2006-11-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

WHO IS THE BEST YOUNGSTER(AGE<24)??

HERE IS HOW THEY ARE RATED(as of 2006)
1 KAKA
2 MESSI
3 ROBBEN
4 C RONALDO
5 ROBINHO
6 ROONEY
7 F TORRES
8 LUKAS PODOLSKI
9 BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER

LIONEL MESSI

LIONEL MESSI

LIONEL MESSI PROFILE

Name:	Lionel Messi
Full Name:	Lionel Andrés Messi
Nick Name:	Leo, La Pulga
Position:	Forward
Club:	FC Barcelona (Spain)
Height:	1.69 m
Weight:	67 kg
Nationality:	Argentinian
Birth Date:	24/06/1987
Birth Place:	Santa Fe, Argentina
Club Career:	-

Lionel Messi

Personal information
Lionel Messi

Full name	Lionel Andrés Messi
Date of birth	24 June 1987
Place of birth	Rosario, Argentina
Height	5'6½ (1.69m)
Nickname	Leo La Pulga (The Flea)
Position	Attacking midfielder/Forward
Club information
Current club	FC Barcelona
Youth clubs
1995-2000 2000-2004	Newell's Old Boys FC Barcelona B
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2004-present	FC Barcelona	30 (10)
National team**
2005–present	Argentina	12 (2)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 October 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2006.

Lionel Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina) is an Argentine football player, who currently plays for FC Barcelona. He is often touted in the media as the new "Diego Maradona". Messi has been publicly named as "Maradona's successor" by Diego Maradona himself.^[1]

Career

Beginnings

Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province and started playing football at a very early age for his hometown club, Newell's Old Boys. From the age of 11^{[citation needed]}, he suffered from a growth hormone deficiency. River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness, which cost over £500 a month, as Argenina's economy was collapsing at the time. FC Barcelona offered it would pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain playing for the club.^[2]

He rapidly found himself starting for the Barcelona B team, averaging more than a goal per game, by scoring 37 goals in 30 matches.

Barcelona debut

In October 2004 Messi made his official debut for the first team against RCD Espanyol, becoming the third-youngest player to ever play for FC Barcelona. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on May 1, 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, making him the youngest to score for Barcelona.

Argentina U-20

Messi was offered the chance to play for the Spanish national side, but he declined, preferring to wait for the opportunity to play for the country of his birth. In June 2004 he got his chance, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In June 2005 Messi starred for the Argentina U-20 team that won the Football World Youth Championship in Netherlands, picking up the Golden Boot as top scorer with 6 goals, and the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. Despite his youth, Lionel was already being compared to Diego Maradona, one of the greatest football players of all time, these comparisons were drawn by their similar style of play, an example of this would be a gift that Messi and Maradona share, the gift that can only be done by a few, that gift is called the gambeta: a sinuous high-speed dribble that carried Maradona to his famous second goal against England in Mexico 20 years ago, which was named the best goal ever, and if Maradona inherited the technique from the great Omar Sivori, he has past it down to Leo Messi. On June 27, FC Barcelona renewed his contract until 2010, establishing a selling clause of €150 million (which happens to be 30 million more than his teammate in Barcelona, Ronaldinho).^[2]^[3]

International debut

On August 4, José Pekerman called him up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his debut against Hungary but was sent off after just 2 minutes and left the pitch in tears. Messi famously acknowledged his shortened initiation in international football before Argentina's next match against Paraguay saying "This is a re-debut, The first one was a bit short."

2005-06 season

Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on September 25 and was finally able to make his debut in this season's Spanish First Division. He had previously been unable to play because FC Barcelona had filled their quota of non-EU players. Messi's first home outing in the UEFA Champions League came on September 27 against Italian club Udinese.^[4] He impressed with some great passing and a seemingly telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho that earned him a standing ovation from the 70,000-odd Nou Camp faithful.^[5] In December of that year, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe, ahead of Wayne Rooney,Lukas Podolski, and Cristiano Ronaldo.^[6]

Messi netted 6 goals from 17 league appearances and scored 1 Champions League goal from the 6 games he featured in. His reputation for big match temperament was helped by performances in Barcelona's important away leg victories against Real Madrid and Chelsea in the league and Champions League respectively, each considered his best of the respective campaign.^[7] ^[8] Messi's season ended prematurely on March 7, 2006, when he tore a muscle in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.^[9]. Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.

World Cup 2006

The injury that kept him from playing for two months at the end of the 2005/06 league, jeopardized his presence in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Nonetheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup on May 15, 2006. He also played in the farewell match against the Argentinian U-20 team and a friendly against Angola. Messi witnessed Argentina's opening match win against Ivory Coast from the bench. In the next match against Serbia and Montenegro, he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. In doing so he became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6-0 victory. This goal made him the youngest scorer in the 2006 World Cup and the sixth youngest scorer in World Cup history.^[10]

Argentina advanced to the Round of 16 as top qualifiers from Group C. In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute for Javier Saviola in the 84th minute, with the score tied 1-1. Argentina proceeded to win the game 2-1 in extra time. The win placed them into the quarter-finals, where they lost to the host nation Germany on penalties. Messi did not play in the quarter-finals and spent the entire match on the bench.

2006-07 Season

Messi maintained his reputation as a big match player when Barcelona played Real Madrid in at the Santiago Bernabeu. In that game he absolutely embarrassed Brazilian full back Roberto Carlos - even making him fall over during one particularly deft move, and braking his fingers as a result. He also embarrassed world-renowned back Canavarro. He has also saved Barcelona from being in trouble in the Champions League group stage after his 89th min. equaliser agains Werder Bremen, which stil gave Barcelona a chance to qualify to the knock outs, after losing to Chelsea, then drawing at home with them too. He has also been named by FIFPro, an official Football organization, as the best young player of the world, again like in the Golden Boy award, ahead of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lukas Podolski, and Cesc Fàbregas.

Statistics

(correct as of May 7, 2006)

All-time club performance

Club	Season	League		Cup^[11]		Europe		Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
FC Barcelona	2004-05	7	1	1	-	1	-	9	1
	2005-06	17	6	2	1	6	1	25	8
	2006-07	6	3	2	-	2	1	10	4
Career totals								44	13

Honours

With Argentina National Team:

FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005

With FC Barcelona:

Personal:

Golden Ball: FIFA U-20 World Cup 2005
Golden Boot: FIFA U-20 World Cup 2005
Golden Boy: 2005
Olimpia de Plata: Argentinian player of the year 2005
2006 FIFPro World Young Player of the Year

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER

Bastian Schweinsteiger

Personal information
Bastian Schweinsteiger

Date of birth	1 August 1984
Place of birth	Kolbermoor, Germany
Height	1.81 m
Nickname	Basti, Schweini
Position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	FC Bayern Munich
Youth clubs
Until 1992 1992-1998 1998-2002	FV Oberaudorf TSV 1860 Rosenheim FC Bayern Munich
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2002-	Bayern Munich	105 (11)
National team**
2004-	Germany	40 (13)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 October 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 19 October 2006.

Bastian Schweinsteiger (born August 1, 1984 in Kolbermoor, Bavaria, Germany) is a professional footballer who currently plays midfield for Bayern Munich and Germany. Bastian's older brother, Tobias, currently plays for the German second division club Eintracht Braunschweig. Bastian is currently in a relationship with Daniela Aumeier.

Career

Schweinsteiger signed for Bayern Munich as a youth team player on July 1, 1998 and rose through the club's youth sides. A talented youth ski racer, he had to decide between pursuing a professional career in skiing and football at the age of 14. Having won the German youth championship in July 2002, Schweinsteiger quickly earned a place in the reserves, producing a string of solid third division displays.

After just two training sessions with the first team, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld gave Schweinsteiger his debut as a late substitute in a UEFA Champions League game against RC Lens in November 2002, and the youngster made an immediate impact, creating a goal for Markus Feulner within minutes. He signed a professional contract the following month and went on to appear in 14 Bundesliga games in 2002-03, helping Bayern to a league and cup double. The next season he played 26 Bundesliga games.

Schweinsteiger scored his first Bayern goal against VfL Wolfsburg in September 2003

Surprisingly sent back to Bayern's amateurs by new coach Felix Magath at the beginning of the 2003-04 season despite his international exploits of the summer in the Confederations Cup, Schweinsteiger swiftly returned to play a role in the double-winning campaign and scored in Bayern's Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat at Chelsea FC.

He made his international debut in 2004 in a friendly against Hungary. Bayern's number 31 earned rave reviews for his Euro 2004 performances in Portugal, showing combative skills and even setting up the opening goal for Bayern teammate Michael Ballack in Germany's 2-1 loss against the Czech Republic.

He scored his first two international goals on June 8, 2005 against Russia and scored his first goal at a major tournament against Tunisia on June 18, 2005 at the Confederations Cup in Germany. This was followed up by two strikes in the third place play-off game at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, also in his home country. He practically performed a hat-trick with his two goals and an own goal, also off his shot, by Portugal's Petit, which led the Germans to a third place win over Portugal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

During Euro Cup 2008 qualifiers, he scored two goals enroute to a 13-0 win over San Marino in San Marino. He scored the third goal in Germany's 4-1 win over Slovakia in Bratislava. At the age of 22, he has already played 40 matches for the German national team which is a record for any German player. At the same age, Lothar Matthäus (German record holder with 150 matches) had only played 13 times for the national team.

Schweinsteiger has been hailed as the new Stefan Effenberg, and he indeed bears a resemblance to the great Bayern star in his playing style.

Career statistics

International career stats

Team	Year	Friendlies		UEFA		FIFA		Total
Team	Year	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Germany	2006	7	4	3	3	7	2	17	9
	2005	9	2	-	-	4	2	13	4
	2004	7	0	3	0	-	-	10	0
Total Career		23	6	6	3	11	4	40	13

Club career stats

Club	Season	Bundesliga		DFB Cup		Champions League		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Bayern Munich	06-07	9	1	2	0	3	1	14	2
	05-06	30	3	4	0	7	0	42	3
	04-05	26	3	5	0	7	1	38	4
	03-04	26	4	3	0	3	0	33	4
	02-03	14	0	1	2	1	0	16	2
Total		105	11	15	2	21	2	141	15
Career Totals		105	11	15	2	21	2	141	15

Honours

World Cup: 3rd place 2006
Confederations Cup: 3rd place 2005
Bundesliga champion: 2003, 2005, 2006
German Cup: 2003, 2005, 2006
League Cup: 2004
German U-17 championship: 2001
German U-19 championship: 2002

LUKAS PODOLSKI

Lukas Podolski

Personal information
Lukas Podolski

Date of birth	4 June 1985
Place of birth	Gliwice, Poland
Height	1.80 m (5'11")
Nickname	Prinz Poldi
Position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Bayern Munich
Number	11
Youth clubs
1991–1995 1995–2003	FC Jugend 07 Bergheim 1. FC Köln
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2003-2006 2006-	1. FC Köln FC Bayern Munich	81 (46) 6 (1)
National team**
2004-	Germany	37 (22)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 October 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 12 October 2006.

Lukas Podolski (IPA—German: ['lukas po'dolski]) (born as Łukasz Podolski on June 4, 1985 in Gliwice, Poland), nicknamed (Prinz) Poldi, is a German football player. He plays striker for Bayern Munich and for the German national football team. He is seen as one of the most promising German players.^[1].

[hide]

[edit] Career

[edit] Early career

Born in the industrial town of Gliwice, in Upper Silesia, Poland, Podolski is one of two top German soccer players with Silesian roots, the other one being Miroslav Klose. His father Waldemar Podolski was also a professional football player playing for a number of Polish clubs, while his mother played handball for Sośnica Gliwice. In 1987, when Lukas Podolski was two years old, his parents resettled from People's Republic of Poland to West Germany, as Aussiedler. Podolski grew up in Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia, and later in Pulheim, both near Cologne.^[2]

It was at 1. FC Köln where Podolski's talents were first noticed. In 2003, at the age of 18, Podolski was still part of the club's youth side. At this time the club found itself in dire straits battling to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga. First team boss Marcel Koller, working on a shoestring budget, invited Podolski to train with the senior players and he made his top flight debut shortly afterwards on November 22, 2003. Even though Cologne failed to avoid a drop to the 2nd German division, Podolski had shown what he could do, scoring 10 goals in his first 19 senior appearances. This was the best tally by an 18 year old in the history of the Bundesliga.

Podolski continued to stay with the club despite relegation and was instrumental in ensuring a quick return to the top flight, scoring 24 goals in the process.

[edit] Bayern Munich

Jürgen Klinsmann, the former coach of Germany, holds Podolski in high regard as he is lethal with his head as well as his feet and still very young and energetic. Because of this, clubs such as Bayern München, Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen and even Real Madrid manifested their interest in Podolski, though he had a contract with FC Köln through 2007. On June 1 2006, Podolski announced that a transfer agreement had been reached with Bayern Munich allowing him to join the Bavarian side for the 2006-07 season. Financial details of the deal were not immediately available, but the transfer fee was speculated to be around €10 million. He made his Bundesliga debut for Bayern on the August 11 2006 with a 2:0 victory against Borussia Dortmund coming on as a substitute on the 88 minute. On September 9 2006 he was coming on as a substitute for the second half in a DFB cup game versus FC St Pauli. Only 26 seconds after the second half started he scored the equaliser, evening the match 1:1. On October 14 2006, with his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern, Podolski helped to secure the club's 4-2 win over Hertha BSC Berlin.

[edit] National Team Career

Even before the 2004/05 season began Podolski had become the first second-division player since 1975 to break into the national team, celebrating his debut for Rudi Völler's Germany on 6 June 2004 in Kaiserslautern against Hungary with a late substitute appearance.

Podolski played for Germany at Euro 2004, where he was the squad's youngest player. He also attended the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2005 and scored 3 goals there.

Podolski was selected in the Germany squad for the 2006 World Cup, where he partnered Miroslav Klose in attack. He scored his first ever World Cup goal in Germany's 3rd group match against Ecuador, and both goals in the 2-0 win over Sweden in the round of 16. By this, he became the first player since 1962 to score two goals in the first 12 minutes of a World Cup match and only the third man ever to accomplish the feat. During the World Cup, Lukas Podolski and his German squad went to the semi-finals and lost to Italy 2-0 in overtime. And, eventually won the third place match against Portugal. His three goals in the tournament tied him for second in the Golden Boot competition, which was won by his teammate Miroslav Klose with 5 goals. Podolski was tied with Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Fernando Torres, David Villa, Maxi Rodriguez, Hernán Crespo, and FIFA World Cup MVP (winner of the Golden Ball) Zinedine Zidane. Podolski was awarded the Best Young Player title for his performance in the tournament.

On September 6, 2006, Podolski netted 4 goals in a Euro 2008 qualifying game against San Marino. The final score of the match in Serravalle was 0-13. In Germany's 4-1 win against Slovakia in Bratislava on October 11, 2006, he scored the first and the last German goal, both on assists by Miroslav Klose.

[edit] Honors

On July 6, 2006, Podolski was announced as the first Gillette Best Young Player award winner.^[3] Runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo had been favored to win the award, but concerns about his fair play counted against him.^[4] Holger Osieck, head of the FIFA Technical Study Group that selected the winner, praised Podolski as "a key element in Germany's attack."^[5]

[edit] Trivia

He abstains from alcohol.
His family name comes from the former Polish region of Podolia.
Podolski speaks Polish with his parents, besides being fluent in German and speaking English, which he learned in high school.
Podolski feels a bond with both Poland and Germany. He wears shoes that display the Brandenburg Gate and have inscribed the words 'Unity, justice and freedom' -- from the German national anthem. "It is special to have the words of the national anthem printed on my boots. It is fantastic," Podolski said.^[6] He also has stated, "It will be special and a bit strange to hear the Polish national anthem and then the German one afterwards. I will not sing either of them because I feel at home in both countries. I have not quite lost my Polish heart."^[7]
He is the face (and body) of Axe Body Spray.
Jürgen Milski dedicated a song to him, named "Lu-Lu-Lu Lukas Podolski".
Podolski is only the second German after Gerd Müller to score 4 goals in an international match. He scored 4 goals in Euro 2008 qualification where Germany beat San Marino 13-0, a new record for Euro qualification.
Podolski is also on the cover of every game of the FIFA Series in Germany since FIFA 06.
Podolski's girlfriend, Monika, originally hails from Silesia as well. [4]

[edit] Club career stats

**All-Time Club Performance**
Club	Season	Bundesliga		2nd Bundesliga		DFB Cup		European Competition		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Bayern Munich	2006-07	6	1	-	-	1	1	2	1	6	2
Total		6	1			1	1	2	1	9	3
1. FC Köln	2005-06	32	12	-	-	1	0	-	-	33	12
	2004-05	-	-	30	24	2	5	-	-	32	29
	2003-04	19	10	-	-	1	0	-	-	20	10
Total		51	22	30	24	4	5	-	-	85	53
Career Totals		54	22	30	24	5	6	2	1	91	55

WAYNE ROONEY

Wayne Rooney

Personal information
Wayne Rooney

Full name	Wayne Mark Rooney
Date of birth	October 24, 1985
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Nickname	Wazza, Shrek, Roonaldo.
Position	Attacking Midfielder/Forward
Club information
Current club	Manchester United
Number	8
Youth clubs
2000–2002	Everton
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2002-2004 2004-	Everton Manchester United Overall	67 (15) 73 (32) 140 (47)
National team**
2003-	England	35 (11)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:52, 6 November 2006 (UTC). ** National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2006.

Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Liverpool) is an English footballer.

He currently plays for the Premiership club Manchester United and the England national football team. He normally played as a second striker to Ruud van Nistelrooy for his club team before van Nistelrooy's move to Real Madrid C.F., although during 2005-06, he has shown his versatility as a player by shifting to the midfield and playing on both flanks. He wears number 8 for his club team and wears number 9 for his national team.

Rooney was brought up in an urban area of eastern Liverpool called Croxteth, where he and his two brothers attended the local De La Salle Catholic School.

His boyhood team was always Everton F.C.; his love for his home town club was famously bore out when he wore a T-shirt reading "Once a blue, Always a blue". T-shirts aside, however, he would end up playing just two seasons with Everton before demanding, and then executing, a transfer. This has left him on unfavourable terms with Everton fans, as they showed when he returned to Goodison Park and he was booed severely. This was because many Evertonians consider him to be a traitor to his former club.

Although he has been under an intense media spotlight since first arriving on the scene in 2002, it was not until his performances at the Euro 2004 that he gained a reputation on the world stage, as he spearheaded the English attack, scoring four goals. Rooney is also on the cover of FIFA 07 in the United Kingdom.

[hide]

Career

Premiership breakthrough

Rooney gained national prominence in October 2002 when he became the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Premiership at 16 years and 360 days while playing for Everton F.C. (though this record has since been surpassed twice). His goal against then-champions Arsenal was a last-minute winner and brought to an end the London side's 30-match unbeaten run. At the end of 2002 he won the BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year award. On the Boxing Day of 2002 he "achieved" the record of becoming the youngest player ever to be sent off in a Premiership game. This is also his only standing record in the Everton books.

National team career

He has also figured prominently in recent England international matches, after having become the youngest ever player to play for England, in a friendly against Australia, on February 12, 2003, aged 17 years, 111 days. This record has since been surpassed by Theo Walcott, who came off the bench to play in England's friendly against Hungary on May 30, 2006. England's youngest ever player previous to Rooney was James F. M. Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, who made his debut almost one and a quarter centuries before, on April 5, 1879, aged 17 years, 253 days. Rooney is also the youngest England scorer ever (17 years, 317 days).

His reputation as one of the world's most exciting young players was further enhanced by his impressive performances for England at Euro 2004 in Portugal. At the tournament Rooney became the youngest player ever to score in the European Football Championships, when on 17 June 2004 he scored twice against Switzerland; although the Swiss player, Johan Vonlanthen, broke this record against France four days later. Unfortunately Rooney was injured early in the quarter final match against Portugal and England were subsequently knocked out.

World Cup 2006 doubts

There was concern for Rooney's fitness ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup after the fourth metatarsal on his right foot was broken, possibly in several places, following a seemingly innocuous challenge from Paulo Ferreira during Manchester United's 3-0 defeat away at Chelsea on April 29, 2006, putting him out of action for an estimated six weeks.^[1]

A bone scan on 25 May 2006 suggested he would not be expected to return in time for the World Cup group ties, with a decision to be made on his return to training after these games had passed. Shortly afterwards his international manager confirmed he would travel with the squad to Germany, and would return to have another bone scan on 7 June. Ahead of this scan, Wayne claimed to be feeling fine and was "300% confident" of his own fitness. Rooney was reported to be back, doing light training on 2 June, working on kicking the ball and running. ^[2]

On June 7, Wayne Rooney had his second scan, with reports saying he would play in the World Cup as he boarded a flight to Baden-Baden to regroup with the England squad.^[3]

On June 8, Sven-Göran Eriksson said that he was "injury free" and that "he just needs to get back his fitness before he can play". Eriksson hinted at a possible involvement in the later group stage matches and almost certainly, should England progress, in the second round of the competition.

On June 15, Sven-Göran Eriksson and FA doctors declared Rooney match fit in time for the match against Trinidad & Tobago. Prior to the match there was much speculation as to whether his health would be risked by playing him at this stage; the speculation was ended when he entered the match in the 58th minute, replacing Michael Owen. Although Rooney did not score, England's fans were keen to see him running with pace (as if he was match fit many weeks before his medical clearance) and making his presence felt on the attack. On June 18, Eriksson announced that Rooney would be starting England's next game. Rooney's rush into play was much to the dismay of his club team, Manchester United, who were concerned that a full recovery would be jeopardized.

On June 20, Rooney started in the final group match, England against Sweden, helping England to a 2-2 draw.

On June 25, Rooney once again started in England's second round game (knock-out rounds) against Ecuador. Although he failed to score, he looked lively and appeared to be fully fit and definitely match fit.

On July 1, Rooney was sent off in the quarter final against Portugal while fighting for possession with Chelsea FC and Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho. Rooney appeared to stamp down on Carvalho's groin and was sent off by referee, Horacio Elizondo. Rooney later announced, through the serialisation of his biography in the Daily Mail, that the stamp on Ricardo Carvalho was unintentional. ^[4] He became only the third English player to be sent off in a World Cup Finals. Due to his red card, he missed England's opening Euro 2008 qualifiers against Andorra on 2 September and Macedonia on 6 September.

Transfers

Before turning 17 and becoming eligible for a professional contract, he was playing for £80 a week and living with his family on a council estate. That has since been raised several times and Rooney now earns an estimated £51,755 a week. Following intense media coverage of Rooney at the 2004 European Championships, Everton claimed that they would not transfer his contract for less than £50 million. The club offered Rooney a new contract for £12,000 a week for three years. This, however, was turned down by Rooney's agent on the 27 August 2004, leaving Manchester United and Newcastle United to compete for his signature.

The Times newspaper reported that Newcastle were close to signing the young star for £18.5 million, a fact later confirmed by Rooney's agent. Manchester United however, were the successful club in signing the young talent. Rooney handed in a transfer request to Everton and on 31 August, Rooney signed for Manchester United after a deal worth around £31 million (£49 million including wages) was agreed. The deal was concluded just hours before the transfer deadline.

The initial fee of £23m is to be paid to Everton Football Club over two years; the rest of the money depends on appearances and/or success at Manchester United and/or England. It is likely the fee will reach the maximum £31m within the next 3 years. A final fee in the region of £33m plus costs (mainly player bonuses, excl. wages) is more likely. In the club's 2004-05 accounts, Rooney's contract is recorded as having a book cost of £25.066 million as at 30 June 2005, with contingent payables of £14 million, giving a maximum final fee of £39.066 million including costs. [1]

Rooney's transfer fee is the second highest for an exclusively British deal, with only his Manchester United team-mate, Rio Ferdinand, commanding a higher fee. Rooney does, however, have the honour of being the most expensive teenage footballer ever, being only 18 when Manchester United signed him.

Rooney made his debut for the club on 28 September, 2004 in the UEFA Champions League against Fenerbahçe, scoring a hat-trick and also an assist (the match finished in a 6-2 win for United). For the 2005-06 season, Rooney initially started playing in wider positions than his more favoured central role. Pundits and fans alike agreed that he seemed less effective in such positions. Eventually, after Manchester United's poor run of form early in the season, Sir Alex Ferguson moved him back to his stronger position, playing behind Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy as a second striker. He got his first professional Winners Medal in the 2006 English League Cup. He was also named the Man of The Match in the Carling Cup final against Wigan Athletic, after scoring 2 goals in the final (a 4-0 victory for United), en route to winning his first senior medal. He was also a member of the United side defeated in the 2005 FA Cup final by Arsenal. He captained Manchester United for the first time in a home Champions League match against FC Copenhagen on 17 October 2006, becoming probably the youngest captain in the clubs' history ^[5]

2004 Court Case

In and around 2002 there was a dispute between two groups over who had the right to manage Rooney and this led to a criminal trial after allegations that one side was trying to demand money with menaces from the other. The court was told that one group sought the help of the infamous London gangster Tommy Adams in resolving the dispute.

Disciplinary issues

Wayne Rooney's career has been tainted with moments of ill-discipline.^[6] In September 2005, against Northern Ireland, Rooney launched an on-field outburst at former England captain David Beckham,^[7] but since then, the pair have played down the bust-up.

His ill-discipline led to his dismissal in the 0-0 draw with Villarreal during United's Champions League encounter in Spain. Rooney was sent off for dissent following his sarcastic applauding of the referee, Kim Milton Nielsen, after he was initially booked for what he felt was an unfair booking.^[8]

Rooney has pledged to keep his temper under control and both his club and international managers have defended him, citing his youth as the main reason for his behaviour. It is known that other teams and players are familiar with Rooney's disciplinary problems and sometimes use them against him, teasing him or provoking him.^[9] Since the 2004-05 season he has been trying to keep his temper in check, as shown by a drop in cards received in the 2005-06 season. In the quarter-final match with Portugal, Rooney was sent off after an incident during the 62nd minute of the match. He became only the third English player to be given a red card while playing a match in a World Cup Finals. Rooney was struggling to gain proper control of the ball as he was involved in a tangle with Ricardo Carvalho and Armando Petit, during which he appeared to stamp on Carvalho's groin. The incident occurred right in front of Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo. As play was stopped, Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo, a fellow teammate of his at Manchester United, remonstrated with the referee. Rooney then pushed Ronaldo and was shown the red card for what was thought to be a combination of the incidents involving Carvalho and Ronaldo[2]. However, on July 4, Elizondo told The Times that the red card was due to the stamp on Carvalho, and not the scuffle afterwards. He said "It was violent play and therefore he got a red card. People can say what they want (about Ronaldo) but this had absolutely no influence. For me it was a clear red card, so I didn't react to the Portuguese players."[3]

After the match, the BBC pundit team, led by Gary Lineker, showed a clip of what they found interesting in light of Rooney's dismissal. Before the match, Rooney's Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo approached him from behind and aggressively placed his head close to Rooney before speaking directly into his ear [4]. Rooney's reaction and the look on Ronaldo's face suggested that the act was far from playful. Following Rooney's dismissal, Ronaldo was seen winking at the Portuguese bench.[5]. Cristiano Ronaldo said in a post-match press conference that he had not urged the referee to take out a red card, but just pointed out that Rooney had committed a foul.

On July 3, Rooney released a statement saying, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed that he chose to get involved. I suppose I do, though, have to remember that on that particular occasion we were not team-mates." He also claimed that his actions were accidental. He also defended his own actions in the statement: "I want to say absolutely categorically that I did not intentionally put my foot down on Ricardo Carvalho. He slid in from behind me and unfortunately ended up in a positioning where my foot was inevitably going to end up as I kept my balance. That's all there was to it. When the referee produced the red card I was amazed - gobsmacked."[6]

Wayne Rooney was investigated by FIFA's disciplinary committee after being sent off during England's World Cup quarter-final defeat against Portugal, banned for two competitive matches and fined 5,000 Swiss francs [7].

Rooney was sent off again for Manchester United in an Amsterdam Tournament game against FC Porto on August 4 for the alleged use of an elbow, and was subsequently handed a three-match ban by the English FA following their receipt of a 23-page report from referee Ruud Bossen explaining why he felt it was necessary to send Rooney off in the aforementioned game. This was viewed as surprising, as other players sent off in pre-season friendly matches were not so sanctioned, and Rooney wrote to the FA threatening to withdraw the FA's permission to use his image rights if the ban was not revoked - however the FA has no procedure to do so.

Though not related to in-field action, there were reports by British media that Rooney punched Blackburn's Michael Gray on September 2. The alleged incident that happened inside a Manchester restaurant was a result of suggestive comments by Gray towards Rooney's fiancee Coleen McLoughlin. Police were not informed about that incident. ^[10]

Personal life

Rooney is one of three sons of Wayne, Sr, and Jeanette Rooney, his brothers being Graham and John. [8] He didn't achieve a single GCSE^[11]. He has rarely been out of the media spotlight since his goal against Arsenal in October 2002, and has received criticism for his relationship with fiancée Coleen McLoughlin, who is often featured in the tabloid press for her shopping habits. They currently live in a £4.25 million mansion in the village of Prestbury in Cheshire. When he moved to Manchester United and was told to find a home in the posh area of Cheshire, Rooney passed a pub which he thought was named "Admiral Rooney" and saw it as a good omen for his future home. It was actually "Admiral Rodney", but Rooney chose the place, Prestbury, anyway (kicker, April 18, 2006, p. 79-80).

Rooney has also lucrative contracts with Nike, Nokia, Ford, Asda and Coca Cola. His marketing value is estimated at €46 million, making him the third-highest rated football player behind Ronaldinho and David Beckham. As a side note, he is featured on 500 million Coca-Cola cans. Regarding his private life, Rooney's favourite rappers are Eminem and 50 Cent. His favourite film is Grease, and his favourite TV series is Only Fools And Horses. Moreover, he is an avid reader of the Harry Potter series. He enjoys boxing, and idolises Mike Tyson. (kicker, April 18, 2006, p. 79-80).

Rooney was "Merk'd" along with other England teammates (the equivalent to the American TV Show "Punk'd") by his Manchester United and England team mate, Rio Ferdinand on a mini-series TV show build up to the World Cup, "World Cup Wind Ups".^[12]

Press accusations

Rooney's personal life has also often been marred by accusations from the press surrounding his visits to prostitutes, which he later confirmed to be true. ^[13]

In April 2006, newspapers suggested that he owed in excess of £700,000 in gambling debts,^[14] possibly connected to a business partner of Michael Owen.^[15] Days later, he accepted £100,000 (which he donated to charity) in libel damages from The Sun and News of the World newspapers which had claimed he had assaulted his fiancée in a nightclub. ^[16]

In September 2006, Rooney was again at a the centre of controversy, accused of punching Michael Gray in the eye following provocation from the Blackburn defender.

Books and website

On 9 March 2006, Rooney signed the largest sports book deal in publishing history with the publishers HarperCollins.^[17] He is to receive a £5 million advance, plus royalties, for a minimum of five books to be published over a twelve-year period. The first book, "My Story So Far", a ghost-written autobiography, was scheduled to be published after the World Cup. On 1 September 2006 Everton manager David Moyes started a libel action against the Daily Mail, which was publishing extracts of Rooney's book and threatened to also sue Rooney and his book publishers over statements made in the book concerning the circumstances of Rooney's leaving Everton. ^[18]

Rooney's lawyers went to the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation in August 2006 to try to gain ownership of the internet domain names "waynerooney.com" and "waynerooney.co.uk". Welsh TV personality Huw Marshall registered the names four years ago [9] leaving his current official site on the URL http://www.waynerooneyclub.com/

In October 2006 the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) ruled that the domain name waynerooney.com should be handed over to Wayne Rooney.[10]

Career stats

(Correct as of October 28, 2006)

Club	Season	League			Cup		Europe		Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Everton F.C.	2002–03	33	6	4	4	2	0	0	37	8
Everton F.C.	2003–04	34	9	3	6	0	0	0	40	9
Manchester United	2004–05	29	11	4	8	3	6	3	43	17
	2005–06	36	16	10	7	2	5	1	48	19
	2006–07	7	5	1	0	0	3	0	10	5
Total									178	58

ROBINHO

Robinho

Personal information
Robinho

Full name	Robson de Souza
Date of birth	January 25, 1984
Place of birth	São Vicente, Brazil
Height	172 cm
Nickname	Menino Robinho O Principe
Position	Left Winger, Second Striker
Club information
Current club	Real Madrid
Number	10
Youth clubs
1996–2002	Santos
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2002–2005 2005—	Santos Real Madrid	104 (44) 45 (8)
National team**
2003—	Brazil	31 (5)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 August 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2006.

Robson de Souza (born January 25, 1984 in São Vicente, Brazil), nicknamed Robinho (Little Robson), is a Brazilian footballer currently playing for Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Robinho has earned praise for his expert use of the pedalada and field speed.He is widely regarded as one of the best young players in the world .

[hide]

[edit] Youth programs

Born in Parque Bitaru, a poor neighborhood of São Vicente, Robinho took to playing football when he had little other. At six, Robinho was taken on by Beira-Mar, a local escolinha, and they took the championship in his first year^[1]. He is the best player from Brasileno.

In 1993, at the age of nine, Robinho drew attention by scoring 73 goals for the Portuarios futsal team^[2]. http://www.robinho.com.ar/robinho-5.jpg Robinho joined the Santos youth program, at the time was overseen by Brazilian football legend Pelé. Pelé brought Robinho into the Santos FC youth dorms, where Robinho received his first regular schedule of three meals a day.^[3].

[edit] Club career

In 2002, Robinho graduated to the Santos first team. His work at the front helped them win the Brazilian National Championships in 2002 and 2004, as well as place second to Boca Juniors in the 2003 Copa Libertadores. Robinho's contributions to Santos attracted a great deal of attention from the top European football clubs.

Robinho's skill drew the offers of several European clubs, but it took the kidnapping of his mother in late 2004^[4] to convince him to leave. On July 31, 2005, Robinho signed with Real Madrid for five years at $30 million and joined his fellow Brazilian internationals Ronaldo, Cicinho, Roberto Carlos and Julio Baptista. He made his La Liga debut on August 28th in a 2-1 victory against Cádiz as a second half substitute for Thomas Gravesen. In his first season, Robinho scored eight goals, but the arrival of José Antonio Reyes has brought the length of Robinho's stay into question. One of his most recent performances though, in the "El Classico" against Barcelona, which he earned the Man of the Match award may have impressed Fabio Capello.

[edit] National team

In 2003, Robinho was called up to join the prestigious ranks of the Brazilian national football team. His first internation appearance came in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, where despite his team's loss, Robinho displayed his talent on the international stage.

Robinho played in each game of the 2006 FIFA World Cup group stage, but only started in the final game against Japan.

[edit] Media coverage

Like many talented young Brazilian footballers, Robinho has been compared to his nation's great players by both fans and the sports media. Robinho's footwork and mercurial speed has many believing that he can carry on the mantle of Pelé, Garrincha and Ronaldo in Brazilian football.

As of late, fans have also begun to foment a potential rivalry between Robinho and Argentinian striker Lionel Messi, who has been hailed as a wonderkid in football, and therefore a natural counterpart to Robinho. Contrasts between the two include the fact that they each represent rival Latin American football powerhouses (Brazil and Argentina); they play opposite each other in the premiere rival clubs of La Liga (Robinho for Real Madrid and Messi for FC Barcelona); and interestingly, there are the comparisons to the greatest living footballers in the world (Messi has been hailed by Argentinian fans and media as "the new Maradona" and Robinho with Pelé).

ARJEN ROBBEN

Arjen Robben

Personal information
Arjen Robben

Full name	Arjen Robben
Date of birth	January 23, 1984
Place of birth	Bedum, Netherlands
Height	5'11" (1.80 m)
Nickname	Robbie, The Flying Dutchman
Position	Winger
Club information
Current club	Chelsea F.C.
Number	16
Youth clubs
? ? 2000-2001	C.V.V.B V.V. Bedum F.C. Groningen
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2000-2001 2001-2004 2004-	F.C. Groningen PSV Eindhoven Chelsea F.C.	46 (8) 56 (17) 48 (13)
National team**
2003-	Netherlands	24 (8)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 20, 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of August 17, 2006.

Arjen Robben (help·info) (born January 23, 1984 in Bedum, Netherlands) is a footballer for the Netherlands national football team and Chelsea F.C.. Robben is known for his excellent ball technique, his game-breaking speed and his precise dribbling skills. He was the 2000-01 player of the year for F.C. Groningen and the 2002-03 Talent of the Year for PSV Eindhoven, both in the Dutch Eredivisie. He was also the November 2004 player of the month for Chelsea F.C. in the English Premier League.

[hide]

[edit] Early football life

Born in the town of Bedum in the province of Groningen, the Netherlands, Robben took to football from an early age. He began playing with local clubs C.V.V.B and V.V. Bedum. Robben became an adherent of the Coerver Method, created and popularized by Dutch football coach Wiel Coerver.^[1] Coerver's method focused on precision ball control and fast, technical footwork. Robben's skill in these areas made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by local club FC Groningen.

[edit] Club career

[edit] F.C. Groningen

(2000-2001)
F.C. Groningen placed Robben in their C-class youth team for the 1999/2000 season. He scored an impressive 50 goals in their competitions.^[2]^[3] Manager Jan Van Dijk added the talented winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against F.C. Twente, but he did not play until December 3, 2000 against RKC Waalwijk, as a substitute for the injured Leonardo dos Santos in the 79th minute. Over the winter, Robben managed to play himself into the starting lineup. In 18 starts for Groningen over the 2000-01 season, he scored 2 goals.^[3] Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the big club, and with teammate Jordi Hoogstrate, he demonstrated the strength of the Groningen youth academy. Robben stayed with Groningen and improved steadily during the 2001-02 season, playing in 28 matches and scoring 6 goals.^[4] Robben transferred to PSV Eindhoven for €4.2 million before the 2002-03 season.

[edit] PSV Eindhoven

(2001-2004)
During his first season for PSV Eindhoven, Robben appeared to justify the high transfer price he commanded. Just 18 when the 2002-03 season started, Robben played in 33 matches and scored 12 goals. He was named PSV's co-player of the year along with striker Mateja Kežman. He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talent of the Year award.^[3]

After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rival AFC Ajax and were forced into a fight for second place in the Eredivisie. A transfer rumour linked him to Real Madrid. However, Robben's agent (his father, Hans Robben) said "Real Madrid also want him but he won't go to Real. What is the point? It is not the place for a young boy like my son. And he never liked Real anyway. When we were on holiday in Spain, he only liked Barcelona."^[5] Arjen traveled to London and met with Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson. After that meeting, Robben said that moving to the English club would be a dream come true.^[3] Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and/or Robben's liking; Eindhoven chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph^{[citation needed]}. Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered € 18 million (£ 12.1 million) , and Robben accepted. The rest of his season with PSV was very disappointing. He injured his hamstring twice and missed several games, and also received criticism for his "poor manners" from PSV trainer Guus Hiddink, in reference to his somewhat dramatic dives and appeals for yellow cards.^[3] This would not be the last time Robben was accused of such tactics. At the end of the 2003-04 season, Robben tallied only 23 appearances and 6 goals. However, he was clearly regarded as a dominant force, and was ready to claim the left wing for Chelsea in 2004-05.

[edit] Chelsea F.C.

2004 - 2005

Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea F.C. until November 2004, as he was injured in a pre-season friendly match against A.S. Roma, breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot in a strong challenge from Roma's Olivier Dacourt. Robben missed many games due to injury in 2004-05, managing to play in only 18 games, the fewest of his professional career since his debut in 2000-01 with FC Groningen. The 2004-05 season had some highlights for Robben; in November 2004, he was awarded the prestigious "Player of the Month" award for the English Premier League. Robben ended the 2004-05 season with 7 goals, his second highest professional total. He was shortlisted for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but was beaten by Wayne Rooney of Manchester United. His early Chelsea career was punctuated by dazzling displays as one of few 'out and out' wingers in the English game. His instant relationship with Damien Duff was perhaps the most prevalent consequence of Robben's arrival.

2005 - 2006

Back to fitness for 2005-06, Robben has been an integral part of the Chelsea left wing. In 20 matches, Robben scored 5 goals and 3 assists.^[6]

The 2005-06 season also saw Robben receive the first two red cards of his career, against Sunderland and West Brom. In addition, he was involved in an unsavoury incident with Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina, which resulted in Reina getting sent off and Robben accused of being a play-actor^{[citation needed]}.

2006 - 2007

After a world cup where some startling performances on the left wing for the Netherlands brought universal acclaim, the diminutive winger has had limited chances to shine in a new look Chelsea squad. With the arrivals of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack the 4-3-3 formation with 2 wingers has been passed over for a 4-4-2 formation. This has often seen Robben on the bench and given little time to make an impression. However, Jose Mourinho has recently given Robben more opportunities either playing just off a lone striker or as a winger in the previous 4-3-3 formation. His reputation as a 'diver' still looms over his head and he is possibly unfairly ostracised when he goes down to ground. The fact remains that Robben is one of the most dangerous players in the premiership but his future role at Chelsea is unknown especially after the departure of fellow winger Damien Duff.

[edit] International career

Robben has played in 22 games for the Netherlands, scoring 8 goals. The first international experience of Robben's career came in Euro 2004, as the Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. During Euro 2004 Dutch coach Dick Advocaat substituted Robben in the 66th minute with a 2-1 lead over the Czech Republic. The Czech team scored two goals and won 3-2, leading to criticism. Advocaat's decision has since been called "The Substitution" by Dutch soccer fans.^[3] In the same tournament, it was Arjen who scored the deciding penalty in the shootout between Holland and Sweden, which ensured that at the fifth attempt, the Dutch finally won a penalty shootout. Robben played in his first World Cup Qualifiers in 2006. In 6 games for the Netherlands, Robben scored 2 goals.^[7] The Netherlands qualified for the World Cup in 2006 and in Holland's opening match against Serbia and Montenegro, Robben scored the winning goal in the 18th minute, and was named the man of the match.

[edit] Controversies

Robben has been involved in several controversies in his career and has developed a reputation as a "diver" for his dramatic reactions to challenges. His reputation developed after an exaggerated fall against Portugal in Holland's Euro 2004 semi-final defeat. Since then, several English Premier League managers have spoken out against the ease with which Robben seems to go down.^[8] Two recent incidents illustrate the controversy that Robben has endured. First, he was sent off in Chelsea's match against Sunderland on 15 January 2006 for "overcelebrating." After scoring the winning goal, he received a second yellow card for jumping over advertising boards to celebrate with the Chelsea fans. In a 2-0 league win over rivals Liverpool, Robben overreacted to a confrontation with goalkeeper Jose Reina who - while already in trouble for a poor challenge on Eiður Guðjohnsen - shoved his hand in the Dutchman's face. Reina, in an interview with the Daily Star of London, insisted that Robben was "an actor" who "deserved an Oscar,"^[9]

In March 2006, Robben was sent off for a controversial tackle on West Bromwich Albion's Jonathan Greening during a Premiership game. In the World Cup 2006 match against Ivory Coast, he received a yellow card and a fine for a dive in the box.

In response to these incidents and others through his career, Robben has publicly vowed to change his reputation as a diver. Chelsea F.C. manager José Mourinho has stopped short of rebuking Robben, but has admitted he fears that Robben's behavior might attract more penalty cards.^[8]

[edit] Quotes about Robben

Dutch football great Johan Cruijff:

"Robben is all set to have a fabulous career. You need to have a lot of qualities to break through at the highest level in world football and he certainly has those. I have no doubts about his future whatsoever ... Robben is learning very quickly ... he keeps scoring goals and keeps playing well. He knows that I expect a lot from him, but I am sure he is going to live up to all my expectations."^[5]

Tottenham Hotspur coach Martin Jol:

"There are maybe two or three players as good as he is in the last 20 or 30 years. He’s that good.”^[10]

Former Dutch National Team coach Dick Advocaat:

"He's a constant threat on the wing. He's fast, extremely fast, actually. He can break an opponent with his dribbles and skills, and that's a big advantage for our team."^[10]

BBC pundit and former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen:

"There is no doubt he is a better winger than Cristiano Ronaldo in the minds of anyone who knows football."

Ruud Gullit on ITV:

"Robben is the best winger in the world, and in a few years will be the best player in the world, his dazzling skills, and immense pace make him greatly feared by all opposition."

[edit] Personal life

He currently has a girlfriend named Bernadien, whom he knew before starting his football career.^[11] His father, Hans, acts as his agent. In addition to being a talented football player, Robben is quite adept at chess.^[5]

FERNANDO TORRES

Fernando Torres

Personal information
Fernando Torres
Full name	Fernando José Torres Sanz
Date of birth	March 20, 1984
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6'0")
Position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Atlético Madrid
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2002 -	Atlético Madrid	143 (63)
National team**
2003 -	Spain	34 (14) ^[1]
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. ** National team caps and goals correct as of August 28, 2006.

Fernando José Torres Sanz (20 March 1984) is a Spanish football player and star striker of Atlético de Madrid.

He was born in the Fuenlabrada neighbourhood, traditionally Real Madrid territory, but he grew up to wear the red and white stripes of Atlético Madrid. Nicknamed El Niño (The Kid) for his youthful face, Torres is a striker for the Spanish National Team and Atlético Madrid, being its current captain despite his age.

[hide]

[edit] Career at Atlético Madrid

In 1999, Torres signed his first contract with the club and at the end of the 1999–2000 season he was part of the first team. His next success was at the European Under-16 Championship in England in 2001, where he finished as the Player of the Tournament en route to Spain's victory.

Torres made his debut for Atlético Madrid in the Vicente Calderón Stadium against Leganes and he scored his first goal for the club the following week, in a game against Albacete. 2002 saw Atlético Madrid returning to the first division of Spanish football. In his first season playing in the top division, Torres did not find the transition from second tier football too much of a hindrance as he scored 13 goals. Torres has been the top scorer for Atlético in La Liga for the past four seasons.

He is the youngest player to play for Atlético Madrid and the youngest to become captain (at age 19).

[edit] International career

In November of 2001 Torres played in the Under-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago. In July of 2002, he played in the Under-19 European Championships in Norway, a tournament Spain won. Torres was both top scorer and Player of the Tournament. He made his debut for the Under-21 national team in 2003. On September 6, later that year, Torres made his debut for the senior national team against Portugal. His first goal for Spain came against Italy on April 28, 2004.

It was widely expected that a good performance for Spain at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany would boost Torres' already significant demand among major European clubs. At his first ever appearance in a World Cup finals match, Torres scored with a spectacular volley helping Spain to a win over Ukraine. In the second group match Spain rallied from a 0-1 deficit against Tunisia to win 3-1. Torres scored in the 76th minute for Spain to take the lead 2-1 and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th minute. He was subsequently given a much-needed rest in Spain's third group match against Saudi Arabia, entering the game only to substitute José Antonio Reyes in the 70th minute. Having managed to score three goals in the tournament, Torres was one of the leading goal scorers in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was also the first player to score three goals in the tournament. Torres started the round of 16 matches against France, but after initially taking the lead, Spain went on to lose 1-3 and were knocked out of the tournament.

The Spanish national team coach, Luis Aragonés, remarked that he "never scores two goals the same" because of the way he seems to score a different goal every time he steps onto the pitch..

[edit] Transfer speculation

The amount of speculation in the media for a Torres transfer is overwhelming. Some of last transfer speculations are below.

In March 2006, the Spanish striker said it was confirmed to him by Atlético chiefs that Manchester United had made a bid which was subsequently rejected.[1] Other sources have instead estimated €36.6m ($46.6m or £25m) to Atlético, who have been facing financial difficulties. [2]

There has been some confusion over Torres's own opinion on the matter. Javier Aguirre, has told the Spanish newspaper, Marca, that "I've spoken to Fernando and he hasn't been able to guarantee his presence in the team in the forthcoming season. The market is still open and a lot of things can happen, but it is clear that every day that passes is one day less for something to occur. What I want to make clear, though, is that Fernando has a great commitment to the club." However, his agent has made opposite claims, saying that "On 21 July, Torres will join Atlético Madrid for pre-season training. Torres has two years left on his contract with Atletico and then we will see what happens. After the World Cup, there has been interest from Italian clubs but not from English clubs, and there hasn't been anything concrete." He also added that "The player's intention is to remain at Atlético. Neither us, nor the club, has received an offer from Manchester United, or any other clubs for that matter."

Torres has recently stated in a news conference that he is staying at Atletico until his contract is up. However, speculation remains rife that Manchester United and AC Milan have remained interested. For the time being at least it seems Torres will remain in Madrid however Torres is believed to be negotiating a one year extension to his current deal. Reports in Spain claim Torres himself wants a smaller buy out clause to the one he currently has of £41.6 million. Fernando has since signed a new contract with his release clause reduced to around £26 million fueling rumours that a move to Manchester United is imminent.

[edit] Trivia

He has three tattoos: one is on the inside of his left arm that says "Fernando" in Tengwar; the number 9, his number for Atlético Madrid and the Spanish national team, is tattooed on the inside of his right wrist; and the Roman numerals VII VII MMI are tattooed on the inside of his right shin.
He's said that signing autographs after training sessions are "almost a duty, a moral obligation". [3]
He is a friend of lead singer Dani Martin of the Spanish band El Canto del Loco.
His current girlfriend, Olalla, broke off their engagement (they were going to get married on September 11th, 2006), leading people to believe that the relationship is on the rocks. Torres is hinting to the fact that they will break up soon because she has not made an apperance to any of his games yet this year.

[edit] Honours

1998/1999: Top Scorer of Nike Cup Europe and Best Young European Player Award[4]
2000/2001: Top Scorer and Player of Tournament Algarve, Top Scorer and Player of the Under-16s European Championship, Under-16 European Championship winners[5]
2001/2002: Top Scorer of the Under 19s European Championship and Under 19s European Championship winners[6]He is known as "El Nino" for his boyish looks

KAKA

Kaká

Personal information
Kaká

Full name	Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
Date of birth	April 22, 1982
Place of birth	Brasília, Brazil
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 2 in)
Nickname	Kaká, The Golden Boy
Position	Attacking Midfielder
Club information
Current club	A.C. Milan
Number	22
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2001-2003 2003-present	São Paulo A.C. Milan	58 (23) 101 (31)
National team**
2002-present	Brazil	46 (16)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 14, 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of October 11, 2006.

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (born April 22, 1982 in Brasília), better known as Kaká, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brazil and the Serie A club A.C. Milan.

[hide]

Early life

Kaká was born in Brasília, Brazil on the 22nd of April, 1982 to Simone Cristina dos Santos Leite and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite. He has a younger brother, Rodrigo Ifrano dos Santos Leite, known as Digão, who has followed in Kaká's footsteps by playing football in Italy.

His nickname Kaká, from his native Portuguese, is pronounced as it is spelled, with the stress being on the second syllable as the accent signifies. It is a commonly used shortened form of "Ricardo" in Brazil ^[1], however, Kaká received his nickname from his little brother, Rodrigo, who could not pronounce the word "Ricardo" when they were young. Rodrigo called his older brother "Caca" which was later changed to "Kaká". ^[2]

In September, 2000, at the age of 18, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spine fracture as a result of a pool accident. The worst did not occur, however, and Kaká fully recovered from the incident. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.^[3]

Club career

Kaká made his debut at São Paulo FC in 2001 when he was 18 years old. In the first season, he scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, and 10 goals in 22 appearances in the following season. His performance attracted attention from European clubs, and it was AC Milan who won the race to sign him.

He joined AC Milan in 2003 for $8.5 m, a fee described as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi.^{[citation needed]} Within a month, he became a first team regular, an he has been a starter ever since. He debuted in Serie A in an away match against Ancona, which Milan won 2-0. He scored 10 goals in 30 appearances that season, winning the Italian Serie A Championship and the European Super Cup.

Kaká was an integral part of the five-man midfield in the 2004-05 season, usually playing in a withdrawn role behind striker Andriy Shevchenko. He scored 7 goals in 36 league appearances, and also won the Italian Super Cup with the club. Milan finished second to Juventus in the Serie A, and lost the UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool on penalty kicks. He was voted the best midfielder of the Champions League tournament. He also ended up in the ninth place in the 2005 Golden Ball poll, earning 19 votes.

One of Kaká's most notable goals has been the one against Fenerbahçe SK in the AC Milan's first game in the 2005-06 Champions League, won 3-1 by the Rossoneri. It had pundits draw instant comparisons to Diego Maradona, as Kakà started his run from the midfield and skipped past three tackles before entering the area and finishing with a low shot under Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Volkan Demirel.

On April 9, 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo Verona. All three goals were scored in the second half.

In 2006, Real Madrid showed an interest in signing the 24 year old star, but Milan refused to sell him and Kaká signed a contract extension until 2011. He said he never wanted to go to Real and was happy at Milan.^{[citation needed]}

On November 1, 2006, AC Milan moved to within a point of the UEFA Champions League knockout stages as Kaká scored a hat-trick to help the team win 4-1 against RSC Anderlecht. This was his second hat-trick at Milan and his first hat-trick in European competitions.

International career

Kaká made his international debut in January 2002 against Bolivia. He was a part of the national squad which won the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but did not see much action playing just 19 minutes of the first round match against Costa Rica. In 2003, he was the captain for the Gold Cup tournament in the US and Mexico, leading Brazil to the second place and scoring key goals against Colombia. Later, he was in action at the 2005 Confederations Cup, with Kaká scoring in the Confederation Cup final win over Argentina. (During the postmatch celebration, he and several of his teammates sported T-shirts with "Jesus Loves You" written in different languages.) He finished in joint tenth place in the voting for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award. In the 2005 competition he finished two places higher. More recently, he helped Brazil qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Kaká has matured as a player and is currently considered as one of the best footballers from Brazil. He scored Brazil's first goal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Croatia on 13 June 2006. On September 3 of 2006 he scored one of his most brilliant goals for the Brazilian team after assisting a goal to a new team addition, Elano. Kaká received the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick, and took the ball 3/4 of the field beating Argentine star Lionel Messi to score.

2006 World Cup

In the first match for Brazil, in group F, Kaká scored a goal in the 44th minute against Croatia. A left-foot strike from 25 meters led Brazil to the 1-0 victory. The media regarded him as the only member of the "magic quintet" – Adriano, Kaká, Ronaldo, Robinho and Ronaldinho – who produced in the match. Also against Ghana he wrote himself into the history books by assisting the goal that Ronaldo broke Gerd Muller's World Cup goalscoring record with. He was unable to carry his momentum into the next match and Brazil were eliminated by France in the quarter finals.

Personal life

Kaká married Caroline Celico at the Reborn in Christ Church on December 23, 2005, two years after Kaká's move from São Paulo to Milan. Caroline was born on 26 July 1987 to Rosangela Lyra, the director of Dior in Brazil, and Celso Celico, an entrepreneur. She and Kaká met in 2001 while she was a student and he was playing for the São Paulo Football Club. The wedding was attended by about 600 people, including fellow Brazilian footballers Cafu, Ronaldo, Adriano, Dida, Júlio Baptista and (then) Brazilian national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. Caroline plans to earn a business degree from a university in Milan.^[4]

Kaká is a devout evangelical Christian. ^[5]

He is known to sport Christian gear from time to time: he has worn an "I Belong to Jesus" t-shirt on several occasions during matches, such as during the Brazilian team's celebration after their 2002 World Cup victory, and during Milan's Scudetto celebration in May 2004. He wears shoes customised with the same words written on them. ^[6] Every time he scores he points his fingers to the sky as a sign of thanks to God, and, in what is possibly a first for a footballer at his level, he is proud that he was a virgin when he married.^[7]

Trivia

In Italian, the language of his current club team, the phonetic equivalent is written as Kakà. However, the player's shirt name is spelled KAKA' (with an apostrophe, rather than an accented 'A') for both his club in Milan and in the past for the Brazilian national team. In the World Cup 2006, the back of his shirt read KAKÁ. Kaká is also of Portuguese descent.

Since November 2004, Kaká has been an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme. He was the youngest ambassador at the time of his appointment [1].

Honours

Team honours

Individual honours

Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball; Best Player Of Brazilian League), 2002
UEFA Club Football Awards 2004-05, Best Midfielder

Career statistics

Club	Season	Domestic League		Domestic Cups		Continental Championship		Intercontinental Cup		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
AC Milan	2006-07	9	2	0	0	4	5	-	-	13	7
	2005-06	35	14	2	0	12	5	-	-	49	19
	2004-05	36	7	2	0	13	2	-	-	51	9
	2003-04	30	10	4	0	13	2	1	0	48	12
	Total	101	31	8	0	38	9	1	0	148	40
São Paulo FC	2003	9	2			0	0	-	-	9	2
	2002	22	9			0	0	-	-	22	9
	2001	27	12			0	0	-	-	27	12
	Total	58	23	0	0	0	0	-	-	58	23
Career Totals		159	54	8	0	38	9	1	0	206	63

C. RONALDO

Cristiano Ronaldo

Personal information
Cristiano Ronaldo

Full name	Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Date of birth	5 February 1985
Place of birth	Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Height	1.84 m (6'1")^[1]
Nickname	CR,Christy, Rocket Ronaldo
Position	Right/Left Winger & Forward
Club information
Current club	Manchester United
Number	7
Youth clubs
	Andorinha CD Nacional Sporting
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1999–2003 2003–present	Sporting CP Manchester United	25 (3) 104 (22)
National team**
2003 – present	Portugal	42 (14)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 November 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2006.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. IPA [kɾiʃ'tiɐnu ʁu'naɫdu] or [ʁo'naɫdu]), (born 5 February 1985), better known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese professional football player, who plays for Manchester United F.C. and Portugal, and is considered one of the finest young talents today.

[hide]

Biography

Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal to his mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and his father José Dinis Aveiro. He grew up with a brother, Hugo, and two sisters, Elma and Katia. His second name ("Ronaldo") is relatively rare in Portugal. His parents named him after former US president Ronald Reagan because he was his father's favourite actor, and not for political reasons.^[2]

Early career

Ronaldo first began kicking a football when he was three, and when he started primary school at age six, his passion for the sport was obvious. His favourite boyhood team was SL Benfica even though he would later join their rival, Sporting CP. He first played for an amateur team, Andorinha, where his father was the kit man, when he was just eight years old. By 1995, at just ten years of age, Cristiano Ronaldo's reputation was growing in Portugal. Madeira's top two teams, CS Marítimo and CD Nacional were both interested in signing him. Marítimo, the bigger team, missed a crucial meeting with Rui Santos manager of Andorinha, and as a result Ronaldo signed for Nacional. After a title-winning campaign at Nacional, Ronaldo went on a three day trial with Sporting Lisbon who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.

Sporting Lisbon

Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Alcochete, the club's "football factory," where he received first-class instruction. Sporting realised that Ronaldo needed more support and arranged for his mother to join him. He made his debut for Sporting Lisbon against Moreirense and scored 2 goals. He also featured for Portugal in the UEFA Under 17 Championships.

His performances at the UEFA Under 17 championship drew him to the attention of the wider football world. He was first spotted by former Liverpool F.C. manager Gérard Houllier at the age of 16. However, Liverpool later declined him because he was too young and needed some time to develop into a top footballer. However he came to the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting Lisbon beat Manchester United 3–1 in the inauguration of the Alvalade XXI stadium in Lisbon. Ronaldo demonstrated his ability to play on both wings. After the match, United's players spoke enthusiastically of the young talent that they had just played against, saying they would rather have him in their team than play against him in the future.

Manchester United

Ferguson decided that he wanted the youngster for his team, who were in the market for a right-sided midfielder with the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid; Cristiano was signed for a fee of £12.24 million. He made his debut for Manchester United as a 60th minute substitute against Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford. United were then 1-0 up but with just minutes on the pitch, Ronaldo won a penalty which Ruud van Nistelrooy duly converted. The match ended in a 4-0 win to Manchester United and Ronaldo's contributions were hyped everywhere, with certain British tabloids running headlines such as Seven Heaven. He has played primarily as a winger for United and can play on either wing.

However for all his skill and pace, Ronaldo supposedly did not want the pressure of living up to expectations with this number, and so initially asked for the number 28 which he wore at Sporting.^[3] Preferring a free role, he has often been accused of being selfish.^{[citation needed]} A row between him and Ruud van Nistelrooy at the Carrington training ground intensified speculation about their roles at the club.^[4] Ferguson has however put his faith with Ronaldo, who signed a new deal with United that will last through 2010. Ronaldo is also quoted in the Manchester Evening News as saying "United have stood by me and been there for me and I want to repay that."^[5]

Ronaldo has often had problems with his temper during games, he was sent off in a game against Manchester City and received a one-match ban imposed by UEFA for a "one-fingered gesture" towards Benfica fans in a UEFA Champions League match in December 2005.^[6] While playing for Portugal in a friendly against Luxembourg he was given a yellow card for pushing Jeff Strasser in the throat in retaliation after Strasser tackled him. Felipe Scolari warned Ronaldo to keep his temper in check during the World Cup.^[7]

On the 29 October 2005 Ronaldo scored Manchester United's 1000th Premiership goal, in a 4–1 loss at the hands of Middlesbrough. He bagged a double double in February, with two goals at home to Fulham and another pair at Fratton Park, and also scored in the following Premiership game against Wigan taking his tally to 8 Premiership goals. On 26 February 2006, Ronaldo played in the Carling Cup Final against Wigan in the Millennium Stadium at Cardiff, and scored a goal - taking his season's tally to 10 goals.

He was named FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year 2005, the only award to be voted for by fans. He also ranked 20th in the FIFA Player of the Year 2005 standings.

On 8 July 2006, after the sending off of United team-mate Wayne Rooney, and after much speculation in the English media that he had influenced Rooney's red card, Ronaldo told reporters that he thought he "should get out of Manchester as the circumstances are not right to keep playing there."^[8]

"I have told my agent I am prepared to leave. I want to do it in the best manner possible. I want to play for Real Madrid and dream of doing so," Ronaldo told the Spanish sports daily Marca.^[9]

On 9 July, he also said for SIC, a Portuguese television channel, he cannot understand all verbal violence and pejorative speculation about him. Cristiano declared he did not behave wrongly when Portugal defeated England and so cannot be blamed for defending his home country colours. He added that he cannot live and work in a place where people do not like him, so he would be glad to move out of England.

Several news sources considered that Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United was imminent,^[10]^[11]^[12] however, Ronaldo chose to remain at United. His decision may have been influenced by Sir Alex Ferguson, who sent assistant boss Carlos Queiroz to Portugal hoping to change the young player's mind,^[13] and teammate Wayne Rooney also pleaded with Ronaldo not to leave the team and to let their differences rest.^[14]

On July 12, United released a statement saying "The club can confirm there is no possibility of Cristiano being sold. Cristiano recently signed a new contract until 2010 and the club fully expects him to honour that contract. The club will not listen to any offers for Cristiano," and on July 17, Sir Alex Ferguson said, "Cristiano will be coming back," while Chelsea manager José Mourinho said, "If he stays in England, I think he can turn things around." Cristiano Ronaldo returned to United after all potential problems were cleared.^[15]^[16]

Nevertheless, Ronaldo remained popular with the majority of Manchester United fans when he played (and scored) in his first Premiership match since the 2006 World Cup. Manchester United fans could clearly be heard chanting "there's only one Ronaldo" at various points in the game, in a 5-1 win over Fulham F.C. Since then, a BBC report stated that Ronaldo has said he no longer wishes to leave Manchester United, and is happy to remain at the club. He continued his fine world cup form in to the start of the season, netting 4 goals in just 11 premiership games, including a fine free-kick againt Portsmouth FC Old Trafford in front of 76,004 people.

International career

Ronaldo made his international debut in August 2003, against Kazakhstan. He scored Portugal's only goal in their 2–1 loss to Greece in the opening match of Euro 2004 and the first goal of the semi final against the Netherlands, which Portugal won 2–1. The final saw a rematch of the opening game of the tournament, and again, Greece emerged victorious.

Ronaldo represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and was the second highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with 7 goals. As of 17 June 2005, he has scored 11 goals in 25 appearances for his country.

Ronaldo scored his first World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick.

In the Round of 16, he left Portugal's 1-0 win over Netherlands injured after a high tackle by Khalid Boulahrouz.

Ronaldo recovered in time to play in the quarter-final of the competition against England on 1 July 2006, scoring the final penalty shoot-out that sealed the Portuguese victory. However, Ronaldo was widely criticised for his gamesmanship by the English Press.^[17]^[18] England's Wayne Rooney stamped on Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho's groin after a struggle for the ball. Ronaldo, Rooney's Manchester United team-mate, then sprinted over to appeal to the referee. Rooney pushed Ronaldo before receiving a red card. Former England striker and TV pundit Alan Shearer suggested Rooney might "stick one on Ronaldo" when the two meet again.^[19] BBC pundit Gary Lineker showed viewers footage of Ronaldo winking at the Portuguese bench after Rooney was sent off. Also before the match, Ronaldo was seen to whisper something in Rooney’s ear as he walked by him, with a headbutt feint from behind[1]. Ronaldo's behaviour in the match also came under fire from several England players, most notably Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. In their respective autobiographies, Gerrard claimed that 'a dark side stains Cristiano Ronaldo's game', whilst Lampard said Ronaldo's actions made him 'sick'.

Sven-Göran Eriksson told reporters that the referee Horacio Elizondo explained after the match that the red card was for the initial challenge on Carvalho. Elizondo confirmed the initial story told by Eriksson to the The Times, saying "It was violent play and therefore he got a red card. People can say what they want (about Ronaldo) but this had absolutely no influence. For me it was a clear red card, so I didn't react to the Portuguese players."^[20] Portuguese keeper Ricardo backed Ronaldo, saying: "There always has to be a scapegoat when someone loses… I don't think [Ronaldo] influenced the referee. The referee was right on top of it."^[21]

Ronaldo said, "I complained to the referee about the foul but I didn't ask for a red card". After the match he admitted reports that Real Madrid were interested in him were correct, and was now more likely to go to the Spanish club or elsewhere over the summer transfer period.^[22]

After England's elimination Ronaldo was attacked by the English tabloids. The Sun made a dart board with a picture of his wink in a similar fashion to the one made after the 1998 World Cup for David Beckham by The Daily Mirror, another English tabloid.^[23]^[24]^[25]

Ronaldo has said that Rooney was a friend, and that he was not trying to get Rooney a red card.^[26] Rooney said, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed that he chose to get involved."^[27]

On July 5, in the semi-final against France, which Portugal lost 1-0, Ronaldo was loudly booed each time he had possession of the ball, by French and English fans alike. At the end of the match, he broke down in tears for his loss, like he had done on many other occasions. Though generally considered the best player on the pitch during the match, several reports accused Ronaldo (and other members of his side) of trying to influence the referee by diving.^[28]^[29]^[30]^[31]^[32] There have been similar accusations in the past, and Ronaldo has been booked for the offence more than once in the English Premiership.^[33]^[34]^[35] Shortly after he dropped back to second place in the online voting for Best Young Player, it was reported by BBC Sport that this was partly because of an email campaign by an England supporter urging people to vote for Luis Valencia, who was the second place player to prevent Ronaldo from winning the award.^[36] Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA Technical Study Group awarded the honours to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo's behaviour as a factor.^[37]

Private life

His father, Dinis Aveiro died on September 7, 2005. Ronaldo played in a World Cup qualifier against Russia only hours after receiving the news.^[38] He was also granted compassionate leave by Sir Alex Ferguson and missed the Manchester derby against Manchester City on September 10. However, he declared himself available for Manchester United's next match in the UEFA Champions League, against Villarreal.

In October 2005, Ronaldo and another man were questioned by police for an alleged sexual assault. Ronaldo denied the accusation and the Crown Prosecution Service stated there was insufficient evidence to press charges.^[39]

Cristiano was previously linked with Merche Romero (a Spanish TV anchorwoman working in Portugal. She is a divorcee, 9-years older than Ronaldo); she confirmed (see Portuguese magazine Lux of August 2006) the relationship in the Portuguese press, although Ronaldo has never confirmed or denied the relationship, as he chooses to keep his personal life private and separated from his professional life. More recently, the Portuguese media have reported that the relationship has ended. Neither Cristiano nor Merche were available to comment on the reports; however, a friend of the presenter told Spanish reporters that the relation is over and that Merche is devastated. On September 20, 2006 it was confirmed, by Merche, that she and Cristiano had indeed broken up. ^{[citation needed]}

In the past, Ronaldo has dated the model Jordana Jardel, sister of Brazilian footballer Mario Jardel, and model Lauren Frain.
Ronaldo has done charity work, as well as flying out Martunis, an 11-year-old Indonesian tsunami survivor and his father to attend one of their World Cup qualifiers in June 2005; covering all their expenses. Subsequently all the players contributed money to buy them a house in Indonesia.^[40]^[41]

After the two World Cup qualifiers, Ronaldo flew to Indonesia to visit the areas affected by the tsunami and to raise funds. He met the Vice President of the Indonesian Republic Jusuf Kalla and the President of East Timor Xanana Gusmão, and raised £66,000 (about $120,000 USD) by auctioning off his personal sports gear in Jakarta, Indonesia.^[42]

Career stats

(Correct as of 21 October 2006)

**All-Time Club Performance**
Club	Season	Domestic League			Domestic Cup			League Cup			European Competition			Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	Assists	App	Goals	Assists	App	Goals	Assists	App	Goals	Assists	App	Goals
Manchester United	2006-07	7	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	9	2
	2005-06	33	9	6	2	0	0	4	2	1	8	1	0	47	12
	2004-05	33	5	4	7	4	0	2	0	0	8	0	0	50	9
	2003-04	28	4	4	5	2	0	1	0	0	5	0	0	39	6
Total		101	20	16	14	6	0	7	2	1	23	1	2	145	29
Sporting Lisbon	2002-03	25	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	25	3

Trivia

He was named the sexiest player of Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006 by Gay Krant, a Dutch gay magazine.^[43]
His nickname as a pre-teen was "Kluivert".^{[citation needed]}
He endorses Nike, Pepe Jeans, Extra Joss (Indonesian energy drink) and Suzuki cars (although he drives a black BMW).
He appears on the cover of the video game FIFA Street 2.
His name Ronaldo is from Ronald Reagan who was his late father's favorite actor.
His childhood team was Sport Lisboa e Benfica.
His childhood hero was Maradona.
His current heroes are Portugal teammate Luís Figo and Thierry Henry.
He is a socío (member) of his hometown team, CS Marítimo, the team he now supports.

He is good friends with Madeira's controversial regional governor, Alberto João Jardim.

*-*-*-*END OF THE PAGE *-*-*-*

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