PENONTON MASUK LAPANGAN (JERMAN Vs SPANYOL)

Seorang penyusup dengan baju ala Superman (kanan) memasuki lapangan Stadion Moses Mabhida, Durban, saat berlangsung laga semifinal Piala Dunia 2010 antara Jerman dan Spanyol, Rabu (7/7/2010).

Ada kejadian menarik di Piala Dunia 2010. Seorang suporter nyelonong masuk ke lapangan saat duel semifinal antara Jerman dan Spanyol. Untung penonton dengan baju Superman itu bisa ditangkap dengan mudah.
“Superman” itu tiba-tiba masuk ke lapangan ketika pertandingan baru berlangsung empat menit. Pria itu memakai kaus biru dan logo Superman di dadanya sambil membawa vuvuzela warna merah. Ia berlari dan masuk lapangan mulai dekat gawang Jerman hingga tengah lapangan.
Petugas keamanan langsung mengejarnya dan berhasil menangkap Superman gadungan itu. Petugas kemudian menyeretnya ke pinggir lapangan dan mengangkatnya melewati papan reklame. Polisi kemudian melarikan penyusup tadi melewati lorong stadion. Pertandingan pun dilanjutkan tanpa gangguan. [kompas]

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FIFA WORLD CUP 2010

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international association football tournament, which is being held in South Africa. It is the first time the finals of the tournament have been staged in an African host nation. South Africa was selected as host in May 2004, beating Morocco and Egypt in a bidding process open only to African nations. Held every four years since 1930, the previous tournament was held in Germany, while the 2014 finals will be hosted by Brazil.
The finals tournament sees 736 players representing 32 teams compete for the World Cup trophy in games held in ten stadiums across South Africa. The qualifying teams were selected through a qualification process that began in August 2007. With a pool of entrants comprising 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams, the 2010 World Cup shares with the 2008 Summer Olympics the record for most competing nations in a sporting event.
The finals began on 11 June with the group stage, in which the 32 qualifying teams played in round-robin groups of four teams for points, with the top two teams in each group proceeding. These 16 teams advanced to the single elimination knockout stage beginning on 26 June, in which games tied after normal time are settled using extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout, up to and including the World Cup Final, scheduled for 11 July at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.
(source : www.wikipedia.org)

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JABULANI BALL (BOLA JABULANI)

The Jabulani is the official match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The ball, created by sports manufacturer Adidas, was developed at Loughborough University in the UK, and was unveiled in Cape Town, South Africa on December 4, 2009. Jabulani means "rejoice" or "bring joy and happiness" in Zulu. A gold colour version Jo'bulani is for the World Cup final and an orange colour version Jabulani Powerorange is for snow game.
The ball was also used as the match ball of 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and a special version of the ball, the Jabulani Angola, was the match ball of the 2010 African Cup of Nations. This ball was also used in the 2009-10 Bundesliga, the 2010 Clausura Tournament of Argentina as well as the 2010 MLS season in the USA and Canada in the league's colors of blue and green.

Design

The ball is constructed using a new design, consisting of eight (down from 14 in the last World Cup) thermally bonded, three-dimensional panels. These are spherically molded from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). The surface of the ball is textured with grooves, a technology developed by Adidas called Grip′n′Groove^[1] that are intended to improve the ball's aerodynamics. The design has received considerable academic input, being developed in partnership with researchers from Loughborough University, United Kingdom.^[2]

Technical specification

	FIFA Approved standard[3]	Jabulani measurements[3]
Circumference	68.5–69.5 cm	69.0 ± 0.2 cm
Diameter	≤ 1.5% difference	≤ 1.0% difference
Water absorption	≤ 10% weight increase	~ 0% weight increase
Weight	420 - 445 g	440 ± 0.2 g
Rebound test	≤ 10 cm	≤ 6 cm
Loss of pressure	≤ 20%	≤ 10%

Colouring

The ball has four triangular design elements on a white background. Eleven different colours are used, representing the eleven players in a football team, the eleven official languages of South Africa, and the eleven South African communities.^[4] The Jabulani Angola, used at the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola, was coloured to represent the yellow, red, and black of the host nation's flag.^[5] For the final game, a special match ball will be used with gold panels.

Manufacturing

The balls are made in China, using natural Kerala latex^[6] bladders from India, thermoplastic polyurethane-elastomer from Taiwan, ethylene vinyl acetate, isotropic polyester/cotton fabric, glue, and ink from China.^[7] The retail price is ~ US$110^[8]

World Cup Final ball

Adidas Jo'bulani

A gold version of the Jabulani ball, the Jo'bulani, was announced as the ball for the World Cup Final. The name of the ball inspired by the city of Johannesburg, which is often affectionately nicknamed Jo'burg and will be the site of the 2010 Final. The color also refers to the city of Johannesburg: Johannesburg is also nicknamed "eGoli" (/egɔli/) in Zulu (from the English word "Gold" and "Rhawutini" (/xaʊtini/) in Xhosa or "Gauteng /xaʊˈtɛŋ/" in other official languages—from the Afrikaans word "goud" which means "gold".The only teams able to use this special version will be the two teams in the final.
This is the second World Cup Final ball to be produced, the other being the +Teamgeist Berlin for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

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CANADA

Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area. Canada's common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the longest in the world.
The land occupied by Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal people. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces.^[8][9] This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom. This widening autonomy was highlighted by the Statute of Westminster of 1931 and culminated in the Canada Act of 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament.
A federation consisting of ten provinces and three territories, Canada is governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. It is a bilingual nation with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. One of the world's highly developed countries, Canada has a diversified economy that is reliant upon its abundant natural resources and upon trade—particularly with the United States, with which Canada has had a long and complex relationship. It is a member of the G8, G-20, NATO, OECD, WTO, Commonwealth, Francophonie, OAS, APEC, and UN.

Etymology

Main article: Name of Canada

The name Canada comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement." In 1535, indigenous inhabitants of the present-day Quebec City region used the word to direct French explorer Jacques Cartier towards the village of Stadacona.^[10] Cartier later used the word Canada to refer not only to that particular village, but also the entire area subject to Donnacona (the chief at Stadacona); by 1545, European books and maps had begun referring to this region as Canada.^[10]
From the early 17th century onwards, that part of New France that lay along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes was known as Canada. The area was later split into two British colonies, Upper Canada and Lower Canada. They were re-unified as the Province of Canada in 1841.^[11] Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was adopted as the legal name for the new country, and Dominion (a term from Psalm 72:8)^[12] was conferred as the country's title. Combined, the term Dominion of Canada was in common usage until the 1950s.^[13] As Canada asserted its political autonomy from the United Kingdom, the federal government increasingly used simply Canada on state documents and treaties, a change that was reflected in the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day in 1982.^[13]

History

Main article: History of Canada

See also: Timeline of Canadian history

Aboriginal peoples

Main article: Aboriginal peoples in Canada

Aboriginal peoples in Canada include the First Nations,^[14] Inuit,^[15] and Métis.^[16] The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" are falling into disuse.^[17] Archaeological and Indigenous genetic studies support a human presence in the northern Yukon from 26,500 years ago, and in southern Ontario from 9,500 years ago.^[18][19][20] Old Crow Flats and Bluefish Caves are two of the earliest archaeological sites of human (Paleo-Indians) habitation in Canada.^[21][22][23] Among the First Nations peoples, there are eight unique stories of creation and their adaptations.These are the earth diver, world parent, emergence, conflict, robbery, rebirth of corpse, two creators and their contests, and the brother myth.^[24] The characteristics of Canadian Aboriginal civilizations included permanent or urban settlements, agriculture, civic and monumental architecture, and complex societal hierarchies.^[25] Some of these civilisations had long faded by the time of the first permanent European arrivals (c. late 15th–early 16th centuries), and have been discovered through archaeological investigations. The aboriginal population is estimated to have been between 200,000^[26] and two million in the late 1400s.^[27] Repeated outbreaks of European infectious diseases such as influenza, measles and smallpox (to which they had no natural immunity), combined with other effects of European contact, resulted in an eighty-five to ninety-five percent aboriginal population decrease post-contact.^[28] The Métis culture of mixed blood originated in the mid-17th century when First Nation and Inuit married European settlers.^[29] The Inuit had more limited interaction with European settlers during the early periods.^[30]

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THIERRY HENRY

Thierry Daniel Henry (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ɑ̃ʁi]; born 17 August 1977) is a French footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club Barcelona and the French national team. Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne—a tough suburb of Paris—where he played for an array of local 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 Premier League, 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 2009 when they won the league, cup and Champions League treble. Later he would go on to achieve an unprecedented sextuple by also winning the Spanish Supercup, the UEFA Supercup and the Club World Cup. Henry has been named in the UEFA Team of the Year five times.
Henry has enjoyed similar success with the French national squad, having won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. 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. He married English model Nicole Merry in 2003 and had a daughter with her, but they divorced in 2007. Henry is also one of the top commercially marketed footballers; he was ranked ninth in the world in 2006.

Early years

Henry is of Antillean heritage:^[2] his father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe (La Désirade island), and his mother, Maryse, is from Martinique. He was born and raised in Les Ulis district of Paris which, despite sometimes being seen as a tough neighbourhood, provided good footballing facilities.^[3][4] 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.^[5] 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.^[2] US Palaiseau coach Jean-Marie Panza, Henry's future mentor, followed him there.^[3]

Club career

Monaco (1992–1999) and Juventus (1999)

In 1990, Monaco sent scout Arnold Catalano to watch Henry in a match. Henry scored all six goals as his side won 6–0. Catalano asked him to join Monaco without even attending a trial first. Catalano requested that Henry complete a course at the elite Clairefontaine academy, and despite the director's reluctance to admit Henry due to his poor school results, he was allowed to complete the course and joined Arsène Wenger's Monaco as a youth player.^[5] Subsequently, Henry signed professional forms with Monaco and made his professional debut in 1994. Wenger put Henry on the left wing because he believed that his pace, natural ball control and skill would be more effective against full-backs than centre-backs. In his first season with Monaco, Henry scored three goals in 18 appearances.^[2]
Wenger continued to search for the perfect playing position for Henry, and suspected that he should be deployed as a striker instead, but he was unsure.^[2] Under the tutelage of his manager, Henry was named the French Young Footballer of the Year in 1996, and in the 1996–97 season, his solid performances helped the club win the Ligue 1 title.^[5][6] During the 1997–98 season, he was instrumental in leading his club to the UEFA Champions League semi-final, setting a French record by scoring seven goals in the competition.^[2][7] By his third season, he had received his first cap for the national team, and was part of the winning team in the 1998 World Cup.^[2] He continued to impress at his tenure with Monaco, and in his five seasons with the French club, the young winger scored 20 league goals in 105 appearances.^[6]
Henry left Monaco in January 1999, one year before his friend and teammate David Trézéguet, and moved to Italian Serie A club Juventus for £10.5 million.^[5] He played on the wing,^[8] but he was ineffective against the Serie A defensive discipline in a position uncharacteristic for him, and scored just three goals in 16 appearances.^[9]

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FOTO-FOTO AREMA

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SIAPAKAH MBAH PRIOK ?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta: Mbah Priok telah lama tiada. Namun, bukan berarti ia tak meninggalkan apa-apa. Sebuah kenangan berupa makam dijaga masyarakat yang mengagumi Mbah Priok. Tak sedikit pula yang masih datang untuk memanjatkan doa di makam tersebut.
Siapakah Mbah Priok
Masyarakat mengenalnya sebagai Habib Hasan bin Muhammad Al-Haddad. Cerita yang disampaikan secara turun-temurun, lelaki kelahiran Palembang, Sumatra Selatan, itu berlayar ke Pulau Jawa untuk menyebarkan ajaran Islam. Habib yang lahir pada 1727 itu mengalami kesulitan dalam menjalankan tugas keagamaan lantaran terus dikejar tentara Belanda.
Akhirnya, Habib meninggal dunia. Nama Tanjungpriok muncul lantaran warga menemukan priok nasi di samping jasad Habib. Kini, makin banyak orang yang dimakamkan dekat makam Mbah Priok sehingga kawasan tersebut menjadi pekuburan umum. Dan, tak sedikit pula warga yang berziarah ke makam Mbah Priok.
Kisah Habib yang menyebarkan Islam di Jakarta Utara pada abad ke-18 itu sudah di ujung halaman. Jika proses pemugaran yang dilakukan pemerintah Kota Jakut atas instruksi Gubernur DKI Jakarta Fauzi Bowo berhasil, kemungkinan makam Mbah Priok akan berubah fungsi [baca: Bentrokan di Makam Mbah Priok].
Katanya, tanah pekuburan milik PT Pelabuhan Indonesia Dua itu akan diperluas menjadi jalan tol. Disebut-sebut juga, kanal dan peti kemas siap dirikan di tempat itu. Namun, ada yang menyatakan bahwa makam tersebut bakal dijadikan taman dan monumen seluas 100 meter persegi.(OMI/SHA)

(source : http://id.news.yahoo.com)

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RONALDINHO

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre), commonly known as Ronaldinho (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁonawˈdʒĩɲu]) or Ronaldinho Gaúcho,^[2] is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Brazil 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.^[3]

Biography and personal life

Ronaldinho was born in the city of Porto Alegre, capital of the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil. His mother, Dona Miguelina, is a former salesperson who studied to become a nurse. His father, João, was a shipyard worker and footballer for local club Esporte Clube Cruzeiro (not to be confused with Cruzeiro EC).^[4] He suffered a fatal heart attack in the family swimming pool when Ronaldinho was eight. After Ronaldinho's older brother, Roberto, signed with Grêmio, the family moved to a home in the more affluent Guarujá section of Porto Alegre, which was a gift from Grêmio to convince Roberto to stay at the club. Roberto's career was ultimately cut short by injury.
Ronaldinho's football skills began to blossom at an early age, and he was first given the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.^[5] He developed an interest in futsal and beach football, which later expanded to organized football. His first brush with the media came at the age of thirteen, when he scored all 23 goals in a 23-0 victory against a local team.^[6] Ronaldinho was identified as a rising star at the 1997 U-17 World Championship in Egypt, in which he scored two goals on penalty kicks.^[7][8]
Today, Roberto acts as Ronaldinho's manager, while his sister Deisi works as his press coordinator.^[5][9] Ronaldinho became a father for the first time on 25 February 2005, after Brazilian dancer Janaína Mendes gave birth to their son, who was named João after Ronaldinho's late father.^[10]

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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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.^[13] In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with French side Paris Saint-Germain in a €5.1 million transfer.^[14]

Paris Saint-Germain

Upon his arrival in Paris, Ronaldinho was given the number 21 shirt and inserted into a lineup that included fellow Brazilian Aloísio and midfielders Mikel Arteta and Jay-Jay Okocha. Ronaldinho made his league debut for the club on 4 August 2001 appearing as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Auxerre. Ronaldinho spent the majority of the 2001 portion of the season alternated between the bench and starter's role. He scored his first goal for the club on 13 October in a 2–2 draw against Lyon converting the equalizing penalty in the 79th minute after having come on 10 minutes prior. After returning from the winter break, Ronaldinho went on a tear scoring a goal in four consecutive matches to open the new campaign. He recorded impressive goals against Monaco, Rennes, Lens and Lorient. On 16 March 2002, Ronaldinho recorded a double in PSG's 3–1 victory against relegation strugglers Troyes. He scored his final league goal of the season in the club's 2–0 win over Metz on 27 April.
Ronaldinho was also influential in the 2001–02 edition of the Coupe de la Ligue helping Paris Saint-Germain reach the semi-finals where they were eliminated by Bordeaux. In a Round of 16 match against Guingamp, Ronaldinho scored two second half goals in the game after having entered the match as a half-time substitute. Despite Ronaldinho's initial success with the club, the season was marred by controversy with Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Fernández claiming that the Brazilian was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil never ended at the scheduled times.^[11]
Despite repeated rifts with Fernández, Ronaldinho returned to the team for the 2002–03 season with the player switching to the number 10 shirt. Though his performances in his sophomore season with the club were underwhelming compared to his first, Ronaldinho performed admirably with the club. On 26 October 2002, he scored two goals in Paris Saint-Germain's 3–1 victory over Le Classique rivals Marseille. The first goal was a dazzling and curling free kick, which curled past numerous Marseille players in the 18-yard box before sailing past goalkeeper Vedran Runje. In the return match, he broke the hearts of Marseille supporters again scoring in Paris Saint-Germain's 3–0 cruising victory at the Stade Vélodrome. Arguably Ronaldinho's most greatest performance during the season came in the Coupe de France when he scored both goals in the club's 2–0 win over Bordeaux in the semi-finals, which inserted Paris Saint-Germain into the final. After scoring his first goal in the 22nd minute, Ronaldinho capped the game in the 81st minute by cheekily, yet accurately chipping the ball at the 18-yard box over the head of goalkeeper Ulrich Ramé, despite Ramé being in a favorable position. For his performance, Ronaldinho was given a standing ovation by the Parisian supporters. Unfortunately for the club, Ronaldinho and the team failed to capture the form that got them to the final as the bowed out 2–1 to Auxerre due to a last minute goal from Jean-Alain Boumsong. Despite Ronaldinho's performances, the club finished in disappointing 11th place position. Following the season, Ronaldinho declared he wanted to leave the club after the capital club failed to qualify for any European competition.

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ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish football player of Bosnian^[2] and Croatian^[2] parentage who plays as a striker for Spanish La Liga club Barcelona and the Swedish national team.
Ibrahimović started his career at Malmö FF in the late 90's under Roland Andersson. He was signed by Ajax, and made a name for himself under Ronald Koeman. Years later, he signed with Juventus for €16 million. Ibrahimović gained fame and popularity in the Italian top flight while having a striking partnership with Alessandro Del Piero. After playing for the bianconeri, he made his move to league giants Internazionale in 2006. His record breaking performances led him to awards such as the Oscar del calcio, the Guldbollen, and being named in the 2007 UEFA Team of the Year. In the summer of 2009, Ibracadabra transferred to Barcelona, while continuing to break records and receive awards.
As of February 2009, Ibrahimović, along with Kaká, were the highest salaried football players in the world with an annual pay of €9 million.^[3] Ibrahimović won the Capocannoniere on 31 May 2009 with 25 domestic goals during the season. He has been named as one of the best players of his generation by being nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or due to his playing style, technique, and goal scoring abilities.^[4] Ibrahimović currently holds the record for the third highest transfer fee in football history, with a total of €69 million for his transfer from Internazionale to Barcelona.
Twice footballing manager of the year, José Mourinho, said in an interview to The Sun on 5 March 2009, “I think there are four outstanding players in the world - Ibrahimović, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kaká. At the moment, I think I have the best in the four - the best player in the world [Zlatan Ibrahimović].” ^[5]

Early life

Ibrahimović was born in Malmö to a Bosnian father, Šefik Ibrahimović, and a Croatian mother, Jurka Gravić,^[2] who emigrated to Sweden, where they first met. Ibrahimović grew up in Rosengård, a Malmö neighbourhood known for its immigrant communities, along with his three sisters and two brothers. After receiving a pair of football boots, Ibrahimović began playing football at the age of six, alternating between local junior clubs Malmö BI and FBK Balkan^[6][7]. He has stated in an interview that while his team was down 4-0 during halftime, he came on as a substitute for his Balkan youth team and dramatically scored eight goals. While in his early teens, he was a regular for his hometown club Malmö FF.^[7] At the age of 15, Ibrahimović was close to quitting his football career, in favour of working at the docks in Malmö, but his manager convinced him to continue playing.^[8] Ibrahimović successfully completed junior high school in the ninth grade, and though he was admitted to Borgarskolan, he soon dropped out of high school to focus on his football career.

Club career

Malmö FF (1996-2001)

Ibrahimović signed his first contract with his hometown club Malmö FF in 1996, and moved up to the senior side for the 1999 season of Allsvenskan, Sweden's top-flight league. That season, Malmö finished 13th in the league and were relegated to the second division, but returned to the top flight the next season. Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger unsuccessfully tried to persuade Ibrahimović to join, while Ajax coach Leo Beenhakker also expressed interest in the player after watching him in a training match against Norwegian side Moss FK.^[9] On 22 March 2001, a deal between Ajax and Malmö regarding Ibrahimović's transfer to Amsterdam was announced, and in July, Ibrahimović officially joined Ajax for €7.8 million.^[10]

Ajax (2001-2004)

Ibrahimović in action for Ajax.

Ibrahimović received little playing time under manager Co Adriaanse, but when Adriaanse was sacked on 29 November 2001, new coach Ronald Koeman inserted Ibrahimović into the starting lineup as Ajax won the 2001-02 Eredivisie title. The next season, Ibrahimović scored twice in a 2-1 victory over perennial French champions Olympique Lyonnais in his Champions League debut on 17 September 2002. He scored four Champions League goals overall as Ajax fell to AC Milan in the quarter-finals. In his final season with Ajax, Ibrahimović's profile rose when he scored a breathtaking goal against NAC Breda on 22 August 2004, a goal that was eventually voted the "Goal of the Year" by Eurosport viewers.^[11] He netted only once in the 2003-04 Champions League (against Celta de Vigo on 22 October) as Ajax were eliminated in the group stage.
On 18 August 2004, Ibrahimović injured fellow Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart during an international match against the Netherlands, which led to accusations from van der Vaart that Ibrahimović had hurt him intentionally. This led to Ibrahimović's sudden sale to Juventus on 31 August.^[12]

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CARLES PUYOL

Carles Puyol i Saforcada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkaɾles ˈpujol]; born 13 April 1978 in La Pobla de Segur, Lleida, Catalonia) is a Spanish footballer who plays with FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Mainly a central defender, he can also appear on either flanks, especially as a right back. He also served as a longtime team captain, after taking over from Luis Enrique on August 2004.

Club career

Puyol started playing football for his hometown club, La Pobla de Segur, as a goalkeeper. However, after injury problems with his shoulder, he switched to striker. In 1995, he moved to join FC Barcelona's youth team, switching positions again, to play as a defensive midfielder. In 1997, Puyol stepped up to play for the club's B-team, occupying the position of right back.
In 1999, then coach Louis van Gaal promoted Puyol to the first team. He made his first division debut on October 2, 1999, at Real Valladolid, in a 2–0 win. After that, he successfully made another reconversion, now to central defender; he was awarded "Best European right back" award by UEFA in 2002 and "Best European centre back" in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Puyol also won the trophy "UEFA Club Best Defender" in 2006.
Puyol was first chosen as the captain of Barcelona at the end of the 2003–04 season, after the retirement of Luis Enrique. On September 16, 2008, he made his 400th appearance in all competitions for Barça's first team in a Champions League match against Sporting Clube de Portugal.^[1]
On October 30, 2009, Puyol signed a new three-year extension to his contract, running until 2013. This link also contained a release clause of €10 million euros.^[2] The next day, in the league against CA Osasuna, he became the third player with more official matches for the Catalans with 453, surpassing Carles Rexach, now only trailing teammate Xavi Hernández and record holder Migueli (548 appearances).^[3]

International career

Puyol won his first Spanish cap on November 15, 2000 against the Netherlands, and remained a regular fixture ever since. He played for the nation at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2008 and the Confederations Cup 2009.
At Euro 2008, Puyol started throughout the vast majority of the competition, as the defensive backline only conceded two goals in five games, in an eventual final win against Germany. He was named in the Team of the Tournament with defensive partner Carlos Marchena of Valencia CF.
Puyol started three out of five games at the 2009 Confederations Cup, and captained the team when Iker Casillas was rested for the last group stage match. As Spain finished third, he and three other teammates were named in the Team of the Tournament.

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STEVEN GERARD

Steven George Gerrard, MBE (pronounced /ˈdʒɛrɑrd/; born 30 May 1980), is an English footballer who plays for English Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team. He has played much of his career in a central midfield role, however since the arrival of Fernando Torres at Liverpool in 2007 he has been used mainly as a second striker for his team^[3] and as a winger for England since 2006.
Gerrard, who has spent his entire career at Anfield, made his debut in 1998 and cemented his place in the first team in the 2000-01 season, succeeding Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool team captain in 2003. His honours include two FA Cup wins, two League Cup wins, a UEFA Cup win and a UEFA Champions League win in 2005. As of 13 May 2009, Gerrard is also the current holder of the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award.
Gerrard made his international debut in 2000, and represented England in the UEFA European Championships in 2000 and 2004 as well as the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he was the team's top goalscorer with two goals.
Gerrard placed second in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, a Liverpool F.C. fan poll.^[4]

Club career

Born in Whiston, Merseyside,^[1] Gerrard started out playing for hometown team Whiston Juniors, where he was noticed by Liverpool scouts. He joined the Reds' youth academy at the age of nine.^[5] Gerrard then had trials with various clubs at fourteen, but his success wasn't immediate—Gerrard never made it into the England Schoolboys team. Gerrard's trials included Manchester United, which he claimed in his 2006 autobiography was "to pressure Liverpool into giving me a YTS contract."^[6] He signed his first professional contract with Liverpool on 5 November 1997.^[6]

Steven Gerrard

Gerrard made his Liverpool first-team debut on 29 November 1998 in a match against Blackburn Rovers as a last minute substitute for Vegard Heggem.^[7] He made thirteen appearances in his debut season, filling in the midfield position for injured captain Jamie Redknapp^[5] and playing on the right wing, but he scarcely contributed in the short on-pitch time he received, due to nervousness affecting his play.^[8] Gerrard recalled in a November 2008 interview with The Guardian, "I was out of position and out of my depth." The Liverpool hierarchy nonetheless remained convinced that he would improve.^[8] Gerrard saw himself as a defensive player primarily, looking to make key tackles rather than push the team forward.^[7]
Gerrard partnered Redknapp in central midfield for the 1999–00 season. After starting the derby match against Everton on the bench, he replaced Robbie Fowler in the second half but received his first career red card for a late foul on Everton's Kevin Campbell.^[9] Later that season, Gerrard scored his first senior goal in a 4–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.^[10] However, he began to suffer from nagging back problems, which sports consultant Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt later diagnosed as a result of accelerated growth, coupled with excessive playing, during his teenage years.^[6] He was then beset by groin injuries that required four separate operations.^[6]
In 2000–01, he made fifty starts in all competitions and scored ten goals as Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup, and the 2001 UEFA Cup. Gerrard replaced Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool captain in October 2003, as manager Gérard Houllier said that he recognised Gerrard had demonstrated leadership qualities early on, but needed to mature.^[11] He chose to extend his contract at the club, signing a new four-year deal.^[12]
Houllier quit after a trophyless 2003–04 campaign, and Gerrard was linked with a move to Chelsea during the offseason. He admitted he was not "happy with the progress Liverpool has made," and that "for the first time in my career I've thought about the possibility of moving on."^[13] In the end, Gerrard turned down a £20 million offer from Chelsea to stay with Liverpool and new coach Rafael Benítez.^[14]

Gerrard shooting for Liverpool

Liverpool were wracked with injury early in the 2004–05 season, and a foot injury suffered in a September league match against Manchester United shelved Gerrard until late November. He returned to score in the last five minutes of a Champions League group stage match against Olympiacos to secure Liverpool's advancement to the knockout round.^[15] He claimed that this was his most important, if not his best, goal for Liverpool to date.^[16] However, Gerrard netted an own goal during the 2005 League Cup final on 27 February, which proved decisive in Liverpool's 3–2 loss to Chelsea.^[17]
During a six-minute stretch in the second half of the 2005 Champions League final against A.C. Milan, Liverpool rebounded from a three-goal deficit to tie the match at 3–3 after extra time, with Gerrard scoring one of the goals. Liverpool's third goal was gained as a penalty from a foul awarded to Liverpool when Gennaro Gattuso fouled Gerrard in Milan's penalty box. Gerrard did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Liverpool won 3–2 as they claimed their first CL trophy in twenty years,^[18] though he was named the Man of the Match, and later received the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.^[19]
In regards to his contract issues with Liverpool, Gerrard told the press after the final, "How can I leave after a night like this?"^[20] But negotiations soon stalled and on 5 July 2005, after Liverpool turned down another lucrative offer from Chelsea, Gerrard rejected a club-record £100,000-a-week offer. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry conceded the club had lost Gerrard, saying, "Now we have to move on. We have done our best, but he has made it clear he wants to go and I think it looks pretty final."^[21] The next day, Gerrard signed a new four-year deal as Parry blamed the earlier breakdown of talks on miscommunication between the two sides.^[22][23]

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FRANK LAMPARD

Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English footballer who is currently playing his club football for Premier League club Chelsea and at international level for the England national football team. He plays most often as a box-to-box midfielder and has also enjoyed spells in a more advanced attacking midfield.
Lampard began his career at West Ham United, his father's former club. He had secured a place in the first team by the 1997-98 season, and the following year helped the team finish 5th in the Premier League, their highest ever Premier League placing. In 2001 he moved to rival London club Chelsea in 2001 for £11 million.
From his debut onwards he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team, setting a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the West London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest paid Premier League footballer at that time,^[3] and scored in his first Champions League Final that same year. He won the FA Cup for the second time in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. On 23 December 2009, he was named the Premier League's Player of the decade by official statistics.^[4]
Lampard has won the Chelsea Player of the Year award three times and is Chelsea's 5th all-time goalscorer with 146 goals in all competitions, including 95 league goals, the most in the club's history for a midfielder. He is the highest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history with 119 league goals ^[5] and is 3rd in the Premier League's all-time assists table with 149.^[5] In 2005, Lampard was voted PFA Fans' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year, and came second in both the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2005 Ballon d'Or. He is considered to be one of the best players in the world^[6][7][8][9].
Internationally, Lampard has been capped 77 times by England since making his debut in October 1999, and has scored 20 goals. He was voted England player of the year for two consecutive years in 2004 and 2005. He played in UEFA Euro 2004, where he was named in the team of the tournament after scoring three goals in four games. He was top scorer for England in their successful 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign, and played in the 2006 World Cup. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers he scored four goals, helping England qualify for the tournament proper in South Africa.
Lampard has two children, Luna and Isla, with his ex-partner Elen Rives. Lampard is an Athlete Ambassador for the international children's charity Right To Play.^[10] Lampard has 12 GCSEs to his name, including an A in Latin. He is also reported to have an IQ of over 150 putting him in the 0.1% of the United Kingdom and rivaling Carol Vorderman.^[11]

Club career

West Ham United

1995-2001

Lampard began his career at West Ham United, his father's former club. Joining the youth team in 1994, he had secured a place in the first team by the 1997-98 season. He helped the team secure their highest ever Premier League placing in the 1998-99 season. The following season Lampard scored 14 goals in all competitions from midfield. With progress stagnating at West Ham, he moved to rival London club Chelsea in 2001 for £11 million.

Chelsea

[edit] 2001–2004

Lampard warming up for Chelsea

Lampard's Premier League debut with Chelsea came on 19 August 2001 in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, while his first red card came in a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 16 September.
Lampard appeared in all of Chelsea's league matches and scored eight goals in the 2001-02 season. He netted the match-winner in Chelsea's 2002-03 season-opener against Charlton Athletic.
The following season, he was selected as the Barclays Player of the Month in September 2003, and the PFA Fans' Player of the Month in October. Chelsea finished 2nd in the 2003-04 Premier League behind unbeaten Arsenal and he was named in the 2004 PFA Team of the Year as he reached double figures in league goals (10) for the first time in his career, in addition to four goals in fourteen UEFA Champions League matches, as Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals. In the semi-final against Monaco he scored, but Chelsea lost 5-3 on aggregate.^[12]

2004–2007

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