25 Şubat 2008 Pazartesi

Lilian Thuram

Lilian Thuram (born Ruddy, Lilian Thuram-Ulien,
January 1 1972 in Pointe-Ã -Pitre, Guadeloupe) is
a France|French soccer|football player. With the
France national football team|French national
team, Thuram won Wc|1998 and Ec2|2000. He is
currently considered one of the best defender
(football)|defenders in the world.

Thuram's soccer career began with AS Monaco
FC|Monaco of the French Ligue 1 in 1991. Later
stops included Parma A.C.|Parma (1996-2001) and
Juventus - his current club - in Italian Serie A.
Thuram has won the scudetto three times with
Juventus.

For France, Thuram has been capped 103 times (as
of the end of 2004) and scored two goals.
Amazingly, both of those goals came in one game --
the 1998 World Cup semifinal against Croatia
national football team|Croatia, as France won 2-1
to advance to the final. He also played in the
Wc|2002, Ec|96, and Ec2|2004. After a brief
retirement, he accepts to be back in the French
team on August 7th, 2005.

Thuram was named by Pelé as one of the FIFA
100|top 125 greatest living footballers in March
2004.

==Teams==
*AS Monaco FC (1991-1996)
**French Cup 1990/91
*Parma A.C.|Parma (1996-2001)
**UEFA Cup 1998/99
**Coppa Italia|Italian Cup championships 1998/99
**Italian SuperCup 1998/99
*Juventus (2001/02- )
**Serie A Championships: 2001/02 2002/03 2004/05
**Italian SuperCup 2002 2003
*France national football team|France national
team
**Football World Cup|World Cup appearances: 1998
2002
**European Football Championship|European
Championship appearances: 1996 2000 2004

John Terry

John Terry (born December 7, 1980 in Barking) is a
English professional football (soccer)|football
player. He was born in Barking, East London|East
London and went to Eastbury Comprehensive School.

Before being spotted by Chelsea, he played for
Sunday League Team Senrab FC. This team featured
many future stars including Terry himself, Bobby
Zamora, Paul Konchesky, Ledley King and J Lloyd
Samuel.

Terry is a strong, hard-tackling centre back, and
currently, captain, for Chelsea F.C. in the
English Premier League. He came up through the
Chelsea youth system, playing for the club's Youth
and Reserve teams before making his Chelsea debut
in October 1998.

There were strong calls for him to make the full
squad for the 2002 World Cup, his international
chances were ruined after an incident involving a
bouncer at the Wellington Club in Knightsbridge.
Terry, along with team-mate Jody Morris and
Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon defender Des Byrne, were
charged with affray. Terry was banned from playing
for England at all levels until the case was
settled. The player was cleared of all charges in
August 2002.

In season 2003/04, his strong, committed and
inspiring displays led to him being handed the
captain's armband by manager Claudio Ranieri when
Marcel Desailly was out of the side. He played
very well in the absence of the French legend,
establishing himself as a genuine contender for a
first team slot.

Terry is now a regular on the England national
football team|England national team, having earned
16 caps, making his debut in June 2003 against
Serbia and Montenegro national football
team|Serbia and Montenegro. He played for his
country at Ec2|2004. He has been the heart of the
Chelsea defense that has been the most
well-marshalled in Football league history in the
2004/5 season, conceding only 14 goals. In that
same season he was voted PFA Player of the Year by
his peers. In 2005 Terry was voted best defender
of the UEFA Champions League tournament of
2004/2005.

Early in his career Terry was involved in numerous
unsavoury off the pitch incidents, but he is now
praised as a model professional. Along with Frank
Lampard, Claude Makélélé Eidur Gudjhonson and
Petr Cech, he is regarded as a part of the "spine"
of the Chelsea team. He is especially popular with
Chelsea fans, as he is a Londoner who came though
the club's youth system. He wears the number 26
shirt at Chelsea.

He currently lives in Surrey with his girlfriend,
Toni Poole.

His older brother Paul Terry|footballer, is also a
professional footballer. He currently plays for
Yeovil Town FC.

Gary Speed

Gary Speed (born September 8, 1969 in Mancot) is a
Wales|Welsh football (soccer)|footballer, who
plays in midfielder|midfield. He currently plays
for Bolton Wanderers F.C., after a £750,000
switch from Newcastle United F.C. in July 2004. He
was also captain for the Wales national football
team|Welsh national team until recently, where he
retired from international football after the
side's 3-2 defeat to Poland national football
team|Poland in a Football World Cup 2006|World Cup
qualifier.

Speed began his career with Leeds United F.C.,
winning the title with them in 1992. He moved to
Everton F.C. in 1996, for a fee of £5,500,000. He
then moved to Newcastle in 1998, and while there
he became the club's most dependable midfielder.
Newcastle's manager, Sir Bobby Robson, was sorry
to see Speed leave the club, and acknowledged that
he would do very well for Bolton.

He had been capped for Wales over 80 times, and
holds the record for the most FA Premier
League|Premiership appearances. Besides being a
strong tackler, Speed is noted for skill in set
pieces, often scoring from them.

After his retirement from international football,
he was recommended to take up the mantle of Wales'
manager, by both the former manager Mark Hughes
and fellow Welsh midfielder Robbie Savage.
Bolton's manager Sam Allardyce has urged Speed to
see out the rest of his 2 year contract with
Bolton first. For his part, Speed has stated he
will not apply for the position but would talk to
the Football Association of Wales|Welsh FA if
approached.

Jean Tigana

ean Tigana (b. 23 June 1955, Bamako, Mali) has
played in midfield and managed professional
football (soccer)|football extensively throughout
France, including 52 appearances and 1 goal for
the France national football team during the 80s.
Most recently, he took Fulham F.C.|Fulham of
London from Football League Division One to the
English Premiership, and later the UEFA Cup (via
the Intertoto Cup), but was sacked in March 2003.
The club later took him to court, claiming he had
wrongly overpaid for certain players such as Steve
Marlet, but the charges were dropped.

Francesco Totti

Francesco Totti (born 27 September 1976 in Rome)
is an Italy|Italian soccer|football player, who
currently plays for A.S. Roma|AS Roma in Serie A
and the Italy national football team|Italian
national team. A creator as well as a scorer of
goals - not least from free kicks - Francesco
Totti can operate from a variety of attacking
positions but it is in the free role behind the
strikers that his skill and technique are best
showcased.

==Childhood==
Totti was born in Rome, in the San Giovanni
section of the city. His parents are Enzo and
Fiorella Totti. Totti played football throughout
his childhood. He first joined the junior team for
AS Roma in 1989.



==National team==

Hugely talented as a teenager, Totti scored in
Italy's 4-1 defeat by Spain national football
team|Spain in the final of the UEFA European
Under-18 Championship in July 1995. In the final
of the Under-21 competition in 1996, Totti opening
the scoring in a 1-1 draw against the Spanish
before triumphing on penalties.
Totti made his senior Azzurri debut in the Euro
2000 qualifying victory against Switzerland
national football team|Switzerland on 10 October
1998. He played in the finals tournament and
scored against Romania national football
team|Romania and Belgium national football
team|Belgium and played in the finals, losing to
France. More disappointment followed at the
Football World Cup 2002|2002 World Cup, with Totti
failing to make a significant impact and then
being sent off as Italy lost to the South Korea
national football team|Korean Republic in the
second round.

At Euro 2004, Totti garnered negative media
attention when he spat at Christian Poulsen, a
midfielder for Denmark national football
team|Denmark who had marked him for the whole
match. Totti was subsequently banned until the
semi-finals, but did not play in the tournament
again, as Italy failed to qualify for the next
round.

==Club==
Totti was just 16 when he made his first
appearance for AS Roma in a 2-0 away victory at
Brescia Calcio on March 28, 1993. He scored four
goals in 21 outings in 1994/95 and over the
ensuing seasons became a team regular. He was
named Italy's Player of the Year in 2000. The
following season (2000/1) he helped AS Roma secure
their first league title since 1983, having scored
13 Serie A goals. Unhappily, in the 2001/02
campaign Roma finished runners-up to Juventus, but
Totti returned with a personal-best of 14 goals
during the 2002/3 season.

2003/04: Playing in a more advanced role, Totti
hit a career-high 20 goals as Roma finished second
in Serie A.

2004/2005 : A very disappointing season, with Roma
almost being relegated.

Patrick Vieira

Patrick Vieira (born June 23, 1976 in Dakar,
Senegal) is a France|French football
(soccer)|football midfielder, who currently plays
for Juventus. He captained Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal
and won the Football World Cup|World Cup with
France national football team|France in Football
World Cup 1998|1998.

Born in Senegal in the Cape Verde|Cape Verdian
community, Vieira's family moved to Paris when he
was aged 8; he did not return to Senegal until
2003. Vieira first played for AS Cannes, where he
made his debut at the age of 17 and captained the
team aged only 19. Soon after that, in the summer
of 1995, he was snapped up by Italy|Italian giants
AC Milan, though he mainly stayed in the reserves
and only made two appearances for the first team.

In September 1996, the incoming Arsenal coach
Arsène Wenger asked for him to be bought from AC
Milan before he took up his position. Vieira's
height, stamina and physical strength meant he
settled in England quickly, while his composure
and the quality of his passing meant he became an
integral part of Wenger's stylish attacking side.
While at Arsenal, he made his debut for the France
national football team|French national side, in
1997 against the Netherlands national football
team|Netherlands.

Forming a midfield partnership with compatriot
Emmanuel Petit, Vieira won the Premiership and FA
Cup the Double|Double in 1998, his first full
season at the club. That summer, he was called up
to France's Football World Cup 1998|1998 World Cup
squad. Vieira came on as a substitute for Youri
Djorkaeff in the final against Brazil national
football team|Brazil, and set up Petit for
France's third goal in a 3-0 win.

Vieira's time at Arsenal was beset by disciplinary
problems - in FA Premier League 2000-01|2000-01 he
was sent off twice in two consecutive matches,
though after returning he didn't accrue a card for
28 matches. In all he has been sent off ten times
in his career (nine for Arsenal, once for France).

Vieira would go on to win 2000 European Football
Championship|Euro 2000 with France, as well as a
second Double with Arsenal in 2002. After Tony
Adams (footballer)|Tony Adams's retirement in
2002, Vieira (already vice-captain) became club
captain, since which his temper and associated
disciplinary problems cooled somewhat. Though he
missed Arsenal's 2003 FA Cup final win with
injury, Vieira lifted the trophy jointly with
captain for the day David Seaman.

In FA Premier League 2003-04|2003-04 at Arsenal,
he captained the side on a historic unbeaten
season in the FA Premier League|Premier League,
and in the 2005 FA Cup Final he scored the winning
kick in a penalty shootout (football)|penalty
shoot-out after a 0-0 draw with Manchester United
F.C.|Manchester United. In total, Vieira played
407 times for Arsenal and scored 33 times. For
France, Vieira has appeared 79 times, scoring four
goals as of July 2005.

Vieira's starring performances for Arsenal earned
the attention of several major clubs abroad. In
the 2003 and 2004 offseasons, he was strongly
linked with a move to Spain|Spanish superpower
Real Madrid. The Spanish side reportedly offered
Arsenal £23 million for him, which Arsenal had
agreed to, but after much deliberation Vieira
decided to stay at the club where he made his
name. However, a year later Vieira was finally
tempted away from Highbury. Arsenal accepted a bid
of �20m (£13.7m) from Italian giants Juventus
on July 14, 2005, and Vieira agreed a five-year
contract with the Serie A side the following day.

==Teams==
*AS Cannes (1993-1995)
*A.C. Milan (1995-1996)
*Arsenal F.C. (1996-2005)
*Juventus (2005)-
*France national football team|French national
team (since January 1997)

==Honours==
*FIFA Football World Cup|World Cup
**Appearances: 1998 2002
**Winner: Football World Cup 1998|World Cup 1998
*European Football Championship|European
Championship
**Appearances: 2000 2004
**Winner: 2000 European Football Championship|Euro
2000
*English FA Premier League|Premiership titles (3)
: 1998 2002 2004
*English FA Cup (4) : 1998 2002 2003 2005
*Selected to FIFA 100: 2004
*Carlsberg Player of the Year : 2004