Gianni Rivera, an Italian former football midfielder, who was mostly utilised as an offensive playmaker; he was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969

Giovanni "Gianni" Rivera is an Italian former football midfielder, who was mostly utilised as an offensive playmaker; he was awarded the Ballon d'Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in football, in 1969. Dubbed Italy's "Golden Boy" by the media, he played the majority of his career with Serie A side A.C. Milan, after beginning his career with Alessandria for a season in 1959. With Milan, he enjoyed a highly successful career in domestic and European football. Internationally, he represented Italy 63 times, scoring 15 goals, and took part at four World Cups (1962, 1966, 1970, and 1974). Rivera is widely remembered for scoring the decisive goal in Italy's extra-time win over West Germany in the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup, leading them to final against Brazil, where they would be defeated 4-1, however. Rivera was also a member of the first Italian side to win the European Football Championship in 1968, on home soil.
Rivera was an elegant, efficitent, and creative offensive midfield playmaker, with an eye for goal, who possessed excellent technical ability, footballing intelligence, vision, and class.^[2] He is widely considered to be one of the greatest Italian footballers, and one of the most talented playmakers of all time, due to his passing accuracy and his adeptness at providing assists.^[3][4] In 2004, Pelè chose Rivera as part of the FIFA 100 greatest living footballers, and he placed 35th in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll.
After retiring from football, Rivera went into politics and he is currently a Member of the European Parliament for the Uniti nell'Ulivo party. He has been appointed as the President of the educational youth sector by the FIGC for the Italy national football team, along with Roberto Baggio and Arrigo Sacchi under head coach Cesare Prandelli.^[5]

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a French professional tennis player. He is one of only two players to have Grand Slam wins against each of the Big Four (namely Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is a French professional tennis player currently ranked World No. 13. He was born in Le Mans, to a French mother, Évelyne, and a Congolese father, Didier Tsonga, who moved to France in the 1970s to play handball.^[2] Tsonga is a member of the Tennis Club de Paris (TCP). His career-high singles ranking is World No. 5, which he achieved in February 2012.
Tsonga rose to fame by virtue of his performance in the 2008 Australian Open when, as an unseeded player, he reached the final, having defeated four seeded players along the way, including earning a straight-sets win over the World No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Tsonga eventually lost to the World No. 3 Novak Djokovic in the final in four sets, after winning the first set, the only set Djokovic dropped during the tournament.
Tsonga followed this up by winning his first ATP Masters Series championship at the 2008 Paris Masters, thus qualifying for the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China. His best performances in a major tournament since 2008 are semifinal appearances in the 2010 Australian Open, the 2013 French Open and at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2012. He also reached the final of the 2011 ATP World Tour Finals, where he lost to five-time and defending champion Roger Federer. He achieved his second Masters Series win at the 2014 Canadian Open, defeating four top 10 players on the way to victory.
He is one of the few active players on tour to have reached the quarterfinal stage of all four Grand Slams. He is also one of only two players (the other being Tomáš Berdych) to have Grand Slam wins against each of the Big Four (namely Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray).

Lars Eriksson, a former football goalkeeper from Sweden. He participated in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, 1994 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1992

Lars Eriksson (born September 21, 1965 in Stockholm) is a former football goalkeeper from Sweden. He participated in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, 1994 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1992.^[1] He played for Hammarby, Norrköping, Charleroi and FC Porto.

International career
 
Between 1988 and 1995 he played 17 matches for the national team, but was often used as bench cover for Thomas Ravelli. He took part in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, 1994 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1992.

Vincent Enyeama, a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for French club Lille OSC and the Nigerian national team, as a goalkeeper. He is the captain and the most capped player ever for the national team

Vincent Enyeama (born 29 August 1982) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for French club Lille OSC and the Nigerian national team, as a goalkeeper. Since making his debut in 2002 for Nigeria, he has since become the captain and is now the most capped player ever for the national team.

Enyeama made his second FIFA World Cup participation in the 2010 tournament in South Africa. In Nigeria's opening match, he was named man of the match, producing a defiant display to restrict Argentina to a 1–0 win. Enyeama, who was playing his 56th international for the Super Eagles, made six fine saves against the two-time world champions, four of them from Lionel Messi. Argentine coach Diego Maradona praised him as the reason Messi was not able to score a goal. Enyeama was also awarded man of the match in the team's next fixture, a 2–1 loss to Greece, but was at fault for Vasilis Torosidis' winning goal.^[8]
At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Enyeama deputised for regular captain Joseph Yobo, who stayed on the bench for most of the competition.^[6] On 10 February, Enyeama led Nigeria to its third continental victory, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 defeat of Burkina Faso in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final. He was named to the team of the tournament as first choice goalkeeper, conceding only four goals in six matches.^[9]
In June 2014, Enyeama was named in Nigeria's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.^[10] In the Super Eagles' first fixture, he kept the second FIFA World Cup clean sheet of his career as the team drew 0–0 with Iran.^[11] He subsequently recorded a second consecutive shutout in the fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a 1–0 win which gave Nigeria its first win at the tournament since the 1998 edition.^[12] He conceded three goals in the last match of the first round against Argentina, a game which ended in a 3–2 defeat for Nigeria, placing them second in the group and thus qualifying them for the second round for the first time in 16 years.^[13]
On 26 March 2015, Enyeama won his 100th cap for Nigeria in a 1–0 loss to Uganda.

Mircea Crișan, actor, cabaretist, regizor și umorist, celebru în România anilor 1950-1960

Mircea Crișan (n. Mauriciu Kraus la 8 august 1924, CFR – d. 22 noiembrie 2013, Düsseldorf, Germania) a fost un actor, cabaretist, regizor și umorist, celebru în România anilor 1950-1960 și în Germania restul vieții.

Evreu^[3] născut în România (într-un vagon de tren care traversa Maramureșul) și declarat la oficiul stării civile la 9 august^[4]).
Când era copil, mergea în turneu cu părinții (angajați la un parc de distracții ambulant).^[5]
La 19 ani s-a angajat ca vânzător de mezeluri și, tot pe-atunci, a debutat mai mult figurant decât ca actor, la Teatrul Barașeum, actualmente Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat, în spectacolul Lozul cel mare de Sholem Aleichem. A studiat apoi la Conservatorul de Artă Dramatică, clasa Maria Filotti (1944-1946).
După absolvire a jucat la Teatrul Armatei, la Teatrul Savoy, la Teatrul de Estradă, în spectacole de varietăți alături de actorii Nicolae Stroe, Gogu Trestian, Ion Antonescu-Cărăbuș, Horia Căciulescu, Zizi Șerban, Elena Burmaz, Tanți Căpățână, Puiu Călinescu. Multe din textele din perioada din România au fost compuse în colaborare cu Alexandru Mandi.
Prin Decretul nr. 514 din 18 august 1964 al Consiliului de Stat al Republicii Populare Romîne, actorului Mircea Crișan i s-a acordat titlul de Artist Emerit al Republicii Populare Romîne „pentru merite deosebite în activitatea desfășurată în domeniul teatrului, muzicii, artelor plastice și cinematografiei”.^[6]
În 1968, cu ocazia unui turneu la Paris la teatrul Olympia, a rămas în Occident^[7] și s-a stabilit ulterior în Germania, unde a început să-și scrie numele Mircea Krishan^[8]


În Germania a colaborat, sub acest nume, cu mulți artiști de scenă cunoscuți, între care Rudi Carell și Gisela Schlüter.
Mircea Crișan și-a petrecut ultimii ani de viață internat într-un azil pentru vârstnici din Düsseldorf, suferind de boala Alzheimer. A fost înmormântat în cimitirul evreiesc din Düsseldorf.

Tony Adams, an English football manager and former Arsenal player. With Arsenal, he won four top flight division titles, uniquely captaining a title-winning team in three different decades, three FA Cups, two Football League Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and three FA Community Shields

Tony Alexander Adams, MBE (born 10 October 1966) is an English football manager and former Arsenal player.
Adams spent his entire playing career of 22 years as a defender at Arsenal.^[1] He is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time by the club's own fans ^[2] and was included in the Football League 100 Legends. With Arsenal, he won four top flight division titles, uniquely captaining a title-winning team in three different decades, three FA Cups, two Football League Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and three FA Community Shields. A statue honouring Adams was unveiled at Emirates stadium on 9 December 2011, along with statues of Thierry Henry and Herbert Chapman.

When his playing career finished Adams went into football management, spending periods in charge of Wycombe Wanderers, Portsmouth and Azerbaijan side Gabala.

Adams made his debut for England against Spain in 1987, and played in Euro 88, scoring one of England's two goals. He was the first player to represent England who had been born after the 1966 World Cup win. After a highly promising start to his international career, Adams suffered a series of setbacks during the early 1990s. He was surprisingly left out of the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad by manager Bobby Robson, and missed Euro 92 due to injury. However, he still maintained a regular place in defence, and after the retirement of Gary Lineker in 1992, Adams unofficially shared the captaincy of England with David Platt, though Adams became England captain outright before Euro 96, as Platt's place in the side became less secure. England reached the semi-finals of Euro 96, before losing on penalties to Germany.
When England manager Glenn Hoddle took the Captain's armband from Adams and gave it to Alan Shearer it was a bitter pill for Adams to swallow. Speaking at a fans' forum in 2008 Adams remarked "I have some resentment over the way Glenn Hoddle gave the captaincy to Alan Shearer instead of me but I can let that go. I reacted positively. I disagreed with him [Hoddle] and he thought Alan could get more penalties being a centre forward. People know my reaction to that".
Adams continued to play for the national side, however and he finally appeared in a World Cup finals in 1998. His international swansong was England's largely unsuccessful Euro 2000 campaign. With Shearer retiring from international football after the tournament, Adams regained the captaincy. However, within months, England lost a World Cup qualifier to Germany in October 2000, the match being the last to be staged at Wembley Stadium before the stadium was torn down for rebuilding. That match was Adams's 60th Wembley appearance, a record. With Sven-Göran Eriksson eventually taking the helm and under increasing pressure for his place from the emerging and improving Rio Ferdinand, Adams retired from international football before Eriksson picked his first squad. He was the last England player to score at the old Wembley Stadium when he scored England's second goal in a 2–0 friendly win over Ukraine on 31 May 2000. This was also his first goal since he scored in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in November 1988, thus making the record for the longest gap between goals for England.

Serena Williams, an American professional tennis player who is currently ranked No. 1 in women's singles tennis. he became the World No. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and regained this ranking for the sixth time on February 18, 2013, becoming the oldest world no. 1 player in WTA's history

Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American professional tennis player who is currently ranked No. 1 in women's singles tennis. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has ranked her World No. 1 in singles on six separate occasions. She became the World N She is the only female player to have won over $60 million in prize money, and is the reigning Australian Open, US Open, WTA Tour Championships and Olympic ladies singles champion.
o. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and regained this ranking for the sixth time on February 18, 2013, becoming the oldest world no. 1 player in WTA's history. Williams is also regarded by some experts and former tennis players to be the greatest female tennis player in history.
Frequently hailed as the Queen of the Court by the general media, Williams holds the most major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles combined amongst active players, male or female. Her record of 34 Grand Slam titles puts her seventh on the all-time list: 19 in singles, 13 in women's doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2002–03), and the fifth woman ever to do so. She is also the most recent player together with her sister Venus Williams to have held all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles simultaneously (2009–10). Her total of 19 Grand Slam singles titles is tied for third on the all-time list with Helen Wills Moody behind Margaret Court (24 titles) and Steffi Graf (22 titles), and second in the Open Era, behind only Graf. She has won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals. Serena Williams is also a five-time winner of the WTA Tour Championships. The arrival of Venus and Serena Williams has been credited with launching a new era of power in women's tennis. Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in women's singles and three in women's doubles, an all-time record shared with her sister Venus.

Marcel Răducanu, a Romanian former footballer who played for Steaua Bucureşti, Borussia Dortmund, FC Zürich and the Romanian national team

Marcel Răducanu (born 21 October 1954 in Bucharest) is a Romanian former footballer who played for Steaua Bucureşti, Borussia Dortmund, FC Zürich and the Romanian national team.
Between 1976 and 1981, he played 21 games for Romanian national team, during which he scored three goals.^[1] He played nearly 80 matches scoring many goals for Romania's Under-16, U-18, national youth sides, respectively for the U-21 and U-23, being the team's best all-around player and also made two appearances for the Olympic team.
In 1980, he was voted as the best Romanian football player.
After playing for Steaua Bucureşti in the '70s, when he won two championships and also two Romanian Cups, Răducanu defected following a match in Dortmund, West Germany in 1981.^[2] In his native Romania this act was considered a desertion, as he was a Captain in the Romanian army. Therefore he was sentenced to nearly six years in prison in his absence.^[2]
Once in Germany he signed with both Hannover 96 and Borussia Dortmund clubs, and as a result was suspended by UEFA for one year.^[3] In order to have his services, Borussia Dortmund paid half a million deutschmarks to the Hannover club, and Răducanu made his debut in Bundesliga in 1982. Between 1982 and 1988, he played a total of 163 games in the German federal league and scored 31 goals.^[4] He also spent time in Switzerland at FC Zürich where he played until his retirement.^[5]
Răducanu retired from football in 1990. Since 1994, he has run a football school in Dortmund. Mario Götze trained at his academy whe he was 10 years old.

Thomas Muster, a former World No. 1 tennis player from Austria. Muster is one of only three players to win Masters titles on three different surfaces (clay, carpet, and hard court)

Thomas Muster (born 2 October 1967 in Leibnitz, Styria, Austria) is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him seventh on the all-time list. Muster is one of only three players to win Masters titles on three different surfaces (clay, carpet, and hard court).
When Muster was on the ATP Tour in the Twentieth Century, he wore Lotto clothing. From 1986 to 1993, Muster played with the Head Prestige Pro 600 racquet. In the summer of 1993, Muster switched for a few months to playing with the Head Prestige 600 racquet. In 1994 and 1995, Muster played with the Head Pro Tour 630 racquet. At the start of 1996, Muster switched to using a Kneissl racquet, which was closely modelled on his old Pro Tour 630. At the start of 1997, Muster switched his racquet again to the white Kneissl Tom's Reach Machine racquet, which had a longer handle and a 28 inch frame. In 1998, Muster used his Kneissl Tom's Reach Machine racquet on hardcourt, grass and carpet, but went back to his old 1996 Kneissl racquet on clay. When Muster played on the ATP Champions Tour, he used the Kneissl Tom's Reach Machine racquet.
When Muster came back to the ATP Tour in 2010, he used the Head Pro Tour 630 racquet, then switched to the Babolat AeroPro Drive GT racquet, and then went back to the Head Pro Tour 630 racquet again before playing his last matches in late 2011. Muster always wore Adidas clothing in his matches in 2010 and 2011.

Gabriel Batistuta, nicknamed Batigol as well as El Ángel Gabriel, a retired professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and is the eleventh top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches. He is Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer, with 56 goals in 78 matches

Gabriel Omar Batistuta (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡaˈβɾjel ˈomaɾ βatisˈtuta]; born 1 February 1969), nicknamed Batigol as well as El Ángel Gabriel [el ˌaŋxel ɣaˈβɾjel] (Spanish for Angel Gabriel), is a retired professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy,  and is the eleventh top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches.
At international level, Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer, with 56 goals in 78 matches, and he played at three World Cups. In 1999, Batistuta was third in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.In 2004 he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. A powerful player with an all-round game, clinical finishing, as well as accurate heading and free-kick taking abilities, he is known as one of the most complete strikers of his generation. Diego Maradona stated that Batistuta is the best striker he has ever seen play the game.
he is
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 popular sporting figure 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 Roma in 2000, he finally won the Serie A title to crown his career in Italy.He played his last season in Qatar with Al-Arabi before he retired in 2005.

Fabio Cannavaro, an Italian football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. He is considered to be one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" ("The Berlin Wall"). Won the Ballon d'Or award in 2006 which made him the only defender to win the award in a decade

Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfabjo kannaˈvaro]; born 13 September 1973) is an Italian football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. He is considered to be one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" ("The Berlin Wall") by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy. He started his career at Napoli, before spending seven years at Parma, with whom he won two Coppa Italia and the 1999 UEFA Cup. After spells at Internazionale and Juventus, he transferred along with manager Fabio Capello from Juventus to Real Madrid, with whom he won consecutive La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008. After returning to Juventus for one season in 2009–10, he joined Al-Ahli in Dubai, where he retired from football in 2011 after an injury-troubled season. After his retirement, he became a coaching staff of Al-Ahli, notably as global ambassador and technical director from 2011 to 2013 and assistant coach from 2013 to 2014. In November 2014, he was appointed as head coach of Guangzhou Evergrande.
Cannavaro has also achieved success with the Italian national team. He was part of the Italy team that won consecutive Under-21 European Championships in 1994 and 1996. After earning his first senior cap in 1997, he eventually became captain. Cannavaro led Italy to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and in 2009 overtook Paolo Maldini as the most capped player in the country's history. He retired from international football on 25 June 2010 following Italy's failure to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2010 World Cup, having amassed 136 caps and scored two goals for the senior national team.^[3]
He was named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, and won the Ballon d'Or award in 2006 which made him the only defender to win the award in a decade and only the third of all time after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer, both of Germany.^[4][5] In 2007 he was in the six man shortlist for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.^[6] His younger brother Paolo is also a professional footballer, playing for Italian side Sassuolo.

Lothar Matthäus, a German football manager and former player. After captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, he was named European Footballer of the Year. In 1991, he was named the first ever FIFA World Player of the Year, and remains the only German to have received the award

Lothar Herbert Matthäus is a German football manager and former player. After captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, he was named European Footballer of the Year. In 1991, he was named the first ever FIFA World Player of the Year, and remains the only German to have received the award.
He played in five FIFA World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) more than any other outfield player, and holds the record for the most World Cup matches played by a single player (25 games). He also won UEFA Euro 1980, and played in the 1984, 1988, and 2000 UEFA European Football Championships. In 1999, aged 38, he was again voted German Footballer of the Year, having previously won the award in 1990.
Matthäus is the most capped German player of all time, retiring with a total of 150 appearances (83 for West Germany) in 20 years, and 23 goals. Matthäus is a member of the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living football players chosen by Pelé. Diego Maradona said of Matthäus, "he is the best rival I've ever had. I guess that's enough to define him", in his book Yo soy el Diego (I am the Diego).
A versatile and complete player, Matthäus was renowned for his perceptive passing, positional sense, well-timed tackling, as well as powerful shooting. During his career, he usually played as a box-to-box midfielder, although late in his career he played as a sweeper.