Andrés Iniesta Luján - The Finalist Of Ballon d'Or

 

Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.

Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut in 2002, aged 18. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season, and has remained in the side ever since. He was an integral part of the sextuple-winning Barcelona side in 2009, the only time which a club has achieved six titles in a year.

Iniesta played for Spain at Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels, before making his international debut in 2006. He was selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, playing one game, as Spain went out in the second round. He helped Spain qualify for Euro 2008, and played an important role in the side as they went on to win the competition, playing every game and being selected in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was a key member of the victorious Spanish side; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, also being named Man of the Match, and was selected in the tournament's All-Star Team. He was also the Man of the Match for two other World Cup games.

Club Career

On 18 October, Iniesta was included in a list of 30 candidates for the prestigious Ballon d'Or, given to the top player of the year in Europe, along with teammates Xavi, Thierry Henry, Yaya Touré, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Lionel Messi and ex-teammate and current Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto'o. Andrés was one of five nominations for the World Player of the Year award alongside teammates Lionel Messi, and Xavi Hernandez. Proud of the nomination, he commented that "the fans of the team who have always been there to support our team-mates also deserve to be recognised". The ceremony was held in Zürich and teammate Lionel Messi took home the award. Iniesta placed fifth with 134 votes. He scored his first goal for the season against Racing Santander in a 4–0 win. Iniesta's 2009–10 season was largely disrupted by recurrent injuries. He missed pre-season fitness training due to the thigh tear suffered in the 2009 Champions League final and this meant that despite featuring in almost as many matches as the previous season, he did so mostly as a substitute, starting only 20 games throughout. Nevetheless, Barcelona once again won the La Liga title securing a record 99 points. His season came to an end after he aggravated a previous calf injury during training.On 27 November 2009, he made a one-year extension to his Barcelona contract which now runs until 2015; his buy-out clause was raised again from €150 million to €200 million. After being given extended rest by Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque following the World Cup, Iniesta returned to Barcelona for a pre-season medical on 9 August 2010. Speaking to FC Barcelona's website, he said of the message dedicated to Daniel Jarque revealed during his goal celebration in the World Cup final: "I did it because I felt it deeply. It showed that what is more important than rivalry, your team or your colours is to be human and a good person. I am delighted because it was the most important moment in my career." Asked about the recurrent injuries that plagued his 2009–10 season, he said: "It was hard, but I will start with more desire than ever."Iniesta scored his first goal of the season for Barcelona during the opening La Liga fixture against Racing Santander, lobbing the ball into the net from a distance of 30 yards. He received standing ovations from home fans at El Sardinero and the Vicente Calderón in appreciation of his World Cup-winning exploits whilst with the Spanish national team. He also had a standing ovation in the home pitch of RCD Espanyol in El Derbi, with the crowd acknowledging his friendship with Daniel Jarque. Barcelona won the match 1–5.He was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, alongside Barcelona teammates Xavi and Messi, but came second as Messi won the award. Andrés started the 2011–12 season by scoring the opening goal in the second leg of the Supercopa de España against rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona went on to win the match 3–2 and the cup on agg. 5–4.

International Career

Iniesta burst on to the international scene in 2001, helping Spain win the UEFA European Under-16 Championship, and was in the squad that claimed the UEFA European Under-19 Championship the following year. Since then, he became a regular choice for the then youth coach Juan Santisteban. In 2003 he formed part of the Spanish side that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship final in the United Arab Emirates, and was named in the FIFA all-star team. During his spell with the Spain U21s side, Iniesta was named captain on several occasions.

Originally a fringe player, he was called up to represent Spain at the World Cup 2006 on 15 May 2006, much to the surprise of many. Iniesta won his first cap for Spain when he was brought on at half-time in a friendly against Russia on 27 May 2006.

He scored his first goal for Spain in a friendly against England on 7 February 2007. His long range effort, hitting the underside of the crossbar on the way in, gave Spain the lead on 63 minutes. Iniesta proceeded to play a pivotal part in Spain's qualification for Euro 2008 by scoring goals against the likes of Sweden and by assisting the strikers. Iniesta usually played in the middle of the pitch, but he was also trusted with roles further up the pitch when Spain was away from home, most notably in the game against Denmark where he was given an advanced left wing position.

Iniesta was selected in Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Though a stomach virus somewhat hampered his performances in the group stages, he still played an integral part in the midfield. He played in the first two of Spain's group stage matches and proved an important part of the team providing a particularly notable pass for David Villa's second goal against Russia. He was not rested, unlike most of Spain's regulars, for the final group game against Greece (which Spain won 2–1 thanks to a fantastic volley from Rubén de la Red and a late winner from Daniel Güiza), and returned for the quarter-final as Spain beat Italy on penalties. Iniesta was substituted before the penalty shoot out itself. In the semi-final against Russia he played the entire 90 minutes and produced a quality cross which Xavi converted to open the scoring. The Technical Study Group named him the Man of the Match. He played the full duration of the final in Spain's 1–0 win over Germany. Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside fellow Spain midfielders Xavi and Marcos Senna and 6 other teammates.

Iniesta did not participate in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa due to a thigh muscle injury.

He was called for the 2010 World Cup, and scored the second goal in a 2–1 win against Chile. He was also named man of the match. For his excellent performances in helping Spain reach the final of the tournament, Iniesta was shortlisted for the Golden Ball award. During the 2010 World Cup he scored the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final In a 1-0 win against Netherlands in the 116th minute, removing his jersey during his celebration to reveal an inscription on his undershirt reading "Dani Jarque: siempre con nosotros", which translates to "Dani Jarque: always with us," in tribute of former Spain youth teammate and RCD Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque, who passed away of a heart attack in August 2009. He won the man of the match award for his performance which sent Spain to their first ever World Cup win.

Europa Press reported that Iniesta was the most popular Spanish sportsman on the internet throughout 2010. The study performed by company Vipnet360 examined the web presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Iniesta was followed by Iker Casillas, David Villa, Rafael Nadal, and Fernando Alonso rounding the top 5.

Style of Play

Like fellow La Masia graduate Cesc Fàbregas, Iniesta originally started as a defensive midfielder but his balance, ball control and agility allied with his skill on the ball saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder. Beyond his raw talent that was spotted at a young age by FC Barcelona's scouts, it was his great versatility, work ethic and inventiveness that allowed him to stake a claim on a first-team place at the age of 18. Vicente del Bosque described him as "the complete footballer. He can attack and defend, he creates and scores," and Frank Rijkaard said "I played him as a false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent." He was used initially as a wide-forward in the absence of Juan Roman Riquelme and Ronaldinho by Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard respectively, but made his name as a world-class player in central midfield alongside or in lieu of Xavi, at both club and international level. As FIFA.com says, "It is in this position that his direct style and quick feet can be used to full effect, with the ball seeming glued to his toes as he races into threatening positions. Iniesta is a player known for his passing, dribbling, vision and movement." Much like other Barcelona youth products such as Guardiola, Xavi and Iván de la Peña, Iniesta relies on exceptional creative passing, intuition and inventiveness to control the midfield and dictate the ebb and flow of play.Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi; former Barcelona teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst saying "They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is". During his maturation as a player, he has gained a reputation for playing a part in important goals for club and country, specifically playing a leading role in the 2006, 2009 and 2011 UEFA Champions League finals, as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final and 2008–09 UEFA Champions League and Euro 2008 semi-finals.

His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista (The Illusionist), El Cerebro (The Brain), El Anti-Galáctico (a pun on Real Madrid players' nickname Los Galácticos), El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight) and most recently Don Andrés from the Spanish press.

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Xavi Hernandez - The Finalist Of Ballon d'Or

 

Xavier Hernández i Creus (born 25 January 1980), commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈʃaβi]), is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career.

He has been capped 104 times for the Spanish national team, with whom he won UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. He was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA at UEFA Euro 2008.

Born in Terrassa, Barcelona, Catalonia, Xavi is a product of Barcelona's La Masia youth system and has been a regular at Camp Nou since the age of 11. He made his way through the youth and reserve teams and was a key member of Jordi Gonzalvo's FC Barcelona B team that won promotion to the Second Division.

Club Career

During the 2009–10 season, journalists increasingly noted Xavi's contribution to the Barcelona side. For example:

"Quite simply the best player of all time. World class for several years now, it is the past three seasons in particular where the 30-year-old has been untouchable. Xavi’s passing is up there with Michel Platini, he creates countless goals with genius through balls while virtually never relinquishing possession."

In the 2009–10 season, Xavi again topped the assists table and provided both the assists in Barcelona's 2–0 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was acclaimed the 2nd best player of Barcelona in a season-long voting as Barcelona won the league title with a record 99 points. On 3 June 2010, the Madrid-based newspaper Marca awarded Xavi third place in the annual Trofeo Alfredo di Stéfano award for the best player in La Liga, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

On 9 June 2010, Xavi signed a new 4 year contract with the club, which may be automatically renewed up to 30 June 2016 based on number of games played. On 29 November he scored his third goal against arch-rivals Real Madrid in a 5–0 home win. On 18 December he scored another goal against RCD Espanyol in a 1–5 win. In the Champions League, Xavi scored a valuable goal against English side Arsenal during a home match in the UEFA Champions League that saw Barcelona passing through to the quarter-finals with an assist by teammate David Villa.
He was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, alongside Barcelona teammates Messi and Andrés Iniesta, he finished third on the vote behind Messi and Iniesta.
He narrowly defeated Lionel Messi to win World Soccer's Player of the year.
On 2 January 2011, in a league match against Levante UD, Xavi made his 549th appearance for the club in all competitions, matching the record held by Migueli. Following this match Xavi is the player with most appearances with Barcelona of all time.

Xavi began the 2011-12 season in fine goal scoring form and seemed to grow in his influence of the team despite the long anticipated return of Cesc Fàbregas and the promotion of Thiago Alcântara to create added competition for places in Barca's star-studded midfield. A tap-in against Real Sociedad was followed up by a delightful lob in the 8-0 mauling of Osasuna with further goals coming from a header in a win over Racing Santander and a wonderful 25-yrd free-kick versus Granada.

International Career

Xavi Hernandez's abilities on the football pitch have led his teams to numerous titles and placed him among the most decorated footballers of all time. The playmaker has won major international titles with Spain and FC Barcelona in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA World Cup. His successes on the European stage include winning the UEFA European Football Championship and the UEFA Champions League twice. Xavi is also a 5 time Liga BBVA Champion and played in the Barcelona side that won the famed unprecedented Spanish treble, which culminated in a record 6 trophies, the sextuple, in one calendar year. On 25 March 2011, Xavi earned his 100th cap for Spain in the 2:1 home win against the Czech Republic in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

Xavi was named in Spain's squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, culminating in winning the World Cup title. The veteran midfielder finished with an 89 percent pass completion rate over the course of the tournament, completing 599 passes out of 669 passes attempted over all of Spain's seven games. Of those who reached the final or the third place match, Xavi led the field in passes attempted, passes completed, corners attempted (47), corners completed (26), and deliveries in the penalty area.

Style of Play

Xavi’s stake to claim as one of the best midfielders of his generation relies largely on his ability to find and exploit space. As said by Xavi himself: “That’s what I do: look for spaces. All day. I’m always looking” .Xavi's abnormally good vision, pinpoint accurate passing and world class ball control allow him to dictate the flow of play whilst rarely relinquishing possession. His ability to completely control some matches has earned him the sobriquet, “The Puppet Master”

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Juan Manuel Mata - The Star Of Stamford Bridge !

 

Juan Manuel Mata García (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwan manˈwel ˈmata]; born 28 April 1988) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea. He is mainly a left winger, but can also play on the right wing or as an attacking midfielder.

Since successfully graduating from Real Madrid's youth academy, he has spent the majority of his senior career with Valencia CF, before signing for Chelsea for an undisclosed fee in 2011.

Valencia

Mata had a contractual clause at Real Madrid during his last season at the club, and eventually agreed to sign for fellow La Liga side Valencia CF in March 2007, starting in 2007–08.Benefitting from constant injuries to Vicente and the ostracism to which then-manager Ronald Koeman condemned Miguel Ángel Angulo, Mata gradually carved a niche on Valencia's first eleven. On 20 March 2008, he scored twice in the Copa del Rey semifinal match against FC Barcelona to help Valencia reach the final against Getafe CF where, on 16 April, he netted the opener in a 3–1 win. During that first season, he was voted the team's Best young player by fans and players alike.

In the 2008 Spanish Supercup, Mata scored against his former club Real Madrid in a 3–2 first leg victory, but Valencia lost 5–6 on aggregate after a 2–4 away loss in the second game. He started 2008–09 well, scoring in the opener against RCD Mallorca (3–0 win). He also netted the only goal of the game against CA Osasuna, latching on to a long ball from David Villa.

On 25 September 2008, Mata's understanding with Villa proved to be growing in efficiency, as he set up both of his teammate's goals in a 2–0 away win over Málaga CF. Three days later, he put in a superb performance against Deportivo de La Coruña, scoring one and creating the other three, in a 4–2 home victory.

Towards the end of the campaign, Mata managed to score two very important late goals for Valencia: the first, the 3–2 winner at Sporting de Gijón, and the second a penalty against Sevilla FC at home, to put Valencia 2–1 up (specialist Villa had already been replaced due to injury) in an eventual 3–1 success. He achieved impressive stats during the season, finishing with 11 successful strikes and 13 assists (in the latter category, league's second-best, behind FC Barcelona's Xavi).

In the following two seasons, Mata was an everpresent offensive figure for Valencia, scoring 17 goals in 68 games combined, with the club achieving back-to-back third-league places. On 10 April 2011, he netted two in a 5–0 home win against Valencian neighbours Villarreal CF. On 9 May, England-based Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué reported interest from several Premier League clubs.

On 21 August 2011, Valencia agreed a £23.5 million fee for the transfer of Mata to Premier League club Chelsea, subject to a medical.

Chelsea

On 24 August 2011, Mata signed a five-year deal with Chelsea. He revealed that Fernando Torres helped persuade him to move to Stamford Bridge, saying "Fernando got me excited about the thought of coming here. He said it would be good for me here, and that me and him together could be good. I also talked to my family and friends about it as well."

On 26 August 2011, Yossi Benayoun offered Juan Mata his number 10 shirt. The Israeli captain said: "I decided to give Mata the number 10 - his favourite. For me it's just a number, not my lucky 15." (Florent Malouda wears number 15 for Chelsea.) Mata wore the shirt for Valencia, and for Spain's Under 21s in the summer and expressed his gratitude to Benayoun. "It is a very important number to me so I'm pleased to be wearing it. I want to thank Yossi," he said. Mata follows on from Chelsea players Mark Hughes, Ian Hutchinson and Terry Venables in adopting the number 10 shirt.
Mata made his debut for Chelsea against Norwich City on 27 August 2011 where he came on as a substitute and scored in stoppage time. Chelsea went on to win the match 3–1. He started his first game for his new club in their next fixture on 10 September away to Sunderland, helping Chelsea secure a 2-1 win. On 14 September Mata made his Champions League debut for Chelsea and netted in stoppage time to help his side defeat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0. On 29 October, Mata assisted Chelsea's 6,000th league goal with an in-swinging cross which was headed in by Frank Lampard. In the same game, Mata scored with a spectacular 25 yard strike in a 3–5 home defeat to Arsenal.

International Career

Mata helped Spain win the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, where he was a key player. 'Juanín' finished the championship second to his teammate Alberto Bueno (five goals) as top goal scorer of the competition, with four in five matches.

On 1 February 2007, under-21 coach Iñaki Sáez included him on his squad for the friendly against England, alongside Roberto Soldado, José Manuel Jurado, Sergio Sánchez, Miguel Torres, Esteban Granero and Antonio Adán, at just 18 years and 10 months.
On 14 November 2008, Vicente del Bosque called Mata for the senior team to play in a friendly against Chile. He did not leave the bench in a 3–0 home win. On 28 March 2009, he finally made his debut, in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkey, a 1–0 win in Madrid. He came on as a substitute for teammate Villa, in the 63rd minute.
In June 2009, del Bosque included Mata for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the youngster's first senior tournament. He started in the second group match against Iraq, and came on as a substitute for Albert Riera in the semi-final loss to the United States.
On 9 September 2009, Mata scored his first goal for the senior team, as the 3–0 win against Estonia secured a place in the World Cup in South Africa. He followed this up with the winner against Armenia on 10 October, scoring a penalty to steal a 2–1 win. Picked for the final stages, he appeared once for the eventual champions, replacing Fernando Torres for the final 20 minutes of the 2–0 group stage win against Honduras. In the following summer, he unconventionally went back to the Under 21 side, playing the role of senior squad member and helped Spain win the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in Switzerland.

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Pedro Rodríguez - The Monster Of Barcelona !

 

Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo roˈðɾiɣeθ leˈðezma]; born 28 July 1987), commonly known as Pedro or Pedrito, is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, as a forward or winger.

Pedro usually plays the ball with his left foot but is actually right-footed. This ambidextrous nature of his game means he can play on either side of the pitch, or even fit in as a target man. He is excellent at finding the right position and has a powerful shot, most notably from long range.

During the 2009–10 season at his main club, FC Barcelona, Pedro became the first player in history to score in six different official competitions in one season.

Club Career

Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Pedro joined FC Barcelona's youth team at the age of 17, having arrived from local side CD San Isidro.

Pedro was a key player for Barça's reserve team, as it achieved promotion from Tercera División, making 37 appearances and scoring seven goals. On 12 January 2008, he made his debuts for the first team, playing one minute in a 4–0 home win against Real Murcia, but would only amass seven more in his first two seasons combined.
Pedro was a part of the first team's 2008–09 pre-season, and showed early promise, scoring against Hibernian and the New York Red Bulls respectively. On August 13, he started – later being substituted by Yaya Touré – in a 4–0 win against Polish side Wisła Kraków, for the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. His first match on the group stage of that competition was on 16 September, when he replaced Thierry Henry in a 3–1 home win over Sporting Clube de Portugal.
In Barcelona's treble-winning season in 2008–09, Pedro eventually totalled 14 matches, also appearing in La Liga against Getafe CF (1–1 home draw), Valencia CF (4–0 home triumph), Real Valladolid (1–0 away win), CA Osasuna (0–1 home loss, with Barcelona already crowned champions), totalling 365 minutes. In the season's Copa del Rey, he played against Benidorm CF and Atlético Madrid, on both occasions for Lionel Messi. In the Champions League final, he played the last minute, in the place of Andrés Iniesta. In 2009–10, manager Josep Guardiola confirmed that Pedro would be definitely promoted to Barcelona's first team, and he responded with a breakthrough season, during which he became the first player to score in six different club competitions during a single season. On August 16, after assisting Xavi with the first goal, Pedro scored his first competitive goal for the first team in the 67th minute, helping to ensure a 2–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in San Mamés, for the season's domestic Supercup. Later that week, he signed his professional contract, running until June 2014, with a buyout clause set at £60 million. In the 2009 UEFA Super Cup against FC Shakhtar Donetsk, he came on as a substitute for Zlatan Ibrahimović in the 80th minute, and went on to score the 1–0 winner in extra time.
On 28 September, Pedro scored his first goal in the Champions League after replacing Iniesta at halftime in a 2–0 win against FC Dynamo Kyiv. He continued his hot streak and scored his first league goal, against UD Almería, with a brilliant strike that sealed the 1–0 home triumph. A month later, on October 28, he scored a brace in the first leg of the Spanish Cup Round-of-32 match at Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, for a 2–0 win (he also scored in the second leg, a 5–0 home rout).
More and more established in Barcelona's starting lineups, Pedro went on to score another brace in the league, in a 4–2 win against RCD Mallorca. He would continue his scoring touch in the Champions League, scoring one of two against F.C. Internazionale Milano.
On December 16, Pedro scored a goal in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup against Atlante FC, in 3–1 win. In doing so, he became the only player to score in six different club competitions in one season – the three domestic tournaments, the UEFA Champions League and Super Cup and the Club World Cup. He was later named World Player of the Week by Goal.com after his performances against RCD Espanyol, Atlante and Estudiantes de La Plata of Argentina, respectively.
In an emotional return to his hometown of CD Tenerife, on 10 January 2010, Pedro came on as a 76th-minute substitute, later helping to Ezequiel Luna's own goal in a 5–0 win; out of respect, he chose not to celebrate. On April 10, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 win against Real Madrid, in his first appearance in El Clásico.
On 14 April, in a league match against Deportivo de La Coruña, opposing goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia attempted to clear the ball from the top of the 16-yard box, and instead kicked the ball right to Pedro, who shot at goal from 40 yards with his left foot and scored, giving Barça a 2–0 lead – eventually 3–0. He also found the net in a 3–1 defeat in the first leg of Champions League semi-finals, against Inter at the San Siro.
In the last three league matches, Pedro scored for Barcelona, with the Catalans eventually renewing their league supremacy: against Tenerife again (4–1 win), the 3–2 winner at Sevilla FC and against Valladolid (4–0). He completed the 2009–10 season with 53 appearances in all competitions (31 starts) and 23 goals. On 9 June 2010, he signed a new five-year deal with Barcelona.
Pedro began the 2010–11 season firmly established in Barcelona's starting XI. On 29 November 2010, he scored the second goal in a 5–0 home win against Real Madrid, with Barça climbing to the first position in the league. The following month, he netted twice at Espanyol in the local derby, in a 5–1 win.
On 20 April 2011, Pedro scored against Real Madrid in the second half of the season's Spanish Cup final, but his goal was disallowed for offside, in an eventual 0–1 extra time loss. On 3 May, against the same opponent, in the Champions League semifinals second leg, he found Iker Casillas' net in a 1–1 home draw (3–1 aggregate win), for his 21st official goal of the campaign; in the Champions League final, he opened the score against Manchester United, in an eventual 3–1 win.
On 5 July 2011, Pedro extended his contract by one year, until 2016. His buyout clause was raised from €90m to €150m.

International Career

On 20 May 2010, Pedro was included by Vicente del Bosque in Spain's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On the 29th, he made his debut in a 3–2 friendly win against Saudi Arabia, and earned his second cap shortly after, as a 58th minute substitute in a 1–0 win against South Korea.
On 8 June 2010, in the last friendly prior to the finals in South Africa, with Poland, Pedro scored his first international goal, and also assisted Fernando Torres, in a 6–0 victory. In the final stages, he appeared in five matches (three as a late substitute): on July 7, in the semi-final against Germany, he started in place of Torres, who had been performing poorly in earlier matches. In the 82nd minute, with Spain leading 1–0, he attempted to score a goal himself rather than set up an unmarked Torres, although he performed well in the match.Despite this error, he was selected to start in the final, with the national team winning 1–0 against the Netherlands; at the hour-mark, he was replaced by Jesús Navas.

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Gerard Piqué - The Finalist Of Ballon d'Or

 

Gerard Piqué i Bernabeu (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒəˈɾar piˈke]; born 2 February 1987) is a Spanish footballer, currently playing as a central defender for FC Barcelona.A product of Barça's cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United in 2004, where he remained for four years, before returning to Barça under Josep Guardiola's leadership, helping the club become the first football club ever to complete The Sextuple. Piqué is one of four players to have won the UEFA Champions League two years in a row with different teams, the others being Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Samuel Eto'o.Piqué has also represented the Spanish national team, making his debut on 11 February 2009. He played an integral role in the Spain team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Manchester United

Piqué made his debut for Manchester United in October 2004, as a late replacement for John O'Shea in a 3–0 League Cup victory at Crewe Alexandra as a centre back. He made his full debut on 29 March 2006 against West Ham United, in a Premier League match at Old Trafford, playing at right back, as Gary Neville was unavailable through injury.

His performances, most notably in the reserve team, earned him a new contract, which he signed in February 2005 to run until the summer of 2009. On 4 August 2006, however, La Liga side Real Zaragoza secured Piqué on a season-long loan. The conditions of the loan involved Piqué having to feature in at least 20 games for the Aragonese outfit, which he did, as he made 22 first team appearances in a successful spell, alongside Argentine Gabriel Milito (who would sign with Barça for 2007–08), either as a stopper or a holding midfielder.

On 5 May 2007, it was announced that Piqué would be staying at Old Trafford for the following season. Sir Alex Ferguson had intended to assess Piqué's form at La Romareda on 6 May, prior to a meeting where the two parties would discuss Piqué's future prospects with the club. However, Ferguson was unable to appear on account of airline difficulties

Piqué's return to Old Trafford saw him make nine league appearances during the 2007–08 season. He scored on his first start in the Champions League, a 4–0 home win against Dynamo Kyiv on 7 November 2007, as Piqué scored the first of Manchester United's four goals in that match. In doing so, he became the 450th player to score at least one goal for the club. His second goal for the club also came in the Champions League, in an away match to Roma on 12 December 2007.

Barcelona

On 27 May 2008, Piqué signed a four-year contract with Barcelona, with a €50 million buy-out clause.Barcelona paid a £5 million fee for the player. He expressed his joy at re-signing with his boyhood club, although he admitted he had enjoyed his spell at Manchester United:

"I am very happy to be back, I didn't think I would be here again but this is very good for me. Manchester United is a great club and I enjoyed winning things. To play with world class players has helped me and now I want to continue this at Barça."

Piqué's first goal for Barcelona came in the club's 5–2 UEFA Champions League group stage win at Sporting CP on 26 November 2008. His first domestic goal for the club followed two months later, on 29 January 2009, in a Copa del Rey match against local rivals RCD Espanyol. The goal, which came from a corner kick in the 57th minute, turned out to be the game winner in a 3–2 victory for Barcelona.
On 13 May 2009, he picked up the first trophy of his Barcelona career as he helped his club to a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa Del Rey final. Three days later, Barcelona clinched the league title after Real Madrid lost 3–2 to Villarreal CF, with two games left in the season.
He played against his former club Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League Final on 27 May, which Barcelona won 2–0, hence completing a historic treble. On 26 February 2010, Pique signed a contract extension that will keep him at FC Barcelona until at least the summer of 2015. On 28 April 2010, Pique scored in Barcelona's semi-final second leg against Internazionale, scoring the only Barcelona goal of the game. Barcelona lost 3–2 on aggregate.
On 2 April 2011, Pique scored the winning goal in an away La Liga match against Villarreal CF, which saw Barcelona win 1–0, and hence continue on top of the table for the 17th consecutive week, with an 8-point difference than second-place, longtime rivals, Real Madrid.

International Career

Piqué was a member of the Spain under-19 side that won the 2006 U-19 European Championship in Poland. In a 2–1 final win against Scotland, Piqué put in a strong performance in defence, hitting the crossbar with a header, and also providing his team's second goal for striker Alberto Bueno.

Subsequently, he played in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, starting all six of Spain's matches and scoring a goal in the team's come-from-behind 4–2 victory over Brazil in the round of 16. However, Piqué missed the deciding penalty against the Czech Republic and Spain were eliminated at the quarter-final stage.

On 6 February 2009, Piqué was called up to the senior squad for the friendly against England on 11 February. He played the entire match in a 2–0 win, in Seville.

On 28 March 2009, he was called-up as a replacement for injured teammate Carles Puyol, and ended up scoring the only goal in Spain's victory in the 2010 World Cup qualifier against Turkey in Madrid, in what was only his second appearance. Four days later, he also started in Istanbul in a 2–1 win, also in the group stage. Pique was Spain's first-choice centre back playing along side Barcelona teammate Carles Puyol at the World Cup finals in South Africa, starting all seven matches as Spain won the tournament, defeating the Netherlands 1–0 in the final. In Spain's 1-0 group stage defeat to Switzerland, just before Gelson Fernandes scored the only goal of the game, Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok tumbled over Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas and accidentally kicked Piqué in the face, knocking him over and leaving him with a nasty cut beside his right eye.

 

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Wesley Sneijder - The Finalist Of Ballon d'Or

 

Wesley Sneijder (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɛsli ˈsnɛidər] ); born 9 June 1984) is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.

Due to his impeccable placement and confirmed ability to score from free kicks, Sneijder earned the reputation as a dead-ball specialist. With short stature, he is quick, strong on the ball, and his passing range is enhanced by his ambidexterity.

A product of the Ajax Academy, he previously played for AFC Ajax with whom he won six trophies and during which time he was awarded the Johan Cruijff Award (for best young player in Holland) in 2004. He was later sold to Real Madrid for €27 million in 2007, winning La Liga in his first season with the club and later being sold to Internazionale for €15 million.

Sneijder previously represented various Youth squads for the Netherlands. He is now a regular player for the Dutch national team, having made his debut in April 2003 at the age of 18, and having represented his country at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010 as well as UEFA Euro 2004 and 2008. Individually he was awarded the 2010 Bronze Boot, the 2010 Silver Ball and included in the team of the tournament for UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup as well as named man of the match for six out of eleven games played by "Oranje" at these two tournaments.

Real Madrid

Sneijder was the second of three Dutchmen to sign for Real Madrid 2007–08 season, joining Royston Drenthe and Arjen Robben. He also was given the number 23, which had been previously worn by David Beckham for four seasons at Real. In his first La Liga match for Real, he scored the winner in the Madrid derby against Atlético Madrid. On the second matchday, he scored two goals against Villarreal CF, one of them on a direct free-kick. Sneijder capped a fine first season in Spain by hitting a stunning free kick in the last game of the season against Levante UD at the Bernabéu, taking his goal tally to nine in the La Liga season, a season which also saw Real retain their title.

On 3 August 2008, Sneijder was stretchered off in the pre-season friendly at Arsenal with a suspected cruciate ligament injury after a collision with Abou Diaby. Sneijder had an MRI which confirmed the extent of the injury to be not as bad as first feared. It was expected that he would be out for at least three months.However, he managed to recover in time and was included in the starting eleven for the Champions League clash against Juventus in Turin.
On 2 September 2008, AS reported that after Robinho's departure to Manchester City for €42 million, Sneijder would now be Real Madrid's new number 10. One day later, Real Madrid confirmed on their web site Sneijder's new number, 10. His previous number, 23, was taken over by his fellow Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart, whose preferred number is 23.

Internazionale

On 27 August 2009, Sneijder was bought by Internazionale from Real Madrid for a reported fee of €15 million. He was given the number 10 shirt and made his debut a day after he signed the contract. He made an immediate impact by being on the winning side in the Milan derby (4–0) against AC Milan. On 3 October 2009 he scored his first, decisive goal, in the 92nd minute against Udinese in a 2–1 win, after a brilliant match. His second goal was scored on 24 October 2009 against Catania, directly from free kick, and he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Inter in a dramatic 2–1 win against Dynamo Kiev in the 89th minute. His next goal was also scored off a hard-swerving free kick in a Coppa Italia game against Livorno. On 9 January 2010 he scored two stunning free kicks against Siena in the game which Inter won 4–3, however on 24 January he received a straight red card in the Milan derby. On April 6 Sneijder scored a free kick against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final in the sixth minute, making it 2–0 on aggregate to Inter. On 20 April 2010 he scored Inter's equalising goal during their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona. He leveled the game by firing in right-footed from a Diego Milito pass. Inter went on to win the game 3–1. Sneijder was given the nickname 'The Sniper' by the Media for his ability to deliver perfect passes and score from amazing distances.
On 22 May 2010, Inter won the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich by 2–0. Both goals were scored by Diego Milito, with Sneijder supplying the assist for the first goal.
On 21 August 2010, Inter started the 2010–11 season by winning the 2010 Italian Super Cup with a 3–1 win against Roma. On 26 August 2010, Sneijder was named by UEFA as the best club midfielder of the Champions League 2009–10 season. The day after in Monaco, Inter lost to Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup. He scored his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against FC Twente in the Champions League on 14 September 2010, and followed that up with another goal in Inter's second game against Werder Bremen in a 4–0 win at the San Siro on 29 September 2010. On 26 October 2010, Sneijder was shortlisted for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or award, which Lionel Messi won.
On 28 October 2010, Sneijder signed a five year contract extension with Inter, tying him to the club until 2015. Inter finished second in Group A of the Champions League and were drawn against FC Bayern Munich (whom they had beaten in the previous year's Final), in the Round of 16. In the first leg, Sneijder and Inter were uninspired and lost 1–0 to a late Mario Gomez goal at the San Siro. On 15 March 2011, Sneijder helped Inter turn it around scoring in the 63rd minute leading to a 3–2 win (3–3 on aggregate, Inter were through on away goals) at the Allianz Arena, booking a place in the quarter-final against FC Schalke 04.The first leg of that quarter-final ended 5–2 to Schalke. Sneijder also played in the second leg of the tie but could not prevent his team from losing 2–1 and 7–3 on aggregate.

International Career

Sneijder was in the starting line-up for their first match in the competition, a 2–0 victory over Denmark.Sneijder scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Japan. In the first two matches of the group stage at the FIFA World Cup 2010 he was selected as the man of the match in both of them. In the Netherlands' round of 16 match against Slovakia, Sneijder scored in a 2–1 victory. He also provided what was at first thought to be an assist for the first goal against Brazil in the quarter finals, but was later credited with the goal. He then scored the first header of his career direct from a corner and consigned Brazil to a 2–1 defeat, bringing his goal total in the tournament to four. Sneijder was again named man of the match on FIFA's website.
In the semi final against Uruguay, Sneijder scored in the 70th minute, taking his total in the competition to five, raising him at the time to first place in terms of goals scored, along with David Villa. The Netherlands won the match 3–2 and progressed to the final. Sneijder was yet again named on FIFA's website as the Budweiser man of the match according to the public online vote. In the World Cup Final, the Dutch lost to Spain 1–0 after extra time, conceding the only goal of the match after 116 minutes.


 

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Karim Benzema - The Finalist Of Ballon d'Or

Karim Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability. He is described as an "immensely-talented striker" who is "strong and powerful" and "a potent finisher from inside the box".

Benzema was born in the city of Lyon beginning his football career with local club Bron Terraillon. In 1996, he joined the biggest club in the city Olympique Lyonnais and, subsequently, came through the club's youth academy. Benzema made his professional debut in the 2004–05 season and appeared sporadically in his first three seasons as Lyon won three titles in that span. In the 2007–08 season, Benzema became a starter and had a breakthrough year scoring over 30 goals as Lyon won its seventh straight league title. For his performances, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and named to the organization's Team of the Year. Benzema was also the league's top scorer and given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo. After another season at Lyon, in July 2009, Benzema signed a six-year contract with Spanish outfit Real Madrid. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season with the club, in the 2010–11 season, Benzema reached prominence scoring over 25 goals en-route to helping Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey.

Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. Prior to playing for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. Benzema made his senior international debut in March 2007 in a friendly match against Austria. On his debut, he scored his first international goal in a 1–0 win. Benzema has represented France at one major international tournament; UEFA Euro 2008. He made two appearances in the competition against Romania and Italy in the group stage.

Lyon

Benzema got off to a good start for the 2008–09 season scoring twice in Lyon's opening league match against Toulouse. The following three weeks, he scored goals against Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble and Saint-Étienne and scored a goal against OGC Nice, converting a penalty in the dying seconds. Lyon won all three matches. As a result of his early goals, Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas quelled the many transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million price tag on the striker. He was also nominated alongside Franck Ribéry to be featured on the French cover of the video game FIFA 09.He scored his seventh goal of the league on 29 October, scoring in the 2–0 win over Sochaux. Benzema scored again the following weekend in a 2–0 win over Le Mans. He was among the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring five goals, a double against Steaua Bucureşti, two goals in two matches against Fiorentina, and a goal against the eventual group winners Bayern Munich on the final match day. Following the winter break, Benzema endured a rough patch going scoreless the first three games before recording his 11th goal of the season against Nice in a 3–1 victory. Two weeks later, he scored his 12th goal against Nancy in a 2–0 victory. The next nine matches, both Benzema and Lyon's form dwindled losing four matches, drawing three, and winning only two with Benzema scoring only two goals in that stretch, both of them against Le Mans in a 3–1 victory. The bad form resulted in Lyon losing their grip on first place position and eventually falling out of the title race, thus ending their streak of seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Benzema was a part of four of those title runs.

Despite losing the title, Benzema got back on track scoring his 15th and 16th goals of the season on 17 May in a 3–1 away victory over rivals Marseille, the first goal being a penalty. He scored his 17th goal the following weekend against Caen in a 3–1 victory moving him into third place among Ligue 1 top scorers.

Real Madrid

The new season started slowly for Benzema, he was mainly used as a substitute early on the season, but due to a serious injury to Gonzalo Higuaín and the team's lack of senior strikers, Benzema was given more starts by José Mourinho. On 4 December, Benzema netted a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory against Auxerre, the first goal being Real Madrid's 300th goal in the Champions League era. His second hat-trick came on 22 December 2010 in a 8–0 thrashing in a Copa del Rey match against Levante.

On 22 February 2011, Benzema opened the scoring in the 1–1 draw against his former club Lyon at Stade de Gerland. The France striker scored just after 40 seconds coming on as a substitute on the 62nd minute in which he dodged three players and placed the ball between the legs of Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The goal was the 100th goal of his professional senior career, and also the first goal for Real Madrid at Stade de Gerland in 6 years. Nevertheless he did not celebrate the goal out of respect for his former club. He then continued his fine form by scoring twice in the 7–0 win against Malaga, he added another brace (two goals) against Racing Santander in a 1–3 away win on 6 March 2011. Six days later, he scored another two against Hércules helping Madrid to a 2–0 victory, making it his third consecutive brace for his club. He also scored the opener in the 1–2 away win at Vicente Calderón Stadium in the Madrid derby match against Atlético Madrid on 19 March 2011, which took his tally to 10 goals in his last 8 games. After missing several weeks through injury, he returned to score a goal on 23 April in a 3–6 win against Valencia. In Real Madrid's last game of 2010–11 season against Almería, he scored two goals in an 8–1 home win which summarize his season with 26 goals in 31 starts and 17 substitute appearances.

2011–12 Season

Benzema was impressive in the preseason matches, scoring 8 goals in 7 games. He opened his tally in the new league season with a brace against Getafe on September 10. He then scored against Dutch club Ajax in Real Madrid's 3–0 Champions League win.

International Career

In 2004, he was a part of the under-17 squad that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, the nation's first ever. In the tournament, which was played on home soil, Benzema scored one goal against Northern Ireland in the group stage. Benzema later played with the under-18 team at the 2005 edition of the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup. He played in all four matches scoring a tournament-leading five goals helping France win the tournament. During the 2005–06 season, he played with the under-19 team making eight appearances scoring four goals before earning a call up to the under-21 squad who were attempting to qualify for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. Benzema made only five appearances with the team scoring no goals. His final appearances with the squad was in their shocking two-legged loss to Israel in the qualifying playoffs to determine the participants in the UEFA under-21 tournament.
Before representing France, Benzema was eligible for Algeria and was called up to the squad by the Fédération Algérienne de Football in December 2006, but turned them down stating, "Algeria is my parents’ country and it is in my heart, but football-wise I will only play for the French national team." On 28 March 2007, Benzema won his first cap for France against Austria, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win for France.His next two goals came in one game against the Faroe Islands, who France subsequently beat 6–0.
He was selected to represent France at Euro 2008. France's Euro 2008 campaign opened with a 0–0 draw against Romania and after a frustrating performance, he was substituted in the second half and played no part in their following game, a 1–4 defeat to the Netherlands. In the last group game, France lost 2–0 to Italy and Benzema featured in the starting lineup. He has now adopted the number 10 for France. He scored his first goal since adopting the jersey from the penalty spot against Turkey on 5 June 2009 in a friendly where they won 1–0. Benzema was left out of France's preliminary 30-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup announced by manager Raymond Domenech on 11 May 2010. Domenech cited his poor season with Real Madrid, rather than his alleged involvement in a sex scandal.
 

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