Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor (born February 26, 1984 in Lomé, Togo) is a Togolese football player who currently plays for Arsenal. He had previously played for FC Metz and AS Monaco. Nicknamed "Sheyi", he is of Nigerian descent via his parents who were born in the Osun State in south-west Nigeria.

Metz and Monaco

Adebayor started his professional career at a training camp in Lomé. He made it to Under-15 level and was spotted by French club, FC Metz.

After a trial, Adebayor joined the club in 1999, and after playing at Under-17 level for two years he moved up to the first team. In his first season, he played nine games and scored twice, however he could not stop them from being relegated. In the 2002-03 season Adebayor scored 17 goals in 35 games, which attracted the attention of top clubs including Arsenal and Juventus.

However, it was AS Monaco who signed him. In the 2003-04 season he scored seven goals in 17 matches for them, helping them to reach the UEFA Champions League final with two goals in ten games.

Arsenal

On January 13, 2006, Adebayor signed for Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, which is rumoured to be around £7 million. He was assigned shirt number 25, which previously belonged to, amongst others, Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu. In an interview with Arsenal.com, Adebayor said that he chose that shirt number because he idolised Kanu while he was a young player. Like Kanu, he also wears the number 4 shirt when playing for his national team. The two players also share an extraordinary physical resemblance, earning Adebayor the affectionate nickname 'Baby Kanu' in homage to the former Arsenal man

Arsenal Career

On February 4, 2006, he made his Arsenal début in a Premiership match at Birmingham City and scored after 21 minutes; Arsenal won 2-0. At the end of his first season for the Gunners he had scored 4 goals in 10 matches. However, Adebayor was cup-tied for Arsenal's 2006 Champions League run and missed the final against FC Barcelona, as he had appeared for Monaco in the Champions League the season prior to his January transfer.

In the 2006-07 season, Adebayor has proved to be an integral part of the Arsenal squad, given the injuries to skipper Thierry Henry. On September 17, 2006, Adebayor scored Arsenal's winning goal against rivals Manchester United, to give Arsenal a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, their first league win of the 2006-07 season. Cristiano Ronaldo lost possession of the ball to Cesc FÃ bregas, who then threaded a through ball to Adebayor, who stroked the ball under goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak. Earlier in the game Adebayor had himself been brought down to earn Arsenal a penalty. On November 8, 2006, Adebayor scored the only goal of the match to send a youthful Arsenal side into the quarter finals of the League Cup against a vastly experienced Everton F.C. side, popping up at the back post unmarked to head home the winner. On December 2, 2006, Adebayor continued endearing himself to the red side of north London by scoring the first goal in Arsenal's 3-0 Premiership win over Tottenham Hotspur.

On December 13, 2006, Adebayor once again shows his ability and put Arsenal 1-0 away victory at JJB stadium against Wigan. In the 88th minute, after a long ball from FÃ bregas, and a well timed run, Adebayor was able to poke the ball under and between then legs of the advancing Chris Kirkland. On December 16, 2006, Adebayor came on for an Arsenal team losing 2-0 at home to Portsmouth F.C.; he scored within minutes, and Arsenal went on to draw after his cross was slotted home by Gilberto Silva, via an accidental control from Theo Walcott. Adebayor's next appearance for the Gunners on December 23, 2006 resulted in him converting the third goal, a penalty, in a 6-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers. He further contributed by assisting another two goals, firstly for Alexander Hleb and the second for Robin Van Persie.

His next goal came in the second leg of the semi final of the Carling Cup. With the scores at 0-0 (though Arsenal holding an advantage due to a 2-2 draw in the previous leg) Adebayor executed a skillful finish after Rosicky had cleverly played him through, rather than attempt a shot himself. It was, in many ways very similar to his finish earlier that season at Manchester United, a creative midfielder playing an acutely angled ball through a deep defence, and Adebayor finishing across the keeper. Both goals were scored late in the game.

Adebayor was sent off in Arsenal's 2-1 Carling Cup loss to Chelsea. He reacted to getting red card after a fracas towards the end of the match involving both Chelsea and Arsenal team members. The FA is currently investigating (hearing to take place on Tuesday 6th March) claims of mistaken identity and also allegations of a lying linesman that contributed to Adebayor's sending off.

The 'Ade-bay-or' song

The Arsenal faithful have taken Emmanuel Adebayor to their hearts audibly. This is underlined by the frequent use of the chant "Ade-bay-or, Ade-bay-or". It is sung to the same tune as the famous Portsmouth F.C. song "Play up Pompey, Pompey Play Up!", otherwise known as Westminster Chimes. It has been erroneously reported as having extra lyrics such as "Ade-bay-or, he will score".

International career

On the international front, Adebayor helped Togo qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany by scoring 11 goals in the qualifiers, the most in the African qualification tournament. He has been nominated twice for African Footballer of the Year.

His first footballing action following his move to Arsenal came for Togo at the 2006 African Cup of Nations, where he was only a substitute for the country's first match. Adebayor first vowed to leave the tournament and return home, although he later rescinded and resumed training with the side . He played in Togo's two remaining fixtures, where he impressed despite not scoring; Togo were eliminated after losing all three matches.

* source: wikipedia.org
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Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (Nani)

Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (born 17 November 1986 in Praia, Cape Verde), better known as Nani, is a Portuguese football winger who plays for English Premier League club Manchester United and the Portugal national team.

Biography

Nani emigrated with his family from Praia to Portugal at an early age. He was raised by his aunt Antonia in the Amadora district of Lisbon, where he and childhood friend, Valencia midfielder Manuel Fernandes, would often kick a ball about together

Career

Early career

Nani grew up supporting Porto, and played junior football alongside Ricardo Vaz Té at Massamá youth club Real Sport Clube, before joining the youth squad of Sporting CP.

Sporting CP

Nani made his debut for Sporting in 2005–06, making 29 appearances and scoring four goals. In his second season, he had similar numbers with twenty-nine appearances and five goals. He also played in six European games, scoring once.

Manchester United

Nani was sold to Manchester United for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around £14–17 million, five percent of which was paid to Real de Massamá. He passed his medical on 6 June 2007, and signed a five-year contract.

Nani scored on his debut in a pre-season friendly against Shenzhen Shangqingyin, in which United ran out 6-0 winners. He also scored in the following game against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical with a chip off the right post from the left side of the penalty area. Nani decided to set the record straight after reports suggested he had been banned by Alex Ferguson from doing his trademark somersault celebration for fear of injuring himself. "That is not true", he said. "Ferguson has never spoken to me about this subject and I am going to continue to celebrate goals in this way. The conversations he has had with me are normal conversations, like he has with all players".

Nani made his competitive debut for Manchester United on 5 August 2007, coming on as a substitute in the Community Shield against Chelsea. He marked his debut with a trophy after the Red Devils won 3-0 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in normal time. This was followed up by Nani's third goal for the club three days later, when he scored against Glentoran.

Nani's Premier League debut came in United's opening match at home to Reading on 12 August as a substitute for Wayne Rooney, who had suffered a foot injury. On 26 August 2007, Nani scored his first competitive goal for Manchester United, scoring a stunning 30-yard winner in the 69th minute against Tottenham Hotspur. Nani also set up crucial goals for Louis Saha and Nemanja Vidić allowing United to beat each of Sunderland and Everton 1-0. He also scored with a stunning strike against Middlesbrough, which set the ball rolling to a 4-0 win. It was the first game in which it was thought that Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tévez showed the first real promise of forming a good strike partnership. He returned to his previous club, Sporting, in a Champions League tie in September, though it was team-mate and fellow former Sporting man Cristiano Ronaldo who stole the limelight by scoring the winner in a 1-0 win.

On 16 February 2008, Nani put in a man of the match performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup Fourth Round, his goal and two assists helping United to a 4–0 win over their rivals. During the match, Nani was involved in an altercation with Arsenal captain William Gallas who felt that the Portuguese was "showboating". After the match, Arsène Wenger was equally displeased, while Gilberto Silva said that Nani had a "big head".

On 23 March 2008, Nani set up the second and scored the final goal in a 3-0 victory over rivals Liverpool, in the 79th and 81st minutes respectively, after coming onto the pitch as a substitute.

On 3 May, towards the end of a 4–1 win over West Ham United, Nani was sent off for the first time in his Manchester United career for a head-butt on West Ham defender Lucas Neill.

On 21 May, Nani came on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final as United defeated Chelsea 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Nani took and scored Manchester United's crucial fifth penalty in the shootout.

He scored his first goal of the 2008-09 season on 23 September 2008, scoring United's third goal in a 3–1 win over Middlesbrough in the last minute to secure passage to the Fourth Round of the Carling Cup. On 18 October, he scored from a Wayne Rooney assist to complete the 4–0 rout of West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford. On 20 January 2009, he opened the scoring for United in their 4–2 win at home to Derby County in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final.

International career

Nani was the youngest member of the Portugal U-21 squad at the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. He made his first appearance for the senior Portugal team on 1 September 2006, and marked his debut with a goal in Portugal's 4-2 friendly defeat to Denmark.

Nani was a regular member of the Portuguese squad in qualification for UEFA Euro 2008, and scored one of the goals in the 2–1 away win over Belgium on 2 June 2007. He also provided the assist for Ricardo Quaresma's goal in a friendly against Italy on 6 February 2008. Nani's form for Manchester United during the 2007–08 season ultimately earned him a call-up to Luiz Felipe Scolari's 23-man squad for Euro 2008, alongside club team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. He was only used sparingly during the campaign, but did manage to provide the assist for Hélder Postiga's goal during a 15-minute cameo in the quarter-finals against Germany on 19 June 2008. Portugal eventually lost the match 3-2.

Celebration

Nani celebrates with a "mortal" or, in English, a "Leap of death", similar to that of Obafemi Martins and Lomana LuaLua. The celebration derives from Nani's background in capoeira, which he used to practice as a child. For a while, it was widely reported that United boss, Alex Ferguson, had banned Nani's celebration, fearing for his safety, although this was never supported by any direct quotes from Ferguson or Nani. Despite the supposed ban, Nani has continued to celebrate in this manner.

Source : www.answer.com

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Theo Walcott

Theodore 'Theo' Walcott was born on the 16th of March, 1989, in Newbury, Berkshire, England.

As a child, he followed his father Don in being a Liverpool fan, and at the age of 10 took up playing the game with AFC Newbury. Theo scored 100 goals in 35 games for the club's under-11 team and in 2000 won the Peter Houseman League Cup after his side beat Down Grange 4-2 in the final. After impressing with the Berkshire outfit, Theo was offered a schoolboy contract to join Swindon Town's Centre of Excellence, but soon left to join Southampton.

In his first season at Southampton, Theo's career continued to progress. At 15 years and 175 days old, he became the Saints' youngest player to appear for their reserve team by coming off the bench against Watford. He also helped the youth team make the final of the FA Youth Cup, where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to Ipswich Town. Walcott's England career also took off after he broke into the Under-17 team where he scored five times in eleven appearances.

Season 2005/06 was Theo's breakthrough season. He signed a full-time professional contract and at just 16 years and 143 days old, he made a substitute appearance in Southampton's goalless draw at home against Wolves, which made him the youngest player ever to appear for the Saints. Two months later he not only made his first start, but he also scored in Southampton's 2-1 defeat at Leeds United. Subsequently, he then scored in his next two appearances at Millwall and at home against Stoke City. 2005 finished with Theo being named in the top three of the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Following Theo's rapid rise to fame, Chelsea and Arsenal both made bids for the 16-year-old, however the Gunners were the ones to clinch the forward's signature as Arsenal signed him on January 20, 2006, paying an initial fee of £5m which could rise to a maximum of £12m.

Life at Highbury didn't immediately take off for Theo, as for the remainder of the 2005/06 season, he failed to make a first-team appearance in the red and white shirt of Arsenal, however, he did make the bench for Champions' League matches against Real Madrid and Juventus, aswell as a Premiership match against Birmingham City. Walcott did though make appearances for the North London club's reserves. On his debut for the reserves, he scored in their 3-2 defeat by Portsmouth. He also went on to score against Charlton's reserves as well.

In February, 2006, Theo's England career continued to flourish after being promoted to the Under-19s. He scored on his debut in his side's 3-0 friendly win over Slovakia. Three months later, Walcott made a substitute appearance for the England B team against Hungary, where at 17 years and 75 days old, he became the youngest player to appear in a full England match.

The summer of 2006 was when Theo was a controversial choice by then England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, after the Swede included the teenager in his preliminary squad for the World Cup in Germany. The England national team were struggling with injury doubts over strikers Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, and with more established strikers available, like Jermain Defoe, James Beattie and Darren Bent, the nation questioned the logic of the decision. In the end, England went out on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals to Portugal. Theo failed to make an appearance.

Prior to season 2006/07, the striker/winger was expected to fight the likes of Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and Jeremie Aliadiere for a place in the starting Arsenal line-up. However, Theo wasn't to be starring for the England national team for their friendly against Greece, as he was demoted to the Under-21s by new England manager Steve McClaren. He did though become the youngest to score for the England Under-21s with his goal against Moldova.

The season started brightly for Theo after he came off the bench at home against Aston Villa. The youngster provided the cross that eventually was put home by Gilberto Silva. It saw the Gunners draw their first match at the Emirates Stadium 1-1. Theo made another cameo appearance a few days later in the Champions' League home match against Dinamo Zagreb. He provided a low cross in the stoppage time for Matthieu Flamini to score the winner. The game ended 2-1 and saw Arsenal reach the group stages of the competition. Three days later away at Manchester City, Theo this time couldn't prevent his side losing 1-0.

Makes first full start for Arsenal on the 14th of October, when Arsenal beat Watford 3-0.

Theo Walcott debuted for Arsenal in the Premier League was against Aston Villa at the opening of the 2006/2007 season on August 19th 2006 as a substitute for now former Arsenal player Gilberto Silva assisting in a goal by a dead ball setpeice.

Walcott's debut for Arsenal in the Champions League was against Dinamo Zagreb (second leg fixture) making club history, becoming the youngest player ever for them to make an apperance in europe, breaking the club record set by Cesc Fabregas.

Immediately afer coming on he received a yellow card for kicking the ball away when the whistle had been blown. He later set up a goal making it 2 assists in 2 games. Walcott started his first home premier league game against Watford (horney hornets) on the 14th October 2006.

In 2006 Walcott received the BBC young sports personality award.

On 25th February 2007 he scored his first goal for the Gunners in the League Cup Final in Cardiff, however a double from Didier Drogba sealed the victory for Chelsea. Theo Walcott scored his first home goal for the Gunners in a truly breath-taking match in the Champions League against Slavia Prague in which Arsenal won 7-0, Walcott also made one assist on the night.

On the 23rd February 2008 Walcott scored his 1st goal in the Premier League against Birmingham City finishing the seasons campaign with a total of 7 goals from all competitions. In the 2008/2009 season Walcott was given former Arsenal Legend Thierry Henry's shirt number.

Saturday 18th October 2008 Theo Walcott grabbed his first League goal of the season against Everton FC, with the final score being 3-1 to Arsenal. On Tuesday 21st October 2008 Walcott scored a great goal for Arsenal in the Champions League away at the notorious Sukru Saracoglu stadium, hosts of Fenerbache.

Theo Walcott's England career:

Thursday 25th May 2006 was Theo's first ever introduction to the National squad coming on as a sub against Belarus for the England B team.

Tuesday 30th May 2006 history was made when Theo Walcott became the youngest player to ever play in a full internation for England as he took part in a friendly against Hungary which England won 3-1.

In the run up to the 2006 World Cup eyebrows where raised when former National coach Sven-Goran Erikkson's squad was announced with the addition of Walcott. At the time the fans were worried by the striker injury crisis, with Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney both injured.
Sven however decided to include Walcott instead of proven Premier League goalscorers, to the disgutlment of some players.

Theo Walcott never played for England in the 2006 World Cup with Sven admitting he was not ready yet to play at that level, but it would stand him well for future experience, a costly mistake as England were short of strikers at the tournament.

Tuesday 15th August 2006 was Theo Walcott's debut for the England under 21 side and he scored his first ever goal scoring after just 3 minutes in a 2–2 draw at Ipswich Town's ground Portman Road against Moldova.

In October 2006, in the qualification for the under-21 Euopean Championship, Walcott grabbed a brace against Germany in the playoff second leg.

Walcott made his first start in a World Cup qualifier on the 6th September against international minnows Andorra, and on 10th September 2008 played against Croatia, scoring a truly breath-taking hat-trick at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, making him the youngest player to score a hat-trick for England.
Pundits and experts praised Walcott for his maturity at such a young age, and beleived he was now fulfilling his massive potential.

Source : www.theowalcott.info

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Samuel Eto'o Fils

Samuel Eto'o Fils (born 10 March 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona. He is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, with sixteen goals, and is also the record holder in number of appearances by an African in La Liga. He is a native speaker of Basaa

Club career

Real Madrid

Eto'o joined Real Madrid in 1997 but he could only train with Real Madrid B as he was still a minor. Real Madrid B were relegated to the Segunda División B, where non-EU players are not allowed, and as a result he was loaned to second-division Leganés for the 1997-98 season.

Mallorca

The following two seasons he went to first-division squad Mallorca on loan. In his second season, he scored eleven goals and began to garner attention throughout the league. Mallorca club president Mateo Alemany said of his style of play: "I doubt if there is any other player in the world who would please the fans more at this moment."

At the end of the season Eto'o left Real Madrid, signing a permanent deal with Mallorca for a club record £4.4 million fee. He commented on his rise to stardom, "I like it here in Mallorca, I have always been well looked after, the fans appreciate me and I also have a contract that runs until 2007." He returned the fans' appreciation when he donated €30,000 in meals to travelling Mallorca supporters who made the journey to the Copa del Rey final against Recreativo de Huelva in 2003. Mallorca won the match 3–0 with Eto'o scoring two late goals to seal the victory. However, his volatile attitude resulted in several off-pitch incidents. Bartolome Terrassa, a television journalist, filed a formal complaint after a run-in with Eto'o in the club's parking lot, accusing the player of saying, "The next time, you are not going to escape; I'm going to kill you." This was not the first incident, however, as the previous year Eto'o's former agent, Daniel Argibeaut, accused the player of assaulting him with four accomplices, saying, "They then took off my shoes, which in Cameroon means I am threatened with death."

Eto'o departed Mallorca as the club's all-time leading domestic league scorer (54 goals) when he signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2004 for a transfer fee of €24 million, after lengthy three-way negotiations with Mallorca and Madrid. Initially Madrid president Florentino Pérez wanted to buy back the full transfer rights and loan him out again but eventually the Barcelona deal proved lucrative enough to warrant a sale. Additionally, the team already had its full quota of three non-EU players.

FC Barcelona

2004–2006

Eto'o made his Barcelona debut in the season opener at Racing Santander on 29 August 2004. After Barcelona won the 2004–05 La Liga title, the team organized a festive party in the Nou Camp, during which Eto'o harangued the fans chanting, "Madrid, cabrón, saluda al campeón" (roughly: "Madrid, salute the champions"). The Spanish Football Federation fined Eto'o €12,000 for his comments, for which he later apologized. He expressed regret and asked for forgiveness from Real Madrid, his first professional team. The head of the Real Madrid fan club federation remained unimpressed however, stating: "This character is a fantastic player, but he leaves a lot to be desired as a person".

After missing out on the previous year's Pichichi (top La Liga goalscorer), Eto'o edged out Valencia CF striker David Villa for the award during the final matchday on 20 May 2006 when he scored his 26th goal of the season against Athletic de Bilbao. Eto'o was very gracious to teammates after the game saying, "It has been a team effort although only one person gets the award. We've worked hard all season and have got our just rewards."

Eto'o also contributed six goals during Barcelona's run to the 2005–06 Champions League title. In the final, Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off early on for bringing down Eto'o just outside of the penalty area, but the Catalans struggled to capitalize on their one-man advantage until Eto'o scored the game-tying goal in the second half. Barcelona went on to win the match 2–1 and Eto'o was awarded with the UEFA Best Forward of the Year award for his accomplishments in the European campaign.

Eto'o also won an historic third consecutive African Player of the Year award that season. He said in his acceptance speech, "Above all, I dedicate this to all the children of Africa." He was also selected to his second straight FIFPro World XI and finished third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year, making him only the second African footballer ever to be voted into the top three.

The season started badly for Eto'o as he ruptured the meniscus in his right knee during Barcelona's Champions League group stage match against Werder Bremen on 27 September 2006. Barcelona team physician Ricard Pruna originally estimated that the injury would keep him out of action for two to three months. After the operation Eto'o's recovery time was extended to five months but he resumed training with Barcelona in early January 2007.

2007–present

Eto'o refused to come on as a substitute in a league match against Racing Santander on 11 February 2007. FC Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard said after the match, "He did not want to come on, I don't know why." Ronaldinho was critical of Eto'o's actions, saying that Eto'o was not putting the team first but Eto'o rebutted the comment, claiming that he did not come on because he did not have enough time to warm up properly. Three months later, Eto'o said, "These kind of things are usually just speculation and don't come through to me. However, if it is true that I am a problem for my team then I will go. But like I said, I am happy here. The press can write what they want." Following the comments, Barcelona president Joan Laporta was quick to quash rumours of transfers involving Eto'o and Ronaldinho.

After aggravating a meniscus injury on 28 August during a summer friendly against Internazionale, Eto'o was sidelined indefinitely. On 17 October, in the midst of his recovery period, he gained Spanish citizenship. He was cleared to play again on 4 December, and returned to the side a week later in Barcelona's 2-1 league win over Deportivo La Coruña.

Eto'o recorded his first league hat-trick in a match against Levante on 24 February 2008. He finished with a total of sixteen league goals in eighteen appearances for the season. On 25 October, he recorded the fastest hat-trick in club history after netting three times in 23 minutes in a victory over Almería.

On 29 November 2008, he scored his 111th career Barcelona goal in all competitions in a 3-0 road win over Sevilla, moving him into the club's top ten all-time goalscorers.

On 14 February 2009, he scored his 99th and his 100th league goals for Barcelona in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis.

International career

Eto'o earned his first cap with Cameroon at age 14 on 9 March 1996, in a 5–0 friendly loss to Costa Rica. In 1998, he was the youngest participant in the 1998 FIFA World Cup when he appeared in a 3–0 group stage loss to Italy on 17 June 1998, at the age of 17 years and three months. Eto'o scored his sole goal of the 2002 World Cup when he netted the game-winner against Saudi Arabia during the group stage on 6 June 2002, which was Cameroon's only win of the competition.

Eto'o was a part of the squads that won the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, and was a gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which Cameroon finished as runners-up, he scored his only goal in a 1–0 group-stage upset of Brazil on 19 June. Cameroon were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations after Eto'o missed the decisive penalty in a 12–11 shoot-out loss to Côte d'Ivoire following a 1–1 draw, but he nonetheless finished as the top scorer of the tournament with five goals. He missed a team practice before the quarterfinals to attend the CAF African Player of the Year award ceremonies in Togo.

In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Eto'o became joint leading goalscorer (along with Laurent Pokou) in the competition's history after scoring his fourteenth goal with a penalty against Zambia on 26 January 2008. In the following game against Sudan on 30 January, Eto'o converted another penalty to become the tournament's all time leading scorer, followed by another goal in the same match that took his Cup of Nations tally to 16. He finished as the top scorer for the second consecutive tournament, matching his 2006 total of five goals.

On 1 June 2008 Eto'o headbutted a reporter following an incident at a press conference. The reporter, Philippe Bony, suffered an injury but Eto'o later apologised for the altercation, offering to pay Bony's medical expenses.

Racism

Eto'o has experienced racial abuse in some away matches; while some ignore the insults, Eto'o, Barcelona teammate Thierry Henry, and Benfica defender Marco Zoro have reacted by being outspoken in their criticism and threatening to leave the pitch.

In February 2005, during an away match with Real Zaragoza, Eto'o was the subject of racist taunts by Zaragoza supporters, who began making monkey-like chants and tossed peanuts onto the pitch whenever he had possession of the ball. However, the referee Fernando Carmona Mendez made no mention of the incidents in his match report, commenting only that the behaviour of the crowd was "normal" but two of the abusers were caught and given five-month sporting-event bans after being identified to police by other spectators. Eto'o later declared that the punishment was insufficient and that La Romareda should have been closed for at least one year, but Rijkaard told him to concentrate on football and to stop talking about the incident. However, infuriated again by Zaragoza fans' racist chants the next season, Eto'o attempted to walk off the pitch in protest. His teammates intervened and convinced him to continue playing. Video of the incident captured him saying "No más" ("No more") as he walked to the sidelines.

Due to ongoing racism from La Liga crowds, Eto'o no longer brings family members, especially his children, to matches. "It is something that has affected me personally. I think players, leaders, and the media have to join forces so that no one feels looked down upon because of the colour of their skin. At this moment in time I prefer my children don't go to football matches. In the stands they have to listen to things that are difficult to explain to a child. It is better they aren't exposed to it."

Personal life
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources (ideally, using inline citations). Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

Eto'o has two brothers who also play professional football. David Eto'o plays for Reus Deportiu, and Etienne Eto'o plays for Mallorca. Samuel Eto'o is married to Georgette Eto'o, and they have 3 children: Etienne, Maelle, and Siena, they live along with their mother Georgette in Paris.

Source : www.aswers.com

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David Villa Sánchez

David Villa Sánchez (born 3 December 1981 in Tuilla), nicknamed El Guaje (The Kid in Asturian) is a Spanish footballer, who currently plays as a striker for Valencia CF and Spain.

He started his career with Sporting de Gijón and progressed through their youth ranks and B-team. He made his professional debut in 2000 in Spain's Segunda División. He moved to Real Zaragoza after two seasons, leaving Gijón with a total of 38 goals and 80 appearances.

He made his La Liga debut at Zaragoza and the following two seasons were successful ones, scoring 31 goals in 73 appearances and winning the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España, his first senior honours. He joined his current club Valencia in 2005 for a transfer fee of €12 million. He was the second highest scorer in La Liga season 2005–06 with 25 goals, and won the Copa del Rey for a second time in the 2007–08 season.

Villa plays as a Spanish international and made his debut for the team against San Marino in 2005. He has since participated in two major tournaments; 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. He scored three goals at the 2006 World Cup and was top scorer at Euro 2008 with four goals despite missing two games including the final, which Spain won. He is the fifth top scorer of all time for Spain—of those ranking above him, only Raúl González and Fernando Morientes are still currently playing.

Club career

Childhood and early career

David Villa was born on 3 December 1981 in Tuilla, a small village in Langreo, Asturias, a region in northern Spain. The son of a miner, his professional career was put in jeopardy at the age of four when he was left limp after suffering a severe fracture to his femur, but thanks to a non-invasive approach he was able to make a complete recovery.

Villa admitted that he came close to giving up football at the age of 14 after growing disillusioned and falling out with his coach. However, thanks to his parents' encouragement, he carried on pursuing his dream and realised his talent could earn him a living.

"In those days I was a nobody, not earning a penny and after being made to sit on the bench all season I just wanted to get away and play with my friends" he said. "But my dad always supported me and cheered me up until my career turned round."

He began his footballing career at UP Langreo. Due to an injury that he suffered to his right leg he began to work on strengthening his left leg and ultimately became an ambidextrous footballer. When he turned 17 he joined the Mareo football school.

Villa was receiving interest from many Asturian teams, however one of the province's bigger teams, Real Oviedo, did not show any interest and declared that they did not believe he had sufficient potential. He subsequently got his professional breakthrough at his local club Sporting de Gijón, following in the footsteps of his childhood idol Quini. He made his first-team debut in the 2000 – 01 season after rising through the teams youth ranks and B-team. The next season he was a first team regular, scoring 18 league goals, and 20 the next season.

After scoring 40 goals in just three seasons at Gijón, he got his chance in Spain's top-flight La Liga, when promoted Real Zaragoza bought him in the summer of 2003. He had no trouble adapting to the step up in class and scored 17 times in his first season at Zaragoza. Villa led Zaragoza to a Copa del Rey victory scoring a crucial goal against Real Madrid. Soon after he earned his first international call-up and cap which resulted in Zaragoza fans inventing the football chant "illa illa illa, Villa maravilla" which is a play on the words "Villa" and "maravilla" which can be translated into marvel, wonderful, to work wonders (in verbal form), or great.

Valencia

David Villa made his big move to one of Spanish football's heavyweights as Valencia parted with €12 million (£8.2 million) to secure his services in the summer of 2005.

In the 2005-06 season, he scored 25 goals in 35 league matches for Valencia, to finish 1 goal behind the league's top scorer Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona. Villa scored a remarkable goal against Deportivo La Coruna at the Riazor, hitting the ball from the half way line it sailed over the keepers head and into the net. He scored his first hat-trick for Valencia against Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés in La Liga on the 23 April 2006. Villa managed the hat trick in just over 5 minutes (80th to the 85th minute) making it one of the quickest hat-tricks ever recorded. Valencia won that game 0-3.

In October, 2006 he was included among the 50 nominees for the Ballon d'Or (often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year Award.

Villa's form continued into the 2006–07 season, with the striker forming a prolific partnership up front with former Real Madrid star Fernando Morientes. Together, Villa and Morientes netted around 40 goals in all competitions. He scored a free kick goal in the 2nd round of the Champions League against Inter Milan which helped lead Valencia through to the quarter finals where they eventually lost to Chelsea FC.

On his 100th league appearance for Valencia, Villa scored a hat-trick against Levante; his 54th, 55th and 56th league goals for the club. Another two goals on the final day of the season against Atletico Madrid meant he finished the season with 18 league goals from 27 games, despite the teams poor performance of a 10th placed finish in La Liga.

La Liga 2007-08 was not easy for Villa nor for his team mates, he did, however, manage to see the back of the net 18 times. He also won his first trophy with Valencia, winning the Copa del Rey for the second time in his career, beating FC Barcelona 3-2 in the semi-finals and then Getafe CF 3-1 in the final. giving the team a place in the UEFA Cup.

He signed a new six-year contract at the Mestalla. The 26-year-old ended speculation over his future by putting pen to paper on a deal which ties him to Valencia until 2014.

In October, 2008, Kaká praised Villa, speaking to Canal+, he claimed that Villa is "the best Spanish footballer" adding that "The player with whom I would most like to play is David Villa of Valencia."

On December 2, 2008, Villa came 7th in the Ballon d'Or 2008 rankings and on 12 January 2009, Villa was announced as the 9th best player of 2008, according to the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

Currently, Villa is second top scorer in La Liga behind Samuel Eto'o.

International career

Villa marked his international debut under Luis Aragonés on 9 February 2005 in a 2006 World Cup Qualifier where Spain beat San Marino 5-0 at the Estadio del Mediterráneo.

Brilliant form for Valencia saw him get called up as part of the 23-man squad to represent Spain at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In Spain's first match at the tournement, a 4-0 win against Ukraine, Villa netted a brace, and also put Spain 1-0 up against France in the Round of 16, although Spain went on to lose the match 3-1. Him and Fernando Torres finished as Spain's top scorers with three goals each.

By the end of 2006, Villa had become an integral part of the Spain team and ousted Raúl González from the team. Proving vital in Spain's qualification for Euro 2008, he was subsequently called up for the tournement. He scored a hat-trick in Spain's 4-1 win over Russia, making him the first player to hit a hat-trick at a UEFA European Championship since Patrick Kluivert in 2000, and only the seventh overall. In the next match, he secured a 2-1 win against Sweden with a goal in the 92nd minute. In the quarter finals, the Spain and Italy match was decided by penalties which Spain won 4-2, Villa took the first penalty and scored.

Spain once again met Russia in the semi-final, however, during the early stages of the match, Villa sustained a thigh injury after taking a free kick and as a result missed the final where Spain beat Germany 1-0 to claim their second win at the European Football Championships. Despite missing the final and the majority of the semi-final, Villa's 4 goals in the 4 games he played were enough for him to be top scorer of the tournement and was awarded the Golden Boot. He also made the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament.

Such a successful year with the Spanish national football team saw Villa break the Spanish record of 10 goals in one year held by Raúl González since 1999 by scoring 12 goals (including the four that were scored at Euro 2008).

Villa began 2009 with a goal against England in a 2-0 friendly. With this goal, Villa broke another record and became the first Spanish international to have scored in 6 consecutive games, seeing off records set by Telmo Zarra and Ladislao Kubala. Speaking of the goal he said, "I am very happy with the goal. Truth is, I really want to see it on TV. The record is very nice. I would never have imagined in years that I would be able to obtain it. I am very proud and I hope I can continue breaking records".

Succeeding Raúl as Spain's number 7

The media, generally the Spanish one, has often compared and contrasted Villa with Raúl González and was even accused of taking the #7 jersey away from him. In March 2009, Villa spoke out against this saying, "I have not taken anything away from anybody, I was simply playing well for my club and the national coach gave me an opportunity. Too much has been said about the number issue. I’m not looking to cause any controversy. In fact, Raul and I were in the national squad together in the past. I haven’t forced anybody out." He was then questioned on whether the whole uproar created over Raúl's omission was affecting him personally, he said, "I’ve never liked it because I think it has been damaging for the both of us. We’ve always got on well together whenever we’ve met up for international duty, so I’m not concerned. I just work hard for myself. All I want is to be in the squad for every game, to have the Spain badge on my chest and to score as many goals as I can."

Speaking about Raúl's record with the Spanish national team as the nation's leading top scorer, Villa said, "I've got 25 goals but he's got 44 and is still playing. I'd be delighted to reach that tally as I'd help the national team achieve great victories and, in many years' time, I could see my name on a [scorers' list] that another young lad was trying to beat. That would be great."

Personal life

Although he prefers to keep his personal life out of the spotlight due to his discreet and introverted personality, it was still publicised that in 2003 Villa married his childhood sweetheart Patricia (who had also been a footballer in her teenage years). On 7 December 2005, their first child was born, a girl who they named Zaida. He has his daughter's name engraved on his personalised Adidas F50's, while one boot bears the Spanish flag, the other has the Asturian flag. He is the owner of a Porsche Cayenne, a five-seat mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle.

Source : www.aswers.com

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Francesc "Cesc" Fabregas

Francesc "Cesc" Fabregas Soler born May 4, 1987 in Arenys de Mar,Catalonia,Spain fabregas is a Catalan Spanish footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Arsenal in the English Premier League and for the Spanish national team . Fabregas started his career at FC Barcelona B but was signed by Arsenal in mid-2003 before he could sign a professional contract with FC Barcelona.

Fabregas is one of the best of Spain's next generation of footballers. He is able to play as an attack-minded midfielder, with the ability to play eye-of-the-needle passes. Additionally, at Arsenal he has occasionally been used out-of-position as a right-side midfielder.

Before joining Arsenal, Fabregas had made his way into the Barcelona B team and then taken part in the FIFA U-17 World Championship in 2003, winning both the Adidas Golden Shoe (for top goalscorer) and Golden Ball (for best player). Spain finished second in the tournament to Brazil.

Fabregas made his team debut on October 23, 2003 in a League Cup tie at home to Rotherham United, and in doing so became Arsenal's youngest ever first-team player, aged 16 years and 177 days. He then became the youngest goalscorer in Arsenal's history in a later round of the League Cup, scoring from very close range in a 5–1 victory against Wolves.

However, it was not until the start of the 2004–05 season that Fabregas started making first team appearances in matches outside the League Cup. His first match was against Manchester United in the Community Shield; he then had four successive Premier League starts against Everton,Middlesbrough,Blackburn Rovers and NorwichCity. Fabregas impressed many observers in his first four appearances, claiming a goal against Blackburn in a 3–0 victory. Soon after, he became the second youngest goalscorer in Champions League history after scoring the third goal against Rosenborg, in Arsenal's 5–1 victory.

After the departure of Arsenal captain, Patrick Vieira, Fàbregas became a first-team regular in the Arsenal midfield, making 48 appearances in the 2005–06 season. He initially struggled to impose himself in an Arsenal side considered by many to be too lightweight and was often criticised for his lack of tangible productivity.

Despite these criticisms, he was lauded for his performance in the UEFA Champions League. He was praised especially for his performance against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the second round of the UEFA Champions League and earned further plaudits for his performance against Juventus in the quarter-finals; he scored Arsenal's first goal and set up Thierry Henry for the second. Fabregas was highly praised by teammates and the press alike,who compared him to the likes of Wayne Rooney and Ronaldinho and even greats like Johnny Haynes and Gérson.

Fabregas helped Arsenal's 2006-07 Champions League campaign get started on August 8,2006 , by scoring two goals in a 3–0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier. Fabregas's performances have attracted a considerable number of admirers in his homeland. In particular Real Madrid have expressed a desire to secure his services despite his long term contract at Arsenal. However, on July 12 , Arsène Wenger stated that Arsenal would listen to no offers for Cesc. In September 2006 , with 6 years left on his deal, Wenger offered a new eight-year deal to Fabregas, which was signed on October 19,2006, keeping the Spaniard at the club until he is 27 years old.

Fabregas was a runaway winner of the Golden Boy award on 2nd December 2006, presented by Italian paper TuttoSport, based on a poll of leading writers across Europe On March 1 ,2006 Fàbregas played his first game for the Spanish senior team, becoming the youngest player capped for Spain in 80 years. He received good reviews for his début , contributing an assist for Spain's first goal in a 3–2 victory over the Côte d'Ivoire.

On May 15, 2006, Fàbregas was selected for the Spanish World Cup squad. In the 2006 World Cup, he came on as a second-half substitute in Spain's first two group matches, contributing an assist in their 3–1 victory against Tunisia. He then started alongside Spain's reserve players (including then Arsenal teammate José Antonio Reyes) in Spain's third group match against Saudi Arabia. He earned a starting role in Spain's first knockout stage match against France in place of Marcos Senna, but Spain lost that match 3–1.

On June 14, 2006, Fàbregas became the youngest player in Spanish history to participate in a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Luis García after 77 minutes in a 4–0 victory against Ukraine. He was then 19 years and 41 days old.

Instead of wearing his surname Fàbregas on the back of his shirt, he chose to wear his nickname, 'Cesc' during the 2006 World Cup.

Cesc was nominated for the Gillette Young Player of the World Cup 2006, although he did not win. However, on 19 January 2007, he was named in the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year, one of three Premiership players to be selected, the others being Steven Gerrard and Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry.

At the 2003 FIFA under-17 World Cup held in Finland, Fabregas finished top scorer of the tournament despite playing in midfield, and was awarded player of the tournament.

Source : www.francesc-fabregas.net

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Andrei Arshavin

Andrei Arshavin was born on May 29th in the year of 1981. Arshavin was born Leningrad, and in this day and age the industrialised city is known as St. Petersburg.
Andrei began playing “the beautiful game” at the age of seven and he subsequently graduated from Smena football school.

It was here at Smena Football School where Arshavin developed the fundamental technical ability and ball skills which are pivotal to his current day success. Andrei’s capabilities on the field were spotted from an early age and he was encouraged to play football with Zenit.
In 1999-2000 Arshavin plied his trade with Zenit-2. Zenit 2 are the academy team for the world renowned Zenit- St. Petersburg. In the time he spent with Zenit-2, Andrei was able to develop his technique and furthermore, develop as a person. He remained away from the limelight, concentrating upon his football. In the same year, Andrei was included in the first team squad of Zenit. Andrei made his competitive debut for his club against Bradford City in the Inter Toto Cup. Andrei was utilised as a right winger during his debut game. Having been given this opportunity to play for Zenit’s first team, Andrei grasped it. He held his position in the team and he adopted several positions upon the field playing as a second striker and as a primary striker during his debut season. Andrei capped off his break through into Zenit’s first team as he was awarded the Russian Premier League Award for the player. At the tender age of nineteen, Andrei Arshavin had taken huge strides, as he developed as a technically gifted footballer who could fulfil his potential in several positions across the field. After showing great ability and potential within his debut season, further silverware followed in the years of 2001 an 2003 for the Zenit St. Petersburg man.
Andrei Arshavin somewhat disappeared from the headlines following the 2003 season as the Russian billionaire, Roman Abramovich, entered the football world acquiring ownership of CSKA Moscow. Abramovich’s millions were utilised to fund the transfers of many highly skilled up and coming football talents. Abramovich’s millions stunted the growth of native Russians as Brazilians and Italians graced the Russian Football League.
However in December 2005 Gazprom, the largest extractor of natural gas in the world, seized control of FC. Zenit St. Petersburg. In May, 2006 the market value of the Russian state run gas giant Gazprom has soared to more than $300 billion, making Gazprom the world’s third-largest company. This financial backing was of fundamental importance to FC. Zenit, as it enabled them to rebuild their team, spending one hundred million in a rebuilding process on both team and stadium. Consequently Arshavin developed playing alongside great talents, similar to that of himself.
On the international scene Andrei Arshavin had made his debut in 2002 against Belarus, however his international career stagnated due to Russia’s failure to qualify for any major tournaments.
The 2007-2008 season was a year to remember for Arshavin, as on both the domestic and international stage, he came to the headlines. FC Zenit St. Petersburg clinched the EUFA Cup, playing against Glasgow Rangers in the final. The Russian victory was instigated by Arshavin as he claimed the man of the match award in the European Final.
A brilliant year on the domestic front was topped off for Arshavin by a visit to the Euro 2008 Finals in Austria and Switzerland. However, the first two group games would elapse without the presence of Arshavin as he served a three match ban following a sending off in qualification for the finals. Upon returning Arshavin was selected by coach Guss Hiddink and duly took action to confirm the justification behind his selection. Arshavin scored one goal and inspired victory against Sweden, paving Russia’s pathway to the second round of the Euro 2008 Final.
In his next match Andrei Arshavin repeated the feat as he scored against Holland and almost single handedly tortured the Dutch defence. Arshavin’s display against the Dutch set people thinking about this young man’s future prospects and comparisons were made between Arshavin and past football greats. However in the semi final of the Euro 2008 competition Russia were sent packing by the Spanish. Arshavin had a poor game as the Spanish midfield dominated.
Arshavin was named in the UEFA’s squad for Euro 2008 despite only playing three competitive matches, this fact is a testament to the influence of Andrei Arshavin within the competition.
Rumours at the present time are rife concerning the future of the Russian and it is believed that Andrei Arshavin may be set for Spain, with FC. Barcelona having made a formal approach for the Russian talent.

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