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The Midfield in relation to the football positions

A midfielder (or simply mid) is an association football position.^[1] Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards.^[2] The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role. The group of midfielders in a team is called the midfield.

More complete midfielders require a number of skills on top of fitness: they tackle, dribble, shoot and pass during any match. Most managers field at least one central midfielder with a marked task of breaking up opposition's attacks while the rest are more adept to creating goals or have equal responsibilities between attack and defence. At either side of the pitch a manager can field a right or left midfielder, who are used equally for both attack and defence, or a winger, a player used primarily for attack.

In essence, a good midfield must possess the ability to be combative while also being creative. A good striker without midfield support could lack attacking chances, while a defense likewise could be severely tested. Because they occupy the most influential parts of the pitch, midfielders are perhaps more likely to influence the outcome of a match than other positions,^[3] especially if they have vision for a good pass or ability to score.

Midfielders typically expend the most energy during a match because of the distance they cover on a pitch, as at times they can be called back into defence, or required to attack with the strikers.^[1]

Types of Midfielders[link]

Central midfielder[link]

Central midfielders play various roles on the field of play, and are probably the most important in terms of setting up attacks. Their position enables them to have an all-round view of the match, and as most of the action takes place in and around their area of the pitch, midfielders often exert the greatest degree of control over how a match is played. This section of the field is often known as a team's "engine room", because great teams rarely succeed without adept, commanding central midfielders.

Defensive midfielder[link]

2 defensive midfielders are indicated in blue circles.

A defensive midfielder or holding midfielder is often likened to an evolved version of the old-school sweeper.

The responsibilities of defensive midfielders usually include:

• Screening the defense by harrying and tackling the opposition teams' attackers and defenders.
• Covering the positions of full-backs, midfielders and even centre-backs as they advance into attack. This can be during open play or during set pieces such as free-kicks or corners.
• Retaining distribution nearer the defense. As passing the defense can be especially risky, the presence of the defensive midfielder just in front of defenders provides a relatively safer option going forward.
• Directing the distribution towards the flanks or further up front.
• Directing the opposition distribution to the flanks or deeper down their end, where they are less effective. Defensive midfielders are often pulled slightly towards the flank to deal with the threat of wingers cutting infield.

Although the duties of defensive midfielders are primarily defensive, some midfielders are deployed as deep-lying playmakers, due to their ability to dictate tempo from a deep position with their passing. As they are not defensive specialists, they are typically supported by a more defensive holding midfielder.

Defensive midfielders require excellent positional sense, work rate, tackling ability, and anticipation (of player and ball movement) to excel. They also need to possess excellent passing skills and close control to hold the ball in midfield under sustained pressure. Most importantly, defensive midfielders require great stamina as they are the onfield players who cover the greatest distance during a professional football match. Deep-lying playmakers typically require a good first touch under opposition pressure and the ability to play long crossfield passes to attacking players further upfield.

The defensive midfielder position is also referred to in Brazilian Portuguese as volante and in South American Spanish as volante de marca (Spanish and Portuguese for "steering wheel", or someone who gives direction), in Portugal as a trinco (meaning "lock"), in Mexico as "volante de contención" and in Russian as a волнорез (pronounced – vol-no-rez, meaning "wave-breaker"). Most Brazilian teams deploy at least one "volante" in their team, including the Brazilian national team who have fielded defensive midfielders, such as 1994 World Cup winning team captain Dunga.

Deep-lying playmaker[link]

Some players prefer to set up an attack from a withdrawn position, and are often coined deep-lying playmakers, mainly because of their ability to spread play and dictate the game from a withdrawn position. Despite their deep role, they are not classed as defensive midfielders as tackling and defence are not the main function of their roles, and they may have to be supported by a holding midfielder.

Deep-lying playmakers are typically given a moderate amount of defensive responsibilities, but are granted freedom positionally to dictate the play as it evolves, as well as a license to attempt long riskier balls, to the forwards.

The essential attributes of a deep-lying playmaker include:

• Good long passing ability, to play balls towards forwards and wingers. Crossfield wangers are typically attempted from deep when the opposing full back is drawn towards the middle and there is an open channel in the flank for the on rushing winger.
• Stamina, to cover large distances in professional football. In the top football leagues, a midfielder covers upwards of 10 kilometres per game.
• Short passing ability. Although many deep-lying playmakers have natural talent and creativity, they are expected to play short simple passes when deep in their half to avoid the possibility of a counter-attack. They are however given some degree of freedom in playing long passes deep into opposition territory.
• Creativity/Vision. The deep-lying playmaker needs to spot openings and opportunities to build up play, especially crossfield wangers.
• A good and sure first touch to control the ball when receiving passes under sustained opposition pressure.

Attacking midfielder[link]

Two possible positions for an attacking midfielder are indicated in the blue oval.

An attacking midfielder is any midfielder who is stationed in a more advanced midfield position to assist goalscoring.^[3] The attacking midfielder is an influential position and requires the player to possess good technical abilities, an eye for a pass, running and dribbling skills.

Attacking midfielders are generally required to have:

• Excellent technical ability, including close control, passing, shooting and dribbling.
• Creativity, to anticipate passing opportunities for their fellow forwards.
• Off-the-ball intelligence, to anticipate passes from the midfield which create opportunities to score or to pass on to a forward.
• An understanding of the winger role. Due to tactical changes, central attacking midfielders are sometimes played on the wing, to accommodate other strikers or forwards.
• A secondary ability is finishing technique and composure.

Playing in a very advanced central midfield role just behind the strikers is sometimes known as "playing in the bumhole", although this term can also be used to describe a deep lying forward, traditionally he is called a Number 10 or Trequartista [trekwarˈtista], literally anal fiddler. This specialist midfielder's main role is to act as the offensive pivot of the team, to create goal-scoring opportunities for his team mates, and perhaps to score himself. This position is also known as playmaker.^[2]

The attacking midfielder position is also referred to in Brazilian Portuguese as meia' or 'meia-atacante' ("attacking midfielder" in English).

Box-to-box midfielder[link]

The term "box-to-box" is often used to refer to the most dynamic all-round/complete midfielders, who provide both defensive and attacking prowess.^[4] The most versatile of players, they typically possess exceptional stamina and are usually skilled at tackling, passing, shooting and also good at keeping possession.

Winger[link]

A winger or wide midfielder is a midfielder located on the wing of the midfield. Traditionally, wingers were purely attacking players who hugged the touch line and were not expected to track back and defend. This began to change in the 1960s. In the 1966 World Cup, England manager Alf Ramsey did not select wingers from the quarter final onwards. This team was known as the "Wingless Wonders" and led to the modern 4–4–2 formation.^[5][6]

This has led to most modern wide players having a more demanding role in the sense that they are expected to provide defensive cover for their full-backs and track back to repossess the ball, as well as provide skillful crosses for centre forwards and strikers.^[7] Some forwards are able to operate as wingers behind a lone striker. In a three-man midfield, specialist wingers are sometimes deployed down the flanks alongside the central midfielder or playmaker.

Even more demanding is the role of wing-back, where the wide player is expected to provide both defence and attack.^[8] As the role of winger can be classed as a forward or a midfielder, so this role blurs the divide between defender and midfielder.

Wingers are indicated in red, while the 'wide men' (who play to the flanks of the central midfielders) are indicated in blue.

A winger is an attacking midfielder who is stationed in a wide position near the touchlines.^[7] Wingers such as Stanley Matthews or Jimmy Johnstone used to be classified as forwards in traditional W-shaped formations, and were formally known as "Outside Right" or "Outside Left", but as tactics evolved through the last 40 years, wingers have dropped to deeper field positions and are now usually classified as part of the midfield, usually in 4–4–2 or 4–5–1 formations (but while the team is on the attack, they tend to resemble 4–2–4 and 4–3–3 formations respectively).

The responsibilities of the winger include:

• Providing a "wide presence" as a passing option on the flank.
• To beat the opposing full-back either with skill or with speed.
• To read passes from the midfield that give them a clear crossing opportunity, when going wide, or that give them a clear scoring opportunity, when cutting inside towards goal.
• To double up on the opposition winger, particularly when he is being "double-marked" by both the team's full back and winger.

The stereotypical winger is fast, tricky and enjoys 'hugging' the touchline, that is, running downfield close to the touchline and delivering crosses. However, players with different attributes can thrive on the wing as well. Some wingers prefer to cut infield (as opposed to staying wide) and pose a threat as playmakers by playing diagonal passes to forwards or taking a shot at goal. Even players who are not considered quick, have been successfully fielded as wingers at club and international level for their ability to create play from the flank. Occasionally wingers are given a free role to roam across the front line and are relieved of defensive responsibilities.

The typical abilities of wingers include:

• Technical skill to beat a full-back in a one-to-one situation.
• Pace, to beat the full-back one-on-one.
• Crossing ability when out wide.
• Good off-the-ball ability when reading a pass from the midfield or from fellow attackers.
• Good passing ability and composure, to retain possession while in opposition territory.
• The modern winger should also be comfortable on either wing so as to adapt to quick tactical changes required by the coach.

Traditionally, right-footed players are played on the right wing and left-footed players on the left as a matter of familiarity and comfort. However, in the modern game, coaches usually demand wingers to be able to play on both flanks and to switch flanks during play regularly as a quick change of tactics. For instance, a right-footed winger who plays on the left flank is more comfortable cutting into the middle, which suits the styles of playmaker forwards who can cause a threat both by shooting from distance, dribbling towards goal, or sliding through passes to other forwards. Another advantage is that the winger can cut inside, towards the weaker foot of the full-back. Clubs such as Barcelona and Real Madrid often choose to play their wingers on the 'wrong' flank for this reason; Barcelona's Josep Guardiola puts left-footed Lionel Messi on the right and Pedro on the left, while Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho often plays Ángel di María on the right and Cristiano Ronaldo on the left. One of the foremost practitioners of playing from either flank was the German winger, Jürgen Grabowski, whose flexibility helped Germany to fourth place in the 1970 World Cup, and a championship in the 1974 World Cup.

Although wingers are a familiar part of football, the use of wingers is by no means universal. There are many successful football teams who operate without wingers. A famous example is AC Milan, who typically play in a narrow midfield diamond formation or in a Christmas tree formation (4–3–2–1), relying on full-backs to provide the necessary width down the wings.

See also[link]

• Association football positions
• Formation
• Goalkeeper
• Defender
• Playmaker
• Forward
• Outside forward

References[link]

David Luiz

Luiz celebrates the Champions League title with Chelsea in 2012
Personal information
Full name	David Luiz Moreira Marinho
Date of birth	(1987-04-22) 22 April 1987 (age 25)
Place of birth	Diadema, Brazil
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	4
Youth career
1999–2001	São Paulo
2001–2005	Vitória
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2006–2007	Vitória	26	(1)
2007	→ Benfica (loan)	10	(0)
2007–2011	Benfica	72	(4)
2011–	Chelsea	32	(4)
National team‡
2007	Brazil U20	2	(0)
2010–	Brazil	11	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 14 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:00, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987), known as David Luiz, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. Primarily a central defender, he can also be deployed as a left back.^[2][3]

After starting out at Vitória, he moved to Benfica at the age of 19, remaining with the club five seasons (three complete). He joined Chelsea in January 2011, winning the Champions League and the FA Cup in the following season.

Club career[link]

Vitória[link]

Born in Diadema, São Paulo, David Luiz arrived in Esporte Clube Vitória at the age of 14 after being released by São Paulo FC,^[4] and started playing as a defensive midfielder, almost leaving the club for his poor performances in that position.^[5] However, he was soon moved to central defender and adapted well.^[6]

Luiz made his official debut for Vitória in 2006, and excelled against Santa Cruz Futebol Clube for that season's Brazilian Cup, in a 2–2 draw.^[6] At the worst situation of its history, in the third division, Vitória promoted to the second division at the end of the season with Luiz's help, after finishing in second position, with the central appearing in eight of the club's last decisive nine games,^[7] scoring his only Série C goal on 3 September 2006, in a 2–0 home win against Clube Atlético do Porto.^[8]

Benfica[link]

On 30 January 2007, Luiz joined Sport Lisboa e Benfica as a replacement for Tottenham Hotspur-bound Ricardo Rocha, on loan.^[9] He made a somewhat tumultuous debut for the club in a UEFA Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, partnering compatriot Anderson in the center of the defense, replacing the injured Luisão. Benfica lost the match 2–1, but managed to go through to the next round after winning 4–3 on aggregate.

On 12 March 2007, he played his first league match for Benfica, against União de Leiria.^[10] At the end of the season, Luiz signed a five-year deal with the club^[11] and, on 5 August, scored his first goal for the club in the Torneio do Guadiana friendly tournament, against Sporting Clube de Portugal. He only managed eight appearances in the league due to injury, however, as Benfica finished fourth.

On 11 January 2009, David Luiz netted his first official goal for Benfica, the game's only in a home success against Sporting de Braga. He played most of the campaign as a left back, at the expense of Portuguese international Jorge Ribeiro.

In the 2009–10 season, Luiz was everpresent, appearing in 49 official matches (three goals, 4,206 minutes), as Benfica won the league after a five-year wait. In the season's League Cup, in a 4–1 away win against Sporting, he opened the score in the eighth minute, with Benfica also eventually winning the competition.

On 30 September 2009, Benfica sold 25% of Luiz's economic rights on any future transfer to a third party owner, Benfica Stars Fund, along with other teammates. He was tagged at €18 million, with the fund paying €4.5 million;^[12] his contract was also renewed in October, with a release clause of €50 million.^[13]

Chelsea[link]

Luiz playing for Chelsea in 2011

On 31 January 2011, Luiz completed a move to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee, which Benfica confimed to be €25 million, on a five-and-a-half-year contract, with Nemanja Matić joining Benfica at the end of the season after his transfer spell away at Vitesse in the Netherlands.^[14][15][16] He made his official Premier League debut on 6 February, replacing José Bosingwa in a 1–0 home loss against Liverpool.^[17] Eight days later, he made his first start for Chelsea, in a 0–0 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Instantly becoming a cult hero amongst the Chelsea fans, David Luiz was awarded the Barclays Man of the Match award for his performance, despite giving away a penalty in the 93rd minute of the game, which was saved by Petr Čech.^[18]

On 1 March, David Luiz scored his first goal for Chelsea, firing in a half volley to help the Blues come from behind to win 2–1 against Manchester United, at Stamford Bridge, with Frank Lampard scoring a late penalty winner.^[19] On 20 March, he scored his second goal for the Blues, heading in from a free kick against Manchester City (2–0 home win), and again receiving the Man of the match award, as well as the Player of the Month for March.^[20][21]

Luiz missed the first three games of 2011–12 season due to a knee injury.^[22] He made his return to the first team on 13 September in the UEFA Champions League group stage match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, and he scored from 15 yards to break the deadlock in an eventual 2–0 home win.^[23] On his second match, a League Cup third round tie against Fulham, he netted his penalty shoot-out attempt in a 4–3 win (0–0 after 120 minutes).^[24]

On 5 February 2012, in a league home fixture against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, Luiz put Chelsea ahead 3–0 in the 50th minute after his header was deflected by Rio Ferdinand, following a Juan Mata free kick. The game ended with a 3–3 draw.^[25] On the 25th, through a curled shot, he opened the score against Bolton Wanderers (3–0, home).^[26]

On 14 March, Chelsea faced S.S.C. Napoli in the Champions League's round-of-16, following a 1–3 loss at the Stadio San Paolo: Luiz made a stunning performance to help his team win the tie with a 4–1 extra time win, being subsequently chosen by UEFA as the "Man of the match",^[27] an accolade he also received in the first leg of the quarterfinals against former team Benfica (1–0 away win). However, after leaving the pitch in the FA Cup semifinals against Tottenham Hotspur with a muscular injury, it was announced that he would miss both of the Champions League semifinals encounters against FC Barcelona, and the domestic cup final; he played, however, in the Champions League final – John Terry was also suspended for the match – appearing the full 120 minutes and converting his penalty shootout attempt as the Blues won it 4–3.^[28]

International career[link]

David Luiz played with Brazil's under-20 at the 2007 FIFA World Cup, with the team being ousted in the last-16 stage.^[29] Courtesy of his solid season at Benfica, he was first picked for the full side for a friendly against the United States on 10 August 2010, after the national team's coaching change, with Mano Menezes replacing Dunga, playing in the 2–0 away win.

Luiz was present in every list of new manager Mano Menezes and was called up for the 2011 Copa América, but did not make a single appearance at the tournament due to injury.^[22] In a friendly with Mexico in October of that year, he scored an own goal, but the Seleção eventually won it 2–1.

Statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 23:00, 20 April 2012

¹Continental competitions include the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.
²Other tournaments include the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and Campeonato Baiano.

International[link]

National team Club Season Apps Goals Brazil Benfica 2010 4 0 Chelsea 2011 6 0 2012 1 0 Total 11 0 Honours[link] Team[link] Vitória: Bahia State Championship: 2005 Benfica: Portuguese League: 2009–10 Portuguese League Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 Chelsea: UEFA Champions League: 2011–12 FA Cup: 2011–12 Individual[link] Portuguese League: Footballer of the Year 2010 Benfica Awards: Breakthrough Player of the Year 2007 Premier League: Player of the Month March 2011 PFA Fans: Player of the Month March 2011 References[link] ^ "David Luiz Profile". BBC Sport. 22 December 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/l/luiz_370569.stm. Retrieved 19 May 2012.  ^ Fleming, Mark; Herbert, Ian (24 January 2011). "Chelsea set to capture £21m David Luiz". The Independent. http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/chelsea-set-to-capture-21m-david-luiz-2508438.html. Retrieved 5 April 2011.  ^ 'Crazy mistakes' won't affect David Luiz as he eyes a return to form for Chelsea; Goal.com, 26 November 2011 ^ "David Luiz é o representante de Diadema na Seleção Brasileira [David Luiz represents Diadema in Brazil national team]" (in Portuguese). Tvabcd. 24 September 2010. http://www.tvabcd.com.br/noticias/1058/david-luiz-e-o-representante-de-diadema-na-selecao-brasileira. Retrieved 19 January 2011.  ^ "Hulk e David Luiz partilham amizade segura pelo tempo [Hulk and David Luiz's friendship stands the text of time]" (in Portuguese). O Jogo. 6 September 2010. http://www.ojogo.pt/26-249/artigo883914.asp. Retrieved 19 January 2011.  ^ a b "Zagueiro convocado por Mano é avaliado em R$ 114,5 milhões [Stopper selected by Mano is worth R$ 114,5 millions]" (in Portuguese). Gterra. 27 July 2010. http://www.gterra.com.br/print/gterra-esporte/zagueiro-convocado-por-mano-e-avaliado-em-r-1145-milhoes-32099.html. Retrieved 19 January 2011.  ^ "Campeonato Brasileiro Série C – 2006" (in Portuguese). CBF. http://www2.cbf.com.br/php/tabela.php?ct=3&cc=18&aa=2006. Retrieved 4 March 2011.  ^ "Vitória" (in Portuguese). Futebol 80. http://www.futebol80.com.br/links/times/vitoria/vitoriajg.htm. Retrieved 11 March 2011.  ^ Benfica replace Ricardo Rocha; UEFA, 1 February 2007 ^ "Tactical Formation". Football-Lineups. http://www.football-lineups.com/games/?game=4858. Retrieved 14 March 2007.  ^ David Luiz banking on Benfica; UEFA, 30 May 2007 ^ "Comunicado [Announcement]" (in Portuguese). CMVM. 30 September 2010. http://web3.cmvm.pt/sdi2004/emitentes/docs/FR25467.pdf. Retrieved 20 December 2010.  ^ "Comunicado [Announcement]" (in Portuguese) (​PDF (19.7KB)). CMVM. 15 October 2009. http://web3.cmvm.pt/sdi2004/emitentes/docs/FR25595.pdf. Retrieved 30 January 2011.  ^ Chelsea complete £21.3m Luiz signing; ESPN Soccernet, 31 January 2011 ^ "David Luiz signs". Chelsea F.C.. 1 February 2011. http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2281533,00.html. Retrieved 11 February 2011.  ^ "David Luiz transferido para o Chelsea". S.L. Benfica. 31 January 2011. http://www.slbenfica.pt/Informacao/Futebol/Noticias/noticiasfutebol_futcomunicadodavidluiz_310111_73255.asp. Retrieved 22 June 2011.  ^ McNulty, Phil (6 February 2011). "Chelsea 0–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/9385584.stm. Retrieved 14 February 2011.  ^ Ashenden, Mark (14 February 2011). "Fulham 0–0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9391010.stm. Retrieved 14 February 2011.  ^ "Chelsea 2–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 1 March 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/9405635.stm. Retrieved 2 March 2011.  ^ "Chelsea 2–0 Man City". BBC Sport. 20 March 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/9425606.stm. Retrieved 22 March 2011.  ^ "March awards for Chelsea pair". Chelsea FC. 1 April 2011. http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~2328971,00.html. Retrieved 2 April 2011.  ^ a b "Chelsea boost as Petr Cech and David Luiz return for Sunderland". This Is London. 8 September 2011. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23985069-chelsea-boost-as-petr-cech-and-david-luiz-return-for-sunderland.do. Retrieved 9 September 2011.  ^ Blues beat Ballack's Bayer; ESPN Soccernet, 13 September 2011 ^ "Chelsea 0-0 Fulham". BBC Sport. 21 September 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/14910268.stm. Retrieved 9 November 2011.  ^ "Hernandez header completes United comeback". ESPN Soccernet. 5 February 2012. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=318100&cc=5739. Retrieved 5 February 2012.  ^ "Win eases pressure on AVB". ESPN Soccernet. 25 February 2012. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=317981&cc=5739. Retrieved 25 February 2012.  ^ "Ivanović completes rousing Chelsea comeback". UEFA.com. 14 March 2012. http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/matches/round=2000264/match=2007676/postmatch/report/index.html. Retrieved 21 March 2012.  ^ "Shoot-out win ends Chelsea's long wait for glory". UEFA.com. 20 May 2012. http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/matches/round=2000267/match=2007693/postmatch/report/index.html#shoot+ends+chelsea+wait. Retrieved 21 May 2012.  ^ David Luiz – FIFA competition record External links[link] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: David Luiz Chelsea official profile Stats and profile at Zerozero Stats at ForaDeJogo PortuGOAL profile David Luiz at National-Football-Teams.com   Awards Preceded by Ricardinho Benfica Award for Breakthrough Player of the Year 2007 Succeeded by Miguel Vítor v t e CNID Footballer of the Year CNID Footballer of the Year (1970–2000) Winners 1970: Eusébio 1971: Nené 1972: Toni 1973: Eusébio 1974: Coelho 1975: João Alves 1976: Chalana 1977: Bento 1978: Oliveira 1979: José Costa 1980: Jordão 1981: Oliveira 1982: Oliveira 1983: Gomes 1984: Chalana 1985: Manuel 1986: Futre 1987: Futre 1988: Barros 1989: Baía 1990: Domingos 1991: Baía 1992: J. V. Pinto 1993: J. V. Pinto 1994: J. V. Pinto 1995: Figo 1996: Figo 1997: Figo 1998: Figo 1999: Figo 2000: Figo CNID Footballer of the Year or Primeira Liga Footballer of the Year (2006–2010) Winners 2006: Quaresma 2007: Simão 2008: Lisandro 2009: Bruno Alves 2010: David Luiz 2011: Hulk v t e Brazil squad – 2011 Copa América 1 Júlio César 2 Daniel Alves 3 Lúcio (c) 4 Thiago Silva 5 Lucas Leiva 6 André Santos 7 Robinho 8 Ramires 9 Pato 10 Ganso 11 Neymar 12 Victor 13 Maicon 14 Luisão 15 Sandro 16 Elano 17 Elias 18 Lucas 19 Fred 20 Jádson 21 Adriano 22 Jefferson 23 David Luiz Coach: Mano Menezes v t e Chelsea F.C. – current squad 1 Čech 2 Ivanović 3 Cole 4 Luiz 5 Essien 6 Romeu 7 Ramires 8 Lampard 9 Torres 10 Mata 12 Mikel 15 Malouda 16 Meireles 18 Lukaku 19 Ferreira 20 McEachran 22 Turnbull 23 Sturridge 24 Cahill 26 Terry 27 Hutchinson 30 Benayoun 34 Bertrand 35 Piazón 38 van Aanholt 40 Hilário 44 Kakuta 45 Chalobah 46 Blackman 47 B. Clifford 48 C. Clifford 49 Deen-Conteh 51 Ince 54 Kane 55 Ashton 56 Saville 57 Nkumu 58 Pappoe Manager: Di Matteo (caretaker) Persondata Name Luiz, David Alternative names Short description Brazilian footballer Date of birth 22 April 1987 Place of birth Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil Date of death Place of death

Manuel Neuer

Personal information
Full name	Manuel Neuer
Date of birth	(1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 26)
Place of birth	Gelsenkirchen, West Germany
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Bayern Munich
Number	1
Youth career
1991–2005	Schalke 04
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2008	Schalke 04 II	26	(0)
2006–2011	Schalke 04	155	(0)
2011–	Bayern Munich	33	(0)
National team‡
2004	Germany U18	1	(0)
2004–2005	Germany U19	11	(0)
2005–2006	Germany U20	4	(0)
2006–2009	Germany U21	20	(0)
2009–	Germany	26	(0)
Honours Schalke 04 Winner DFL-Ligapokal 2005 Runner-up DFL-Ligapokal 2007 Runner-up DFL-Supercup 2010 Winner DFB-Pokal 2011 Bayern Munich Runner-up DFB-Pokal 2012 Runner-up UEFA Champions League 2012  Germany Winner UEFA U-21 Championship 2009 Third FIFA World Cup 2010
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:22, 5 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:08, 31 May 2012 (UTC)

Manuel Neuer (German pronunciation: [ˈmaːnu̯ɛl ˈnɔʏ.ɐ]; born 27 March 1986 in Gelsenkirchen) is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich and the German national football team.

Club career[link]

Schalke 04[link]

Neuer signed professional terms in 2005 after progressing through every age group at his hometown club. He made his Bundesliga debut when he came on to substitute the injured Frank Rost on match day 2 of the 2006–07 season. The 20-year-old eventually won the starting position when Rost was surprisingly dropped for the crunch clash against Bayern Munich. He did not disappoint and managed to secure a 2–2 draw against the defending champions. Despite his young age, he was widely tipped to be a potential successor to his former idol Jens Lehmann in the future for the German national team.^[1]

On 5 March 2008, in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, Neuer performed fantastically against FC Porto where he almost single-handedly kept Schalke in the game with some brilliant saves and forced the game into penalties. He then saved penalties from Bruno Alves and Lisandro Lopez to help Schalke advance to the quarter finals. For his heroics, he was shortlisted for the 2007–08 UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year award of which he was the youngest as well as the only Bundesliga goalkeeper on the list.^[2] He was one of only three Bundesliga players to play every minute in the 2007–08 season.

The 2008–09 season was somewhat disappointing as Schalke finished eighth in the league table and missed out on a Europa League spot. However, his good showing at the 2009 U-21 European Championships sparked interest from Bayern Munich, with Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declaring interest in signing the young goalkeeper. Schalke's new manager Felix Magath, however, insisted that Neuer "will play for Schalke next season".^[3] In November, he was the only German goalkeeper in the list of five nominated goalkeepers for the UEFA Team of the Year.^[4] On 20 April 2011, he announced that he will not be extending his contract with Schalke which was set to expire at the end of the 2011–12 season.^[5] He earned criticism by Schalke-fans, who were disappointed with him leaving for a rival club.

Bayern Munich[link]

Neuer making a save from a penalty kick

On 1 June 2011 Schalke and Bayern Munich confirmed that Neuer would move to Bayern Munich in July 2011.^[6] Neuer signed a five-year contract that will last until June 2016. The move was worth 22 million euro, making Neuer the second most expensive goalkeeper of all time. After hostilities of Bayern fans against Neuer (some fans were unhappy about Bayern buying a Schalke keeper), a round-table discussion between Bayern Munich and group of supporters’ representatives took place on 2 July 2011. Among other things, it was decided that Manuel Neuer will be "regarded as a full member of the FC Bayern Munich team, who should be treated with due respect. Furthermore, hostility towards him should cease".^[7] Right in the first weeks at Bayern, after a 0–0 draw with Hoffenheim, Neuer broke the Bayern Munich record for most competitive clean sheets in a row, having gone over 1000 minutes without conceding. He improved the record formerly held by Oliver Kahn.^[8]

During an away Bundesliga game at Borussia Dortmund on April 2012, Neuer was pelted with a steady stream of bananas by the home fans. The incident was apparently a call back to when Dortmund fans used to give the same treatment to former Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn.^[9] On 25 April 2012, Neuer saved penalty kicks from both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká and helped Bayern through the UEFA Champions League semifinals against Real Madrid. Following the match, Neuer has revealed that he studied the way Ronaldo's likes to take his penalties. Neuer tell told Bild "I always prepare myself for such situations, Our goalkeeping coach, Toni Tapalovic, showed me on his laptop before the match how Ronaldo usually takes his penalties. I learned that Ronaldo prefers to send the ball low to his left. In the penalty shoot-out, I was convinced that he would aim for his favourite spot."^[10]

He went on to the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Chelsea and it also went to a penalty shoot-out. He saved the first penalty taken by Juan Mata but all the rest were scored and Munich lost that match 4–3 on penalties. He took and scored the third penalty for Bayern.

International career[link]

Youth Teams[link]

After progressing through the youth teams, Neuer made his U-21 debut on 15 August 2006 against the Netherlands. He won the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship with the Germany national under-21 football team in Sweden and kept a clean sheet in the 4-0 win in the final against England.^[11]

World Cup 2010[link]

Neuer was called-up on 19 May 2009 to the senior Germany squad for a tour of Asia.^[12] He made his debut on this tour in a match against United Arab Emirates on 2 June.^[13] He played in the November friendly against the Ivory Coast that ended 2–2. Although he took responsibility for the first goal conceded, manager Joachim Löw refused to blame him and instead commended him for doing his best.^[14]

The death of keeper Robert Enke in November 2009 saw him elevated as the second choice goalkeeper under René Adler. However, Adler suffered a serious rib injury which ruled him out of the World Cup. Neuer then became Germany's first choice goalkeeper ahead of Tim Wiese and Hans-Jörg Butt for the upcoming tournament.^[15]

Neuer was selected as Germany's number one goalkeeper for the World Cup in South Africa.^[16] During the group stages, he only conceded a single goal, a close range shot by Jovanovic in the match against Serbia. He provided the assist for Klose's opening goal against England, winning 4–1. He played in all of Germany's World Cup matches apart from the third-place game against Uruguay, when Hans-Jörg Butt was rewarded with a spot in the starting lineup.^[17]

Euro 2012[link]

He played every single minute of every match in the qualification campaign for Euro 2012, helping Germany to secure 10 wins out of 10 games and top their group. After Germany's 3-1 away win against Turkey he was especially praised for his 'sensational' performance. He retained a close range volley shot by Hamit Altıntop, and then he quickly threw the ball to the halfway line into the feet of Thomas Müller, who immediately provided the assist for Mario Gomez's opening goal. Neuer then set up the second goal, under pressure by Turkish attackers he fired a precise long range shot to Mario Götze deep in the opponents half, who found Thomas Müller on the edge of the opponents penalty box to score.^[18]

Personal life[link]

Neuer attended Gesamtschule Berger Feld, like many other notable footballers, such as Mesut Özil. His brother Marcel is currently a football referee in the Verbandsliga.^[19] He got his first football when he was two. He had his first game on 3 March 1991, 24 days before his fifth birthday.^[20] Neuer's hero and idol as a child was fellow German and former Schalke goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.^[21]

In November 2011, Neuer won €500,000 on Wer wird Millionär?, German version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.^[22]

Career statistics[link]

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

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Schalke 04

• DFB-Pokal: 2010–11
• DFB-Ligapokal: 2005

International[link]

Germany

• UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship 2009
• FIFA World Cup 2010: Third place - Bronze medal

Individual[link]

• Best Bundesliga Goalkeeper: 2007
• Best UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Goalkeeper: 2009
• Fritz-Walter-Medal 2005 in Silver (Category U19)
• Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (1): 2010^[23]
• Best Bundesliga Player of the Year: 2011^[24]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manuel Neuer

• Official website (German)
• Manuel Neuer at fcbayern.de
• Manuel Neuer at fussballdaten.de (German)

Germany squads v t e Germany squad – 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Winners (1st Title) 1 Neuer 2 Beck 3 Boenisch 4 Höwedes 5 Boateng 6 Aogo 7 Ebert 8 Khedira 9 Dejagah 10 Özil 11 Marin 12 Fromlowitz 13 Wagner 14 Johnson 15 Hummels 16 Schwaab 17 Grote 18 Adlung 19 Ben-Hatira 20 Castro 21 Schmelzer 22 Ede 23 Sippel Coach: Hrubesch v t e Germany squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup Third Place 1 Neuer 2 Jansen 3 Friedrich 4 Aogo 5 Tasci 6 Khedira 7 Schweinsteiger 8 Özil 9 Kießling 10 Podolski 11 Klose 12 Wiese 13 Müller 14 Badstuber 15 Trochowski 16 Lahm (c) 17 Mertesacker 18 Kroos 19 Cacau 20 Boateng 21 Marin 22 Butt 23 Gómez Coach: Löw v t e Germany squad – UEFA Euro 2012 1 Neuer 2 Gündoğan 3 Schmelzer 4 Höwedes 5 Hummels 6 Khedira 7 Schweinsteiger 8 Özil 9 Schürrle 10 Podolski 11 Klose 12 Wiese 13 Müller 14 Badstuber 15 L. Bender 16 Lahm (c) 17 Mertesacker 18 Kroos 19 Götze 20 Boateng 21 Reus 22 Zieler 23 Gómez Coach: Löw