robin van persie [the star]

van persie biography

Robin van Persie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɪn vɑn ˈpɛrsi] ( listen); born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord.[3] Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011, one year before he joined rivals Manchester United.[4][5] His playing style and ability have drawn comparison to Dutch legend Marco van Basten at his peak in the 1980s and early 1990s.[6][7]

The son of two artists, Van Persie was encouraged to follow in his parents' footsteps,[8] but he instead preferred football and joined SBV Excelsior's youth squad. He made his breakthrough at another hometown club Feyenoord, where he spent three seasons and won the 2002 UEFA Cup.[9] He was named the Dutch Football Talent of the Year for the 2001–02 season. Disagreements with manager Bert van Marwijk culminated in a change of club and Van Persie moved to Premier League side Arsenal for £2.75 million in 2004 as a long-term replacement for Dennis Bergkamp.[10][11] He won the FA Community Shield and the FA Cup in his first season with the London club but did not win another major trophy for the rest of his eight-year spell at Arsenal. Van Persie has been named Premier League Player of the Month three times.[12] In 2012, Van Persie was ranked 7th in The Guardian's list of 100 Best Footballers in the world.[13]

Van Persie was a Dutch youth international, having represented the Netherlands under-17, under-19 and under-21 sides. He made his senior international debut in 2005 in a friendly match against Romania. One month later, he netted his first senior international goal in a 4–0 win over Finland. Van Persie has 70 caps so far and has scored 30 goals for the Netherlands.[14][15] He represented his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UE
FA Euro 2012.

van persie

club carrier

Feyenoord

Van Persie joined Dutch side SBV Excelsior's youth squad at the age of 14 years, but left at the age of 15, due to the relationship with the coach and his mother, and thus signed for Feyenoord.[16] He was quickly promoted into the first team due to injury problems among the squad, and made his debut for the club at 17, which was the first of 15 total starts. He received the KNVB Best Young Talent award at the end of the 2001–02 season. He signed a professional three-and-a-half-year contract with Feyenoord in the following season, and scored five goals in a 6–1 Amstel Cup thrashing of AGOVV Apeldoorn on 6 February 2003. However, clashes with his manager Bert van Marwijk saw Van Persie demoted to the reserve squad, and an irate van Marwijk told reporters, "His behaviour made it impossible for him to remain in the squad any longer so he will join the reserve side for the time being."[17] During a match featuring the Feyenoord and Ajax reserves, he was one of several Feyenoord players assaulted by hooligans who had invaded the pitch.[16] Van Persie's rift with van Marwijk continued when he was sent home on the eve of the 2002 UEFA Super Cup final against Real Madrid after the coach was displeased with Van Persie's body language after being asked to warm up for a Champions League qualifier.[18] Van Persie finished his tumultuous debut season on the first team, making a total of 28 appearances and scoring eight goals, in addition to finishing runner-up in the KNVB Cup.Feyenoord unsuccessfully attempted to extend Van Persie's contract during the off-season, and his deteriorating relationship with van Marwijk led to his spending most of the 2003–04 season on the bench. He again played 28 matches, but finished with two fewer goals than the previous season. Feyenoord shopped him at the end of the campaign but found few takers due to Van Persie's past disciplinary issues. During the January transfer window, the Eredivisie club opened negotiations with Arsenal, who were seeking a long-term replacement for aging veteran Dennis Bergkamp, but both parties could not agree to terms.

Arsenal

2004–05

On 17 May 2004, Van Persie signed a four-year deal with Arsenal for £2.75 million, just over half of Feyenoord's original asking price of £5 million.^[19] Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who planned to convert Van Persie from a left winger to a centre forward as he had successfully done with star player Thierry Henry,^[20] said of his new acquisition, "He can play on the left side of midfield, as a creative player behind the main strikers or as a target man."^[21] Arsenal had further padded their stable of strikers in January by signing Spanish forward José Antonio Reyes,^[22] leaving the two to battle for playing time. Van Persie made his debut and won a trophy in the process, as he came on as a substitute in the 3–1 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United on 8 August 2004. Van Persie spent most of his time on the bench during earlier parts of the 2004–05 season, and made his competitive debut on 27 October by scoring Arsenal's opening goal in a 2–1 League Cup win over Manchester City.

He was sent off for the first time, however, in an Arsenal shirt on 26 February during a 1–1 road draw with Southampton, following a lunge at left back Graeme Le Saux, for which Wenger was seen yelling an obscenity at Van Persie from the sidelines. He then later lambasted his charge in the press. "I do not support Van Persie today, but he did not look out of control at half-time. When the referee has sent off a home player, he is under pressure, so, if any player had to behave, it was him." Meanwhile, Telegraph sportswriter Clive White described Van Persie in his match report as "21 going on nine."^[24] Van Persie was consequently benched for a number of games, starting with Arsenal's upcoming FA Cup replay against Sheffield United,^[25] and he was reintroduced into the squad only after Henry was out with a calf injury, and his return to the first team saw him score twice in a FA Cup semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers. The rest of Van Persie's season was cut short by injury, and he finished with ten goals in 41 appearances in all competitions.^[26]

2005 to 2006

 Van Persie's good form at the start of the 2005–06 season earned him the Player of the Month award for November 2005 after eight goals in eight starts,[20] and he was rewarded with a five-year contract extension until 2011 on 4 January.[27] Two days after signing the contract, however, Van Persie was again hit by injury when an opponent stepped on his foot and broke his toe during an FA Cup match against Cardiff.[28]

Van Persie played the next three matches with a hole cut into his shoe to alleviate the pain until he was finally rested for Arsenal's Premier League match against West Ham United on 1 February.[18] He was an unused substitute in Arsenal's first Champions League final appearance, a 2–1 loss to FC Barcelona.[29]

2006–07

  The beginning of the 2006–07 season included an airborne volley against Charlton Athletic that Wenger called "the goal of a lifetime"[30] and was later named BBC Sport's Goal of the Month for September,[31] and he capped off the calendar year by being named the 2006 Rotterdam Sportsman of the Year. His season, however, ended early for the second time in his career on 21 January, when he fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot while celebrating his late equalizer in a match against Manchester United.[32] Although Van Persie was injured for a large part of the season he still managed to finish as Arsenal's top goalscorer with 13 goals in all competitions

After Henry departed for Barcelona prior to the 2007–08 season, Van Persie assumed the role as Arsenal's main striker. Following a streak of seven goals in ten regular-season games, Van Persie was sidelined for two months with a knee injury suffered on international duty.[33] He made his comeback in Arsenal's Champions League group stage win over Steaua București on 12 December and made his Premier League return in the win against Chelsea over the weekend. He picked up, however, a recurrent injury that kept him sidelined until January when he played 45 minutes in a League Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur. He was withdrawn at half-time following another injury scare and featured sporadically throughout the rest of the campaign.[34]2007 to 2008

2008 to 2009

 Van Persie opened his 2008–09 account on 31 August with a brace in Arsenal's 3–0 league victory over Newcastle United.[35] On 29 October, he scored his fiftieth career Arsenal goal in a 4–4 home draw with North London derby rivals Tottenham, but was hit with his first red card of the season on 1 November after knocking down goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen with a shoulder charge in a 2–1 loss to Stoke City. Sørensen later admitted to "teasing" Van Persie in an attempt to provoke a reaction.[36] On 30 November, he scored a brace against Chelsea to help Arsenal come from behind and pick up a 2–1 victory at Stamford Bridge.[37] On 21 December 2008, he scored a spectacular goal against Liverpool, which became his second-career BBC Goal of the Month.[38] With captain Cesc Fàbregas injured and regular stand-in skipper Manuel Almunia rested, Van Persie captained Arsenal for the first time on 3 January 2009 for the club's 3–1 third-round FA Cup victory over Plymouth Argyle.[39] Van Persie scored Arsenal's first and third goals, while the second was a result of his cross being deflected into the net by a Plymouth player for an own goal.[40] In January 2009, every Arsenal goal that month was either scored or assisted by Van Persie, which earned him the club's Player of the Month award.[41] His most inspirational display being against Hull City, where he struck the post with a freekick, and provided three assists to his teammates; he later received the Man of the Match award. On 24 February, Van Persie scored a crucial penalty that earned Arsenal a 1–0 win over Roma in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 encounter, after he was fouled by defender Philippe Mexès.[42] He followed it up with a fifth Champions League goal by converting another penalty against Villarreal in a 3–0 victory. On the final day of the Premier League, Van Persie scored a brace against Stoke City, which guaranteed him for the second time in his career as Arsenal's top scorer. He had his best season overall for Arsenal as he scored 11 Premier League goals, along with a league-leading 11 assists and a career-best of 20 goals in all competitions. Van Persie was named the 2008–09 Arsenal.com Player of the Season.[43]

2009 to 2010

 With only one year remaining of his contract, Van Persie was in negotiations with Arsenal about an extension for several months in 2009. Finally, it was announced in July that he had signed a new long-term contract with his club, stating, "My heart is with Arsenal and I just can't picture myself in a different shirt."[44] The departure of Emmanuel Adebayor also meant that the Dutchman was now the main striker in Wenger's 4–3–3 system. Van Persie started the 2009–10 season with two assists in the first match against Everton, which led to a 6–1 victory. As one of the first choice penalty and corner takers, he has set up many of Arsenal's goals, including Thomas Vermaelen's debut goal against Everton. He scored his first goal of the season in the 4–2 loss at Eastlands to Manchester City, where he later had his head stomped on by former teammate Adebayor (an act which the referee failed to notice, but the FA later charged Adebayor with violent conduct and served him with a three-game suspension).[45] He then scored goals against Olympiacos, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, West Ham United, and Tottenham. Van Persie's excellent form in October did not go unrecognised as he was named Barclays Player of the Month for October, his second such award.[46] On 14 November, however, he injured his ankle in an international friendly and was initially expected to be out for six weeks,[47] but further tests showed that he would be out for five months. Van Persie made his return on 14 April, in a 2–1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. He then scored a header against Blackburn Rovers in the 2–1 defeat, and a goal assisted by Theo Walcott in the 4–0 win over Fulham in the last league game of 2009–10 season.

2010 t0 11

Before the start of the 2010–11 season, Van Persie changed his squad number to 10, previously worn by Arsenal and Netherlands legend Dennis Bergkamp.[48] He made his 200th appearance on 28 August but an ankle injury suffered in the same game placed him on the sidelines once again. He returned as a substitute for Arsenal's 0–1 defeat to Newcastle United on 7 November.

On 1 January 2011, Van Persie scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 away win over Birmingham City.[50] On 15 January, he added two more goals to his tally in a comfortable 3–0 win over West Ham. This made him only the fourth Dutchman to reach 50 goals in England's top division.[51] Van Persie scored his first career hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Wigan Athletic on 22 January[52] and two goals against Newcastle United in a 4–4 draw on 5 February.[53] Continuing his fine form, he hit a brace the following week against Wolverhampton Wanderers scoring both Arsenal goals in a 2–0 win including a volley from inside the box.[54] The ten goals he scored between 1 January and 12 February set a new Premier League record for most goals scored in the first two months of a calendar year.[55]

Van Persie set the Emirates alight with a goal from an almost impossible angle in Arsenal's fightback against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 which ended 2–1 in favour of the Gunners.[56] On 27 February 2011, Van Persie captained Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in the League Cup final, scoring the first half equalizer for the Gunners. It was his first goal at Wembley and his first in a cup final for Arsenal. However, he was later taken off in the second half with a knee injury he picked up while scoring the goal.

On 1 March 2011 he was ruled out for 3 weeks which would see him miss the Champions League return leg with Barcelona. However, he recovered in time for the return leg at Camp Nou. During the game, he received a yellow card in the first half for a foul. In the second half, he was sent off after he received a second yellow card when the referee, Massimo Busacca, deemed him to be time-wasting by taking a shot at goal after the whistle was blown (one second earlier) for offside. Barcelona went on to score twice more and advanced to the quarter finals on a 4–3 aggregate result. Afterwards, Van Persie described the Busacca's decision as a "total joke", claiming that with the noise of the 95,000-strong crowd he could not hear the whistle. On 19 March 2011, he scored the equalizing goal in a 2–2 against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. The match finished 2–2 with Arsenal still five points behind the current leaders, Manchester United.

On 10 April 2011 in a match against Blackpool, Van Persie put in a man of the match performance to give Arsenal a crucial 3–1 win as Van Persie set up a goal and scored the 3rd. On 24 April 2011, Van Persie became the first player to score in seven successive Premier League away games when he scored against Bolton, beating Didier Drogba's record who was on six successive away games, between August and November 2009. However, the Gunners lost 2–1, all but ending their title hopes. On 1 May he assisted Aaron Ramsey who scored the winning goal against league leaders Manchester United to add a twist to the Premier League. Van Persie was named EA Sports Player of the Month for April.[57]

On 8 May 2011, Arsenal lost 3–1 against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium, Van Persie scored the goal for Arsenal and with that goal Van Persie extended his Premier League record by scoring in an eighth successive away match. On the last home game for the season Van Persie scored against Aston Villa, but Arsenal lost the match 2–1. On the last game of the season away to Fulham, Van Persie managed to score in his ninth consecutive away match, bringing his goal tally for the season to a personal record of 18 league goals. He also equalled the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry by scoring 18 league goals from the turn of the year to the end of the season. He ended the season just two goals behind joint league top scorers, Carlos Tévez and Dimitar Berbatov in the race for the golden boot, despite being injured for half of the season. He was voted as the second best player of the 2010–11 season on Arsenal's official website and also received the team's Goal of the Season award for his audacious strike in the 2–1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League.

2011 to 12

Having been appointed vice-captain for the 2010–11 season, Van Persie was promoted to club captain following the transfer of Cesc Fàbregas to FC Barcelona at the start of the 2011–12 season.[58] On 24 August, Van Persie scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season in the second leg of Arsenal's 2–1 away victory against Udinese in a Champions League play off match. On 24 September 2011, Van Persie scored twice against Bolton Wanderers to raise his tally for Arsenal to 100 goals, he became the 17th Arsenal player to reach this milestone. On 16 October 2011, Van Persie scored the fastest goal of the 2011–12 Premier League season, 28 seconds into a home match against Sunderland.[59] He went on to score a late winner from a curling left foot free kick, to put Arsenal 2–1 ahead. After the match, Van Persie stated his dedication to the club after speculation surrounding a future transfer away from the Emirates. On 23 October, Van Persie came on as a substitute on the 66th minute replacing Marouane Chamakh and scored two goals against Stoke City. The match ended 3–1 with another home win for Arsenal.[60] He then continued his scoring run for Arsenal on 29 October by scoring a hat-trick in Arsenal's 5–3 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.[61] Due to his consistent performances and good goal-scoring form, Van Persie was named the Premier League Player of the Month for October 2011. Van Persie continued scoring as he scored Arsenal's opening goal of the match in their 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion on 5 November along with two assists. Then after the international break Van Persie scored both Arsenal goals against Norwich City to help the Gunners to a 2–1 win on 19 November 2011.[62] In Van Persie's fifth Champions League match of the season he scored twice in the 49th and 86th minute to lift Arsenal to a 2–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund and to qualify Arsenal for the knockout phase on 23 November 2011.[63]

After failing to score against Fulham, Van Persie scored again for Arsenal, this time against Wigan Athletic to make the score 4–0 to Arsenal on 3 December 2011.[64] He then added to his tally with the only goal of the game against Everton, an exquisite volley from an Alex Song long ball.[65] The following match, versus Aston Villa, saw him score a penalty and provide an assist.[66] Van Persie's final goal of the 2011 calendar year came in Arsenal's one-goal win over Queens Park Rangers on the last day of the year. The goal took his tally for the year to 35 goals, one short of Alan Shearer's Premier League record.[67]
The following calendar year started in the same fashion for Van Persie, but Arsenal began to falter, losing three consecutive matches against Fulham, Manchester United and Swansea City, even though Van Persie scored in the latter two. On 29 January, he rescued his team, scoring two penalties against Aston Villa in the fourth-round of the FA Cup to help Arsenal to a 3–2 win after falling 2–0 down in a Man of the Match performance. It was also his 120th goal in an Arsenal shirt, equalling fellow Dutch legend Dennis Bergkamp's total. On 4 February, he overtook Bergkamp as the 10th highest scorer in Arsenal's history,[68] scoring another hat-trick as Arsenal beat Blackburn 7–1 at home, with three close-range goals from crosses by Theo Walcott and Francis Coquelin. He was also credited with two assists in the game as he set up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's first Premier League goal and unselfishly passed to Thierry Henry enabling him to score his first Premier League goal since returning on loan.[69] With Arsenal in unpredictable form, Van Persie was again of supreme importance for Arsenal

, this time in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, played on 26 February. Arsenal went 2–0 down at half in the first half, but Van Persie equalized before half-time. In the second half, Van Persie gave the assist to Walcott's goal as Arsenal performed a remarkable comeback to win the game 5–2.[70] A week later, Van Persie scored both goals in a 2–1 away win at Liverpool, one being a left foot volley assisted by Alex Song which was similar to the one he scored against Everton earlier in the campaign. On 11 April 2012, after scoring the penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3–0 away win, he became only the second player to score against 17 different Premier League opponents in a single campaign. Van Persie finished as the top goal-scorer in the Premier League with 30 goals,[71] and became Arsenal's 8th all-time top scorer with 132 goals.[72]

On 4 July 2012, Van Persie announced that he would not be signing a new contract with Arsenal.[73] [74]

mancherster united

 On 15 August 2012, Arsenal announced they had agreed terms with Manchester United for his transfer, but Van Persie had yet to agree personal terms with the club.[5] On 17 August, Van Persie transferred to Manchester United for an initial £22.5 million, with an additional £1.5 million to follow if United won a Premier League or Champions League title within the next four years. He signed a four-year contract, keeping him at the club until June 2016.[76][77]

He made his debut on 20 August, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Danny Welbeck in a 1–0 loss to Everton.[78] Five days later, with his first shot for the club,[79] he scored his first Manchester United goal, United's first in a 3–2 victory over Fulham.[80] On 2 September 2012, he scored his first hat-trick for United in another 3–2 victory over Southampton, helping pull United back from a 2–1 deficit; his third goal was his 100th in the Premier League.[81] Van Persie netted a late penalty on 23 September to give United a 2–1 away win at Anfield against Liverpool, and opened his European account with the club, scoring a brace in the 2–1 away win against CFR Cluj, with both goals assisted by Wayne Rooney. On 20 October, Van Persie scored United's second goal in a 4–2 win over Stoke City, opening up his body and guiding a cross into the far corner with his left foot. In the next Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, he scored his 7th goal in the league, with a sidefoot finish from Antonio Valencia's driven cross to put United 2–0 up. He also played a part in the first goal, firing a shot against the post which cannoned off David Luiz and into the net, in a 3–2 United win. On 3 November, he scored against his former club Arsenal in a 2–1 victory. This meant that he had scored against all 20 current Premier League clubs. On 9 December, Van Persie scored a last minute winner from a free kick in a 3–2 victory over Manchester City, his Manchester Derby debut.[82] This goal ended City's unbeaten Premier League record in the 2012–13 season and also their unbeaten home record extending into the previous season.

On 23 February 2013, Van Persie suffered a bizarre hip injury in a league match with Queens Park Rangers after crashing into a television camera in the build-up to their first goal.[83]

 

karim benzema{real madrid star}

karim benzema

Benzema was born in the city of Lyon and began his football career with local club Bron Terraillon. In 1996, he joined the biggest club in the city Olympique Lyonnais and, subsequently, came through the club's youth academy. Benzema made his professional debut in the 2004–05 season and appeared sporadically in his first three seasons as Lyon won three titles in that span. In the 2007–08 season, Benzema became a starter and had a breakthrough year scoring over 30 goals as Lyon won its seventh straight league title. For his performances, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Player of the Year and named to the organization's Team of the Year. Benzema was also the league's top scorer and given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo. After another season at Lyon, in July 2009, Benzema signed a six-year contract with Spanish outfit Real Madrid. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season with the club, in the ensuing two seasons, Benzema reached prominence scoring 32 goals en route to helping Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey in 2011 and the 2011–12 edition of La Liga. He has been awarded French Player of the Year for his performances during the calendar year of 2011[5] respectively 2012.

Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. Prior to playing for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship. Benzema made his senior international debut in March 2007 in a friendly match against Austria. On his debut, he scored his first international goal in a 1–0 win. Benzema has represented France at two major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship. He made two appearances in the former competition against Romania and Italy in the group stage.

 karim benzema

  Personal life 

 Benzema was born in the city of Lyon, France to French nationals of Algerian descent.[6][7] His grandfather, Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tighzert, located in the northern town of Beni Djellil in Algeria before migrating to Lyon, where he eventually settled in the 1950s.[8] Benzema's father, Hafid, was born in Tighzert, in Kabylie, while his mother, Wahida Djebbara, was born and raised in Lyon; her family originated from Oran. Benzema is the third youngest in the family and grew up with eight other siblings in Bron, an eastern suburb of Lyon.[8] His younger brothers Gressy and Sabri are also footballers.[9] The former currently plies his trade at the amateur level with Vaulx-le-Velin in the Division d'Honneur, the sixth division of French football, while the latter plays in the youth academy of a club in the family's hometown of Bron.[10][11] Since establishing himself as an international footballer, Benzema has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. Since 2008, he has regularly appeared on the cover of the French version of the annual FIFA video game. Benzema is sponsored by German sportswear company Adidas and has, subsequently, appeared in several television advertisements for the brand.

Benzema is a practising Muslim, He observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan.[12]

On 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients in a prostitute ring operated inside of a Paris nightclub, with some of the women possibly being underage. The players were eventually revealed to be Franck Ribery, Sidney Govou, Hatem Ben Arfa, and Benzema.[13][14] Benzema was alleged to have had a sexual rendezvous with a prostitute when she was 16 years of age, an act Benzema denied through his lawyer.[15] On 20 July, Benzema was questioned by Paris police and indicted on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute."[16][17] In November 2011, prosecutors asked for the cases against Ribéry and Benzema be dropped, saying that the players were not aware that the escort was 16 years old.[18]

 karim benzema

Club career

early carrier

Benzema began his football career at his hometown club Bron Terraillon SC at the age of eight. While at the club, he was nicknamed Coco by friends and, after scoring two goals in an under-10 match against the Lyon youth academy, began attracting attention from the biggest club in the city.^[19][20] According to Serge Santa Cruz, who was president of Bron Terraillon in the 1990s, Lyon officials had visited him directly in an attempt to sign the youngster; however, Santa Cruz refused.^[21] After talking with Benzema's father, the club allowed the player to undergo a trial with Lyon.^[21] Following the trial, Benzema officially joined Lyon and was inserted into the club's academy at the age of nine.^[22]
Benzema quickly ascended up the youth categories in the academy. He served as a ballboy during Lyon senior team matches and performed well in school being described as a student who was "discreet and respectful".^[21][23] At under-16 level, Benzema scored 38 goals in the Championnat National des 16 ans, the domestic league for under-16 youth players in France.^[24] Ahead of the 2004–05 season, Benzema was promoted to the club's reserve team, which was playing in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Despite only playing with the team during the autumn campaign, he scored a team-high ten goals as the Lyon reserve team finished second in its group.^[25]

^{2004 to 2oo7}

 <sup>Benzema began the 2005–06 season under the tutelage of new manager Gérard Houllier. Under Houllier, he struggled for meaningful minutes due to the presence of newly-signed Brazilian striker Fred, as well as Wiltord. Benzema made his season debut on 2 October 2005 in a league win over Rennes appearing as a substitute.[30] On 6 December, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in Lyon's final group stage match against Norwegian club Rosenborg BK. On his competition debut, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 win.[31] A month later, Benzema scored his first professional double in a 4–0 win over Grenoble in the Coupe de France.[32] On 4 March 2006, Benzema scored his first professional league goal against Ajaccio in a 3–1 win.[33]

Benzema began earning more playing time in the 2006–07 season and made his competitive season debut in the 2006 Trophée des Champions against Paris Saint-Germain. In the French supercup, Benzema converted a penalty, which drew the match at 1–1. Lyon later won the league curtain-raiser 5–4 on penalties.[34] Benzema opened the league campaign on a quick note scoring in the team's first match of the season against Nantes.[35] Three weeks later, on 26 August 2006, Benzema appeared as a substitute and scored two goals in a 4–1 away win over Nice.[36] He also converted two goals in the Champions League group stage against Romanian outfit Steaua Bucureşti and Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv.[37][38] After appearing regularly during the autumn campaign, on 10 November, Benzema suffered a severe thigh injury.[39] The injury resulted in the striker missing three months of action before returning in February 2007. Benzema failed to score a goal until the final league match of the season against Nantes as Lyon recorded its sixth consecutive league title.[40]</sup>

                                                                                                                                     breakthrough season 

                 For the 2007–08 season, with the likes of Florent Malouda, John Carew, and Sylvain Wiltord all departing from the club, Benzema, despite being 19 at the time, switched to the number 10 shirt and was inserted into the lead striker role. After forming a special relationship with new manager Alain Perrin, he responded with 31 goals in 51 games. He topped the league with 20 goals, scored four goals in the UEFA Champions League, one in the Coupe de la Ligue, and totaled six goals in six Coupe de France matches, helping Lyon win their first ever double.[41] Some of his more dazzling performances that season included a hat-trick against Metz on 15 September,[42] an equalizing goal in the 90th minute from a free kick against Derby du Rhône rivals Saint-Étienne,[43] and a goal against RC Lens that was nominated for goal of the season by fans.[44]

In the Champions League, Benzema scored an important double against Rangers at Ibrox Stadium on the last match day of the group stage. The 3–0 victory assured Lyon progression to the knockout rounds.[45] In the knockout rounds, Lyon faced Manchester United and Benzema continued to score, this time it was from outside the penalty box in the first leg match which ended in a 1–1 draw[46] and United eventually won the tie 1–2 on aggregate. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and players praised Benzema for his performance.[47] Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas later accused Ferguson of tapping-up Benzema.[48][49]
On 13 March 2008, Benzema extended his contract with Lyon until 2013 with a one year extension option.[51] After signing his new contract, Benzema became one of the highest paid footballers in France.[52] For his efforts that season, he was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, selected to the Team of the Year, and awarded the Trophée du Meilleur Buteur for being the league's top scorer.[53][54] He was also shortlisted by the French magazine France Football for the 2008 Ballon d'Or award,[55] won by Cristiano Ronaldo.

                                                                        

                                                                         

                                                      season 2008 to 2009

Benzema got off to a good start for the 2008–09 season scoring twice in Lyon's opening league match against Toulouse.[56] The following three weeks, he scored goals against Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble[57] and Saint-Étienne[58] and scored a goal against OGC Nice, converting a penalty in the dying seconds.[59] Lyon won all three matches. As a result of his early goals, Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas quelled the many transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million price tag on the striker. He was also nominated alongside Franck Ribéry to be featured on the French cover of the video game FIFA 09.[60]

He scored his seventh goal of the league on 29 October, scoring in the 2–0 win over Sochaux. Benzema scored again the following weekend in a 2–0 win over Le Mans.[61] He was among the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring five goals,[62] a double against Steaua Bucureşti,[63] two goals in two matches against Fiorentina,[64][65] and a goal against the eventual group winners Bayern Munich on the final match day.[66]

Following the winter break, Benzema endured a rough patch going scoreless the first three games before recording his 11th goal of the season against Nice in a 3–1 victory.[67] Two weeks later, he scored his 12th goal against Nancy in a 2–0 victory.[68] The next nine matches, both Benzema and Lyon's form dwindled losing four matches, drawing three, and winning only two with Benzema scoring only two goals in that stretch, both of them against Le Mans in a 3–1 victory.[69] The bad form resulted in Lyon losing their grip on first place position and eventually falling out of the title race, thus ending their streak of seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles.[70] Benzema was a part of four of those title runs.

Despite losing the title, Benzema got back on track scoring his 15th and 16th goals of the season on 17 May in a 3–1 away victory over rivals Marseille, the first goal being a penalty.[71] He scored his 17th goal the following weekend against Caen in a 3–1 victory moving him into third place among Ligue 1 top scorers.[72]

                                                                    real madrid

                                                          session 2009 to 10

 On 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an agreement with Spanish club Real Madrid for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35 million with the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on incentives.[73] On 9 July, Benzema successfully passed his medical and signed his contract, a six-year deal, later that afternoon.[74] He was presented officially as a Real Madrid player later that night at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, similarly to the previous signings of Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.[75] Benzema made his Real Madrid debut on 20 July in the club's opening pre-season friendly against Irish club Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, appearing as a halftime substitute.[76] He scored the lone goal in the club's 1–0 win, scoring in the 87th minute.[77] On 24 August, Benzema netted two goals in Real Madrid's 4–0 victory over Norwegian club Rosenborg in an annual friendly tournament organized for the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy.[78] The goals brought his total tally in the preseason with Real Madrid to five, making him the joint top scorer alongside fellow striker Raúl.[79]

Benzema made his league debut for Madrid on 29 August 2009 against Deportivo La Coruña. He started the match, but was substituted out in the second half as Madrid won 3–2.[80] A month later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–0 victory against newly-promoted club Xerez.[81] After missing the mid-week match against Villarreal, against Tenerife at the weekend, Benzema scored his first double for Madrid in a 3–0 home victory.[82] He made his Champions League debut for the club on 30 September in a group stage tie against French club Marseille.[83] In the match, Benzema assisted on a Cristiano Ronaldo goal.[84] After failing to score a goal in the month of October, in the team's first match in November against Italian club Milan in the Champions League, Benzema scored the opener to give Madrid a 1–0 lead. His goal was later cancelled out by a Ronaldinho penalty.[85] On 7 November, in the El Derbi madrileño, Benzema assisted on Madrid's second goal, scored by Marcelo. Madrid won the match 3–2.[86]

In late November, Benzema began appearing mainly as a substitute as manager Manuel Pellegrini preferred Gonzalo Higuaín in the lead striker role. To coincide with his benching, the striker was also being criticized by the Spanish media for his under-performance and difficulties settling in the country as he had not yet begun learning the Spanish language.[87][88] He was even declared the "new Anelka" by a Spanish newspaper Marca blogger, referring to former Real Madrid striker Nicolas Anelka who had a tumultuous year at the club before being sold.[89] Benzema was defended by his compatriot Zidane who admitted "after two months, I was also criticized" and that Benzema was "a talented player and talented players in Madrid must win".[90]
On 5 December, Benzema appeared as a substitute for Rafael van der Vaart and scored the third goal in a 6–0 romp of Almería.[91] The day after the match against Almería, Benzema responded to the criticism by stating "I am totally integrated and very happy at Real Madrid" and "Yes, I have improved my adaptation. I have a new home and I'm learning Spanish to understand myself better with my teammates".[92] After nearly a month coming off of the bench, he started alongside Higuaín away to Valencia on 12 December and responded by assisting on one of Higuaín's two goals.[93] A week later, Benzema returned to the bench. On his 22nd birthday, he scored in a 6–0 home win against Real Zaragoza.[94][95] Following an injury to Higuaín in early January 2010, Pellegrini inserted Benzema back into the starting lineup.[96] After failing to score in his first two starts in the absence of Higuaín, against Deportivo La Coruña on 30 January, he scored a double in an important 3–1 away win.[97][98] Following the return of Higuaín, Benzema was relegated back to a substitute's role and finished the campaign by making eight consecutive appearances off the bench. Included in one of the those appearances was his final goal of the season against Athletic Bilbao in a 5–1 win.[99]

                                                                         

christiano ronaldo the rising star

                                     biography

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in Spain and represents Portugal at national level as the team's captain.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, was born on the 5th of February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira (Portugal). He began his professional career with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal but his talent was soon recognised by many of Europe's elite clubs all wanting to capture his signature.

As a junior, Ronaldo played for Andorinha for two years and soon made a move to more competitive football when he was snapped up by CD Nacional. In 1997, his move to a much higher level was confirmed when Sporting Lisbon captured his signature. His progression with the Portuguese team was rapid and in 2003, Ronaldo's rise to fame was meteoric. Sporting were opening a new stadium and to mark the event, hosted Manchester United in a friendly match. The players of Manchester United were reportedly so impressed by Cristiano's talent, they urged manager Alex Ferguson to swoop for him.

This soon became a reality and Manchester United came to an agreement with the Portuguese side to lure their promising talent to England for 15 million EUROS, or 12.24 million pounds. Ronaldo was eased into English football, much more physical than in other European countries, and it wasn't long before Ronaldo (or CR7 as he was known after taking David Beckham's famous number 7 shirt) became a household name.

Ronaldo's first honour with Manchester United was the FA Cup in his second season. Ronaldo's career with Manchester United was sensational and his partnership with Wayne Rooney had other clubs in Europe fearing the prospect of facing the Red Devils.

Ronaldo's personal highlight with Manchester United was being crowned as the Ballon d'Or in 2008, a title he has yet to re-capture after Lionel Messi won the accolade in 2009-2011.

Cristiano made no secret of the fact that he wanted to play in Spain and soon his dream move would be realised after Real Madrid made their intentions to sign the world's best player clear. The move happened in 2009 for a world-record transfer fee of 80 million pounds (94 million EUROS).

Cristiano reportedly earns 12 million EUROS a year with the Spanish giants and has won several major personal and team accolades including the Golden Boot and La Liga.

Cristiano recently got his 100th cap for Portugal at senior level, becoming the third youngest player at 27 years of age to reach such a feat. He is also the first football player in the world to surpass 50 million likes on Facebook.com.
                                       

  christiano ronaldo

                                              

mesut ozil {the rising star of real madrid }

biography

Mesut Özil (German pronunciation: [ˈmeːzut ˈøːzil], Turkish pronunciation: [me̞ˈsut ˈø̞zil]) (born 15 October 1988) is a German footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Germany national football team. Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, and a member of the German national team since 2009. He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated for the Golden Ball Award, which is awarded to the tournament's best player. Following his breakout performance at the World Cup, he was transferred from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid in August 2010.

Özil is acclaimed for his finesse and improvisation as an attacking midfielder. His style and knack for providing assists for his team-mates has been compared to that of Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane. In 2011, he ranked first in assists in major European and domestic competitions with 25. In 2012, he ranked first in assists in La Liga with 17.[3][4] He was also one of the top assist providers in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012 with 3 in both.

mesut ozil

club carrier

 Gelsenkirchen and Rot-Weiss Essen

Özil began his youth career playing for various clubs in Gelsenkirchen and then played five years for Rot-Weiss Essen.
Schalke 04

In 2005, he moved to the youth department of FC Schalke 04. He was a midfielder and wore 17 as his squad number, after starting as a playmaker and central attacking midfielder in the place of the suspended Lincoln in Ligapokal matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.[5] On making the first team there, he was described as "the next big thing," but he eventually fell out with club management and moved on to Werder Bremen in January 2008.[6]
Werder Bremen

On 31 January 2008, he moved to Werder Bremen for a reported fee of €4.3 million, signing a contract with the German club until 30 June 2011.[7] Fresh off his fallout at Schalke 04, he stepped into the shoes of Brazilian playmaker Diego to help lead the north German club to the 2009 DFB-Pokal with the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin.[8] He also excelled in Europe where he led Werder Bremen to the final of the last ever UEFA Cup, losing out to Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.[9] Although Bremen failed to get going in their 2008–09 Bundesliga season, eventually finishing a disappointing 10th, Özil managed to make a significant impact in most games and came away with a respectable three goals and 15 assists that highlighted his attacking credentials.[9] In his second season, Bremen finished a respectable third, with Özil contributing nine goals and 17 assists in 31 league fixture appearances.

real madrid {session 2010to11}

Due to his performances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he ensured his place among Europe's top young talents. He was sought by teams like Barcelona, Arsenal, and Manchester United and reports even claimed that a deal was struck for a transfer to Barça. Werder Bremen denied the report and on 17 August 2010, the team announced that they had reached an agreement with Real Madrid.[10] The transfer fee is believed to have been in the region of €15 million.[11] Upon signing, Özil said, "When the offer came in to join Real Madrid, there is no decision to make. Let's be honest – you don't refuse this club. I was in no rush to leave Werder Bremen, but this is one club you say yes to. They are an institution, a club with a fantastic history, stadium and squad full of world-class players. The prospect of performing at the Bernabeu is so awesome you jump straight in."[12]

He made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against Hércules, which Real Madrid won 3–1.[13]

Özil's jersey numbers were changed often before the season started. He was given the number 26 in the pre-season and 19 for his debut. But following the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart to Tottenham Hotspur, he was given the vacant 23.

Özil was brought in to back up teammate Kaká, but due to his surgery, Özil obtained a starting role. He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for Ángel di María in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, which Real Madrid drew 0–0.[14

Özil made his season debut in the Champions League on 15 September. He got his first assist with Real Madrid in the 74th minute against Ajax after he crossed for a Gonzalo Higuaín goal.[15]

He walked off the pitch as a second half substitute to standing ovations in his first two games as a starter at the Santiago Bernabéu. His first goal came in a league match against Deportivo La Coruña on 3 October 2010, in a 6–1 victory.[16] Özil's first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010.[17] On 22 December, he made his debut in the Copa del Rey, scoring once in a 8–0 victory over Levante.[18]

He finished the season with 25 assists, the highest for any player in any major European competition that season. Özil's performances for Real Madrid during his first season were praised by media, fans and players.[19][20]

2011to2012

Özil began wearing the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid in 2011–12, signalling manager José Mourinho's intent to use the German international as his main playmaker.[21] On 14 August 2011, Özil scored his first goal against Barcelona in El Clásico in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España.[22] On 17 August 2011, Özil was sent off in the last minute of the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa after an altercation with Barça forward David Villa.[23] Özil expressed his desire to end his football days at the club in an interview with German magazine kicker, saying, "I'd like to end my career at Real Madrid. I know it will be difficult because I have many more years ahead of me and many younger and good players will also be out there, but I want to be part of that future. I know what I'm capable of and I'm convinced I'll stay at Real Madrid many years."[24]

Özil was on the short-list of 2011–12-year's FIFA Ballon d'Or award.[25]
Mesut Oezil's boots on display at the Santiago Bernabeu museum

He finished atop the La Liga assists chart,with 17 assists.[26] On 2 May 2012, he helped Real Madrid to clinch its 32nd La Liga title as he assisted Real Madrid's first goal and scored the second goal against Bilbao, which Real Madrid later won by 3–0. Eleven days later, Özil scored two goals in the final game of the regular season against RCD Mallorca, once again consolidating his excellent performance with the club. The win made Real the first club in the Spanish top flight to ever reach 100 points in a season.[27] His fine form with Real Madrid and German national team saw him earn nomination for UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, in which he finished 10th, being youngest in Top 10.[28]

session 2012to2013

With arrival of Luka Modrić before the start of the season, the media claimed that Özil was unhappy at Real Madrid,^{[citation needed]} but he later refuted such talks and claimed that he's happy at club and is looking forward to compete for the place.^[29] After the start of the season, he added the Spanish Super Cup title to his honours. In league play, he provided an important assist to Cristiano Ronaldo who equalized in a 2–2 draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou.^[30] On 6 November, Özil scored a crucial 89th-minute free-kick to rescue a draw for Real Madrid and secure a point against Borussia Dortmund.^[31] He continued his fine form in the league as he scored another brace against Real Valladolid to rescue Real Madrid in a 3–2 win.^[32]