Deco

Profile Football Stars | Deco | Deco arrived in Portugal in 1997 at the age of 19 along with fellow Brazilian player Caju after being acquired by Benfica of Lisbon. Despite good showings in training, Benfica decided to loan Deco to the Liga de Honra Alverca club, where he played for a season. Deco is one of the few players to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs - FC Porto in 2004 and FC Barcelona in 2006. Deco was the first player to win the UEFA Best Midfielder Award with two different clubs, Porto and Barcelona. Deco received Portuguese citizenship in 2002, having completed six years of Portuguese residence, opting to play Subsequently internationally for the Portugal national football team. Subsequently, Deco what Salgueiros transferred in the season 1998-99, playing games and scoring 12 two goals.

A key figure in the season 2002-03, he scored 10 goals in 30 games, but nevertheless received 17 yellow cards and one red card. Deco was one of the key players in Porto's UEFA Cup final 3-2 win over Celtic that year. In the 2003-04 season, Deco helped Porto recapture the national title and led the team to the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final, in which Porto won 3-0 over Monaco, scoring the second goal of the match. That season, Deco won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year as well as the award for the best midfielder in the competition.

On 17 June 2004, Deco told a Portuguese radio station that he would almost certainly join English side Chelsea (then coached by Jose Mourinho) following UEFA Euro 2004. Deco scored twice in the Spanish Super cup 2006-07, Barca won Which. Deco won the UEFA Best Midfielder Award yet again for his performance in Barca's Champions League-winning season, enabling him to join the exclusive group of players that have won the same award more than once with different teams, having won the Champions League previously with Porto.

Deco scored on his Chelsea debut and his Premier League debut, with a 30-yard goal in a 4-0 victory over Portsmouth. Deco followed up his performance by scoring in his second game for Chelsea, a curling free kick against Wigan Athletic. Deco made his Champions League debut for Chelsea on 16 September. Deco was Chelsea's 7-1 win in sensational over Aston Villa, creating chances for his teammates and helping Chelsea's midfield flow. On 6 August 2010, Deco signed a two-year contract with Brazilian club Fluminense on a free transfer, joining former Chelsea and FC Barcelona player Juliano Belletti. Also in 2010, Deco has won his first Brazilian Championship, participating Fluminense's victorious campaign in.

Having played six years of club football with Porto Deco allowed to gain Portuguese citizenship that made him eligible to play for Portugal. None of Deco's great grandparents, grandparents or parents were Portuguese and FIFA's player eligibility Therefore under Portuguese citizenship rules required to be Considered eligible. Deco was mentioned several times in the media as an option for the Portuguese national team. Despite the early criticism, Deco was one of the highlights of the Portuguese national team. Deco played for Portugal in their opening game against Côte d'Ivoire.

Personal information
Full name Anderson Luis de Souza
Date of Birth 27 August 1977 (age 34)
Place of birth São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1/2 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder

Club information
Current club Fluminense
Number 20

Youth career
1995-1996 National-SP

Senior career
years team
1996-1997 Corinthians 2 (0)
1997-1999 Benfica 0 (0)
1997-1998 Alverca (loan) 32 (13)
Salgueiros 1998-1999 (loan) 12 (2)
Porto 1999-2004 154 (32)
Barcelona 2004-2008 113 (11)
2008-2010 Chelsea 42 (5)
2010-Fluminense 53 (5)

National team
2003-2010 Portugal 75 (5)

Honours

Club
postage
     Portuguese League: 1997-98, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2003-04
     Taça de Portugal: 2000, 2001, 2003
     Portuguese Super Cup: 1999, 2001, 2003
     UEFA Champions League: 2004
     UEFA Cup: 2003

Barcelona
     La Liga: 2004-05, 2005-06
     Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006
     UEFA Champions League: 2006

Chelsea
     Premier League: 2009-10
     FA Cup: 2009, 2010
     Community Shield: 2009

Fluminense
     Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2010
     Taça Guanabara: 2012
     Rio de Janeiro State League: 2012

Individual
     Portuguese League Footballer of the Year: 2003-04
     UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2003-04
     UEFA Best Midfielder: 2003-04, 2005-06
     FIFA World Club Cup Golden Ball: 2006
     Premier League Player of the Month: August 2008
     UEFA Team of the Tournament: 2004

Orders
     Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa
    (House of Braganza)

Ángel di María

Profile Football Stars | Ángel di María | Di María started his professional football career in 2005 when he made his debut for Rosario Central. Ángel Fabián in María Hernández, is an Argentine footballer currently plays who as a winger for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Argentine national team. He is nicknamed El Angelito, Di Magia, El Flaco, El Pibito and Fideo, the Spanish word for noodle. After putting up a remarkable performance in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, playing for Argentina, in María caught the eye of Several European teams and in the end, SL Benfica of Portugal signed him.

Di María was transferred to Portuguese side Benfica in July 2007 where he played as a midfielder. Benfica paid Rosario Central € 6 million for 80% of his sports rights and 50% of sports right of Andrés Díaz. Later, in August 2008, the Portuguese club paid an extra € 2 million for the remaining 20%, So highly regarded was the María by Benfica That team president Luís Filipe Vieira, when presenting the young Argentine, of toll the club's supporters he had bought the perfect replacement for Benfica's Departing captain, Simão, a talismanic figure for Benfica for over five seasons. On 27 February 2010, at María scored his first hat trick in a classic 4-0 win against Leixões SC.

On 7 July 2010, in María arrived to Madrid directly from Buenos Aires, and passed the medical test on 8 July. As a result, in María's early performances for the season were mixed with moments of Genuinely good play interspersed with moments of sheer madness by the Argentine. In María Caused the two teams to clash and an on-field incident ensued. From October 2011, in María was being picked by José Mourinho ahead of Kaká and Mesut Özil, a sign of his improving form. On 27 November 2011, in María played 60 minutes in a league game against city rivals Atletico Madrid, in the which he scored a goal for Real Madrid. José Mourinho's team won the game 4-1. On December 3, 2011, Di Maria scored Real's first goal from a sharp angle in a 0-3 defeat of Sporting de Gijon in the La Liga.

In 2007, María was picked to play for the Argentina Under-20 squad. Di María was chosen as one of the 23 players for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. On 11 August 2010, he scored the first ever international goal at Dublin's new Aviva Stadium in a friendly against Ireland with Argentina winning 1-0.

Personal information
Full name Ángel Fabián in María Hernández
Date of birth 14 February 1988 (age 24)
Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Winger

Club information
Current club Real Madrid
Number 22

Youth career
2001-2005 Rosario Central

Senior career
years Team
2005-2007 Rosario Central 35 (6)
Benfica 2007-2010 76 (7)
2010-Real Madrid 50 (11)

National team
2005 Argentina U20 13 (3)
2008 Argentina U23 6 (2)
2008-Argentina 27 (5)

Honours

Club
Benfica
     Portuguese League: 2009-10
     Portuguese League Cup: 2008-09, 2009-10

Real Madrid
     Copa del Rey: 2010-11

Country
     Summer Olympics: 2008
     2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup

Individual
     UEFA Team of the Year 2010 nominee
     UEFA Team of the Year 2011 nominee

Axel Witsel

Profile Football Stars | Axel Witsel | On 30 August 2009, Witsel sparked Controversy when he broke Marcin Wasilewski's leg by stamping on his ankle during the match Between Anderlecht and Standard.  Axel Witsel Thomas, is a Belgian football player plays for Benfica who. On 17 September 2006 a 17-year-old made his debut with Witsel Standard Liege during a competitive game against FC Brussels when he replaced Steven Defour in the 89th minute. The initial ban until 23 November by the Belgian Football Association,  was later reduced on appeal to eight matches.

Axel Witsel currently plays for Benfica from Portugal, having signed a five year deal on July 13, 2011. Witsel scored twice in the 3-1 win against FC Twente in the Champions League play-off second leg, on 24th August 2011. He scored a 4-1 opener in a thrashing in Taça da Liga on 9th January 2012 against Vitoria SC. Scored his 4th goal against Santa Clara in 18th January 2012 for Taça da Liga.

Prior to making his international debut for the senior side, he played for the under-21 side in 2007 earning nine caps as well as Helping his side reach the semi-finals of the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. On 26 March 2008, made his international debut Witsel during a friendly game against Morocco. The match resulted in a 1-4 loss, but scored his first goal Witsel for Belgium.

Personal information
Full name Thomas Axel Witsel
Date of birth 12 January 1989 (age 23)
Place of birth Liège, Belgium
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Midfielder

Club information
Current club Benfica
Number 28

Youth career
2004-2006 Standard Liege

Senior career
years Team
2006-2011 Standard Liege 148 (33)
2011-Benfica 20 (0)

National team
Belgium U17 8 (0)
Belgium U19 3 (0)
2007 Belgium U21 9 (0)
2008-Belgium 27 (5)

Honours

Club
Standard Liege
     Belgian League winner (2): 2007-08, 2008-09
     Belgian Cup (1): 2010-11
     Belgian Supercup (2): 2008, 2009

Individual
     Belgian Young Footballer of the Year: 2007-08
     Belgian Golden Shoe: 2008

Keirrison

Profile Football Stars | Keirrison | Keirrison Became a regular in Coritiba's playing squad in 2007, Helping the club win the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B and being Promoted to the Following year's Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. He was the club's top goal scorer in That competition, with 12 goals. He was the top goal scorer of the Campeonato Paranaense in 2008, with 18 goals. He played his first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A game on 11 May 2008, when his club beat Palmeiras 2-0, but That he got injured in the game. Keirrison joined Palmeiras in January 2009. Keirrison made his debut for Palmeiras on 24 January 2009 against Mogi Mirim, scoring twice in the 3-0 win. On 26 June, it said on the Official Website That Palmeiras FC Barcelona had made a proposed offer for the striker. Due to this Keirrison would not be taking part in next Palmeiras game

On July 23, 2009, FC Barcelona on their website Announced That They had Agreed to terms with Brazilian club Palmeiras to bring Keirrison to the Camp Nou. Keirrison signed on a five-year contract.  On arrival at the Spanish club Keirrison expressed his adulation he has for his new club and was quoted as saying in Barcelona's official website "I hope to break into Pep Guardiola's side, and join many other who famous Brazilians have played here "and he also said" I always Followed Barcelona and the Brazilian players here played WHO. Many teams throughout Europe were linked with Keirrison after They heard of Barcelona's plans of loaning the Brazilian out to get used to European football.

Keirrison scored his first goal for Benfica in a friendly against Celtic. With the Abundance of strikers in form at Benfica Keirrison had found it hard to find a place in the first team. While in Portugal, Keirrison started one game for Benfica and played a total of just 199 minutes. On January 31, 2010 Italian side Fiorentina Announced on their website That They had come to terms with FC Barcelona to take the Brazilian on loan for 1 ½ seasons.

Personal information
Full name Keirrison de Souza Carneiro
Date of birth 3 December 1988 (age 23)
Place of birth Dourados, Brazil
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Striker

Club information
Current club Cruzeiro
Number 11

Youth career
2002-2005 CENE
Coritiba 2005-2006

Senior career
years Team
Coritiba 2006-2009 63 (33)
Palmeiras 2009 7 (5)
2009-Barcelona 0 (0)
2009-2010 Benfica (loan) 5 (0)
2010 Fiorentina (loan) 10 (3)
2010-2011 Santos (loan) 13 (4)
2011-Cruzeiro (loan) 8 (1)

Honours

Club
Coritiba
     Brazilian League Série B: 2007
     Paraná State League: 2008

Benfica
     Portuguese League: 2009/2010

Brazil Santos
     Campeonato Paulista: 2011
     Copa Libertadores: 2011

Individual
     Brazilian League Série A top scorer: 2008 (21 goals) (Coritiba)
     Paraná State League Best Striker: 2008 (Coritiba)
     Paraná State League Best Player: 2008 (Coritiba)
     Paraná State League Golden Shoe: 2008 (Coritiba)
     Trófeu Mesa Redonda: 2008 (Coritiba)
     2008-Golden Shoe (Placar Magazine) - Campeonato Brasileiro 2008 Top scorer (Coritiba)
     2008-Top scorer (Coritiba)
     2008-Best Newcomer (Coritiba)
     Arthur Friedenreich Award (for being Brazil's season top scorer): 2008 (41 goals) (Coritiba)