Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti

Personal information
Date of birth June 10, 1959 (1959-06-10) (age 50)
Place of birth Reggiolo, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Midfielder

Club information
Current club Chelsea (manager)

Youth career
Parma

Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Gls)
1976–1979 Parma 055 (13)
1979–1987 Roma 171 (12)
1987–1992 Milan 112 (10)
Total 338 (35)

National team
1981–1991 Italy 026 0(1)

Teams managed
1995–1996 Reggiana
1996–1998 Parma
1999–2001 Juventus
2001–2009 Milan
2009– Chelsea

Playing career

As a player, "Carletto," as he was nicknamed, appeared 26 times for Italy, and participated in the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cup, where he was teammates with former club mate and former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini and a young Paolo Maldini.
He started his club career in 1976 with Parma A.C.. In 1979, he transferred to AS Roma, as captain and midfielder, where he won the Italian championship (1983) and 4 times the Italian Cup. From 1987 until 1992 he played for A.C. Milan, and was part of the Milan squad that won consecutive European Cups in 1989 and 1990. During this time, Milan played with one of their finest teams ever assembled in that decade, with Maldini, Franco Baresi, Mauro Tassotti and Alessandro Costacurta in defence, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Roberto Donadoni in midfield and Marco van Basten in attack. His finest moment with Milan was when he received a pass from Ruud Gullit, dribbled around two Madrid players, and netted a powerful long-range shot during the Rossoneri's 5-0 thrashing of Real Madrid in the 1989 European Cup semifinals. He went on to play all 90 minutes in Milan's 4-0 dismantling of Steaua Bucharest in the
final.


Coaching career

Ancelotti is one of only six coaches to win the Champions League as both a player and a coach, along with Miguel Muñoz (Real Madrid player 1956, 1957, Real Madrid coach 1960, 1966); Giovanni Trapattoni (AC Milan player 1963, 1969, Juventus coach 1985); Johan Cruyff (AFC Ajax player 1971-73, FC Barcelona coach 1992), former Milan teammate Frank Rijkaard (AC Milan player 1989, 1990, Ajax player 1995, FC Barcelona coach 2006) and Josep Guardiola (FC Barcelona player 1992, FC Barcelona coach 2009). He also ranks second in number of Milan matches coached with 413, trailing Nereo Rocco.Reggiana, Parma, and Juventus Ancelotti's first coaching job was with Serie B squad A.C. Reggiana 1919 in 1995. In his only year with the club, Reggiana earned promotion to Serie A.

Ancelotti then returned to Parma - which included upstart goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and current Milan goalkeeping trainer Villiam Vecchi - in 1996. He became the successor of Marcello Lippi at Juventus the next season, but went trophyless during his two-year stint, finishing runner-up twice in Serie A.

AC MILAN

Ancelotti's fortunes changed when he went to AC Milan in 2001 as a replacement for the fired Fatih Terim. He was inheriting another recently trophyless team in Milan, as the Rossoneri had floundered domestically and in Europe since their last Scudetto victory in 1999. In his first full season, Ancelotti soon had Milan back in European competition, leading them to the semi-finals of the 2001-02 UEFA Cup, in which Milan finished third.The following season, Ancelotti, who was heavily criticized by club president Silvio Berlusconi due to his defensive tactics, was able to adopt a creative play in Milan while making several roster changes. He made Dida, still maligned for his 2000 Champions League howler against Leeds United, his new starting goalkeeper barely a month into the 2002-03 campaign, while converting budding attacking midfielder Andrea Pirlo to a defensive playmaker and playing him behind Manuel Rui Costa. At the same time, the striking partners of Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko were dominant and dynamic. Milan won the Champions League, beating Ancelotti's old team, Juventus, 3-2 on penalties at Old Trafford, and the Coppa Italia and took home the Scudetto in 2004.

Under Ancelotti's reign, Milan were also back-to-back Serie A runners-up to Juventus in 2004-05 and 05-06 (both Scudetti were later wiped from the record books due to Juventus' involvement in the Calciopoli scandal), and lost the 2005 CL final to Liverpool F.C. losing 3-2 on penalties after leading 3-0 at halftime. Two years later, though, Milan avenged their defeat to Liverpool with a 2-1 win at the Olympic Stadium in Athens on May 23, 2007, leading to Ancelotti's second Champions League trophy as Milan coach and his fourth title overall, having also won it twice as a Milan player in 1989 and 1990.

Chelsea

Ancelotti announced his resignation from Milan less than an hour following their 2-0 victory over ACF Fiorentina on May 31, 2009, after the club terminated his contract by mutual consent with one year remaining. The next day, he was confirmed as the new Chelsea manager after agreeing to a three-year, £9-million contract. Ancelotti, succeeding temporary replacement Guus Hiddink, became the club's fifth manager in 21 months, following Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Hiddink. He is the third Chelsea manager hailing from Italy, after Gianluca Vialli and Claudio Ranieri.On the 3rd July 2009, Ancelotti made his first outfield signing as manager of the club in the shape of promising English striker Daniel Sturridge.Ancelotti started his Chelsea career by a pre-season tour of the US, winning all three games, the second against former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho's Inter, the third against AC Milan his previous club.Ancelotti scooped his first trophy, the Community Shield, after beating Manchester United on penalties.

His first Premier League game in charge of the Blues ended in a 2-1 home victory over Hull City on the 15th August 2009.His second victory came away to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on the 19th August. They produced a blistering second half display after falling behind, Ballack, Lampard and Deco on the scoresheet.Ancelotti maintained his 100% start as Chelsea manager on Sunday 23 August 2009, with a 2-0 win over London neighbours Fulham at Craven CottageOn September 21 Ancelotti won his second London derby, and first at home, 3-0 against high flying Tottenham Hotspur. A.Cole, Ballack and Drogba netting the goals, Drogba with his 99th for Chelsea. On the 26th of September Chelsea lost their first game under the management of Carlo Ancelotti at the DW Stadium against Wigan Athletic, losing 3-1 after the sending off of Petr Cech. The game also marked Didier Drogba's 100th Chelsea goal.On October 4, Ancelotti won his first Premier League game against one of the Premier League's "Big Four." It was at the expense of Liverpool at Stamford Bridge where Nicolas Anelka netted in the 60th minute and substitute Florent Malouda scored a brace in stoppage time.


Honours

As a Player

Roma

* Coppa Italia: 1979-80, 1980-81, 1983-84, 1985-86
* Serie A: 1982-83

Milan

* Serie A: 1987-88, 1991-92
* Italian Supercup: 1988
* European Cup: 1988-89, 1989-90
* UEFA Super Cup: 1989, 1990
* Intercontinental Cup: 1989, 1990

As a Manager

Juventus

* Intertoto Cup: 1999

Milan

* Coppa Italia: 2002–03
* Serie A: 2003–04
* Italian Supercup: 2004
* UEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07
* UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

Chelsea

* FA Community Shield: 2009

Fabio Capello

Fabio Capello:

Fabio Capello (born 18 June 1946) is an Italian football manager and former professional player. He is the current manager of the England national football team, having started the role in January 2008 after the dismissal of Steve McClaren, and is the second foreigner to have managed the England side, the other being McClaren's predecessor, Swedish manager Sven-Göran Eriksson.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has managed throughout his career, with Milan, Real Madrid, Roma, and Juventus. Capello is one of the few coaches to claim championship victories in four major European cities (Milan, Madrid, Rome, and Turin). He has won a major league championship in seven of his 16 seasons as a coach and oversaw one of the most dominant UEFA Champions League victories of all time.

During Capello's second spell at Real Madrid he captured the La Liga title on the last day by topping FC Barcelona on head-to-head results. In spite of his success after years of Madrid underachievement, Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón sacked him in the summer of 2007.After being appointed England manager on 14 December 2007, Capello announced that the role would be the last of his managerial career. Capello's contract with the Football Association came into effect on 7 January 2008, and will run for two-and-a-half years, with a possible two-year extension. On 24
January 2008, Capello was named president of the League Managers Association,a customary role given to the English national coach

Playing career

A midfielder, Capello first played for SPAL, making his debut in 1964. Three seasons later he moved to Roma where he became a key player for the club and won his first trophy, the Italian Cup, in 1969. He was then sold to Juventus, where he was a mainstay in the 1970s. Juventus were the dominant Italian team of the decade, and he won the Scudetto three times with the club. Capello ended his career as player with AC Milan in 1980, having won his fourth Scudetto with the club in 1979.He also played thirty two times for Italy; he is particularly remembered for a goal with which Italy beat England 1-0 at Wembley for the first time in its history (14 November 1973), which he himself regarded as the highlight of his playing career. After several years as a football pundit for Italian TV SPW and a brief spell as caretaker manager of AC Milan in 1987, he became a leading candidate to succeed Arrigo Sacchi as coach of the team, and he was formally appointed as manager of AC Milan in 1991.

Personal information

Date of birth 18 June 1946 (1946-06-18) (age 63)
Place of birth San Canzian d'Isonzo, Italy

Club information
Current club England (manager)

Senior career*
Years Club Apps† (Gls)
1964–1967 SPAL 40 (3)
1967–1969 Roma 62 (11)
1969–1976 Juventus 165 (27)
1976–1979 Milan 65 (4)
Total 332 (45)

National team
1972–1976 Italy 32 (8)

Teams managed
1991–1996 Milan
1996–1997 Real Madrid
1997–1998 Milan
1999–2004 Roma
2004–2006 Juventus
2006–2007 Real Madrid
2007– England

Honours

Player

Roma

* Coppa Italia: 1968-69

Juventus

* Serie A: 1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75

Milan

* Coppa Italia: 1976-77
* Serie A: 1978-79

Coach

Milan

* Serie A: 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96
* Supercoppa Italiana: 1992, 1993, 1994
* UEFA Champions League: 1993-94
* European Super Cup: 1994

Roma

* Serie A: 2000-01
* Supercoppa Italiana: 2001

Juventus

* Serie A: 2004-05, 2005-06 (Trophy revoked due to Calciopoli scandal)

Real Madrid

* La Liga: 1996-97, 2006-07

Individual

* Serie A Coach of the Year: 2005

Carlos Tévez

Carlos Tévez

Carlos Alberto Tévez was born on 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City.Although not the most prolific goal-scorer, Tévez is well-known for his work ethic and never-say-die attitude.He has previously played for Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham United, and most notably for Manchester United. He transferred to Manchester City in the 2009–10 summer transfer window, becoming the first player to move between the two Manchester clubs since 1999.His career has been dogged by a long-standing affair with Media Sports Investments, the company who owned the rights of Tévez, several other players and coaches, which resulted in West Ham United being fined numerous times over concerns regarding third-party ownership.

He has made 51 appearances for the Argentina national team, scoring 8 goals. He was described by Diego Maradona as the "Argentine prophet for the 21st
century."

Background

Carlos Alberto Martínez was born in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, and raised in the neighbourhood of Ejército de Los Andes, better known as "Fuerte Apache." It was from there that he got the nickname of "El Apache." His parents changed his surname to his mother's during a conflict between his junior club All Boys and Boca Juniors.
Tévez has a distinctive burn scar that runs down his neck from his right ear to his chest. He was accidentally scalded with boiling water as a child, which caused third-degree burns and kept him hospitalised in intensive care for nearly two months.After joining Boca Juniors, Tévez refused an offer from the club to have them cosmetically improved, saying that the scars were a part of who he was in the past and who he is today.

Personal information

Full name Carlos Alberto Tévez
Date of birth 5 February 1984 (1984-02-05) (age 25)
Place of birth Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position Second striker

Club information
Current club Manchester City
Number 32

Youth career
1992–1996 All Boys
1997–2001 Boca Juniors

Senior career*
Years Club Apps† (Gls)†
2001–2004 Boca Juniors 75 (26)
2005–2006 Corinthians 52 (31)
2006–2007 West Ham United 26 (7)
2007–2009 Manchester United 63 (19)
2009– Manchester City 5 (2)

National team‡
2004– Argentina 51 (8)


Manchester United

Manchester United put forward a proposed two-year loan deal for Tévez, which was approved on 10 August 2007.He made his debut on 15 August when he started in place of the injured Wayne Rooney in a 1–1 draw against Portsmouth. On 23 September, he scored his first goal in a 2–0 home victory against Chelsea. In November, United manager Alex Ferguson confirmed that the club wanted to sign Tévez permanently. "He'll get me fifteen goals this season, and what's more, they'll be important goals."Tévez was greeted with an ovation and singing of "There's Only One Carlos Tevez" from the West Ham supporters upon his return to Upton Park for an away match (lost by Manchester United) on 29 December. He returned the gesture by repeatedly crossing his arms in front of his chest, in reference to the hammers on the West Ham team crest.

Tévez scored a total of five goals during Manchester United's successful 2007–08 Champions League campaign. He also scored the first penalty in the shootout against Chelsea in the final, which Manchester United won 6–5 after the match had ended 1–1 after extra time.He scored his first league goal of the 2008–09 season on 13 September 2008 in a 2–1 away defeat to Liverpool, and his first hat-trick came on 3 December 2008, when he scored a quartet of goals in United's 5–3 League Cup win over Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round. His first Champions League goal of the season, against Aalborg BK on 10 December, stands as the fastest goal to date in the tournament for 2008–09 at two minutes and 41 seconds.

On 21 December, Tévez started for United in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup final, which United won 1–0 over Ecuadorean club LDU Quito, but he was substituted in the 51st minute for Jonny Evans after Nemanja Vidic was sent off.On 10 May 2009, Tévez was reported as saying that he believed his time at Manchester United would come to an end that summer and he expressed his dissatisfaction at not having been offered a permanent contract with the club and having been dropped from the team despite, in his opinion, not having played badly. Despite this outburst, Tévez was named in Manchester United's starting XI for the derby match against Manchester City later that day, before scoring the second of United's two goals on the stroke of half-time, which prompted chants of "Fergie, sign him up" from the club's fans. After the match, manager Alex Ferguson refused to be drawn on the subject of Tévez's future with the club, saying "I didn't read any of the papers. He's a Manchester United player."

The following game for Manchester United was away at Wigan Athletic. Tévez did not start the game, but came off the bench on 58 minutes and scored the equaliser three minutes later with a flamboyant back-heeled finish. His introduction immediately improved the team's play and Michael Carrick scored the winner on 86 minutes. After the game, to the relief of most United fans, Alex Ferguson announced that the club had commenced talks to sign Tévez on a permanent deal. This news came on the same day as claims in The Sun that United lawyers were looking into the possibility of a Bosman-type case, which would allow Tévez to be signed for free.Tévez started the next game against Arsenal, but was substituted by Park Ji-Sung in the 66th minute. As he left the field, the Manchester United supporters applauded him, in his last game at Old Trafford for Manchester United. United chief executive David Gill suggested that Tévez's future would be resolved by early June 2009.Although United agreed to meet the option fee of £25.5 million and offered Tévez a five-year contract that would have made him one of the club's top earners, Tévez's advisors informed the club that he no longer wished to play for Manchester United. Nevertheless, reports also emerged that Tévez had ruled out signing for Liverpool, given the implications of a Manchester United player moving to join their north-west rivals.

Manchester City

After protracted negotiations,Tévez signed a five-year contract with Manchester United's cross-town rivals, Manchester City, after a medical on 14 July 2009. On 12 September, it was revealed that the exact cost of the transfer was £47 million, a British transfer record.Tévez was given the number 32 shirt, just as he was at United and West Ham.[3] In signing for Manchester City, Tévez became the first player to move between the two Manchester clubs since Terry Cooke moved from United to City in 1999.He made his City debut coming off the bench against Blackburn Rovers in a 2–0 away win. He scored his first goal for the club on 27 August 2009 against
Crystal Palace in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup, heading in City's second
goal in a 2–0 victory.During September 2009, Tévez suffered a knee injury whilst on international duty with Argentina, which would keep him out for two to three weeks, forcing him to miss the match against Arsenal.[55] It was also thought that Tévez
would miss the Manchester derby the following weekend, but he recovered in time to play in the match. He set up his side's first goal for Gareth Barry, but City ended up losing 4–3.Tévez scored his first and second Premier League goals for the club during a 3–1 win over his former club, West Ham.

International career

Tévez first came into prominence with Argentina while playing in the FIFA U-17 World Championship. At the 2004 Olympic Games, he won the gold medal and scored eight goals (including the winner in the final) in six matches to be the top scorer of the competition. He was the world's second-highest goalscorer of 2004 in overall international competition with sixteen goals, one fewer than Iran forward Ali Daei.

Tévez was called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, and scored his only goal of the tournament in Argentina's 6–0 group stage thrashing of Serbia and Montenegro on 16 June. However, he was sent off twice in a three-game stretch during 2010 World Cup qualifying, once against Colombia on 21 November 2007 after he kicked fullback Rubén Darío Bustos in the 24th minute,and then on 9 September 2008 after a late tackle on defender Darío Verón that earned him a red card in the 31st minute of a 1–1 draw with Paraguay after he had been booked earlier. Tévez later apologised for the incident.

Honours

Club

Boca Juniors

* Copa Sudamericana: 2004
* Intercontinental Cup: 2003
* Primera División Apertura: 2003–04
* Copa Libertadores: 2003

Corinthians

* Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2005

Manchester United

* Premier League: 2007–08, 2008–09
* FA Community Shield: 2008
* UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
* Football League Cup: 2008–09

International

* 2004 Summer Olympics: Gold medal
* South American U-20 Championship: 2003

Individual

* Copa Libertadores Most Valuable Player: 2003
* Silver Olimpia (Argentine Footballer of the Year): 2003, 2004
* Golden Olimpia (Argentine Sportsperson of the Year): 2004
* Olympic Golden Boot: 2004
* CBF Campeonato Brasileiro Best Player: 2005
* Placar Bola de Ouro: 2005
* South American Footballer of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2005
* Hammer of the Year: 2007

Ronaldo de Lima

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, born 22 September 1976, more commonly known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian professional footballer currently playing for
Campeonato Brasileiro club Corinthians.
In 1993, Ronaldo began his professional football career playing for Cruzeiro which was already going on to become a successful club. In his first and only year with Cruzeiro, he amassed 12 goals in 14 appearances and lead them to their first Copa do Brasil championship. After Cruzeiro, he signed with Dutch football team PSV in 1994. In 1996, his final year with PSV, Ronaldo helped them win the Dutch Cup. Ronaldo has also played for FC Barcelona, Internazionale, Real Madrid and Milan. He is one of only four players to have played for 5 of the so called G-14 Clubs.

Ronaldo is also an established national footballer for Brazil. He has
appeared in 97 international matches, amassing 62 goals and standing 15 goals away from the Brazilian national scoring record. He was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994, and 2002 World Cups. During the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup with his fifteenth goal, surpassing Gerd Müller's previous record of 14.Nicknamed O Fenômeno ("The Phenomenon" in English), Ronaldo was also one of the most prolific scorers in the nineties and in the early twenty-first century. During his football career in Europe, Ronaldo became one of the most renowned strikers in the world by winning his first Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997 and again in 2002. He is also one of only two men to have won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times, along with French footballer Zinédine Zidane. In 2007, he was named as one of the best starting eleven of all-time by France Football and was named to the FIFA
100, a list of the greatest footballers compiled by fellow countryman Pelé.

He is considered by many football fans, players and managers to be the greatest striker in the history of football, especially noted for the now legendary 96/97 season with FC Barcelona, considered by many to be the greatest display by a footballer in a season. His clinical finishing, ability to beat defenders with ease, skills on the ball and many comebacks from injury have seen him lauded by football fans worldwide. He is an idol to many modern footballers such as Karim Benzema, Kaká and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Ronaldo was also one of the first major football superstars to popularize Futsal and Street Football skills on the pitch, becoming associated with the stepover. He is also credited with igniting a stronger marketing interest in football worldwide,particularly due to his rapport with Nike who had previously focused mainly on Basketball.Club career Cruzeiro, São Cristóvão, Tennis Club Valqueire, Social Ramos Club, PSV, FC Barcelona, Internazionale, Real Madrid, AC Milan and
Corinthians.

Personal information

Full name Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima
Date of birth 22 September 1976 (1976-09-22) (age 33)
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information
Current club Corinthians
Number 9

Youth career
1986–1989 Tennis Club Valqueire
1989–1990 Social Ramos Club
1990–1993 São Cristóvão

Senior career*
Years Club Apps† (Gls)†
1993–1994 Cruzeiro 32 (34)
1994–1996 PSV 46 (42)
1996–1997 FC Barcelona 37 (34)
1997–2002 Internazionale 68 (49)
2002–2007 Real Madrid 127 (83)
2007–2008 Milan 20 (9)
2009– Corinthians 13 (8)

National team‡
1994- Brazil 97 (69)


Yearly Life

After he was scouted by Piet de Visser, he was soon transferred for US$6 million to PSV, where he scored 42 goals in 46 league games and reached a total of 54 goals in 57 official appearances. With PSV, Ronaldo won the Dutch Cup in 1996 and was Eredivisie top scorer in 1995.


Barcelona

Later, he attracted the attention of FC Barcelona. He played for Barça in the 1996-97 season, scoring 47 goals in 49 games (in all competitions) on the way to leading the Catalan side to UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph (where he capped the season with the winning goal in the cup final itself) and to Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España wins. He also won La Liga top scorer award in 1997 with 34 goals in 37 games. Until the 08/09 season, Ronaldo remained the last player to score more than 30 goals in La Liga.

Internazionale

Inter signed him the following year for a then world record fee, and Ronaldo duly helped them repeat his former side's cup-winning run, this time in the UEFA Cup, in which he scored their third goal in the final itself.On November 21, 1999, during a Serie A match against Lecce, Ronaldo felt his knee buckle and was forced to limp off the pitch. Medical exams after the match confirmed that the striker had ruptured a tendon in his knee and would require surgery.During his first comeback on April 12, 2000, he played only seven minutes during the first leg of the Coppa Italia final against Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time.After two operations and months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo came back for the 2002 World Cup, helping Brazil win their fifth World Cup title. Later in 2002 he won the World Player of the Year award for the third time, and transferred from Inter to Real Madrid.

Ronaldo was given his most recognizable nickname O Fenômeno by the Italian press while playing there. He was named the 20th topfootballer of all time for Inter according to Times Online and only his injuries prevented a higher ranking. He played 99 games and scored 59 goals for nerazzurri.

Real Madrid

He was sidelined through injury until October 2002 but the fans kept on chanting his name. Ronaldo scored twice in his debut for Real Madrid. He received a standing ovation in the Santiago Bernabeu. That same reception was observed on the night of the final game of the season against Athletic Bilbao, where Ronaldo scored again to seal his first season with 23 league goals and the La Liga Championship title for 2003, which Ronaldo had previously failed to win while with Barcelona. With Real he also won a Intercontinental Cup in 2002 and Spanish Super Cup in 2003. Real was on track to win the treble until Ronaldo was injured towards the end of the 03/04 season, and they lost the Copa del Rey final, knocked out of the Champions league quaterfinals, and suffered a league form breakdown. This season he finished as the league's top scorer and was awarded the Pichichi despite Real losing the league title to Valencia. Real Madrid were knocked out of the first round of the last 16 in the Champions League by Arsenal, and went a third straight season without a trophy. With the acquisition of Ruud Van Nistelrooy in 2006, Ronaldo grew more and more out of favor with the manager Fabio Capello due to injuries and weight issues.

HONORS

Cruzeiro

* Campeonato Mineiro: 1994

PSV Eindhoven

* Dutch Cup: 1996

Barcelona

* Copa del Rey: 1996
* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1997
* Supercopa de España: 1997

Internazionale

* UEFA Cup: 1998

Real Madrid

* La Liga: 2003
* Intercontinental Cup: 2002
* Supercopa de España: 2003

Corinthians

* Campeonato Paulista: 2009
* Brazil Cup: 2009

National team

* FIFA World Cup: 1994, 2002
* Copa America: 1997, 1999
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 1997
* 1996 Summer Olympics: Bronze medal

Individual

* Supercopa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1993-94
* Campeonato Mineiro Top Scorer: 1993-94
* Campeonato Mineiro Team of The Year: 1994
* Eredivisie Top Scorer: 1994-95
* La Liga Top Scorer: 1996-97
* European Golden Boot: 1996-97
* Don Balón Award La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 1996-97
* Copa América Final Most Valuable Player: 1997
* Copa América Most Valuable Player: 1997
* Confederations Cup All-Star Team: 1997
* Cup Winners Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 1997
* IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year: 1997
* UEFA Most Valuable Player: 1997-98
* Serie A Player of the Year: 1997-98
* Serie A Foreign Player of the Year: 1997-98
* Serie A Player of Last 10 Year: 1998-07
* UEFA Best Forward: 1997-98
* Bravo Award : 1997, 1998
* FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1998
* UEFA Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 1998
* Copa América Top Scorer: 1999
* Copa América All-Star Team: 1997, 1999
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996, 1997, 2002
* Ballon D'or: 1997, 2002
* Onze d'Or: 1997, 2002
* FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 2002
* FIFA 100
* FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998, 2002
* FIFA World Cup Final Most Valuable Player: 2002
* FIFA World Cup Top Scorer: 2002
* Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player: 2002
* UEFA Team of The Year: 2002
* Laureus Comeback of the Year: 2002
* BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality: 2002
* La Liga South American Player of the Year: 1996-97, 2002-03
* La Liga Top Scorer: 2003-04
* Golden Foot: 2006
* FIFA World Cup All-Time Scoring Leader
* Campeonato Paulista Best Player: 2009

Ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre), commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho,is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian Serie A side Milan and the Brazilian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation.

Ronaldinho, Portuguese for "Little Ronaldo," is known in Brazil by the nickname "Gaúcho," in order to distinguish him from Ronaldo, who was already called "Ronaldinho" in Brazil. Ronaldo simply went by his first name upon his move to Europe, thereby allowing Ronaldinho to drop the "Gaúcho" and remain simply as Ronaldinho.

Prior to his move to Milan, he played for Paris Saint-Germain, and FC Barcelona, with whom he won his first Champions League in 2006. He became a Spanish citizen in January 2007.


Personal information

Full name Ronaldo de Assis Moreira
Date of birth 21 March 1980 (1980-03-21) (age 29)
Place of birth Porto Alegre, Brazil
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position Attacking midfielder

Club information
Current club Milan
Number 80

Youth career
1997–1998 Grêmio

Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Gls)
1998–2001 Grêmio 044 (21)
2001–2003 Paris Saint-Germain 053 (17)
2003–2008 FC Barcelona 145 (70)
2008– Milan 035 0(9)

National team
1999–2008 Brazil Olympic 027 (18)

Club career

Early career

Ronaldinho's career began with the Grêmio youth squad under head coach Liam Higgins. He made his senior side debut during the 1998 Copa Libertadores. In 2001, Arsenal expressed interest in signing Ronaldinho, but the move collapsed after he could not obtain a work permit because he was a non-EU player who had not played enough international matches.He considered playing on loan with Scottish Premier League side St. Mirren, which never happened due to his involvement in a fake passport scandal in Brazil.In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French side Paris Saint-Germain in a €5.1 million transfer.

During the 2001-02 season, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Fernández claimed that Ronaldinho was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.In 2003, less than two years into his PSG stint, Ronaldinho made it clear he wanted to leave the club after PSG failed to qualify for any European competition.


Milan

In July 2008, Ronaldinho turned down a £25.5 million offer from Manchester City to join Italian Serie A giants Milan on a three-year contract thought to be worth around £5.1 million (€6.5 million) a year, for a fee in the region of £14.5 million (€18.5 million).[31][32] With the number 10 already occupied by teammate Clarence Seedorf, he selected 80 as his jersey number, because 1980 was his birth year. Ronaldinho scored his first goal for Milan in a 1-0 derby victory over Internazionale on 28 September 2008, and his first brace was in a 3-0 win over Sampdoria on 19 October 2008. He scored a 93rd-minute match-winner against S.C. Braga in the UEFA Cup group stage on November 6.

He finished his first season at Milan with 10 goals from 32 appearances in all competitions.


Honours

FC Barcelona

* Spanish Liga: 2005, 2006
* Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006
* UEFA Champions League: 2006

International

* FIFA U-17 World Cup: 1997
* Copa América: 1999
* FIFA World Cup: 2002
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005
* 2008 Summer Olympics: Bronze medal

Individual

* FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer: 1999
* FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 1999
* Rio Grande do Sul State Championship Top Scorer: 1999
* FIFA World Cup 2002 All-Star team: 2002
* FIFA 100
* Don Balón Award (Best Foreign Player in La Liga) : 2004, 2006
* EFE Trophy (Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga): 2004
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 2004, 2005
* UEFA Club Best Forward: 2004-05
* European Footballer of the Year: 2005
* FIFPro World Player of the Year 2005, 2006
* UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2005-06
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2006
* FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006, 2007

THIERY HENRY

Thierry Henry

Hierry Daniel Henry was born on 17 August 1977.He is a French footballer who plays
for Spanish La Liga club Barcelona andthe French national team predominantly as
a striker.

Personal information

Full name Thierry Daniel Henry
Date of birth 17 August 1977
(1977-08-17) (age 32)
Place of birth Les Ulis, Essonne, France
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Striker/Winger

Club information
Current club Barcelona
Number 14

Youth career
1983–1989 CO Les Ulis
1989–1990 US Palaiseau
1990–1992 Viry-Châtillon
1992 Clairefontaine
1992–1994 Monaco

Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Gls)
1994–1999 Monaco 105 (20)
1999 Juventus 18 (3)
1999–2007 Arsenal 254 (174)
2007– Barcelona 62 (31)

National team
1997– France 114 (50)


Henry was born in the tough neighbourhoodof Les Ulis, Essonne—a suburb of Paris—where he played for an array oflocal sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and signed instantly, making his professional debut in 1994. Good form led to an international call-up in 1998, after which he signed for the Serie A defending champions Juventus. He had a disappointing season playing on the wing, before joining Arsenal for £10.5 million
in 1999.

It was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer. Despite initially struggling in the Premiership, he emerged as Arsenal's top goal-scorer
for almost every season of his tenure there. Under long-time mentor and coach

Arsène Wenger, Henry became a prolific striker and Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 226 goals in all competitions. The Frenchman won two league titles and three FA Cups with the Gunners; he was twice nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year, was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year three times. Henry spent his final two seasons with Arsenal as club captain, leading them to the UEFA Champions League final in 2006. In June 2007, after eight years with Arsenal, he transferred to Barcelona
for a fee of €24 million. His first honours with the Catalan club came in 2008–09 when they won the league, cup and Champions League treble.

Henry has enjoyed similar success with the French national squad, having won the
1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. In October 2007, he surpassed Michel Platini's record to become France's top goal-scorer of all time. Off the pitch, as a result of his own experience, Henry is an active spokesperson against racism in football. His footballing style and personality have ensured that he is one of the most commercially marketable footballers in the world; he has been featured in advertisements for Nike, Reebok, Renault, Pepsi and Gillette.

Early years

Henry is of Antillean heritage: his father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe (La
Désirade island), and his mother, Maryse, is from Martinique. He was born and raised in a tough environment in the heavily urbanized Les Ulis district of Paris which, despite its hardships, provided good footballing facilities. As a seven-year-old, Henry showed great potential, prompting Claude Chezelle to recruit him to the local club CO Les Ulis. His father pressured him to attend training, although the youngster was not particularly drawn to football. He joined US Palaiseau in 1989, but after a year his father fell out with the club, so Henry moved to ES Viry-Châtillon for two years. US Palaiseau coach Jean-Marie Panza, Henry's future mentor, followed him there

Awards and honours

Henry has received many plaudits and awards in his football career. He was runner-up for the 2003 and 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award; in those two seasons, he also won back-to-back PFA Players' Player of the Year titles.Henry is the only player ever to have won the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year three times (2003, 2004, 2006),and the French Player of the Year on a record four occasions. Henry was voted into the Premier League Overseas Team of the Decade in the 10 Seasons Awards poll in 2003, and in 2004 he was named by football legend Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living
footballers.In terms of goal-scoring awards, Henry was the European Golden Boot winner in 2004 and 2005 (sharing it with Villarreal's Diego Forlán in 2005) and is the first ever player to retain the award. Henry has also been the top goal-scorer in the Premiership for four seasons (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006). In 2006, he became the first player to score more than 20 goals in the league for five consecutive seasons (2002 to 2006). Henry is currently third in the list of all-time English Premiership goal-scorers, behind Alan Shearer and Andy Cole. Given his accomplishments, France's all-time goal-scorer is today regarded by many coaches, footballers and pundits as one of the best footballers in the world. In November 2007, he was ranked 33rd on the Association of Football Statisticians' compendium for "Greatest Ever Footballers". Arsenal fans honoured their former player in 2008, declaring Henry the greatest Arsenal player. In another 2008 survey, Henry emerged as the favourite Premier League player of all time among 32,000 people surveyed in the Barclays 2008 Global Fan Report.

Monaco

* Ligue 1: 1996–97
* French Super Cup: 1997
Arsenal

* FA Premier League: 2001–02, 2003–04
* FA Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05
* FA Community Shield: 2002, 2004

Barcelona

* La Liga: 2008–09
* Copa del Rey: 2008–09
* UEFA Champions League: 2008–09
* Supercopa de España: 2009
* UEFA Super Cup: 2009


International

* FIFA World Cup: 1998
* UEFA European Football

Championship: 2000
* FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003

Individual

* UEFA Football Championship Team of

the Tournament: 2000
* Confederations Cup top goalscorer:

2003
* Confederations Cup Golden Ball:

2003
* FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
* Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year:

1996–97
* PFA Players' Player of the Year:

2002–03, 2003–04
* European Golden Boot: 2004, 2005
* Premier League top scorer: 2001–02,

2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06.
* Onze d'Or: 2003, 2006
* PFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2002,

2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
* FWA Footballer Of The Year:

2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06
* World XI Striker: 2006
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2001, 2002,

2003, 2004, 2006
* French Player of the Year: 2000,

2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
* English Football Hall of Fame: 2008
* Barclays Player of the Month: April

2000, September 2002, January 2004, April

2004
* FIFA 100
* Time 100: 2007

ARSENE WENGER

Arsène Wenger

Personal information

Date of birth 22 October 1949 (1949-10-22) (age 59)
Place of birth Strasbourg, France
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Playing position Sweeper
Club information

Current club Arsenal (Manager)
Youth career
0000–1969 FC Duttlenheim
1969–1973 AS Mutzig

Senior career*
Years Club Apps (Gls)†
1973–1975 Mulhouse 039 0(7)
1975–1978 ASPV Strasbourg 080 (20)
1978–1981 RC Strasbourg 011 0(0)
Total 130 (27)

Teams managed
1984–1987 Nancy
1987–1994 AS Monaco
1995–1996 Nagoya Grampus Eight
1996– Arsenal

Arsène Wenger, OBE was born on 22 October 1949 in Strasbourg. He is a French football manager who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996.[3] He is the most successful manager in the history of Arsenal in terms of trophies and is also the club's longest-serving manager in terms of matches played (having passed the 700 mark in December 2008).[3][4] Wenger is the only non-British manager to win the Double in England, having done so in 1998 and 2002. In 2004, he became the only manager in FA Premier League history to go through the entire season without defeat. Wenger is widely regarded as one of the world's best managers after the success he has enjoyed at AS Monaco and Arsenal. Wenger has a degree in Electrical Engineering and a master's degree in Economics[5] from Strasbourg University and is fluent in French, German, Spanish and English; he also speaks some Italian and Japanese

Early career

Wenger spent much of his youth playing football and organizing matches at the village team, FC Duttlenheim, where he made the first team at 16 and was subsequently recruited to nearby third division club AS Mutzig by the team's manager Max Hild, who would go on to become his mentor, advising Wenger on managerial decisions later in career, and whose team had been noted for playing the "best amateur football" in France. Wenger's playing career was modest. He played as a defender for various amateur clubs while studying at the Institut Européen d'Etudes Commerciales Supérieures de Strasbourg of Robert Schuman University, where he completed a master's degree in 1971. Wenger turned professional in 1978, making his debut for RC Strasbourg against Monaco. He only made twelve appearances for the team, including two as they won the Ligue 1 title in 1978-79, and played once in the UEFA Cup in the same season. In 1981, he obtained a manager's diploma and was appointed the coach of the club's youth team. After his stint at Strasbourg, Wenger joined AS Cannes as assistant manager in 1983

Managerial career

Wenger's first senior job was at Nancy, which he joined in 1984, but he enjoyed little success there: during his third and final season in charge, Nancy finished 19th and were relegated to the second tier of French football (now Ligue 2). His managerial career took off when he became the manager of AS Monaco in 1987. He won the league in 1988 (his first season in charge) and the French Cup in 1991, and signed high-calibre players such as Glenn Hoddle, George Weah and Jürgen Klinsmann. He also signed 23-year old Youri Djorkaeff from Strasbourg; the future World Cup winner finished joint top goalscorer in Ligue 1 (with 20 goals) during Wenger's final season in France. Wenger was shortlisted for the managerial role at Bayern Munich, but could not take the job due to Monaco's board refusing to allow them to talk with Wenger, only to release Wenger several weeks later after the post was filled.

He moved on to a successful 18-month stint with the Japanese J. League team Nagoya Grampus Eight, with whom he won the Emperor's Cup, the national cup competition. He also took the club from the bottom three to runners-up position in the league.At Grampus, he hired former Valenciennes manager Boro Primorac, whom he had met during the 1993 match-fixing scandal involving Olympique de Marseille, as his assistant. Wenger, who'd long held the view that Marseille was acting improperly, fully supported the Yugoslavian coach when he attempted (ultimately with success) to clear himself from any wrongdoing. Primorac would remain Wenger's "right-hand man" for years to come, and still held that position in 2009.

Wenger had in the meantime become a friend of the then Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, after the two had met when Wenger attended a match between Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers in 1988. After Bruce Rioch was sacked in August 1996, Gérard Houllier, the then technical director of the French Football Federation, recommended Wenger to David Dein in the summer of 1996. Arsenal confirmed his appointment on 28 September 1996, and he officially took up the reins on 1 October. Wenger was Arsenal's first manager from outside the UK. Though he had previously been touted as a potential technical director of the Football Association, at the time Wenger was a relative unknown in England, where The Evening Standard newspaper greeted his nomination with the headline 'Arsene Who?'.

A month before Wenger formally took charge of the team, Wenger requested that the club sign French midfielders Patrick Vieira and Rémi Garde. His first match was a 2-0 away victory over Blackburn Rovers on 12 October 1996. Arsenal finished third in Wenger's first season, missing out on second place (occupied by Newcastle United), and hence the Champions League qualification, on goal difference.

In his second season (1997-98), Arsenal won both the Premier League and FA Cup, the second Double in the club's history. Arsenal had made up a twelve-point deficit on Manchester United and secured the league title with two games left. Key to the success was the inherited defense of Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown, along with striker Dennis Bergkamp and a blend of Wenger's new signings, Emmanuel Petit as a partner for Patrick Vieira, winger Marc Overmars, and teenage striker Nicolas Anelka.


Honours

Player

Strasbourg

* Ligue 1: 1978–79

Manager

Monaco

Winner

* Ligue 1 (1): 1987–88
* Coupe de France (1): 1990–91

Runner-up

* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1991–92
* Ligue 1 (3): 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93

Nagoya Grampus

Winner

* Emperor's Cup (1): 1996
* J-League Super Cup (1): 1996

Runner-up

* J. League (1): 1996

Arsenal

Winner

* Premier League (3): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04
* FA Cup (4): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05
* FA Community Shield (4): 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004

Runner-up

* UEFA Champions League (1): 2005–06
* Premier League (5): 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
* FA Cup (1): 2000–01
* League Cup (1): 2006–07
* FA Community Shield (2): 2003, 2005
* UEFA Cup (1): 1999–2000


Individual

* French Manager of the Year: 1988, 2008
* J. League Manager of the Year: 1995
* Officer of the British Empire: 2003
* Onze d'Or Coach of The Year: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
* FA Premier League Manager of the Year: 1998, 2002, 2004
* LMA Manager of the Year: 2001–02, 2003–04
* BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award: 2002, 2004
* Freedom of Islington: 2004
* FWA Tribute Award: 2005
* English Football Hall of Fame: 2006
* Premier League Manager of the Month: 10 times (March 1998, April 1998, October 2000, April 2002, September 2002, August 2003, February 2004, August 2004, September 2007, December 2007