Albert Riera

Riera before a game with Galatasaray
Personal information
Full name	Albert Riera Ortega
Date of birth	(1982-04-15) 15 April 1982 (age 30)
Place of birth	Manacor, Spain
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Galatasaray
Number	11
Youth career
1999–2000	Mallorca
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2002	Mallorca B
2001–2003	Mallorca	46	(6)
2003–2005	Bordeaux	53	(4)
2005–2008	Espanyol	72	(8)
2006	→ Manchester City (loan)	15	(1)
2008–2010	Liverpool	40	(3)
2010–2011	Olympiacos	24	(6)
2011–	Galatasaray	30	(1)
National team‡
2000–2001	Spain U18	11	(0)
2002–2003	Spain U21	15	(2)
2007–2009	Spain	16	(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 12 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:47, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

Albert Riera Ortega (born 15 April 1982) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Galatasaray SK in Turkey, as a left winger.

He made a name for himself at Espanyol (where he won one Copa del Rey and reached one UEFA Cup final, also making his debuts for the Spanish national team), and also played professionally in France, England and Greece.

Riera gained 16 caps for Spain, representing the nation at the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Club career[link]

Mallorca[link]

Born in Manacor, Balearic Islands, Riera started his professional career with hometown RCD Mallorca, but could only amass 10 La Liga appearances in his first two seasons combined.

In 2002–03, already an undisputed starter, he helped the Balearic Islands outfit to the Copa del Rey conquest, and scored four goals in the league, from 35 contests.

Bordeaux[link]

In the summer of 2003, Riera moved to FC Girondins de Bordeaux,^[1] where he was a first team regular for two seasons. He made more than fifty Ligue 1 appearances for the French club, and scored four goals.

Espanyol[link]

Riera returned to Spain in 2005, when he signed for RCD Espanyol.^[2] In his first season, he played only eight league matches, prompting a January 2006 loan move to Manchester City,^[3] where he was also unable to establish himself in the first team, scoring against Newcastle United in a 3–0 home win, on February 1.^[4] He returned to Catalonia prior to 2006–07.

During that season, Espanyol reached the final of the UEFA Cup at Hampden Park, Glasgow, where they played fellow Spanish first-divisioner Sevilla FC. Riera scored to level the game at 1–1 but Espanyol eventually lost 3–1 on penalties.^[5] At the end of the season, he extended his contract until 2011.^[6]

Liverpool[link]

Riera (left) with Cristiano Ronaldo.

On 1 September 2008 (transfer deadline day), Riera signed a four-year deal with Liverpool for a fee of £8 million, being given the number 11 shirt.^[7] He made his Premier League debut on the 13th, playing 72 minutes of a 2–1 home win against Manchester United, and scored his first goal for the Reds as they beat Wigan Athletic 3–2 on 18 October,^[8] adding another in the season's UEFA Champions League at PSV Eindhoven, on December 9 in a 3–1 win.^[9]

Riera scored Liverpool's first goal in 2009, and also netted in the season's FA Cup on the 3rd, against Preston North End.^[10] Later during that season, he scored against Aston Villa in a 5–0 home win, on 22 March 2009. He found the net with a half-volley after goalkeeper's Pepe Reina long goal kick.^[11]

On 18 March 2010, Riera was suspended after comments made to the Spanish press regarding his first team opportunities and the approach of Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez. The player was quoted as saying: "He's never sorted out a situation with a player by talking with him."^[12] He was transfer listed following the comments, with Russian clubs PFC CSKA Moscow and FC Spartak Moscow thought to be interested in a permanent move.^[13] On the 23rd of that month it was announced that Liverpool had accepted a £6 million bid from CSKA for the player.^[14] However, it appeared to be solely rumours, as the Russian capital side officially denied the interest;^[15] additionally, the player's agent, Ángel Castells, confirmed that only Spartak had made a proposal.^[16]

Olympiacos[link]

On 23 July 2010, Riera joined Greek outfit Olympiacos F.C. on a four-year contract.^[17] The deal was reported to be worth around €6 million (€4 million plus another potential €2 million in bonuses), with a salary of around €2.5 million per season; he became one of the most expensive transfers in the country's history, as he reunited with former Espanyol manager Ernesto Valverde.^[18]

Riera scored his first goal for Olympiacos against Kerkyra FC, in a 2–0 home win, and appeared in more than 30 official games during the season as the Piraeus outfit won the national championship.

Galatasaray[link]

Riera playing for Galatasaray against Ankaragücü (2012)

On 3 September 2011, Riera completed a €3 million move to Turkish giants Galatasaray SK, signing a four-year contract.^[19][20] He scored his first goal in the Süper Lig on 25 January 2012, in a 4–0 home win against MKE Ankaragücü, and was an habitual first-choice in his first season as the Istanbul-based outfit won the national championship.

International career[link]

Riera made his debut for the Spanish national team on October 13, 2007, in an UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Denmark, and scored from outside the box in a 3–1 away win. However, he failed to make the final cut for the final stages, where the nation emerged victorious.

Riera was again called to the squad in October 2008, for two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, after Sevilla's Diego Capel withdrew with an injury, and played 11 minutes in a 3–0 win in Estonia. In the following year, on April 1, he scored a last minute winner in Turkey (2–1).^[21]

Manager Vicente del Bosque named Riera in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and he played in four matches for the third-placed team. He was, however, overlooked for the World Cup squad in South Africa, as the national side was crowned champions.

International goals[link]

International goals

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	13 October 2007	NRGi Park, Aarhus, Denmark	Denmark	1–3	1–3	Euro 2008 qualifying
2	1 April 2009	Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey	Turkey	1–2	1–2	2010 World Cup qualification
3[22]	9 June 2009	Tofik Bakhramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	0–4	0–6	Friendly
4[23]	12 August 2009	Philip II Arena, Skopje, Macedonia	Macedonia	2–3	2–3	Friendly

Club statistics[link]

^[24]

Honours[link]

Club[link]

• Mallorca:
  • Copa del Rey: 2002–03

• Espanyol:
  • Copa del Rey: 2005–06
  • UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2006–07

• Olympiacos:
  • Superleague Greece: 2010–11

• Galatasaray:
  • Süper Lig: 2011–12

Country[link]

• FIFA Confederations Cup: Third-place 2009

Personal[link]

Riera's younger brother, Sito, is also a footballer. He too represented Espanyol, but only its B side.

He met his Russian wife, Olga Korolyova, in Majorca, in 2001. The couple welcomed one daughter in 2008, Alejandra Riera-Korolyova.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Albert Riera

• Official Olympiacos profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Liverpool historic profile
• Albert Riera career stats at Soccerbase
• Albert Riera at National-Football-Teams.com
• Albert Riera – FIFA competition record
• 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup profile
• ESPN stats
• Albert Riera on Playerhistory.com

v t e Spain squad – 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place 1 Casillas (c) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Pablo 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 F. Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Capdevila 12 Busquets 13 López 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Llorente 17 Güiza 18 Riera 19 Arbeloa 20 Cazorla 21 Silva 22 Mata 23 Reina Coach: Del Bosque

Burak Yılmaz

Personal information
Full name	Burak Yılmaz
Date of birth	(1985-07-15) July 15, 1985 (age 26)
Place of birth	Antalya, Turkey
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Trabzonspor
Number	17
Youth career
1998–2002	Antalyaspor
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2006	Antalyaspor	70	(17)
2006–2008	Beşiktaş	39	(6)
2008	Manisaspor	16	(9)
2008–2010	Fenerbahçe	6	(0)
2009–2010	→ Eskişehirspor (loan)	14	(1)
2010–	Trabzonspor	75	(55)
National team‡
2006–	Turkey	17	(6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 May 2012

Burak Yılmaz (born 15 July 1985 in Antalya, Turkey) is a Turkish footballer who plays for Trabzonspor and the Turkish national team as a striker.

Club career[link]

Antalyaspor[link]

He started his professional career in Antalyaspor where he contributed to the success of the team's promotion to the Süper Lig after finishing second in Division 1 in the 2005–06 season. In 70 league appearances for the club he scored 17 goals.

Beşiktaş[link]

Burak was transferred to Beşiktaş in the summer of 2006.^[1] In his first season he scored 5 goals in 30 league appearances, but his performance took a downfall during the 2007-08 season. In January 2008 he was sold to Manisaspor as part of an exchange deal.^[2]

Manisaspor[link]

Burak transferred from Beşiktaş in a part-exchange deal with Manisaspor, for which Manisaspor gave Filip Holosko in 2007-08 January transfer window.^[2] Burak scored a hat-trick against Denizlispor in the first game for his new club and again caught the attention of bigger clubs by scoring 9 goals in 16 league appearances.

Fenerbahçe[link]

On 29 June 2008 Burak was sold to Fenerbahçe and was presented at a news conference wearing the number 7 shirt.^[3] On the contrary to his "promising youngster" image in Manisaspor and Beşiktaş, he had been a disappointment during his spell in Fenerbahçe, only playing 6 games and failing to score in the 2008-09 season.

Eskişehirspor[link]

On 11 July 2009 Burak was sent to Eskişehirspor on a 1-year loan.^[4]

Trabzonspor[link]

In February 2010 Burak was transferred permanently to Trabzonspor.^[5] Since joining the club, he recovered his goalscoring form, helping his side to a second place in the league 2010-11. He was Trabzonspor's leading goalscorer with 19 goals in 30 league games. In July 2011 he signed a new 4-year contract with the club.^[6] In the regular season of 2011-12 Burak scored 33 goals in 30 appearances, a new club record previously held by Fatih Tekke who scored 31 goals in the 2004-05 season.

International Career[link]

On 3 June 2011, Burak scored his first international goal in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium to equalise the game 1-1. Former Turkish national team manager Guus Hiddink spoke highly of the striker, referring to him as a 'modern professional footballer'.^[7]

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 15 April 2012^[8][9][10]

International[link]

International Goals[link]

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

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	3 June 2011	Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels, Belgium	Belgium	1–1	1–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
2.	2 September 2011	Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey	Kazakhstan	1–0	2–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
3.	11 October 2011	Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey	Azerbaijan	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
4.	26 May 2012	Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria	Finland	1–1	2-3	Friendly
5.	26 May 2012	Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria	Finland	2–1	2-3	Friendly
6.	29 May 2012	Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria	Bulgaria	2–0	2–0	Friendly

Honors[link]

• 2006 Turkish Super Cup achievement with Beşiktaş
• 2006–07 Turkish Cup achievement with Beşiktaş
• 2009–10 Turkish Cup achievement with Trabzonspor
• 2009-10 Turkish Super Cup achievement with Trabzonspor

References[link]

External links[link]

• Burak Yılmaz at National-Football-Teams.com
• Transfermarkt profile (In German)
• TFF Profile