FOOTBALL STARS

2009-02-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

2009-01-30T12:57:00.001-08:00

Galliani: Beckham`s stay at AC Milan depends on Galaxy.

2009-01-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani insists David Beckham's chances of extending his loan spell at the club all depend on Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Rossoneri have not hidden the fact that they want to keep the English midfielder for as long as possible. However, they are keen not to let this affect the good relationship they enjoy with the Major League Soccer side.

Galliani is delighted with Beckham's progress and he wants him to stay, but he admits Galaxy will have the final say in the affair, not Milan.

"I am happy for Beckham because we have the proof that we wanted a footballer and nothing else when we became interested in him," Galliani told Il Corriere Dello Sport.

"He is a great player and he has humility too.

"Will he stay? At the moment it cannot happen...unless. It depends on those [Galaxy] who hold the rights to his contract."

Reports in England have suggested Milan were prepared to offer the American side €6 million to keep the Englishman on a permanent basis.

Galliani's words echo coach Carlo Ancelotti's comments after the Genoa match on Wednesday night.

The former Juventus coach revealed it would be down to Beckham and the Galaxy in order to resolve the situation.

Kuyt keen to commit to Liverpool.

2009-01-30T10:37:00.000-08:00

There is still a buzz circulating around Anfield. Despite the club's inability to maintain their winning form into the new year - with the team instead starting to shed points - captain Steven Gerrard still harbours title hopes.

It is many of the current squad's first real shot at the Premier League crown with the club, and that is reason enough for key players to commit their long-term future to Liverpool.

Dirk Kuyt, a hard-working forward, is keen to extend his stay at the club, as his current deal expires in just 15 months' time.

"I am enormously happy here and I want to continue for as long as possible at Liverpool," he told Voetbal international.

John Smith, a representative of the Dutchman, confirmed that negotiations have already begun with the club's higher-ups.

Smith said: " Furthermore, we are in discussions with Liverpool about a contract extension for Dirk."

The club's fans will be hoping that the board will be swift to secure the future of Kuyt, as Dan Agger's future is still unclear, despite the Danish international requesting a new deal as far back as three months ago.

Dirk Kuyt signed for the Reds in 2006 from Eredivisie side Feyenoord.

Arshavin deal almost done-Wenger.

2009-01-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger saw in-form Robin van Persie rescue his side from the jaws of defeat on Wednesday evening. The Dutchman scored a late leveller to deny Everton all three points at Goodison Park.

Speaking in the aftermath of the game, Wenger was naturally asked about his big January transfer target, Andrei Arshavin, and how the deal to being him to the Emirates from Zenit was progressing.

The Frenchman admitted that there were still details to be finalised - widely reported to be financial sticking points - although he does hope for a conclusion within the next 48 hours.

"There is nothing new on Arshavin," Wenger said. "I have been concentrating on the game and not taking calls.

"But the deal is maybe 90 per cent completed. Of course, the final ten per cent of any deal can be the most difficult."

Asked when the deal will be done, he replied, "Maybe in the next two days. In this kind of job it can be difficult at this stage because people can change their minds completely."

Roma defender Panucci close to Milan return.

2009-01-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

According to IlReca.it, Christian Panucci looks poised to re-join Milan after his agent Oscar Damiani met with Milan directors last night.

The 35-year-old plied his trade at the Stadio San Siro from 1993 to January 1997, winning two Scudetti and a Champions League.

It is suggested that ‘El Grinta’ could arrive in Milan this morning to put pen to paper on a one-year-and-a-half contract.

Panucci announced his decision to quit Roma after falling out with boss Luciano Spalletti before the game with Napoli last Sunday.

The versatile defender refused to accept a substitute role at the Stadio San Paolo and was sent to the stands.

There were rumours yesterday that the Lupi could stall his transfer after right-back Marco Cassetti sustained a serious injury which will keep him on the sidelines for at least two months.

Panucci has been associated with a number of sides in recent days and he also stated his desire to leave the peninsula out of respect for the Giallorossi colours, but it now seems that the allure of a return to the Scala del Calcio will prove too difficult to resist.

Veteran Roma defender Panucci could make Lyon move.

2009-01-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

A tempestuous weekend left Roma’s veteran right-back Christian Panucci feeling under-valued and frustrated with life in the Italian capital. The vastly experienced international defender, having been relegated to the bench once again by head coach Luciano Spalletti, simply released his anger and refused to take his station.

Only a matter of hours later, the former Milan and Real Madrid star announced that he would not be renewing his contract with I Lupi and was actively seeking a move away from the club.

Although the 35-year-old defender has been linked with several clubs, French champions Olympique Lyonnais are the frontrunners in the race according to Danilo Caravello, the a representative for the player. “The possibility [of a move to Lyon] is very real,” he is quoted to have said on Goal.com’s French site. “Lyon is the most likely destination [for Panucci].”

Claude Puel, general manager of Lyon, would no doubt be keen to sign Panucci simply for his experience in a right-back role that les Gones are desperately lacking at present. Anthony Réveillère and François Clerc are both long-term absentees and, although Fabio Santos filled the void with some distinction against Olympique de Marseille on Wednesday evening in the Coupe de France, it is widely believed that a more reliable figure is required.

Panucci’s main drawback would be his inability to feature in the Champions League after participating with Roma. “It’s a problem,” admitted Caravello. “It could thwart the operation.”

Time is quickly slipping away from Lyon if they are to add strength to their squad before the closure of the transfer window and it seems increasingly probable that they will not make great additions to their squad.

2008-10-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

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2008-10-12T16:14:00.002-07:00

2008-10-12T16:14:00.001-07:00

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2008-10-12T15:48:00.001-07:00

2008-10-12T15:38:00.001-07:00

2008-10-12T15:35:00.001-07:00

2008-10-12T11:06:00.001-07:00

2008-10-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

2008-10-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

2008-10-11T08:45:00.001-07:00

CRISTIANO RONALDO

2008-10-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (IPA: [kɾɨʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu]; born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira),[1] is a Portuguese footballer who plays for English Premier League club Manchester United and the Portuguese national team. In addition to winning the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League, he is a winner of the 2007 English PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.[2]
Johan Cruijff said, in an interview on 2 April 2008, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."[3]

Biography
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro. His second given name, "Ronaldo," was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor at the time.[4] He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia.

Club career

Early career
Ronaldo's favourite boyhood team was S.L. Benfica. At the age of eight, he played for amateur team C.F. Andorinha, where his father was the kit man. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club CD Nacional, and after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting Portugal, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.[5]

Sporting Clube de Portugal
Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Alcochete, the club's football academy. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's U-16, U-17, U-18, B-team, and first team, all within one season.[6] He scored two goals in his Sporting debut against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the UEFA Under 17 Championships.[7]
He was first spotted by then-Liverpool F.C. manager Gérard Houllier at sixteen, but Liverpool declined to take him on because they decided he was too young and needed some time to develop his skills.[8] However, he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3-1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo's performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.[9]

Manchester United
Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for £12.24 million after the 2002–03 season.[10] He requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by team legends like Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour."[11]

Ronaldo playing for Manchester United
Ronaldo made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4-0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers, and scored United's thousandth Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4-1 loss to Middlesbrough He scored ten goals in all competitions, and fans voted him to consecutive FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year awards in 2005 and 2006, while he ranked 20th in the 2005 FIFA Player of the Year standings.
In November and December of 2006, Ronaldo received consecutive Barclays Player of the Month honours, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to do so after Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996.[12][13] He scored his fiftieth career Manchester United goal against city rivals Manchester City F.C. as United claimed their first Premier League title in four years.
Despite rumours circulating in March 2007 that Real Madrid were willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo,[14] he signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week extension with United on 13 April, making him the highest-paid player in team history.[15][16]
Ronaldo was involved in several diving incidents during the 2006-07 campaign. He was criticised by manager Gareth Southgate for diving in a December 2006 match against Middlesbrough.[17] On 4 February 2007, Ronaldo was again accused of diving in a match against Tottenham Hotspur when he won a penalty kick despite little contact from Tottenham winger Steed Malbranque.[18] Despite the controversies, Ronaldo nonetheless amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards, joining Andy Gray (in 1977) as the only players to receive this honor.[19] In April, he completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Ronaldo was also one of seven Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Ronaldo's 2007–08 season began with a red card for an alleged headbutt of Portsmouth F.C. player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the season, for which he was punished with a three-match ban.[20] Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in the future.[21] After scoring the only goal in a Champions League road match against Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo also scored the injury-time winner in the return fixture as Manchester United topped their CL group.[22]
He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon D'or,[23] and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.[24]
Ronaldo scored his first hat trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of the Premier League table.[25] He scored his twenty-third league goal of the season in a 2–0 win against Reading, equalling his entire total for the 2006–07 season.[26] During a 1–1 Champions League first knockout round draw against Olympique Lyonnais on 20 February, an unidentified Lyon supporter continuously aimed a green laser at Ronaldo and United teammate Nani, prompting an investigation by UEFA.[27] One month later, Lyon were fined CHF5,000 (£2,427) for the incident.[28]
On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained the United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory.[29] The second of the goals was his 33rd of the campaign, which set a new club single-season scoring record by a midfielder and thus topped George Best's forty-year-old total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season.[30] Ronaldo scored another brace in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa on 29 March, which at the time gave him 35 goals in 37 domestic and European matches as both a starter and substitute. Ronaldo's torrid scoring streak was rewarded with his becoming the first winger to win the 2007–08 European Golden Shoe, finishing eight points ahead of Mallorca's Dani Güiza.[31]
In the 2007–08 Champions League final on 21 May against league rivals Chelsea, Ronaldo scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, which was negated by a Chelsea equalizer in the 45th minute as the match ended 1–1 after extra time. His misfire in the penalty shoot-out put Chelsea in position to win the trophy, but John Terry shot wide right after slipping on the pitch surface, and Manchester United emerged victorious 6–5 on penalties. Ronaldo was named the UEFA Fans' Man of the Match,[32] and wrapped up the campaign with a career-high 42 goals in all competitions, falling just four short of Denis Law's team-record mark of 46 in the 1963–64 season.
On 5 June 2008, Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year.[33] Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with FIFA on 9 June over Madrid's alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.[34][35] Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at Manchester for at least another year.[36]
Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam on 7 July.[37] He returned to action on 17 September in United's UEFA Champions League goalless group-stage draw with Villarreal CF as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung,[38] and scored his first overall goal of the season in a 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough on August 30.

International career
Ronaldo earned his first cap for Portugal in a 1-0 victory against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He was called up for Euro 2004, scoring in a 2-1 group stage loss to eventual champions Greece and in a 2-1 semifinal win over the Netherlands. He was named in the team of the tournament despite finishing with only two goals.[39] That same year, he also represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

2006 World Cup
He was the second-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with seven goals,[39] and scored his first and only World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick.[40]
During a quarter-final match against England on 8 July 2006, Ronaldo's United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stomping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced referee Horacio Elizondo's decision by aggressively complaining about the infraction. He was also seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney's dismissal. After the match, Ronaldo insisted that Rooney was a friend and that he was not pushing for Rooney to be sent off.[41] Rooney said, "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 teammates."[42] On 4 July, Elizondo clarified that the red card was due to Rooney's stamp on Carvalho, and not the scuffle between Rooney and Ronaldo that followed. "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."[43]
The angry reaction from the English press caused Ronaldo to consider leaving United. He told reporters that he thought he "should get out of Manchester as the circumstances are not right to keep playing there."[44] He allegedly told the Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid.[45] In response to the speculation, Ferguson sent Portuguese assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in attempt to change his mind, a sentiment that was shared by Rooney.[46][47] Ronaldo stayed, and signed his new five-year extension in April 2007.[48]
Ronaldo was booed during Portugal's semifinal defeat to France, and missed out on the competition's Best Young Player award due to a negative e-mail campaign from England fans.[49] Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA's Technical Study Group awarded the honor to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo's behaviour as a factor in the decision.[50]

Post-World Cup
One day after his twenty-second birthday, Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil on 6 February 2007. This move was in honour of Portuguese Football Federation president Carlos Silva, who had died two days earlier. Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari explained, "Mr. Silva asked me to make [Ronaldo] captain as a gesture...[he] is too young to be captain, but Mr. Silva asked me, and now he is no longer with us."[51]
Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign,[52] but finished with only one goal in the tournament as Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

KAKA

2008-10-11T05:27:00.000-07:00

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (IPA: [hiˈkaɾdʊ iˈzɛksõⁿ dʊs‿ˈsɐ̃ⁿtʊs ˈleɪ̯t͡ʃɪ]; born April 22, 1982 in Brasília), better known as Kaká, is a Brazilian midfielder who plays for Italian Serie A club A.C. Milan and the Brazilian national team. He was the recipient of both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007, and was named in the 2008 Time 100.

Early life
Kaká was born to Simone Cristina dos Santos Leite and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite. He has a younger brother, Rodrigo (known as Digão), who has followed in his footsteps by playing football for Milan. When he was seven, his family moved to São Paulo.[4] His school had arranged him in a local youth club called "Alphaville," who qualified to the final in a local tournament.[5] There he was discovered by São Paulo FC who offered an assignment.[6]
At the age of 18, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spinal fracture as a result of a swimming pool accident, but remarkably made a full recovery. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.[

Club career
Kaká began his club career with São Paulo at the age of eight. He signed a contract at 15 and led the SPFC youth squad to Copa de Juvenil glory. Kaká made his senior side debut in January 2001 and scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship. He scored 10 in 22 matches the following season, and by this time his performance was soon attracting attention from European clubs. Kaká made totally 146 appearances for São Paulo scoring 58 times.

Kaká and Brazilian President Lula
AC Milan, fresh from winning the 2003 Champions League, brought him aboard in 2003 for $8.5 million, a fee described in hindsight as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi.[8] Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, and has remained there since. His Serie A debut was in a 2–0 Milan win at A.C. Ancona. He scored 10 goals in 30 appearances that season, as Milan won the Scudetto and the European Super Cup. Kaká was a 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 domestic appearances as Milan finished runner-up to Juventus. Despite Milan losing the 2004–05 Champions League final to Liverpool F.C. on penalties, he was nonetheless voted the best midfielder of the tournament, and also finished ninth, with 19 votes, in the running for the 2005 Ballon D'Or.
The 2005–06 season saw Kaká score his first hat-tricks in domestic and European competition. On April 9, 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo Verona. All three goals were scored in the second half. Seven months later, he scored his first Champions League hat-trick in a 4–1 group stage win over RSC Anderlecht. The football world was beginning to take notice of a superstar in the making.

Kaká with Milan
Shevchenko's departure to Chelsea FC for the 2006–07 season allowed Kaká to become the focal point of Milan's offense as he alternated between the midfield and striker positions. He finished as the top scorer in the 2006–07 CL campaign with ten goals, which proved a catalyst in steering Milan back to European success. One of them helped the Rossoneri beat Celtic FC 1–0 after extra time in the quarterfinals on a 1–0 aggregate, and three others proved fatal for Manchester United in the semifinals despite Milan losing the first leg. Following the convincing 3–0 second-leg defeat at the San Siro on May 2 that knocked out the English champions, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson declared that Kaká was one of the two best players in the world, alongside his charge Cristiano Ronaldo.[9] The previous month, a panel of experts set up by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport proclaimed Kaká as the world's best footballer. Shevchenko also included his endorsement, while suggesting that Kaká deserved to win the Ballon D'Or.[10]
Kaká added the Champions League title to his trophy case for the first time when Milan defeated Liverpool F.C. 2–1 in Athens on May 23, 2007. Though he went scoreless, he won a free kick that led to the first of Filippo Inzaghi's two goals, and provided the assist for the second. For his stellar play throughout the competition, he was voted the Vodafone Fans' Player of the Season in a poll of over 100,000 UEFA.com visitors. In June 2007, German football publication Kicker named him the world's best player, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho finishing second and third, respectively, while he was also given this honor by UK publication The Times. On August 30, 2007, Kaká was named by UEFA as both the top forward of the 2006–07 CL season and Club Footballer of the Year. [11]
He played his 200th career match with Milan in a 1–1 home draw with Calcio Catania on September 30, 2007, and on October 5, he was named the 2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year.
On December 2, 2007, Kaká was officially announced as the European Footballer of the Year, becoming the eighth Milan player in history to receive the honor. He finished with a decisive 444 votes, far ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo. Upon accepting the award in Paris, he said, "It was an exceptional year and the Ballon D'or crowns an extraordinary 2007...I want to thank God who allowed me to be here today. I thank my wife, my parents and Milan, the team that allowed me to win. I also thank my teammates, both at Milan and Brazil, and all of the fans."[12] On February 29, 2008, after Milan had signed his younger brother Digão [13], Kaká signed a contract extension through 2013 with Milan.[14]
Due to his contributions on and off the pitch, Time magazine named Kaká in the Time 100, a list of the world's 100 most influential people, on 2 May 2008.[15]

National team

Kaká on the road with the national squad
Kaká made his debut for Brazil in January 2002 against Bolivia. He was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 25 minutes[16], all of which were in the first round match against Costa Rica. During the final against Germany, coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was reportedly about to send Kaká on as a substitute, but he never made it into the game as the referee did not notice him waving on the sidelines to enter the pitch.
In 2003, Kaká was the captain for the Gold Cup tournament, where Brazil finished as runner-up, as did Kaká with a second-best three goals. He was also named as one of the competition's top eleven players by position. On June 29, 2005, he scored in a 4–1 defeat of Argentina in the 2005 Confederations Cup final, with a powerful shot into the upper right-hand corner of the net. He finished in joint tenth place in the voting for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award, and finished two spots higher the following year.
Kaká started in his first FIFA World Cup Finals in 2006, scoring his first and only goal in a 1–0 victory over Croatia in Brazil's opening match. He was also named Man of the match. He was unable to keep up the momentum for the remainder of the tournament, as Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals. On September 3, 2006, he scored again for Brazil, receiving the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick and taking the ball down three quarters of the field to score.
On May 12, 2007, citing an exhaustive schedule of Serie A, Champions League and national team play, Kaká openly bowed out of the 2007 Copa América, which Brazil eventually won. "I haven't had a break for three seasons. I won't have the form to achieve what is expected of me at an international level."[17] Brazil coach Dunga took the optimistic route, declaring that while he was disappointed about Kaká's decision, his absence would subsequently free up a roster spot for a less frequently used player.[18] Kaká, however, did play 70 minutes of Brazil's 1–1 friendly draw with England on June 1, but only 30 in a goalless draw with Turkey on June 5.[19]

Personal life and religion

Kaká with his wife Caroline.
A devout evangelical Christian, Kaká became engrossed in religion at the age of 12: "I learnt that it is faith that decides whether something will happen or not." He removed his jersey to reveal an "I Belong to Jesus" T-shirt and openly engaged in prayer moments after the final whistle of Milan's 2007 Champions League triumph. Kaká previously sported the same shirt during Milan's 2004 Scudetto celebration and after Brazil's defeat of Germany in the 2002 World Cup final, and had the same phrase, along with "God Is Faithful," stitched onto the tongues of his boots.[20] During the postmatch celebration following Brazil's 4–1 win over Argentina in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup final, he and several of his teammates, among them backup keeper Gomes and defender Lúcio, wore T-shirts with "Jesus Loves You" printed on them in various languages.
Kaká is a member of the organization Atletas de Cristo ("Athletes of Christ").[21] His goal celebration consists of him pointing to the sky as a gesture of thanks to God, and he is proud that he was a virgin when he married. His favourite music is gospel music,[22] and his favorite book is the Bible.[23] Since November 2004, he has served as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations' World Food Programme, the youngest to do so at the time of his appointment.
Kaká was sworn in as an Italian citizen on February 12, 2007.[24] He features prominently in Adidas advertising and also has a modeling contract with Armani, but the latter prevented him from appearing in a photo collection alongside his Milan teammates that was published by Dolce & Gabbana in early 2007. He married his childhood sweetheart Caroline Celico on 23 December 2005 at the evangelical Reborn in Christ Church in São Paulo. Their first child, Luca Celico Leite, was born in São Paulo on June 10, 2008.[25]

Nickname
His nickname is pronounced as it is spelled, with stress on the second syllable, and is a common term of endearment of "Ricardo" in Brazil. In Kaká's case, it was born from younger brother Rodrigo calling him "Caca" due to his inability to pronounce "Ricardo" when they were young; it eventually evolved into Kaká.[20] He is occasionally called "Ricky Kaká" by the European media.

MESSI

2008-10-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24, 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga. He is also a member of the Argentine national team.
He has drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, and Maradona himself named Messi his "successor".[

[edit] Beginnings
Lionel Messi was born in Rosario city on 24 June 1987. At the age of five, he started playing football for Grandoli, a club coached by his father. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys.[4] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[5] River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness that cost over £500 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messi's talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play,[6] offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain.[4] His family moved with the young player to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams.[6]

[edit] FC Barcelona Career
Messi made his unofficial debut for the first team against FC Porto on 16 November 2003. Less than a year later he made his official debut against Espanyol on 16 October 2004, becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for FC Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga (a record broken by team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007).[7] When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for FC Barcelona until 2007 when Bojan Krkić broke this record, a goal assisted by Messi.[8]

[edit] 2005–2006 season

Messi vs Rangers 11/2007.
On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract - this time improved to pay him as a first team member and extended till June 2014.[4][9] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 25 September and was finally able to make his début in the 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 27 September against Italian club Udinese.[10] 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.[11] 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 Lukas Podolski, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.[12]
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.[6] Messi's season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006 when he tore a muscle in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.[13] Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.

[edit] 2006–2007 season

Messi shortly before scoring the goal against Getafe.
Consistently strong performances and the occasional goal meant Messi was not starting any more games on the bench. Failure to effectively replace the injured Samuel Eto'o and poor defensive displays prevented Barcelona from taking advantage of Messi's showings against Chelsea and Real Madrid.[14] This would later prove critical to their title challenges. On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal from tackles, ruling him out for 3 months.[15][16] Messi carried out his recuperation in native Argentina. During this period there were rumours of interest in the player from Inter Milan.[17][18] Messi returned to action against Racing Santander on the 11 February, coming on as a second-half substitute[3]. Rijkaard carefully managed his complete return, gradually increasing playing minutes with each game. One month since his return, on the 10th of March, he played his first full league match since the injury, Real Madrid being the opposition. Once again, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3-3 draw, equalising thrice and with the final goal coming in injury time. In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994-95 season) and the first Barcelona player since Romario (1993-94 season) to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico. Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. The game also marked the beginning of Messi's best spell of form with Barça. He also began finding the net more often, 11 of his 14 league goals for the season coming from the last 13 games. Despite his spirited efforts, Barcelona felt marginally short in its defence of the La Liga title, Real Madrid winning on a better head-to-head record.
Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by near-replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season.[19] On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century.[20] The world's sports press exploded with Maradona comparisons, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona". He ran about the same distance (62 m), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before. In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: "There's no other like Leo."[21] Later on, in a crucial league match with Espanyol, Messi scored a goal with his hand that drew even more comparisons to Maradona's Hand of God.

[edit] 2007–2008 season

Messi takes Barça to 2:0 against Sevilla FC at Camp Nou on 22 September 2007.
Messi scored five goals in a week leading Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. He dedicated the two goals he scored against FC Sevilla on 22 September to Ronaldinho, who was injured and under fire from media outlets at the time. A few days earlier he had scored as Barcelona defeated Lyon 3-0 at home in a Champions League match and then on 26 September, Messi scored another goal in a 4-1 victory over Real Zaragoza.
He has been nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward. A recent poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca has him as the current best player of the world with 77 percent of the votes.[22] Also, other columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport began asking for the Ballon d'Or to be given to Leo Messi this year. This observation was also made by world soccer legends Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.[23] Various football personalities such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Frank Rijkaard, Víctor Fernández, Bernd Schuster, Guti, Raul, Gianluca Zambrotta, Francesco Totti, Antonio Cassano, Diego Maradona and Pelé have all, at one time or another, declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.[24][25]
On 27 February Messi played in his 100th official match for FC Barcelona.
Barcelona's medical staff decided to sideline Messi for six weeks following an injury on 4 March where he experienced a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. Messi left the field at the Nou Camp in the 35th minute with tears in his eyes. It was the fourth time in three seasons that the player suffered this type of injury.[26]

[edit] 2008–2009 season
It was announced that Messi will inherit Ronaldinho's number 10 jersey after the Brazilian left for AC Milan. on 1 October 2008 during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry to turn the score from a loss of 0-1 to a victory of for his club FC Barcelona 2-1. The next league game was versus Atletico Madrid. Messi scored a goal off a tricky free kick as FC Barcelona went on to win the match 6-1.

International career
In June 2004, he got his chance, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay.
In 2005 he was part of the team that won the Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. He also won the prize for best player of the tournament and became top-scorer.
On 4 August 2005, José Pekerman called Messi up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary, but it was a forgettable occasion. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt, and left the pitch in tears. The decision was contentious. Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated.[27][28] Messi then had his first international start on 3 September in Argentina's 0-1 World Cup qualifier away loss against Paraguay.[29] Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-début. The first one was a bit short."[30]

[edit] FIFA World Cup 2006
The injury that kept him from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the farewell match against the Argentinian U-20 team for fifteen minutes and a friendly against Angola from the 64th minute.[31][32] He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the bench.[33] In the next match against Serbia , Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6-0 victory, that made him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the fifth youngest goalscorer in the whole World Cup.[34] Messi started in Argentina's following 0-0 tie against the Netherlands.[35] In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied 1-1. He appeared to score a goal, but was ruled offside in a dubious decision,[36][37] Argentina needing an extra time winner to proceed. Messi sat on the bench during the quarter-finals match against Germany, which Argentina lost in a penalty shootout.[38]

Copa America 2007

When Copa started Leo was the youngest player in the tournament. Messi played his first game in Copa America on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4-1 in the first game. In this game, Messi showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.
His second game was against Colombia, in which he caused a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1-1. He also played part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3-1. The final score of the game was 4-2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.
In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with 0-0. In the 79th minute he created a goal for Javier Mascherano. In the quarterfinals, as Argentina faced Peru, Riquelme made a pass to Messi and the latter scored the second goal for Argentina, which advanced to the semifinals after a 4-0 win. Messi went on to win Young Player of the Tournament.

[edit] Olympic Games 2008

Messi at the Olympics.
Messi joined the Argentina squad in Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing. He scored the first goal in 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast and then scored the first goal and got the assist on the second goal in a 2-1 extra time victory against the Netherlands. He gave another strong performance in Argentina's match against rival Brazil, in which Argentina won by a 3-0 victory, advancing to the finals. In the gold medal match, Messi earned an Olympic Gold Medal by assisting Ángel Di María for the only goal in the 1-0 Argentina victory over Nigeria.

[edit] Statistics

[edit] All-time club performance
Club
Season
League
Cup[39]
Europe [40]
Total
Apps
Goals
Assists
Apps
Goals
Assists
Apps
Goals
Assists
Apps
Goals
Assists
FC Barcelona
2004-05
7
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
9
1
0
2005-06
17
6
0
2
1
1
6
1
1
25
8
1
2006-07
26
14
2
2
2
0
6
1
0
36
17
2
2007-08
28
10
12
3
0
0
9
6
1
40
16
13
2008-09
6
5
3
0
0
0
2
2
0
8
7
3
Career totals
84
36
17
10
3
1
24
10
2
118
49
19

[edit] International goals
Lionel Messi: International goals
#
Date
Venue
Opponent
Score
Result
Competition
1
1 March 2006
St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland
Croatia
2 – 1
2– 3
Friendly
2
16 June 2006
Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Serbia
6 – 0
6 – 0
World Cup 2006
3
5 June 2007
Mini Estadi, Barcelona, Spain
Algeria
2 – 2
4 – 3
Friendly
4
5 June 2007
Mini Estadi, Barcelona, Spain
Algeria
4 – 2
4 – 3
Friendly
5
8 July 2007
Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Peru
2 – 0
4 – 0
Copa America 2007
6
11 July 2007
Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
Mexico
0 – 2
0 – 3
Copa America 2007 Semifinal
7
16 October 2007
Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela
Venezuela
0 – 2
0 – 2
World Cup 2010 Qualifying
8
20 November 2007
Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
Colombia
0 – 1
2 – 1
World Cup 2010 Qualifying
9
4 June 2008
Qualcomm Stadium, California, United States
Mexico
0 – 2
1 – 4
Friendly

[edit] Team Honours
Competition
Winner
Runner-up
Third Place/Semi-Final
FIFA U-20 World Cup
2005
Copa América
2007
Summer Olympics
2008
La Liga
2004–05, 2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
Copa del Rey
2006–07, 2007–08
Supercopa de España
2005–06, 2006–07
UEFA Champions League
2005–06
2007–08
UEFA Super Cup
2006
FIFA Club World Cup
2006

[edit] Personal Honours
[41] [42] [43]
Award
Winner
Runner-up
Third Place
FIFA World Player of the Year
2007
European Footballer of the Year
2007
World Soccer Player of the Year
2007
World Soccer Young Player of the Year
2006, 2007
U-21 European Footballer of the Year
2007
FIFPro World Young Player of the Year
2006, 2007
FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year
2007
FIFPro World XI
2006–07
Best Foreign Player in La Liga
2006–07
Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga
2006–07
FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Scorer
2005
FIFA U-20 World Cup Most Valuable Player
2005
Copa America Young Player of the Tournament
2007
Player of the Year of Argentina
2005, 2007