Cristiano Ronaldo Unveiled at the Bernabeu

Cristiano Ronaldo was greeted by a huge crowd of adoring fans as he was officially unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Monday evening.

Michael Owen Completes Shock Move to Manchester United

Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has signed Michael Owen on a two-year contract. The striker was out of contract, so no transfer fee is involved.

Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Michael is a world class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question. Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish.”

Michael Owen said: "I had just begun to talk to other clubs when out of the blue Sir Alex phoned me on Wednesday afternoon, invited me to have breakfast with him the next morning during which he told me that he wanted to sign me. I agreed without a moment's thought.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I intend to seize it with both hands. I am now looking forward to being a Manchester United player and I am fortunate that I already know so many of the players here. I missed pre-season last year and am pleased that I will be starting at Carrington from day one.

"I want to thank Sir Alex for the faith he has shown in me and I give him my assurance that I will repay him with my goals and performances.”

Legendary Ryan Giggs

Full Name : Ryan Joseph Giggs

Birthday : 29th November 1973

Place of Birth : Canton, Cardiff, Wales

Position : Winger

"I've been at United since I was 13 and I'm very fond of the club and the fans, they have been an integral part of my life."

1. On 16 May 2009, Giggs became the first footballer to collect 11 top division English league title medals.

2. Giggs was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993)

3. At the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final, held on 21 May 2008, Giggs surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for Manchester United to become the club's all-time leader in appearances

4. Giggs made his League debut against Everton at Old Trafford on 2nd March 1991

5. Giggs has never been sent off when playing for Manchester United and only once when playing for Wales in 2003 match against Norway

6. Giggs was only 17 years and 321 days old when he first played for Wales in a match againts West Germany

7. Giggs represented England at youth international level because he was attending a English school but then went on to represent his birth country, Wales at senior level

8. Giggs was named in the Football League 100 legends then he was given an OBE (Officer in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in 2007

9. Giggs is the only player to have scored in eleven consecutive Champions League tournaments

10. Giggs is the only player to have scored in every Premier League campaign since its inception

11. On Giggs' fourteenth birthday Alex Ferguson went to his home in Swinton, Manchester, to ask him to sign schoolboy forms

7 Facts About Karim Benzema

Full Name : Karim Benzema

Birthday : 19th December 1987

Place of Birth : Lyon, France

Position : Striker

One of the hottest young prospects in the game, Benzema, despite his tender age, has already received world-wide praise for his performances in the French Ligue 1 and for France on the international stage.

1. Of Algerian descent, Benzema has been likened to Zinedine Zidane

2. Took over the number 10 shirt from the retired Zinedine Zidane

3. Before joining Lyon, he trained at local Rhône-Alpes club Bron Terraillon SC in the commune Bron, a suburb of Lyon

4. A "pure product" of the Olympique Lyonnais youth system, having been born in Lyon, he came through the youth ranks and began his career at the top level at the age of 16

5. Benzema made his league debut for Lyon on January 15, 2005 in a match against Metz

6. Before representing France, Benzema was eligible for Algeria and was called up to the squad by the Fédération Algérienne de Football in December 2006, but turned them down stating, "Algeria is my parents’ country and it is in my heart, but football-wise I will only play for the French national team"

7. On 28 March 2007, Benzema won his first cap for France against Austria, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win for France

Manchester United Announce AON Shirt Sponsor Deal

Manchester United announced that it has reached a significant global partnership and principal sponsorship agreement with Aon Corporation, the world’s leading risk advisor and human capital consultant, to take effect from the start of the 2010/11 season. Terms of the partnership were not announced.

As part of the sponsorship agreement, the Aon brand will feature on the world-famous Manchester United shirt for four years. Announcing the deal, Manchester United chief executive David Gill said, “We are delighted to be entering such an important relationship with a company of the stature of Aon and to have its logo adorn our shirts from the start of the 2010/11 season.

Kaka Unveiled at the Bernabeu

Kaka spoke of his desire to become a Real Madrid legend after being unveiled as the club's first signing of the new galacticos era.

The Brazil international was paraded in front of around 50,000 fans at the Bernabeu just hours after helping his country to lift the Confederations Cup.

He said: said: "Today is a very happy day for me. I'm very happy because this new stage of my career will be at Real Madrid.

"I hope to write my name into the history of this club with many victories and successes.''

Manchester United Sign Valencia

Manchester United have completed the signing of Wigan winger Antonio Valencia, with the player describing the move as a "dream''.

The Ecuador international has been tracked by United for the last 12 months and new Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has been unable to persuade him to stay at the DW Stadium.

United have not disclosed the fee they have paid to the Latics, though it is thought to be around £16m, after signing the player on a four-year contract.

Spain Snatch World Record

Spain collected their record-breaking 15th consecutive win tonight as they saw off hosts South Africa in the Confederations Cup.

Goals from David Villa and Fernando Llorente took Spain past Brazil, Australia, and France, while also moving them level with Brazil's record of 35 games unbeaten.

Manchester United Completes Ronaldo Sale

Manchester United has completed the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. The unconditional £80million transfer fee has been paid.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Cristiano has been a marvellous player for Manchester United. His six years at Old Trafford have seen him develop into the best footballer in the world.

"His contribution has been a major factor in the club’s success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over.

“Everyone here wishes him well in his future career.”

Man Utd Unveil New Home Kit

United's new home kit for the 2009/10 campaign has been officially unveiled.

The red kit, celebrates 100 years of Old Trafford with a large chevron across the chest, reflecting the design of the shirts worn by United when the stadium first opened during the 1909/10 season.

The back of the shirt has an engineered mesh, which is a series of small chevrons, a performance feature to offer the players even greater ventilation during games. Inside the black round-neck collar is a high quality woven label in red, white and black, while engineered into the side seam is a small label that reads ‘The Theatre of Dreams Since 1910.’

The players will don the kit for the first time during their pre-season tour of Asia next month.

8 Facts About Kaká

Full Name : Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite

Birthday : 22nd April 1982

Place of Birth : Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil

Position : Attacking Midfielder

1. His brother Rodrigo, created his nickname because he could not pronounce his real name

2. Kaká began his life with myopia and a rare bone deficiency, and was considered too weak to make it into football

3. At the age of 18 Kaká suffered a spinal fracture in a swimming accident, but escaped paralysis

4. Until he had laser eye surgery, Kaká could barely see without his contact lenses or glasses

5. Kaká twice been voted Brazil's sexiest footballer

6. Fans of AC Milan doubt Kaká signing by saying "We already have Rivaldo and Rui Costa, maybe we needed a defender”

7. Kaká made his debut with Brazil on 31st January 2002, in a 6-0 win over Bolivia.

8. In 2008, Kaká was voted as the FIFA World Player of the Year

New Name for UEFA Cup

The UEFA Executive Committee has approved the change of name for the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League from 2009/10.

The UEFA Europa League 2009–10 will be the first season under a new name. The final will be played at the HSH Nordbank Arena, home ground of Hamburger SV, in Hamburg, Germany.

Barcelona Won UEFA Champions Legue

Manchester United discovered what it is like to lose a European Cup final as brilliant Barcelona ruled Rome on Wednesday, securing a comfortable 2-0 win.

If there is any consolation in failure to become the first side to retain the trophy in the Champions League era, it is that they lost to a side as fluent and brilliant to watch as they are.

Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi scored the goals either side of half-time but to single those two out for special praise would be unfair on their team-mates, and particularly Xavi, who was simply awesome.

For once Cristiano Ronaldo could provide no magic of his own, instead getting increasingly frustrated as defeat loomed.

Shakhtar Donetsk Won UEFA Cup

Shakhtar Donetsk became the last winners of the UEFA Cup by defeating Werder Bremen 2-1 in the final in Istanbul last night.

Mircea Lucescu's team also became the first Ukrainian side to win a European trophy thanks to Jadson's winner in extra-time.

The final - the last to be played before the competition is rebranded as the Europa League next season - finished all square on 90 minutes after Naldo had equalised Luiz Adriano's opener.

Jadson made it a trio of Brazilian scorers when his weak effort trickled past Werder goalkeeper Tim Wiese in the 97th minute to give Shakhtar the trophy.

North Queensland Fury cancelled its tour to Sabah

Fans of former Liverpool great, Robbie Fowler here will be disappointed after Fowler’s Australian club, North Queensland Fury cancelled its tour to Sabah that was initially scheduled at the end of May.

The club’s chairman, Don Matheson in a letter to the organiser of the tour here, Borneo Sports and Adventure, said the decision follows the cancellation of next month’s Intercontinental Cup U23 tournament due to the threat of swine flu in Malaysia.

He said the club had no choice but to follow the example set by FAM and the Malaysia’s Health Ministry.

“The team is heading into its debut Hyundai A-League season and this decision is about the long term well-being of the players. I was in Kota Kinabalu in 2008 and it is a beautiful place with great sporting facilities.

“I sincerely hope that arrangements can be made for our marquee player, Robbie Fowler and our team to make it to Sabah in 2010. I want to sincerely apologise to all local fans and we wish Sabah all the best in their remaining games for the 2009 season” said Matheson.

Meanwhile, touching on the cancellation, Borneo Sports and Adventure’s MD, Scott Ollerenshaw said “We are obviously disappointed to make this announcement, however the worldwide flu virus is simply out of our control.”

“An enormous amount of work has been carried out behind the scenes to make this tour possible and no one is more despondent that myself with this announcement” he said while thanking all the parties for their assistance.

He said that those who have bought tickets will be refunded and remineded those who have purchased the tickets to produce them at the same venue where they purchased the tickets.

He said those who would like more information can contact Ferdah at 088-249002.

Meanwhile, Ollerenshaw said that they were in negotiations to bring an English Premier League team to Sabah next year but did not disclose any further details.

He also said that the Borneo Football Cup has so far seen 10 junior teams from Australia confirming their participation in the tournament, adding that this was almost a 400 per cent increase compared to last year.

“This is a testament to our belief that sports tourism in Sabah will grow from strength to strength over the next few years” he added.

Manchester United v Barcelona - Champions League Final Preview

The 2009 European Champions League final will be played between Manchester United and Barcelona in Rome.

Barcelona won in a dramatic fashion, beating Chelsea in away goal rules to capture that elusive second final spot.

Meanwhile, Manchester United progressed in a comprehensive fashion, beating Arsenal in their away match 3-1 to capture the first final spot. Park Ji-sung gave the lead in early minutes and Cristiano Ronaldo was spot on target with his two second-half goals.

While United is trying to hold on to the title it won in Moscow last year, Barcelona is chasing its third title and hoping to end the English Premier League's recent dominance in European soccer's most prestigious competition.

This champions League final promise to be an interesting match as both teams had secured the domestic leagues trophy. It is a meeting of perhaps the two most entertaining clubs in Europe, both of them with big-name forwards who enjoy taking opponents apart with their imaginative interpassing.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will have his three main strikers - Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez with Cristiano Ronaldo also attacking from the wings.

Guardiola usually sends his trio of strikers - Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o out together, and they have rewarded him with a combined 69 league goals out of a total of 100.

Both teams will be without some key players in the final through suspension and injury.

Defender Eric Abidal was sent off against Chelsea on Wednesday and will be suspended for the final, as will Daniel Alves, who picked up a second yellow card in the competition. Also missing for Barca will be center half Rafael Márquez. But Guardiola will have Carles Puyol back after serving a ban.

United midfielder Darren Fletcher will get that experience this time, after being harshly sent off for bringing down Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in the semifinal second leg.

The final of the Champions League will be played in Rome on May 27th.

10 Facts About Wayne Rooney

Full Name : Wayne Mark Rooney

Birthday : 24th October 1985

Place of Birth : Croxteth, Liverpool, England

Position : Striker

Wayne Rooney is an amazing forward, however, he is sometimes criticized for his bad temper and him swearing a lot in matches.

Facts

1. Manchester United just signed Wayne Rooney before the summer transfer window was closed. When Manchester United signed him, he was 18 and Manchester United gave him an great contract with great clauses

2. Wayne Rooney burst onto the Old Trafford stage in September 2004, netting an unforgettable hat-trick against Fenerbahce on his debut

3. Wayne was only sixteen years old when he first played for Everton againts Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park

4. Rooney became the youngest player to play for England when he earned his first cap in a friendly against Australia on 12 February 2003 at seventeen, the same age in which he also became the youngest player to score an England goal. Arsenal youngster Theo Walcott broke Rooney's appearance record by 36 days in June 2006

5. Rooney met his wife, Coleen Rooney (née McLoughlin), while both were in their final year of secondary school. They married on 12 June 2008 after six years of dating

6. Wayne clocks up 9.70 m/s. And that’s not too far off the pace of a sprinter like Maurice Greene who weighs in at just over 10 m/s

7. Rooney has signed lucrative contracts with Nike, Nokia, Ford, Asda and Coca Cola. His marketing value is estimated at €46 million, making him the third-highest rated football player behind Ronaldinho and David Beckham. As a side note, he is featured on 500 million Coca-Cola cans

8. Rooney’s childhood football hero is former England and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer

9. Rooney has a cross tattoo on his upper right arm and a Coleen tattoo on his left

10. During a football match, on average Wayne walks for 4,000m, jogs for 4,800m, runs for 1500m, light sprinting for 1000m and 500m sprinting

"I love playing football but I think I am like everyone else, I hate losing and love winning. And if the time comes when I am not disappointed when things are definitely not going right, then that's when people should worry"

FC Barcelona La Liga Champion 2008-09

Barcelona was crowned Spanish champion for the 19th time on Saturday as holder Real Madrid gifted the title to its bitter rival after a 3-2 defeat at Villarreal. It was Barcelona’s second trophy inside four days, following its Kings Cup win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, as it notched a league and cup double for the first time since 1998.

Manchester United EPL Champions 2008-09

Manchester United was crowned Champions of England for 3rd time in succession. Its 18 title overall, no 11 for Ryan Giggs and Sir Alex Ferguson

Robbie Fowler to Play against Sabah

Borneo Sports and Adventure Holidays is delighted to announce that Liverpool FC legend Robbie Fowler and his new team, the North Queensland Fury from Australia are coming to Kota Kinabalu to play against a Sabah Selection team.

There will be a Corporate Dinner at Pacific Sutera Grand Ballroom on the 26th May and the match will take place at the Likas Stadium on the 27th May. I would also like to sincerely thank both the Sabah Sports Ministry and Sabah Football Association for endorsing this event.

All fans of the English Premier League will be aware of Robbie Fowler’s legendary status with the world-famous Liverpool Football Club where he played over 250 games and scored 128 goals. Fowler also won 26 England caps, scoring 7 goals.

In order to make the game more attractive and competitive for the local fans, we have also decided to strengthen the local Sabah state team with the following players:

• Indra Putra Mahyuddin - Kelantan and Malaysian National Team
• Mohd Nor Farhan - Kelantan & Malaysian National Team
• Robbie Gaspar - Australian Foreigner and ex-Rhinos star
• T. A. Musafry - Indonesian National Team Striker

This is a fantastic opportunity for local football fans to see a truly world-class striker play live in KK, in what promises to be a fantastic night of quality football.

Furthermore, special half time entertainment will be provided for the fans with a unique penalty shoot out between former Rhinos coach and current Kelantan coach Peter Butler and former Rhinos foreigner Scott Ollerenshaw.

In order to make the game affordable and accessible for football fans throughout the state, tickets for this game will be sold at:

• Outer ground - RM10
• Grandstand Area - RM20

There will be no tickets sold at the stadium on match day. All tickets will be pre-sold at the following establishments starting Monday the 4th of May:

• All Coffee Bean outlets
• Penampang Futsal
• KK Futsal Arena
• Most schools within KK at the front desk
  

PLEASE NOTE -5% OF THE GATE AND RM100 FROM EVERY CORPORATE TABLE SOLD WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY.

NORTH QUEENSLAND FURY INFO

North Queensland Fury is a professional Australian team based in Townsville in Queensland. They will be making their debut in the Australian A-League for the 2009 season. Apart from Robbie Fowler, their other high profile staffs include:

1. Ian Ferguson played other 300 games for Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers where he won an amazing 10 Scottish League titles. Ferguson is the coach of North Queensland Fury who will also be speaking at the Corporate Dinner

2. Felipe is a quality foreign player from Brazil

3. Ufuk Talay is a former Australian Olympic player who is returning from a stint in Japan

4. Jacob Timbano is a former Young Socceroo

Man Utd Asia Tour 2009

Kuala Lumpur will be United's first stop on this summer's four-match pre-season tour of Asia.

At a press conference on Tuesday it was confirmed the world champions will play a Malaysia XI at the picturesque Bukit Jalil Stadium on 18 July.

It's eight years since the Reds last visited Malaysia, when 100,000 fans watched a Malaysian All-Stars team lose 6-0 to a strong United line-up. And official tour promoters ProEvents are expecting similarly fervent support this year.

“We are excited to work with the club again, and to bring to Asia one of the most exciting and biggest football clubs in the world", said San Boon Wah, managing director of ProEvents International.

“The club is popular throughout the world and especially so in Asia, where it has a wide fan base. I am sure many football fans, both local and from the region, are thrilled by this opportunity to see the champions in action".

Chief executive David Gill added:

“Our relationship with fans in Malaysia is already well established, with local young people having the chance to learn to play the game the Manchester United way with MU Soccer Schools"

Lionel Messi The Wonderboy

Full Name : Lionel Andres Messi

Birthday : 24th June 1987

Place of Birth : Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina

Position : Striker/Right Winger

1. He started playing football when he was just five years old at a club which was coached by his father

2. At the age of 11, Leo stop playing football because he have disease called hormone deficiency which disturbing his growth

3. Lionel Messi joined Barcelona in 2000 at the age of 13. Initially playing for the Under 14s, Messi moved up the ranks through the club’s Youth, C and B teams before joining the first team squad in record time

4. In 2003 he debuted for Barcelona in an unofficial game against FC Porto and after one year he debuted officially on Nou Camp against RCD Espaniol and became the third-youngest player ever to play for FC Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga (record broken by Bojan Krkić in September 2007)

5. At 18 Messi played for Argentina in the Under 20 World Cup and won the title. He was also voted best player of the tournament and was its leading goal scorer

6. Argentinean great Maradona has named Messi as his natural successor

7. The Spanish press have nicknamed him ‘Messidona’

8. When he came on to the pitch against Serbia and Montenegro in the 2006 World Cup, Messi became the youngest player to play for Argentina in a World Cup tournament. His goal in this match made him the youngest scorer of this World Cup and the sixth youngest scorer in the history of the tournament

9. The season 2005/2006, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe

10. Messi’s nickname with the Barcelona fans is Leo

Fabolous Fabregas

Full Name : Francesc Fabregas Soler

Birthday : 4th May 1987

Place of Birth : Vilessoc de Mar, Spain

Position : Central Midfielder

1. Fàbregas started his career as a youth player with FC Barcelona but was signed by Arsenal in September 2003

2. Named best player as well as top goal scorer in the FIFA U17 Championships 2003

3. In his youth career with Barcelona, he mostly played as a defensive midfielder, yet he managed to score 30 goals in one season

4. Moved to Arsenal in a transfer deal worth £2.25m

5. He became Arsenal's youngest ever player when he made his debut in a League Cup match

6. He became Arsenal's youngest ever goalscorer when he scored in Arsenal's 5-1 hammering of Wolves

7. He became the youngest player in Spanish football history to participate in a World Cup

8. He won the 07/08 PFA Young Player of the Year

9. On 24 November 2008, Fàbregas was named as the successor to William Gallas as Arsenal captain

10. Has his own one-time only television programme, called "The Cesc Fàbregas Show: Nike Live"

Simple Ronaldinho Facts

1. At the age of 13, Ronnie scored all 23 goals in a 23 - 0 victory for his youth team

2. Many top teams tried to buy him when he played for Gremio in Brazil. But he signed for PSG in 2001

3. Barcelona claim they turned down a world record bid of £60m from Chelsea for Ronnie 4 years ago

John Terry The Painless Captain

Full Name : John George Terry

Birthday : 7th December 1980

Place of Birth : London, England

Position : Centre Back

John Terry ignored a dislocated elbow to play in the 2008 Champions League Final. And its not the first time he's played through the pain. Check this out.

December 2006 (His Back's Gone!)
An op removes a disc from his back. JT's back in training 24 hours later

February 2007 (Knocked Out!)

He is knocked out cold in the Carling Cup Final against Arsenal and swallows his tongue. But he checks himself ot of hospital to take part in Chelsea's celebrations

July 2007 (Broken Toe!)

A pre - seasons game in Korea ends in disaster when JT breaks his toe. But this doesn't stop him as he carries on playing for Chelsea with painkilling injections

September 2007 (Busted Cheekbone!)

JT smashes his face against Fulham but is in action just four days later againts Valencia, wearing a horror mask

October 2007 (Knee Surgery!)
Has emergency surgery on his knee and misses out on only three England internationals

December 2007 (Battered Bones!)

Breaks three bones in his feet during the match against Arsenal. This sees him miss out on the England captaincy in Fabio Capello's first game

May 2008 (Dislocated Elbow!)

JT bashes his elbow but the ambulance medic pops it back into place. He watches the second half back at the ground

Footballers Nicknames

Adriano - L'Imperatore (The Emperor)
Alessandro Nesta - Sandro
Andrea Pirlo - Metronomo
Arjen Robben - The Flying Dutchman
Carles Puyol - Lionheart
Carlos Tevez - Apache
Cristiano Ronaldo - CR7
David Beckham - Becks
Deco - Magico
Fabio Cannavaro - ll muro di Berlino (The Berlin wall)
Fernando Torres - El Nino
Francesco Totti - Gladiatore
Frank Lampard - Lamps
Gennaro Gattuso - Braveheart
Iker Casillas - El galáctico de Móstoles
John Terry - JT
Lionel Messi - Messiah
Michael Ballack - Balle
Michael Essien - The Bison
Kaka - The Golden Boy
Rio Ferdinand - Snoop
Robinho - Wonder Boy
Ronaldinho - Ronnie
Ronaldo - O Fenômeno
Ryan Giggs - The Welsh Wizard
Sergio Aguero - El Kun
Steven Gerrard - Stevie G
Thierry Henry - Titi
Van Nistelrooy - Van The Man
Wayne Rooney - Wazza

Amazing Facts of Bojan Krkic

Bojan Krkic is held to have a killer instinct in front of goal and, despite his youth and slight stature, is more than able to handle experienced defenders. He can show a devastating turn of speed, mature positional awareness and is extremely skillful on the ball

Full Name : Bojan Krkic Perez

Birthplace : Linyola, Spain

Date of Birth : 28th August 1990

Position : Forward

1. Bojan joined Barça in 1999 and has had one of the fastest moves through the ranks. He played in Alevi A (2001-2), Infantil B (2002-3), Infantil A (2003-4) and Cadet B (2004-5) He joined the Cadet A squad in 2005-6 but then moved straight up to Juvenil A before moving into the Barça B team in 2006-7

2. In the first half of his season with Barça B he scored 10 goals and became the team’s top scorer

3. During his time in the Barcelona youth set up the player scored 961 goals in seven years breaking all youth goal scoring records

4. Bojan played his first match for the Spanish Under 21 team at the young age of 16

5. He has won the European Under 21 Championship with Spain (2007) and was a runner up in the 2007 Under 17 World Cup where he was voted third best player and won the Bronze Ball

6. Bojan made his Champions League debut as a sub for Messi and became the youngest player to play in a Champions League game

UEFA European Under 17 Championships

A quick striker, with quite notable dribbling skills, Bojan shot to prominence at the UEFA European Under 17 Championships in Luxembourg in May 2006 when he was joint top-scorer. He achieved this despite being a year younger than most of the other players in the tournament and only playing 45 minutes in four out of five of Spain Under-17s matches

He scored a hat-trick against Luxembourg before inspiring his side to a 3-0 victory over the eventual champions Russia, with all of the goals of the game being scored with him on the pitch as a second half sub. In the third match of the tournament, he scored a penalty after once again being introduced at half time

He started the semi-final against the Czech Republic but after his team mate Roberto Garcaa was sent off, Spain struggled and lost 2-0 in a shock result. In the third-place play-off Bojan was once again a second half sub and scored the opener on 53 minutes. When the match went to penalties, he scored and his side won 5-4 to finish third

23 Facts About David Beckham

Full Name : David Robert Joseph Beckham

Birthday : 2nd May 1975

Place of Birth : Leytonstone, London, England

Position : Midfielder

1. 10-year old David immediately knew he wanted to attend the famous Bobby Charlton Football Academy when he was he saw a commercial for it while watching children's favorite Blue Peter

2. At the age of 11, David won the Bobby Charlton skills award and won a two week trip to train with Barcelona F.C

3. When David was 12, he was made Manchester United's team mascot for a game against Ham

4. Art was David's favorite class at secondary school

5. David's personal sponsors include Adidas, Police Sunglasses, Castrol, TBC, Marks and Spencer, Tsubasa Systems, Meiji, Upper Deck, Pepsi, and Vodafone

6. In April 2007, David revealed a new tattoo of a guardian angel engulfed in flames. The tattoo includes words from a Roman poem. Translated, they read: Let them hate as long as they fear

7. He has the number 7 written in Roman numerals VII, on his right forearm. This represents the shirt number he wore when he played for Manchester United

8. In 2007, David insured himself for $250 million - one of the most expensive policies in the world. The policy covers David for injury on the field, serious illness and disfigurement

9. David wears a new pair of soccer shoes for every game he plays in

10. With his goal against Ecuador in World Cup 06, David became the first English player to score in three different World Cups

11. David first signed for Manchester United on 8th July 1991, but he didn't make his debut until 1992

12. David’s first number with Manchester United was 10. He switched to #7 after Eric Cantona left the team

13. Playing for Manchester United since the 8th of July 1991, David had received many trophies. 7 League titles (93, 94, 96, 97, 99, 00, 01) 3 FA Cups (94, 96, 99), 1 League Cup (92), 1 Champions League (99), 1 European Supercup (99) and 1 Intercontinental Cup (99)

14. David made 394 appearances and scored 85 goals at Manchester United

15. David has twice finished second in voting for the World Footballer of the Year, in 2000 and 2001

16. David was traded from Manchester United to Real Madrid for 23 million euros in the year 2003

17. David signed with US Major League Soccer's 'Los Angeles Galaxy' in 2007 for an estimated $128 million

18. More than a quarter-million Beckham Galaxy jerseys were sold before David joined the team in July of 2007

19. Ford Escort was David's first car

20. David named his third son Cruz because he was born in Spain

21. David is known for his impeccable sense of style, and has been called one of England's "best dressed" in various polls

22. Said to be one of the largest grassroots sports initiatives in the UK, David's soccer academy is part of the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Dome site on the Greenwich Peninsula

23. David was Google's top searched sports topic in both 2003 and 2004

7 Facts About Cristiano Ronaldo

Full Name : Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Birthday : 5th February 1985

Place of Birth : Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

Position : Winger/Striker

1. Ronaldo was nicknamed "cry-baby" as a child. His mother Dolores Aveiro said, "When he got home from school I'd tell him to do homework but he'd say he didn't have any. I'd be making dinner and he would jump out of the window and run off until late. He used to cry when he passed and his friends didn't score. People called him 'cry-baby' and 'little bee' because nobody could catch him"

2. He was an amazing player even at 11 years old. Paulo Cardoso, his first coach at Sporting Lisbon, said: "When he got the ball he went past two or three players. At the end of the game the players gathered around him, they knew he was a special kid"

3. Jose Mourinho likened Ronaldo to Marco van Basten, the former Holland striker. Mourinho said: "I remember the first time I saw him play. It was for Sporting youth. I told my assistant, 'There goes Van Basten's son.' He had great technique. He stood out"

4. As a teenager Ronaldo would train in the gym using weights on either foot and then dribbling with the ball. He thought it would improve his technique because without weights he would be even faster

5. Liverpool decided Ronaldo wasn't good enough a year before he signed for United for £12.2 m from Sporting in 2003. After the winger played against United in a friendly Sir Alex Ferguson said: "At half-time I knew I had to sign this boy. He was sensational"

6. There is only one Cristiano Ronaldo but there are two Ronaldos. As coach of Brazil, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who worked with the other Ronaldo, said: "I hoped Cristiano would be as good one day. He just doesn't stop, no matter how much you demand of him"

7. Ferguson had no hesitation in handing Ronaldo the No 7 shirt. He said: "We've had some fantastic No 7s, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, some wouldn't want that jersey but his confidence was high even at 18. When he made his debut as substitute against Bolton he took the place by storm"

Sahara India and AirAsia for Manchester United Shirts?

As we know the insurance company AIG has officially confirmed it will not be renewing its shirt sponsorship of the club when the deal expires. The American company also said in a statement that it was “in active discussions” with United regarding the current contract which ends in May 2010. Speaking on the matter, a United spokesperson stated:

"The club is in dialogue with a select number of top companies worldwide and has so far received sufficient interest to be confident it can improve on its current £19m annual partnership with AIG"

Among the companies that linked to Manchester United shirt's sponsor are Sahara India and AirAsia. Sahara India’s head of Corporate Communications Abhijit Sarkar confirmed that the business group has received a sponsorship proposal from the Old Trafford outfit. The Sahara India Pariwar logo and name is a common sight amongst national cricket team shirts, though if this deal goes ahead with United, it will be the company’s first sponsorship agreement involving a football club

Meanwhile, AirAsia chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes revealed that AirAsia Bhd has been approached by Manchester United to sponsor their jersey. Tony stated:

"Manchester United have just approached me on whether AirAsia would be interested in becoming their shirt sponsor"

Manchetser United, who are now leading in the English Premier League, have also announced that Malaysia would be one of their destinations in the club's Asian tour this year. Their match against a Malaysian selection is scheduled for July 26

Top 5 Bling Football Boot Players

1. David Beckham - King of Bling

It cost around £600 per pair for his boots and he wears a new pair every game. Adidas have made only 723 pairs and only in his size. He has even had feng shui symbols sewn into his football boots in a bid to improve his football performance. The design which he helped with, is strongly based on David’s interest in Eastern mystic culture, saying “I’m very proud to wear these football boots because they represent the idea of yin and yang.” They are personalized with stitching of the names of his three children, his initials, his favored number 23 and Beckham’s printed signature for the ultimate Bling factor. Beckham put the Bling-Bling into football boots as no one has done before and he reigns supreme as the King of Bling

2. Ronldinho - Prince of Bling

Ronaldinho had two special pairs of football boots containing eight ounces of 24-carat gold with real 24-carat gold applied to the Nike logo. The football boots feature a gold embroidered letter “R” and number 10, the shirt Ronaldinho wears for Barcelona, while the heel of the football boot is embossed with five gold stars in honour of Brazil’s five FIFA World Cup wins

3. Francesco Totti - Signor Bling

After the World Cup finals, Diadora produced the Maximus Italia Gold Special Limited Edition football boot, an all-gold football boot for the World Cup Winner which when worn, needs to be viewed behind sunglasses to avoid the excessive glare and shine

4. Frank Lampard - Bling Kong

Wears personalised Adidas Predator boots with his name and team number stitched into them. Unconfirmed reports claim this is so Lampard knows which football boots belongs to him

5. Djibril Cissé - A Bling of Many Colours

Mis-firing striker Cisse when playing for Liverpool, once came out in odd coloured boots. He changed after half time into a matching pair but into lime green football boots. Known to change his hair colour as easily as his football boot colour

How Badly Do You Want To Be A Footballer?

Nike ads featuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Cesc Fabregas, Wesley Schneider, Van Nistelrooy and many more

Top 10 EPL Entertainers

1 - George Best

Best loved nothing better than scoring on and off the pitch. The Northern Irishman was untouchable with the ball at his feet and was adored away from the game. His lifestyle was often criticized but Manchester United would not be the club they are today without him. Quite simply, he set the standard for everyone to follow

2 - Gianfranco Zola

Zola’s love of the game was clear to see from the moment he arrived at Stamford Bridge. The Italian was a free-kick expert but there was far more to his game than the ability to curl a ball. Zola scored breathtaking goals and was one of the main reasons Chelsea lifted trophies under both Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli

3 - Paul Gascoigne

While Gazza can best be described as daft as a brush, the midfielder could do it all with the ball at his feet. A troubled genius he may be, but the former Newcastle and Tottenham ace was one of the few Englishmen to conquer Serie A

4 - Eric Cantona

When he wasn’t kung-fu kicking fans or talking about seagulls, Cantona did the business on the pitch as Manchester United won trophy after trophy. The Frenchman was as mad as they come but truly gifted. He stunned United fans by hanging up his boots in 1997 to pursue an acting career

5 - Cristiano Ronaldo

In years to come, Ronaldo is sure to feature higher in lists like this. The Portuguese Winker may not be popular with anyone outside of Manchester but he has cemented his reputation as one of the world’s greatest players. Under the guidance of Alex Ferguson, Ron has developed into the best goalscoring winger around

6 - Glenn Hoddle

Hoddle was one of the classiest midfielders around. His range of passing was phenomenal and, most importantly, the Tottenham legend knew how to score a goal. To put it simply, this man could do it all. After proving himself in France with Monaco, he enjoyed spells as player-boss at Swindon and Chelsea

7 - Ryan Giggs

The wing wizard seems to have been around forever and he’s still going strong. The only thing you can say against Giggsy is that he is one of the best Englishman never to play for his country. Instead of choosing the Three Lions, the Manchester United ace opted for Wales. While international success has eluded him, Giggs has won the lot with United

8 - Thierry Henry

Henry is the best player to ever pull on an Arsenal shirt. The striker’s sublime skills made him the club’s highest goalscorer but his time in London ended without what he coveted most glory in the Champions League. The Frenchman, who started his career as a winger, is one of the greatest foreign players to grace the Premier League

9 - Peter Beardsley

There are few players who can be described as legends but Beardsley fits the bill perfectly. He picked up 59 caps for England, forming a devastating strike force with Gary Lineker. But he is best remembered for spells with Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton. Pure and simple, Beardsley played for the love of the game

10 - Matt Le Tissier

It’s safe to say Le God is one of the greatest players to never win a major trophy. The talented striker hammered home long-range stunners for fun and was Southampton through and through. Despite opportunities to join bigger clubs, Le Tissier spent his entire career with the Saints

Top 10 Foreign Managers Flops In EPL

By Sandy Macaskill

Luis Felipe Scolari is not the first foreign manager to fail in England and probably not the last

1 - Juande Ramos, Tottenham Hotspur, 2007-08

The Spaniard won the Carling Cup, so he cannot be called a complete failure. But having sold Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane saw Ramos take Tottenham to their worst ever start to a league campaign

2 - Alain Perrin, Portsmouth, 2005

Perrin replaced Zajec in April 2005, and was immediately nicknamed "Reggie" by the media and Pompey fans after the character Reginald Perrin from "The Fall and Rise of Reginard Perrin". He succeeded in keeping the club in the top flight, but was sacked the next season, just eight months into the job after achieving only 4 wins from 20 games

3 - Velimir Zejic, Portsmouth, 2004-05

Zejec arrived at Portsmouth in 2004 as an executive director, but the Croat was forced to take over temporary control of team affairs in November when Harry Redknapp resigned. Five months later he reverted to his intended director's role, following the arrival of Alain Perrin, but that was not an end to the troubles. He resigned from his position at Fratton Park on October 2005 due to personal reasons

4 - Jacques Santini, Tottenham Hotspur, 2004

Santini was one of the lucky ones, as he resigned rather than being pushed. Nevertheless, the Frenchman 's time at the club, which spanned just 13 games, must still considered a flop

5 - Gianluca Vialli, Watford, 2001-02

Having made wholesale changes to the club's coaching staff and made a number of signings which broke the club's wage structure, his team lost 19 of their 46 games and finished 14th. Vialli was sacked, and he ended up suing the club over the payment of the remainder of his contract

6 - Egil Olsen, Wimbledon, 1999-00

It was under this Norwegian's aegis that Wimbledon's 15-years in England top-flight ended. Olsen was sacked in May 2000, a decision that outraged Vinnie Jones - who bear in mind never ever played under the Norwegian because "I never got a chance to chin him"

7 - Attilio Lombardo / Brolin, Crystal Palace, 1998

Despite having no coaching experience, Lombardo was appointed joint player-manager in 1998 with fellow player Tomas Brolin and they presided over the club's relegation that season. Lombardo might have been one of the club's most skillful players ever, but promotion to coach was like being "run over by a lorry"

8 - Christian Gross, Tottenham Hotspur, 1997-98

Gross found it difficult at Spurs from the word go. Arriving into Heathrow Airport, the Swiss had to rely on the Tube to get to his first press conference as manager. A 6-1 defeat to Chelsea on his home debut, however set the tone for his tenure. And when Spurs lost two of their opening three matches of the 1998-99 season, Chairman Alan Sugar ended Gross's contract, blooming the media for destroying his reputation

9 - Ossie Ardiles, Newcastle, 1991-92 and Tottenham Hotspur, 1993-94

The Argentine lasted 12 months at St James' Park before being sacked, leaving Newcastle at the bottom of the second division. Ardiles joined Spurs in 1993, but despite the bringing in Jurgen Klinsmann, Ilie Dumitrescu and Gheorghe Popescu in summer 1994, he was sacked in October with Tottenham battling relegation

10 - Jozef Venglos , Aston Villa, 1990-91

The Slovakian manager was the first manager not from Britain or Ireland to take charge of a top-flight club in England, although he did not last long. His record of 18 different clubs in a career spanning 32 years reveals that he has not lasted long wherever he has gone

Real Madrid The Richest Football Club (2009)

Spanish Real Madrid have retained the number one spot on the World's wealthiest clubs by revenue list for the fourth year in a row

1. Real Madrid £365.8 mil
2. Manchester United £324.8 mil
3. FC Barcelona £308.8 mil
4. Bayern Munich £295.3 mil
5. Chelsea £268.9 mil
6. Arsenal £264.4 mil
7. Liverpool £210.9 mil
8. AC Milan £209.5 mil
9. AS Roma £175.4 mil
10. Internazionale £172.9 mil

10 Top Earning Players

No. 1
David Beckham
Age: 33
Nationality: English
Club: Los Angeles Galaxy
Earnings (m): $48.9, 24.4 pounds, 35.7 euros

No. 2
Ronaldinho
Age: 28
Nationality: Brazilian
Club: AC Milan
Earnings (m): $32.6, 16.3 pounds, 23.8 euros

No. 3
Thierry Henry
Age: 31
Nationality: French
Club: Barcelona
Earnings (m): $25.1, 12.5 pounds, 18.3 euros

No. 4
Ronaldo
Age: 32
Nationality: Brazilian
Club: Corinthians
Earnings (m): $21.2, 10.6 pounds, 15.5 euros

No. 5
Cristiano Ronaldo
Age: 24
Nationality: Portuguese
Club: Manchester United
Earnings (m): $18.5, 9.2 pounds, 13.5 euros

No. 6
Kaka
Age: 26
Nationality: Brazilian
Club: AC Milan
Earnings (m): $17.7, 8.8 pounds, 12.9 euros

No. 7
Fabio Cannavaro
Age: 35
Nationality: Italian
Club: Real Madrid
Earnings (m): $17.5, 8.7 pounds, 12.8 euros

No. 8
Andriy Shevchenko
Age: 32
Nationality: Ukranian
Club: AC Milan
Earnings (m): $17.5, 8.7 pounds, 12.8 euros

No. 9
Steven Gerrard
Age: 28
Nationality: English
Club: Liverpool
Earnings (m): $17.1, 8.5 pounds, 12.5 euros

No. 10
John Terry
Age: 27
Nationality: English
Club: Chelsea
Earnings (m): $17.0, 8.5 pounds, 12.4 euros

Learn From The Pros

Nike ads featuring football superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cecs Fabregas and more

Top 10 Most Expensive Football Transfers (2009)

1. Zinedine Zidane - Juventus to Real Madrid - £45.62m (2001)
2. Luis Figo - Barcelona to Real Madrid - £37m (2000)
3. Hernan Crespo - Parma to Lazio - £35.5m (2000)
4. Gianluifi Buffon - Parma to Juventus - £32.6m (2001)
5. Robinho - Real Madrid to Manchester City - £32.5m (2008)
6. Christian Vieri - Lazio to Inter Milan - £32m (1999)
7. Andriy Shevchenko - AC Milan to Chelsea - £30.8m (2006)
8. Dimitar Berbatov - Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester United - £30.75m (2008)
9. Rio Ferdinand - Leeds United to Manchester United - £29.1m (2002)
10. Gaizka Mendieta - Valencia to Lazio - £29m (2001)

10 Fundamental Football Facts

1. Did you know that the power of your shoot is not determined by your muscles? Instead, having good technique is the most important thing
2. Being a master on free styling will not necessary increase your performance on the field
3. Football is about 90% thinking and 10% physical
4. Learning how to kick the ball by using your both feet may increase your performance by 50%
5. The position of your non-kicking leg will determine the direction of the ball
6. Carbohydrates is your most important food while playing football
7. If you want to be a dribbling master you will need to perform your moves without looking at the ball
8. It is easier to perform difficult dribbling moves while having your knees slightly bent
9. Juggling is a great way for improving your overall football skills
10. While defending, don’t keep your focus on the ball too much. Instead, monitor the movement of your opponent and don’t let him receive the ball and do something useful with it

History of Football

By Mirsad Hasic

The history of soccer can be said as old as recorded history. The game has been played in varying forms. A game resembling soccer was played by the ancient roman and had 27 players at each side. But the game was said to be so violent that most of the players had to be given medical treatment and suffered many injuries in which both major and minor types are included. Still not much record is available for sports related activities as historians at that time were not so interested in them

Soccer also had to face difficulties in growing up as well. First it was not given too much attention and was played by people at a small scale. The 14th century also gave soccer some tuff time. King Edward passed laws against the soccer in the early 14th century. Anyone who was found playing soccer openly was imprisoned

The king said that the game makes a lot of noise through the people watching it and also by the players playing the game. Though it may be said as a completely senseless decision but considering the time, too much noise may not be liked by the people or the kings at least. But the game was living inside the people and they didn't seem to give up on the game. The game again saw a boom and public support from the start of the 19th century and again started to gain popularity among the masses

There was no official governing party so the game events were held by individual clubs and small group of people who were willing to keep the game alive. But the games usually didn't seem to end peacefully. Some injuries could be seen during the game and some maybe after the game during some quarrel lings between groups of people supporting different teams. Broken legs and busted heads could be heard and seen in the games and some minor injuries as well

Still there was no official rule book for the sports. Later in the mid 19th centuries, many colleges and small groups started making their own rules and the matches arranged by them had to be played in accordance to their rules. But a little later, Cambridge University introduced some rules which were called Cambridge laws, were then followed by many groups and colleges and many matches had started to be played within those rules and regulations. Then an association named Football Association was formed and only a single college and other small groups and people joined the association

In the year 1863, a number of meetings were held by this association and a few round of meetings between October and December 1863 proved successful and the first group of agreeable rules and regulations were decided. At first many groups decided to leave the association's governance because they were not happy with a number of laws

One of these laws was that the ball cannot be carried by the player in the hand and tripping (known as hacking) was not allowed and was considered a foul and the opponents were given due advantage for the foul. These and some others were not preferred by some so they decided to leave. But after some time, the football association was changed into Federation Internatinale de Football Association also known as (aka) FIFA in the early 20th century

The FIFA was also not given a welcoming hand at first but later people decided to accept it and the groups seeing this fame, joined it and this body is still governing the official matches held internationally and between clubs