CONTENTS PAGE
3 Introduction What the fanzine will be about.
5 Tactics Strategies and formations discussed.
7 Keeping The Ball Instructions on how to effectively keep possession on the pitch.
9 Training Drills Training methods to improve overall fitness.
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11 Midfield Postions An insight into what midfield positions exist and who is responsible for what.
13 Match Analysis An in-depth analysis into where a match was lost and won.
15 The Killer Pass How to split a defence with one pass
17 World Class Midfielders
Profiles of some of the world’s greatest midfielders to ever grace the pitch.
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INTRODUCTION This fanzine is created to give a fan/football player a rough insight into the technicalities of playing professional 11 a side football matches in various competitions. The aim is to offer knowledge to followers/players of the game about the midfield position, it is hotly debated where the best position is to play on the pitch we here, greatly believe that the midfield is the best position to play in. Midfielders ultimately control the game and can be involved in either the attacking phase or defensive phase of a match. We will show you exactly why midfield is the greatest position ever!
We will be looking at popular tactics used by different teams, from formations to philosophy to strategy to passing styles you name it. Keeping the ball is a tactic implemented by many teams however there are only a few who can actually pull it off we will see who. We will look at training drills that keep football players fit, with an intensive 5 days a week of training. Training improves skill, technique and most importantly fitness. The ability to last 90 minutes (or the required amount of time) is very for important a footballer.
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We will look at the various midfield positions we have positions such as attacking midfielder, defending mifielder, central midfield and many more. Each midfield position requires a player to carry out a role in order to support the team in both the attack and defence phase.
An in-depth analysis into where a single 90 minute match was lost and won, someone is always to blame other than the man between sticks, we will also see who provides the killer pass that splits the defence in to and allows the opposition a chance on goal.
Lastly we will look at the some of the world’s greatest midfielders to play the game. World class midfielders coming all across the globe from countries such as Portugal, Ivory Coast, Netherlands, Spain, Ghana and many more. We take a look at what exactly makes a world class midfielder, a recipe for greatness. 4
T-A-C-T-I-C-S
4-3-2-1 (christmas tree formation)
Tactics are one of the most important elements in a football match, get it right and you will be celebrating 3 points, a medal and or even a trophy. At times how a manager sets up his players will determine whether if it is a risk or reward. As this fanzine is based on the midfield position we will look at tactics that focus on midfielders.
4-4-2
Firstly we look at the most popular formation adopted in football association knows as the 4-4-2, it is considered to be a basic yet a trustworthy formation in football. The formation requires midfielders to take part in both attack and defence supporting either phase. One central midfielder is expected to support strikers or other attackers while the other midfielder holds his position and protects the defence; the two wide midfield players should move up the left and right flanks to the goal line in attacks and yet also protect the fullback (wide defenders), AC Milan are a team that regularly use this tactic on a European competition level.
4-3-2-1 formation
4–4–1–1
4-4-2 formation
4-4-2 diamoind (4-1-2-1-2)
The 4-4-2 diamond also known as the diamond, floods the midfield. The general width of the team comes from the fullbacks (side defenders) pushing forward and allowing more space to attack from the side. The defensive midfielder is sometimes used as a deep lying playmaker. Its most famous example was Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan, which won the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final and made Milan runners-up in 2005.
A variation of 4–4–2 with one of the strikers playing “in the hole”, or as a “second striker”, slightly behind their partner. The second striker is generally a more creative player, allowing them tot drop into midfield and pick up the ball before running with it or passing to teammates. Interpretations of 4-4-1-1 can be slightly muddled, as some might say that the extent to which a forward has dropped off and separated himself from the other can be debated. Manchester United’s, Wayne Rooney and strike partner Danny Welbeck demonstrate this by tactic, by dropping off to an extent creating some uncertainty to the 4–3–3 formation.
4–2–3–1
4-4-2 diamond formation
4-4-3
The 4-4-3 formation allows an extra player in midfield making a stronger defence also allowing players to stagger midfield resulting in different effects. The three midfielders stay close together to protect the defence, and move as a coordinated unit. The three forwards split equally across the field to spread the attack, and may be expected to mark the opposition full-backs sometimes helping their own full-backs.
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The 4–3–2–1, formerly know or described as the “Christmas Tree” formation, has another forward brought on for a midfielder to play “in the hole” (in-between strikers and midfielders) , so leaving two forwards slightly behind the most forward striker. In this approach, the middle of the three central midfielders act as a playmaker while one of the attacking midfielders plays in a free role. The “Christmas Tree” formation is considered a relatively narrow formation and depends on full-backs to provide presence in wide areas attacking open space. The formation is also relatively fluid. During open play, one of the side central midfielders may drift to the flank to add additional presence.
4-4-3 formation
This formation is widely used by Spanish and French sides. While it seems defensive to the eye, it is quite a flexible formation, as both the wide players and fullbacks join the attack. In defense, this formation is used to maintain possession of the ball and stop opponent attacks by controlling the midfield area of the field. The lone striker may be very tall and strong to hold the ball up as his midfielders and fullbacks join him in attack. The striker could also be very fast. In these cases, the opponent’s defense will be forced to fall back early, thereby leaving space for the offensive central midfielder.
4-4-1-1 formation
4-2-3-1 formation
These are the most common formations used on the football field, depending on what formation is being used different tactics will be employed by the manager in order for the team to achieve a win. Defensive midfielders, attacking midfielders and central midfielders are mostly responsible for both attack and defence so playing keep ball is can be vital in determining a winner. On the next page we will talk more about the keeping the ball tactic that is guaranteed to win you some games in tough competitions. 6
KEEPING THE BALL We will now look more in depth at some of the tactics employed during a game and will concentrate on the one that will most likely win you a match through useful possession and retention of the ball. There are a number of ways to keep the ball but some teams do it better than others which
Counter-attacking football
The aim of this type of football is to catch the opponent on the “break”. When they give away possession in midfield or attack, opposing players will tend to be further up the field than usual and may not be able to quickly adjust to a defensive mindset. Counter-attacking football may involve leaving one or two strikers near the half-way line in the hope that a through ball can be played to catch the opponent off guard. By kicking a long through ball for the furthermost white player (left up there in the hope of this situation - this is the “break” mentioned above), the player has a chance of scoring as he should have evaded the defense if he is fast enough.
is just down to an individuals level of technical ability, making it easier to employ a specific tactic, managers don’t have it easy aye do they. They alone are responsible for fielding who they believe are the best 11 players in a squad and and are capapable of winning a match, so you midfielders better hope you’re up to scratch!
Possession football
Styles of play
When it comes to keeping the ball there are many principles that a team should follow in order to successfully execute a style of play. There are also elements that should be focused on firstly we will talk about philosophy. Philosophy in terms of football determines what sort of approach the team will take, for example a team can set themselves up to be very rigid, rigid, balanced, fluid and very fluid. Very rigid means each player is expected to focus on a single phase of play within a very rigid system, defenders are responsible only for the defensive phase midfielders are solely responsible for the transition phase and forwards are responsible only for the attacking phase. A rigid system means central defenders are responsible only for the defensive phase. The full backs and more defensive midfielders, are responsible for both defensive and transition phases. The wingers and more attacking midfielders are responsible for both transition 7
and attacking phases. The forwards should only focus on the attacking phase. With a balanced philosophy Defenders and more defensive midfielders are responsible for both defensive and transition phase and more attacking midfielders and forwards are responsible for both transition and attack phases. A fluid philosophy means a team is split into broad attacking and defensive units with the more creative players responsible for the attacking phase, and the more defensively disciplined players responsible for the defensive phase however players from each unit are expected to move into the transition phase when they see or have a chance to do so. A very fluid philosophy means attackers must be able to defend and defenders must be able to attack, with players relying on their reading of the game and each others movements to shift in and out of each phase at the right moment.
Teams that aim to retain control of the ball over longer periods of time, in the process making a large percentage of passes that give low risk of losing the ball, are said to play possession football. Utilizing this tactic demands players skillful in ball control and precise passing. If successful, it will tire opposing players because they have to run and tackle more. A style of possession football originating from Spain is “tiki-taka”, where a large number of primarily short passes are deployed by multiple players of the team before culminating in a definitive strike on the opposing team’s goal. It was effectively employed by the UEFA Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup champions Spain, managed by Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque respectively, and the sextuple-winning 2008-09 FC Barcelona side managed by Josep Guardiola. Below is an example of possession football particularly with the figure at 62%, Chelsea dominated the possession and won 3-0.
Direct football
More often associated with counter-attacking football than with possession football, direct football means that players spend little time with the ball before passing. In order to achieve this, each player frequently uses only one or two touches. The direct attack is sometimes associated with the long-ball style. Long ball is the term used in association football to describe an attempt, often speculative, to distribute the ball a long distance down the field via a cross, without the intention to pass it to the feet of the receiving player. It is a technique that can be especially effective for a team with a tall striker to get in the box. 8
TRAINING DRILLS Training is the most important part in football, because training allows an individual player to improve their technical abilities, physical attributes and most importantly their fitness. As you know (hopefully) outfield players are required to play for 90 minutes (+stoppage time) unless a manager substitutes a player to either freshen up tactics, inject new momentum into a game or to replace a player that gets injured during a match and cannot continue. Players have to last up to 90 minutes imagine 90 minutes of running up and down a field you would be exhausted, I know I am just writing about it! Weekly training is vital for the players to enhance their performance on the pitch and overall improve their fitness and abilities. We will now look at some training drills and their effectiveness.
Strength (physio training) Strength training focuses on natural fitness, stamina, strength and work rate. Especially useful category if your players lose condition quickly in matches, and is a good category for pre-season training. Aerobic (physio training) This category affects 5 different attributes; acceleration, agility, balance, jumping and pace. Mainly for improving the athleticism of your player, it will make him faster, more agile and steadier on his feet. Often used in conjunction with the strength category to increase a players overall physical presence. Ball Control (general training) This category affects 5 different attributes; dribbling, first touch, technique, flair and heading. All are technical or accuracy attributes except for flair, which is an attribute that controls the unpredictability of a player. This category is useful if you feel your players repertoire is limited, and/or if you feel the player needs to control the ball better, as indicated by the category name. Defending (general training) This category affects 3 different attributes; tackling, marking and concentration. A fairly straightforward category, useful for all defensive minded players to increase their defensive precision. Attacking (general training) This category affects 3 different attributes; passing, creativity and crossing. Not as simple as the previous category though, as this one contains the prime attribute creativity, which essentially controls how many options a player has to choose between, together with technique and flair. Useful for all players on the pitch, but obviously most useful for attack-minded players. Shooting Lastly, this category affects 3 attributes; finishing, long shots and composure. Pretty self-explanatory, this category is useful for all players expected to provide end product, and will increase both a player’s accuracy in front of goal and how well he will make a decision under pressure. 9
Defensive midfielders Will need tackling marking and concentration as their key attributes as it is their responsibility to break up opposition attacks and hold the line in front of the defence, however they will also need passing, fitness and strength obviously to have a dominant presence in midfield but with and evoke fear in the opposition. Central midfielders Focus on the controlling the tempo of the game phase so key attributes would be passing, concentration, crossing, first touch and technique to name a few. Attacking midfielders Key attributes for an attacking midfielder would be passing, creativity, dribbling, flair, first touch and acceleration. Perfecting all of these attributes could possible make you a world class player because having all of these in one basket adds value to your reputation and price tag where all teams will be asking for your signature. 10
MIDFIELD POSITIONS We will now look at the several different types of midfield players that grace the game, what each position in midfield brings to the game on a whole and what their key attributes are that possibly puts some midfielders in a league of their own. From the combative defensive, minded and central midfielders to the more stylish and creative flair attacking midfielders, be it on the left side or the right side of the pitch, these midfielders ultimately run the match, dictate the tempo the outcome of the game. Without world class midfielders in a squad you look ordinary, teams that have world class midfielders are the ones who are more likely to be challenging for trophies, medals and championships come the end of a competitive league season.
DMC - Defensive midfielders MC - Central Midfielder ML - Left Midfielder MR - Right Midfielder AMC - Attacking Midfielder
Type of midfielders Midfielders are players whose position of play is between the attacking forwards and the defenders. Their main duties are to maintain possession of the ball, taking the ball from defenders and feeding it to forwards, as well as taking the ball of opposing players. Midfielders can be expected to cover many areas of ground, as at times they can be called back into the defence or required to attack with the forwards. They are the link between defence and attack, they must also defend when the opposition is in possession. Defensive midfielders The defensive midfielder is the backbone of the team. His job is similar to that of the sweeper (defender duties) with the exception that he operates in front of the defence, between the offensive midfielders and the stopper. He roams laterally from sideline to sideline, usually pressuring the ball. If any of his teammates gets beaten or loses the ball in the middle of the field the defensive midfielder is relied upon to the first providing back up. In offense, the defensive midfielder must stay behind the attacking line, collecting rebounds and miss-kicks, he is also expected to make supporting runs and give back pass options particularly when the ball is out, near the sideline.
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Centre midfielders Central midfielders play various roles on the field of play, and are probably the most important in terms of setting up attacks. Their position enables them to have an all-round view of the match, and as most of the action takes place in and around their area of the pitch, midfielders often exert the greatest degree of control over how a match is played. This section of the field is often known as a team’s “engine room”, because great teams rarely succeed without adept, commanding central midfielders.
Attacking midfielders Attacking midfielders are usually the fittest players in a team, considering that they have to be involved in almost every attacking play. Apart from their top form, midfielders need to have good technical ability. When a skilful midfielder is dribbling, he is not suppose to look at his feet but should be scanning the field for open space and moving teammates. In a practical sense, the midfielder needs to possess enough skill to so that he can concentrate on distributing the ball without mechanics involved. Overall the job requires skill, stamina vision and tactical understanding. Wide midfielders (wingers) The wide midfielders must be very fit and are suppose to be active in both defence and offense. In defence, they must mark the widest opponent on their flank. When they finds themselves free, the outside midfielder may pinch in towards the middle while remaining on the same level with the ball. This way they are preserving the defensive compactness of the team. In attack the wide midfielder must stay wide, especially in the early stages of build-up, by providing width they stretch the enemies defence. The wide midfielder should make supporting runs up the sideline and should be able to carry the ball, apart from good stamina the wide midfielder should have good 1-on-1 skills in order to beat the opponent successfully.
Deep-lying playmaker Some players prefer to set up an attack from a withdrawn position, and are often coined deeplying playmakers, mainly because of their ability to spread play and dictate the game from a withdrawn position. Despite their deep role, they are not classed as defensive midfielders as tackling and defence are not the main function of their roles, and they may have to be supported by a holding midfielder. Deep-lying playmakers are typically given a moderate amount of defensive responsibilities, but are granted freedom positionally to dictate the play as it evolves, as well as a license to attempt long riskier balls, to the forwards. Good long passing ability, to play balls towards forwards and wingers. Stamina, to cover large distances in professional football. In the top football leagues, a midfielder covers upwards of 10 kilometres per game. Short passing ability. Although many deep-lying playmakers have natural talent and creativity, they are expected to play short simple passes when deep in their half to avoid the possibility of a counter-attack. They are however given some degree of freedom in playing long passes deep into opposition territory. Creativity/Vision. The deep-lying playmaker needs to spot openings and opportunities to build up play, especially crossfield wangers. A good and sure first touch to control the ball when receiving passes under sustained opposition pressure.
Box-to-box midfielders The term “box-to-box” is often used to refer to the most dynamic all-round/complete midfielders, who provide both defensive and attacking prowess. The most versatile of players, they typically possess exceptional stamina and are usually skilled at tackling, passing, shooting and also good at keeping possession.
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MATCH ANALYSIS Below is a match analysis of a game that took place at the Emirates Stadium between Arsenal & Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League (BPL) competition on Sunday 8th April 2012 . A very intense battle between the giants of the BPL competition saw sumptuous passing, crunching tackles and mouth watering skill moves, from some of the world’s greatest players. The game almost threatened to remain goalless between the team, that was until Mikel Arteta of Arsenal fired home a spectacular 87thminute winner that saw all three points remain at the Emirates and left Manchester City empty handed. The victory by Arsenal was an example of a how to dictate the tempo of a game from the midfield as Arsenal heavily dominated pretty much the entire game ,thanks to the efforts of the midfield engine consisting of Tomas Rosicky & Mikel Arteta. How exactly Arsenal won the game against a supposed higher
This was probably Arsenal’s most convincing performance this season. The football was rapid, especially at the start whereby Tomas Rosicky set a dizzying tempo and provided impetus with his passing while Song typified the graft. The selection of Benayoun helped Arsenal keep possession higher up the pitch and probably hints at an end – at least in the big games – of the three striker tactic. But while it might have
been the template performance, there’s a danger of drawing too many conclusion from this win. And that’s because Arsenal have been at their best when they’re emotionally-charged and that level of intensity is surely hard to sustain. Wenger points to the improved “plan” and “more options” allowing the ”team to feel more confident” and it’s still not clear whether this team needs to be unshackled and be forced into taking creative risks.
Perhaps greater strengthin-depth next season will allow Arsenal to continue at this pace. Indeed, it was a couple of years ago Wenger stated the desire a produce a speed of passing game and while that might have been rebuffed earlier this season when key players departed, Arsenal’ strong finish has rejuvenated that ideology and lifted the club.
Arsenal were superb in compressing play, so much so that City accrued no shots on target. Indeed, most of their threat came from set-plays but it will have mostly pleased Wenger because it showed Arsenal played as a unit – not only squeezing the space but also keeping the ball well. It was also interesting to note the work of the central midfielders who essentially marked when pressing Arteta picked up
Milner, Song picked up Barry and Rosicky Pizarro and they almost followed them around the pitch. Arsenal had much joy in the first-half, attacking down the flanks and using the width of the pitch as the full-backs got forward. In particular, they forced Mario Balotelli all the way back down the right but Mancini was too slow to change it. Indeed, it was the wrong decision to play a striker down Arsenal’s
strongest side and once he made the switch, Mancini made the point that the distances in the 4-2-2-2 was wrong. Balotelli was City’s best attacker nevertheless but Mancini didn’t help him by playing him wide. In the second-half, Arsenal dominated in the way they usually play through rotation in the centre.
opposition will be looked at. Does this mark a new approach against the better teams for Arsene Wenger.. Time will tell.
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Arsenal defence paid the ultimate tribute. Laurent Koscielny and Thomas Vermaelen are crucial to Arsenal’s style working and they helped compress play – almost asphyxiatingly – in the opponent’s territory. (City only had five shots, none on target. Indeed, it must be remembered how difficult it is to keep a high-line is in today’s game and the fact that Arsenal have persisted and, on the whole, remained successful is an achievement in itself). Defensive security would have been on Arsène
Wenger’s mind after the way in which their possession approach was rebuffed last week at Queens Park Rangers and the way Vermaelen was exposed and certainly there was an improvement in that regard. The two central midfielders provided a solid base in which Arsenal could attack and in the first-half in particular, used the whole width of the pitch to pin Manchester City back. The selection of Yossi Benayoun might have helped in that aspect than first thought because his ability to keep possession meant neither Alex Song or Arteta had to
over-commit when getting forward. Indeed, Arsenal’s success this season in the middle has been the way in which they have rotated, alternating runs going forward and while that was on show again, their was an economy about Arsenal’s positioning. When one of the full-backs got forward, the central midfielders were in position to cover. Man City might not have been able to take advantage as they did in the reverse at The Etihad due to the absence of David Silva but certainly, Arsenal showed more control.
So there you have an analysis of how midfield players can take a grab on the game and literally run it from the midfield, with the efforts of Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky and Mikel Arteta, Arsenal were able to dominate throughout most of the game with (away team) Manchester City posing little threat to the home team’s goal. Though it ended with one goal, you could almost tell by the statistics that it was (in some areas) a tight affair with little to separate the teams at full-time until Arteta’s 87th-minute strike.
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KILLER PASS When it comes to that one world class player (or several in other teams cases) that can dissect your defence with literally one pass, it’s only natural to fear for your defensive backline, all you may want to do is drop back and defend for your teams life but that in itself can be a risky tactic.
When many attacking teams see this development, they will immediately play the ball back, away from pressure. As seen in the diagram below.
This section talks about how players create that one magical moment where they turn the head on it’s game and provide an opportunity for their teammates to score a goal, in some cases an equaliser in others the winning goal, either way that one pass may well have changed the course of the entire game.
Passing the ball back allows the players employing the tactic to remain organized whilst either defending or attacking or even trying to break down the opposition.
There are three main principles when it comes to playing that killer pass for your teammates. Firstly you, as a playmaker need to be able to see the opportunity that lays ahead, and as long as you have the vision as well as the ability there is no reason why you should not attempt a killer pass unless your passing skill is not up to scratch and you want to leave it with another player then fair enough you are excused. The second factor in creating that pass is to choose the right moment
to release the ball, if you can see your teammate making a run anticipate well ahead for you to accurately deliver the ball to him. Even if you have to wait for the right moment, too soon and your team may lose possession of the ball allowing the other team to possibly start a counter attack which means your team getting back to defend the counter may be difficult. Too late and then a game changing opportunity will go begging. The last principle to consider is to make sure you put the right weight on the pass to a teammate. If you see your teammate running
Frequently teams will look to compress the field defensively at least depending on the tactic of the manager. This means, while the attacking team is passing the ball around and gaining ground in the opposition half, the defending at the back will step up to take space away from the attackers as seen in a diagram below. If performed well this type of defending could be the difference between a win, loss or a draw, so either 3 points, 0 or just the 1 point.
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and you pass the ball aiming to deliver it to him but over hit again a possible chance would go begging leaving your opponents to possibly construct a counter. Equally if you under hit a pass you also risk giving away possession So that moment of brilliance may what be needed to break the tie. If you manage to get and or see an opportunity to pass to your teammate who could possibly score, choose the right moment with the right weight on the pass, and then those extra hours you spent training won’t seem as much a waste when you manage to pull it off.
However, the truly dangerous attacking teams with world class players, always look to penetrate the defence with that “killer pass”. In this diagram whilst wide the full backs are coming forward, they are creating a great deal of space behind them for a midfielder to run into and receive the through ball. Which will ultimately allow the midfielder on the other team to either, pass to a team mate (creating a scoring opportunity) or to receive one.
By playing this through ball with the defenders out of position, you are not only taking advantage of the space being created with the defenders moving forward or out of position, but you are also taking advantage of their momentum going in the opposite direction so a team (given their ability) may be able to capitalize during that period making them more likely to score, if not at least register a shot on target. The killer pass is made to a team mate making a run into a space and is not just a hopeless kick or pass forward it is important to understand the difference between each action. After making one or two of these through balls, it will slow down the opposing full backs stepping up and give the midfielders more time on the ball to create that golden opportunity.
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While Xavi draws the majority of the Spanish midfield’s plaudits, Andres Iniesta is a quiet force that is more than capable of producing massive displays on the pitch. His success with Barcelona at the club level is only one indicator of his exquisite abilities, but he translates that regularly into success with the national team as well, including capturing the 2008 European Championship. Iniesta is a sublime passer of the ball with great vision and fantastic touch.
WORLD CLASS MIDFIELDERS As it would be a little inaccurate to select exactly who is the worlds best midfielder we decided to show a range of players from different regions of the world and I guess you fans can make your own mind up, based on our list, enjoy! For the U.S. to advance, Landon Donovan has to play extremely well. In his loan stint at Premiership side Everton this year, Donovan proved that he is a legitimate world-class player. But he was still a role player in England. For the U.S. to be successful (aka, advance to the second round), Donovan needs to dominate the midfield. He needs to control play, distribute, and at times he’ll need to finish. The U.S. will only go as far as Landon Donovan takes them. With one of the best midfield goal-scoring records in the Premier League over the past few seasons, England’s Frank Lampard has a predatory instinct to find the back of the net. Lampard has been one of the main focal points in Chelsea’s success in the past decade, the main reason he remains a constant starter in the starting eleven in one of the deepest squads in football.
Let go by Real Madrid this summer, Wesley Sneijder showed the Spanish giants exactly what they gave up as he led his club team Inter Milan to the Champions League final on May 22. The pacy Dutchman has a wicked shot and the great ability to dribble himself out of trouble to find the open man. Sneijder is in great form ahead of the World Cup, and at the prime of his career, he could just be the man to deliver the Netherlands its first major title since the 1988 Euro.
Most world class midfielders gain fame with silky smooth skills and fluid movement, but Michael Essien adds thundering power and a never-quit engine to the mix. Probably the best two-way midfieler in the world, the Ghana star tackles with as much determination as he shoots from distance. His strength allows him to hold the ball long enough to make insightful passes, but also gives him the freedom to bang his way towards goal whenever he sees fit. 17
He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for pace, energy, skill and precise passing. Franck Ribéry is described as a player who is fast, tricky and an excellent dribbler who has great control with the ball at his feet. Since joining Bayern, he has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of French national team, Zinedine Zidane, has called Ribéry the “jewel of French football” Having played with such storied clubs as PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid and now Bayern Munich, Dutch winger Arjen Robben has created quite a following. His energy and skill level are phenomenal, and he has excellent pace to boot. Robben has almost single-handedly carried Bayern into the Champions League final this May, coming up with goal after timely spectacular goal en route to Madrid. Opposing defenses will have to be extremely wary of the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year as he tries to add a second World Cup to his resume. Kaka’s humble hunger, complemented by his amazing ability on the ball, makes the Brazil star one of the greatest. And while Kaka is brilliant at finding the open teammate, he is also more than capable of running up the score all by himself. The 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can do it all - and does so on a regular basis. The iconic lad from Madeira can strike the ball with either foot, is terrific in the air, and has a world class free kick to boot. Ronaldo has the scoring prowess of a striker, but runs a tight ship from midfield, making his goal-scoring numbers even more impressive. One of the two best players in the world,
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