Tuesday, February 12, 2008

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Cristiano Ronaldo (full name Cristiano Messias Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro; born 5 February 1985, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal) is a Portuguese professional football player who plays his club football for Manchester United of England. Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Nick Names Cris, Ron, Ronnie, The Sultan Of The Stepover
Date of birth: February 5, 1985 (Monday)
Place of birth: Funchal, Portugal
Height: 184 cm (6 ft. 1 in.)
His favourite movies: The Sixth Sense
His favourite actress: Angelina Jolie
His favourite colors: White and Red
His favourite number: 7
His favourite Cola: Coca Cola
Hair / Eyes : Light Brown / Brown
Religion : Christian - Catholic
Mother's Name : Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro
Father's Name : Jose Diniz Aveiro
Brothers : Hugo Aveiro
Sisters : Elma Aveiro and Katia Aveiro
Uncle : Alex Aveiro
Cell Phone : Nokia 6230 - Black see this
Cars : silver Porsche, red Ferrari 435
Adverts: Has appeared in several Nike adverts
Has appeared in a Suzuki TV advert.

He doesn't smoke!
Scored Manchester United's 1,000th league goal against Middlesbrough FC.

Filmography:
2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (2006) (mini) TV Series .... Himself
Manchester United: Play Like Champions (2003) (V) .... Himself


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Cristiano RonaldoIt's normal, it's no problem for me. But I don't want to be compared to anyone. I'd like to impose my own style of play and do the best for myself and for the club here.

Cristiano Ronaldo


For other persons named Ronaldo, see Ronaldo (disambiguation).
Cristiano Ronaldo

Personal information
Full name Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Date of birth February 5, 1985 (1985-02-05) (age 23)
Place of birth Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Playing position Right winger, Striker
Club information
Current club Manchester United
Number 7
Youth clubs
CF Andorinha
CD Nacional
Sporting CP
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2001–2003
2003– Sporting CP
Manchester United 025 0(3)
151 (54)
National team2
2003– Portugal 054 (20)
1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 14:38, 10 February 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 10:11, 17 October 2007 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pronounced [kɾiʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu]), (born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira), better known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a professional Portuguese footballer. He plays for the English club Manchester United and Portugal. Ronaldo has played primarily as a winger for United and can play on either wing but mostly right wing.[2] He has additionally also played in a central attacking role for Manchester United as well as a second striker.[3]

Contents
1 Biography
2 Playing style
3 Career
3.1 Early career
3.2 Sporting Clube de Portugal
3.3 Manchester United
4 International career
4.1 World Cup incident
4.2 International goals
5 Honours
5.1 Team honours with Manchester United
5.2 Honours with national team
5.3 Individual honours and awards
5.4 Special achievements
5.5 Non-hereditary Orders and Titles
6 Career statistics
7 References
8 External links



Biography
Ronaldo was born in Madeira, Portugal, to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and the late José Dinis Aveiro (1954 – London, 5 September 2005). He has one older brother, Hugo (b. 1975), and two elder sisters, Elma (b. 1974) and Liliana Cátia (b. Madeira, 5 October 1976). Liliana Cátia works as a singer by the stage name "Ronalda" in Portugal. Cristiano's second given name ("Ronaldo") is relatively rare in Portugal. His parents named him after former Hollywood actor and U.S. President Ronald Reagan due to his late father's respect for the man.[4]


Playing style
Ronaldo is a two-footed player, this allowing him to play anywhere up front: right, left or through the middle. This has enabled Ronaldo and left winger Ryan Giggs to switch wings occasionally, allowing Manchester United to further confuse their opponents.[5] Ronaldo has superb technical ability. Besides his multiple step-over moves, he also developed a wide array of skills, making him a tricky and unpredictable winger to come up against.[6] Ronaldo's pace and blistering runs, either down the wings or cutting into the middle, has further established him as an important player to Manchester United. He can also strike powerful shots from outside the box. His unique playing style is a far cry from traditional wingers of the past and he can best be described as a winger and a striker rolled into one.[7] Ronaldo is extremely good in the air and has scored a fair number of headed goals as well. In addition, his 'pin ball free-kicks' are also noted for their swerve and dip. He is also adept at taking spot kicks and is Manchester United's first choice penalty-taker.


Career

Early career
He 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. 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, Ronaldo's manager at 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 who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.[8]


Sporting Clube de Portugal
Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Alcochete, the club's "football factory," where he received first-class instruction. In his first few months in Lisbon, he had to defend himself from the rest of the local players as they had taunted him over his Madeiran accent. A growth spurt had also obstructed his progress at the club. However, Ronaldo eventually went on to become the only player in Sporting’s history to play for the Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, B team and first-team within a season.[9] Sporting realised that Ronaldo needed more support and arranged for his mother to join him. He scored two goals on his Sporting debut against Moreirense. He also featured for Portugal in the UEFA Under 17 Championships.[10]

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.[11] However, he came to the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting beat Manchester United 3-1 in the inauguration of the Alvalade XXI stadium in Lisbon. Ronaldo demonstrated his ability to play on both wings. His performance in the match impressed the Manchester United players, who spoke to their manager about a possible transfer bid for Ronaldo.[12]


Manchester United
Ferguson decided that he wanted Ronaldo for his team, who were in the market for a right-sided midfielder with the departure of David Beckham to Real Madrid; Ronaldo was signed for a fee of £12.24 million,[13] becoming the club's first ever Portuguese player. Ronaldo was handed the number 7 shirt on his arrival, a shirt number that has belonged to some of the greatest Manchester United legends, such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and Beckham. Ronaldo initially asked for the number 28 which he wore at Sporting, as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt. "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".[14]


Ronaldo playing for Manchester UnitedRonaldo made his debut for Manchester United as a 60th minute substitute against Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford, a 4-0 Manchester United win. On 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 received the same accolade the following year in 2006. He was also ranked 20th in the FIFA Player of the Year 2005 standings.

In 2006, a row between him and Ruud van Nistelrooy at the Carrington training ground intensified speculation about their roles at the club.[15] However, Ronaldo signed a new deal with United that would last until 2010. Ronaldo said of the deal, "United have stood by me and been there for me and I want to repay that".[16]

Despite the World Cup incident, Ronaldo remained popular with the Manchester United faithful 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.. He won the Barclays Player of the Month for November 2006. By December 2006, Ronaldo had become one of United's most influential players, scoring six goals in three league games to bring his overall tally up to 12 goals. He came on at half-time as a substitute against Wigan Athletic and immediately stamped his influence on the match with 2 goals in the space of a few minutes. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson concedes he would lose his wager with the Portuguese in his current form after setting a target of 15 goals for the season. The Scot remarked that he was "pleased for him because he works hard at his game. He's still learning the game. His ability to pass the ball has helped him this season. His passing has been very good. That just shows he is maturing. He's been fantastic, and he's getting better all the time".[17] In December, he was awarded the Barclays Player of the Month Award for the second successive month, becoming the third ever player in the Premiership to do so (after Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996).[18][19] Ronaldo scored his 50th goal for Manchester United in the game against arch-rivals Manchester City which turned out to be the decisive goal which helped Manchester United claim the Premiership for the first time in 4 years.

As the end of each season approached, particularly in 2006 and 2007, it became traditional for rumours to start floating that Ronaldo was unsettled at Manchester United and wanted to play for Real Madrid - the rumours frequently originating from the board of Real Madrid who were reported in April 2007 to be willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo.[20] At the beginning of March 2007, however, Ronaldo, as well as Manchester United, confirmed that they would be negotiating an extension to his current contract. On 13 April 2007, Ronaldo signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week deal with United, making him the highest-paid player in United's history.[21] He said, "I am very happy at the club and I want to win trophies and hopefully we will do that this season".[22]


Rooney and Ronaldo (Right) depicted at Old TraffordDuring the 2006-07 season, Ronaldo won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards. He received the two awards during a ceremony on the 22nd of April, 2007. In addition to winning the two awards (an accomplishment that has only been matched once - in 1977 by Andy Gray),[23] Ronaldo was also named a member of the PFA Premiership Team of the Year, alongside seven of his fellow Manchester United teammates. On 24 April 2007, Ronaldo completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year, an award which is given by winning the most votes from fans all over the United Kingdom. In addition, he was awarded the 2007 Portuguese Footballer of the Year, and at the beginning of May 2007 Ronaldo was also awarded the Football Writers' Association Award. He also received two awards from the club itself, the Player of the Year award, and the Fans' Player of the Year award.

The 2006-07 was tainted with several diving incidents. During a match with Middlesbrough F.C., he was criticised for diving by rival manager Gareth Southgate.[24] On 4 February 2007, in a match against Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Ronaldo was caught in yet another diving controversy, after winning United a controversial penalty despite seeming to receive little or no contact from Tottenham's Steed Malbranque.[25]

Ronaldo has occasionally 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.[26] 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.[27] Cristiano Ronaldo was sent of for an alleged headbutt of Portsmouth player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the 2007-08 season, and was therefore banned for the subsequent three games. After the match, Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that Ronaldo had "fallen into the trap".[28] Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in future.[29]

Ronaldo's 2007-08 season started badly with the sending off at Portsmouth. However, in his first game following the ban Ronaldo scored the only goal in the 60th minute of a Champions League away game against Sporting Lisbon on return to his old club. He was given a standing ovation by the Sporting supporters for his muted celebrations following the goal. Following this match, Ronaldo has kept his goalscoring boots on in the away fixture against Birmingham City F.C. The goalscoring continued with a brace against Wigan Athletic F.C. Ronaldo contributed three goals in both the home and away fixtures against Dynamo Kiev, a goal against Arsenal F.C. and another brace against Blackburn Rovers. An injury time winner, coming from a free-kick in the home fixture against Sporting Lisbon led Manchester United to the top of the group in the UEFA Champions League [30].On December 2, 2007, Ronaldo was officially announced as the runner up in the European Footballer of the Year standings, finishing behind the winner, Kaka, with 277 points. [31] Ronaldo scored a match-winning double against Fulham F.C., one of which includes a memorable volley [32]. He had also been booked for diving by referee Rob Styles when he went down under a challenge from Fulham's goalkeeper, Antti Niemi. Sir Alex Ferguson had claimed that it "His reputation from years ago is still playing on the minds of referees. It was a ridiculous decision." [33] In addition to his two late penalties in the home fixtures against Derby County F.C. [34] and Everton F.C. , he scored a free-kick just before half-time against Sunderland A.F.C. [35]. On December 17 2007, it was officially announced that Ronaldo came in third in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards, finishing behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.[36] A 2-1 defeat in the away fixture against West Ham United F.C., Ronaldo scored in the match but missed a penalty.

Ronaldo scored his first hat trick for Manchester United, in the 6-0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of English Premier League table. He scored with a free kick in the 49th minute and went on to score twice more in the 70th and 88th minutes of the match. [37] The very next game, he scored the second goal in the 2-0 win against Reading on 19 January 2008, bringing his goal tally to 23, equalling his tally for the whole of the 2006/2007 season. [38]


International career
Ronaldo had previously played for Portugal at the 2002 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and at the U18 and U21 level. He eventually made his full international debut in August 2003, coming on in the second half of a 1-0 victory against Kazakhstan. Ronaldo 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, with Greece once again emerging victorious. Even though Ronaldo could not add to his two goals, his performances at the tournament earned him a place in the team of the tournament. [39]

Ronaldo subsequently 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. [39]

Ronaldo scored his first World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick. [40]In the Round of 16, he left Portugal's 1-0 win over Netherlands injured after a high tackle by Khalid Boulahrouz. [41] However, he returned in the next match in the quarter - final against England.

Ronaldo was named the national team captain for the first time in a friendly match against Brazil on February 6, 2007, a day after his 22nd birthday. This move was in honor of the Portuguese Football Federation president, Carlos Silva, who had died two days before. Scolari explained, "Mr Silva asked me to make him captain as a gesture. He thought the English fans would give him a difficult time and this was a response. He is too young to be captain but Mr Silva asked me and now he is no longer with us."[42]

Ronaldo scored a total of 8 goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. [43]


World Cup incident
On 8 July 2006, after the sending off of United team-mate Wayne Rooney for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho in the Quarter Final of the 2006 World Cup between England and Portugal, there was much speculation in the English media that he had influenced Rooney's red card by complaining aggressively to the referee. Ronaldo has said that Rooney was a friend, and that he was not trying to get Rooney a red card.[44] Rooney said, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed that he chose to get involved."[45]

The Sun published a dart board with a picture of Ronaldo as the bull's-eye in a similar fashion to the one made after the 1998 World Cup for David Beckham by The Daily Mirror, another English tabloid.[46][47][48] The angry reaction in England forced Ronaldo to consider leaving United. After the incident, he told reporters that he thought he "should get out of Manchester as the circumstances are not right to keep playing there".[49] He allegedly told the Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid.[50]

In response to the speculation, Sir Alex Ferguson sent his assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in Portugal, hoping to change the young player's mind,[51] whilst Rooney pleaded with Ronaldo not to leave the team.[52] Ronaldo chose to stay on at United and signed a new five-year contract months later. [53]

Ronaldo was booed by some French and English fans during Portugal's semi-final defeat against France, and missed out on the tournament's Best Young Player award, partly due to an e-mail campaign against him by England fans.[54] 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.[55]


International goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
01. 12 June 2004 Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal Greece 1 – 2 1 – 2 Euro 2004
02. 30 June 2004 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal Netherlands 2 – 0 2 – 1 Euro 2004
03. 4 September 2004 Skonto stadions, Riga, Latvia Latvia 0 – 1 0 – 2 World Cup 2006 Qualifying
04. 8 September 2004 Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal Estonia 1 – 0 4 – 0 World Cup 2006 Qualifying
05. 13 October 2004 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal Russia 2 – 0 7 – 1 World Cup 2006 Qualifying
06. 13 October 2004 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal Russia 4 – 0 7 – 1 World Cup 2006 Qualifying
07. 17 November 2004 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxemburg City, Luxembourg Luxembourg 0 – 2 0 – 5 World Cup 2006 Qualifying
08. 4 June 2005 Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal Slovakia 2 – 0 2 – 0 World Cup 2006 Qualifying
09. 8 June 2005 A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia Estonia 0 – 1 0 – 1 World Cup 2006 Qualifying
10. 1 March 2006 LTU Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany Saudi Arabia 0 – 1 0 – 3 Friendly
11. 1 March 2006 LTU Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany Saudi Arabia 0 – 3 0 – 3 Friendly
12. 17 June 2006 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany Iran 2 – 0 2 – 0 World Cup 2006
13. 7 October 2006 Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal Azerbaijan 1 – 0 3 – 0 Euro 2008 Qualifying
14. 7 October 2006 Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal Azerbaijan 3 – 0 3 – 0 Euro 2008 Qualifying
15. 15 November 2006 Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal Kazakhstan 2 – 0 3 – 0 Euro 2008 Qualifying
16. 24 March 2007 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal Belgium 2 – 0 4 – 0 Euro 2008 Qualifying
17. 24 March 2007 Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal Belgium 4 – 0 4 – 0 Euro 2008 Qualifying
18. 22 August 2007 Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia Armenia 0 – 1 1 – 1 Euro 2008 Qualifying
19. 8 September 2007 Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal Poland 2 – 1 2 – 2 Euro 2008 Qualifying
20. 17 October 2007 Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 0 – 2 1 – 2 Euro 2008 Qualifying


Honours


Team honours with Manchester United
FA Premier League: 2006-2007
FA Premier League: Runner Up: 2005-06
FA Cup: 2004
FA Cup Runners Up: 2005, 2007
Football League Cup: 2006
Community Shield: 2007

Honours with national team
UEFA European Championship 2004: Runner-up

Individual honours and awards
PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2007
PFA Young Player of the Year: 2007
PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2007
PFA Premiership Team of the Year: 2005-2006, 2006-2007
Barclays Player of the Season: 2006-2007
Football Writers' Association Award: 2007
Barclays Player of the Month: November 2006, December 2006
PFA Fans' Player of the Month: October 2006, February 2007
Portuguese Sports Personality: 2006
Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2007
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2006-2007
Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2006-2007
FIFPro World XI: 2006-2007
UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2007
UEFA European Championship 2004 Team of the Tournament
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
European Footballer of the Year - Ballon d'Or
2nd place: 2007
Onze d'Or
2nd place: 2007
FIFA World Player of the Year:
3rd place: 2007
FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2005, 2006

Special achievements
One of only two players to have won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards in the same year, the other being Andy Gray in 1977.
Also won the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award, becoming the first player to win all three Professional Footballers Association awards in one season.
Only the third player in Premiership history to win back-to-back Barclays Player of the Month awards, and the first since the 1995-1996 season.
Holds the Premiership record for most goals scored in one season by a midfielder, having scored 17 times during the 2006-2007 Premiership campaign. (Unofficially he has already broken this record since, as of 6th February 2008, Ronaldo has scored 19 times in the 2007-2008 campaign. However, the official total will not be registered until the end of the season.)
One of only two players to feature in the PFA Premiership Team of the Year for both the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons, the other being Steven Gerrard

Non-hereditary Orders and Titles
Orders and decorations received by Cristiano Ronaldo:

Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique (Portugal)
Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza).[56]

Career statistics

All-Time Club Performance Club Season Domestic League Domestic Cups Europe Total
Apps Goals Assts Apps Goals Assts Apps Goals Assts Apps Goals Assts
Sporting Clube de Portugal 2002-03 25 3 - 3 2 - 3 0 0 31 5 -
Total 25 3 - 3 2 - 3 0 0 31 5 -
Manchester United 2003-04 29 4 4 6 2 0 5 0 0 40 6 4
2004-05 33 5 4 9 4 0 8 0 0 50 9 4
2005-06 33 9 6 6 2 1 8 1 0 47 12 7
2006-07 34 17 14 8 3 1 11 3 5 53 23 20
2007-08 20 19 2 3 3 0 5 5 1 28 27 3
Total 149 52 30 32 14 2 37 9 6 218 77 38
Career Totals 174 55 30 35 16 2 40 9 6 249 82 38


Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo says all he wants is a quiet life and enough cash to buy a few candles.

The Man United star - who reportedly invited 5 escort girls to a bash at his £3 million home earlier this month - says he would much rather have a quiet evening in than go on a boozy night out.

'Many people have images of footballers as people who like to go out all the time, spend their money lavishly and like to date many women,' he tells Hello!

'But I don't drink alcohol, I hate smoking and I'm not a big spender. I live in a rural part of Cheshire, where squirrels, birds and cows are my closest neighbours.'

Cristiano, 22, isn't the least bit interested in wild parties around the Jacuzzi.

'Much of time is spent at home, with my friends and family,' he insists. 'I enjoy to be peaceful and often sit by candlelight to relax. Tranquillity is important to me.'


FourFourTwo's 10 Best Players in the World

1. Kaka

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

3. Ronaldinho

4. Thierry Henry

5. Lionel Messi

6. Steven Gerrard

7. Samuel Eto'o

8. Wayne Rooney

9. Gianluigi Buffon

10. Fabio Cannavaro

Who do you rate as the best footballer in the world right now?
Would the dazzling dribbling of Cristiano Ronaldo get your vote, or do you prefer the stunning skills of Milan maestro Kaka?
The latest issue of FourFourTwo magazine gives their rundown of the 100 best players in the world.
Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney represent England in the top 10, but the top five is a purely overseas affair.
Do you think there should more Englishmen in the top 10, or are the likes of Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi a cut above anything available to Steve McClaren?
Two-time World Player of the Year Ronaldinho gave FourFourTwo his verdict with his club and country team-mates featuring prominently.
The Brazil and Barcelona star selected Camp Nou colleagues Messi, Henry and Deco, compatriot Kaka and Manchester United's Ronaldo.
Newcastle and England striker Michael Owen gave his backing to Gerrard, Henry, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Messi.
And new Liverpool striker Fernando Torres also included his new Anfield team-mate Gerrard and also Kaka, Ronaldinho, Rooney and Henry.
But we want to know what you think, and who you rate as the best player in the world.
Let us have your comments on the list - and your top tens - using the form below.
Rui Costa: Split Ballon d'Or between Kaka, Man Utd's Ronaldo

Benfica veteran Rui Costa believes this year's Ballon d'Or should be split between Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
AC Milan midfield ace Kaka is regarded by many as being favourite for the Player of the Year award and while former Rossoneri star Rui Costa would love to see the Brazilian pick up the trophy, he also wants recognition for fellow Portuguese Ronaldo, the Manchester United winger.

"This year I would split in two the Ballon d'Or and give half to Cristiano Ronaldo and half to Kaka," said Rui Costa.



Ballon d'Or

Since 1956 the bi-weekly (formerly weekly) French magazine France Football awards the "Ballon d'Or" for the best European Footballer of the calendar year. Only players from European clubs are eligible. Until 1994 any player from an European National Team was eligible; since 1995 any player from a European club (regardless of his nationality) is eligible but he must also be part of a preliminary list of 50 players established by France Football.

Voters are journalists - one from each member country of UEFA. Each voter chooses 5 players and points are awarded as follows: 5 points for a first place in a voters' list, 4 points for second, 3 points for third, 2 points for fourth, and 1 point for fifth.

European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")

2006 Fabio CANNAVARO (Ita) Real Madrid (Spa)
2005 RONALDINHO (Bra) Barcelona (Spa)
2004 Andriy SHEVCHENKO (Ukr) Milan (Ita)
2003 Pavel NEDVED (Cze) Juventus (Ita)
2002 RONALDO (Bra) Real Madrid (Spa)
2001 Michael OWEN (Eng) Liverpool (Eng)
2000 Luis FIGO (Por) Real Madrid (Spa)
1999 RIVALDO (Bra) Barcelona (Spa)
1998 Zinedine ZIDANE (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1997 RONALDO (Bra) Internazionale (Ita)
1996 Matthias SAMMER (Ger) Borussia Dortmund (Ger)
1995 George WEAH (Lib) Milan (Ita)
1994 Hristo STOITCHKOV (Bul) Barcelona (Spa)
1993 Roberto BAGGIO (Ita) Juventus (Ita)
1992 Marco VAN BASTEN (Net) Milan (Ita)
1991 Jean-Pierre PAPIN (Fra) Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1990 Lothar MATTHÄUS (Ger) Internazionale (Ita)
1989 Marco VAN BASTEN (Net) Milan (Ita)
1988 Marco VAN BASTEN (Net) Milan (Ita)
1987 Ruud GULLIT (Net) Milan (Ita)
1986 Igor BELANOV (SU) Dynamo Kiev (SU)
1985 Michel PLATINI (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1984 Michel PLATINI (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1983 Michel PLATINI (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1982 Paolo ROSSI (Ita) Juventus (Ita)
1981 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1980 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1979 Kevin KEEGAN (Eng) Hamburger SV (Ger)
1978 Kevin KEEGAN (Eng) Hamburger SV (Ger)
1977 Alan SIMONSEN (Den) Borussia Mönchengladbach (Ger)
1976 Franz BECKENBAUER (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1975 Oleg BLOKHIN (SU) Dynamo Kiev (SU)
1974 Johan CRUIJFF (Net) Barcelona (Spa)
1973 Johan CRUIJFF (Net) Barcelona (Spa)
1972 Franz BECKENBAUER (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1971 Johan CRUIJFF (Net) Ajax (Net)
1970 Gerd MÜLLER (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1969 Gianni RIVERA (Ita) Milan (Ita)
1968 George BEST (Nil) Manchester United (Eng)
1967 Flórián ALBERT (Hun) Ferencváros (Hun)
1966 Bobby CHARLTON (Eng) Manchester United (Eng)
1965 EUSÉBIO (Por) Benfica (Por)
1964 Denis LAW (Sco) Manchester United (Eng)
1963 Lev YASHIN (SU) Dynamo Moskva (SU)
1962 Josef MASOPUST (Cze) Dukla Praha (Cze)
1961 Omar SIVORI (Ita [*]) Juventus (Ita)
1960 Luis SUÁREZ (Spa) Barcelona (Spa)
1959 Alfredo DI STÉFANO (Spa [*]) Real Madrid (Spa)
1958 Raymond KOPA (Fra) Real Madrid (Spa)
1957 Alfredo DI STÉFANO (Spa [*]) Real Madrid (Spa)
1956 Stanley MATTHEWS (Eng) Blackpool (Eng)



Wins by Club:

Juventus 8 (Platini 3, Sivori, Rossi, Baggio, Zidane, Nedved)
Milan 7 (Van Basten 3, Rivera, Gullit, Weah, Shevchenko)
Barcelona 6 (Cruijff 2, Suárez, Stoitchkov, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho)
Real Madrid 6 (Di Stéfano 2, Kopa, Figo, Ronaldo, Cannavaro)
Bayern München 5 (Beckenbauer 2, Rummenigge 2, Müller)
Manchester United 3 (Law, Charlton, Best)
Dynamo Kiev 2 (Blokhin, Belanov)
Hamburger SV 2 (Keegan)
Internazionale 2 (Matthäus, Ronaldo)
Ajax 1 (Cruijff)
Benfica 1 (Eusébio)
Blackpool 1 (Matthews)
Borussia Dortmund 1 (Sammer)
Borussia MG 1 (Simonsen)
Dukla Praha 1 (Masopust)
Dynamo Moskva 1 (Yashin)
Ferencváros 1 (Albert)
Liverpool 1 (Owen)
Olymp. Marseille 1 (Papin)

Rui Costa: Split Ballon d'Or between Kaka, Man Utd's Ronaldo
Benfica veteran Rui Costa believes this year's Ballon d'Or should be split between Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
AC Milan midfield ace Kaka is regarded by many as being favourite for the Player of the Year award and while former Rossoneri star Rui Costa would love to see the Brazilian pick up the trophy, he also wants recognition for fellow Portuguese Ronaldo, the Manchester United winger.

"This year I would split in two the Ballon d'Or and give half to Cristiano Ronaldo and half to Kaka," said Rui Costa.



Ballon d'Or

Since 1956 the bi-weekly (formerly weekly) French magazine France Football awards the "Ballon d'Or" for the best European Footballer of the calendar year. Only players from European clubs are eligible. Until 1994 any player from an European National Team was eligible; since 1995 any player from a European club (regardless of his nationality) is eligible but he must also be part of a preliminary list of 50 players established by France Football.

Voters are journalists - one from each member country of UEFA. Each voter chooses 5 players and points are awarded as follows: 5 points for a first place in a voters' list, 4 points for second, 3 points for third, 2 points for fourth, and 1 point for fifth.

European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")

2006 Fabio CANNAVARO (Ita) Real Madrid (Spa)
2005 RONALDINHO (Bra) Barcelona (Spa)
2004 Andriy SHEVCHENKO (Ukr) Milan (Ita)
2003 Pavel NEDVED (Cze) Juventus (Ita)
2002 RONALDO (Bra) Real Madrid (Spa)
2001 Michael OWEN (Eng) Liverpool (Eng)
2000 Luis FIGO (Por) Real Madrid (Spa)
1999 RIVALDO (Bra) Barcelona (Spa)
1998 Zinedine ZIDANE (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1997 RONALDO (Bra) Internazionale (Ita)
1996 Matthias SAMMER (Ger) Borussia Dortmund (Ger)
1995 George WEAH (Lib) Milan (Ita)
1994 Hristo STOITCHKOV (Bul) Barcelona (Spa)
1993 Roberto BAGGIO (Ita) Juventus (Ita)
1992 Marco VAN BASTEN (Net) Milan (Ita)
1991 Jean-Pierre PAPIN (Fra) Olympique Marseille (Fra)
1990 Lothar MATTHÄUS (Ger) Internazionale (Ita)
1989 Marco VAN BASTEN (Net) Milan (Ita)
1988 Marco VAN BASTEN (Net) Milan (Ita)
1987 Ruud GULLIT (Net) Milan (Ita)
1986 Igor BELANOV (SU) Dynamo Kiev (SU)
1985 Michel PLATINI (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1984 Michel PLATINI (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1983 Michel PLATINI (Fra) Juventus (Ita)
1982 Paolo ROSSI (Ita) Juventus (Ita)
1981 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1980 Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1979 Kevin KEEGAN (Eng) Hamburger SV (Ger)
1978 Kevin KEEGAN (Eng) Hamburger SV (Ger)
1977 Alan SIMONSEN (Den) Borussia Mönchengladbach (Ger)
1976 Franz BECKENBAUER (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1975 Oleg BLOKHIN (SU) Dynamo Kiev (SU)
1974 Johan CRUIJFF (Net) Barcelona (Spa)
1973 Johan CRUIJFF (Net) Barcelona (Spa)
1972 Franz BECKENBAUER (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1971 Johan CRUIJFF (Net) Ajax (Net)
1970 Gerd MÜLLER (Ger) Bayern München (Ger)
1969 Gianni RIVERA (Ita) Milan (Ita)
1968 George BEST (Nil) Manchester United (Eng)
1967 Flórián ALBERT (Hun) Ferencváros (Hun)
1966 Bobby CHARLTON (Eng) Manchester United (Eng)
1965 EUSÉBIO (Por) Benfica (Por)
1964 Denis LAW (Sco) Manchester United (Eng)
1963 Lev YASHIN (SU) Dynamo Moskva (SU)
1962 Josef MASOPUST (Cze) Dukla Praha (Cze)
1961 Omar SIVORI (Ita [*]) Juventus (Ita)
1960 Luis SUÁREZ (Spa) Barcelona (Spa)
1959 Alfredo DI STÉFANO (Spa [*]) Real Madrid (Spa)
1958 Raymond KOPA (Fra) Real Madrid (Spa)
1957 Alfredo DI STÉFANO (Spa [*]) Real Madrid (Spa)
1956 Stanley MATTHEWS (Eng) Blackpool (Eng)



Wins by Club:

Juventus 8 (Platini 3, Sivori, Rossi, Baggio, Zidane, Nedved)
Milan 7 (Van Basten 3, Rivera, Gullit, Weah, Shevchenko)
Barcelona 6 (Cruijff 2, Suárez, Stoitchkov, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho)
Real Madrid 6 (Di Stéfano 2, Kopa, Figo, Ronaldo, Cannavaro)
Bayern München 5 (Beckenbauer 2, Rummenigge 2, Müller)
Manchester United 3 (Law, Charlton, Best)
Dynamo Kiev 2 (Blokhin, Belanov)
Hamburger SV 2 (Keegan)
Internazionale 2 (Matthäus, Ronaldo)
Ajax 1 (Cruijff)
Benfica 1 (Eusébio)
Blackpool 1 (Matthews)
Borussia Dortmund 1 (Sammer)
Borussia MG 1 (Simonsen)
Dukla Praha 1 (Masopust)
Dynamo Moskva 1 (Yashin)
Ferencváros 1 (Albert)
Liverpool 1 (Owen)
Olymp. Marseille 1 (Papin)

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Gerald Asamoah



Gerald Asamoah


Gerald Asamoah

Gerald Asamoah in June 2005
Personal information
Full name Gerald Asamoah
Date of birth October 3, 1978 (1978-10-03) (age 29)
Place of birth Mampong, Ghana
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Striker/Midfielder
Club information
Current club FC Schalke 04
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1994-1999
1999- Hannover 96
FC Schalke 04 21 (4)
227 (37)
National team2
2001- Germany 43 (6)
1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 15 December 2007.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 6 September 2006.
* Appearances (Goals)

Gerald Asamoah (born October 3, 1978 in Mampong, Ghana) is a Ghanaian-German football player.

Born in Ghana, Asamoah and his family emigrated to Germany in 1990. He played for Hannover 96 before moving to FC Schalke 04 in 1999. He made his debut for Germany in 2001 against Slovakia, the first black player to ever play for the side (however, with Erwin Kostedde and Jimmy Hartwig, there were two previous German internationals who had one black and one white parent). He scored on his debut, and went on to play in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Asamoah suffers from a heart condition, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). In his case, the flesh lobe that separates the right and left heart chambers is extremely thick, which can cause an arrhythmic heartbeat.





Gerald Asamoah

Spielerinformationen
Voller Name Gerald Asamoah
Geburtstag 3. Oktober 1978
Geburtsort Mampong, Ghana
Position Sturm
Vereinsinformationen
Verein FC Schalke 04
Trikotnummer 14
Vereine in der Jugend
1990-1994
1994-1998 BV Werder Hannover
Hannover 96
Vereine als Aktiver1
Jahre Verein Spiele (Tore)
1998-1999
1999- Hannover 96
FC Schalke 04 21 (4)
228 (38)
Nationalmannschaft2
2001- Deutschland 43 (6)
1 Angegeben sind nur Liga-Spiele.
Stand: 15. Dezember 2007
2Stand: 1. Juni 2007


Gerald Asamoah (* 3. Oktober 1978 in Mampong, Ghana) ist ein deutscher Fußballspieler. Seit 1999 spielt Asamoah für den FC Schalke 04.

Inhaltsverzeichnis [Verbergen]
1 Leben und Karriere
2 Sonstiges
3 Erfolge
4 Fußnoten
5 Siehe auch
6 Weblink
im Juni 2005


Leben und Karriere [Bearbeiten]Asamoah lebt seit seinem zwölften Lebensjahr in Deutschland, besuchte dieselbe Schulklasse wie sein damaliger und heutiger Vereinskollege Fabian Ernst und begann seine Laufbahn als Fußballer 1990 bei BV Werder Hannover.

1994 schloss er sich der Profimannschaft von Hannover 96 an; fünf Jahre später, 1999, wechselte er zum FC Schalke 04, mit dem er 2001 und 2002 zweimal den DFB-Pokal gewann.



im März 2007Nach seiner Einbürgerung 2001 wurde Gerald Asamoah als erster gebürtiger Afrikaner in eine DFB-Auswahl berufen. Gleich in seinem ersten Spiel für die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft gelang ihm am 29. Mai 2001 in einem Freundschaftsspiel gegen die Slowakei ein Treffer. Bei der Fußballweltmeisterschaft 2002 in Japan und Südkorea wurde er unter anderem im Finale eingesetzt. 2006 stand er ebenfalls im deutschen WM-Aufgebot und wirkte im Vorrundenspiel gegen Ecuador mit.

Vor einigen Jahren diagnostizierten Ärzte als Ursache für Asamoahs Herz- und Kreislaufprobleme eine Verdickung der Herzscheidewand, was seine Fußballkarriere stark gefährdete und beinahe das Karriere-Aus bedeutete. Seine Ärzte rieten ihm dazu, seine Laufbahn zu beenden, jedoch konnte ihm ein US-amerikanischer Herzspezialist helfen, wodurch er seine Fußballkarriere fortsetzen konnte. Das verbleibende Restrisiko von einem Prozent trägt der Spieler selbst. Dem Verein wurde die Auflage gemacht, einen Defibrillator stets am Spielfeldrand bereit zu halten[1].

Anfang der Saison 2005/2006 warf ihn eine Knieverletzung stark zurück, jedoch konnte er sich wieder in die Schalker Stamm-Elf zurückkämpfen. Am 28. September 2006 brach sich Asamoah im UEFA-Pokalspiel des FC Schalke 04 beim AS Nancy nach einem schweren Foul das linke Schien- und Wadenbein. Nach sechs Monaten feierte Asamoah beim Spiel gegen den VfB Stuttgart am 17. März 2007 sein Comeback, als er in der 76. Minute eingewechselt wurde.

Gerald Asamoah sitzt zusammen mit Mathias Hain und Sebastian Kehl als Vertreter der Bundesliga im Spielerrat der Vereinigung der Vertragsfußballspieler (VdV).

Asamoah ist verheiratet und seit dem 26. Februar 2007 Vater von Zwillingen. Er wohnt mit seiner Familie in Marl.


Sonstiges [Bearbeiten]Der bekennende und gläubige Katholik setzt sich für die Gewinnung junger Menschen für Jesus ein, z. B. als Vorbild in der „Fußball-Bibel“. Er wirkte 2005 in der Medienkampagne Du bist Deutschland mit. Asamoah unterstützt darüber hinaus das Hilfswerk Ora International.

Beim Bundesligaspiel zwischen Borussia Dortmund und Schalke 04 kam es am 18. August 2007 laut Urteil des DFB zu einer „herabwürdigenden und verunglimpfenden Äußerung“ durch den Dortmunder Torwart Roman Weidenfeller gegenüber Asamoah. Hierbei soll er Asamoah als „schwarzes Schwein“ bezeichnet haben[2]. Auf Grund dieser Beleidigung wurde Weidenfeller zu einer Geldstrafe in Höhe von 10.000 Euro verurteilt und für drei Spiele in Folge gesperrt. Nach der Urteilsverkündung des DFB gegenüber Weidenfeller äußerte sich Asamoah in einem Fernsehinterview mit den folgenden Worten: „Ich weiß, was er zu mir auf dem Platz gesagt hat, und dabei bleibe ich auch. Damit hat sich die Sache für mich erledigt. Ich bin nicht davon ausgegangen, dass er gesperrt wird. Er hat sich dafür entschuldigt und für mich war das Ding zu Ende. Natürlich darf einem als Profi und Vorbild für die Jugend so eine Beleidigung nicht aus dem Mund kommen, und deswegen hat er sich auch auf dem Platz noch bei mir entschuldigt. Vielleicht ist es so, dass andere Spieler jetzt daraus lernen können.“ Zuvor hatte Weidenfeller seine Aussagen auf dem Spielfeld bestritten.

Gerald Asamoah Detailed Biography

Gerald Asamoah (born October 3, 1978 in Mampong) is a Ghanaian-German football player.

Born in Ghana, Asamoah emigrated to Germany in 1990. He played for Hannover 96 before moving to FC Schalke 04 in 1999. He made his debut for Germany in 2001, the first black player to ever play for the side (however, with Erwin Kostedde and Jimmy Hartwig, there were prior two German internationals who had one black and one white parent). He scored on his debut, and went on to play in the 2002 World Cup.

Asamoah suffers from a heart condition. In his case, the flesh lobe that separates the right and left heart chambers is extremely thick, which causes an arrhythmic heart beat. Whenever he participates in sports, he wears a defibrillator.

Asamoah: "Man muss im Leben einen Traum haben"
Von allen Profis im aktuellen Kader ist er am längsten beim FC Schalke 04 dabei. Gerald Asamoah kam aus seiner deutschen Heimatstadt Hannover 1999 zu Schalke und war vom ersten Spiel an einer der Leistungsträger.



Heute ist der gebürtige Ghanaer 29 Jahre alt, war bei zwei Weltmeisterschaften für Deutschland dabei und zählt zu den absoluten Topspielern bei den "Königsblauen". Was den deutschen Afrikaner ausmacht und wovon er insgeheim träumt, das verrät er bei bundesliga.de.

Beliebt bei den Fans

Gerald Asamoah ist ein positiv denkender Mensch und Publikumsliebling bei den "Knappen". 37 Tore schoss er bisher in der Bundesliga und auch in dieser Saison war er schon drei Mal erfolgreich. "Asa", wie er von Fans und Mitspielern gleichermaßen gerufen wird, ist Kult auf Schalke.

Dessen ist er sich bewusst und er weiß auch, warum solche Spieler wie er bei den Fans so beliebt sind. "Bei mir wissen die Fans, dass ich für den Verein lebe und alles für den Verein tue. Vom ersten Tag an habe ich alles für den Verein gegeben und deswegen spüre ich auch diese Anerkennung, die mir die Fans entgegen bringen", ist sich der Asamoah sicher.

Slomka und Thon sind Asamoah-Fans

Seit über acht Jahren trägt und lebt der stets gutgelaunte Gerald Asamoah "Königsblau". Sein Trainer Mirko Slomka weiß ganz genau, was er an ihm hat: "Ich glaube, dass 'Asa' jemand ist, der sich wirklich zu 100 Prozent mit diesem Club und mit diesen Fans identifiziert hat. Er ist einer, der sich hier richtig bewegt, er ist offen zu den Fans, immer für ein Lächeln gut. Er steht für Fotos und Autogramme zur Verfügung. Auf dem Platz lebt er dieses Kämpferische vor und die Mannschaft mitreißt."

Und auch ehemalige Mitspieler wie Weltmeister Olaf Thon, der mit Asamoah auf Schalke drei Jahre zusammenspielte, hat nur gute Erinnerungen. Er verrät aber auch bisher Unbekanntes von Gerald Asamoah. "Wenn ich mal an einem Mitspieler nicht vorbei kam, dann war es Gerald Asamoah. Obwohl er ja ein Stürmer ist, war es unmöglich ihn zu umspielen. Im Zweikampf eins gegen eins ist er wirklich stark", erinnert sich Thon an "Asa".

Großer Traum

Und genau diese Stärke von Asamoah macht ihn für den FC Schalke 04 so wichtig. Aber nicht nur bei den "Königsbaluen" der Stürmer eine wichtige Rolle annehmen, sondern auch in der deutschen Nationalmannschaft.

Aber zunächst einmal soll sich "Asa" sehnlichster Wunsch erfüllen, am besten noch in der laufenden Saison. So sagt der Schalker auf die Frage nach seinem großen Traum:
"Man muss im Leben ein Ziel haben, man muss einen Traum haben. Mein Traum ist einfach mit Schalke mal Meister zu werden". Ob sich dieser Wunsch erfüllt, wird man am 34. Spieltag sehen…

Adriano Leite Ribeiro

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Name: Adriano Leite Ribeiro
Born in: 17 february 1982
Birth's place: Rio de Janeiro, Brasile
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 87 kg
Position: Striker
Shirt's number 10
Nickname: Imperatore or dinamite

Adriano Leite Ribeiro (born February 17, 1982 in Rio de Janeiro), known simply as Adriano, is a popular Brazilian footballer. Some of his clubs include Flamengo, Fiorentina, Parma, and his current club, Internazionale of Milan. Adriano, weighs 91 kg and is 189 cm tall. He is known for his agility, strength, balance, and ball control.

Biography of Adriano Leite Ribeiro

Adriano began his career in the youth squad of Flamengo, and played in the pro squad between 1999 to 2001.

Adriano entered the national youth teams as a teenager. He won the 1999 edition of the FIFA U-17 World Championship, and helped the Brazil team to the Quarter Finals of the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship; he was the top scorer for Brazil with 6 goals and won the silver boot award for the competition, with 5 goals, just behind the golden boot winner, Argentinian striker Javier Saviola.

Adriano came to international fame in his first appearance for Inter Milan, when he scored against Real Madrid in the 2001 Santiago Bernabeu Trophy with a powerful free kick. With Inter already boasting first-class strikers, they loaned him out to Fiorentina during 2002.[1] In the summer of 2002, a 2 year co-ownership deal with Parma of the player was agreed.[2] In Parma, he formed one of the most impressive striking duos of Serie's A last decade with Adrian Mutu. They scored more than 15 goals with assists from each other. Adriano's kicks are strong and accurate, though sometimes lacking technical execution.

He returned to the Nerazzurri in 2004 and signed 4 and a half year contract and has since been an asset to the team.[3] He has scored a total of 15 goals in his 16 appearances during the 2004-05 season. While playing for the Brazilian national team, he won the 2004 Copa América in Peru. Adriano was the leading goal scorer of the tournament and was selected as the best player.

Adriano is often considered as the long-term successor to Ronaldo in the Brazillian national team. When he scores a goal, he looks to the sky in memory of his recently deceased father. In Italy, he is known by the nickname of "L'Imperatore" ('The Emperor'), referring to the Roman emperor Hadrian (Adriano in Italian).

He had been linked with moves to Chelsea and Real Madrid, but this rumor was put to rest after Adriano signed a four-year contract extension in 2005 that will keep him with Inter until 2010. "It's flattering that so many prestigious clubs want him," Giacinto Facchetti, Inter Milan's club president, told journalists, "but we're keeping tight hold of him." However, after a somewhat dissapointing 2005/2006 season with only 13 league goals and some poor performances, he has again been linked with a move away to Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter's city rivals, AC Milan as they look for a replacment for Andriy Schevchenko. During the 2005 Confederations Cup, Adriano was named Player of the Tournament and was the competition's leading scorer with five goals. In the final, he steered Brazil to an unforgettable victory. Two outstanding goals helped Brazil to beat Argentina 4-1, the first one coming from a blistering left-footed shot in the 11th minute. The second came as a result of a Cicinho cross, with Adriano heading it in. This goal was also impressive because Brazil's players passed the ball among themselves for more than one minute, with most of the players 'participating' in the goal.

From 11 July 2004 through 25 June 2005, Adriano has scored an impressive total of 40 goals. They have come from an assortment of matches (28) including appearances in: Serie A, Coppa Italia & Champions League games for Inter in 2004/05; Copa America, South American World Cup qualifying, and Confederations Cup games for Brazil.

Adriano was called up to the Brazilian National side ahead of the World Cup in Germany. He is expected to line-up alongside Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka in an impressive attacking foursome. Brazil are favourites to lift the cup.

Career

Season Team Championship European cups italian's cup
Presences Gol Presences Gol Presences Gol
2000 Flamengo 32 10
2001 Flamengo 13 4
01/gen 02 Inter 8 1 5 0 1 0
gen02/02 Fiorentina 15 6 0 0
2002/03 Parma 28 15 2 2 1 0
2003/gen04 Parma 9 8 2 1 2 0
gen04/04 Inter 16 9 0 2 3
2004/05 Inter 30 16 9 10 3 2
TOTALS 151 69 18 13 9 5





Palmares

1 Americans' Cup (with Brazil) (2004)
1 World Cup Under 17 (with Brazil) (1999)
2 Italian's Cups (with Inter) (2005,2006)
1 Confederations Cup (con il Brasile) (2005)
1 Italian's Supercup (con l'Inter) (2005)

BIOGRAPHY


The experts consider him the best player raised in Brazil in the last decade, that is since the appeareance of Ronaldo. His body is chiseled in the long hours spent in a Milan gymnasium, and his boots (size 43) fire thunderous shots from all angles towards the same target. He is a superb ball-holder, shows a surprising agility for his size, and frustrates defenders with his gravity-defying jumps which unmistakeably last a bit longer than expected. That's Adriano – the hottest goods coming from Brazil since Ronaldo!

The Brazilians used to treat the Sudamericano as a second rate competition for a long time, but the largest country of the Green Continent celebrated its seventh South American Championship in style. Perhaps because Argentina were the beaten rivals, perhaps to imitate the euphoria that had accompanied the European Championship.

This year's Sudamericano, held three instead of two years after the previous one, profiled the biggest American soccer star of the younger generation – Adriano Leite Ribeiro, arguably the player that best combines physical strength, speed, ball skils and shooting. The top player and top scorer of the tournament with seven goals in six appearances, Adriano has probably earned a place in the Brazilian starting line-up alongside Ronaldo. This could mean that Brazil will only need one decent passer of the ball in two years time in Germany, because the new "atomic" tandem is poised to crush all defences.

In Peru, Adriano gave a foretaste of what was to follow with a hat trick against Costa Rica, and signed off with his seventh goal in time added on in the final against Argentina. After saving his team from defeat in the last breath of the game, he went on to score from the spot to give Brazil the trophy in the shootout.

After his feats at the Sudamericano, Adriano won a nickname of "the Tank" from the local press, whereas the more imaginative writers compared him with his namesake, Roman emperor Hadrian (Adriano in Spanish), relishing the discovery that the aniversary of his death on July 10th of the year 138 AD fell on the eve of the beginning of this year's tournament in Peru.

Adriano comes from the huts of Vila Humeilde, in Rio de Janeiro's favelas.
"Football is my life, it has always been. But my parents didn't want me to play football. I had to go to school, to study, but in fact I studied so very little." Except for the subject called soccer, in extracurricular activities.

He started his footballing "studies" on the Leblon beach, on which Flamengo practices twice a week, and which used to be frequented by Zico on the lookout for talent. Adriano lifted the 1999 U-17 World Cup in New Zealand, and a year later he made Flamengo's first team under coach Paulo Cesar Carpegiani. On his debut he scored in a resounding 5-2 win over Sao Paulo at their Morumbi Stadium. He held on to his first team spot under Carlinhos and Zagalo, and in the Brazilian U-21 team he was crowned South American champion at the 2000 final tournament in Ecuador.

Such was the progress of this corpulent young man that the national team coach Emerson Leao gave him his first full cap against Colombia in November, but he was again demoted to the youth team for the 2001 U-20 World Cup in Argentina. Now playing above his rank, he finished the tournament as the second-best scorer with six goals behind Javier Saviola, even though Brazil went down to Ghana in the quarterfinals.

Cuper played it safe
That particular showing earned him a 20 million euro worth transfer to Inter.
"I would like to be to Inter what my idol Zico was for Udinese," he said. Next day he starred at the Trofeo Bernabeu in Madrid against hosts Real. In about five minutes he nearly scored with a magnificent header, had a few momentous runs through Real's defence, caused skipper Fernando Hierro to earn himself a red card and then scored with a tremendous shot from the free kick.

Everybody, the fans, press and Ronaldo – then still at Inter – were thrilled, but the coach Hector Cuper was reserved.
"He is not yet a phenomenon, although he could be. I hope he proves useful to us in the future."

As always, Cuper played safe and gave the 19-year old just eight brief appearances in Serie A, before the club sent him on loan to then Roberto Mancini's Fiorentina. In the following six months Adriano proved his worth, netting six times for the "Viola", but his prowess was largely overshadowed by Fiorentina's financial disaster which landed the squad in the fourth division.

Still oblivious to Adriano's charm, Inter's supremo Massimo Moratti forwarded him to Parma and, worse still, sold the cheese-makers a half of the Brazilian's contract for 12,5 million euros. In Parma Adriano shone, scoring 15 goals in Serie A and five in the UEFA Cup. Now confident he would finally get a real chance at Inter, he was bitterly disappointed last summer upon learning he would have to stay in the provinces for further "hardening".

Inter likes it expensive
Inter's supporters were incensed to hear Adriano claim he would not automatically reject a possible approach from AC Milan, while the press wrote that "to lose Adriano would be equivalent to going down to Serie B." It took Inter's dismal run and the long-overdue dismissal of Hector Cuper to mobilise Inter's bosses to bring the Carioca back, only to find that his price had gone up to a total of 58 million euros, which meant that the Milan giants had to pay 29 million euros for the other half of the player's contract, 16,5 million more than they had received from Parma a year and a half before.

Finally, on January 21st Adriano signed a contract tying him to Inter until 2008. He was welcomed as a saviour midway through a season threatening to leave Inter without international football next season, but the new duties did not slow him down. With nine goals in just 13 starts he eclipsed Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba, pounding the way to fourth place and a Champions League qualifying round spot. The arrival of his old boss from Fiorentina, Roberto Mancini, was another bit of good news for the Brazilian, since the new coach promised he would not choose between Adriano and Vieri, but would instead build the team around these two formidable goal-poachers.

Club Statistics

SEASON CLUB MATCHES GOALS
00/01 Flamengo 17 6
01 / 02 Internazionale 14 1
01 / 02 Fiorentina 19 7
02 / 03 Parma 27 15
03 / 04 Parma 9 8
03 / 04 Internazionale 18 12
04 / 05 Internazionale

Brazil Caps

YEAR MATCHES GOALS

2004 11 9
Incidente in auto, niente di grave
Incidente d'auto per Adriano a Rio de Janeiro. L'interista, in prestito al San Paolo, e' comunque rimasto illeso. Adriano ha perso il controllo della sua Audi TT finendo contro uno sparti-traffico, poi la sua vettura e' andata a sbattere contro altre tre. Nessun ferito. Intanto la dirigenza del San Paolo precisa che le uscite notturne di Adriano sono ora tollerate perche' il giocatore si trova ancora in vacanza, ma che le cose cambieranno quando comincera' la stagione. Approfittiamo per augurare ad Adriano e a tutti i visitatori del sito... [+]



Presentazione ufficiale, con il numero 10
"Sono qui per rinascere", queste l'obiettivo che si da l'Imperatore che torna a sorridere e lo fa nel giorno della presentazione con la sua nuova maglia, quella numero 10 del San Paolo. "Ho capito che qui potevo essere felice - ammette Adriano - e per me è un onore vestire questa storica maglia. Sono venuto al San Paolo per segnare e aiutare la squadra a arrivare fino in fondo. Adriano, sarà un giocatore del San Paolo fino al prossimo 10 luglio e sarà disponibile anche per la Coppa Libertadores. Quest'anno ho riposato abbastanza e ho scelto il Brasile per tornare al top, per giocare il campionato e ovviamente la Coppa Libertadores. Ho vissuto un periodo di depressione - rivela il brasiliano -. Dopo i Mondiali sono successe molte cose, come la morte di mio padre, ma non voglio ricordare molto del passato, mi pento di molte cose e l'unico responsabile di quello che è accaduto è il sottoscritto ma non sono qui per pensare a questo, voglio pensare solo al San Paolo. Adriano non sarà a San Paolo per una sorta di riabilitazione, ma per cercare di vincere. Il gol? Arriva quando si sta bene con la squadra e con se stessi. Secondo quanto si è appreso, Adriano percepirebbe in Brasile il 10% del faraonico ingaggio che gli garantiva l'Inter. Ho rinunciato a una grossa parte del mio ingaggio perché oggi i soldi non contano - rivela il centravanti sudamericano. Quello che mi importa è tornare a giocare, tornare a essere felice.


Notizie positive su Adriano
Svaniscono le nubi e torna a splendere il sole sul futuro di Adriano. Quello un po' pallido di Milano, per essere più precisi. Il periodo di riabilitazione in Brasile volge al termine, e i progressi del centravanti avrebbero convinto i dirigenti dell'Inter: a gennaio tornerà in Italia. «Su Adriano — ha spiegato il d.g. Ernesto Paolillo — arrivano notizie tutte positive. Il giocatore è in grande smalto, sta bene fisicamente e psicologicamente: ha recuperato benissimo e dovrebbe tornare ai primi di gennaio». Neanche il tempo di rientrare, e subito gli toccherà fare di nuovo le valigie. Stavolta, però, con il resto della squadra, che nella sosta invernale si allenerà a Dubai. Parentesi esotica in cui l'Imperatore verrà osservato con particolare attenzione dallo staff di Mancini. L'ipotesi San Paolo, dunque, pare definitivamente sfumata. Nei prossimi giorni è in programma un incontro tra l'Inter e Gilmar Rinaldi, agente del calciatore, ma la soluzione paulista viene esclusa dagli stessi dirigenti brasiliani: «Adriano — ha confessato il presidente del San Paolo, Juvenal Juvencio — ha uno degli ingaggi più alti d'Europa: è una perla rara, ma non abbiamo i mezzi per ingaggiarlo».

Ufficiale:"Adriano in prestito al San Paolo"
E' ufficiale, Adriano in prestito al San Paolo per 6 mesi, ad annunciarlo è stato il procuratore Gilmar Rinaldi, al termine dell'incontro avuto a Milano con il vicepresidente nerazzurro Rinaldo Ghelfi e con il direttore dell'area tecnica Marco Branca. "Abbiamo risolto, abbiamo sistemato le cose - ha detto Rinaldi all'agenzia Dire - a gennaio Adriano andrà in prestito per sei mesi al San Paolo e poi tornerà all'Inter. Ci sono da sistemare solo un pò di cose, ma è deciso per il prestito semestrale". Venerdì Adriano sarà presentato ufficialmente dal San Paolo, con il quale prenderà parte alla coppa Libertadores. "Sarà iscritto a tutte le competizioni e giocherà in tutte - ha detto il d.g. del club paulista Joao Paulo de Jesus Lopes - finalmente potrà scendere in campo". Il prestito è gratuito, ma la società brasiliana pagherà un ingaggio mensile al giocatore. "Sarà una somma che rientra nella politica del San Paolo - ha spiegato Joao Paulo - anche perchè il suo recupero continua.". Ecco le prime parole di Adriano: "Sono molto contento di questo accordo, fin dal primo giorno che sono arrivato qui sono stato trattato molto bene - ha detto il 25enne brasiliano al sito del San Paolo - sarebbe un onore vincere qualche titolo con questo club. Voglio lavorare duramente per riuscirci e anche per tornare in Nazionale".

Adriano: lavoro psicofisico in Brasile
Un periodo di lavoro psicofisico personalizzato, per ritrovare la miglior condizione agonistica. Adriano Leite Ribeiro, che questo pomeriggio si è allenato al centro sportivo "Angelo Moratti" di Appiano, partirà per raggiungere il Brasile dove, come stabilito negli accordi tra la Società, il calciatore e il suo manager Gilmar Rinaldi, lavorerà in un centro altamente qualificato di San Paolo. L'obiettivo comune è quello di dare la possibilità all'attaccante di allenarsi con programmi individuali specifici. Il periodo si concluderà il 1° gennaio 2008.


Buona prestazione in allenamento
Smaltita l'arrabbiatura per la tribuna nella partita contro il Genoa, Adriano ha subito reagaito positivamente con grinta nell'allenamento di ieri. Il brasiliana ha segnato cinque gol nella partitella contro la Primavera mettendo in mostra un'ottima condizione atletica. Adriano vuole giocare al fianco di Ibrahimovic per la partita contro la Juve e non è da escludere che Mancini, con una mossa a sorpresa, lo possa schierare dal primo minuto. In questo momento il favorito è però Crespo.

Adriano:"Lavoro per fare meglio"
Le parole di Adriano nel dopogara ai microfoni di Sky. "Dopo un mese che non riuscivo a scendere in campo - esordisce il brasiliano - per me era dura tornare e fare subito bene. E poi, su un campo difficile e pesante come quello di questa sera, è più complicato giocare. Sono contento di essere riuscito a segnare oggi, ora devo continuare a lavorare con impegno per cercare di fare sempre meglio". "Se ero arrabbiato al momento della sostituzione? A nessun giocatore piace uscire - risponde Adriano -, io sono uno di quelli. Voglio fare tantissimo per la squadra e, per questo, non sono mai contento quando vengo sostituito. Ero arrabbiato con me stesso: se ho sbagliato, però, chiedo scusa perché non volevo fare del male a nessuno. Come sono i miei rapporti con Mancini? Normali. Il tecnico fa le sue scelte e io devo accettarle come ho sempre fatto in questi anni. Sicuramente io voglio fare molto di più per la squadra e non sono contento quando non ci riesco. Sono tranquillo, ho la mia famiglia a casa e questo è importante per me soprattutto ora che sto lavorando bene durante la settimana. Grazie a Dio ho messo la testa a posto: devo lavorare bene come sto facendo e dimostrare sul campo di essere cambiato".

Primo gol stagionale a Reggio C.
Adriano non segnava dal 15 aprile. La sua lieve zuccata sulla punizione di Figo al 18' del primo tempo regala tre punti a un'Inter che a passo ridotto espugna il Granillo grazie a cinismo ed esperienza. Rete pesante; miscela esplosiva che lancia sempre di più in orbita i campioni d'Italia. Ma che fatica battere la Reggina, decimata ma sempre in partita e vicina a un pareggio che non avrebbe scandalizzato nemmeno Mancini.


Tutto un altro Adriano

Le cose sono cambiate, Adriano non è più triste e depresso, ma è tutto un altro Adriano! Un Adriano che cerca a tutti i costi di recuperare il posto da titolare e di mantenere le sue promesse. Il brasiliano fissa i suoi nuovi obiettivi. Primo: "Voglio giocare due partite di fila per dimostrare anche a me stesso di essere tornato il vero Adriano". Secondo: "A gennaio tornerò nella lista della Champions League, un posto che mi conquisterò a suon di gol". Terzo ma non meno importante: "Convincere Moratti a rinnovarmi il contratto per altri due o tre anni, l'Inter è realmente nel mio cuore. Basta con dichiarazioni su Ronaldo e il Milan, oggi mi sembra più probabile che venga lui qui all'Inter". Adriano sembra davvero cambiato, anche sua madre quasi stenta a riconoscerlo. O meglio si trova davanti a sè un uomo e non più un ragazzo con la testa tra le nuvole. Sabato sera contro la Reggina avrà la possibilità di mantenere sul campo le sue promesse. Mancini è intenzionato a schierarlo dal primo minuto. Il brasiliano ha smaltito l'infortunio subito alla schiena e in questi giorni si è potuto allenare regolarmente con il resto del gruppo.