With the season break, alot of speculations and Transfers have been happening around the European Leagues.
Tevez
The most Versatile player of his kind, how on earth could Ferguson ever let him go.Its heart breaking but Second to none, and being wasted on the end of the season on the bench, Tevez made a decision to go and prove Ferguson of his qualities.Yes hopefully his on Manchester city Radar.Lets hope for the best from the Carlito.
SAVIOLA is unveiled by Benfica
The Little Rabbit becomes official O Pequeno Coelho as he is unveiled by Benfica at their mythical Estadio da Luz (Stadium of Light).
Lucho
Lucho GONZALEZ. has left Porto and has joined Olympique Marseille where he'll play for the next four seasons after the French club paid 18 million Euro for his transfer.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Argentine Round up
Spain
Sergio Kun AGUERO finally delivered the dagger into Barcelona’s heart after Atlético Madrid brilliant comeback win. Throughout this season, it has always been a one sided affair between these two sides.
It was Lionel MESSI who got the better of his national team colleague, when he was dancing through the home defense and coolly sliding the ball home in the 12th minute.
Kun made it 2-2 after he took advantage from a Barca mismatch in the 55th minute. With the score line at 3-3 and heading into the last minutes, Kun took advantage of another Barca mistake. Carles PUYOL failed to clear the danger and Kun pounced to drill home a low shot, sparking wild scenes at both the Vicente Calderon and no doubt at the Bernabeu as well.
Inter Milan came from behind to clinch a hard-earned point in a dramatic draw with Roma tonight. Substitute Hernan CRESPO scored a 79th-minute equalizer to save the Nerazzurri from what would have been a costly defeat after Juventus won yesterday.
Catania hammered Palermo 4-0 win away with Pablo Martin LEDESMA scoring their first goal of the match.
In the Swiss Super League, Emiliano DUDAR was on target in AC Bellinzona 2-0 win over Neuchatel Xamax
England
Carlos TEVEZ has done it again! The little fellow’s habit of collecting a winners medal continues as Manchester United have defeated Tottenham Hotspurs in the Carling Cup Final 4-1 on penalty shoot out after the match ended in goalless draw.
Carlitos has been an important figure for United throughout this competition. He finishes as the joint top scorer with six goals (including a four goal haul over Blackburn Rover in the quarter final).
Today against Spurs, he was named in the starting line up and played for the full 120 minutes. His first real chance came in the 42nd minute, when John O’SHEA cuts the ball inside to him but his shot from inside the Spurs area was blocked.
His next chance came in the 60th minute, as he tries to back heel Evans' shot past GOMES, but it went wide. He also had another chance in extra time but his header was wide out.
Just like what happened in Moscow, it was down to the penalty shoot out. TEVEZ was United’s second penalty taker and he coolly slotted his into bottom corner. When Jamie O’HARA and David Bentley missed their shots, it looks to be a big mountain to climb for Spurs. ANDERSON did no wrong with his shot as United won the match.
Now back to the million dollar question, will TEVEZ be a United player come next season? Well we will leave that aside for now and celebrate this moment in what could be another glorious chapter in Carlitos career.
Italy
Mauro ZARATE scored a brace for Lazio in their 2-0 win over Bologna. The results was crucial for the Bianconeslesti as they kept their hopes of European football for next season alive.
ZARATE has seen his goal scoring form dried out November and needed something special to break his dull spell. Lazio were awarded a free kick after Goran PANDEV was foul in the 35th minute. ZARATE curled the ball in past a static Francesco ANTONIOLI to put his side in the lead.
After missing plenty of other opportunity to double up Lazio’s lead his was finally rewarded with another goal. ZARATEe got his second nine minutes from time, finishing off a perfect pass from Tommaso ROCCHI, who had come off the bench for PANDEV minutes earlier with a delightfully clever touch.
In Spain, former Albiceleste captain Roberto AYALA scored for Real Zaragoza in their 4-1 win over Murcia in the Segunda Division.
In Greece, Ismael BLANCO was on target for AEK Athens in their 2-1 win over FC Xanthi. Mauro POY scored for the visitor. Javier CAMPORA scored from the spot for Aris Salonika in their 2-1 win over Thrasivoulos.
Sergio Kun AGUERO finally delivered the dagger into Barcelona’s heart after Atlético Madrid brilliant comeback win. Throughout this season, it has always been a one sided affair between these two sides.
It was Lionel MESSI who got the better of his national team colleague, when he was dancing through the home defense and coolly sliding the ball home in the 12th minute.
Kun made it 2-2 after he took advantage from a Barca mismatch in the 55th minute. With the score line at 3-3 and heading into the last minutes, Kun took advantage of another Barca mistake. Carles PUYOL failed to clear the danger and Kun pounced to drill home a low shot, sparking wild scenes at both the Vicente Calderon and no doubt at the Bernabeu as well.
Inter Milan came from behind to clinch a hard-earned point in a dramatic draw with Roma tonight. Substitute Hernan CRESPO scored a 79th-minute equalizer to save the Nerazzurri from what would have been a costly defeat after Juventus won yesterday.
Catania hammered Palermo 4-0 win away with Pablo Martin LEDESMA scoring their first goal of the match.
In the Swiss Super League, Emiliano DUDAR was on target in AC Bellinzona 2-0 win over Neuchatel Xamax
England
Carlos TEVEZ has done it again! The little fellow’s habit of collecting a winners medal continues as Manchester United have defeated Tottenham Hotspurs in the Carling Cup Final 4-1 on penalty shoot out after the match ended in goalless draw.
Carlitos has been an important figure for United throughout this competition. He finishes as the joint top scorer with six goals (including a four goal haul over Blackburn Rover in the quarter final).
Today against Spurs, he was named in the starting line up and played for the full 120 minutes. His first real chance came in the 42nd minute, when John O’SHEA cuts the ball inside to him but his shot from inside the Spurs area was blocked.
His next chance came in the 60th minute, as he tries to back heel Evans' shot past GOMES, but it went wide. He also had another chance in extra time but his header was wide out.
Just like what happened in Moscow, it was down to the penalty shoot out. TEVEZ was United’s second penalty taker and he coolly slotted his into bottom corner. When Jamie O’HARA and David Bentley missed their shots, it looks to be a big mountain to climb for Spurs. ANDERSON did no wrong with his shot as United won the match.
Now back to the million dollar question, will TEVEZ be a United player come next season? Well we will leave that aside for now and celebrate this moment in what could be another glorious chapter in Carlitos career.
Italy
Mauro ZARATE scored a brace for Lazio in their 2-0 win over Bologna. The results was crucial for the Bianconeslesti as they kept their hopes of European football for next season alive.
ZARATE has seen his goal scoring form dried out November and needed something special to break his dull spell. Lazio were awarded a free kick after Goran PANDEV was foul in the 35th minute. ZARATE curled the ball in past a static Francesco ANTONIOLI to put his side in the lead.
After missing plenty of other opportunity to double up Lazio’s lead his was finally rewarded with another goal. ZARATEe got his second nine minutes from time, finishing off a perfect pass from Tommaso ROCCHI, who had come off the bench for PANDEV minutes earlier with a delightfully clever touch.
In Spain, former Albiceleste captain Roberto AYALA scored for Real Zaragoza in their 4-1 win over Murcia in the Segunda Division.
In Greece, Ismael BLANCO was on target for AEK Athens in their 2-1 win over FC Xanthi. Mauro POY scored for the visitor. Javier CAMPORA scored from the spot for Aris Salonika in their 2-1 win over Thrasivoulos.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Legend Gabriel Omar Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta (born February 1, 1969), nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the eighth top scorer of all time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches between 1991 and 2003. On the international level, he is the all-time highest scorer for Argentina's national team, with 56 goals in 78 national team matches, and he represented his country at three FIFA World Cups. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the "125 Greatest Living Footballers".
When his club Fiorentina was relegated to Serie B in 1993, Batistuta stayed with the club and helped it return to the top-flight league a year later. A hero in Florence, the Fiorentina fans erected a life-size bronze statue of him in 1996, in recognition of his performances for Fiorentina. He never won the Italian league with Fiorentina, but when he moved to AS Roma in 2000, he finally won the Serie A championship to crown his career in Italy. He played his last professional season in Qatar with Al-Arabi before he retired in 2005.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup he worked as a commentator for Televisa Deportes.
Personal life
Batistuta was born on 1 February 1969, to slaughterhouse worker Omar Batistuta and school secretary Gloria Batistuta, in the town of Avellaneda, province of Santa Fe, Argentina, but grew up in the near city of Reconquista. He has three younger sisters, named Elisa, Alejandra, and Gabriela.
At the age of 16, he met Irina Fernández, his future wife, at her quinceañera, a rite of passage on her 15th birthday. She is reported to have ignored him but five years later, on 28 December 1990, they were married at Saint Roque Church. The couple moved to Florence, Italy, in 1991, and a year later their first son, Thiago, was born. Thanks to good performances in the Italian championship and with the Argentine national team, Batistuta gained fame and respect. He filmed several commercials and was invited onto numerous TV shows, but in spite of this, Batistuta always remained a low-profile family man.
In 1996, during Fiorentina's 2-1 victory at Milan, he celebrated scoring the match's decisive goal by saying Te amo, Irina ('I love you, Irina', to his wife) for the cameras. The mix of sex appeal and faithfulness cemented Batistuta's heart-throb reputation among Argentine and Italian women. In 1997, Batistuta's second son, Lucas, was born, and a third son, Joaquín, followed in 1999. He now has a fourth son Shamel. In 2000, Batistuta and his family moved to Rome, where he played for Roma. Two years after Shamel was born, Batistuta was loaned to Inter. In 2002, after more than 10 years in Italy, the family moved to Qatar where Batistuta had accepted a lucrative celebrity playing contract with a local team, Al-Arabi.
Batistuta ended his career at Al-Arabi, retiring in March 2005, after a series of injuries that prevented him from playing. Soon afterwards he moved to Perth, Australia. In April 2006, the city's established A-league franchise, Perth Glory was put up for sale however Batistuta was not interested in the purchase seeing no real potential in the club.[1] His nickname is Batigol as he scores a lot of goals and his name starts with "Bati."
Honours
* First Division (Serie A) Italian Championship (with Roma) 2000-2001.
* Italian Supercup (with ACF Fiorentina) 1996, (with Roma) 2001
* Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year 1998.
* Italian Cup (with Fiorentina) 1995-1996.
* Second Division (Serie B) Italian Championship (with Fiorentina) 1993-1994.
* First Division Top Scorer, 26 goals (with Fiorentina) 1994-1995
* Copa América (with Argentina) 1991, 1993
* Copa América Top Scorer, 6 goals (with Argentina) 1991
* Top Scorer of The Qatari League with a record breaking 24 goals.
* Top Scorer in all Arab leagues, awarded with a Golden Boot.
* Gabriel Batistuta also set a new Serie A record by scoring in 11 consecutive Serie A games
* Confederations Cup (with Argentina) 1992
* FIFA 100
* FIFA World Player of the Year 3rd Place 1999
Career statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Argentina League Cup League Cup South America Total
1988-89 Newell's Old Boys Primera División 16 4
1989-90 River Plate Primera División 7 4
1989-90 Boca Juniors Primera División 10 2
1990-91 19 11
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1991-92 Fiorentina Serie A 27 13
1992-93 32 16
1993-94 Serie B 26 16
1994-95 Serie A 32 26
1995-96 31 19
1996-97 32 13
1997-98 31 21
1998-99 28 21
1999-00 30 23
2000-01 Roma Serie A 28 20
2001-02 23 6
2002-03 12 4
2002-03 Internazionale Serie A 12 2
Qatar League Emir of Qatar Cup League Cup Asia Total
2003-04 Al-Arabi 18 25
2004-05 3 0
Total Argentina 52 21
Italy 344 200
Qatar 21 25
Career Total 417 246
When his club Fiorentina was relegated to Serie B in 1993, Batistuta stayed with the club and helped it return to the top-flight league a year later. A hero in Florence, the Fiorentina fans erected a life-size bronze statue of him in 1996, in recognition of his performances for Fiorentina. He never won the Italian league with Fiorentina, but when he moved to AS Roma in 2000, he finally won the Serie A championship to crown his career in Italy. He played his last professional season in Qatar with Al-Arabi before he retired in 2005.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup he worked as a commentator for Televisa Deportes.
Personal life
Batistuta was born on 1 February 1969, to slaughterhouse worker Omar Batistuta and school secretary Gloria Batistuta, in the town of Avellaneda, province of Santa Fe, Argentina, but grew up in the near city of Reconquista. He has three younger sisters, named Elisa, Alejandra, and Gabriela.
At the age of 16, he met Irina Fernández, his future wife, at her quinceañera, a rite of passage on her 15th birthday. She is reported to have ignored him but five years later, on 28 December 1990, they were married at Saint Roque Church. The couple moved to Florence, Italy, in 1991, and a year later their first son, Thiago, was born. Thanks to good performances in the Italian championship and with the Argentine national team, Batistuta gained fame and respect. He filmed several commercials and was invited onto numerous TV shows, but in spite of this, Batistuta always remained a low-profile family man.
In 1996, during Fiorentina's 2-1 victory at Milan, he celebrated scoring the match's decisive goal by saying Te amo, Irina ('I love you, Irina', to his wife) for the cameras. The mix of sex appeal and faithfulness cemented Batistuta's heart-throb reputation among Argentine and Italian women. In 1997, Batistuta's second son, Lucas, was born, and a third son, Joaquín, followed in 1999. He now has a fourth son Shamel. In 2000, Batistuta and his family moved to Rome, where he played for Roma. Two years after Shamel was born, Batistuta was loaned to Inter. In 2002, after more than 10 years in Italy, the family moved to Qatar where Batistuta had accepted a lucrative celebrity playing contract with a local team, Al-Arabi.
Batistuta ended his career at Al-Arabi, retiring in March 2005, after a series of injuries that prevented him from playing. Soon afterwards he moved to Perth, Australia. In April 2006, the city's established A-league franchise, Perth Glory was put up for sale however Batistuta was not interested in the purchase seeing no real potential in the club.[1] His nickname is Batigol as he scores a lot of goals and his name starts with "Bati."
Honours
* First Division (Serie A) Italian Championship (with Roma) 2000-2001.
* Italian Supercup (with ACF Fiorentina) 1996, (with Roma) 2001
* Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year 1998.
* Italian Cup (with Fiorentina) 1995-1996.
* Second Division (Serie B) Italian Championship (with Fiorentina) 1993-1994.
* First Division Top Scorer, 26 goals (with Fiorentina) 1994-1995
* Copa América (with Argentina) 1991, 1993
* Copa América Top Scorer, 6 goals (with Argentina) 1991
* Top Scorer of The Qatari League with a record breaking 24 goals.
* Top Scorer in all Arab leagues, awarded with a Golden Boot.
* Gabriel Batistuta also set a new Serie A record by scoring in 11 consecutive Serie A games
* Confederations Cup (with Argentina) 1992
* FIFA 100
* FIFA World Player of the Year 3rd Place 1999
Career statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Argentina League Cup League Cup South America Total
1988-89 Newell's Old Boys Primera División 16 4
1989-90 River Plate Primera División 7 4
1989-90 Boca Juniors Primera División 10 2
1990-91 19 11
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1991-92 Fiorentina Serie A 27 13
1992-93 32 16
1993-94 Serie B 26 16
1994-95 Serie A 32 26
1995-96 31 19
1996-97 32 13
1997-98 31 21
1998-99 28 21
1999-00 30 23
2000-01 Roma Serie A 28 20
2001-02 23 6
2002-03 12 4
2002-03 Internazionale Serie A 12 2
Qatar League Emir of Qatar Cup League Cup Asia Total
2003-04 Al-Arabi 18 25
2004-05 3 0
Total Argentina 52 21
Italy 344 200
Qatar 21 25
Career Total 417 246
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona was born in Lanús, but raised in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco) and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players.
At age 11, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games
Club career
Maradona playing for Boca Juniors during 1981On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors, only ten days before his sixteenth birthday. He played there between 1976 and 1981, before his £1m transfer to Boca Juniors. Joining the squad midway through the 1981 season, Maradona played through 1982, and secured his first league winners' medal.
After the 1982 World Cup, in June, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona in Spain for a then world record £5m.In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic de Bilbao. However, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.First a bout with hepatitis, then a broken leg caused by an ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea jeopardized his career,[4] but Maradona's physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to soon be back on the pitch. At Barcelona Maradona got into frequent disputes with the team's directors, especially club president Josep Lluís Nuñez, and in 1984, he demanded a transfer out of Camp Nou. He was transferred to SSC Napoli in Italy's Serie A for another record fee, £6.9m.
In Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career. He quickly became an adored star among the club's fans, and in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Led by Maradona, Napoli won their only Italian Championships in 1986/87 and 1989/1990, placing second in the league twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89. Other honors during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia in 1987, (second place in the Coppa Italia in 1989), the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Italian Supercup in 1990. Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A in 1987/88.
However, during his time in Italy, Maradona's personal problems increased. His cocaine use continued, and he received US$ 70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of 'stress'. He faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son; and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra.[10]
After serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. By the time he joined his next team, Sevilla FC (1992-93), he had not played professional football for two years, and he would never again reach his previous heights. In 1993 he played for Newell's Old Boys and in 1995 he returned to Boca Juniors for 2 years
Maradona had a compact physique and could withstand physical pressure well. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him an advantage in short sprints. His physical strengths were illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup. Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second 1986 goal against England), or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot.
One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling full-speed as a left wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering lethally accurate passes to his teammates. Another trademark was the Rabona, a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the powerful cross for Ramón Díaz's header in the 1980 friendly against Switzerland. He was also a dangerous free kick taker.
Personal life
Maradona in 1981Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on November 7, 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b. 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989), by whom he became a grandfather in 2009. In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.
Maradona and Villafañe divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005[22] and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra (b. Naples, 1986), as was claimed by the youth's mother Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian courts had so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity.) Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing.
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles. Maradona has authored an autobiography entitled "Yo Soy El Diego" chronicling his life, both on and off the playing field. His autobiography was translated and published in English as Maradona: The Autobiography of Soccer's Greatest and Most Controversial Star.
Honours
Club
Boca Juniors
Primera División: 1981
FC Barcelona
Copa del Rey: 1983
Copa de la Liga: 1983
Spanish Super Cup: 1983
SSC Napoli
Serie A: 1987, 1990
Coppa Italia: 1987
Capocannoniere: 1988
UEFA Cup: 1989
Italian Super Cup: 1990
Country
Argentina
FIFA World Youth Championship: 1979
FIFA World Cup:
Winner: 1986
Runner-up: 1990
Artemio Franchi Trophy: 1993
75th anniversary FIFA Cup: 1979
Individual
Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1979
Argentine league Top Scorer: 1979, 1980, 1981
Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986
South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas):1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
Italian Guerin d'Oro: 1985
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year: 1986
Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup: 1986
Best Footballer in the World Onze d'Or: 1986, 1987
World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine): 1986
Serie A Top Scorer: 1987/1988
Golden Ball for services to football (France Football): 1996
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century: 1999
"FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice: 2000
"FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002
Argentine Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement: 2005
At age 11, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games
Club career
Maradona playing for Boca Juniors during 1981On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors, only ten days before his sixteenth birthday. He played there between 1976 and 1981, before his £1m transfer to Boca Juniors. Joining the squad midway through the 1981 season, Maradona played through 1982, and secured his first league winners' medal.
After the 1982 World Cup, in June, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona in Spain for a then world record £5m.In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic de Bilbao. However, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.First a bout with hepatitis, then a broken leg caused by an ill-timed tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea jeopardized his career,[4] but Maradona's physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to soon be back on the pitch. At Barcelona Maradona got into frequent disputes with the team's directors, especially club president Josep Lluís Nuñez, and in 1984, he demanded a transfer out of Camp Nou. He was transferred to SSC Napoli in Italy's Serie A for another record fee, £6.9m.
In Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career. He quickly became an adored star among the club's fans, and in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Led by Maradona, Napoli won their only Italian Championships in 1986/87 and 1989/1990, placing second in the league twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89. Other honors during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia in 1987, (second place in the Coppa Italia in 1989), the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Italian Supercup in 1990. Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A in 1987/88.
However, during his time in Italy, Maradona's personal problems increased. His cocaine use continued, and he received US$ 70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of 'stress'. He faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son; and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra.[10]
After serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. By the time he joined his next team, Sevilla FC (1992-93), he had not played professional football for two years, and he would never again reach his previous heights. In 1993 he played for Newell's Old Boys and in 1995 he returned to Boca Juniors for 2 years
Maradona had a compact physique and could withstand physical pressure well. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him an advantage in short sprints. His physical strengths were illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup. Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second 1986 goal against England), or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot.
One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling full-speed as a left wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering lethally accurate passes to his teammates. Another trademark was the Rabona, a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the powerful cross for Ramón Díaz's header in the 1980 friendly against Switzerland. He was also a dangerous free kick taker.
Personal life
Maradona in 1981Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on November 7, 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (b. 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (b. 1989), by whom he became a grandfather in 2009. In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.
Maradona and Villafañe divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005[22] and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra (b. Naples, 1986), as was claimed by the youth's mother Cristiana Sinagra. (The Italian courts had so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity.) Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Naples where Maradona was playing.
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles. Maradona has authored an autobiography entitled "Yo Soy El Diego" chronicling his life, both on and off the playing field. His autobiography was translated and published in English as Maradona: The Autobiography of Soccer's Greatest and Most Controversial Star.
Honours
Club
Boca Juniors
Primera División: 1981
FC Barcelona
Copa del Rey: 1983
Copa de la Liga: 1983
Spanish Super Cup: 1983
SSC Napoli
Serie A: 1987, 1990
Coppa Italia: 1987
Capocannoniere: 1988
UEFA Cup: 1989
Italian Super Cup: 1990
Country
Argentina
FIFA World Youth Championship: 1979
FIFA World Cup:
Winner: 1986
Runner-up: 1990
Artemio Franchi Trophy: 1993
75th anniversary FIFA Cup: 1979
Individual
Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1979
Argentine league Top Scorer: 1979, 1980, 1981
Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986
South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas):1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
Italian Guerin d'Oro: 1985
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year: 1986
Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup: 1986
Best Footballer in the World Onze d'Or: 1986, 1987
World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine): 1986
Serie A Top Scorer: 1987/1988
Golden Ball for services to football (France Football): 1996
Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century: 1999
"FIFA best football player of the century", people's choice: 2000
"FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002
Argentine Senate "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement: 2005
Champions League
It’s hard for me to understand on what goes on with Rafa BENITEZ. Sometimes he gets it right and the next time everything goes horribly wrong for him. But that was not the case when Liverpool took on Real Madrid in the Champions League
He masterminded another magnificent European away triumph as the Reds confounded the odds with a stunning 1-0 victory in the Bernabeu. Yossi BENAYOUN headed the late winner to give his side every chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.
But let me tell you this, the result against Real was made possible because Javier MASCHERANO son of a gun performance. He was the main catalyst in not allowing Real to have any comfort on the pitch.
Should you need some clarification, you may ask Gonzalo HIGUAIN, Fernando GAGO or Arjen ROBBEN.
He made a cracking tackle on Pipita after sloppy play from Alberto RIERA. Another fantastic tackle on GAGO, which resulted him being yellow carded harshly (I’ll leave it to the rest to decide on whether the booking was legitimate).
I’ve got nothing against Real (though I have more love Barcelona!) since some OUR boys are in that team. I just felt there was need to highlight on what was another top class performance from Javier MASCHERANO.
He masterminded another magnificent European away triumph as the Reds confounded the odds with a stunning 1-0 victory in the Bernabeu. Yossi BENAYOUN headed the late winner to give his side every chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.
But let me tell you this, the result against Real was made possible because Javier MASCHERANO son of a gun performance. He was the main catalyst in not allowing Real to have any comfort on the pitch.
Should you need some clarification, you may ask Gonzalo HIGUAIN, Fernando GAGO or Arjen ROBBEN.
He made a cracking tackle on Pipita after sloppy play from Alberto RIERA. Another fantastic tackle on GAGO, which resulted him being yellow carded harshly (I’ll leave it to the rest to decide on whether the booking was legitimate).
I’ve got nothing against Real (though I have more love Barcelona!) since some OUR boys are in that team. I just felt there was need to highlight on what was another top class performance from Javier MASCHERANO.
Friday, February 20, 2009
recent friendly
In recent argentina vs france game. argentina proved to be superior and won the game 2-0
Monday, February 16, 2009
Welcome to the Argentina Heaven
Current Squad
No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Juan Pablo Carrizo May 6, 1984 (1984-05-06) (age 24) 9 0 Flag of Italy Lazio
12 GK Sergio Romero February 22, 1987 (1987-02-22) (age 21) 0 0 Flag of the Netherlands AZ Alkmaar
2 DF Martín Demichelis December 20, 1980 (1980-12-20) (age 28) 18 1 Flag of Germany Bayern Munich
3 DF Emiliano Papa May 19, 1982 (1982-05-19) (age 26) 3 0 Flag of Argentina Velez Sarsfield
4 DF Marcos Angeleri May 7, 1983 (1983-05-07) (age 25) 2 0 Flag of Argentina Estudiantes
6 DF Gabriel Heinze April 19, 1978 (1978-04-19) (age 30) 52 2 Flag of Spain Real Madrid
8 DF Javier Zanetti August 10, 1973 (1973-08-10) (age 35) 131 5 Flag of Italy Internazionale
13 DF Daniel Díaz March 13, 1979 (1979-03-13) (age 29) 10 0 Flag of Spain Getafe
17 DF Nicolás Burdisso April 12, 1981 (1981-04-12) (age 27) 25 2 Flag of Italy Internazionale
21 DF Walter Samuel March 23, 1978 (1978-03-23) (age 30) 53 4 Flag of Italy Internazionale
5 MF Fernando Gago April 10, 1986 (1986-04-10) (age 22) 21 0 Flag of Spain Real Madrid
7 MF Juan Sebastián Verón March 9, 1975 (1975-03-09) (age 33) 60 9 Flag of Argentina Estudiantes
10 MF Daniel Montenegro May 27, 1979 (1979-05-27) (age 29) 2 0 Flag of Argentina Independiente
14 MF Javier Mascherano June 8, 1984 (1984-06-08) (age 24) 47 2 Flag of England Liverpool
19 MF Maxi Rodríguez January 2, 1981 (1981-01-02) (age 28) 26 8 Flag of Spain Atletico de Madrid
20 MF Ángel di María February 14, 1988 (1988-02-14) (age 21) 1 0 Flag of Portugal Benfica
22 MF Lucho González January 19, 1981 (1981-01-19) (age 28) 42 5 Flag of Portugal Porto
23 MF Jonas Gutiérrez July 5, 1983 (1983-07-05) (age 25) 9 2 Flag of England Newcastle United F.C.
9 FW Germán Denis September 10, 1981 (1981-09-10) (age 27) 5 0 Flag of Italy Napoli
11 FW Carlos Tévez February 5, 1984 (1984-02-05) (age 25) 46 7 Flag of England Manchester United
16 FW Sergio Agüero June 2, 1988 (1988-06-02) (age 20) 17 5 Flag of Spain Atlético Madrid
18 FW Lionel Messi June 24, 1987 (1987-06-24) (age 21) 34 11 Flag of Spain Barcelona
24 FW Ezequiel Lavezzi May 3, 1985 (1985-05-03) (age 23) 3 0 Flag of Italy Napoli
25 FW Lisandro López March 2, 1983 (1983-03-02) (age 25) 6 0 Flag of Portugal Porto
No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club
1 GK Juan Pablo Carrizo May 6, 1984 (1984-05-06) (age 24) 9 0 Flag of Italy Lazio
12 GK Sergio Romero February 22, 1987 (1987-02-22) (age 21) 0 0 Flag of the Netherlands AZ Alkmaar
2 DF Martín Demichelis December 20, 1980 (1980-12-20) (age 28) 18 1 Flag of Germany Bayern Munich
3 DF Emiliano Papa May 19, 1982 (1982-05-19) (age 26) 3 0 Flag of Argentina Velez Sarsfield
4 DF Marcos Angeleri May 7, 1983 (1983-05-07) (age 25) 2 0 Flag of Argentina Estudiantes
6 DF Gabriel Heinze April 19, 1978 (1978-04-19) (age 30) 52 2 Flag of Spain Real Madrid
8 DF Javier Zanetti August 10, 1973 (1973-08-10) (age 35) 131 5 Flag of Italy Internazionale
13 DF Daniel Díaz March 13, 1979 (1979-03-13) (age 29) 10 0 Flag of Spain Getafe
17 DF Nicolás Burdisso April 12, 1981 (1981-04-12) (age 27) 25 2 Flag of Italy Internazionale
21 DF Walter Samuel March 23, 1978 (1978-03-23) (age 30) 53 4 Flag of Italy Internazionale
5 MF Fernando Gago April 10, 1986 (1986-04-10) (age 22) 21 0 Flag of Spain Real Madrid
7 MF Juan Sebastián Verón March 9, 1975 (1975-03-09) (age 33) 60 9 Flag of Argentina Estudiantes
10 MF Daniel Montenegro May 27, 1979 (1979-05-27) (age 29) 2 0 Flag of Argentina Independiente
14 MF Javier Mascherano June 8, 1984 (1984-06-08) (age 24) 47 2 Flag of England Liverpool
19 MF Maxi Rodríguez January 2, 1981 (1981-01-02) (age 28) 26 8 Flag of Spain Atletico de Madrid
20 MF Ángel di María February 14, 1988 (1988-02-14) (age 21) 1 0 Flag of Portugal Benfica
22 MF Lucho González January 19, 1981 (1981-01-19) (age 28) 42 5 Flag of Portugal Porto
23 MF Jonas Gutiérrez July 5, 1983 (1983-07-05) (age 25) 9 2 Flag of England Newcastle United F.C.
9 FW Germán Denis September 10, 1981 (1981-09-10) (age 27) 5 0 Flag of Italy Napoli
11 FW Carlos Tévez February 5, 1984 (1984-02-05) (age 25) 46 7 Flag of England Manchester United
16 FW Sergio Agüero June 2, 1988 (1988-06-02) (age 20) 17 5 Flag of Spain Atlético Madrid
18 FW Lionel Messi June 24, 1987 (1987-06-24) (age 21) 34 11 Flag of Spain Barcelona
24 FW Ezequiel Lavezzi May 3, 1985 (1985-05-03) (age 23) 3 0 Flag of Italy Napoli
25 FW Lisandro López March 2, 1983 (1983-03-02) (age 25) 6 0 Flag of Portugal Porto
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