Saturday, February 28, 2015

Igor Belanov, a retired Ukrainian footballer that won five major titles and being named European Footballer of the Year in 1986

Igor Ivanovich (or Ihor Ivanovych) Belanov (Ukrainian: Ігор Іванович Беланов; born 25 September 1960) is a retired Ukrainian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or second striker.
He made a name for himself at Dynamo Kyiv, winning five major titles and being named European Footballer of the Year in 1986. He then spent six years in Germany with two teams, with little success.
Belanov represented the Soviet Union at one World Cup and one European Championship.
In 2011, Igor Belanov together with Oleg Blohin and Vitaliy Starukhin was named as the "legends of Ukrainian football" at the Victory of Football awards.

Belanov played 33 matches for the Soviet Union, scoring eight goals. His best performance came at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, where he netted four and assisted for six others as the team (which comprised 13 Dynamo Kyiv players) reached the round-of-16; he scored a hat-trick in the game against Belgium, in a losing extra time effort (3–4).
This performance at the World Cup, along with Dynamo's Cup Winners' Cup success, helped Belanov win the European Footballer of the Year award. He was also part of the squad that reached the final of UEFA Euro 1988, where the national side faced the Netherlands. With the score at 0–2, USSR were awarded a penalty: he took it, but saw goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen stop the shot as the score remained unaltered.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Michael Stich, a former professional tennis player from Germany. He won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991, the men's doubles titles at both Wimbledon and the Olympic Games

Michael Detlef Stich (born October 18, 1968 in Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein) is a former professional tennis player from Germany. He won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1991, the men's doubles titles at both Wimbledon and the Olympic Games, and was a singles runner-up at the 1994 US Open and the 1996 French Open. Stich won 18 singles titles and 10 doubles titles. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 2 in 1993.
Stich was raised in Elmshorn, Schleswig-Holstein. He turned professional in 1988 and won his first top-level singles title in 1990 at Memphis, Tennessee.
Stich won Wimbledon in 1991. He defeated the defending champion and World No. 1 Stefan Edberg in the semifinals, 4–6, 7–6, 7–6, 7–6, without breaking his service once. Then in the final, he beat his compatriot and three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker in straight sets.
In 1992, Stich teamed with John McEnroe to win the men's doubles title at Wimbledon in a five-set and five-hour final that stretched into Monday (the day after the tournament normally ends) and ended with a 19–17 final set. Then at the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Stich teamed with Becker to win the men's doubles gold medal. Stich also won the 1992 Grand Slam Cup, defeating Michael Chang in the final.
A major highlight of 1993 for Stich came at the end-of-year ATP World Championships, where he was the only player in the 1990s history of the Championship tournament to claim the title undefeated, overcoming Pete Sampras in the final.[1] Playing for Germany, Stich also won both the Davis Cup and the Hopman Cup in 1993.
Stich reached his second Grand Slam singles final at the 1994 US Open, where he lost in straight sets to Andre Agassi. Stich also helped Germany win the World Team Cup in 1994.
Stich upset defending champion Thomas Muster in four sets in the fourth round of the 1996 French Open en route to appearing in his third and final Grand Slam singles final, where he was defeated by Yevgeny Kafelnikov in straight sets. He also won his final career singles title that year at Antwerp. His last doubles title came in 1997 at Halle.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

John Terry, an English professional footballer who plays for and captains Chelsea.He was also captain of the England national football team

John George Terry (born 7 December 1980 in Barking) is an English professional footballer who plays for and captains Chelsea. He commonly plays as a centre back. He was also captain of the England national football team, holding the post from August 2006 to February 2010, and again from March 2011 to February 2012.
A strong, tenacious, commanding, and physical defender, Terry excels in the air, and he is known for his aggressive tackling, positioning, and his ability to read the game; he is considered to be one of the best central defenders of his generation.Terry was named UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009, PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2005,and was included in the FIFPro World XI for five consecutive seasons, from 2005 to 2009. He was also named in the all-star squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the only English player to make the team. He wears the number 26 shirt for Chelsea.
Terry is Chelsea's most successful captain, having led them to three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and a UEFA Champions League since 2004. He is one of five players to have made over 500 appearances for Chelsea and is also the club's all-time highest scoring defender. In 2007, he became the first captain to lift the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium in Chelsea's 1–0 win over Manchester United, and also the first player to score an international goal there, scoring a header in England's 1–1 draw with Brazil.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Oleg Blohin, a former Ukrainian football player and manager who is currently a free agent. In 1975, he was named European Footballer of the Year, winning the Ballon d'Or

Oleh Volodymyrovych Blokhin (Ukrainian: Оле́г Володи́мирович Блохі́н, Russian: Оле́г Влади́мирович Блохи́н; born 5 November 1952 in Kyiv) is a former Ukrainian football player and manager who is currently a free agent. Blokhin was formerly a standout striker for Dynamo Kyiv and the Soviet Union.
He holds the all-time top goalscorer record for both Dynamo Kyiv (266 goals) and the Soviet Union national team (42 goals), as well as being the overall top goalscorer in the history of the Soviet Top League (211 goals). He is also the only player to have been capped over 100 times for the Soviet Union and holds Dynamo's appearance record with 582 appearances during his 18 year spell at the club. With Dynamo, Blokhin won eight Soviet league titles, five national cups and two European Cup Winners' Cups. He also competed for the Soviet Union at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games and 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups. During his playing career he won the Soviet Footballer of the Year award three times and the Ukrainian Footballer of the Year award nine times (both records). In 1975, he was named European Footballer of the Year, winning the Ballon d'Or, becoming the second Soviet and the first Ukrainian player to achieve such a feat.
As a coach he has had two spells in charge of the Ukrainian national team, managing the team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. To date, Blokhin is the only man to coach Ukraine at a major finals.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Ruud Gullit, a Dutch football manager and former football player. Gullit won three Serie A titles and two European Cups with Milan. Gullit was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989

Ruud Gullit OON  born as Rudi Dil, 1 September 1962) is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup and Euro 92.
At club level, in 1987 he moved from PSV Eindhoven to A.C. Milan for a world record transfer fee. Easily recognizable with his distinctive dreadlocks, he was part of the famed Dutch trio at Milan which included Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard. Gullit won three Serie A titles and two European Cups with Milan.
Gullit was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. Normally an attacking midifielder, he was a versatile player, playing in numerous positions during his career. In 2004 he was named one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration. Gullit was working to promote the Belgian-Dutch 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid.

Playing style

A complete and versatile player, Gullit epitomised the ethos of Total Football as he was naturally adept in several positions, and was capable of aiding his team defensively as well as offensively. His foremost attribute was his athleticism, as he used his strength and speed to great effect, as well as being excellent in the air, as he was tall and an excellent jumper. Yet, unusually for a man of his stature, Gullit also possessed outstanding natural balance, technical skill, and poise that gave a graceful style to his game.Gullit also was noted for his intelligence, creativity, vision, and spatial abilities, qualities that helped him score goals early in his career and enabled him to play deeper late in his days. Gullit thus combined physical presence with flair, mental acuity, formidable technique, and natural touch, to become an iconic figure in world football. Despite his talent, Gullit struggled with injuries throughout his career, which later affected his fitness.
Gullit's brilliance prompted George Best to comment in 1990, "Ruud Gullit is a great player by any standards. He has all the skills. He's not afraid to do things with the ball. And he looks as if he's enjoying every second of it. By my reckoning that's what makes him an even better player than Maradona. Both have the key quality you will find in all the best players: balance. You just can't knock them off the ball. It was the same with Pelé, Beckenbauer and Cruijff."

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a German former football striker that won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups. He was also honoured twice as European Footballer of the Year

Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge (born 25 September 1955 in Lippstadt) is a German former football striker.
He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.
A member of the West Germany national team, Rummenigge won the 1980 European Championship and was part of the squad that finished runner-up in the 1982 FIFA World Cup and at the 1986 World Cup. He was also honoured twice as European Footballer of the Year.
He is currently the chief executive officer of the FC Bayern München AG, a daughter company of Bundesliga team Bayern Munich, as well as being the acting chairman of the European Club Association.

Rummenigge was born in Lippstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia.
He joined Bayern Munich in 1974, coming from the Westphalian amateur side Borussia Lippstadt, for a transfer fee of ca. €10,000. He immediately showed great strength as a dribbler. His striking qualities were initially insignificant, but would find great improvement in later years, particularly after the arrival of coach Pal Csernai in 1979. In 1979–80, he scored 26 goals and became for the first time the Bundesliga's top striker, a feat he could repeat in 1981 and 1984 with 29 and 26 goals, respectively.
Rummenigge in his youth
With Bayern he won the European Cup in 1975 and 1976. In 1975, he did not take part in the final of the competition, whilst in the year thereafter a glass of brandy sufficiently prepared the nervous Rummenigge to contribute to the defeat of AS Saint-Etienne. In the same year he became also part of the team that prevailed in the Intercontinental Cup finals against Cruzeiro EC from Belo Horizonte.

In the era of coach Csernai he found in midfielder Paul Breitner a congenial partner and he formed such a formidable one-two-punch that they were only called Breitnigge (name invented by German newspaper Bild).

The club, then often dubbed as "FC Breitnigge", won in this period the Bundesliga title in 1980 and 1981, and the DFB-Pokal in 1982 and 1984. A renewed triumph in the European Cup was denied, when the club lost the 1982 final narrowly against Aston Villa. In the season before Rummenigge was top-scorer in this competition with 6 goals.
His substantial contribution to the successes of the club and the German national football team found also expression in personal honours. In 1980, he was named German Footballer of the Year and in '80–81 the European Footballer of the Year.

In 1984, aged 29, he was sold for a record fee of €5.7m to Internazionale. Despite a notable beginning, in which he helped the team to compete until the end for the 1984–85 Scudetto, Rumenigge's career in Italy was mostly marred by injury problems. At the end of his contract in 1987, Rummenigge moved on to Swiss first division club Servette FC in Geneva, where he saw his career out. In his last season, 1988–89, he had his last success, becoming top scorer in the Swiss league with 24 goals.

With the West German national team he took part in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, 1982 FIFA World Cup and 1986 FIFA World Cup. In 1978, West Germany exited in the second group stage of the tournament. In 1982 and 1986, the team was runner-up behind Italy and Argentina.

Rummenigge also took part in two European Championship tournaments. In the 1980 competition in Italy, West Germany defeated Belgium in the final by 2–1 and won the trophy. The 1984 tournament is engraved as one of the most unsuccessful undertakings of the German national team. West Germany was already ousted in the group stage.

From 1990 until 1994 Rummenigge worked as a TV co–commentator for matches of the German national team. In autumn 1991, Bayern Munich invited Franz Beckenbauer and Rummenigge to return to the club as vice presidents. Rummenigge held this position until 2002, when he was appointed Chairman of Executive Board of the newly corporatised football department of the club. According to the club, "in his role as chairman he is responsible for external relations, new media, board affairs and representing the holding company on national and international bodies."

In April 1983, the British pop duo Alan & Denise recorded a tribute song about his "sexy knees" in the song "Rummenigge, what a man". The record reached number 43 in German charts.
In March 2004 he was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.
His brother Michael Rummenigge was also a noteworthy footballer. He played as forward for Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund from 1982–88 and 1988–94, respectively. He also represented Germany on two occasions between 1983 and 1986.
Rumenigge and his wife Martina have three sons and two daughters born between 1980 and 1991.
  • He is the eleventh most capped player for Germany (inclusive of three East German Players)
  • He is the fifth most successful striker for Germany (inclusive one East German player)
  • He is the tenth most prolific scorer of all time in Bundesliga history
  • With Bayern Munich he is the second most prolific scorer of all time in league history after Gerd Müller


Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (n. 25 septembrie 1955 în Lippstadt) este un fost jucător de fotbal german.
Cel mai mare succes l-a avut la clubul german Bayern München cu care a câștigat Cupa Intercontinentală, Liga Campionilor, două campionate și două cupe.
A fost în Echipa națională de fotbal a Germaniei cu care a câștigat Campionatul European de Fotbal din 1980 și a făcut parte din echipele care au terminat pe locul doi la Campionatul Mondial de Fotbal din 1982 și la Campionatul Mondial de Fotbal din 1986. A primit de două ori Balonul de Aur.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Andriy Shevchenko, a former Ukrainian footballer who played for Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, Chelsea, and the Ukrainian national team as a striker. His career has been highlighted by many awards, the most prestigious of which was the Ballon d'Or in 2004

Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a former Ukrainian footballer who played for Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, Chelsea, and the Ukrainian national team as a striker. Shevchenko is ranked as the fifth top goalscorer in all European competitions with 67 goals. With a tally of 175 goals scored for Milan, Shevchenko is the second most prolific player in the history of the club, and is also the all-time second-best scorer of the Derby della Madonnina (the derby between Milan and their local rivals Internazionale) with 14 goals. Furthermore, he is the all-time top scorer for the Ukrainian national team with 48 goals.
Shevchenko's career has been highlighted by many awards, the most prestigious of which was the Ballon d'Or in 2004 (becoming the third Ukrainian, after Oleh Blokhin and Ihor Belanov, to receive it). He won the UEFA Champions League in 2003 with Milan, and he has also won various league and cup titles in Ukraine, Italy, and England. He was also an UEFA Champions League runner-up in 2005 and 2008.
In his illustrious international career, the striker led Ukraine as captain to the quarter-finals in their first ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006. A fast, hardworking, energetic, opportunistic, and prolific goalscorer, Shevchenko was usually deployed as a centre-forward, although he was capable of attacking from the left wing as well, a position which he occupied upon his return to Kiev; he was also effective from set-pieces and penalties. A strong and physical striker with an eye for goal, he was primarily known for his powerful and accurate shot, although he also possessed good technique and aerial ability.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Thomas Ravelli, a retired Swedish footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Ravelli is the Swedish national team's second most capped player, with 143 caps

Thomas Ravelli is a retired Swedish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
His 21-year professional career was almost exclusively associated with Öster and Göteborg, for whom he amassed Allsvenskan totals of 430 games.
Ravelli is the Swedish national team's second most capped player, with 143 caps (also one of best in the world), representing the nation at two World Cups and one European Championship.

Ravelli's international career spanned almost two decades, starting in 1981. He played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1992, and the 1994 World Cup, with Sweden finishing third in the latter tournament, and gained a total of 143 caps.
He is especially well known for saving two penalties during the shootout that ended the quarterfinal match between Sweden and Romania, in the 1994 World Cup in the United States, including one in the "sudden death" by Miodrag Belodedici (5–4 win); this feat led to him finishing second in the year's race for Goalkeeper of the Year.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Flórián Albert, a Hungarian international football player, later manager and sports official, who was named European Footballer of the Year in 1967

Flórián Albert (15 September 1941 – 31 October 2011) was a Hungarian international football player, later manager and sports official, who was named European Footballer of the Year in 1967. Nicknamed "The Emperor", he has been described as one of the most elegant footballers of all time.
A club legend of Ferencvárosi TC, Albert joined the team yet as a schoolboy and spent his whole playing career at Fradi. He also starred for Hungary, winning 75 international caps and scoring 31 goals. He was joint top-scorer at the 1962 World Cup with four goals and played a key role in Hungary's third-place finish at the European Championship in 1964.
He stayed loyal to Ferencváros after his retirement as well, actively participated in the club's life and also held administrative positions. Since 2007 the stadium of Ferencváros bears his name.
Albert died in October 2011, aged 70, in a hospital in Budapest after complications following heart surgery carried out a few days earlier.


Albert spent his entire club career with Ferencvárosi TC, where he played from 1952 to 1974. He came through the ranks quickly and made his debut in the senior team on 2 November 1958 against Diósgyőr, in a match in which he hit the back of the net two times. The forward was also spotted by Hungarian national team manager Lajos Baróti in a youth match between Hungary and Yugoslavia, and not much later Albert already received his first call-up. His first appearance in the national selection came on 28 June 1959 against Sweden, who finished runners-up in the World Cup a year earlier. Albert contributed with two assist to Hungary's 3–2 win over the Scandinavians. He scored 31 goals in 75 caps for the Hungarian team, with them he has collected the bronze medal on both of the Olympic Games in 1960 and the European Championship in 1964. At the 1962 World Cup, despite Hungary being knocked out in the quarter-finals, Albert, tied with five others, managed to win the Golden Boot Award with four goals.
On club level, his biggest success came in 1965, when in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Ferencváros, that knocked-out among others AS Roma and Manchester United F.C. en route to the final, triumphed over Juventus F.C. 1–0 in the decisive match and obtained the cup title.


Monday, January 12, 2015

Kevin Keegan, an English former football player and manager that he first superstar English player to attract the modern media spotlight. He won Ballon d'Or in 1978 and 1979

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born 14 February 1951) is an English former football player and manager. He played for several clubs including Liverpool and Hamburger SV. He went on to manage Newcastle United, Fulham and Manchester City, winning promotion as champions in his first full season at all three clubs. He also managed the England national team.
As a player in the 1970s and 1980s, he has been described as "arguably the first superstar English player to attract the modern media spotlight". He began his playing career at Scunthorpe United in 1968, before moving to Liverpool in 1971. At Liverpool, Keegan won three First Division titles, the UEFA Cup twice, the FA Cup and the European Cup. He also gained his first England cap in 1972, and moved to German club Hamburg in the summer of 1977. At Hamburg he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1978 and 1979, won the Bundesliga title in 1978–79, and reached the European Cup final in 1980. Keegan moved to Southampton that summer, and spent two seasons at the club before a transfer to Newcastle United in the English second division in 1982. He helped Newcastle to promotion in his second season, and retired from football in 1984, having been capped 63 times for England, scoring 21 goals.
He moved into management at Newcastle in 1992, winning promotion as First Division champions. Newcastle then finished second in the Premier League in 1995–96, after leading for most of the season. After a spell at Fulham, he took charge of the England team in 1999 but resigned in the autumn of 2000, following a loss against Germany in World Cup qualification. He then became manager of Manchester City in 2001 and spent four years at the club before resigning in 2005. He had been out of football for almost three years when he returned to Newcastle United for a second spell as manager in January 2008. This spell lasted only eight months, however, as Keegan resigned on 4 September 2008 following speculation regarding a dispute with the club's directors.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Omar Sívori, an Italian Argentine football striker and manager. He won the title of European Footballer of the Year in 1961

Enrique Omar Sívori (2 October 1935 – 17 February 2005) was an Italian Argentine football striker and manager. He is known for his time with the successful Juventus side during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At club level he also played for River Plate and Napoli.
On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine national team, winning the Copa América. Later in his career, he played for the Italian national team and took part in some of the 1962 World Cup. After his retirement as player, he coached several teams in Argentina, including the national side.
Sívori's footballing talent was acclaimed and he won the title of European Footballer of the Year in 1961.

Encyclopædia Britannica describe his playing style as "audacious and brilliant".Sívori utilized his dribbling skills and favourite move of the nutmeg (playing the ball between an opposition players legs) to defeat defenders. Primarily a left footed player, Sívori had the ability to score with his left, his right and, despite his relatively short stature, his head; this would sometimes see him receiving kicks to the face.
Especially while with Juventus, he was able to utilise his vision and passing skills, working in unison with Charles and Boniperti. Because of his playing style, country of birth and at times rebellious nature on and off the field, Sívori is retroactively compared to a player who emerged after him; Diego Maradona, with some parts of the media dubbing him "the Maradona of the Sixties".

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Paolo Futre, a Portuguese retired footballer who played mostly as a left winger. A Portuguese international since the age of 17, Futre gained more than 40 caps for his country, representing it at the 1986 World Cup

Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpawlu ˈfutɾɨ]; born 28 February 1966) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mostly as a left winger.
After starting playing for Sporting, he moved to Portowinning the 1987 European Cup – after which he embarked in an extensive professional career, having represented clubs in Spain, France, Italy and Japan, most notably Atlético Madrid. He also appeared for Benfica during four months in 1993.
A Portuguese international since the age of 17, Futre gained more than 40 caps for his country, representing it at the 1986 World Cup.

Sporting / Porto

Born in Montijo, Setúbal District, Futre first appeared professionally in 1983–84, as a 17-year-old for Sporting Clube de Portugal, whose youth system he had joined at the age of nine. When he requested a pay raise from president João Rocha, he was turned down and left for F.C. Porto after just one season, as veterans Jaime Pacheco and António Sousa moved in the opposite direction as part of the deal.
In the following years Futre collected two national championships, also helping the northerners to the 1986–87 European Cup, putting on a Man of the match performance in the final against FC Bayern Munich.

Atlético Madrid

After that continental win, Futre was traded to Atlético Madrid in Spain, earning a reported annual salary of 650,000. At the capital outfit, he quickly rose to fan favourite status, but his physical weakness left him with several knee injuries which tormented his career in the 1990s.
In his fifth season, Futre provided countless assists for striker Manolo who scored 27 goals for the Pichichi Trophy, with him netting in the campaign's domestic cup, a 2–0 win over neighbours Real Madrid; during most of his spell with the Colchoneros, he was also team captain.

Journeyman / Retirement

In January 1993, Futre moved to Porto and Sporting rivals S.L. Benfica, winning a Portuguese Cup in his short stay (and scoring in the final against Boavista F.C. in a 5–2 triumph), as his injury woes persisted. After Benfica, he signed one-season contracts with Olympique de Marseille – where he teamed up with countryman Rui BarrosA.C. Reggiana 1919, A.C. Milan and West Ham United, where he infamously refused to play until he was given squad number 10. Finally, he returned to Atlético Madrid (ten La Liga games in 1997–98), effectively ending his career with J. League Division 1 side Yokohama Flügels; he ranked joint-98th in World Soccer's 100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century, published in December 1999.
Futre worked as director of football at Atlético Madrid from 2000 to 2003,subsequently becoming a real-estate developer in his hometown.In May 2011, he was part of Dias Ferreira's team in an unsuccessful run for Sporting's presidency.

International career

Futre played 41 times for Portugal in a 12-year span, scoring six goals. His debut came against Finland for the UEFA Euro 1984 qualifiers, on 27 April 1983 – he was only 17 years and 204 days old, breaking a national team record.
Futre was a member of the Portuguese national team that competed in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, playing 90 minutes in the 1–3 loss against Morocco, in an eventual group stage exit.