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Biography Cristiano ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. Manchester United paid £12 million to sign him in 2003—a record fee for a player of his age. In the 2004 FA Cup final, he scored Manchester's first three goals and helped them capture the championship. In 2008, he set a franchise record for goals scored. In 2009, Real Madrid paid a record $131 million for his services. Contents * Synopsis * Early Life * Intro to Soccer * Success with Manchester United * Departure to Real Madrid Quotes "It means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer." [On leaving Manchester United to play for Real Madrid.] – Cristiano Ronaldo Early Life Born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the country, Ronaldo is the youngest of four children born to Maria Dolores dos Santos and Jose Dinis Aveiro. He was named after Ronald Reagan, a favorite actor of his father's. Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood, his home a small tin roofed shack that overlooked the ocean. His early life was shaped by hardship; his father, a gardener, often drank too much, and eventually died from kidney problems in 2005. To help keep the children fed, and maintain some financial stability, Ronaldo's mother worked as a cook and cleaning person. Intro to Soccer It was through his dad's work as an equipment manager at a boy's club that Ronaldo was first introduced to the game of soccer. By the time he was 10 years old, he was already recognized as a phenomenon—a kid who ate, slept and drank the game. "All he wanted to do as a boy was play football," his godfather, Fernao Sousa, recalled for British reporters, adding, "He loved the game so much he'd miss meals or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework." By his early teens, Ronaldo's talent and legend had grown considerably. After a stint with Nacional da liha da Madeira, he signed with Sporting Portugal in 2001. That same year, at the tender age of 16, Ronaldo turned heads with a mesmerizing performance against Manchester United, wowing even his opponents with his footwork and deft skill. He made such an impression that a number of United players asked their manager to try and sign the young player. It wasn't long before the club paid Ronaldo's team more than £12 million for his services - a record fee for a player of his age. Success with Manchester United Ronaldo, however, did not disappoint. He showed his promise early on in the 2004 FA Cup final, scoring the team's first three goals and helping them capture the championship. In 2008, a year after signing a five-year, £31 million contract, Ronaldo again justified the high tab when he put together one of the club's finest seasons in history, setting a franchise record for goals scored (42), and earning himself the FIFA World of the Year honor. In all, Ronaldo helped steer Manchester United to three premier league titles. But Ronaldo's time in England was marred by his mother's 2007 struggle with breast cancer as well as his father's death from alcohol-related illness. The latter was especially hard for Ronaldo as the two had been close, and the young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter rehab and address his drinking. As lauded as Ronaldo was on the field for Manchester United, his commitment to the club came under constant question. Speculation swirled that he wanted to play elsewhere. So in 2009, when Spanish soccer club Real Madrid agreed to pay United a record $131 million for the chance to sign him, nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave United. "I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at the club and I know that I'm going to have much more pressure than at Manchester United because I was there for many years," Ronaldo told reporters. "But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer." In addition to his FIFA World Player of the year award, Ronaldo has also won the coveted Ballon d'OR, the Golden Boot, and been named the UEFA Club Forward of the Year, among other honors during the course of his career.

Barcelona

Barcelona Berdiri: 1899 Alamat: Avenida Aristides Maillol 8020 Spain Telepon: (+34) 93 496 36 00 Faksimile: (+34) 93 496 37 67 Surat Elektronik: atenciosoci@fcbarcelona.com Laman Resmi: http://www.fcbarcelona.com Ketua: Sandro Rosell Direktur: Antoni Rossich Stadion: Camp Nou, Barcelona Sejarah Singkat Stadion Gimnasio Sole, 29 November 1899. Sebelas pria dari berbagai kebangsaan menghadiri sebuah pertemuan. Mereka bermaksud menjawab iklan Joan Gamper sebulan sebelumnya yang ingin mendirikan sebuah klub sepakbola di Barcelona. Pengaruh beberapa figur asal Inggris membuat klub tersebut memilih nama Foot-Ball Club Barcelona. Warna merah dan biru konon dipilih karena Gamper terinspirasi warna serupa yang digunakan klub Swiss, FC Basel. Klub itupun lantas menjelma sebagai salah satu klub terdepan di Spanyol. Di bawah kendali Gamper sebagai presiden, Barcelona berkembang. Gelar pertama direngkuh pada 1902 di ajang Copa Macaya. Namun, setelah menjuarai Campeonato de Cataluña 1905, Barcelona kesulitan meraih gelar. Hingga 1925, Gamper menjadi presiden klub dalam lima periode berbeda. Salah satu pencapaian yang tak dilupakan selama kepemimpinan Gamper adalah kemampuan Barça memiliki stadion sendiri. Pada 1922, Barcelona menempati Las Cortes, yang berkapasitas 22 ribu penonton. Kelak, stadion tersebut berkembang lagi menjadi berkapasitas 60 ribu penonton. Stadion yang digunakan saat ini, Camp Nou, mulai digunakan pada 1957 dan merupakan yang terbesar di Eropa karena sanggup menampung 98.772 penonton. Periode kejayaan prestasi Barça setidaknya tercatat jelas pada 1950-an dan awal 1990-an. Periode pertama mencakup rezim pemerintahan diktator Jenderal Francisco Franco yang memaksa klub mengubah nama menjadi CF Barcelona. Bersama pelatih Fernando Daucik dan Ladislao Kubala, Barcelona sukses meraih lima gelar berbeda. Sejak 1955, Barcelona memegang rekor impresif karena menjadi satu-satunya klub yang selalu tampil di kejuaraan antarklub Eropa. Pada awal 1990-an, dominasi Barça ditandai dengan era kepelatihan Johan Cruyff, eks pemain dan juga peletak dasar pengembangan bakat pemain muda klub Katalan ini. Cruyff sukses membawa Barça menjuarai gelar Liga Champions pertama pada 1992 dengan menaklukkan Sampdoria, 1-0. Berkat kemenangan itu, Barcelona menjadi salah satu tim yang pernah menjuarai tiga ajang kompetisi antarklub Eropa, setelah sebelumnya pernah menyabet Piala Winners dan Piala UEFA. Musim 2008/09, sejarah terus tertulis ketika anak didik Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, membawa Barcelona sukses memborong tiga gelar sekaligus...