Thursday, 16 June 2011

Ricardo Quaresma


Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo born 26 September 1983 is a Portuguese footballer of Romani descent who currently plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig side Beşiktaş J.K and the Portuguese national team. Quaresma began his career at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and has also played for FC Barcelona, FC Porto, Internazionale, and Chelsea. He is popular for the football trick, the rabona, which is when the ball is kicked while the kicking leg is wrapped around the standing leg. This allowed him to cross the football when the ball was on the left side of his body, since he is a right footer.


Sporting CP


Whilst a trainee at Sporting's famed academy, Quaresma made his professional debut during the 2000–01 season, playing 15 games for the B squad. In the next season, he was promoted to the senior squad by then club manager László Bölöni, playing 28 matches and scoring three goals and was a key player in Sporting's league and cup double triumph.
2002–03 was a poor season for Sporting, finishing third in the league, which prompted speculation about Quaresma's future at the club.

Barcelona


Quaresma was then sold to FC Barcelona for a reported €6 million and loan of Fábio Rochemback. His stint with the Catalan side could be best described as unlucky. In his debut season, he made 10 starts and 11 substitute appearances, scoring only one goal. In the final weeks of the season, he injured his right foot badly, forcing him to miss the 2004 UEFA Under-21 Championship.

FC Porto

Quaresma signed for FC Porto in the summer of 2004 when they sold Deco for a fee of €15 million cash, plus Quaresma's playing rights, which were evaluated at the time at €6 million.
Quaresma started his campaign with Porto on a high note, scoring in his debut game in the 2004 UEFA Super Cup and netting the only goal in Porto's triumph against Benfica in the Portuguese SuperCup. He went on to score five goals in 32 league matches and was ever-present in Porto's run to the first knockout round of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League. He also contributed to Porto's dramatic win against Once Caldas in the 2004 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, scoring in a thrilling penalty shoot-out which ended 8–7 in Porto's favour.
Quaresma was heavily criticised during his first year with Porto for being selfish and frequently trying to dribble past defenders rather than making a simple pass. He gradually began to incorporate his teammates into the game, however, and by his third year with Porto, he had become a fan favorite and a key component of the squad. His sublime performances in both the Primeira Liga and the Champions League drew interest from various clubs,and despite having a contract with Porto running until 2011, he soon found himself being transferred to a major club for the second time in his career.

Internazionale ( Inter Milan )

 

On 1 September 2008, Quaresma signed for Italian champions Internazionale on a cash/player exchange fee of €18.6 million with young Portuguese midfielder Pelé joining Porto. He played his first game for the club in a friendly against Locarno, playing on the left wing. The game ended 2–2, and Quaresma was voted man of the match following an impressive performance. He was decisive in his first Serie A match against Catania, with one of his trademark trivelas resulting in a Giuseppe Mascara own goal. The game finished 2–1 for Inter.
Quaresma, however, found opportunities in the Inter XI limited as former Inter boss José Mourinho stated:
"He is a great talent, but the joy I have at seeing the way Ibra [ Zlatan Ibrahimović ] works for and with the team I do not yet have with Quaresma. He will have to learn, otherwise he won’t play, and I am sure he'll change and become more tactically disciplined. He likes kicking the ball with the outside of his foot, but if you ask me about him in a few months' time, we'll be talking about a different Quaresma."
Chelsea


Quaresma's omission from Inter's squad for the knockout stage of the 2008–09 Champions League led to speculation of him leaving the club. On 2 February 2009, transfer deadline day, he signed on loan for Premier League club Chelsea, until the end of the season. He was given the #18 shirt. On 7 February, he made his debut for Chelsea against Hull City. Quaresma was mostly used as a substitute, making noticeable contributions, including providing the cross for Alex to score against Coventry City. After a disappointing start to life at the San Siro, Quaresma claimed his move to Chelsea had restored his confidence after he struggled to impress José Mourinho at Inter. The 25-year-old Portuguese international told The Star on 29 March 2009, "When I was at Inter, I wasn't feeling very confident. I wasn't playing well and wasn't happy, I already feel more confident here at Chelsea.

Beşiktaş


On 13 June 2010, Quaresma joined Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey after long and arduous negotiations with Inter. Besiktas paid a €7.3 million for his transfer. He signed three-year contract, which entitled him to €3.5 million in the first season and €3.75 million in the next two seasons. He scored his first goal for the club against Viktoria Plzeň in the UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round.


Monday, 13 June 2011

Ricardo Carvalho

Ricardo Alberto Silveira de Carvalho, born 18 May 1978 in Amarante Portugal, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a centre back for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid, and for the Portuguese national team.Carvalho was born in Amarante where he played for the local team, Amarante Futebol Clube. By his great performance as a youngster, he was spotted by the Portuguese powerhouse, Porto, and in 1996 he was brought to FC Porto Junior team. Between 1997 and 2001 he had loan spells at Leça, where he made his professional debut, Vitória de Setúbal and FC Alverca, but it was in Mourinho’s reign that he really started to make big strides forward.


It was in the 2002–03 season that Carvalho made his name known all around Europe, winning his first domestic league title under Mourinho’s commands, the Portuguese Cup, and the UEFA Cup. His good form led to an international call-up in 2003. In the next season, Carvalho won his second league title in a row, and his first UEFA Champions League title, in which tournament he was named best defender of the tournament.In July 2004, Carvalho transferred to Chelsea for a fee of just under €30 million. With "The Blues", he won two Premier League titles in a row and one League Cup in his first two seasons.


 In 2008 he helped the club reach the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in their history, a game that they lost 6–5 on penalties against Manchester United. In the same year he was voted by his fellow Chelsea colleagues as Chelsea's "2008 Players Player of the Year". Two years later, in the 2009-10 season, Carvalho helped "The Blues" win their first Championship since 2006 and the FA Cup, by winning this last trophy Chelsea have secured the first ever Double in the club's history. In August 2010, after six years with Chelsea, he transferred to Real Madrid for a fee of £6.7 million.


Sunday, 12 June 2011

Fabio Coentrao

Coentrão joined hometown Rio Ave FC in 2004 at the age of 16, playing three first division games in the following season for a northern side that would be relegated. In 2006–07, he established himself as first-choice, as Rio Ave barely missed promotion back and had a good run in the Cup of Portugal, ended by Sporting Clube de Portugal with a 2–1 win in Lisbon, with Coentrão scoring Rio Ave's goal, from 30 metres out; whilst playing for the Vila do Conde team, he earned the nickname "Figo das Caxinas."
After that season, where he was voted the divisions' Breakthrough Player of the Year, many clubs showed interest in Coentrão, most notably Sporting and Sport Lisboa e Benfica, with Coentrão choosing the Encarnados (reds) on July 2007. His playing style was likened to that of Arjen Robben by World Soccer Magazine in their 50 World Talents 2007 issue.
On 1 January 2008, having received insignificant playing opportunities at Benfica, Coentrão joined Madeira's CD Nacional, loaned until the season's end. On 3 May, he scored twice in a 3–0 away success against already crowned league champions FC Porto. Coentrão came close to signing with Eredivisie´s Feyenoord during the 2008 off-season, with reports of a one-year loan deal being announced on the Internet.Two days later, however, he joined Real Zaragoza, freshly relegated into Spain's second level. After almost no appearances during the campaign, however, Coentrão returned to Portugal and Rio Ave in January 2009, still owned by Benfica. On 15 February, he scored after an individual effort, albeit in a 3–1 loss at Porto.

On 2 December 2009, having played some matches for Benfica as a left defender, Coentrão scored his first goal in European competition, against FC BATE of Belarus in a 2–1 away win for the UEFA Europa League group stage. During that season, he had a breakthrough year, appearing in a total of 43 official games (2,851 minutes), as the club won the league and thePortuguese League Cup; he ended the season in style, as he was voted Portuguese League Breakthrough Player of the Year.
On 27 September 2010, fully established with both his club and the national team, 22-year old Coentrão extended his contract with Benfica until 2016.On 2 November, he scored his first career brace, helping to a 4–3 home win against Olympique Lyonnais, for the season's UEFA Champions League group stage. In a 67-minute fast break, he combined with Carlos Martins to make it 4–0 for the hosts.
International Career

An international for Portugal at youth level, Coentrão was voted MVP in the 2007 Madeira Cup for the U-20s,also being crowned the competition's topscorer. Subsequently, he represented the nation in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and, also during that year, made his U-21 debuts.
After consistent performances at Benfica, although he started rarely in the early 2009–10, Coentrão earned his first senior call-up in November 2009, for the decisive 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification play-offs against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and made his debut in the first leg on 14 November, at the Estádio da Luz, playing the second half of the 1–0 win.
Coentrão was chosen for Carlos Queiroz's squad of 23 for the final stages in South Africa, starting as left back ahead of another adapted player, Duda. He played in all the matches in Portugal's eventual round of 16 exit.

Saturday, 11 June 2011

Artur Boruc

Artur Boruc born 20 February 1980 is a Polish footballer who plays for Serie A club Fiorentina as a goalkeeper. On 20 October 2008, Boruc was one of the 55 players ( including 5 goalkeepers ) shortlisted for tge FIFPro World XI Player Awards.



Pogon Siedlce

Born in Siedlce, Boruc began his career in 1998 at Pogon Siedlce, in his hometown.

Legia Warsaw

The nest season Boruc joiner Legia Warszawa, initially playing for the reserve team, as well as being loaned out for half season to Dolcan Ząbki. In March 2002, Boruc played his first league match for Legia. In the second half of the 2002-03 season he established himself as the club's first choice goalkeeper. In June 2004, Boruc scored his only goal for the club, converting a penalty kick in a home game against Widzew Łódź (final score: 6–0) and then celebrated by waving the corner flag. He was a key player for his club until leaving and they found a replacement quickly to be first team goalkeeper


Celtic

On 20 July 2005, Boruc signed with Celtic from the Polish club Legia Warszawa. The deal initially a year's loan, with an option to make it permanent.The move was later made permanent, with Boruc penning a three-and-a-half year contract with Celtic on 17 October until 2009.On 5 January 2008, it was reported that Boruc had signed a new contract with Celtic keeping him at the club until 2011On 21 November 2006, in a UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United at Celtic Park, Boruc helped Celtic through to the knockout stage of the competition by saving Louis Saha's 89th-minute penalty. He was named player of the month for December 2006 in the Scottish Premier League, a very uncommon event for a goalkeeper. His form was also recognised with a nomination for the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year award for 2007.


Fiorentina


On 12 July 2010, Celtic agreed to sell Boruc to Fiorentina subject to a medical, for an undisclosed fee. The transfer was confirmed three days later. He made his first appearance for Fiorentina in a Coppa Italia match against Empoli. After an injury to Sebastien Frey, he made his Serie A debut in a 1–0 win over Chievo on 7 November.





Career Honours



Celtic

  • Scottish Premier League: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
  • Scottish League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
  • Scottish Cup: 2006–07



Thursday, 9 June 2011

Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas Fernández born 20 May 1981 is a world cup winning Spanish goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and serves as a captain for both the Spanish national team and Real Madrid. As captain of the national side, he led a young Spanish team to their first European Championship in 44 years, his first senior international honour. In 2010, he led Spain to the their first ever FIFA World Cup and won the Golden Glove for the tournament's best goalkeeper.

In the following photo you can see a great diving save by Iker Casillas.


Casillas is a product of Real Madrid's youth system, and started in the junior squad during the 1990-97 season. He was first called up to the first team on the 27 Novemver 1997 at the age of 16 to face Rosebborg in Champions Leagu, but it wasn't until the 1998-99 season that he debuted in the senior side, substituting Bodo Illgner. 




Club

Country



Jose Mourinho


  
Jose Maria dos Santos Felix Mourinho, born in 26 January 1963 in Setubal is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He has the nickname "The Special One", a self-proclaimed title which was a later taken up by the British media. Mourinho is a widely regarded among experts, players and coaches, as one of the greatest coaches in football history.
Jose Mourinho has coached the greatest teams in football history such as S.L.Benfica, FC Porto, Internazionale ( known as Inter Milan ), chelsea and at the moment hes coaching Real Madrid which is one of the best football teams in the world.


Portugal Porto (2002–2004)
  • 2002–03
  • 2002–03
  • 2003–04
England Chelsea (2004–2007)
  • 2004–05, 2005–06
  • 2005
  • 2004–05, 2006–07
  • 2006–07
Italy Internazionale (2008–2010)
  • 2008
  • 2009–10
  • 2009–10
Spain Real Madrid (2010–present)
  • 2010–11

Here Are Some Pictures Of Jose Mourinho








Nani


Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha  commonly known as Nani was born 17 November 1986, is a Portuguese footballer currently playing as a winger for English club Manchester United in the Premier League and the Portugal national team. Although predominantly right-footed, he has been utilised on the left-wing on many occasions and was compared to compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo during his move to England.

Club Career


Sporting CP

Nani joined Sporting CP from his first club Real Massamá. After two seasons in the youth team, where he won the National Junior Championship in 2004–05, Nani was promoted to the first team early in the 2005–06 season. On 10 August 2005, Nani made his Sporting debut, coming on as a substitute for Custódio in the 73rd minute in a 1–0 home defeat to Udinese in their third-round qualifier in the UEFA Champions League. Nani made his Portuguese Liga debut on 28 August, replacing Deivid in the 76th minute of a 2–1 victory over Marítimo at the Estádio dos Barreiros. Nani scored his first Sporting goal on 30 October, opening the scoring in a 2–2 draw away to Boavista. Nani ended the first season of his career with 36 appearances and five goals in all competitions.



Manchester United

Nani was sold to Manchester United for €25.5 million,five percent of which was paid to Real de Massamá. He signed a five year contract . 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. Two weeks later, on 26 August, Nani scored his first competitive goal for United, netting a 30-yard winner in the 69th minute against Tottenham Hotspur. Nani also set up crucial goals for Louis Saha and Nemanja Vidic allowing United to beat both Sunderland and Everton 1–0. 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 scored the winner in a 1–0 victory. Nani opened the scoring in a 4–1 home victory over Middlesbrough on 27 October.


Honours

Club

 Sporting FC

Taca de Portugal Once - 2006/07

Manchester United

Premier League 3 Times - 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11
Football League Cup Once - 2008/09
FA Community Shield 3 Times - 2007, 2008, 2010
UEFA Champions League Once - 2007/08
Fifa Club World Club Once - 2008

Monday, 30 May 2011

Champions League News

Champions League Final

Barcelona Vs Manchester United
Time: 19:45
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Venue: London (ENG)


FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC each won their first European Champion Clubs' Cup at the old Wembley and both are seeking a fourth title at 
the new Wembley on 28 May.



Who Do You Think Is Going To Win The

 Champions League?


Lionel Messi



Lionel Messi >>










Nani







<< Nani 








Manchester United has won the Premier League in 1st place with 80pts and Barcelona has also won the Spanish League with 96pts.
This will be a magnific match with an excellent atmosphere.


Barcelona has won the Champions League in:
1992,2006 and 2009

Manchester United has won the Champions League in:
1968,1999 and 2008



Cristiano Ronaldo

Who Is Cristiano Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro but known as Cristiano Ronaldo was born on the 5th February 1985 in Madeira, is a portuguese footballer who plays as a right winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and hes also the captain for the Portuguese national team.


Ronaldo is the most expensive player in the football history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid, the transfer was worth £80 million.
Ronaldo is going to get paid £11 million per year over the following six years, this makes him the highest paid football player in the world and values him at €1 billion as per his buyout clause.

Ronaldo has began his career as a youth player for Andorinha where he played for two years, then he moved to Nacional. In 1997 he made a move to one of the best Portuguese teams in Portugal Sporting Clube de Portugal, he later signed at the age of 18 for Manchester United for the value of £12.24 million.
On 26th June 2009, Real Madrid confirmed that Ronaldo would join the club on the 1st July 2009 from Manchester United for £80 million for six years. Ronaldo's contract is worth €11 million per year.

Honours Club:

Manchester United

3 Times Premier League Champion: 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-2009
Won The FA Cup Once: 2003-04
Won The League Cup Twice: 2005-06 and 2008-09
Won FA Community Shield Once: 2007
Won The UEFA Champions League Once: 2007-08
Won The FIFA Club World Cup Once: 2008

Real Madrid

Won The Copa del Rey Once: 2010-11