team's poor results and unattractive play throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

wn.com/Miljan_Miljanić
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
Mordechai Spiegler
Mordechai "Motaleh" Spiegler (Hebrew: מרדכי שפיגלר‎, born in Sochi, Soviet Union, 19 August 1944) is a former Israeli footballer. He remains Israel's record goalscorer, with 33 goals in 83 caps.
In 2005, he was voted the 105th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
As a striker, he played for Maccabi Netanya along with Paris Saint Germain in France and alongside Pelé for New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League in the 1970s.
He was chosen as the Israeli Player of the Year a record four times, in 1967/68, 1968/69, 1969/70, and in 1970/71.
Spiegler made his international debut for Israel on 2 January 1964 against Hong Kong. He took part in the Israeli win in the 1964 AFC Asian Cup, and scored 2 goals at the tournament, which made him a joint top scorer of the tournament.
His major achievement was helping Israel qualify for the Football World Cup 1970 in Mexico. He scored Israel's lone goal in World Cup history in a 1–1 draw against Sweden.

wn.com/Mordechai_Spiegler
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen (born August 14, 1949) is a Danish football (soccer) manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup. He has also managed Brøndby IF to two Danish Superliga championships and Ajax Amsterdam to the Double of the 1998 Dutch Eredivisie championship and Dutch Cup trophy. His career as a coach is remarkable in that he has been fired in all of his clubs. He is the only person ever in football to achieve 100 national matches as player as well as coach.
In his active career, Olsen predominantly played as a defensive midfielder and libero. He played professionally in Belgium and Germany, and won the 1983 UEFA Cup and three Belgian First Division championships with RSC Anderlecht. Olsen played a total 102 matches and scored four goals for the Danish national team from 1970 to 1989, and was named 1983 and 1986 Danish Player of the Year. He captained the Danish national team in 50 games during the 1980s, and represented Denmark at the 1984 European Championship, 1986 FIFA World Cup, and 1988 European Championship. Towards the end of his active career, Olsen was characterized as the most important player in the history of Danish football.

wn.com/Morten_Olsen
Mounir El Hamdaoui
Mounir El Hamdaoui (Arabic: منير الحمداوي‎) (born 14 July 1984 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch-Moroccan footballer. He currently plays as a forward for Ajax in the Netherlands. He previously played for Excelsior, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County, Willem II and AZ,before joining Ajax in 2010.
Although being born in the Netherlands and having played for their Under-21 side El Hamdaoui decided to represent Morocco, for whom he made his debut in February 2009 in a match against the Czech Republic.
In the 2008–09 Eredivisie, El Hamdaoui was named Dutch Footballer of the Year and became the Eredivisie Top Scorer as AZ won their second league title in their history. He is also known by the nickname De Tovenaar van Kralingen (The Wizard of Kralingen)
El Hamdaoui went through the youth academy of SBV Excelsior, where he played together with his youth friends Robin van Persie and Saïd Boutahar. In the 2001–02 season the player made his debut for the Rotterdam side under manager Adrie Koster, scoring two goals in six appearances. El Hamdaoui played a total of 74 league matches for Excelsior, scoring 32 goals. Excelsior big brother Feyenoord was also interested in signing the player, and El Hamdaoui trained a number of times with Feyenoord's first squad, but a transfer was never realised.

wn.com/Mounir_El_Hamdaoui
Murtaz Khurtsilava
Murtaz Kalistratovich Khurtsilava (Russian: Муртаз Калистратович Хурцилава, Georgian: მურთაზ ხურცილავა) (born 5 January 1943 in village Bandza, Martvili District, Georgian SSR) is a former Georgian footballer. He was a famed defender.
Khurtsilava was discovered while playing football in the school garden in Gegechkori, a small town in Caucasus -now known as Martvili- where he learnt to play football with a ball made of hay and rags. [1]
He was part of the USSR side that finished second in the 1972 UEFA European Championship, third at the 1972 Summer Olympics and fourth at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. He was also one of only two Georgians, alongside Alexandre Chivadze, to have captained the Soviet team. At the club level he played for FC Dynamo Tbilisi.
After retiring in 1977, Khurtsilava set up his own business in Tbilisi, where he now resides with his family. [2]
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Georgia by the Georgian Football Federation as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. [3]

wn.com/Murtaz_Khurtsilava
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
Nikos Machlas
Nikolaos Machlas (Greek: Νίκος Μαχλάς) (born 16 June 1973) is a Greek retired footballer and now chairman of OFI Crete. He finished his career as a striker for Cypriot team APOEL.
He began his career with OFI Crete, where he made his debut in February 1991 against Panionios. He stayed at the club for six seasons before moving to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem in 1996.
Machlas scored a disappointing 8 goals in 29 games in his first season in the Eredivisie, but in his second season he scored 34 goals in just 32 games, a feat which earned him the European Golden Boot for the 1997-1998 season. After having scored 60 goals in 92 matches for Vitesse, Machas joined Eredivisie giants Ajax Amsterdam in June 1999 for a then-club record $7.6 million.
Despite netting 38 goals in 74 Eredivisie league games spread over three seasons, Machlas' goalscoring record was not deemed prolific enough for the demanding Ajax fans and coaching staff. The team went through a transition as poor results meant Machlas had to endure three different coaches in as many years.

wn.com/Nikos_Machlas
Nílton Santos
Nílton Reis dos Santos (born 16 May 1925) is a Brazilian former association footballer who played defender. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was a pioneering left back, being one of first full backs to participate in the offensive game.
He was called "The Encyclopedia" because of his knowledge of the sport of football. He was world class both at defending and attacking and possessed very good technique. Nílton was a key player in defence during the 1954, 1958 and 1962 World Cup finals (he was also in the Brazilian squad for the 1950 finals, but made no appearances) and became famous for scoring a magnificent goal in the 1958 tournament when Brazil played Austria. Dribbling his way through the whole field, he finished with a superb shot, driving his coach Vicente Feola crazy (he kept on insisting for Nílton to retreat to the defensive field, but was ignored until the goal was scored).
Pelé named him in his "top 125 greatest living footballers" in March 2004.
Nílton Santos played for only 2 teams in his professional career; Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas and the Brazilian national team collecting 75 caps and scoring 3 goals; he is regarded as the best left wingback in the history of the game.

wn.com/Nílton_Santos
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
Omar Sívori
Enrique Omar Sívori (2 October 1935 – 17 February 2005) was an Italian Argentine football striker and manager. He is known for his time with the successful Juventus side during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At club level he also played for River Plate and Napoli.
On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine national team, winning the Copa América. Later in his career, he played for the Italian national team and took part in some of the 1962 World Cup. After his retirement as player, he coached several teams in Argentina, including the national side.
Sívori's footballing talent was acclaimed and he won the coveted European Footballer of the Year in 1961.
Encyclopædia Britannica describe his playing style as "audacious and brilliant". Sívori utilized his dribbling skills and favourite move of the nutmeg (playing the ball between an opposition players legs) to defeat defenders. Primarily a left footed player, Sívori had the ability to score with his left, his right and despite his relatively short stature his head; this would sometimes see him receiving kicks to the face.

wn.com/Omar_Sívori
Oscar Ruggeri
Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri (born 26 January 1962 in Corral de Bustos, Córdoba) is a former footballer. Nicknamed "El Cabezón" ("The Big-Headed One"), Ruggeri is one of the most successful defenders ever to come out of Argentina.
Ruggeri started his career at Boca Juniors, playing with Diego Maradona, with whom he won a league title in 1981. In 1985 he moved to rivals River Plate, where he won the Copa Libertadores, the Intercontinental Cup and another league title in 1986. In 1988 he left for Europe where he played for Spanish clubs Logroñes and Real Madrid, where he won yet another league championship. He also played for Vélez Sársfield, Ancona in Italy, América in Mexico, San Lorenzo and Lanús, where he ended his career.
During his career he represented his country in three World Cups, captaining Argentina in the final two games of the 1994 competition, after Diego Maradona was expelled from the tournament. Ruggeri was also a key piece in the Argentina teams that won the trophy in 1986 and lost the final to West-Germany in 1990. After losing to Romania in the 1994 tournament, Ruggeri retired from international football having played 97 international games, an Argentine record until it was surpassed by Diego Simeone.

wn.com/Oscar_Ruggeri
Ove Kindvall
Ove Kindvall (born May 16, 1943 in Norrköping, Sweden) is a former Swedish footballer (forward).
He started his career at IFK Norrköping, where he played until he joined Feyenoord in 1966 and became professional. The same year, he won the Guldbollen, as the best Swedish footballer of the year.
With Feyenoord he won two national championships as well as the 1970 European Cup. In the final against Celtic he scored the winning goal in extra time. In his five seasons with the club, Kindvall scored 129 league goals in 144 games. He returned to Sweden and Norrköping 1971, where he played for three years, until ending his career in IFK Göteborg.
He played 43 games with the national team and scored 16 goals. He participated in the 1970 and 1974 World Cup, playing a major role in the team's qualification for the former.
He is the father of former footballer Niclas Kindvall, and brother of Kaj Kindvall, a radio host.
Kindvall earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1969

wn.com/Ove_Kindvall
Panajot Pano
Panajot Pano (7 March 1939 – 19 January 2010) was an Albanian football player. He started his career as a goalkeeper in the SK Tirana youth academy, but he became the most prolific centre-forward of their arch-rivals, Partizani Tirana. During his eighteen-year career he played 24 matches with the Albanian national football team and was awarded the Albanian UEFA Jubilee Award.
Pano was born in Durrës, Albania from ethnic Greek parents (Greek: Παναγιώτης Πάνου Panagiotis Panou).
He has won four Albanian championships with Partizani Tirana, five Albanian Cups, and in 1970, the Balkans Cup. On the international front, he played 25 times (3 goals) for the Albania national football team.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Albania by the Football Association of Albania as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
On 6 March 2009, Pano received the order Honor of the Nation from the President of Albania, H.E. Bamir Topi. This was the first time in the history of Albania that a footballer was honored with the Honor of the Nation order.

wn.com/Panajot_Pano
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
Paolo Rossi
Paolo Rossi (born 23 September 1956 in Prato) is an Italian former football striker. In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot/top scorer honors, and the Golden Ball. After his performance at the 1982 FIFA World Cup he became a hero in the hearts of all Italians. Rossi is one of only two players to have won all three honours at a single tournament (the other is the Argentinian Mario Kempes, in 1978). Javier Saviola, Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero and Dominic Adiyiah accomplished this in junior teams, in the 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cups respectively. He is listed among Pelé's 125 all-time greatest footballers.
Since retiring, Rossi has gone into sports journalism and punditry. He currently works as a pundit for Juventus Channel.
Rossi was born at Santa Lucia, in the province of Prato (Tuscany).
He made his debut in professional Italian football with Como, to which Juventus had sent him to gain experience after three operations on his knees, as a right wing, where his small build would not be a hindrance.

wn.com/Paolo_Rossi
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert ([ˈpɛtrɪk ˈklœy̆vərt] ( listen); born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch former footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for AFC Ajax, A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia CF, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille OSC. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He is their all-time leading goalscorer with 40 goals. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers chosen by Pelé as part of FIFA's centenary observances.
Patrick Stephan Kluivert was born on 1 July 1976 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His father, a professional football player, was born in Calcutta, Suriname and his mother in Curaçao. Kluivert learned to play football on the street. After he played for football club Schellingwoude one year, he joined the AFC Ajax youth academy at the age of seven.
During his younger years, he played several different positions, even as a defender. He was strong in technique, football intelligence, and speed, but his personality was considered too impulsive. Kluivert played for the Dutch national teams under-15, under-16 and under-17.

wn.com/Patrick_Kluivert
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 Van Himst
Paul van Himst (born in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, 2 October 1943) is a former talented Belgian football midfielder and a football manager. Now retired, he still supports R.S.C. Anderlecht, his former team. He was nicknamed Polle Gazon (Polle is Paul in Brussels dialect, and Gazon means lawn in French) due to the large number of fouls committed on him. In 1964, he played in the Belgium-Netherlands match alongside 10 Anderlecht players after the substitution of goalkeeper Delhasse by Jean Trappeniers.
Van Himst won the Belgian championship 8 times, all of them with Anderlecht, a club for which he started playing his first professional season in 1959-60. With Anderlecht, he scored 233 goals in 457 matches (16 seasons). He then played for RWDM (another Brussels club) in 1975-76 and for Eendracht Aalst (then in second division) in the following season.
Between 1960 and 1974, "Polle Gazon" scored 30 goals (in 81 matches) for the Belgian national team. This performance made him Belgium's topscorer—along with Bernard Voorhoof -- and the fifth most capped player for his country. He made his debut on 19 October 1960 in a match against Sweden and he was part of Belgium's team which qualified for the 1970 World Cup. Van Himst then helped Belgium reach third place at the Euro 1972. He also holds the record of Golden Shoe, awarded to him four times.

wn.com/Paul_Van_Himst
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
Pavel Cebanu
Pavel Cebanu (born 28 March 1955 in Reni, Ukraine) is a former Moldovan football (soccer) player. He spent his entire career, from 1973-85, at the Moldovan side FC Nistru Chişinău. He was captain for many years and played 341 games scoring 45 goals.
He is the current president of the Football Association of Moldova, assuming the role on 1 February 1997.
In November 2002, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Moldova by the Football Association of Moldova as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years. [1]

wn.com/Pavel_Cebanu
Pavel Nedvěd
Pavel Nedvěd (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpavɛl ˈnɛdvjɛt] ( listen); born 30 August 1972 in Cheb) is a retired Czech football midfielder. He is one of the most successful Czech players to emerge from the newly formed Czech Republic, winning numerous accolades with Lazio and Juventus, including the last ever Cup Winners' Cup. Widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of the modern era, he was the recipient of the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 2003, only the second Czech player to receive this honour, and the first since the breakup of Czechoslovakia. He was also the recipient of the 2nd Golden Foot award in 2004. Nedved was a key member of the Czech Republic team, which reached the final of Euro '96, during which he garnered much international attention. He was later given the international captaincy. Well known for his energy and tireless runs, as well as his goal scoring ability, Nedved was nicknamed Furia Ceca ("The Czech Fury", an Italian wordplay on the phrase Furia Cieca, meaning "Blind Fury") by Juventus fans.

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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 Arntz
Peter Arntz (born 5 February 1953 in Leuth, Gelderland) is a former Dutch football player.
During his club career he played for Go Ahead Eagles and AZ Alkmaar. He earned 5 caps for the Netherlands national football team, and was included in their squad for the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship.

wn.com/Peter_Arntz
Peter Houtman
Peter Houtman (born June 4, 1957 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland) is a retired football striker from the Netherlands, who obtained eight caps for the Dutch national team in the 1980s, scoring seven goals.
Houtman played for Feyenoord Rotterdam and FC Groningen. He also had spells with Club Brugge, Sporting Lisboa, Sparta Rotterdam, ADO Den Haag and Excelsior Rotterdam. For Feyenoord he scored 90 goals in 153 official matches.

wn.com/Peter_Houtman
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
Pierre Kerkhoffs
Pierre Kerkhoffs (born 26 March 1936) is a Dutch former footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a striker. Kerkhoffs played club football for SC Enschede and PSV, and was the Eredivisie top scorer in the 1962-63 season. He later played in Switzerland for Lausanne Sports.
Kekhoffs also earned five caps for the Netherlands between 1960 and 1965.

wn.com/Pierre_Kerkhoffs
Pierre van Hooijdonk
Petrus Ferdinandus Johannes "Pierre" van Hooijdonk (Dutch pronunciation: [pi.ˈjɛr vɑn ˈɦoːɪ̯.dɔŋk], born 29 November 1969) is a retired Dutch football player who played as a striker. His last spell was at Feyenoord Rotterdam. Van Hooijdonk was capped 46 times for the Dutch national team, scoring 21 goals, and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. He was noted for his spectacular free kicks.
As a child, Van Hooijdonk who was born in Steenbergen lived in a small village nearby named Welberg. While playing in one of SC Welberg's youth squads he became familiar with the sport. His favourite team was NAC Breda and he was already watching their games at a young age. When he was 11 years old he took part in a talent pool on the open day of the team and he impressed the NAC scouts. He was asked to join NAC, which he did and played mainly as a right midfielder. When he was 14 he was told he was not good enough for NAC and he switched to amateur side V.V. "Steenbergen". Here he switched to the striker position and he would play five years for the team, of which the last two seasons in their first team. His performances at V.V. "Steenbergen" were noticed by RBC Roosendaal scout Tiny van Dijk and he was brought into the team at amateur level.

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Piet Keizer
Petrus ("Piet") Johannes Keizer (born June 14, 1943 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch professional football player. Having played 364 matches for Ajax, from 1961 to 1974, he is the fourth most capped player for Ajax (in terms of league appearances). He played on left-wing and with Ajax won the European Cup three consecutive times (1971, 1972, 1973), having lost the 1969 final to A.C. Milan.
With the Dutch national team, Keizer played 34 times, scoring 11 goals. He was in the Dutch squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

wn.com/Piet_Keizer
Piet Kruiver
Piet Kruiver (5 January 1938, Koog aan de Zaan, North Holland - 18 March 1989, Amsterdam) is a former Dutch footballer who was active as a striker. Kruiver made his professional debut at PSV Eindhoven and also played for Lanerossi Vicenza, Feijenoord and DWS.

wn.com/Piet_Kruiver
Piet Schrijvers

Pieter "Piet" Schrijvers (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpi.tər ˈpit ˈsχrɛi̯.vərs]) (born 1946) is a professional Dutch football manager and former international player.

wn.com/Piet_Schrijvers
Pietro Anastasi
Pietro Anastasi (born 7 April 1948), nicknamed Petruzzu 'u turcu by fans, was an Italian footballer, playing in the striker role.
Anastasi was born in Catania, Sicily. During his career (1964–1982) he played for Massiminiana, Varese, Juventus, Internazionale and Ascoli. In the Serie A, he played 338 matches and scored 105 goals (For Juventus, he played 205 games and scored 78 goals).
With the Italy national football team, he was in the team that won the 1968 UEFA European Football Championship, where he scored a goal in the final against Yugoslavia. He also participated at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal against Haiti. In total, he played 25 international matches and scored 8 goals.
Today, Anastasi is a TV pundit for the Italian network "Italia 7 Gold".
When Juventus were struggling in the 2010/11 season he said "Del Neri is not at the level needed. They need a coach with experience and who has an international level of experience."

wn.com/Pietro_Anastasi
Pleun Strik
Pleun Strik (born 27 May 1944) is a former Dutch international footballer.
He played two matches for the Netherlands national football team in the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification tournament, and he made the Dutch squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, although he did not play in the tournament.
Strik played club football with PSV Eindhoven for over eight years in the late 1960s and 1970s, and made a total of 28 appearances for them in UEFA club competitions. This included four games in the 1975–76 European Cup, although he did not play in the semi-final matches against AS Saint-Étienne.

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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
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos (Ancient Greek: Πυθαγόρας ὁ Σάμιος [Πυθαγόρης in Ionian Greek] Pythagóras ho Sámios "Pythagoras the Samian", or simply Πυθαγόρας; b. about 570 – d. about 495 BC) was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him. He was born on the island of Samos, and might have travelled widely in his youth, visiting Egypt and other places seeking knowledge. Around 530 BC, he moved to Croton, a Greek colony in southern Italy, and there set up a religious sect. His followers pursued the religious rites and practices developed by Pythagoras, and studied his philosophical theories. The society took an active role in the politics of Croton, but this eventually led to their downfall. The Pythagorean meeting-places were burned, and Pythagoras was forced to flee the city. He is said to have ended his days in Metapontum.

wn.com/Pythagoras
Radomir Antić
Radomir Antić (Serbian Cyrillic: Радомир Антић; born 22 November 1948 in Žitište) is a Serbian former football defender and former football manager for the Serbian national team.
Following a 17-year playing career he found his true calling in coaching.
He is the only individual who has managed FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid. Additionally, Antić is one of only two men to have managed both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, long-time bitter rivals (the other one is Enrique Fernández Viola).
Antić was born in Žitište to a Serbian family that settled in the small Banat town shortly before his birth (his father Jovan is from Janja village near Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, his mother Milka from Grmeč region). The family then moved to Titovo Užice when Radomir was six years old. He started his playing career with FK Sloboda Titovo Užice (1967–1968) and then moved to the club where he would play most of his career, FK Partizan (1968–1976).
In the summer of 1976, he signed for Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He spent two seasons in Istanbul before moving to La Liga where he played for Real Zaragoza.

wn.com/Radomir_Antić
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010.
Born in Madrid, Benítez played football throughout his youth and joined the Real Madrid academy. He mixed his university studies with his football career at lower division Spanish teams. He joined Real Madrid's coaching staff at the age of 26, going on to work as the under 19 and reserve team coach, and assistant manager for the senior team. Benítez moved away from Real Madrid but management spells at Real Valladolid and Osasuna were short-lived and unsuccessful.
Benítez guided Segunda División side Extremadura back to the Primera División in his first season in 1997, but the team was relegated the following season. He left the club, taking a brief break from football before returning to coach Tenerife in 2000. Benítez was appointed coach of Valencia and he proved himself to be amongst the top Spanish managers by winning La Liga in the 2001–02 season—Don Balón and El País named him Manager of the Year. In 2004, another league title and a UEFA Cup victory were added. However, a disagreement between Benítez and the club director over team investment caused the Spaniard to switch to English Premier League club Liverpool.

wn.com/Rafael_Benítez
Rainer Hasler
Rainer Hasler (born 2 July 1958) is a former Liechtenstein football (soccer) player. In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's jubilee, he was selected by the Liechtenstein Football Association as the country's Golden Player - the greatest player of the last 50 years. [1]
He played as a right defender for the Swiss club Neuchatel Xamax and Servette Geneva. With those in Geneva, where he spent two years as captain, he won in 1984 the Swiss Cup and the Swiss championship in 1985. Another major success was with Xamax reaching the UEFA Cup quarter-final in the 1981/82 season.
He retired from football in 1989 at 31 years of age.
He never played for the Liechtenstein national team, as the national team barely participated in any games before he retired.^{[citation needed]}

wn.com/Rainer_Hasler
Raymond Goethals
Raymond Goethals (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛi̯.ˌmɔnt ˈʝu.ˌtɑls]) (7 October 1921, Forest, Belgium – 6 December 2004) was a Belgian football coach who notably led Marseille to victory in the UEFA Champions League final in 1993, becoming the first coach to win a European trophy with a French club.
Sometimes nicknamed "Raymond-la-science" ("Raymond-the-Science", previously the nickname of Belgian anarchist and Bonnot gang member Raymond Callemin), "le sorcier" ("the Wizard") or "le magicien" ("the Magician"), Goethals was known for his blunt way of speaking, his habit of mispronouncing players' names and his distinctive Brussels accent. A chain smoker, he was likened to TV police detective Lieutenant Columbo. He was the father of the well-known UEFA referee Guy Goethals, who officiated the final of Euro 96.
Goethals began his career as a goalkeeper in the 1930s with Daring Brussels, making his way through the youth ranks of the club before joining Racing Club Brussel in 1949. He remained at Racing Club Brussel until 1952. After a period spent playing for Royal Cercle Sportif de Schaerbeek, he moved into coaching with Hannut and Waremme, and led Sint-Truiden to second place in the Belgian First Division in 1966.

wn.com/Raymond_Goethals
Raymond Kopa
Raymond Kopa (born Kopaszewski, on October 13, 1931 in Nœux-les-Mines, Pas-de-Calais), is a former French football offensive midfielder, integral to the French national team of the 1950s.
Often considered one of leading players of his generation, Kopa was a free-role playmaker who was quick, agile and known for his love of dribbling. He was also a renowned playmaker, as well as a prolific scorer.
Born into a family of Polish immigrants, Kopa began his professional career at the age of 17 with SCO Angers in France's second level, and was transferred two years later to Stade de Reims, with whom he won French championships in 1953 and 1955. He helped Reims reach the first European Cup final in 1956, which the team lost to Alfredo Di Stéfano's Real Madrid, 4-3.
Kopa was transferred to Real Madrid the subsequent season, where he was soon joined by Ferenc Puskás. At Real Madrid, Kopa won the Spanish league in 1957 and 1958. Kopa also became the first French player to win the European Cup when Madrid defeated Fiorentina 2-0 in the 1957 final. He would go on to be European champion again in 1958 and 1959, the last against former side Stade de Reims, where Just Fontaine played.

wn.com/Raymond_Kopa
Raynald Denoueix
Raynald Denoueix (born 14 May 1948) is a French football manager and former defender.
Born in Rouen, Denoueix spent his whole playing career as a defender at FC Nantes before becoming a coach at the club's youth academy. During his time at the youth academy, he discovered players such as Didier Deschamps or Marcel Desailly. After Jean-Claude Suaudeau's retirement, he became the first team coach and won the Division 1 in the 2000–01 season. He was sacked the following season due to unsatisfying results in Ligue 1. In 2002, he was signed by the Real Sociedad and led the Basque team to the second place in La Liga in the 2002–03 season.

wn.com/Raynald_Denoueix
René van de Kerkhof
Reinier "René" Lambertus van de Kerkhof (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛi̯.nir rəˈneː lɑm.ˈbɛr.tʏs vɐn də ˈkɛrk.ɦɔf]) (born 16 September 1951) is a former Dutch football player, who played for FC Twente and PSV Eindhoven.
van de Kerkhof and his twin brother Willy were squad members of the Dutch national team that made the World Cup final in 1974 and became key players in the team that made the 1978 final. Overall, van de Kerkhof appeared 47 times for his country, scoring five goals.
He is well remembered due to the incident before the 1978 World Cup final, when the opponent Argentinians objected to the cast he wore on his injured forearm since it could have injured an Argentinian player. Despite the bandage having been passed by FIFA and worn in previous matches, the referee, Italian Sergio Gonella vacillated, while the Dutch players threatened to walk off the field. Finally an extra layer of padding was applied to the bandage as a solution, and the match could start.
1978 was his most successful year anyway, besides becoming runners-up at the FIFA 1978 World Cup tournament, he also won the UEFA Cup, the Dutch championship and the Dutch Cup with PSV that year: "we had won everything possible – the title, the Dutch Cup and the UEFA Cup, and we had five or six players who had been runners-up at the FIFA World Cup in Argentina with the Netherlands. It was a beautiful period under coach Kees Rijvers", Van de Kerkhof later would tell to Berend Scholten.

wn.com/René_van_de_Kerkhof
Richard Kohn
Richard Kohn (February 27, 1888–1963) was an Austrian football player and later coach of FC Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona and Feyenoord Rotterdam. He was Jewish, born in Vienna. His nickname was Dombi or Little Dombi, meaning little eminence. He was also known as John Little(s), Jack Domby and Ricardo Domby.
Before World War I he played for Wiener AC and Wiener AF and Wiener Amateur SV. Kohn was renowned for his good technique. He had seven appearances for the Austrian national team (1907–1912) and scored two times.
Little is known about the early years of his career. In the 1920s he managed Građanski Zagreb and Sportfreunde Stuttgart and Hertha BSC from 1924 to 1925. He then went to First Vienna FC which he left for Barcelona for a first stint from February 1926 to 1927. He afterwards left TSV 1860 Munich for VfR Mannheim for a year. Upon leaving for FC Bayern Munich, convincing the gifted player Oskar Rohr to follow him there. With Rohr and Conny Heidkamp he formed a strong team in Munich and in 1932 won the German championship with Bayern in a final victory against Eintracht Frankfurt.

wn.com/Richard_Kohn
Richard Witschge
Richard Peter Witschge (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈriʃɑrt ˈʋɪtsχə]; born 20 September 1969 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland) is a retired Dutch footballer. He could appear as either a left or a defensive midfielder.
In an 18-year professional career, he played mainly for Ajax, but also represented, amongst other teams, Barcelona. His older brother, Rob, was also a footballer.
Witschge represented Holland in one World Cup and one European Championship.
A product of local AFC Ajax's prolific youth ranks, Witschge first appeared in the Eredivisie on 26 October 1986, at only 17, and scored his first league goal fairly a year after. His older brother Rob was already playing there.
After being established in the first team, Witschge joined Johan Cruyff's FC Barcelona, being fairly played as the Catalonians won back-to-back La Liga championships. He made his debut in the competition on 14 September 1991, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 home win against Real Zaragoza.
Subsequently, Witschge represented FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Blackburn Rovers (on loan from March 1995, he played once against West Ham United, as his team won the Premier League), Ajax (in his second spell with his main club, he added more than 150 official appearances, helping the club to two leagues and back-to-back domestic cups; additionally, he was loaned to Spanish top flight outfit Deportivo Alavés in 2001–02), amateurs AD0' 20 Heemskerk and Oita Trinita from Japan, retiring in 2004.

wn.com/Richard_Witschge
Rinat Dasayev
Rinat Fayzrakhmanovich Dasayev (Russian: Ринат Файзрахманович Дасаев, Tatar: Rinat Faizrahman uly Dasaev; born June 13, 1957 in Astrakhan, Russian SFSR) is a Russian former football goalkeeper of Tatar ethnicity, who played in three World Cups with the Soviet national team. He is considered the second best Russian goalkeeper ever behind Lev Yashin, and one of the best in the world in the 1980s. He was awarded the title of the World’s Best Goalkeeper of the Year award in 1988 by the IFFHS. In 2004, he was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.
Dasayev, nicknamed “The Iron Curtain” and "The Cat", was a goalkeeper for the Russian football club Spartak Moscow during most of the 1980s. He won the Soviet championship in 1979 and 1987 and was named Best Soviet Goalkeeper by Ogonyok (Огонëк) magazine in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988. In 1982 he was named Soviet Footballer of the Year. Dasayev played for the Soviet national team at the 1980 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal. He appeared in the 1982, 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, as well as the Euro 88 (where the Soviet Union lost the final and Dasayev was powerless to stop Marco van Basten's legendary volley). In total, he was capped 91 times from 1979 to 1990, being the second-most capped player ever for the Soviet Union.

wn.com/Rinat_Dasayev
Rinus Israël
Marinus ("Rinus") David Israël (born 19 March 1942 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland) is a former Dutch football player, manager and currently scout.
During his career he played for DWS (1962–66), Feyenoord Rotterdam (1966–74), Excelsior Rotterdam (1974–75) and PEC Zwolle (1975–82). Israël achieved his greatest success at club level with Feyenoord, where he won three Eredivisie titles, a KNVB Cup, a European Cup and a UEFA Cup. He scored one of the two Rotterdam goals in the 1970 European Cup final against Celtic F.C.
He also played 47 matches and scored 3 goals for the Netherlands national football team from 1964 to 1974, and he played three matches for Holland in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, including the Second round victories against Brazil and Argentina. Nicknamed IJzeren Rinus (Iron Rinus) he formed a solid defence line at Feyenoord with Theo Laseroms.

wn.com/Rinus_Israël
Rinus Michels
Marinus ("Rinus") Jacobus Hendricus Michels OON (9 February 1928 – 3 March 2005) was a Dutch association football player and coach. He played his entire career for the club Ajax Amsterdam, which he later coached, and was a member of the Netherlands national team both as a player and as manager.
Michels became most notable for his coaching achievements, having won the European Cup with Ajax and the Spanish league with Barcelona, and having had four tenures as coach of the Netherlands national team, which he led to reach the final match of the 1974 World Cup and to win the 1988 European Championship. He is credited with the invention of a major football tactic known as "Total Football" in the 1970s, and was named "coach of the century" by FIFA in 1999.
Michels was born in Amsterdam and grew up at the Olympiaweg, a street near the Olympic Stadium. He celebrated his ninth birthday on 9 February 1936, when he received a pair of football boots and an Ajax jersey. Moments later he was playing with his father at a small field near their home. Via Joop Köhler, a friend of the family who was commissioner at Ajax, Michels was introduced to the club and became a junior member in 1940. When World War II started, and specially during the Dutch famine of 1944, Michels' career was set on hold.

wn.com/Rinus_Michels
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
Rob de Wit
Rob de Wit (born 1963-09-08 in Utrecht) is a former Dutch football player.
De Wit made his debut for FC Utrecht in the 1982-83 season. He was transferred to Ajax Amsterdam two seasons later, July 1984, as successor of left wing attacker Jesper Olsen, who left to Manchester United. At Ajax, he quickly became a crowd favourite, and played nearly all of the matches, the 1984-1985 and 1985-1986 seasons. On 1985-05-01, still in his first season at Ajax, De Wit made his debut for the Dutch national team in a World Cup qualifier against Austria. Nearly two weeks later, De Wit scored the winning goal against Hungary (0-1 away win), which won the Netherlands a play-off match against Belgium for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
De Wit's career came to an abrupt end in 1986, due to a cerebral hemorrhage while on holiday in Spain. At first, the consequences didn't seem to be all that bad. De Wit's team mates at Ajax sent him a 'get well soon'-card with the words: "We didn't even know you had brains." After an unsuccessful treatment in Sweden, it became clear that Rob de Wit would never play professional football again. He sustained two more cerebral hemorrhages later in life: one in 1993 and one in January 2005.

wn.com/Rob_de_Wit
Rob Rensenbrink
Pieter Robert ("Rob") Rensenbrink (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpi.tər ˈroʊ̯.bərt (ˈrɔp) ˈrɛn.sə(m).ˌbrɪŋk], born July 3, 1947 in Amsterdam) is a former Dutch football player and member of the Dutch national football team that reached two World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978. A creative left winger of considerable talent, he became a legend in Belgium whilst playing in the great Anderlecht side of the 1970s. A talented dribbler as well as a cool finisher, he only ever missed two penalties in his entire career, and often enjoyed telling the keeper beforehand where he was going to place the ball, and then still beating him there. He was also the first winner of the Onze d'Or
Born in Amsterdam, Rensenbrink started his career at DWS, an Amsterdam amateur club, before moving to Belgian side Club Brugge in 1969. Between 1971 and 1980 he played for Anderlecht where he enjoyed his greatest club successes. In total when in Belgium he twice won the Belgian Championships, the Belgian Cup five times and at European club level the European Cup Winners' Cup twice (in 1976 and 1978 as well as being runner-up in 1977). Among his team mates was Dutch internationalist compatriot, Arie Haan.

wn.com/Rob_Rensenbrink
Rob Witschge
Robert "Rob" Witschge (born 22 August 1966) is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a midfielder. His younger brother, Richard, was also a footballer and a midfielder.
He played most of his 14-year professional career with Feyenoord, but started out at Ajax, amassing Eredivisie totals of 309 games and 39 goals.
Witschge represented Holland in one World Cup and one European Championship.
Born in Amsterdam, North-Holland, Witschge started his professional career with local AFC Ajax, being an undisputed starter at 20, and a crucial element of the team that won the 1986–87 European Cup Winners' Cup. During three seasons, he shared teams with his sibling Richard.
He joined French side AS Saint-Étienne in July 1989 but, unsettled, returned home in January 1991, with Feyenoord Rotterdam, helping it win three Dutch cups, one Supercup and the 1992–93 league.
After one final weak year with Feyenoord, Witschge moved to FC Utrecht, retiring in 1999 after one season with Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad (Jeddah).

wn.com/Rob_Witschge
Robert Pirès
Robert Emmanuel Pirès (born 29 October 1973 in Reims) is a French international footballer who is currently a free agent. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04. A former France international, Pirès earned 79 caps between 1996 and 2004 for his country, including winning both the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000.
Pirès has played the majority of his career as a left winger, but can also play all across the midfield or in a position to support the striker(s).
Pirès was born in Reims to a Portuguese father and Spanish mother. Pirès, the elder of two boys, spent most of his childhood dressed in two football shirts that reflected his divided loyalty. One was a Portugal shirt (his father was a Benfica fan) and the other was a Real Madrid shirt. Pirès confessed he had difficulty in school because his French was not good due to the fact his parents only spoke Spanish and Portuguese. His passion for football was inherited from his father, António, who played with Les Corpo, a local team, and every Saturday night Pirès would watch him play. At the age of 15, Pirès left school and began his dream of a career in football with a two-year sports degree course in Reims. At the insistence of his mother, Pirès continued with Reims and eventually was called up four years later.

wn.com/Robert_Pirès
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 Martínez
Roberto Martínez Montoliú (born 13 July 1973) is a Spanish former footballer who is the current manager of Wigan Athletic.
Martínez played as a defensive midfielder and began his career at lower league Spanish side CF Balaguer. Two years later he signed for English Third Division side Wigan Athletic. Becoming part of a small Spanish contingent at the club – alongside Jesús Seba and Isidro Díaz – he was a regular first team player for six years, the longest period of time he spent at one club. In 2001, he moved to Scottish side Motherwell on a free transfer, but he was unable to break into the first team. He switched clubs the following year, this time to Walsall, but again he played infrequently. This prompted a move to Swansea City in 2003, where he was selected as club captain and helped the Welsh side to avoid relegation from the Football League. He was an important part of the team from 2003 to 2006, making 123 league appearances and captaining them to promotion to League One in 2005. He moved to Chester City in 2006, and was again chosen to be captain.

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Roberto Perfumo
Roberto Alfredo Perfumo (born 3 October 1942) is a former Argentine footballer.
Perfumo was born in Sarandí.
El Mariscal won the Intercontinental Cup with Racing Club in 1967, as well as two Argentine leagues, and three with River Plate.
Perfumo made 37 appearances for the Argentina national team between 1964 and 1974. His international debut came in May 1964 in Lima in a selection game for the Olympic Games.
He had little success as coach, starting with Sarmiento de Junín in 1981. He also coached Racing in 1991, and Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata in 1993. Then he coached a few teams from elsewhere in South America, most importantly Club Olimpia from Paraguay, with whom he obtained the local league.
Perfumo is now a match summarizer on Argentine Public Television's coverage of league games, 'Fútbol Para Todos'.

wn.com/Roberto_Perfumo
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 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
Romà Forns
Romà Forns was a Spanish/Catalan footballer and manager. He made his debut as a footballer in late 1902 playing one season for Irish FC but spent the rest of his career with FC Barcelona and the Catalan XI, always as a forward. He later served on the FC Barcelona board of directors and then coached the club between 1927 and 1929, guiding it to the first ever La Liga championship. He was the first manager from either Spain or Catalonia to take charge of the club.
During his playing career, Forns helped FC Barcelona win the Championat de Catalunya on five occasions and the Copa del Rey once. Among his team mates at the club were Ernest Witty, Francisco Bru, Paulino Alcántara and Jack Greenwell. Between 1910 and 1912 Forns also played at least 4 times for the Catalan XI. However records from the era do not always include accurate statistics and he may have played more games. On December 12, 1912 he played against France in the Catalan XI’s first game against an international team. After serving on the FC Barcelona board of directors, Forns was appointed club coach in 1927 and with a team that included Josep Samitier, Sagibarba and Franz Platko he won a Championat de Catalunya and a Copa del Rey before winning La Liga.

wn.com/Romà_Forns
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria (born January 29, 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), better known simply as Romário (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁoˈmaɾiu]), is a former footballer who played striker, manager and current politician. He helped the Brazil national team win the 1994 FIFA World Cup and was one of the most prolific strikers in the world.
He was selected the FIFA World Player of the Year and won the World Cup Golden Ball in 1994, chosen as forward on FIFA Dream Team and named as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration. He is also known as one of very few strikers to surpass the mark of 1,000 goals.
From very humble origins, Romário was spotted in childhood when playing for Olaria, a small club from the Rio de Janeiro suburb. He was taken to the junior team of Vasco da Gama where he won two state leagues (1987/88) and earned his first call-ups to the national team. Romário came to international attention when he became the top scorer at the 1988 Olympic football tournament.

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Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈroʊ̯.nɑɫt ˈku.mɑn], born 21 March 1963 in Zaandam, Noord-Holland) is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman. He was renowned for his long-range accuracy, especially in free kicks.
In 1980 Koeman started his professional career at Groningen. After playing for Ajax, PSV and FC Barcelona, he finished his career in Feyenoord. During his career he won two UEFA European Cup titles, five Dutch championships, three Dutch Cups, four Spanish championships, one Spanish Cup and he was also in the winning Dutch national team at the UEFA Euro 1988.
Besides being a defender at the centreback position, Koeman was also known for his powerful right-footed freekicks and deadball ability where he scored many vital goals for the team, and it was from a free kick that he scored Barcelona's winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final. His nickname while playing for Barcelona was Floquet de Neu, after the famous albino gorilla in the Barcelona Zoo. Ronald Koeman currently holds the record for 25 consecutive successful penalty conversions in La Liga.

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Ronald Spelbos
Ronald Spelbos (born 8 July 1954 in Utrecht) is a Dutch former football player and manager. He used to play central defense.

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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
Roque Olsen
Roque Germán Olsen Fontana commonly known as Roque Olsen (9 September 1925 – 15 June 1992) was an Argentine football player and manager.
Olsen started his playing career in the local leagues of Parana, Entre Ríos. In 1949 he was signed by Tigre, the following year he joined champions Racing Club de Avellaneda. After only 15 games for Racing he joined Real Madrid where he went on to become one of the clubs most important goalscorers He played out his career with Córdoba CF in the late 1950s.
Olsen started his managerial career with Córdoba CF leading them to promotion to La Liga in 1962. He then managed Deportivo La Coruña, Real Zaragoza and FC Barcelona. He also managed Elche CF, Sevilla FC and Celta Vigo. His last managerial position before his death in 1992 was as manager of UD Las Palmas.

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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
Rui Costa
Rui Manuel César Costa, OIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁuj ˈkɔʃtɐ]; born 29 March 1972) is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. An attacking midfielder also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder. Renowned for his fine technique and his excellent passing, he's now considered as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100, as one of the 125 greatest living football players.
At the age of five, Costa joined the infant indoor football team of Damaia Ginásio Clube. Rui tried his luck at Benfica. Within ten minutes of training, Portugal legend Eusébio, who was supervising the youngsters, was impressed at Rui's skills. Up until 1990, Rui played for Benfica's youth squads. That season he was loaned to Fafe on a season long deal.
In 1991, after the Under-21 World Cup, which Portugal won after a victorious penalty kick scored by Costa, he returned to Benfica. There, he won the Cup of Portugal in 1993 and the Portuguese First Division title in 1993–94. This would be Benfica's last league title for 11 years.

wn.com/Rui_Costa
Rune Bratseth
Rune Bratseth (born 19 March 1961) is a former Norwegian footballer who played as a sweeper.
Nicknamed Elk due to his long stature, he is best known for his spell with SV Werder Bremen, also having appeared in the 1994 FIFA World Cup with Norway, its first since 1938, at the age of 33.
Born in Trondheim, Bratseth started his career at local club Rosenborg BK. There, he would only be a part-time professional, until he left for Germany's SV Werder Bremen in January 1987, for a mere €93.000. He was immediately cast into the starting XI, making his club debut in a 1–5 loss at 1. FC Nuremberg, on 21 February, after the winter break; he would also win the first of his two national championships in his first full season.
Bratseth's finest moment came when Werder won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1991–92, in a 2–0 victory against AS Monaco FC. During the campaign, he played in eight (out of nine) complete matches, managing to add two goals (in both legs against Romania's FCM Bacău).
After a second league title with Bremen, Bratseth began suffering knee problems, even needing injections to play. After only one match in 1994–95, he called it quits, at 34, having amassed 230 league matches, with 12 goals, in eight and a half professional seasons. In the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, Braseth was on the scoresheet at the incredible 5–3 home win against R.S.C. Anderlecht; the Belgian led 3–0 with 25 minutes to go, and he helped to the final comeback with the 2–3.

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Ruud Geels
Geertruida ("Ruud") Maria Geels (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣeːr.ˌtrœy̯.daː (ˈryt) mɑ.ˈrijaː ˈɣeːls]) (born July 28, 1948 in Haarlem, Noord-Holland) is a retired football striker from the Netherlands, who obtained 20 caps for the Dutch national team, scoring eleven goals, in the 1970s.
Geels was a prolific goal scorer, scoring 388 goals in seventeen years of professional football. He served several clubs. Geels is one of very few players alongside Ronald Koeman, who played for all three big clubs in the Netherlands: Ajax Amsterdam, Feyenoord Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven. Geels was a member of the national team that ended up in second place at the 1974 FIFA World Cup.
With Feyenoord
Eredivisie: 1965, 1969
KNVB Cup: 1965, 1969
Uefa Champions League: 1970
With Club Brugge KV
Belgian League: 1973
With AFC Ajax
Eredivisie: 1977

wn.com/Ruud_Geels
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 Krol
Rudolf ("Ruud" or "Rudi") Jozef Krol (born 24 March 1949 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch footballer who was capped 83 times for his native country. Playing the vast majority of his career with his home town club of Ajax before traveling the world as both a player and a coach. One of the best defenders of his generation, Krol mainly played as a sweeper or left-back, however he could play anywhere across the back four or as a defensive midfielder.
He began his career at Ajax Amsterdam under manager Rinus Michels. In his first season at the club he did not play much. After the departure of left back Theo van Duivenbode in the summer of 1969 to Feyenoord, Krol became a regular player. When Ajax reached the UEFA European Cup in 1971, and won, Krol did not play because of a broken leg. Krol did play in the European Cup finals of 1972 and 1973. While others such as Johan Cruijff and Johan Neeskens left for pastures new, Krol, captain since the departure of Piet Keizer in October 1974, stayed at Ajax until 1980. He moved to the NASL to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps for one season. He then joined Napoli where he played for the next four seasons. His last club before he retired in 1986 was the French club AS Cannes, at the time in Ligue 2 (the French 2nd division).

wn.com/Ruud_Krol
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
Safet Sušić

Safet "Pape" Sušić (born 13 April 1955) is a Bosnian former footballer and current manager of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. In his playing days, he operated as playmaking attacking midfielder. In 2010, he was voted PSG's best player of all time by French sport magazine France Football 's readers.
Sušić began his career with the football club Krivaja in his hometown Zavidovići. In 1973, he was transferred to FK Sarajevo, where he was to become a legendary figure by the late 1970s. During the 1979–80 season, he was top scorer in the Yugoslavian league with 17 goals. In 1979, he was honoured as the Yugoslav Footballer of the Year, also being selected as the best athlete hailing from the republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 1982, Sušić signed with French outfit of Paris Saint-Germain, where he became a star on the European stage. Hardly ever injured, he performed at a high level well past his 30s. The Yugoslav international was never injured nor suspended, thus allowing him to score 85 goals and make a record 61 assists for PSG between 1982 and 1991. On 22 September 1984, in a 7–1 home drubbing of Bastia, he assisted on five of the side's goals. At 36, Sušić left the capital for a final year with Red Star Saint-Ouen.

wn.com/Safet_Sušić
Salvador Artigas
Salvador Artigas (February 23, 1913, Barcelona, Spain – September 6, 1997, Benidorm, Spain) is a Spanish former footballer and manager.
He was also manager for FC Barcelona Athletic Bilbao,FC Sevilla. During the Spanish civil war, was a pilot for the republican side.

wn.com/Salvador_Artigas
Sandro Puppo
Sandro Puppo (28 January 1918 – 16 October 1986) was an Italian football (soccer) player and manager born in Piacenza.
During his playing days he played for Piacenza, Ambrosiana,Venezia and A.S. Roma in the 1930s and 1940s. Later he became a coach and managed the Turkey national football team in the 1954 FIFA World Cup, and went on to manage teams such as Barcelona, Juventus and Beşiktaş.

wn.com/Sandro_Puppo
Sandro Rosell
Alexandre Rosell i Feliu (born March 6, 1964 in Barcelona, Spain), commonly known as Sandro Rosell (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈsandɾu ruˈseʎ]), is the current president of FC Barcelona. With an MBA degree from ESADE, Rosell is known for being the running mate and senior adviser of Joan Laporta during the presidential elections at FC Barcelona in 2003. Moreover, he is renowned for bringing Ronaldinho to the Camp Nou in the same year.
Rosell and Joan Laporta joined forces in 2003 to support the latter's bid to become President of FC Barcelona. After winning by a huge majority, Rosell attempted to make the election pledge of bringing David Beckham to the club a reality. At the time, Rosell claimed he was "80% confident" that the move would take place. However Beckham chose to go to Barça's fierce rivals Real Madrid.
As a result of Beckham's snub, the Barça board opted to try and sign Brazil star Ronaldinho from PSG. The Catalan club were in direct competition for the Brazilian with Manchester United who wanted him as a replacement for the England international. At a time of financial uncertainty, the capture of Ronaldinho was crucial for Barça.

wn.com/Sandro_Rosell
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.

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Sergei Aleinikov
Sergei Yevgenyevich Aleinikov (Russian: Сергей Евгеньевич Алейников) (born 7 November 1961 in Minsk) is a former football player from Belarus, now coach.
He played for the USSR national football team, making 77 appearances for the USSR, scoring six goals, from 1984–91, when USSR made the final of Euro 88, losing to the Netherlands 0-2. He also earned 4 caps for Belarus after the independence of Belarus.
He joined F.C. Dinamo Minsk in 1981 and won the USSR championship the following season. The midfielder then joined Juventus F.C. in 1989, and won the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia in 1990. He signed for U.S. Lecce in 1990, and in 1992 went to Japan to play for Gamba Osaka. He finished his career with Swedish side IK Oddevold in 1996.
In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Belarus by the Football Federation of Belarus as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.
In 2007–08 he served as head coach of amateur Promozione team NK Kras. He currently lives in Lecce.

wn.com/Sergei_Aleinikov
Sergey Kvochkin
Sergey Prokofyevich Kvochkin (October 6, 1938 – December 29, 2007) was a Soviet Kazakhstani footballer. In 2004, he was selected as the best Kazakhstani footballer in the UEFA Jubilee Awards.

wn.com/Sergey_Kvochkin
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
Sid Castle
Sidney Ernest Rowland 'Sid' Castle (born 12 March 1892 in Basingstoke–died 27 January 1978) was an English professional footballer who played for Basingstoke Town, Thornycroft Athletic, Guildford United, Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic, Chelsea.
After playing for Basingstoke Town, Thorneycrofts and Guildford United, the outside right joined Tottenham Hotspur. Between 1919–20 Castle made five appearances for the Spurs. He signed for Charlton Athletic in 1921 and went on to play in 66 matches and scoring 10 goals. In 1923, Castle signed for Chelsea where he featured in a further 32 games and finding the net twice. He re-joined Guldford United where he ended his playing career.
He coached in the Netherlands at Ajax between early 1927 and September 1928 and two teams from Zwolle before coaching Heerenveen in two spells and Meppel.

wn.com/Sid_Castle
Sonny Silooy
Jan Jacobus ("Sonny") Silooy (born 31 August 1963 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland) is a former Dutch footballer, who is now an assistant manager for Major League Soccer club D.C. United.
Silooy played as a right or central defender and is one of the legends of Ajax Amsterdam, where he made his debut on May 3, 1981, playing over 250 league games for the Amsterdam club in two separate periods. Silooy also played for Matra Racing, Arminia Bielefeld,De Graafschap and the amateurs of GVV Unitas from Gorinchem. He played in the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final against Juventus, but missed a key penalty in the shootout which Ajax ultimately lost.
Silooy obtained 25 caps for the Netherlands national football team, but never played in a major international competition.
Silooy was also coach of the Jong Ajax youth academy and juniors team. In 2010 he was appointed as headcoach of new branch Dayton Dutch Lions.
He left Dayton Dutch Lions to become an assistant coach with the Major League Soccer club D.C. United.

wn.com/Sonny_Silooy
Sotiris Kaiafas
Sotiris Kaiafas (born December 17, 1949 in Mia Milia, Nicosia) is a retired Cypriot footballer, who played for Omonia and Cyprus. During his career at Omonia, he won the European Golden Boot. He is considered the best footballer that Cyprus has ever produced and also one of the two best Cypriot sportpeople in 20th century.
Kaiafas played for local club mia milia, called Proodos. In 1965, he joined Omonia and in 1967, he debuted for Omonia senior team joining the youth team at the age of 16 because he was clearly a class above the rest in his age group. Soon he established himself as one of the most prolific strikers Omonia had ever employed. But it was not until the early 1970s that he served notice of his talent. In the 1971–72 season, Kaiafas became for first time leading scorer in Cyprus with 12 goals, a tally that helped Omonia to their third domestic title. It was the start of a successful partnership.
Kaiafas, like other Cypriot stars such as Andreas Stylianou, Panicos Efthymiades and Leonidas Leonidou, became a cult hero to the fans. It was a period where there was a close connection between players and watchers, at a time when football was played on gravel, not grass, and its practitioners paid only a pittance by clubs.

wn.com/Sotiris_Kaiafas
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
Stéphane Chapuisat
Stéphane Chapuisat (born 28 June 1969 in Lausanne) is a retired Swiss footballer who played as a striker.
A prolific goalscorer for both club and country (for which he appeared more than 100 times), he played most of his career with Germany's Borussia Dortmund.
Chapuisat started his professional career with hometown Lausanne Sports, moving in January 1991 to Bundesliga's Bayer Uerdingen, switching to powerhouse Borussia Dortmund in that summer.
In his first season at Dortmund, Chapuisat netted 20 league goals, two short of Torjäger Fritz Walter, of eventual champions VfB Stuttgart. He stayed with Borussia until 1999, conquering back-to-back titles (although he played sparingly in 1995–96 due to injuries) and adding the following season's UEFA Champions League, where he scored three in 10 games during the victorious campaign.
Chapuisat then transferred to Grasshopper Club Zürich, playing there for three years. In 2002, he moved to another Swiss first division club, BSC Young Boys, before rejoining Lausanne, now in the second level, retiring at 37, with namely 106 goals in 228 Bundesliga games to his credit. He was also voted Swiss Footballer of the Year four times (1992, 1993, 1994 and 2001).

wn.com/Stéphane_Chapuisat
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
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables (born 6 January 1943 in Dagenham), often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England. He was the national team manager of England from 1994 to 1996 (leading the team to the semi-finals of the 1996 European Championships), and of Australia from 1997 to 1998. He has also managed several club sides including Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United in England, and Barcelona in Spain.
Venables attended Lennards Secondary School (now The Ockendon Maths And Computing College) In South Ockendon, Essex.^{[citation needed]}
Venables left school in the summer of 1957 and signed for Chelsea as an apprentice. He became professional for them in 1960, after being left out of England's Olympic squad. He emerged as the captain and one of the key players in the Chelsea side which challenged for honours in the 1960s, narrowly missing out on Football League and FA Cup success, and winning the League Cup in 1965, scoring in the final against Leicester City. But a fall-out with manager Tommy Docherty culminated in him and seven other players being sent home for breaking a pre-match curfew and ultimately led to his sale to Tottenham Hotspur for £80,000 in 1966. He had made 202 appearances for Chelsea and scored 26 goals.

wn.com/Terry_Venables
Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga (born 8 March 1949) is a Peruvian former footballer. He was selected as Peru's greatest ever player in an IFFHS poll, in which he was also included in the world's Top 50. He is one of only two players to have scored five goals in two different FIFA World Cups.
Nicknamed El Nene (The Kid), he was part of the Peru national team that won the 1975 Copa América. He helped Peru reach the quarter finals at the 1970 FIFA World Cup and again at the 1978 World Cup and was elected the South American Footballer of the Year in 1972.
He is the all-time leading scorer for his country, with 26 goals in 81 matches.In 2004 Pelé selected Cubillas as one of the FIFA 100, a list of 125 footballing greats. In February 2008, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Brazilian World Cup victory, he was selected in the All-Star First Team of South America of the past 50 years.
Nicknamed "Nene" (the babe) for his boyish looks, Cubillas began his career with Alianza Lima at the age of 16 in 1966. Whilst at Alianza he was top scorer in the Peruvian Primera División in 1966 and 1970.

wn.com/Teófilo_Cubillas
Theo de Jong
Theodorus ("Theo") Jacob de Jong (born 11 August 1947 in Leeuwarden) is a former Dutch footballer and now coach.
During his career he played for NEC Nijmegen and Feyenoord Rotterdam. He earned 15 caps and scored 3 goals for the Netherlands national football team, and played for them in the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final.
De Jong was a member of the Feyenoord team that won the UEFA Cup in 1974, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the then two-legged final. He later played 3 seasons in Hong Kong for Seiko.
Theo's son, Dave de Jong, is also a footballer.

wn.com/Theo_de_Jong
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
Tito Vilanova
Francesc "Tito" Vilanova i Bayó (born 17 September 1969) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central midfielder, and the current manager of FC Barcelona.
After an unassuming professional career - only played 26 La Liga games in three years combined - he went on to work with FC Barcelona (his first club) as an assistant coach under Josep Guardiola, being part of the squads which won 14 major titles.
Vilanova was born in Bellcaire d'Empordà, Girona, Catalonia. After emerging in the youth ranks of local FC Barcelona, he left the La Liga giants in 1990, unable to break through into the first team. His next club was also in his native region, UE Figueres, with the player helping the team to its best ever second division classification, in the 1991–92 season (third place); the club would eventually face Cádiz CF in the promotion playoffs, losing 1–3 on aggregate.
Subsequently, Vilanova moved to the top level with Celta de Vigo, but appeared rarely over the course of three full seasons, returned to division two in 1995, and representing CD Badajoz, RCD Mallorca - contributing with ten games as the Balearic Islands side promoted to the top flight - UE Lleida and Elche CF, retiring at nearly 34 with lowly UDA Gramenet, in his native region.

wn.com/Tito_Vilanova
Tomislav Ivić
Tomislav Ivić (30 June 1933 – 24 June 2011) was a Croatian football player and manager.
Often described as a brilliant strategist, Ivić is credited with helping develop the modern style of the game. In April 2007 the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport proclaimed him as the most successful football manager in history, due to his 7 league titles won in 6 different countries.
Ivić managed teams in 14 different countries along with 4 national teams, and he won titles and cups in six countries (Yugoslavia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Portugal and Spain). He won seven top flight championships (3 in Yugoslavia, and 1 each in Greece, Portugal, The Netherlands and Belgium), 6 national cups (4 in Yugoslavia and 1 each in Spain and Portugal), an UEFA Super Cup and an Intercontinental Cup.
Throughout his career, he managed in ten countries. At his homeland, he coached RNK Split, Hajduk Split, Dinamo Zagreb and the national team; at Netherlands, he coached Ajax; at Belgium, Anderlecht and Standard Liège; at Turkey, Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe; Avellino, his only experience at Italy; Panathinaikos in Greece; in Portugal, he coached FC Porto and Benfica; In France, he managed Paris Saint Germain and Olympique de Marseille (this one, his last club before retiring, in 2002); At Spain, Atlético Madrid; In United Arab Emirates, Al Wasl FC and the national team; And, in Iran, Persepolis and the national selection (which he almost coached at qualification for 1998 FIFA World Cup).

wn.com/Tomislav_Ivić
Txiki Begiristain
Aitor 'Txiki' Begiristain Mújica (born 12 August 1964 in Olaberria, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country) is a retired Spanish footballer who played professionally during the 1980s and 1990s.
Mainly a left winger who could also operate as a forward with equal success, he is best known for his spells at Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona.
Begiristain represented the Spanish national team in one World Cup and one European Championship.
Begiristain began his professional career with Real Sociedad in 1982, at just 18, and subsequently played 187 games and scored 23 goals in La Liga for the club. After a slow start, with 16 matches in his first season, he became an essential member of the side that was then coached by John Toshack, also including Luis Arconada, Roberto López Ufarte, José Mari Bakero and Luis López Rekarte. The highlights of his career at Real included scoring the second goal in the 1987 Spanish Cup final against Atlético Madrid, which was eventually won on penalties after the 2–2 draw.
In 1987–88, Begiristain helped Real finish runners-up in both league and cup, losing in both competitions to FC Barcelona; within a month of the latter he, along with Bakero and López Rekarte, signed for the Catalonian club.

wn.com/Txiki_Begiristain
Udo Lattek
Udo Lattek (born 16 January 1935 in Bosemb near Sensburg, East Prussia) is a former German football player and coach, and is now a television sportscaster.
With 14 major titles, Lattek is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game, and the most successful coach with German teams, especially Bayern Munich. He further won important trophies with Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Barcelona. Further to that he coached Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04 and 1. FC Köln. Alongside the Italian Giovanni Trapattoni he is the only coach to have won all three major European club titles, and the only one to do so with three different teams.
Whilst Udo Lattek was preparing for a career as a teacher, he played football with SSV Marienheide, Bayer Leverkusen and VfR Wipperfürth. In 1962 he joined VfL Osnabrück. There he played in his first season in the first division (the northern division of the "Oberliga"), and the remainder of his time in the second division as the club did not qualify for the new Bundesliga at its inception 1963. The centre forward, who was famed for his headers, scored between 1962 and 1965 34 goals in 70 league matches.

wn.com/Udo_Lattek
Uli Hoeneß
Ulrich “Uli” Hoeneß (born 5 January 1952) is a former German footballer who played as a forward.
During his career, he is mainly associated with Bayern Munich, later also serving as the club's general manager and president.
Hoeneß represented the nation in one World Cup and two European Championships, winning one tournament in each competition.
Hoeneß was born in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg. The left-sided forward was recruited from amateurs TSG Ulm 1846 by Udo Lattek, then manager of Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich, at the age of 18, in 1970. The player immediately made an impact, scoring six times in 31 matches as the Bavarians finished in second position, behind Borussia Mönchengladbach, and adding the domestic cup.
During his eight-and-a-half-year stint with Bayern, Hoeneß enjoyed great success, winning a total of eight accolades, including three league titles and as many European Cups; in the 1973–74 edition of the latter competition, the final replay against Atlético Madrid, he produced one of his most outstanding performances ever, contributing with two goals to the 4–0 victory, in efficient counter-attacking moves. However, in the final of the following year's European Cup, against Leeds United, he suffered a knee injury from which he never fully recovered.

wn.com/Uli_Hoeneß
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
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
Vasilis Hatzipanagis
Vasilis Hatzipanagis (Greek: Βασίλης Χατζηπαναγής) (born 26 October 1954 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan) is a retired football (soccer) attacking midfield. He played for Iraklis FC in Greek Alpha Ethniki and Pakhtakor Tashkent in the Soviet Top League. He also played for Greece and USSR.
Born to Greek political immigrants to the USSR in October 1954, he was spotted by Pakhtakor, a club in Tashkent (a city of the Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan). They wanted to invest in this raw yet refined player, but the law was strict: he had to apply for Soviet citizenship to be eligible for the Soviet top flight. Hatzipanagis made his professional debut at the age of 17.
Hatzipanagis signed for the Thessaloniki club Iraklis, and such was his reputation that he filled the stadium for his first match in December 1975. The Iraklis fans would be one of the reasons this exceptional talent never joined another team, the other being his contract with Iraklis was heavily favored towards the club making it almost impossible for him to leave in spite of his desire to test himself in a better league. Despite interest from S.S. Lazio, Arsenal, FC Porto and VfB Stuttgart, the club's board feared the consequences of selling the crowd favourite. So Hatzipanagis stayed at Iraklis until 1990 and made a farewell appearance in a UEFA game against Valencia CF in October 1991 – on his 37th birthday.

wn.com/Vasilis_Hatzipanagis
Vic Buckingham
Victor Frederick Buckingham (23 October 1915 – 26 January 1995) was an English footballer whose approach as a manager was a precursor of the Total Football philosophy.
Buckingham joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1934 and played the first season (1934–35) for Tottenham Hotspur nursery club Northfleet United. After that single season he returned to Tottenham and played 230 games as a defensive midfielder before leaving in 1949. He started his managerial career with amateur team Pegasus followed by Bradford Park Avenue, then a Football League side, before taking over at West Bromwich Albion in 1953. He became the club's longest serving post-war manager, almost leading them to an elusive 'double' in 1954 when they won the FA Cup and finished second in the league.
During his management of Ajax, he spotted the young Johan Cruijff who was to go on to develop Buckingham's ideas into the mature concept of Total Football. Buckingham's ideas were radically ahead of his time - engendering total football philosophies and youth systems - and earned him a continental reputation (especially in Spain where he was appointed coach of Sevilla FC and then FC Barcelona) that more often than not, overshadowed his talent back home.

wn.com/Vic_Buckingham
Vicente Cantatore
Vicente Cantatore (born 6 October 1935) is a Chilean-Argentina former football player and manager.
He played for Talleres de Córdoba, Tigre, San Lorenzo, Rangers de Talca, Santiago Wanderers and Deportes Concepción.
He managed Lota Schwager, Cobreloa, Chile, Real Valladolid, Sevilla, Universidad Católica, Colo-Colo, Tenerife,Real Valladolid, Sporting CP,Betis and Sporting de Gijón.

wn.com/Vicente_Cantatore
Vilmos Halpern
Vilmos Halpern was a Hungarian football player and manager who managed Dutch side Ajax between 1940 and 1941, before moving to Dutch amateur side NOAD.
He later managed a number of club sides in Switzerland - FC Grenchen (1951) and AC Bellinzona (1955–1956). He also coached Holland Sport.

wn.com/Vilmos_Halpern
Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov (Serbian: Вујадин Бошков, born 16 May 1931) is a retired Serbian football player and coach.
Boškov was born in the village of Begeč near Novi Sad, Danube Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia). He played with FK Vojvodina for most of his career (1946–1960). He also became a playing member of the Yugoslavia national team, and was part of the team that won the silver medal at the 1952 Olympic football tournament.
In 1961 he moved to Italy to play for Serie A club Sampdoria for one season (1961/62), before accepting a stint as a player/coach at Swiss side Young Boys (1962–1964). Boškov then returned to the club that made him as a player – FK Vojvodina – and coached it for 7 seasons (1964–1971) winning one Yugoslav league championship in 1965–66.
He soon developed a successful international coaching career with stints in Dutch Eredivisie (FC Den Haag (1974–1976), and Feyenoord (1976–1978)), Spanish La Liga (Real Zaragoza (1978/79), Real Madrid (1979–1982), and Sporting de Gijon (1983–84)), Italian Serie A (Ascoli Calcio 1898 (1984–1986), U.C. Sampdoria (1986–1992, 1998–99), A.S. Roma (1992–93), S.S.C. Napoli (1994–1996), and A.C. Perugia (1999)), and Swiss league (Servette Geneva (1996–97)).

wn.com/Vujadin_Boškov
Víctor Fernández
For the footballer, see Víctor Fernández Maza.
Víctor Fernández, (born in Zaragoza, Spain; November 28, 1960) is a Spanish football coach. In 1995, he achieved a Cup Winners' Cup victory with Real Zaragoza as well as a more recent Intercontinental Cup victory with FC Porto, on December 12, 2004.
He was dismissed from FC Porto in late January 2005 for bad results (the team was placed 3rd in the table). José Couceiro replaced him.
In June 2007, he returned to hometown club Real Zaragoza. After getting off to a dismal 2007 campaign, Víctor Fernández was sacked after a 2-2 draw with Real Mallorca.

wn.com/Víctor_Fernández
Walter Crook
Walter Crook (28 April 1912 – 27 December 1988) was an English football player and manager.
Crook, who played as a full back, played in the Football League for Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers, making a total of 264 appearances. He holds the record for most consecutive Football League appearances by a Blackburn player (208 between 1934 and 1946).
Crook also made one wartime international appearance for England in 1939.
Crook managed Dutch side Ajax between 1948 and 1950, and again between 1953 and 1954. He also managed English club sides >Accrington Stanley and Wigan Athletic.

wn.com/Walter_Crook
Wikipedia Persondata
wn.com/Wikipedia_Persondata
Willem van Hanegem
Willem "Wim" van Hanegem (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪ.ləm ˈʋɪm vɐn ˈɦaː.nə.ɣɛm]) (born 20 February 1944) is a Dutch football player and coach born in Breskens, Zeeland. In a playing career spanning over 20 years he won several domestic honours in the Netherlands, as well as two UEFA trophies, all with Feyenoord. He was also a finalist in the FIFA World Cup 1974. As a manager he won the league and cup with Feyenoord and spent a period as the Dutch national team's assistant coach. He was appointed manager of FC Utrecht in July 2007. In the Netherlands he is widely considered as one of the best Dutch football players in history. He was renowned for his tactical insight and was well known for his fantastic passing range and his ability with the ball at his feet.^{[citation needed]} Both his way of sprinting (he had bandy legs), and his skill to give the ball a curve (achieved by striking the ball with the outside of his left foot) gave him the nickname De Kromme (The Crooked).
Van Hanegem played for Velox SC, Xerxes/DHC, Feyenoord Rotterdam, AZ'67, Chicago Sting, FC Utrecht and, finally, Feyenoord once again.

wn.com/Willem_van_Hanegem
Willy Brokamp
Willy Brokamp (Kerkrade, 25 February 1946) is a former footballplayer For MVV Maastricht in the 1960s and 1970s who recruited him from RKVV Chèvremont (in the community of Kerkrade) . His nickname was “The blond arrow”.
He ranked high in the Footballplayer of the year-classification for several times. In 1973 he shared the first place on the list of top scorers with 18 goals together with Cas Janssens.
In 1974 he made a transfer to Ajax Amsterdam, where he himself had 2 very good seasons (1974/1975, 1975/1976) (without him Ajax would have sunk deeper that period). He also played 6 games for the Dutch national team and scored 6 goals.
Brokamp was not only a footballplayer. Already during his football career he started his own bar. For many years he was manager of the bar “Aux Pays-Bas” next to the Vrijthof and several other establishments in Maastricht.
He currently lives in Kanne, Belgium near Maastricht. Since 1999, he also owns a bar there, named In Kanne en Kruike.
RKVV Chèvremont
MVV Maastricht
AFC Ajax Amsterdam

wn.com/Willy_Brokamp
Willy van de Kerkhof
Wilhelmus "Willy" Antonius van de Kerkhof (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪl.ɦɛl.mʏs ˈwɪli ɑn.ˈtoː.niʏs vɐn də ˈkɛrk.ɦɔf]) (born 16 September 1951) is a former Dutch footballer.
van de Kerkhof and his twin brother René were squad members of the Dutch national team that made the World Cup final in 1974 and became key players in the team that made the 1978 final. He also played for the Netherlands at the Euro 1980. Overall, van de Kerkhof appeared 63 times for his country, scoring five goals.
He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

wn.com/Willy_van_de_Kerkhof
Wim Jansen
Wilhelmus Marinus Anthonius Jansen (born 28 October 1946 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch former association football player and manager.

He spent most of his playing career with his hometown team, Feyenoord, between 1965 and 1980. At Feyenoord, Jansen won four League Championships, one Dutch Cup, one UEFA Cup, and the European Cup in 1970 when Feyenoord defeated Celtic 2–1 in Milan. He also won 65 international caps with the Netherlands national football team and played in both the Dutch sides that reached the 1974 and 1978 World Cup Finals.
Jansen signed for the American side Washington Diplomats in 1980, but after playing 27 games for them, he returned to the Netherlands to sign for Ajax, on the advice of Johan Cruijff, who played together with Jansen at the Washington Diplomats. Jansen would play as libero and fill a gap in the Ajax defence after the departure of Krol in the summer of 1980. By November 1980, after 13 rounds of the Eredivise Ajax were 8th, by the end of the season they had picked up form and finished as runners-up behind AZ and in front of FC Utrecht. The next season Ajax went on to win the Eredivise with Jansen in the team. Feyenoord fans didn't like former player Jansen playing for their main rivals Ajax. On his Ajax debut (which, incidentally, was away to Feyenoord. Ajax lost 4–2) a snowball was thrown at his eye and Jansen had to leave the field for treatment. Jansen stayed at Ajax until summer 1982 when he retired.

wn.com/Wim_Jansen
Wim Kieft
Willem "Wim" Cornelis Nicolaas Kieft (born 12 November 1962) is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a centre forward.
A prolific goal-scorer whose main asset resided in his heading ability, he played in his country for two of the most important clubs, Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven, with equal team and individual success. He also played abroad in Italy and France.
For the Dutch national team, Kieft scored in double digits in more than one decade of play, being a very valuable member of the squad that won Euro 1988. He also represented the nation at the 1990 World Cup.
Born in Amsterdam, Kieft started his professional career with local giants AFC Ajax, making his first team debuts on 4 May 1980, at not yet 18. Amongst his youth teammates were Frank Rijkaard, John van 't Schip, Marco van Basten and Gerald Vanenburg, as in his first two full seasons he scored at an astonishing rate, especially in 1981–82, when he netted 32 goals in as many games, being crucial as the side lifted the Eredivisie title, and receiving the European Golden Boot award.

wn.com/Wim_Kieft
Wim Meutstege
Wim Meutstege (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪm ˈmøːt.steː.ɣə]) (born 28 July 1952 in Lochem, Gelderland) is a former Dutch football player.
During his club career he played for Go Ahead Eagles, Excelsior Rotterdam, Sparta Rotterdam and AFC Ajax. He earned 1 cap for the Netherlands national football team, and was included in their squad for the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship.

wn.com/Wim_Meutstege
Wim Rijsbergen
Wilhelmus ("Wim") Gerardus Rijsbergen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪl.ˌɦɛl.mʏs (ˈʋɪm) ˈɣeː.ˌrɑr.dʏs ˈrɛi̯s.ˌbɛrɣə(n)]) (born 18 January 1952 in Leiden, Zuid-Holland) is a football manager and former defender from the Netherlands. Rijsbergen, an assistant to Leo Beenhakker at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, assumed control of the Trinidad and Tobago national team in his own right following the World Cup. As of December 2007, he was suspended by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation for six (6) months, through 4 June 2007 and replaced.
He was manager of Indonesia national football team from 2011 to 2012. As of January 2012, he is technical director in Indonesian national football team.
Playing for Feyenoord Rotterdam, Rijsbergen was part of the Netherlands national football team which finished second in both the 1974 and 1978 World Cups. He later played in the North American Soccer League, for the New York Cosmos. Rijsbergen began his professional career at PEC Zwolle, and ended it in 1986 at FC Utrecht.

wn.com/Wim_Rijsbergen
Wim Suurbier
Wilhelmus "Wim" Lourens Johannes Suurbier (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɪm ˈsyːr.ˌbiːr]) (born 16 January 1945 in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant) is a former Dutch football player and currently the assistant coach of the Albanian national team. He was a wingback who was part of the Dutch national team and AFC Ajax teams of the 1970s.
Suurbier made his debut for Ajax Amsterdam when he was 19 and played with them for 13 years, all throughout the most successful era until 1977 when he was 32 years old. Usually a right back, Suurbier was renowned for his pace and stamina. Suurbier was a big part of the 70's total football team the 'Twelve Apostles' of Ajax Amsterdam led by Johan Cruijff, which lifted the UEFA Champions League three times in a row. In 1977, he moved to Schalke 04 for one season. In 1979, he transferred to the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League. He played three seasons in Los Angeles before moving to the San Jose Earthquakes for the 1982 season. In the fall of 1982, the team was renamed the Golden Bay Earthquakes and entered the Major Indoor Soccer League. He retired at the end of the season to become an assistant coach with the Earthquakes. He later resumed his playing career as a player-coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the American Indoor Soccer Association.

wn.com/Wim_Suurbier
Wim Volkers
Wim Frederik Volkers (3 October 1899 – 4 January 1990) was a Dutch football player and coach.
Volkers, who played as a striker, spent his entire playing career with Ajax, scoring 129 goals in 265 games between 1923 and 1936.
Volkers also played at international level for the Netherlands, scoring two goals in seven appearances between 1924 and 1932.
Volkers served as manager of Ajax between 1941 and 1942.

wn.com/Wim_Volkers
Wolfgang Overath
Wolfgang Overath (born 29 September 1943 in Siegburg, Germany) is a former West German football player. He represented his country three times in World Cup finals, culminating in 1974 with victory on home soil. Primarily a creative playmaker, Overath was known for his passing ability, technique and left-foot.
A playmaking midfielder, Overath started playing football at SSV Siegburg, but spent the majority of his career at 1. FC Köln, appearing 765 times between 1962 and 1977 and scoring 287 goals. He won the Bundesliga with 1. FC Köln in 1964 and the German Cup in 1968. In total he won 81 caps for the national side between 1963 and 1974, scoring 17 goals. As well as the World Cup victory in 1974, he was at the heart of the West German midfield when they reached the final in 1966 and achieved third place in 1970. Overath scored the only goal in the latter match, with many foreign journalists voting him Germany's best player in Mexico.
Overath is one of only two players (alongside his teammate Franz Beckenbauer) with World Cup medals for first, second and third place. He would have made more appearances for West Germany but for the outstanding play of Günter Netzer that made him a second choice for a brief period including the UEFA Euro 1972 victory. But he soon regained his place ahead of Netzer, who said himself that Overath "was born to play for Germany".

wn.com/Wolfgang_Overath
Włodzimierz Lubański
Włodzimierz 'Włodek' Leonard Lubański (born 28 February 1947 in Gliwice-Sośnica) is a former Polish football striker, the all-time goal scorer for the Polish national team. He was considered the best Polish striker ever. He currently holds the position of vice-chairman at Polonia Warszawa.
For his national team, Lubański amassed 65 caps between 1963 and 1980, scoring 44 goals (if Olympic matches are considered, the numbers become 80 caps and 50 goals). He scored five hat-tricks in his international career, including the rare feat of five goals in one game against Luxembourg in 1969. Lubański made his international debut at the age of 16 years and 188 days, becoming the youngest player ever to appear for Poland. He led his country to the gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He missed the 1974 FIFA World Cup after a Roy McFarland tackle during the Poland v England WC qualifier damaged his cruciate ligament and put him out of football for two years. Lubański returned to play in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, but never quite reached his previous levels of footballing prowess.

wn.com/Włodzimierz_Lubański
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
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Portuguese pronunciation: [aʁˈtuʁ ɐ̃ˈtũnis koˈĩbɾɐ], born 3 March 1953 in Rio de Janeiro), better known as Zico ([ˈziku]), is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the world's best player of the early 80's. He was also known as one of history's greatest free kick specialists, able to bend the ball with pace. The gifted midfielder was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. Also according to Pelé, generally considered the best footballer ever, "throughout the years, the one player that came closest to me was Zico".
Zico scored 52 goals in 72 international matches for Brazil, and represented them in the 1978, 1982 and 1986 World Cups. They did not win any of those tournaments, even though the 1982 squad is considered one of the greatest Brazilian national squads ever. Zico is often considered one of the best players in football history not to have been on a World Cup winning squad. He was chosen 1981 and 1983 Player of the Year.

wn.com/Zico
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
Ásgeir Sigurvinsson
Ásgeir "Sigi" Sigurvinsson (born 8 May 1955 in Vestmannaeyjar) is an Icelandic football coach and a former player.
The attacking midfielder was one of the first, and certainly one of the most celebrated, Icelandic professional football players. He went from Iceland to Belgium but spent the latter half of his career in Germany.
Ásgeir moved to Belgian club Standard Liège in 1973, and stayed there for eight seasons, amassing more than 300 appearances overall, and helping the club to the 1981 Belgian Cup. Immediately after, he was bought by European powerhouse FC Bayern Munich, but was used mainly as a substitute and lasted only one year on the bench.
Ásgeir then joined fellow Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart, where he figured prominently until his retirement, at 35. In his second year, he netted a career-best – in Germany – 12 goals, being instrumental in a league conquest after a 32-year wait. During his penultimate season, Ásgeir scored thrice in 28 matches as the club finished fifth, still adding all 12 matches (10 complete) in Stuttgart's UEFA Cup runner-up run. In total, he played 211 German first division matches, scoring 39 goals, and more than 500 overall as a professional.

wn.com/Ásgeir_Sigurvinsson
Ștefan Kovács
Ştefan Kovács (Hungarian: Kovács István; 2 October 1920 – 12 May 1995) was a Romanian football player and coach. By winning 15 major titles he is one of the most successful association football coaches in the history of the game. Kovács will be foremost remembered for his outstanding successes with Ajax Amsterdam in the early 1970s.
Born in Timişoara, Romania of Hungarian ethnicity, Kovács was an average midfielder, although having both individual technique and tactical intuition. He was never selected to play for Romania unlike his older brother Nicolae Covaci, who was one of the five players who participated at all three World Cups before the Second World War.
Kovács had his first major coaching successes at the helm of Steaua Bucureşti, where he won between 1967 and 1971 once the championship and three times the cup of Romania.
After this he succeeded Rinus Michels as the head of Ajax in 1971, continuing and expanding on his "total football" philosophy. With Ajax he achieved in 1972 and 1973, two consecutive European Champions Cups. In 1972 he even won the Intercontinental Cup and also the first edition of European Supercup (1973). Further to that he led Ajax to the double of cup and championship in 1972 and another national championship in 1973.

wn.com/Ștefan_Kovács

Johan Cruijff The Total Footballer

Johan Cruijff making a mockery of defenders, btw, the whole things not black and white, ju...

published: 28 May 2007

author: Michael Juby

Football's Greatest Johan Cruyff

www.youtube.com Check this compilation too :)...

published: 01 Jan 2012

author: Malcolm Sacco

Johan Cruyff - Dribble Skill ( Ajax Amsterdam)

video made by Nirvvanman07.....

published: 20 Jan 2012

author: NirvanMan07

Johan Cruijff best goals

Johan Cruijff best goals...

published: 15 Mar 2009

author: dany14R

Johan Cruyff | Genius | Tribute

...

published: 13 Apr 2012

author: KaPanaLFc

johan cruyff turn

football trick invented by Johan cruyff! If u like the vid leave a comment! Cruijff rules!...

published: 02 Mar 2006

author: Roeboe

Johan Cruyff part 1

✯✯✯✯✯ Hendrik Johannes Cruijff , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and ...

published: 16 Mar 2011

author: FOOTBALLDOCTOR

1974 Johan Cruyff vs Argentina

...

published: 10 Oct 2012

author: R9godmagic

FC Barcelona - El Salvador - Johan Cruyff (HD)

Johan Cruyff. He kickstarted things at FC Barcelona. His legacy echoes forward to this day...

published: 10 Oct 2012

author: l10nelandresmess10

Johan Cruijff 65

NOS, 24 april 2012....

published: 25 Apr 2012

author: RaisingKundalini2

Johan Cruyff the Legend. ★

published: 20 Jul 2011

author: Gonzalo Zúñiga

Johan Cruijff is art

A video about one of the greatest football players ever; Johan Cruijff....

published: 23 Apr 2012

author: Jeroen E

Real Madrid 0 vs Barcelona 5 Liga 1973/74 Show de Johan Cruyff FUTBOL RETRO TV

...

published: 19 Sep 2011

author: futbolretrocba

Johan Cruyff Tribute: Happy 65th Birthday

Ryan Bailey pays tribute to legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff on his 65th birthday. ...

published: 25 Apr 2012

author: kick

Football's Greatest Johan Cruyff

www.youtube.com Check this compilation too :)...

published: 01 Jan 2012

author: mSxCreations

Johan Cruijff The Total Footballer

Johan Cruijff making a mockery of defenders, btw, the whole things not black and white, ju...

published: 28 May 2007

author: Michael Juby

Johan Cruyff - Dribble Skill ( Ajax Amsterdam)

video made by Nirvvanman07.....

published: 20 Jan 2012

author: NirvanMan07

Interview Johan Cruijff

...

published: 02 Mar 2012

author: sadosladosvideo

Johan Cruijff best goals

Johan Cruijff best goals...

published: 15 Mar 2009

author: dany14R

Johan Cruyff part 1

✯✯✯✯✯ Hendrik Johannes Cruijff , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and ...

published: 16 Mar 2011

author: FOOTBALLDOCTOR

Johan Cruijff over tactiek en Arjen Robben

Snap jij het? @ van Basten: Maak er wat tutti frutti van ;-)...

published: 09 Jun 2008

author: thomas91live

Johan Cruyff | Genius | Tribute

...

published: 13 Apr 2012

author: KaPanaLFc

1994 Hugo Camps op zoek naar Johan Cruijff Part 1/9

Camps laat zijn karakteristieke rijmelarij gelukkig achterwege en dat leidt tot een pracht...

published: 28 Apr 2008

author: ThatDayIsDone

1985 Interview Johan Cruijff na Ajax- Feijenoord (1-2)

GEEN WEDSTRIJDBEELDEN! Ik heb de samenvatting wel in bezit maar het op YouTube plaatsen va...

published: 30 Apr 2008

author: ThatDayIsDone

Entrevista de Buenafuente a Johan Cruyff 1/2

Entrevista de Buenafuente a Johhan Cruyff parte 1 de 2...

published: 30 Oct 2010

author: hablamedefutbol

Johan Cruijff is art

A video about one of the greatest football players ever; Johan Cruijff....

published: 23 Apr 2012

author: Jeroen E

Johan Cruyff the Legend. ★

published: 20 Jul 2011

author: Gonzalo Zúñiga

johan cruyff turn

football trick invented by Johan cruyff! If u like the vid leave a comment! Cruijff rules!...

published: 02 Mar 2006

author: Roeboe

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photo: AP / Los Angeles Police Department

This undated photo released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows suspect Christopher Dorner, a former Los Angeles officer.

$1 million reward offered on information on ex-cop Christopher Dorner

Denver Post

11 Feb 2013

A San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy searches a home for Christopher Dorner, a former police officer, on Sunday in Big Bear Lake, Calif. (Jae C. Hong, The Associated Press) ... "We will not tolerate anyone undermining the security of the community," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a news conference. "We will not tolerate this reign of terror." ... "He has targeted those we entrust to protect the public." ... Copyright 2012 The Denver Post ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)

photo: AP / Lee Jin-man

A South Korean man watches a TV news showing a file footage of North Korea's nuclear test at the Seoul train station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013.

‘North Korea conducts third nuclear test’

The Hindu

12 Feb 2013

A magnitude 5.1 “artificial earthquake” was reported near a nuclear test site in North Korea on Tuesday morning, with South Korean Defence Ministry officials telling local media that the seismic activity was the result of a third nuclear test conducted by the reclusive state ... The reported test has, however, not yet been confirmed by North Korean State media ... The move is set to heighten regional tensions ... Keywords....(size: 3.4Kb)

photo: White House / Pete Souza

File - President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia, attend a church service at Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013.

North Korea nuclear test puts pressure on Obama

Irish Times

12 Feb 2013

JULIAN BORGER. North Korea’s and Iran’s ambitions to become nuclear powers may make US plans to cut its own warheads difficult to pass. President Barack Obama is expected to address the threat posed by North Korea in tonight’s state of the union speech, after news of Pyongyang’s third underground nuclear test triggered some last-minute rewriting of the presidential text ... Obama speech ... ....(size: 4.8Kb)

photo: AP / Kevin Frayer

An Indian woman weeps as she and other family members mourn next to the body of a relative who was killed in a stampede on a railway platform at the main railway station in Allahabad, India, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013.

India stampede kills 36 at world's largest religious festival

Daily Press

11 Feb 2013

ALLAHABAD, India (Reuters) - A stampede at a railway station in northern India killed at least 36 Hindu pilgrims on Sunday, the busiest day of the world's largest religious festival at which some 30 million had gathered to wash away their sins in the sacred Ganges river. Twenty-seven of the dead were women, mostly elderly and poor. An eight-year-old girl was also crushed to death ... Daily Press Eyewitness ... M ... ....(size: 5.2Kb)

photo: AP / Riccardo De Luca

Pope Benedict XVI waves to faithful during his weekly audience in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 11, 2012.

Pope Benedict 'Will Not Interfere In Choosing New Pope'

Peace FM Online

12 Feb 2013

Pope Benedict XVI will not interfere in choosing his successor after his shock decision to resign at the end of the month, the pontiff's brother has said. Georg Ratzinger told the BBC the Pope would only "make himself available" if he were needed. Benedict said on Monday he would resign after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic Church because he was too old to continue at the age of 85 ... But resignation is extremely rare....(size: 3.8Kb)

timeline:
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Have rivals played in same city on same day but not against each other?

The Guardian

13 Feb 2013

Plus. the biggest away following (2); and alphabetical players. Send your questions and answers to knowledge@guardian.co.uk and follow us on Twitter ... Photograph. Michael Regan/Action Images ... Paulo Padilha also writes in ... "The only exception was, of course, Johan Cruyff – who was allowed to wear his trademark No14 shirt instead of No1 which he would have worn under the system ... Incidentally, the famous No14 shirt was worn by Johan Boskamp ." ... ....(size: 7.0Kb)

Paralympic legend Esther Vergeer retires after 470-match winning streak

The Guardian

12 Feb 2013

• Wheelchair tennis master calls it a day 'with a great feeling'. • Dutchwoman won four Paralympic golds in a row ... Photograph. Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images ... "Keeping going would not add anything." ... In a measure of Vergeer's status in Dutch sport the football great Johan Cruyff attended her announcement and wrote a foreword in the book about her life and career. Sportspeople like Vergeer, "should be an example to us all," Cruyff said ... ....(size: 3.3Kb)

Tennis

MSNBC

12 Feb 2013

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -After a 10-year winning streak in wheelchair tennis, Esther Vergeer felt she had nothing left to prove ... In a measure of Vergeer's status in Dutch sport, football great Johan Cruyff attended her announcement and wrote a foreword in the book about her life and career that she also presented to the media. Sportspeople like Vergeer, "should be an example to us all," Cruyff said ... She rose to No ... 30, 2003 ... Tweet ... ‘ ... ....(size: 6.9Kb)

Cruyff: Busy schedule will help young Ajax players

Goal

11 Feb 2013

The Dutch icon is confident Frank de Boer's men can cope with competing on three fronts, and they will learn invaluable lessons from the experience. Johan Cruyff is confident that Ajax's exertions on three fronts will teach Frank de Boer's charges that they must give their all in every match ... It must have been about eight months ago." ... ....(size: 2.4Kb)

A look at Valencia CF (PSG - Paris Saint-Germain Football SA)

noodls

11 Feb 2013

(Source. PSG - Paris Saint-Germain Football SA). The club. Valencia CF, founded in 1919, have won six national league titles and seven Spanish Cups. The club, that plays their football at the Estadio de Mestalla (cap. 55,000) has also reached four European cup finals ... Player to watch ... stage ... Bolstered by the guest appearance of a certain Johan Cruyff, Paris Saint-Germain went down 1-0 courtesy of Planelles' late strike (86') ... (noodl....(size: 3.2Kb)

Ronaldo is better than Zidane - Fergie

Independent online (SA)

10 Feb 2013

Ferguson has praised Ronaldo before but the comparison with Zidane — voted ahead of Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer as the best European player in history — underlines the difficulty United have in stopping the 28-year-old Portuguese superstar in the first leg at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night ... Placing Ronaldo in a historical context, Ferguson said ... He had Figo, Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul in that spell ... ....(size: 6.6Kb)

Who are the best big-game goalscorers in football history?

The Guardian

06 Feb 2013

1 Gerd Muller Germany 1963-1981 16 51 2 Alfredo Di Stefano Argentina 1945-1966 19 45 3 Pele Brazil 1956-1977 13 40.5 4 Ferenc Puskas Hungary 1943-1966 15 40 5 Zinedine Zidane France 1988-2006 10 33 6 Ronaldo Brazil 1993-2011 9 32 7 Alberto Spencer Ecuador 1953-1972 13 27.5 8 Vava Brazil 1949-1969 6 27 9 Mario Kempes Argentina 1970-1996 6 24 10 ......(size: 21.1Kb)

Prandelli eyes Balotelli boost

Orange News

05 Feb 2013

Cesare Prandelli feels Mario Balotelli's long-awaited return to Italy will be a huge boost for the national side and for the player's personal well-being ... He told the FIGC's official website. "The fact that they're now playing together at club level is an advantage for the national team ... Meanwhile, Manchester United striker Robin van Persie could equal Johan Cruyff's haul of 33 goals in Oranje with a brace on Wednesday night. ....(size: 3.6Kb)

Cesare Prandelli feels Mario Balotelli's return to Serie A will be give Italy a boost

Sky Sports

05 Feb 2013

Blazing Speed is one to keep an eye on

South China Morning Post

04 Feb 2013

Nearly four months since his last outing and off a light preparation, Blazing Speed wasn't the quickest out of the stalls, but rolled forward to settle a handy sixth ... The British-bred stepped out four times for trainer James Fanshawe ... His dam was unraced but is a half-sister to the 1998 Hong Kong Derby winner Johan Cruyff and Mantles Princess - dam of the 2010 Derby winner Super Satin. ....(size: 1.8Kb)

Soccer-Guadalajara still looking for first win in Clausura

The Guardian

04 Feb 2013

MEXICO CITY, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Troubled Guadalajara were still looking for their first win after a 1-1 draw with San Luis in their fifth match of Mexico's Clausura championship on Sunday ... For the second match in a row, Guadalajara took the lead but conceded an equaliser as they struggle to rebuild after the failed experiment with Dutch great Johan Cruyff's consultancy last year ... Football ... ....(size: 5.2Kb)

Wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer celebrates 10 years unbeaten

BBC News

03 Feb 2013

If a competitor lasts 10 years in professional sport, they can claim to have had a good career ... Now 31, Vergeer is in South Africa working with the Johan Cruyff Foundation, coaching disabled children in schools like the Ithembelihle Lsen School in Primrose, east of Johannesburg ... "You can't categorise her as just a disabled athlete, she's up there with the likes of Roger Federer and Johan Cruyff ... 470 matches Titles won ... ....(size: 6.7Kb)

Football's special relationship

DNA India

03 Feb 2013

Always good box-office, Brazil glide into a sold-out Wembley this Wednesday to help the Football Association celebrate its 150th birthday. Good choice ... Think Guadalajara 1970 and Shizuoka 2002 ... It reads like the itinerary of a Rolling Stones tour ... A measure of disagreement might come from admirers of the Dutch generation of Johan Cruyff, Rudi Krol, Johan Neeskens and Johnny Rep but Barnes's central point holds ... England led ... Tweet . ....(size: 8.8Kb)

timeline:
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"Cruyff" redirects here. For Johan Cruyff's son, see Jordi Cruyff.

Johan Cruyff
Personal information
Cruyff as coach of the Catalonia team in 2009
Full name	Hendrik Johannes Cruijff
Date of birth	(1947-04-25) 25 April 1947 (age 65)
Place of birth	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder/Forward
Youth career
1957–1964	Ajax
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1964–1973	Ajax	240	(190)
1973–1978	Barcelona	143	(48)
1979–1980	Los Angeles Aztecs	27	(14)
1980–1981	Washington Diplomats	32	(12)
1981	Levante	10	(2)
1981–1983	Ajax	36	(14)
1983–1984	Feyenoord	33	(11)
Total		520	(291)
National team
1966–1977	Netherlands	48	(33)
Teams managed
1985–1988	Ajax
1988–1996	Barcelona
2009–2010	Catalonia
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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. ^[3]

Style of play [link]

Through his career, Cruyff became synonymous with the playing style of "Total Football".^[4] It is a system where a player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus allowing the team to retain their intended organizational structure. In this fluid system, no footballer is fixed in their intended outfield role; anyone can be successively an attacker, a midfielder and a defender. The style was honed by Ajax coach Rinus Michels around the time Cruyff came to prominence.

Cruyff was a playmaker, ammunitions provider and marksman rolled into one, with the ability to time a pass that has hardly "been equalled before or since".^[5] Strictly speaking, Cruyff played centre forward in this system. But he would drop deep to confuse his markers or suddenly move to the wing with devastating effect. No one had seen a centre forward like that before. Due to the way Cruyff played his game, he is still referred to as "the total footballer."^[6]

File:Johan Cruijff Nederlands-2.JPG

Cruyff in 1974.

Cruyff was known for his technical ability, speed, acceleration and dribbling but his greatest quality was vision, based on an acute sense of his team-mates' positions as an attack unfolded. The sports writer David Miller believed Cruyff superior to any previous player in his ability to extract the most from others. He dubbed him "Pythagoras in boots" for the complexity and precision of his angled passes and wrote: "Few have been able to exact, both physically and mentally, such mesmeric control on a match from one penalty area to another."^[7]

Cruyff also perfected a move now known as the "Cruyff Turn." To do this move, Cruyff would look to pass or cross the ball. However, instead of kicking it, he would drag the ball behind his planted foot with the inside of his other foot and turn through 180 degrees and accelerate away outside a defender.

Club career [link]

Cruyff played for Ajax, FC Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante UD, and Feyenoord during his career.

Ajax [link]

Cruyff joined Ajax youth system on his 10th birthday. He made his first team debut on 15 November 1964 in the Eredivisie, against GVAV, scoring the only goal for Ajax in a 3–1 defeat. That year Ajax finished in their lowest position since the establishment of professional football, 13th.^[8] Cruyff really started to make an impression in the 1965–66 season. Cruyff established himself as a regular first team player after scoring two goals against Door Wilskracht Sterk in the Olympic stadion on 24 October 1965 (in a 2–0 victory). In the seven games that winter he scored eight times and in March 1966, he scored the first three goals in a league game against Telstar (6–2 win). Four days later, in a cup game against Veendam (7–0 win), he scored four goals. In total that season, Cruyff scored 25 goals in 23 games, and Ajax won the league championship.

In the 1966–67 season, Ajax again won the league championship, but also won the KNVB Cup, for Cruyff's first "double." Cruyff ended the season as the leading goalscorer in the Eredivisie with 33.

Cruyff won the league for the third successive year in the 1967–68 season. He was also named Dutch footballer of the year for the second successive time, a feat he would repeat in 1969. On 28 May 1969, Cruyff played in his first European Cup final against Milan, but the Italian team ended up winning 4–1.

In the 1969–70 season, Cruyff won his second league and cup "double", but at the beginning of the 1970–71 season, Cruyff suffered a long-term groin injury. He made his comeback on 30 October 1970 against PSV. In this game, he did not wear his usual number 9, which was in use by Gerrie Mühren, but instead used number 14. Ajax won 1–0. Although it was very uncommon in those days for the starters of a game not to play with numbers 1 to 11, from that moment onwards, Cruyff's number was 14, even using the number with the Dutch national team.^[9] There has even been a documentary on Cruyff titled Nummer 14 Johan Cruyff^[10] and in his native Holland there is a magazine by Voetbal International titled "Nummer 14".^[11]

In a league game against AZ '67 on 29 November 1970, Cruyff scored no less than six goals in an 8–1 victory. After winning a replayed KNVB Cup final against Sparta Rotterdam by a score of 2–1, Ajax won in Europe for the first time. On 2 June 1971, in London, Ajax won the European Cup by defeating Panathinaikos 2–0. In spite of speculation that Cruyff would move to another club (Feyenoord and Barcelona were interested) on 12 July 1971, he signed a seven-year contract at Ajax. At the end of the season, he became not only the Dutch, but also the European Footballer of the Year for 1971.

1972 was a particular successful year for Ajax and Cruyff. Ajax won a second European Cup, beating Internazionale 2–0 in the final, with Cruyff scoring both goals. This victory prompted Dutch newspapers to announce the demise of the Italian style of defensive football in the face of Total Football. Soccer: The Ultimate Encyclopaedia says: "Single-handed, Cruyff not only pulled Internazionale of Italy apart in the 1972 European Cup Final, but scored both goals in Ajax's 2–0 win." Cruyff also scored in the 3–2 victory over ADO Den Haag in the KNVB Cup final. In the league, Cruyff was the top scorer with 25 goals as Ajax became champions. In the autumn, Ajax won the Intercontinental Cup, beating Argentina's Independiente (1–1 and 3–0) and then in January 1973, they won the European Super Cup by beating Rangers 3–1 away and 3–2 in Amsterdam. Curiously, Cruyff's only own goal came on 20 August 1972 against FC Amsterdam. A week later, against Go Ahead Eagles (6–0), Cruyff scored four times for Ajax. The 1972–73 season was concluded with the another league championship victory and a third successive Europe Cup (Ajax — Juventus 1–0).

In the summer of 1973, Cruyff was sold to Barcelona for 6 million guilder (approx. US$ 2 million, c. 1973). On 19 August 1973, he played his last match for Ajax (Ajax — Amsterdam 6–1), the 2nd match of the 1973–74 season.

Barcelona [link]

He further endeared himself when he chose a Catalan name Jordi for his son. He helped the club win La Liga for the first time since 1960, along the way defeating Real Madrid 5–0 at their home of Bernabéu. He was also crowned European Footballer of the Year.

During his time at Barcelona, Cruyff scored one of his most famous goals, The 'Phantom' Goal.^[12] In a game against Atlético Madrid, Cruyff leapt into the air, twisted his body so he was facing away from the goal, and kicked the ball past Miguel Reina in the Atlético Madrid goal with his right heel (the ball was at about neck height and had already travelled wide of the far post). The goal was featured in the documentary En un momento dado, in which fans of Cruyff attempted to recreate that moment. The goal has been dubbed Le but impossible de Cruyff (Cruyff's impossible goal).^{[citation needed]}

Note that Cruyff played two games with Paris Saint-Germain in 1975 during the Paris tournament. He had only agreed because he was a fan of designer Daniel Hechter, who was then president of PSG.^[13]

United States [link]

At the age of 32, he signed a lucrative deal with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League (NASL). He had previously been rumored to be joining the New York Cosmos but the deal did not materialize. However, he did play exhibition games for the Cosmos. He stayed at the Aztecs for only one season, but was voted NASL Player of the Year in that time. The following season, he moved to play for the Washington Diplomats. He played the whole 1980 campaign for the Diplomats, even as the team was facing dire financial trouble at the time. In May 1981, Cruyff played as a guest player for Milan in a tournament, but was injured. As a result, he missed the beginning of the 1981 NASL soccer season thereafter, which ultimately led to Cruyff choosing to leave the team.

Levante [link]

In January 1981, Cruyff played three friendly matches for FC Dordrecht. Also in January 1981, manager Jock Wallace of English club Leicester City made an audacious attempt to sign Cruyff. Despite negotiations lasting three weeks, in which Cruyff expressed his desire to play for the club, a deal could not be reached as he instead chose to sign with Spanish Segunda División side Levante.^[14] In March 1981, Cruyff took the field for the first time for Levante. Injuries and disagreements with the administration of the club would blight his spell in the Segunda División, as he was only able to amount 10 appearances after his signing, scoring two goals. Having failed to secure promotion to the first division, Levante did not keep the financial agreements that were specified in Cruyff's contract.

Back in the Netherlands [link]

Johan Cruijff with fans in 1982

After his spell in the USA and a short-lived stay at UD Levante in Spain, Cruyff returned to play in his homeland, rejoining Ajax on 30 November 1980 as "technical advisor" of trainer Leo Beenhakker, Ajax being 8th in the ranking of the table of the Dutch League then after 13 games. Ajax would finish 2nd in 1980–81 in June 1981 after 34 games. In December 1981, Cruyff signed a new contract as player for Ajax. His already since November 1980 expected return was on 6 December 1981 against Haarlem (4–1 home win), Cruyff scored the first goal. In the 1981–82 and 1982–83 seasons, Ajax, along with Cruyff, became league champions. In the 1982–83 season, Ajax also won the Dutch Cup (KNVB-Beker). One notable incident from this era was a famous goal he scored against Helmond Sport in 1982 while playing for Ajax. Cruyff scored a penalty the same way Rik Coppens had already done it 25 years earlier.^[15]^[16]^[17] He put the ball down as for a routine penalty kick, but instead of shooting at goal, Cruyff nudged the ball sideways to his Ajax teammate Jesper Olsen who in return passed it back to Cruyff who tapped the ball into the empty net, as Otto Versfeld, the bemused Helmond goalkeeper, looked on.

Feyenoord [link]

File:Johan Cruijff Feyenoord.jpg

Cruyff playing for Feyenoord in 1983

At the end of the 1982–83 season, Ajax decided not to offer Cruyff a new contract. This angered Cruyff, who responded by signing for Ajax's archrivals Feyenoord.^[18] Cruyff's season at Feyenoord was a successful one in which the club won the Eredivisie for the first time in a decade, part of a league and KNVB Cup double. He ended his Eredivisie playing career on May 13, 1984 with a goal against PEC Zwolle. In his last season as a player, he was voted footballer of the year. Cruyff played his last game in Saudi Arabia, bringing Feyenoord back into the game with a goal and an assist.^[19]

International career [link]

Cruyff (left) with Roberto Perfumo at the 1974 World Cup

The 1974 Dutch national team with Cruijff on the far right

Cruyff getting through the box line during the 1974 World Cup Final, right before he was fouled for a penalty.

As a Dutch international, Cruyff played 48 matches, scoring 33 goals. The national team never lost a match in which Cruyff scored. In his second Dutch national team match, a friendly against Czechoslovakia, Cruyff was the first Dutch international to receive a red card. He received a one-year suspension from the Royal Dutch Football Association.

Accusations of Cruyff's "aloofness" were not rebuffed by his habit of wearing a shirt with only two black stripes along the sleeves, as opposed to Adidas' usual design feature of three, worn by all the other Dutch players. Cruyff, however, had a separate sponsorship deal with Puma.^[20]

Cruyff led the Netherlands to a runners-up medal in the 1974 World Cup and was named the player of the tournament. Thanks to his team's mastery of Total Football, they coasted all the way to the final, knocking out Argentina (4–0), East Germany (2–0), and Brazil (2–0) along the way. Cruyff himself scored twice against Argentina in one of his team's most dominating performances, then he scored the second goal against Brazil to knock out the defending champions. The Netherlands faced hosts West Germany in the final. Cruyff kicked off and the ball was passed around the Oranje team 13 times before returning to Cruyff, who then went on a rush that eluded Berti Vogts and ended when he was fouled by Uli Hoeneß inside the box. Teammate Johan Neeskens scored from the spot kick to give the Netherlands a 1–0 lead, and the Germans had not even touched the ball. Only during the latter half of the final was his playmaking influence stifled by the effective marking of Berti Vogts, while Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeneß, and Wolfgang Overath dominated the midfield, enabling West Germany to win 2–1.^[21] Cruyff received a yellow card during half time for talking to the referee.

Cruyff retired from international football in October 1977, having helped the national team qualify for the upcoming World Cup. Without him, the Netherlands finished runners-up in the World Cup again. Initially the reason given for missing the 1978 World Cup were political reasons given a military dictatorship was in power in Argentina at that time. In 2008, however, Cruyff stated to the journalist Antoni Bassas in Catalunya Ràdio that he and his family were involved in a kidnap attempt in Barcelona a year before the tournament, and that this had caused his retirement. "To play a World Cup you have to be 200% okay, there are moments when there are other values in life."^[22]

International goals [link]

Scores and results table. Netherlands's goal tally first:

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	7 September 1966	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Hungary	2–0	2–2	UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying
2.	13 September 1967	Amsterdam, Netherlands	East Germany	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying
3.	26 March 1969	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Luxembourg	1–0	4–0	FIFA World Cup 1970 qualifying
4.	2 December 1970	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Romania	1–0	2–0	Friendly
5.	2 December 1970	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Romania	2–0	2–0	Friendly
6.	24 February 1971	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Luxembourg	3–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying
7.	24 February 1971	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Luxembourg	4–0	6–0
8.	17 November 1971	Eindhoven, Netherlands	Luxembourg	1–0	8–0
9.				7–0
10.				8–0
11.	1 December 1971	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Scotland	1–0	2–1	Friendly
12.	16 February 1972	Athens, Greece	Greece	3–0	5–0
13.	16 February 1972	Athens, Greece	Greece	5–0	5–0
14.	30 August 1972	Prague, Czechoslovakia	Czechoslovakia	1–0	2–1
15.	1 November 1972	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Norway	4–0	9–0	FIFA World Cup 1974 qualifying
16.	1 November 1972	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Norway	8–0	9–0	FIFA World Cup 1974 qualifying
17.	2 May 1973	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Spain	3–2	3–2	Friendly
18.	22 August 1973		Iceland	2–0	5–0	FIFA World Cup 1974 qualifying
19.	22 August 1973			5–0	5–0
20.	29 August 1973	Deventer, Netherlands		2–0	8–1
21.	29 August 1973	Deventer, Netherlands		4–0	8–1
22.	12 September 1973	Oslo, Norway	Norway	1–0	2–1
23.	26 June 1974	Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Argentina	1–0	4–0	FIFA World Cup 1974
24.	26 June 1974	Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Argentina	4–0	4–0
25.	3 July 1974	Dortmund, Germany	Brazil	2–0	2–0
26.	4 September 1974	Stockholm, Sweden	Sweden	1–0	5–1	Friendly
27.	25 September 1974	Helsinki, Finland	Finland	1–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying
28.	25 September 1974	Helsinki, Finland	Finland	2–1	3–1
29.	20 November 1974	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Italy	2–1	3–1
30.	20 November 1974	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Italy	3–1	3–1
31.	22 May 1976	Brussel, Belgium	Belgium	2–1	2–1
32.	13 October 1976	Rotterdam, Netherlands	Northern Ireland	2–1	2–2	FIFA World Cup 1978 qualifying
33.	26 March 1977	Antwerpen, Belgium	Belgium	2–0	2–0	FIFA World Cup 1978 qualifying

Managerial career [link]

Ajax [link]

After retiring from playing, Cruyff followed in the footsteps of his mentor Rinus Michels, coaching a young Ajax side to victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1987 (final: Ajax — Lokomotiv Leipzig 1–0; goal by Marco van Basten). In May and June 1985, Cruyff returned to Ajax again. In the 1985–86 season, the league title was lost to Guus Hiddink's PSV, despite Ajax having a goal difference of +85 (120 goals for, 35 goals against). In the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons, Ajax won the Dutch Cup (KNVB-Beker).

It was during this period as manager that Cruyff was able to implement his favoured team formation—three mobile defenders; plus one more covering space - becoming, in effect, a defensive midfielder (from Rijkaard, Blind, Silooy, Verlaat, Larsson, Spelbos), two 'controlling' midfielders (from Rijkaard, Scholten, Winter, Wouters, Mühren, Witschge) with responsibilities to feed the attack-minded players, one second striker (Bosman, Scholten), two touchline-hugging wingers (from Bergkamp, van't Schip, De Wit, Witschge) and one versatile centre forward (from van Basten, Meijer, Bosman). So successful was this system that Ajax won the Champions League in 1995 playing Cruyff's system - a tribute to Cruyff's legacy as Ajax coach. Terry Venables as England manager was an advocate of this system, based on free-flowing football and intelligent and incisive individuals carrying out seemingly simple functions, in the Euro 1996 semi-final versus Germany, England used this system effectively.^[23]

Barcelona [link]

In 1988, Cruyff returned to Barcelona as manager. At Barcelona, Cruyff brought in players such as Josep Guardiola, José Mari Bakero, Txiki Begiristain, Goikoetxea, Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Romário, Gheorghe Hagi, and Hristo Stoichkov. Under Cruyff, Barcelona won La Liga four times between 1991 and 1994, and beat Sampdoria in both the 1989 European Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1992 European Cup final at Wembley. They also won a Copa del Rey in 1990, the European Super Cup in 1992 and three Supercopa de España.

Cruyff used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day prior to undergoing double heart bypass surgery in 1991 while he was the coach of Barcelona, after which he gave up smoking. He also led the anti-smoking campaign developed by the Health Department of the Catalan autonomous government. Cruyff juggled a cigarette pack 16 times in an anti-tobacco video sponsored by the Catalan Department of Health.^[24]^[25]^[26]

With 11 trophies, Cruyff was Barcelona's most successful manager, but has since been surpassed by his former pupil Josep Guardiola who achieved 15. He has been the club's longest serving manager. However, in his final two seasons, he failed to win any trophies, and fell out with chairman Josep Lluís Núñez; this resulted in his departure from the club, and he vowed never to coach again.

While at Barcelona, he was in negotiations with the KNVB to manage the national team for the 1994 World Cup finals, but talks broke off at the last minute.^[27]

His open support helped candidate Joan Laporta to victory in Barcelona's recent presidential elections. He continued to be an adviser for him, although he held no official post at Barcelona.

Johan Cruyff in 2009

Known as a player's coach with deep convictions with regard to his philosophy of the game, he is considered a visionary and his presence at Barcelona was said to have changed many things and this was the beginning of what is known as the "Dutch influence" at Barcelona.^[28] The style of play Cruyff introduced at Barcelona came to be known as tiki-taka and was successfully adopted by the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup winning Spanish national team.^[29]

On 26 March 2010, Cruyff was named honorary president of Barcelona, in recognition of his contributions to the club as both a player and manager.^[30] He was stripped of this title by new president Sandro Rosell in July 2010.^[31]^[32]

Proposed return to Ajax [link]

On 20 February 2008, in the wake of a major research on the ten-year-mismanagement, it was announced that Cruyff would be the new technical director at his boyhood club Ajax—this would be his fourth stint at the Amsterdam club.^[33] However, Cruyff announced in March that he is pulling out of his planned return to Ajax because of "professional difference of opinion" between him and Ajax's new manager, Marco van Basten. Van Basten said that Cruyff's plans were "going too fast", because he was "not so dissatisfied with how things are going now".^[34]

Catalonia [link]

On 2 November 2009, Cruyff was named as manager of the Catalonia national team in place of Pere Gratacòs. It is his first managing job in thirteen years.^[35]

On 11 February 2011, Johan Cruyff has returned to Ajax on an advisory basis after agreeing to become a member of one of three "sounding board groups".^[36]

Return to Ajax [link]

Cruyff returned to Ajax in February 2011 as a member of the Supervisory Board.^[37]

Chivas De Guadalajara [link]

Cruyff joined Mexican team Club Deportivo Guadalajara better known as Chivas in February 2012 as an advisor. Jorge Vergara made Cruyff responsible with most of the decisions made for the club.^[38]

Honours [link]

Player [link]

Ajax

Eredivisie: 8

1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1983

KNVB Cup: 5

1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1983

European Cup: 3

1971, 1972, 1973

Intercontinental Cup: 1

1972

UEFA Super Cup: 2

1972, 1973

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1

1968 Group A2

Barcelona

La Liga: 1

1974

Copa del Rey: 1

1978

Feyenoord

Eredivisie: 1

1984

KNVB Cup: 1

1984

Manager [link]

Ajax

KNVB Cup: 2

1986, 1987

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1

1987

Barcelona

Copa del Rey: 1

1990

La Liga: 4

1991, 1992, 1993, 1994

Supercopa de España: 3

1991, 1992, 1994

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1

1989

European Cup: 1

1992

UEFA Super Cup: 1

1992

Individual playing honours [link]

1966
- Netherlands Cup Top Scorer: 4 games (9 goals)
1967
- Dutch Footballer of the Year
- Netherlands League Top Scorer: (33 goals)
- Golden Boot of the Europe: 43 games 42 goals with Ajax and Netherlands
1968
- Dutch Footballer of the Year
1969
- Dutch Footballer of the Year
1971
- European Footballer of the Year France Football
- Dutch Footballer of the Year
- Silver Shoe in Euro Cup 1972 Qualifying Rounds and Final: (5 goals)
1972
- European Cup Top Scorer: 9 games (5 goals) shared with Dunai
- European Super Cup Top Scorer: 2 games (2 goals)
- Netherlands League Top Scorer: (25 goals)
1973
- European Footballer of the Year France Football
- 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA): Top Goal Scorer (7 goals) shared with Luigi Riva and Bonev.
- Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1973
1974
- European Footballer of the Year France Football
- Golden Ball of the World Cup 1974
- Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1974
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team 1974
1975
- European Footballer of the Year France Football Bronze Ball
Don Balón Award for Foreign Player of the Year in La Liga: 2

1977, 1978 and 1979 MVP of the NASL Soccer.

1984
- Dutch Golden Shoe Winner
- Named in FIFA 100 in 2004
World Soccer Awards Manager of the Year: 1

1987

Don Balón Award for Coach of the Year in La Liga: 2

1991, 1992

Onze d'Or for Coach of the Year: 2

1992, 1994

European Player of the Century XX IFFHS: 1

Golden Player of the Netherlands: 1

Career statistics [link]

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Netherlands			League		KNVB Cup		Europe		Total
1964–65	Ajax	Eredivisie	10	4	0	0	0	0	10	4
1965–66			19	16	4	9	0	0	23	25
1966–67			30	33	5	5	6	3	41	41
1967–68			33	25	5	6	3	2	41	33
1968–69			29	24	3	3	10	6	42	33
1969–70			33	23	5	6	8	4	46	33
1970–71			25	21	6	5	6	1	37	27
1971–72			32	25	4	3	9	5	45	33
1972–73			26	16	0	0	6	3	32	19
1973–74			2	3	0	0	0	0	2	3
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Europe		Total
1973–74	Barcelona	La Liga	26	16	0	0	0	0	26	16
1974–75			30	7	0	0	8	0	38	7
1975–76			29	6	0	0	9	2	38	8
1976–77			30	14	0	0	7	5	37	19
1977–78			28	5	7	1	10	5	45	11
USA			League		Open Cup		North America		Total
1979	Los Angeles Aztecs	NASL	27	14	-		-		27	14
1980	Washington Diplomats	NASL	27	10	-		-		27	10
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Europe		Total
1980–81	Levante	Segunda División	10	2	0	0	0	0	10	2
USA			League		Open Cup		North America		Total
1981	Washington Diplomats	NASL	5	2	-		-		5	2
Netherlands			League		KNVB Cup		Europe		Total
1981–82	Ajax	Eredivisie	15	7	1	0	0	0	16	7
1982–83	Ajax	Eredivisie	21	7	7	2	2	0	30	9
1983–84	Feyenoord	Eredivisie	33	11	7	1	4	1	44	13
Total	Netherlands		308	215	47	40	54	25	409	280
	Spain		153	50	7	1	34	12	184	63
	USA		59	26	-		-		59	28
Career total			520	290	54	41	88	37	662	368

^[39]

Netherlands national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1966	2	1
1967	3	1
1968	1	0
1969	3	1
1970	2	2
1971	4	6
1972	5	5
1973	6	6
1974	12	8
1975	2	0
1976	4	2
1977	4	1
Total	48	33

Career totals [link]

Professional career totals
Teams	Appearances	Goals	Goals per game
Clubs	662	368	0.56
National team	048	033	0.69
Total	710	401	0.56

Further honours [link]

In 1996, the Dutch Supercup was named Johan Cruijff-schaal.

In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of the Netherlands by the KNVB as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.^[40]

On 22 May 2006, Cruyff was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to football by Laureus in their annual World Sports Awards.^[41]

Cruyff received a lifetime achievement award from the KNVB in August 2006.^[42]^[43]

In 2006, Cruyff played in Dennis Bergkamp's Testimonial as a second-half substitute with Ajax.

On 18 April 2007, Ajax decided to retire the number 14 shirt in honour of Cruyff and in celebration of his birthday.^[44]

In 2010, Cruyff was presented the FIFA Order of Merit (highest honour awarded by FIFA) for his significant contribution to football.

Outside football [link]

In the Netherlands, and to some extent Spain, Cruyff is famous for his one-liners that usually hover between brilliant insight and the blatantly obvious. They are famous for their Amsterdam dialect and incorrect grammar, and often feature tautologies and paradoxes.^[45] In Spain, his most famous statement is "En un momento dado." The quote has been used for the title of a 2004 documentary about Cruyff's life: Johan Cruijff - En un momento dado. In the Netherlands, his most famous one-liner is "Ieder nadeel heb z'n voordeel" ("Every disadvantage has its advantage") and his way of expressing himself has been dubbed "Cruijffiaans." Cruyff rarely limits himself to a single line though, and in a comparison with the equally oracular but reserved football manager Rinus Michels, Kees Fens equated Cruyff's monologues to experimental prose, "without a subject, only an attempt to drop words in a sea of uncertainty (…) there is no full stop".^[45]

In November 2003, Cruyff invoked legal proceedings against the publisher Tirion Uitgevers, over its photo book Johan Cruyff de Ajacied (Johan Cruijff the Ajax player), which used photographs by Guus de Jong. Cruyff was working on another book, also using De Jong's photographs, and claimed unsuccessfully that Tirion's book violated his trademark and portrait rights.

In 2004, Cruyff ended sixth place in the election of De Grootste Nederlander (The Greatest Dutchman).

In 2010, the asteroid (minor planet) 14282 Cruijff (2097 P-L) was named after him. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially ratified the naming of Cruijff on 23 September 2010. After Josef Bican and Ferenc Puskás, Cruyf is the third football player to have an asteroid named after him.^[46]^[47]

Cruyff had a small hit (No.21 in the charts) in the Netherlands with "Oei Oei Oei (Dat Was Me Weer een Loei)." Upon arriving in Barcelona, the Spanish branch of Polydor decided to release the single in Spain as well, where it was rather popular.^[48]

Family [link]

On 2 December 1968, Cruyff married Danny Coster. Johan and Danny have three children together: Chantal (16 November 1970), Susila (27 January 1972), and Jordi (9 February 1974). The family has lived in Barcelona since 1973, with a six year interruption from December 1981 to January 1988 when they lived in Vinkeveen, The Netherlands.

His son Jordi has played for teams such as Barcelona (while father Johan was manager), Manchester United, and Alavés. Interestingly, the younger Cruyff sports "Jordi" on his shirt to distinguish himself from his famous father, which also reflects the common Spanish practice of referring to players by given names alone or by nicknames. It is also related to the commercial claim of "name and fame" of his father to the name Cruyff-Cruijff.

His grandson, Jessua Angoy, currently plays for the reserve side at Wigan Athletic.

References [link]

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^ "The Best x Players of the Century/All-Time". RSSSF. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/best-x-players-of-y.html#ff-poc. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ "The 100 Best Footballers of All Time". Bleacher Report. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/705591-the-100-best-soccer-players-of-all-time. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
^ "Johan Cruyff -International Hall of Fame". ifhof.com. http://www.ifhof.com/hof/cruyff.asp. Retrieved 9 April 2007.
^ "Johan Cruyff". Fifa.com. http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=1043/index.html. Retrieved 29 Septemner 2001.
^ "The total footballer". BBC Sport (London: British Broadcasting Corporation). 10 December 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/football/features/newsid_3301000/3301407.stm. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
^ "The Ever-Controversial Revolutionary". FootballingWorld.com. http://www.footballingworld.com/1/flashback/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1089748748&archive=&start_from=&ucat=96&. Retrieved 24 March 2007.
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^ "What's in a name?". Cruyff.com. http://www.Cruyff.com/eng/phenomenon/differentCruyff/article17190141.ece. Retrieved 18 March 2007. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Nummer 14 Johan Cruyff". Film page on IMDb.com. http://imdb.com/title/tt0070462. Retrieved March 18, 2007.
^ "Nummer 14". Nummer14.com. http://www.nummer14.nl. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ "Cruyff: A Legend". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mme7xdbTeE. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
^ http://www.sport-vintage.com/Library/team%20french/PSG/Johan%20Cruyff%20au%20PSG%20,%20avec%20Jean%20Pierre%20Dogliani%20et%20Just%20Fontaine%201975.JPG
^ "Just how close were Leicester City to signing Dutch master Johan Cruyff?". www.thebluearmy.co.uk. 23 October 2009. http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/Just-close-Leicester-City-signing-Dutch-master-Johan-Cruyff/article-1444900-detail/article.html. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
^ Dart, James (26 October 2005). "Who took the first two-man penalty?". London: guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2005/oct/26/theknowledge.sport. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^ "Brazilians recreate Cruyff penalty to show Pires and Henry how it's done". Excite. 30 March 2008. http://sportscene.excite.co.uk/news/2328/Brazilians-recreate-Cruyff-penalty-to-show-Pires-and-Henry-how-its-done. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^ "Penalty in two times by Rik Coppens". Youtube. 22 August 2007. http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=hFk0xqO4VkU. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^ "Playing for Feyenoord". Cruyff.com. http://www.Cruyff.com/eng/player/feyenoord_eng/. Retrieved 7 April 2007. ^{[dead link]}
^ "De echte afscheidswedstrijd van Cruijff", Football United, 20 juli 2009
^ Murray, Scott; Ingle, Sean (30 May 2001). "A tale of strips, stripes and strops". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2001/may/30/theknowledge.sport.
^ "Germany 1974". FIFAWorldCup.yahoo.com. http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/pwc/1974.html. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ Doyle, Paul (16 April 2008). "Kidnappers made Cruyff miss World Cup". London: guardian.co.uk. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2273925,00.html. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^ Venables, Terry (1997) The Best Game in the World, Arrow Books
^ The Global Art of Soccer – Google Books. Books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?id=H2T0ZD5S86QC&printsec=frontcover#PPA476,M1. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
^ "Broadcast Yourself". YouTube. 1 April 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnUBXCiICnk. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
^ "Cruyff No Fumar". YouTube. 23 April 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtfcGLHPgbI. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
^ "Johan Cruyff". Profile on FIFAWorldCup.yahoo.com. http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/p/cp/ned/cruyff.html. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ Rogers, Iain (9 July 2010). "Spain reap benefits of Dutch legacy at Barca". Reuters. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6682UN20100709. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
^ Martínez, Roberto (11 July 2010). "World Cup final: Johan Cruyff sowed seeds for revolution in Spain's fortunes". Telegraph.co.uk (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/spain/7883131/World-Cup-final-Johan-Cruyff-sowed-seeds-for-revolution-in-Spains-fortunes.html. Retrieved 13 July 2010. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Johan Cruyff named Honorary President". FC Barcelona. 26 March 2007. http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/noticies/club/temporada09-10/03/26/n100326110082.html. Retrieved 26 March 2007.
^ "Cruyff unimpressed by Barca 'circus'". ESPN. 10 July 2010. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=807580&sec=europe&cc=5739. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
^ "Johan Cruyff stripped of Barcelona honorary president title". The Guardian (London). 10 July 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/02/johan-cruyff-barcelona-president. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
^ Solhekol, Kaveh (21 February 2008). "Johan Cruyff answers distress call from the club where legend was created". London: The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article3406177.ece. Retrieved 29 February 2008.
^ "Cruyff pulls out of planned Ajax youth revamp". The world game, via AAP. 7 March 2008. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/478560/cruyff-pulls-out-of-ajax-youth-revamp. Retrieved 2012-02-09. , published by Cruyff Foundation.
^ "Cruyff will coach Catalonia team". BBC Sport. 2 November 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8338289.stm. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^ The Independent (London). 11 February 2011. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/johan-cruyff-returns-to-ajax-2211750.html.
^ "Cruijff en Davids benoemd in bestuur Ajax". Volkskrant. 6 June 2011. http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2698/Sport/article/detail/2442224/2011/06/06/Cruijff-en-Davids-benoemd-in-bestuur-Ajax.dhtml. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
^ "Chivas Goes Dutch With Cruyff". The New York Times. 28 February 2012. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/chivas-goes-dutch-with-cruyff/.
^ http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/cruijff-intlg.html
^ "Golden Players take centre stage". UEFA.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070312053707/http://www.uefa.com/uefa/news/Kind=256/newsId=130150.html. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ "Johan Cruyff". Laureus. http://www.laureus.com/winners?q=node/1084. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
^ "Kuijt receives Dutch accolade". UEFA.com. http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/Kind=2/newsId=449866.html. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ "Huntelaar weer twee prijzen rijker" (in Dutch). Ajax.nl. http://www.ajax.nl/web/show/id=154417/contentid=60069. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
^ "Ajax tribute to 'priceless' Cruyff". UEFA.com. http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=529604.html. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
^ ^a ^b Guus Middag and Kees van der Zwan, "Utopieën wie nooit gebeuren". De taal van Johan Cruijff ("Utopias who never happen". The language of Johan Cruijff), Genootschap Onze Taal
^ JOHAN CRUIJFF CONTINUES TO PLAY FOOTBALL IN OUTER SPACE; Minor planet 14282 now named "Cruijff"
^ Asteroid Named After Netherlands & Barcelona Legend Johan Cruyff
^ Dart, James (22 August 2007). "Does Shay Given really carry holy water with him at every match?". London: guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/aug/22/theknowledge.sport. Retrieved 26 March 2010.

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Johan Cruijff

FIFA – Page on Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies – Sport Management for Sports People: Educating athletes worldwide from institutes in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Mexico. Also partner of the Johan Cruyff Universities (Bachelor) and Johan Cruyff Colleges (Vocational Education) in The Netherlands.
Johan Cruyff Foundation – The Cruyff Foundation supports sport projects for disabled and under served children. It also implements Cruyff Courts worldwide.
Cruyff Classics — Cruyff's official shoe brand
UEFA.com – Netherlands' Golden Player
Johan Cruyff profile and stats at Wereld van Oranje (Dutch)
Works by or about Johan Cruyff in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
En un Momento Dado – Documentary on Johan Cruijf
Johan Cruyff on Playerhistory.com

Johan Cruyff – Navigation boxes and awards

v t e Netherlands squad – 1974 FIFA World Cup Runners-Up

1 Treijtel 2 Haan 3 van Hanegem 4 van Ierssel 5 Israël 6 Jansen 7 de Jong 8 Jongbloed 9 Keizer 10 R. van de Kerkhof 11 W. van de Kerkhof 12 Krol 13 Neeskens 14 Cruijff 15 Rensenbrink 16 Rep 17 Rijsbergen 18 Schrijvers 19 Strik 20 Suurbier 21 Geels 22 Vos Coach: Michels

v t e Netherlands squad – UEFA Euro 1976 Third Place

1 Schrijvers 2 Suurbier 3 Rijsbergen 4 van Kraay 5 Krol 6 Neeskens 7 Jansen 8 Rep 9 Cruijff 10 W. van de Kerkhof 11 Rensenbrink 12 van Hanegem 13 Geels 14 Peters 15 R. van de Kerkhof 16 Arntz 17 Ruiter 18 Jongbloed 19 Kist 20 Meutstege Coach: Knobel

FC Barcelona – managers

Barrow (1917)
Greenwell (1917–24)
Poszony (1924)
Kirby (1924–26)
Domby (1926–27)
Forns (1927–29)
Bellamy (1929–31)
Greenwell (1931–33)
Domby (1933–34)
Plattkó (1934–35)
O'Connell (1935–40)
Planas (1940–41)
Guzmán (1941–42)
Nogués (1942–44)
Samitier (1944–47)
Fernández (1947–50)
Daučík (1950–54)
Puppo (1954–55)
Plattkó (1955–56)
Balmanya (1956–58)
Herrera (1958–60)
Broćić (1960–61)
Orizaola (1961)
Miró (1961)
Kubala (1961–63)
Gonzalvo (1963)
C.Rodríguez (1963–64)
Sasot (1964–65)
Olsen (1965–67)
Artigas (1967–69)
Seguer (1969)
Buckingham (1969–71)
Michels (1971–75)
Weisweiler (1975–76)
Ruiz (1976)
Michels (1976–78)
Muller (1978–79)
Rifé (1979–80)
Herrera (1980)
Kubala (1980)
Herrera (1980–81)
Lattek (1981–83)
Romero (1983)
Menotti (1983–84)
Venables (1984–87)
Aragonés (1987–88)
Cruijff (1988–91)
Rexach (1991)
Cruijff (1991–96)
Robson (1996–97)
van Gaal (1997–2000)
Serra Ferrer (2000–01)
Rexach (2001–02)
van Gaal (2002–03)
De la Cruz (2003)
Antić (2003)
Rijkaard (2003–08)
Guardiola (2008–12)
Vilanova (2012–)

AFC Ajax – managers

Kirwan (1910–15)
Reynolds (1915–25)
Rose (1925–26)
Castle (1927–28)
Reynolds (1928–40)
Halpern (1940–41)
Volkers (1941–42)
van Kol (1942–45)
Reynolds (1945–47)
Smith (1947–48)
Crook (1948–50)
Thomson (1950–53)
Crook (1953–54)
Humenberger (1954–59)
Buckingham (1959–61)
Spurgeon (1961–62)
Gruber (1962–63)
Rowley (1963–64)
Buckingham (1964–65)
Michels (1965–71)
Kovács (1971–73)
Knobel (1973–74)
Haarms (a.i.) (1974)
Kraay (1974–75)
Michels (1975–76)
Ivić (1976–78)
Brom (1978–79)
Beenhakker (1979–81)
de Mos (1981)
Linder (1981–82)
de Mos (1982–85)
Kohn, Bruins Slot & van der Hart (1985)
Cruijff (1985–88)
Kohn (1988)
Linder (1988)
Kohn, Haarms & Hulshoff (1988–89)
Beenhakker (1989–91)
van Gaal (1991–97)
Olsen (1997–98)
Wouters (1998–2000)
Westerhof (2000)
Adriaanse (2000–01)
Koeman (2001–05)
Blind (2005–06)
ten Cate (2006–07)
Koster (2007–08)
van Basten (2008–09)
van 't Schip (a.i.) (2009)
Jol (2009–10)
de Boer (2010–)

v t e FIFA 100

UEFA	Baggio Ballack Banks Baresi Beckenbauer Beckham Bergkamp Bergomi Best Boniek Boniperti Breitner Buffon Butragueño Cantona Ceulemans Charlton Cruyff Dalglish Dasayev Davids Del Piero Desailly Deschamps Emre Eusébio Facchetti Figo Fontaine Gullit Hagi Henry Kahn Keane Keegan Klinsmann Kluivert Kopa B. Laudrup M. Laudrup Lineker Luis Enrique Maier Maldini Masopust Matthäus Müller Nedvěd Neeskens Nesta Owen Papin Pfaff Pirès Platini Puskás Raúl Rensenbrink Rijkaard Rivera Rossi Rui Costa Rummenigge Rüştü Schmeichel Seedorf Seeler Shearer Shevchenko Stoichkov Šuker Thuram Totti Trésor Trezeguet van Basten R. van de Kerkhof W. van de Kerkhof Van der Elst van Nistelrooy Vieira Vieri Zidane Zoff

CONMEBOL	Carlos Alberto Batistuta Cafu Crespo Cubillas Di Stéfano Falcão Figueroa Francescoli Júnior Kempes Maradona Passarella Pelé Rivaldo Rivelino Roberto Carlos Romário Romerito Ronaldinho Ronaldo Djalma Santos Nílton Santos Saviola Sívori Sócrates Valderrama Verón Zamorano Zanetti Zico

CAF	Diouf Milla Okocha Abédi Pelé Weah

CONCACAF	Akers Hamm Sánchez

AFC	Hong Nakata

UEFA Jubilee Awards

Pano (Albania)
Koldo (Andorra)
Oganesian (Armenia)
Prohaska (Austria)
Banishevskiy (Azerbaijan)
Aleinikov (Belarus)
Van Himst (Belgium)
Sušić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
Šuker (Croatia)
Kaiafas (Cyprus)
Masopust (Czech Republic)
Laudrup (Denmark)
Moore (England)
Poom (Estonia)
Løkin (Faroe Islands)
Litmanen (Finland)
Fontaine (France)
Khurtsilava (Georgia)
Walter (Germany)
Hatzipanagis (Greece)
Puskás (Hungary)
Sigurvinsson (Iceland)
Giles (Republic of Ireland)
Spiegler (Israel)
Zoff (Italy)
Kvochkin (Kazakhstan)
Starkovs (Latvia)
Hasler (Liechtenstein)
Narbekovas (Lithuania)
Pilot (Luxembourg)
Pančev (Macedonia)
Busuttil (Malta)
Cebanu (Moldova)
Cruyff (Netherlands)
Best (Northern Ireland)
Bratseth (Norway)
Lubański (Poland)
Eusébio (Portugal)
Hagi (Romania)
Yashin (Russia)
Bonini (San Marino)
Law (Scotland)
Džajić (Serbia and Montenegro)
Popluhár (Slovakia)
Oblak (Slovenia)
Di Stéfano (Spain)
Larsson (Sweden)
Chapuisat (Switzerland)
Şükür (Turkey)
Blokhin (Ukraine)
Charles (Wales)

Ballon d'Or

1956: Matthews
1957: Di Stéfano
1958: Kopa
1959: Di Stéfano
1960: Suárez
1961: Sívori
1962: Masopust
1963: Yashin
1964: Law
1965: Eusébio
1966: Charlton
1967: Albert
1968: Best
1969: Rivera
1970: Müller
1971: Cruyff
1972: Beckenbauer
1973: Cruyff
1974: Cruyff
1975: Blokhin
1976: Beckenbauer
1977: Simonsen
1978: Keegan
1979: Keegan
1980: Rummenigge
1981: Rummenigge
1982: Rossi
1983: Platini
1984: Platini
1985: Platini
1986: Belanov
1987: Gullit
1988: Van Basten
1989: Van Basten
1990: Matthäus
1991: Papin
1992: Van Basten
1993: Baggio
1994: Stoichkov
1995: Weah
1996: Sammer
1997: Ronaldo
1998: Zidane
1999: Rivaldo
2000: Figo
2001: Owen
2002: Ronaldo
2003: Nedvěd
2004: Shevchenko
2005: Ronaldinho
2006: Cannavaro
2007: Kaká
2008: C. Ronaldo
2009: Messi

v t e World Team of the 20th Century

Goalkeeper	Lev Yashin

Defenders	Carlos Alberto Torres Franz Beckenbauer Bobby Moore Nílton Santos

Midfielders	Johan Cruijff Alfredo Di Stéfano Michel Platini

Forwards	Garrincha Diego Maradona Pelé

Eredivisie Top Scorers

1957: Dillen
1958: Canjels
1959: Canjels
1960: Groot
1961: Groot
1962: Tol
1963: Kerkhoffs
1964: Geurtsen
1965: Geurtsen
1966: Van der Kuijlen/Kruiver
1967: Cruijff
1968: Kindvall
1969: Van Dijk/Kindvall
1970: Van der Kuijlen
1971: Kindvall
1972: Cruijff
1973: Janssens/Brokamp
1974: Van der Kuijlen
1975: Geels
1976: Geels
1977: Geels
1978: Geels
1979: Kist
1980: Kist
1981: Geels
1982: Kieft
1983: Houtman
1984: Van Basten
1985: Van Basten
1986: Van Basten
1987: Van Basten
1988: Kieft
1989: Romário
1990: Romário
1991: Romário/Bergkamp
1992: Bergkamp
1993: Bergkamp
1994: Litmanen
1995: Ronaldo
1996: Nilis
1997: Nilis
1998: Machlas
1999: Van Nistelrooy
2000: Van Nistelrooy
2001: Kežman
2002: Van Hooijdonk
2003: Kežman
2004: Kežman
2005: Kuyt
2006: Huntelaar
2007: Alves
2008: Huntelaar
2009: El Hamdaoui
2010: Suárez
2011: Vleminckx
2012: Dost

Dutch Golden Shoe Winner

1982: Haar
1983: Schrijvers
1984: Cruijff
1985: Rijkaard
1986: Gullit
1987: Rijkaard
1988: Vanenburg
1989: Vanenburg
1990: Sturing
1991: Meijer
1992: Metgod
1993: Overmars
1994: de Goey
1995: Blind
1996: Blind
1997: Stam
1998: van der Sar
1999: Mols
2000: Dudek
2001: Vogel
2002: Chivu
2003: Kuyt
2004: Maxwell
2005: van Bommel
2006: Kuyt
2007: Afonso Alves
2008: Heitinga
2009: El Hamdaoui
2010: Suárez

La Liga Foreign Player of the Year - Don Balón Award

1976: Neeskens
1977: Cruyff
1978: Cruyff
1979: Stielike
1980: Stielike
1981: Stielike
1982: Stielike
1983: Barbas
1984: Barbas
1985: Schuster
1986: Valdano
1987: Sánchez
1988: Alemão
1989: Ruggeri
1990: Sánchez
1991: Schuster
1992: Laudrup
1993: Đukić
1994: Stoichkov
1995: Zamorano
1996: Mijatović
1997: Ronaldo
1998: Rivaldo
1999: Figo
2000: Figo
2001: Figo
2002: Zidane
2003: Nihat
2004: Ronaldinho
2005: Riquelme
2006: Ronaldinho
2007: Messi
2008: Agüero
2009: Messi
2010: Messi

La Liga Coach of the Year - Don Balón Award

1976: Miljanić
1977: Aragonés
1978: Molowny
1979: Molowny
1980: Molowny
1981: Ormaetxea
1982: Ormaetxea
1983: Clemente
1984: Clemente
1985: Venables
1986: Molowny
1987: Clemente
1988: Beenhakker
1989: Toshack
1990: Toshack
1991: Cruyff
1992: Cruyff
1993: Iglesias
1994: Fernández
1995: Iglesias
1996: Antić
1997: Cantatore
1998: Irureta
1999: Cúper
2000: Irureta
2001: Mané
2002: Benítez
2003: Denoueix
2004: Irureta
2005: Rijkaard
2006: Rijkaard
2007: Ramos
2008: Manzano
2009: Guardiola
2010: Guardiola

v t e New York Cosmos

Founded in 1971 • Based in New York City & East Rutherford, New Jersey

Original Club	Team • Seasons • Players (All-stars) • All articles

New Club	Team • U-23 team

Stadiums	Yankee Stadium • Hofstra Stadium • Downing Stadium • Giants Stadium

Major Honors (12)

NASL Regular Season (7)	1972 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983

NASL Championship (5)	1972 • 1977 • 1978 • 1980 • 1982

Website: nycosmos.com

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Ard Schenk	Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1973–1974	Succeeded by Jos Hermens
Sporting positions
Preceded by Pietro Anastasi	World football transfer record 1973–1975	Succeeded by Giuseppe Savoldi
Preceded by Valeri Lobanovsky	Cup Winners' Cup Winning Coach 1986–87	Succeeded by Aad de Mos
Preceded by Aad de Mos	Cup Winners' Cup Winning Coach 1988–89	Succeeded by Vujadin Boškov
Preceded by Ljupko Petrović	European Cup Winning Coach 1991–1992	Succeeded by Raymond Goethals

Persondata
Name	Cruijff, Hendrik Johannes
Alternative names	Cruijff, Johan
Short description	Dutch footballer and coach
Date of birth	(1947-04-25)April 25, 1947
Place of birth	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Date of death
Place of death

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Cruyff

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.

Playlist

Film Summary

Cruyff, Johan Filmography

Famous quotes by Johan Cruyff:

"All I remember thinking was 'please Barca don't lose your mind'."

"That boy appeared to be the only one who knew what he was doing. He played the ball forward, which no one else was doing. Not many players have the ability to change something that's going wrong."

Make changes yourself !

Make changes yourself !

Contents

Related pages: