Friday, November 13, 2009

Victor Valdes Arribas Picture

Victor Valdes Arribas Photo

Victor Valdes Arribas Action

Petr Cech Football Pictures

Petr Cech Football Wallpaper

Petr Cech Goalkeeper

Petr Cech Football Picture

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Fabio Da Silva Football Wallpapers

Fabio Da Silva Football Action

Fabio Da Silva Football Gallery

Fabio Da Silva Football Wallpaper

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Ben Foster Football Pictures

Ben Foster Picture

Ben Foster Football Images

Ben Foster Football Wallpapar

Ben Amos Football Wallpaper

Ben Amos Football Images

Ben Amos Football Picture

Ben Amos Football Wallpaper

Anderson Luis Football Picture

Anderson Luis Football Players

Anderson Luis Football Picture

Anderson Luis Manchester United Squad

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Adam Hammill Picture

Adam Hammill

Adam Hammill football Players

Adam Hammill and Craig Lindfield of Liverpool pose

Monday, August 10, 2009

Ancelotti impressed by resilient Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea's Community Shield victory over Manchester United proves his team have the mental strength to win the Premier League.

Ancelotti's side struck an early psychological blow in the battle to be English football's top dogs by ending United's two-year reign as Community Shield holders at Wembley on Sunday.

The FA Cup winners recovered from the disappointment of Wayne Rooney's stoppage time strike, which rescued a 2-2 draw, to win the penalty shoot-out 4-1.

Petr Cech saved from Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra, while all four Chelsea players converted their spot-kicks to give Ancelotti a trophy in his first serious match as Blues boss.

"It was an important start to the season because we have changed the way the team plays a bit. I'm very happy not only for this result but also for this past month," Ancelotti said.

"I now know the players, I like their mental attitude and I like the organisation of the club."

After falling behind to Nani's early strike, the Blues found it hard to control United for long periods of the first half.

But they were revitalised after a stern half-time talk from Ancelotti and equalised through Ricardo Carvalho.

Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front in controversial circumstances as Ancelotti's team played on while United appealed for the ball to be kicked out to allow treatment for Patrice Evra.

United left-back Evra had been pole-axed by Michael Ballack's elbow but Didier Drogba slipped a pass to Lampard as United protested and the midfielder scored via a post.

Rooney levelled late on before Cech sealed Chelsea's first Community Shield triumph since 2005.

That victory four years ago was sandwiched between Chelsea's two Premier League titles. Ancelotti started with nine players from that Jose Mourinho era on Saturday and he is convinced such a battle-hardened group can regain the title this season.

"We're ready to start a very important season for us and we are ready to do our best. Now we have to continue to work and improve," Ancelotti said.

"We are now ready to start a very important season and want to do the best. This result is important because it proves our possibilities."

It was Ancelotti's impressive CV in the Champions League that persuaded Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to hire him from AC Milan, but success in the Premier League is long overdue as well and the Italian has no doubts that United will be their biggest rivals.

"United will be the most important opponent in the Premier League because they are a great team with great experience," Ancelotti added.

Chelsea, who host Hull in their league opener on Saturday, have been quiet in the transfer market, with only Russia midfielder Yuri Zhirkov, Manchester City striker Daniel Sturridge and Ross Turnbull, Middlesbrough's reserve goalkeeper, arriving so far.

Ancelotti, who dismissed a report linking Chelsea with a 40 million pounds bid for AC Milan's Brazilian striker Pato, admitted no more signings are expected.

"It is not true because Pato is a Milan player," Ancelotti said. "He is a young player and Milan believe a lot in Pato. They sold Kaka and now Pato is an important player for them."

Zero to hero Aloisi steals the show

Robbie Fowler became an instant home-town hero when he announced his arrival with a penalty goal, but it was John Aloisi's night as he steered Sydney FC to a 3-2 victory over A-League debutants North Queensland.

The former Socceroo, who was feted for his class and skill in the Italian league, last season suffered the humiliation of being jeered and booed by Sydney fans after a series of frustrating games in the sky blue.

Indeed, the statistics from 2008-09 record he only managed two goals in 1000 character-testing minutes of football.

He struck back with a vengeance last night, and in the process scuttled any chance of a fairytale start in the A-League for North Queensland.

Aloisi scored a double - his first coming in just the third minute from a counter attack - while impressive youngster Kofi Danning, the other goal scorer, also proved tough to contain up front.

Sydney FC coach Vitezslav Lavicka was pleased his side were able to get away with victory after the Fury stole the second half momentum.

''We are happy because we expected difficult game, a hard game different from when we played during the pre-season,'' Lavicka said, conceding his men were guilty of errors which helped the Fury's comeback.

''We made some mistakes after set pieces, their first score was from a corner kick and the second was from a mistake in our box, a penalty kick.''

After their shock initiation the Fury gave the crowd of 8897 something to cheer when Rostyn Griffiths created history by scoring the expansion club's first goal in the 40th minute, heading in a Jason Spagnuolo corner.

North Queensland came out full of fire in the opening stages of the second half, controlling possession and mounting pressure.

It eventually told when Sydney FC right back Shannon Cole brought down Spagnuolo in the box.

Fury captain Fowler, the pride of Liverpool in northern England, stepped up for the penalty and levelled the scores at 2-2, marking his arrival in the north.

Aloisi bagged his second goal in the 72nd minute to take back the lead, calmly slotting home a penalty after Alex Brosque was brought down by Fury keeper Paul Henderson.

Fury coach Ian Ferguson was disappointed. ''Heartbreaking is the word,'' Ferguson said.

Cahill hungrier than ever for new EPL season

After coming so close to his first piece of club silverware, Everton star Tim Cahill is determined to make the new English Premier League season one to treasure.

Last year's FA Cup loss to Chelsea was the second of Cahill's career - after also finishing runner-up with Millwall in 2004 - and it has only boosted the Australian's renowned energy and enthusiasm.

With a second successive World Cup appearance for the Socceroos looming next June, Cahill is bent on pushing Everton into a Champions League place and make the sesason starting next week a special one for both club and country.

Already one of Australia's greatest football exports, Cahill turns 30 in December and his career is in danger of entering its twilight years with little silverware to show.

But the determined midfielder insists time is still on his side and that he has plenty of years to achieve his goals.

"I'm very ambitious in the fact that I want to play in the Champions League and 29 years old in football terms is very young," Cahill said.

"Last year we were unsuccessful but we were so close yet so far away.

"I need to work hard and try and push Everton as far as we can and to try and win some trophies."

Cahill is eagerly awaiting the return from a knee injury of good friend and teammate Mikel Arteta, who he believes had been a key to his own success in recent seasons.

The Australian averaged about one goal every three games last season but managed only two in 14 appearances after Arteta was hurt in February.

"Mikel is one of my best mates off the pitch and on it he is a massive provider of my goals," Cahill said.

"Let's not make excuses, but pretty much all the time when we are out there, he knows where I am without even looking."

Arteta will miss the start of the season, while Cahill - no stranger to injury - will be hoping for a trouble-free year after battling foot problems that sidelined him for six months in 2008.

Cahill spearheads another strong Australian contingent in this year's Premier League, which starts on August 15, with Socceroos teammate Mark Schwarzer also in fine touch coming off arguably the best season of his career.

The 36-year-old custodian hasn't had much of an off-season break, having just completed a tour of his homeland with the Cottagers after helping the Australia secure their place in South Africa.

But he shows no signs of slowing down and his enthusiasm has earned praise from Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, who brought him to the club from Middlesbrough last season.

"Had Mark said to me, 'look I need my three weeks absolute rest, with no matches and no commitments whatsoever,' then I would have given it to him," Hodgson said.

"But he knew how well we wanted to do and what a good impression we wanted to make (in Australia), so he's actually given up time on his holiday to play for us, which is very, very pleasing."

Vince Grella's debut Premier League season was hampered by injuries after he made the move from Italy to Blackburn Rovers last year.

But the defensive midfielder has also been putting in extra time on the training track to ensure he plays more than a bit part this season.

"I've been working hard to get myself as fit as I can be," Grella said.

"I even cut my holidays about 10 days short and had just a short break with my family so I could put in extra preparation work and hopefully it will pay off."

Socceroos and Blackburn teammate Brett Emerton had his first hit-out at training last week week since being struck down by a serious knee injury six months ago.

Emerton struggled to come to grips with such a long spell out of the game, having previously never suffered a long-term injury.

Australia were still in the World Cup qualification stage while I was injured and Blackburn were battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League yet I could do nothing to help," he told the Sun-Herald last weekend.

"Now I look forward to playing again."

After an impressive first Premier League season with Hull City last season, Richard Garcia has suffered a cruel blow in being ruled out of the first three months of the new campaign with a knee injury.

The Australian midfielder played 23 games as Hull narrowly managed to avoid relegation last season.

Mark Viduka and Newcastle were not so fortunate, the 33-year-old striker featuring only occasionally in an injury blighted season which saw the Magpies drop out of the Premier League.

His contract has expired and, while he has been linked with possible moves to Hull City and Portsmouth, he is yet to reveal is plans.

Socceroos captain Lucas Neill reportedly refused to take a pay cut to stay at West Ham United, although manager Gianfranco Zola is keen and said on Tuesday the club was still in talks with the defender.

Neill is a free agent after his contract expired at the end of last season and he has also been linked this week with fellow Premier League club Sunderland.

"Discussions are said to have taken place between the 31-year-old and the Black Cats, who are rebuilding under new manager Steve Bruce this summer,"

Can Manchester City win the Premier League?

Fuelled by millions of petro-dollars from the apparently bottomless pockets of their Abu Dhabi owners Manchester City have spent the summer accumulating what is beginning to look, on paper anyway, a squad that will challenge for the title.

Significantly, the players bought by manager Mark Hughes are tried and tested in the Premier League which augurs wells for City’s chances of shaking up the established pecking order in English football.

Opposing managers must have watched with a growing sense of awe and no doubt a little envy as Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn Rovers), Carlos Tevez (Manchester United), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal) joined to form a formidable looking strike force while defender Kolo Toure (Arsenal) was recruited to beef up the back four and England midfielder Gareth Barry signed from Aston Villa.

Consider the likes of Robinho, Craig Bellamy, Shaun-Wright Phillips, Wayne Bridge and Micah Richards, who were all part of last season’s team, and City already boast arguably the strongest squad in the Premier League with the transfer window nowhere near closing.

But can they win the league? Are the new recruits going to bridge the 40-point gap between champions Manchester United and City last season or eben the 20-odd extra points they will need to challenge for a Champions League spot.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill certainly thinks so.

“City might not be favourites to win the league, but they should be,” O’Neill said last week. “They have as good a chance as anybody of winning it.”

Vast riches are no guarantee to silverware but as Chelsea proved when Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, factor in a coherent transfer policy and an astute coach and anything is possible.

It did not happen immediately at Stamford Bridge and it wasn’t until a year into the Abramovich reign that Claudio Ranieri was sacked, Jose Mourinho recruited and Chelsea won the league for the first time since 1955. Another title followed as Chelsea became the dominant force in English football for a while.

Man City are a similar size club to Chelsea, both in terms of support and history.

They have not won the league since 1968 and you have to go back to 1976 for their last major domestic silverware when they won the League Cup.

Should they fail to end that long wait this season Hughes would almost certainly pay with his job. There can be no excuses from Hughes this season. He has been given all he wants and no manager will be under the spotlight more than the Welshman.

It would be a major surprise if City are not challenging in or around the top four before long this season, though. Arsenal look particularly vulnerable to the new threat from the North West, while even champions Manchester United, minus star player Cristiano Ronaldo, will be keeping a close watch across the city.

Buying success may not be popular, unless you support the team in question, but it has been done before and watching City’s progress will be fascinating this season.

Just spare a thought for the other clubs who clawed their way to the fringes of the top four in recent seasons such as Villa and Everton.

O’Neill summed up the mood. “I’m deflated by it,” he said last week. “You think, ‘Well, you got quite close last year and suddenly another club has just stepped over you’. It kind of punctures you.”

So what do you think? Are Man City title contenders?

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Fans snap up 2010 World Cup tickets

World football governing body Fifa says that second sales phase tickets for the opening match, semi-finals and final of the 2010 World Cup have been sold out.

"The second phase of the 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa ticket sales has seen 105 322 tickets confirmed and approved so far," Fifa said in a statement this week.

High demand

Due to a high demand for certain team-specific ticket series, these tickets are no longer available for England, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Republic of Ireland and Netherlands.

Fifa said there had also been an incredible demand for individual match tickets, adding that it was no longer possible, within the current sales phase, to purchase match tickets for games taking place in Cape Town, Nelspruit or Pretoria.

"Individual match tickets for the opening match, the two semi-finals, and the final are also currently unavailable."

Team-specific tickets

However, Fifa said it was still possible to acquire a ticket for the opening match, a semi-final and the final by purchasing team-specific ticket series 7 (TST-7).

Fifa explained that the TST-7 ticket was fixed - meaning that if the ticket holder's team was eliminated from the competition, he or she would have to follow the victor all the way to the final match of the tournament.

An additional 72 000 ticket requests are currently being processed, and confirmations are due at the end of this week.

Fifa has warned that any confirmed tickets not paid for by applicants would be made available to the public again.

World Cup 2010 Venues

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will take place in South Africa. It is the 16th country and the first-ever African country to host the FIFA World Cup. Ten stadiums will be used and nine South African host cities including Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, and Rustenburg. The will be thirty-two national football teams from the six FIFA Confederations represented in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. A total of sixty-four World Cup matches will be played over a period of twenty-five days.

Wayne Rooney Biography

Wayne Rooney, an English footballer, was born on October 24, 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool. He was born to Thomas Wayne and Jeanette Marie Rooney and has two younger brothers, Graeme and John. All the three brothers attended the De La Salle School, and since his childhood, Wayne Rooney was a fan of Duncan Ferguson, a Scottish footballer.

He has been playing for the England national football team since 2003, and on February 12, 2003, he featured in a friendly match against Australia, becoming the youngest player to represent the England national team. Wayne Rooney became England’s youngest goal-scorer when he scored in a 2-1 winning match against Macedonia. He also holds the record of being the youngest player to score at the 2004 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championships, when he netted a brace against Switzerland on June 17, 2004. After recovering from a metatarsal injury, Wayne Rooney made a comeback by playing as a substitute in a match against Trinidad and Tobago, and he started in the following match against Sweden.

At the age of ten, Wayne Rooney started his football career by joining the youth ranks of Everton in 1996, and he progressed to its senior team in 2002. On October 19, 2002, he ended the thirty match unbeaten run of Arsenal by netting the winning goal against them, and he became the youngest goal-scorer in Premier League history. Wayne Rooney went on to become BBC Sports' 2002-03 Young Personality of the Year, and after the two-year stint with Everton, he signed with Manchester United in 2004.

On September 28, 2004, Wayne Rooney played his first match for Manchester United, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-2 group stage win against Fenerbahçe S.K. at the UEFA Champions League. At the 2006 English Football League Cup final against Wigan Athletic, he scored a brace and contributed to the club’s 4-0 victory, following which Wayne Rooney was named the Man of the Match, and he secured his first senior medal. At the end of the 2005-06 season, he secured 16 goals and helped the club finish as runners-up at the Premier League.

On October 17, 2006, Wayne Rooney captained the team in a Champions League match against Copenhagen, and on November 26, 2006, he signed a new contrat with the club that will keep him with Manchester United until 2012. During the first half of the 2006-07 season, Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick against the Bolton Wanderers F.C., and as of February 2007, he was the top English goal-scorer in the Premiership. He came on as a substitute and scored two goals at the Football Association (FA) Cup tie against Portsmouth, and followed it with another brace in the derby against Bolton.

His first goal after two-and-a-half years in Europe came on April 4, 2007 in a match against A.S. Roma in the quarter-final first leg of the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League. At the Champions League, Wayne Rooney continued to score in the quarter-final second leg against Roma, and in the semi-final first leg, he scored two goals in the club’s 3-2 victory over A.C. Milan. He went on to score a total of 23 goals by the end of April 2007, equaling with Cristiano Ronaldo, a team-mate. Wayne Rooney contributed to the club’s victory at the Premier League in two successive seasons, 2006-07 and 2007-08, and he helped the club win the 2007 FA Community Shield and the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League. In his football career, he scored many goals, and he leveled his scores with Ruud van Nistelrooy, a Dutch footballer.

Wayne Rooney won the Bravo Award in 2003 and was named the FA Premier League Player of the Month for February 2005, December 2005, March 2006 and November 2007. He was included in the UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament and the 2005-06 PFA Team of the Year. Wayne Rooney won several titles such as Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year of the 2005-06 season, the 2005 FIFPro World Young Player of the Year, the 2006 PFA Fans' Player of the Year and the PFA Young Player of the Year for two consecutive years in 2005 and 2006.

Diego Maradona Biography

Diego Armando Maradona (born in Lan�s, Buenos Aires October 30, 1960), nicknamed El Diez, Pelusa and El Diego, is a former Argentine football player. He is regarded as one of the best—and one of the most controversial—players in the history of the game.

Diego Armando Maradona was born in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown in the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, to a poor family who had relocated from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three girls. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el turco) and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional footballers.

At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of the cebollitas, the junior team of Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors. As a ball-boy in first division games, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions.

At age 15,Maradona made his debut with Argentinos Juniors, where he played between 1976 and 1981 before his transfer to the club that he supported, Boca Juniors, where he played during the remainder of the 1981 season and 1982 and secured his first league title. He debuted with the Argentina national football team ("la selecci�n"), at age 16, against Hungary. At age 18, he played the Football World Youth Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in their 3–1 final win over the USSR team.

In 1982, Maradona played his first World Cup tournament. In the first round, Argentina, as defending champions, lost to Belgium 0-1. Although the team convincingly beat Hungary and El Salvador to progress to the second round, they were defeated in the second round by Italy (1:2), the side which eventually won the cup, and Brazil (1:3), during which game Maradona was sent off for kicking an opponent.

Later in the year, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona. In 1983, under coach C�sar Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid. However, Maradona had an unhappy tenure in Barcelona: first a bout with hepatitis, and then an ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea that put Maradona's career on the line; Diego's physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to be back on the pitch after only 14 weeks.

Barcelona's management was not satisfied with Maradona, and in 1984 transferred him to SSC Napoli, where he became an adored star, lifting the team to its most successful era. Napoli won their only Italian Championships (1986/87 and 1989/1990), a Coppa Italia (1987), a UEFA Cup (1989) and an Italian Supercup (1990). Napoli were also runners-up in the Italian Championship twice.

Maradona led the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 World Cup, the team winning 3–2 in the final against West Germany. Throughout the 1986 World Cup, Maradona asserted his dominance and was widely regarded as the best player of the tournament. However, it was the two goals he scored in the quarterfinal game against England which cemented his legend. Action replay footage showed that the first goal was scored with the aid of his hand. He later claimed it was the "Hand of God" and described it as "A little of the hand of God, and a little of the head of Maradona," implying that God was ultimately responsible for the goal, because the referee had missed the handball offense. However, on 22 August 2005 Maradona acknowledged on his new television talk show that he hit the ball with his hand purposely and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. He recalled thinking right after the goal that "I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me, and no one came . . . I told them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn't going to allow it.'"

In contrast, however, Maradona's second goal was an uncontroversial and impressive display of footballing skill. He ran half the length of the pitch, passing five English players (Glenn Hoddle, Peter Reid, Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher, and Terry Fenwick) as well as goalkeeper Peter Shilton. This goal was voted Goal of the Century in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA. Argentina went on to defeat England 2-1 in that game. The two goals were ranked 6th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Sporting Moments in 2002.

Maradona also captained Argentina in the 1990 World Cup, leading his team to the final, where they lost 1–0 to West Germany. He arrived at the 1994 World Cup and played two games (scoring one goal) before being sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping. On this matter, he has suggested that he had an agreement, on which FIFA later reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play, so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence. This allegation was never proved, and many attribute his comment ("they cut off my legs") to Diego's anger at being suspended.

In Naples, where he is still beloved (having brought the local team their first scudetto), he also faced a scandal regarding an illegitimate son and was the object of some suspicion over his friendship with the Camorra, the local mafia.

Maradona left Napoli in 1992, after serving a 15-month ban for failing the drug test for cocaine, and played for Sevilla FC (1992–93), Newell's Old Boys (1993) and Boca Juniors (1995–97). He also attempted to work as a coach on two short stints, leading Mandiy� of Corrientes (1994) and Racing Club (1995) without much success. He retired from football on October 30, 1997.

On January 26, 1997, Maradona discussed on live Ecuadorian TV with Ecuadorian president Abdal� Bucaram about playing in Bucaram's Barcelona SC team, but nothing ever came out of this, as Bucaram was ousted by a coup d'�tat.

In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego ("I am El Diego"), which became an instant bestseller in his home country. In the same year, Maradona was voted Player of the Century in an official FIFA poll conducted on the Internet, garnering 53.6% of the votes. Then, in an unannounced move, FIFA appointed a "Football Family" committee, which voted to elect Pel� alongside the Argentine. Maradona cried foul and left the awards ceremony as soon as his prize was awarded. (For more on FIFA's handling of the issue, see this Sports Illustrated article.)

In 2001, the Argentine Football Association asked FIFA for authorization to retire jersey number 10 as a homage to Maradona. Even though Argentine officials have claimed that FIFA hinted that it would grant the request, the authorization was denied.

Maradona has won other polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.

On 22 June 2005, it was announced that Maradona would return to Boca Juniors as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First Division roster (after a disastrous 2004–05 season, which coincided with Boca's centenary). His contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his firsts reccomendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who decided to hire Alfio Basile as the new coach. With Maradona staying very close to the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title, the Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa. Maradona remains aloof of day-to-day activities.

On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 ("The Night of the #10"). His main guest on opening night was Pel�; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. In subsequent programs, he led the ratings with only one exception. Almost all guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business.

Maradona married long-time fianc�e Claudia Villafa�e on November 7, 1989 in Buenos Aires, after she gave birth to their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b. 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989). In his autobiography, Maradona admits not always being faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.

Diego and Claudia divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. Diego and Claudia traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005.

During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra (b. Naples, 1986), as was claimed by his mother, Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian justice had so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity.) He met Diego for the first time in May 2003 after the 17 year old tricked his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing. Diego had spells on trial with the Blackburn Rovers and the Dunfermline Athletic.

After the divorce, Claudia started a career as a theater producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.

In marked contrast to the athleticism he showed during his years as a football player, since his retirement Maradona has been plagued by a series of health problems.

Since the 1990s, Maradona has been battling a cocaine addiction, which included spells in Swiss and Cuban detox clinics. Between 2002 and 2005, Maradona spent most of this time in Cuba.

On April 18, 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major heart attack following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic. Days after the heart attack, a nurse was caught taking photos of Maradona with a cellular telephone and was promptly fired by the hospital managers.

After he showed improvement, Maradona was taken off the respirator on April 23, and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on April 29. He returned to Cuba in May.

Maradona has always had a tendency to put on weight, and has displayed a remarkable level of obesity since the late 1990s. On March 6, 2005, it was announced that Maradona underwent gastric bypass surgery in a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. When Maradona resumed public appearances shortly afterwards, he displayed a notably thinner figure.

Short and stocky, Maradona had a very strong physique and could withstand physical pressure better than almost all players. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him additional advantage in short sprints. This is illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup.

He was also a wizard with the ball and could manage himself in limited spaces, attracting defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second goal against England), or pass to a free teammate who would take the ball and score, like Burruchaga did to secure the 1986 World Cup.

Maradona could convert fragile possessions into goals. His goal against Italy in the 1986 World Cup demonstrated this. In Maradona's time defenses became more athletic, so both dribbling and securing possession of the ball required additional speed and the ability to think under stress.

One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling full-speed as a left wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering accurate passes to his teammates that many times proved lethal. Another trademark was the Rabona or reverse-cross pass (shot behind the leg that holds all the weight), with which he gave several assists, such as the potent crossed pass for Ram�n D�az head-goal in the 1984 friendly match against Switzerland.

Maradona's kicking had a mixture of precision and power that enabled him to score many free kicks. Since he seldom used his right foot for any decisive action, defenders were confounded the few times he did.

Zinedine Zidane Biography

Zinédine Yazid Zidane born on June 23, 1972 in Marseille, France. The son of Algerian immigrants, Zidane learned to play football in the streets of Marseilles, was discovered at age 14 by a talent scout, and signed as a schoolboy for Cannes FC. After a spell at Girondins de Bordeaux, he transferred to Italian club Juventus where he notched up a string of successes. He was a key player for his country in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final, scoring two goals in France's 3-0 victory over Brazil, and was hailed as a national hero.

In 2000 France added the European Championship to their achievements. His further honours include European Footballer of the Year (1998) and FIFA World Footballer of the Year (1998, 2000, 2003). In 2001 he signed for Spanish club Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of ¤47·2 million, and his annual income is estimated at around ¤5 million.

In 2004, Zidane was named best European football player of the past 50 years by the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll and was included in the FIFA 100, Pelé's list of the 125 greatest living footballers. In 2006, he was named Most Outstanding Player at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He retired after the finals that year.

Cristiano Ronaldo biography

Ronaldo started playing competitive football at the age of eight for amateur club Andorinha, and then for local team CD Nacional when he was 10. He moved to Sporting CP, one of Portugal’s largest football clubs in 1996.

Ronaldo trained in the youth team before making his senior debut for Sporting in 1999 against Moreirense and scored a brace on his debut.

Ronaldo played for Portugal’s youth side in the UEFA U-17 Championships and drew attention internationally.

Liverpool under manager Gérard Houllier back then was reported to have interest in signing Ronaldo; and it was also later revealed that Arsenal was closed to signing him before his move to Manchester United in 2003.

Ronaldo’s signature came after Sporting defeated United 3–1; on the way back to England the United players spoke enthusiastically about the young winger and suggested manager Sir Alex Ferguson to secure his signature, which he obviously did.

Ronaldo made a memorable debut for Manchester United as a substitute against Bolton; his 30 minutes performances created hype with United fans and the English media with his dazzling dribbles.

But his first two seasons at the club received mixed reviews; despite being praised for his skills, Ronaldo was often criticised for lack of consistency and poor decision making on the field.

Ronaldo made his senior debut for Portugal shortly after being signed by United in a match against Kazakhstan in August 2003.

A controversy broke out in World Cup 2006 where Ronaldo was alleged to influence the referee to send off his United team mate and England striker Wayne Rooney in their quarter finals clash.

Ronaldo was being used as the scapegoat for England’s defeat in the World Cup and the hatred towards him had prompted his intention to leave England and United. In the United managed to keep him, and Ronaldo had a great season in the Premiership against all odds.

Ronaldo won both the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year Award in 2007. He is the first player since 1977 to bag the double in the same season. Ronaldo was also voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association for the same year.

Ronaldo’s performance was crucial to help Manchester United securing their first Premiership title in 4 years in the 2006/2007 season.

Ronaldo was the top 3 finalists for both the FIFA World Player of the Year and European Player of the Year awards in 2007/2008.

Ronaldo continued his fine form in the 2007/2008 season, netted in 40 goals in all competition (31 in Premier League), and was again voted as the PFA Player of The Year and Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year.

His performance contributed to United’s double for the season; winning the Premiership in succession as well as bringing home the UEFA Champions League trophy.

Ronaldo was crowned as both the FIFA World Player of the Year and European Player of the Year in 2008/2009.

Ronaldo became the world’s most expensive football player following his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in July 2009 in a £80 million transfer.

About Tickets Of Football World Cup 2010

The hugely popular 2010 FIFA Cup is a big craze among football lovers. There is a considerably huge number of online 2010 World Cup Ticket Sales with approximately one million of ticket request submissions. Isn't it astounding? You would be astonished to know that around 743 000 ticket submission applications from 160 countries have already hit the market!

The largest number of 2010 world cup ticket application requests from the abroad sport lovers have come from United Kingdom and trailed by USA. Jerome Valcke, the Secretary General of FIFA has stated, "We have had a phenomenal response from football fans around the world. We do expect a last-minute rush over the next few days to submit applications to beat the March 31 deadline - in particular in South Africa." He further added, "This is the best chance to secure a ticket at an early stage, so as not to miss out on this unique opportunity to be part of the first FIFA Cup on African soil."

Interestingly, requests for the Team Specific Series comprised of fifty percent of the total applications. The major cause for the huge popularity of Team Specific Series is that it enables the sports enthusiast to follow his/her favorite team throughout the championship. Year 2002 marked the debut of this Team Specific Series package.

If you are also looking forward for the upcoming 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa then do not waste your time, as Football Cup tickets will vanish soon from the scene. Moreover, out of the three million 2010 Cup Tickets, international sport lovers will be catered with one million tickets.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

David Beckham`s Biography

English football player David Beckham was born on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, London. Manchester United signed David to their youth training program when he was 14, and he began his Pro football career at age 17. He made 394 appearances and scored 85 goals with Manchester United, and in 2003 he was traded to Real Madrid for 23 million Euros, making him only the third Englishman to play for the team. He also has been the captain of the English National team, and he is the first Englishman to score in three separate World Cup tournaments. David is probably best known for being the husband of ex- Spice Girl Victoria Adams, and they have three sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. One of the few soccer players to become a household name in the United States, David Beckham has been interested in the sport since he was a child. The son of fanatical Manchester United fans, Beckham attended matches with his parents and played in youth leagues from the time he was small. He began playing for Manchester United in 1995 and shot to stardom during the 1996 season, especially gaining attention for making a goal all the way from the halfway line in a match against Wimbledon. He stayed with Manchester United until 2002, when he took a deal to play for Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Beckham began dating Victoria Adams, also known as Posh Spice in 1997, and by 1999 they were married and had their first child, Brooklyn Joseph; in 2002, son Romeo followed, and Cruz, another boy, was born in 2005. The couple were complete media darlings, dominating the tabloids and followed by paparazzi everywhere. Beckham remained among the most sought-after players on earth and in 2007, he took a deal to play for the L.A. Galaxy. This would mean moving to the United States, and, as it coincided with the announcement of a planned Spice Girls reunion for his wife, the Beckhams became the subject of an NBC reality TV special, Victoria Beckham: Coming to America. Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide One of the few soccer players to become a household name in the United States, David Beckham has been interested in the sport since he was a child. The son of fanatical Manchester United fans, Beckham attended matches with his parents and played in youth leagues from the time he was small. He began playing for Manchester United in 1995 and shot to stardom during the 1996 season, especially gaining attention for making a goal all the way from the halfway line in a match against Wimbledon. He stayed with Manchester United until 2002, when he took a deal to play for Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Beckham began dating Victoria Adams, also known as Posh Spice in 1997, and by 1999 they were married and had their first child, Brooklyn Joseph; in 2002, son Romeo followed, and Cruz, another boy, was born in 2005. The couple were complete media darlings, dominating the tabloids and followed by paparazzi everywhere. Beckham remained among the most sought-after players on earth and in 2007, he took a deal to play for the L.A. Galaxy. This would mean moving to the United States, and, as it coincided with the announcement of a planned Spice Girls reunion for his wife, the Beckhams became the subject of an NBC reality TV special, Victoria Beckham: Coming to America. Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

HISTORY OF FOOTBALL

The History of Football (Soccer)

A sport similar to football was played 3000 years ago in Japan. Chinese text from 50 BC mentions football-type games between teams from Japan and China. A text dating from 611 AD confirms that football was played in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan.

Ancient Greeks and Romans also played a game that resembled football - although the Greeks permitted carrying of the ball. Olympic games in ancient Rome featured a 50-minute football game with twenty-seven men on a side.

The early days
How the sport spread from the East to Europe is not clear but England became the home of modern football. At first the game had a bad reputation among English royalty - possibly because of the noise the fans made - by whose insistence the government passed laws against it. King Edward (1307-1327) proclaimed, "For as much as there is a great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls, from which many evils may arise, which God forbid, we forbid on behalf of the King, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city." In 1365 King Edward III banned football because of its excessive violence and for military reasons playing took time away from archery practice the game had become too popular to be curtailed. King Henry IV and Henry VIII passed laws against the sport, and Queen Elizabeth I "had football players jailed for a week, with follow-up church penance"

Laws failed to slow the popularity of football and by 1681 it received official sanction in England. The games were still ruff and noisy, with players hardly ever leaving the field without broken bones or even being spiked. There was no standard set for the size of teams or the field; the earliest organized games, usually bitter confrontations between teams from two or three parishes, had goals as far as 5 km (3 miles) apart. It was only by 1801 that it was (somewhat) agreed that teams should have an equal number of players and that the playing area should be about 91 metres (100 yards). Records show that Eton college drew up the first written rules of football in 1815. (The modern standardized rules are known as the Cambridge rules.)

Until the mid-1800s football rules still varied across regions. Team sizes ranged from 15 to 21. The 11-player team was standardized in 1870. The crossbar between two goal posts became mandatory in 1875. The goalkeeper was formally distinguished in the 1880s.

FIFA
The first football club was formed in Sheffield, England in 1857. The Football Association was founded on 26 October 1863 by 11 clubs meeting in London. (The word association was abbreviated to assoc., which became "soccer.")

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in the rear of the headquarters of the Union Française de Sports Athlétiques at the rue Saint Honoré 229 in Paris on 21 May 1904. The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay.

Where does the word "soccer" come from?

In the 1880s students of Oxford university abbreviated words by adding "er" to the end; for instance, breakfast became "brekkers" and "rugby rules" was referred to as "rugger." When one student, Charles Wreford Brown, was asked if he'd like to play rugger, he was the first to abbreviate "association rules" (Football Association rules) by answering, "No, soccer." Brown later became an England international and Football Association vice-president.

"The Beautiful Game"

Football is the biggest spectator sport in the world, with angling as the world's biggest participant sport. While Formula 1 is the sport most watched on television, the World Cup is, after the Olympics, the most watched sporting event on television.