Football Genius: Alexandre Pato

Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva was born 2 September 1989, commonly known as Alexandre Pato, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker for AC Milan and the Brazilian national team. His nickname, Pato, refers to his place of birth, Pato Branco. The literal translation of «pato» from Portuguese to English is «duck,» which has evolved into a common nickname for him. In 2007, Pato was engaged to Brazilian actress Sthefany Brito. They mutually split up in January 2009 due to their inability to keep a long-distance relationship. However, they got back together, and on 7 July 2009, they married in a ceremony at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro. However, the marriage lasted less than ten months, and the couple divorced on 21 April 2010, with Brito citing Pato's constant partying as the reason for their split. In 2010, he had a brief romance with Miss Brazil 2010, Débora Lyra. Incumbent European champions Milan of the Italian Serie A officially confirmed the signing of Pato on 2 August 2007.

In June 2006, at only 16 years of age, Pato was signed by Sport Club Internacional to compete in the Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20. Despite the fact that he was competing against players up to four years older than he was, Pato became top scorer of the competition as Internacional Sub-20 defeated Grêmio 4:0 in the championship's final match. Pato was included in the Internacional squad that won the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup. During this event, Pato broke Pelé's long standing record as he became the youngest ever player to score in a FIFA-organised competition at the age of 17 years and 102 days old against African club champions Al-Ahly. Pelé was 17 years and 239 days old when he scored against Wales during the 1958 FIFA World Cup. Ready to join the Inter 13th team in November that same year, his debut finally happened at the Estádio Palestra Itália against São Paulo team Palmeiras for the Campeonato Brasileiro. Alexandre Pato met and surpassed any and all expectations of what was expected of him as he scored his first professional goal within the first minute of the game. The rest of his participation was spent dribbling and confusing defenders as he made two assists to help Internacional rout Palmeiras 4:1. He was substituted off in the 77th minute.

Pato said in an interview with the Brazilian television program Esporte Espetacular that at age 11, he broke his arm and while examining the injuries, doctors found a tumour in the arm and feared the arm needed to be amputated. A successful operation removed the tumour. Due to FIFA football regulations regarding non-EU minors, Pato was unable to play official matches for Milan until 3 January 2008, when the Italian transfer window and registration reopened. Milan, however, were allowed to include the player in friendlies and training beginning 3 September 2007, one day after his 18th birthday. Pato made his non-competitive debut in a 2–2 draw against Dynamo Kyiv on 7 September 2007 and scored a header. On 4 January 2008, Pato's transfer to Milan became official.

Pato scored his first Milan goal on his Serie A debut against Napoli in a 5:2 home victory on 13 January 2008. He scored his first brace for Milan, in a 2:0 victory over Genoa at the San Siro on 27 January. He finished the 2007–08 season with nine goals in 20 appearances. Keeping up with his promising figure, Pato debuted at the Campeonato Gaúcho on 24 February against Veranópolis and scored a goal in the 2:1 victory. He also debuted in Copa Libertadores on 28 February against Emelec of Ecuador and scored once during the 3:0 thumping. But the biggest highlight of Pato's time with Internacional was during the Recopa Sudamericana, as he helped Internacional win their first ever title of that competition. Against Pachuca of Mexico, he scored one goal in the 2:1 defeat in Mexico. But on the return game on 7 June and with more than 51,000 Colorados present, Pato had a great performance as he scored once and led the 4:0 thrashing to win Internacional's third international title. On 13 September, in a Champions League group-stage match against FC Barcelona, Pato scored the fifth-fastest goal in the competition's history, 24 seconds after kick-off. Later that month, he suffered a thigh injury during a 1:1 draw with Udinese. Pato made his return as a sub against Fiorentina and hit the post in the 79th minute in a 0:0 draw. He then scored and won a penalty in a 4:0 win against Chievo and in midweek, scored against Viktoria Plzeň and setup Robinho in a 2:2 draw. He started against Bologna the next week in a 2:2 draw. In January 2012, Pato was on the brink of moving to French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain. This move would have given Milan the opportunity to make a bid for Manchester City's Carlos Tévez. On 12 January, however, Pato refused the transfer, citing his commitment for the Rossoneri. During the Coppa Italia round of 16 victory over Novara, Pato picked up a muscle strain in his thigh, which tests revealed an injury of his biceps femoris of his left thigh, resulting in him missing the remainder of the season.

On 21 October 2012, Pato made his return to Milan, in which he assisted El Shaarawy for the second goal in a 3:2 away defeat to Lazio. On 6 November 2012, in a Champions League group stage match, Pato scored his first goal of the season with a header in a 1:1 draw against Malaga. He scored again in the Champions League against Anderlecht on 21 November 2012. Before the start of the new season, Pato switched to the squad number number 9, as Filippo Inzaghi had retired at the end of the 2011–2012 season. In the third training session of the season he injured his thigh and was kept out for the first six weeks of the new season.

Football Genius: Karim Benzema

Karim Mostafa Benzema was born 19 December 1987. He is a French international footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid in La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability.

He is described as an «immensely-talented striker» who is «strong and powerful" and "a potent finisher from inside the box». Benzema was born in the city of Lyon, France to French nationals of Algerian descent. 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. 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. His younger brothers Gressy and Sabri are also footballers. 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. 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 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.

He made his Champions League debut for the club on 30 September in a group stage tie against French club Marseille. In the match, Benzema assisted on a Cristiano Ronaldo goal. 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:f0 lead. His goal was later cancelled out by a Ronaldinho penalty. On 7 November, in the El Derbi madrileño, Benzema assisted on Madrid's second goal, scored by Marcelo. Madrid won the match 3:2.

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. 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. On 20 July, Benzema was questioned by Paris police and indicted on the charge of "solicitation of a minor prostitute." 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.

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. 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. After talking with Benzema's father, the club allowed the player to undergo a trial with Lyon. Following the trial, Benzema officially joined Lyon and was inserted into the club's academy at the age of nine.

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». 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. In December 2011, he was named the French Player of the Year for his performances during the calendar year. 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. 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.

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. 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. A month later, Benzema scored his first professional double in a 4:0 win over Grenoble in the Coupe de France. On 4 March 2006, Benzema scored his first professional league goal against Ajaccio in a 3:1 win. 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. Benzema opened the league campaign on a quick note scoring in the team's first match of the season against Nantes. Three weeks later, on 26 August 2006, Benzema appeared as a substitute and scored two goals in a 4:1 away win over Nice. He also converted two goals in the Champions League group stage against Romanian outfit Steaua Bucureşti and Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv. After appearing regularly during the autumn campaign, on 10 November, Benzema suffered a severe thigh injury. 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.

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. On 9 July, Benzema successfully passed his medical and signed his contract, a six-year deal, later that afternoon. 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. Benzema was called up to the senior team for the first time under manager Paul Le Guen during the break leading up to the second half of the season. As is customary with new players arriving at Lyon, the young striker had to stand up and speak to his new teammates, which at that time included the likes of Michael Essien, Sylvain Wiltord, Florent Malouda, and Éric Abidal. While speaking, Benzema was subjected to jokes and laughter, which prompted the youngster to declare «Do not laugh, I'm here to take your place». He, subsequently, made his professional debut on 15 January 2005 appearing as a substitute for Pierre-Alain Frau. Lyon won the match 2:0 as Benzema provided the assist on the second goal scored by Bryan Bergougnoux. Five days after his debut, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal. After making three more appearances as a substitute, on 2 April, Benzema made his first professional start in a 1:0 win over Lens. He finished the campaign with six appearances as Lyon won its fourth straight league title.

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. A month later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5:0 victory against newly-promoted club Xerez. 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. Benzema was called up for the first time to the senior national team by Raymond Domenech on 9 November 2006 for the team's friendly match against Greece that would be played on 15 November. Benzema described the call-up as "a reward", while also stating "I am pleased, of course, me and my family. A (the senior national team), is the national team's highest honor". Two days before the match, he was forced to withdraw from the team due to a thigh injury, which he suffered why playing domestically for Lyon. After failing to make the squad for the team's February 2007 match against Argentina, Benzema returned to the team in March for a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria. After failing to appear in the qualifier, he made his international debut on 28 March 2007 against Austria. 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. He scored the lone goal in the club's 1:0 win, scoring in the 87th minute. 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. The goals brought his total tally in the preseason with Real Madrid to five, making him the joint top scorer alongside fellow striker Raúl.

Benzema appeared as a half-time substitute for Djibril Cissé and scored the only goal of the match after a free-kick from Nasri. On 13 October, Benzema scored a double in a 6:0 win against the Faroe Islands. After appearing regularly in the team for the rest of the 2007–08 season, he was named to the 23-man squad to participate in UEFA Euro 2008.

Football Genius: Arturo Vidal

Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo was born 22 May 1987. He is a Chilean footballer who plays as defensive midfielder for Juventus and Chile. Although usually deployed as a defensive midfielder, Vidal is a versatile box-to-box midfielder capable of playing in a more attacking role as well. Vidal was born in San Joaquín, a working class commune in the Chilean capital Santiago, the second of six children. His potential was discovered by his uncle and he later joined the youth squads of local Primera División club Colo-Colo. Vidal represented Chile at the Under-20 level at the 2007 South American Youth Championship in Paraguay where he was the tournament's second top scorer with six goals. During the tournament he played central midfield and helped the team to qualify for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup where Chile finished in third place with Vidal scoring two goals in the tournament, including the match winner against Portugal in the Round of 16. Vidal made his senior debut in a friendly against Venezuela where Chile won 1:0. He became a regular under Marcelo Bielsa when fit during 2010 World Cup qualifying, playing in 11 matches and scoring a goal. He was then named in the final 23-man squad for the tournament.

The 2007 Apertura Tournament was Vidal's last with Colo-Colo as he left for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. Bayer had tracked his progress for some time and his good showing at the U-20 World Cup that year convinced Bayer's Director of Football Rudi Völler to make the trip all the way to Chile in order to convince the twenty-year-old to sign. The two clubs then agreed on a fee of $11 million with Bayer Leverkusen paying $7.7 million for 70% ownership of his contract. His transfer broke the previous record of Matías Fernández's $9 million transfer to Villarreal.

Vidal's professional debut came in the first leg of the 2006 Apertura Tournament final. The match was between Colo-Colo and arch rivals Universidad de Chile. Vidal came on as a late substitute for Gonzalo Fierro. Colo-Colo would go on to win the game 2:1 and win the championship as well. In the following season he became a more important part of the squad and would lead Colo-Colo to their second championship win in a row. Vidal scored three goals in Colo-Colo's Copa Sudamericana 2006 campaign. His good showing caught the eye of scouts from various European clubs. The 2010–11 season would be Vidal's last with Bayer. He helped the club to a runner-up finish in the Bundesliga and topped the assist charts for his club with 11 assists, which was joint second in the league. He also contributed two goals in their run to the Round of 16 of the Europa League.

After a good 2010–11 season, Vidal was linked with various clubs, including Bayer's Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich. On 22 July 2011, he joined Serie A club Juventus for €10.5 million on a five-year contract. He made his competitive debut in the opening league game of the season against Parma, coming on as a second-half substitute for Alessandro Del Piero; he marked his first appearance with a goal six minutes after his introduction in Juventus' 4:1 win. Vidal missed the first game of the season through injury but was soon thrust into the starting line-up and made his debut on 19 August 2007 in the away loss against Hamburg. He started in half the season's games and scored his first goal for the club just three games into his Bayer career. He was ever present for the 2008–09 season and played a vital role in Bayer's run to the German Cup final. On 8 March, he suffered a concussion during the game against VfL Bochum and was out for a month. Upon his return, he scored a goal to break the deadlock in the 4:1 semifinal win over Mainz in the German Cup but Bayer eventually lost to Werder Bremen in the final.

It was initially speculated that he would compete with Claudio Marchisio for a spot alongside Andrea Pirlo but Conte instead played all three effectively in a 3-man midfield. Vidal was an integral part of the 2011–12 Scudetto-winning side that went undefeated the entire season. He contributed seven league goals and three assists, including crucial goals against Napoli and a double against Roma. He scored one goal against current UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea, as they won 3:0.

Football Genius: Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was born on January 22, 1989 in Kentron district of Armenian capital Yerevan to Marina Taschian and Hamlet Mkhitaryan, a prominent striker of FC Ararat Yerevan during the 1980s, who died of a brain tumour when Henrikh was only 7 years old. His mother is the head of the national teams department in the Armenian Football Federation and his elder sister, Monica, works at UEFA's headquarters. He speaks five languages: Armenian, Russian, English, French and Portuguese.

He is an Armenian football midfielder, who currently plays for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. Mkhitaryan was chosen Armenian Footballer of the Year in 2009 and 2011. He was also voted as the best Shakhtar player of 2011-12 season by the fans. Mkhitaryan is also a member of the Armenian national team, participated in 33 international matches and scored 8 goals since his debut in an away friendly match against Panama on January 14, 2007. His previous clubs include Pyunik Yerevan, where he came through the youth system, and Metalurh Donetsk.

Mkhitaryan joined the Pyunik FC youth system in 1995 and was later promoted to the first team of Pyunik FC, making his professional debut in 2006 at the age of 17. He last played for the club in the 2009 season. During that season he scored 11 league goals in 10 league games. Due to his success in the Armenian Premier League 2009 at Pyunik Yerevan, he joined Ukrainian Premier League club Metalurh Donetsk. In his four seasons in the Pyunik first team they won the Armenian Premier League on four occasions (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009). They also won the Armenian Supercup twice (2007 and 2009) and the Armenian Cup once (2009). In total he managed 70 league appearances for the club with 30 goals and 89 total appearances with 35 goals.

On 2 August he scored the first goal in a 4:1 victory against Hoverla. On 6 August he scored the first goal in a 3:0 second leg Europa League win against Slovenian Interblock Ljubljana, winning 5:0 on aggregate. On 27 August he scored a goal in a 3:2 loss to Austrian side Austria Wien in a Europa League play-off match. On 26 September he scored the only goal in a 1:0 league victory against Kryvbas.

On 19 March he scored the equalising goal in a 1:1 draw with Dynamo Kyiv. On 11 April he netted a goal in a 4:0 victory against Illichivets Mariupol. He netted a goal in a 3:2 extra time loss to Tavriya Simferopol in the final of the Ukrainian Cup on 16 May. He finished the season with 14 goals in 38 appearances, including 29 league matches and 9 goals. During the season 2010-11 Mkhitaryan was bought for $7.5 million by the champions Shakhtar Donetsk. His debut came on 10 September in a 1:0 away league defeat to Obolon Kyiv, being replaced after 62 minutes by Eduardo. His home debut was more successful, with Shakhtar coming back from a goal behind to win 4:1 against Tavriya Simferopol on 19 September. He scored his first goal for the club in this match. Three days later he made his first appearance in the Ukrainian Cup, netting the second goal in a 6:0 win over Kryvbas. On 25 September he scored a late injury time winner in a 2:1 away victory over Metalist Kharkiv. He made his European debut for the club in the Champions League on 28 September against Sporting Braga winning 3:0. On 20 March he scored a goal in Shakhtar's 4:0 win against Volyn Lutsk. He made an appearance in the 2:0 Ukrainian Cup Final victory against Dynamo Kyiv, coming on in the 81st minute in place of Jádson. His first season with the club was extremely successful for Shakhtar as they won the treble.

The following season he was named captain of the club on July 14, at the age 21, making him the youngest captain in Metalurh Donetsk history. He scored his first goal, an 89th minute penalty, in a 3:0 victory over Obolon Kyiv on 16 July. On 24 July he netted a consolation goal in a 2:1 defeat to Tavriya Simferopol. On 21 August he scored the second goal in a 2:0 victory over Vorskla Poltava. He played his final match for the club in a 2:1 win against Dnipro on 30 August. In his second season he played 8 matches and scored 3 goals, all of which were in the league. He made 37 league appearances during his time at Metalurh, scoring 12 goals. In total he played 46 matches for the club, scoring 17 times. On 30 August he sealed a $7.5 million switch to reigning Premier League champions Shakhtar Donetsk.

On 2 December he scored in Shakhtar's 5:0 victory over Arsenal Kyiv On 11 December he scored the second goal in a 4:0 victory over Kryvbas. On 4 March he scored the equalising goal in a 1:1 draw with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. He scored the only goal in a cup victory over Metalurh Zaporizhya on 11 April. On 16 April he scored twice in Shakhtar's 5:1 away victory over Zorya Luhansk. On 6 May he played a part in Shakhtar's 2:1 extra time victory over his former team Metalurh Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup Final, coming off after 62 minutes for Douglas Costa. On 10 May he netted the second goal in a 3:0 league victory over Oleksandriya. In the 2011-12 season Shakhtar won the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup. Mkhitaryan scored the third goal in a 4:0 win against Obolon Kyiv in his first league match of the season. On 28 August he netted a goal in a 2:2 league draw with Chornomorets Odesa. He scored a consolation goal in Shakhtar's 2:1 home league defeat over Metalist Kharkiv on 23 October. On 27 November he scored the final goal in a 5:0 away win over Karpaty Lviv.

In an online poll on Shakhtar Donetsk official website, Mkhitaryan was voted as the best player of Shakhtar in 2011-2012 Premier League season with about 38% of total votes. He scored 11 goals in 36 matches, including 10 goals in 28 matches. Shakhtar retained the Premier League and the Ukrainian Cup in the 2011-12 season.

He assisted Luiz Adriano for the third goal in Shakhtar's 3:1 victory over Dynamo Kyiv. He scored Shakhtar's second goal in a 3:0 league victory over Zorya Luhansk on 15 September. On 19 September, in Shakhtar's first Champions League match of the season, Mkhitaryan scored twice in a 2:0 victory over Danish champions Nordsjælland. This was the first time he had scored a goal in the Champions League and he was named Man of the Match. He was also named in the Team of the Week for matchday 1 of the Champions League after his brace against Nordsjælland. On 28 September he scored the opening goal in a 2:1 victory against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. In 2012 Mkhitaryan was named in UEFA's Top 100 players.

Mkhitaryan is one of the most important members of the Armenia national team. He debuted in an away friendly match against Panama on January 14, 2007. Mkhitaryan played in 2:0 2012 Super Cup victory over Metalurh Donetsk. He got off to a blistering start in the 2012-2013 Premier League season, netting twice and getting two assists in a 6:0 season opening victory against Arsenal Kyiv. He scored another goal in the 3:1 victory over Hoverla Uzhhorod, two in a 4:0 victory over Volyn Lutsk and a further two, as well as an assist, in the 4:1 defeat of Vorskla Poltava. He managed a hat trick against Chornomorets Odesa in a 5:1 win to reach 10 goals for the season after just six games, equalling his tally for the previous season. He scored another goal in the next match against Karpaty Lviv in a 3:0 victory, extending his scoring streak to four games and scoring his 11th goal in 7 league matches. He scored six goals for Armenia in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group B, thus becoming top goalscorer in that group.

As of October 12, 2012, Mkhitaryan is the second top goalscorer of all time with 9 goals, after Arthur Petrosyan who has 11 goals in 70 matches.

Football Genius: Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi was born 24 June 1987. He is an Argentine footballer who plays for La Liga club FC Barcelona and is the captain of the Argentina national team, playing mainly as a forward. He is Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions, excluding friendlies. By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. Messi played in Barcelona's junior Infantil B and Cadete B & A teams from 2000 to 2003 (scoring 37 goals in 30 matches in Cadete A).

Season 2003–04 saw him on a record five different teams: He started one match in Juvenil B (one goal) and got promoted to Juvenil A (14 matches, 21 goals). Later he debuted for FC Barcelona C team (Tercera División) on 29 November 2003 and for FC Barcelona B (Segunda División B) on 6 March 2004.

The following year in 2009 he won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, and the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010 and 2011. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.

Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year, in which he was elected young player of the tournament. In 2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team. Sportspro has rated Lionel Messi as the third most marketable athlete in the world. During Barcelona's first game of the season against Real Sociedad, Messi continued his goalscoring run with 2 goals in a 5-1 win at the Camp Nou. Messi added another goal from a penalty in a 3:2 win against rivals Real Madrid in the first leg of the 2012 Supercopa de España in Barcelona on 23 August. He added another brace against Osasuna as Barcelona came from behind away from home to beat them 2:1. Messi added another goal from a free kick in the second leg of the Supercopa de España, as Barcelona, down to ten men, were defeated by Real Madrid on away goals. This marked his 15th goal in the Clasico Real Madrid-Barcelona derby, which made him Barcelona's top scorer in Clasico matches, putting him tied with Raul, behind only Alfredo Di Stefano, with 18 goals.

Messi placed second along with Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, with 17 votes each. The award was won by Messi's Barcelona team mate Andres Iniesta. In his third league appearance on 2 September against Valencia, Messi assisted the only goal of the match, by team mate Adriano, from a short corner. Messi scored two more goals in a win against Getafe on 15 September and added another brace in his first Champion's League match of the season against Spartak Moscow on 20 September, ending in a 3-2 win to Barcelona, also marking his tenth goal of the season.

Messi is the fourth football player to win three Ballons d'Or, and the second player to win three consecutive Ballons d'Or. Messi has won five La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three Champions Leagues, two Super Cups and two Club World Cups. In 2012, Messi made UEFA Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match. He also matched José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single Champions League season. He also became the first player to top-score in four successive Champions League campaigns. He set the world record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals. In the same season, he set the current goalscoring record in a single La Liga season, scoring 50 goals.

He played for both teams during the season (eight matches, five goals and five games, zero goals, respectively). Even before these two debuts, Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in a friendly match against Porto.

Often referred to as an Argentinian-Spanish player, this crossover was brought into sharp focus when in 2004, Lionel was offered the chance to play for the Spanish national U-20 team. He declined the offer given his Argentinian heritage, and was given the opportunity to play for Argentina's U-20 team in a friendly match against Paraguay in June 2004. Messi scored once against Paraguay and twice in friendly against Uruguay in July 2004. In 2005 he was part of a team that finished third in 2005 South American Youth Championship in Colombia. He won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands with the team and won the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe, scoring in the last four of Argentina's matches and netting a total of six for the tournament.

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. He is said to have been introduced to her by the girl's father when he returned to Rosario to recover from his injury a few days before the start of the 2006 World Cup. He has in the past also been linked to the Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar. In January 2009 he told «Hat Trick Barça», a programme on Canal 33: «I have a girlfriend and she is living in Argentina. I am relaxed and happy». He was seen with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo, at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario. On 2 June 2012, Messi assisted and scored a goal in Argentina's 4:0 win against Ecuador in a World Cup 2014 Qualifying match. He celebrated scoring his 23rd goal for Argentina, by placing the ball under his jersey, as his girlfriend is reportedly 12 weeks pregnant. She posted on Twitter that she is expected to give birth in September.

Football Genius: Javier Zanetti

Javier Adelmar Zanetti was born 10 August 1973. Zanetti was born in Buenos Aires to Violeta Bonnazola and grew up in the harbour area in the Dock Sud district. He combined schooling and working commitments, helping his bricklayer father in masonry alongside delivering milk, and working in his cousin's grocery store without neglecting his passion for football. He began playing football on a field in the city suburbs, maintaining the pitch in his spare time. He is of Italian ancestry.

He is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Inter Milan. Javier Zanetti has played for Inter since 1995, taking the captain's armband from 29 August 1999. Known for his versatility, he is adept on both the left and right wing, having played on both flanks as a fullback as well as a winger. He slots into several midfield positions with ease, particularly as a defensive or central midfielder. Internationally, he holds the record of the most capped player in the history of the Argentine national team and has played in the 1996 Olympic tournament and in two World Cups, in 1998 and 2002.

Known as «Pupi» in Argentina, Zanetti was born in Buenos Aires, picking up the nickname El Tractor soon after his move to Italy where his strength, resilience, stamina, and his ability to run past opposing defenders when joining the attack from his right back position earned him notoriety.

More recently, he plays in the right midfield. He ended a 4-year goal drought when he scored on 5 November 2006. In the national team, he is deployed as a right back but is able to switch between defense and attack easily. The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final on 22 May 2010 was Zanetti's 700th game with Inter, and the team's victory on the night ensured that Zanetti marked the occasion by completing a historic treble. He also scored on 20 October 2010 against Tottenham Hotspur to make him the oldest player to score in the UEFA Champions League at the age of 37 years and 71 days. This record has since been surpassed by Filippo Inzaghi and Ryan Giggs.

He made his debut for Inter on 27 August 1995 against Vicenza in Milan. Throughout his stay with the club, he has won 16 trophies, 15 of which came under his captaincy, the UEFA Cup in 1998 – scoring the second goal for the final with a shot outside the penalty area – the 2005, 2006 and 2010 Coppa Italia, the 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010 Italian Super Cup, the 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008, 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 Scudetti and the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League. In 2010, Zanetti became the first player to captain an Italian club to a treble of the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and European Cup. Zanetti has won five Serie A titles with Inter, having earned the nickname «Il Capitano» among the fans and media since taking captaincy at Inter. As of the 2011-12 season, he is the only non-Italian player to captain a Serie A team. He holds the record for the highest all-time appearances by a non-Italian born player for an Italian club and his 757 official matches for the club put him first in Inter's all-time appearances list. Zanetti, who plans to retire with Inter and continue to work with the club thereafter, is also noted for his charity work, running a foundation to benefit disadvantaged children in Argentina.

Since the arrival of Maicon at the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Zanetti was moved from the right back position into midfield. He ended a four-year goal drought when he scored on 5 November 2006 at a home match against Ascoli, having previously scored on 6 November 2002 at an away match against Empoli. On 27 September 2006, against Bayern Munich, Zanetti played his 500th professional match for Inter and on 22 November 2006, he appeared in his 100th UEFA match against Sporting Clube de Portugal. Zanetti went on an incredible twelve years without being sent off in a match. The first time he was sent off in his career was on 17 February 1999 in a Coppa Italia match against Parma, but he broke his streak when he was sent off in a Serie A match against Udinese on 3 December 2011. These are the only times he has been sent off during his entire career at Inter.

He has been named an ambassador for the SOS Children's Villages project in Argentina by FIFA, and in 2005, he received the Ambrogino d'Oro award from the Milan townhall for his social initiative. Zanetti is also a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics.

On 23 December 1999, Javier Zanetti and Paula De la Fuente were married in Argentina, after seven years of dating. They met when he was nineteen and she was fourteen. They live near Lake Como, and they also own a restaurant called El Gaucho in Milano in the Navigli district, a popular and touristic area. Today, Paula Zanetti, daughter of a university teacher, works as a photographer. On 11 June 2005, she gave birth to a baby girl, Sol Zanetti. Javier Zanetti said, "I'm very happy about this baby girl who has come into my life. It was a beautiful experience with my wife. My daughter will have all the happiness she deserves. Zanetti also has two sons Ignacio who was born in 2008 and Tomas who was born on 9 May 2012.

On 20 September 2011, Javier Zanetti made the all-time appearance record in a Serie A clash against Novara. The Argentine defender replaced Giuseppe Bergomi in the Inter record books upon his appearance against Novara.

Football Genius: Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos García was born 30 March 1986. He is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Spain national football team. Born in Camas, Seville, Andalusia, Ramos began his career at local side Sevilla FC, emerging through the club's youth system alongside Jesús Navas and Antonio Puerta. He made his first team - and La Liga - debut on 1 February 2004, coming on as a second half substitute in a 0–1 away loss against Deportivo de La Coruña. After emerging through Sevilla's youth system, he went on to be a defensive mainstay for both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, gaining his first cap at the age of 18.

Mainly a central defender, he can perform equally as a right back. In the 2004–05 season, Ramos appeared in 31 games as Sevilla finished sixth and qualified to the UEFA Cup, scoring in home fixtures against Real Sociedad (2–1) and Real Madrid (2–2).

At the club, Ramos was awarded the number 4 shirt, previously worn by Fernando Hierro. On 6 December 2005 he netted his first goal for the Merengues, in a 2–3 UEFA Champions League group stage loss at Olympiacos FC. In the summer of 2005, 19-year old Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for € 27 million, a record for a Spanish teenager. He was the only Spanish player brought in during Florentino Pérez first stint as Real Madrid president. Ramos scored a vital goal in the Spanish Supercup contest against Valencia CF, making it 2–1 to and 4–4 on aggregate in an eventual 4–2 win (6–5), despite the fact Real Madrid playing with only nine men for a long period of time. Although he experienced a slight dip in form, he returned to his best and on 11 January 2009, netted on an acrobatic volley against RCD Mallorca (3–0 away triumph), continuing his scoring run in the following week, in a 3–1 home win against Osasuna.

Throughout Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Ramos was a regular member of the starting eleven as the national side finished first in its group, above Sweden. He scored two goals, including one in a 3–1 away win over Denmark, in 11 appearances. Ramos was named in both FIFA and UEFA's 1754 Team of the Year, adding the FIFPro Team of the Year 2007–08 accolade. He also finished 21st in the European Player of the Year nomination for 2008.

Just at the start of the 2009–10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid's four captains of Real Madrid. As Pepe suffered a serious knee injury during the campaign, he was often deployed as central defender, and scored four goals in 33 league contests, but the team eventually came out empty in silverware. On 21 February 2010, he played his 200th official match for the capital team against Villarreal CF. During his first seasons, Ramos played as centre back, being also used as an emergency defensive midfielder on occasion. However, with the arrival of Christoph Metzelder and Pepe in the 2007–08 season, he was again relocated to right back, whilst displaying a goalscoring instinct unusual to many defenders, netting more than 20 overall goals in Real Madrid's shirt during his first four seasons combined. On 4 May 2008, Ramos assisted Gonzalo Higuaín in the 89th minute against CA Osasuna in an eventual 2–1 away win, the match that sealed Real Madrid's 31st league championship; on the final day of the season, he scored twice in a 5–2 home win against already relegated Levante UD, one through a header and another after an individual effort, taking his league tally to five.

In 2004, Ramos became an instant hit for Spain's under-21, for who he played six international matches. On 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win over China in Salamanca, he first appeared for the senior side at only 18 years and 361 days of age, making him the youngest player to play for the national team in the last 55 years (he held this record until it was broken by Barcelona's Cesc Fàbregas). Just seven months later, Ramos scored his first two international goals in a 6:0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was selected for the final stages in Germany and, after the international retirement of Real Madrid teammate Míchel Salgado, became the undisputed first-choice right back.

Ramos was selected in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, as Spain finished in third position. At the 2010 World Cup, held in the same country, he started every game, helping the team keep five clean sheets and reach the final, which they won 1:0 against the Netherlands, he topped the tournament's Castrol Performance Index with a score of 9.79. Ramos returned to the heart of the defence for the Euro 2012 tournament. When asked about his role change, he replied: «I have adapted and feel comfortable in the middle, but I am a World and European champion at right-back.» He played all the games in Poland and Ukraine alongside Barcelona's Gerard Piqué and, in the semifinals against Portugal, he converted his penalty shootout attempt in an eventual 4:2 win (0:0 after 120 minutes), scoring for the eventual champions in Panenka-style.

Football Genius: Enzo Zidane

Enzo Zidane Martínez was born March 24, 1995 year in Bordeaux. Soon the family moved to Italy in Turin, where Juventus shirt showed his father. And then there was carried out the most important and significant shift in Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane is a senior, and finished his career.

However, despite career Zinedine always found time to teach the game of Enzo. Grow up in a family of famous father or great benefit or burden. How can be the best coach for the growing boy than himself Zinedine? Not likely. Watching the game the father in Juventus and Real, named after the Argentine football legend Enzo Francescoli guy showed the same passion for football and the desire to follow in the footsteps of his father.

While the father had to push through: from Canna and Bordeaux, Enzo is in a privileged location: Madrid. In addition to a talented midfielder with excellent vision of the field can play for teams of three countries: France, Spain and Algeria. At some point it will have to make that choice, as long as he gets pleasure from football in real life.

To a question on the progress of his son He said: «his name is Zidane, so it may not be the wooden». Of course not. The young midfielder with a thick shock of hair on his head was a revelation at the junior level and has already attracted the attention of José Mourinho. September 5 training Portuguese drew with the main structure, and Enzo trained alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Kaka, Angel Di Maria and other stars of Real Madrid.

Of course, his father, now sporting Director of Real Madrid - come on out to see how it will look, son, surrounded by the most talented players in the world. Enzo in its 16 became a step closer to his idol is his own father.

Jr. Zidane has excellent ball control, superb technique, a quick decision and a great vision of the field. These qualities he is very reminiscent of his great father. The young talent has a fantastic blow and can create a space anywhere on the field. He inherited the famous even Zidane feint - Roulette, also known as «Snail Zidane».

They say children of the great nature rests. However, in the case of the Enzo this saying has all chances to fail. The guy is very talented and is the best of all possible hands. In the hands of Zinédine Zidane and Jose Mourinho.

Football Genius: Andres Iniesta

Andres Iniesta is a Spanish football attacking midfielder who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. European champion, world champion. Author of the sole decisive goals against the Netherlands in the final match of the World Cup 2010. FIFA, world football's second in the 2010 year (after Lionel Messi). In 2011, yielding Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi Hernández, became the fourth. August 30, 2012, Andres Iniesta was named the best player of the year in Europe, UEFA, overtaking Barcelona's Argentinian Lionel Messi and Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

12-year-old boy was noticed by Spanish Scouts of Barca season fizzle out against Mallorca in a local club Albacete.

He soon moved to Barcelona and began his climb to the first team. Iniesta debuted in Barcelona in October 29, 2002 Champions League match against Club Brugge. In the season 2003/04 Iniesta played for 11 matches and scored 1 goal in the Championship of Spain, mainly changing the main page zvezdu Club, Ronaldinho. Barcelona finished that season in second place in the Championship.

In the 2004/05 season Iniesta successfully secured a place in the first team, playing in 37 of 38 League games - more than any other player in Barcelona. As an attacking midfielder Iniesta has given many assists, supplying balls main scorers Club, Samuel Èto’o and Ronaldinho, and he managed to score goals scored only twice.

International performances Iniesta started in 2001, when he helped Spain win the European Championship to 16 years, and the following year took part in the Championship up to 19 years. In 2003, he was part of the Spanish team, which reached the final of the World Championship until the age of 20 in the United Arab Emirates, and joined the team of the tournament. On several occasions, Iniesta put Spain's youth (under 21 years) for leg in the role of team captain.

National team Spain Iniesta debuted May 15, 2006, in a friendly match with the Russian national team, coming on as a substitute in the break of the game. At the World Cup 2006, Germany spent one match against Saudi Arabia. His first international goal Iniesta scored February 7, 2007, in a friendly match against England. In 2008, he was one of the main players of the national team that won the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland. At the European Championships Iniesta also was one of the best in his team, he played in all 6 matches of the tournament, handing out passes and scored important goals contributed to winning gold medals. Missed the 2009 Confederations Cup due to a thigh injury, his place in the application took a Pablo Hernandez. July 11, 2010, the World Cup finals in South Africa, Andres at 116-th minute of the match against the Netherlands scored for Spain World Cup champion. Was voted best player of Euro-2012, despite the tournament not scored a single goal and gave up only one goal.

Football Genius: Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro born 5 February 1985. He is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portuguese National Team captain, which is. The most expensive footballer in the history of football for his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid was paid more than 83 million pounds. Considered one of the best football players of modern times. 

Ronaldo was voted PFA young player of the year 2004 European Football Championship. Premier League season 2006/07 (best player and young player of the season), 2007/08 (best player of the season) and 2008/09. In the season 2006/07 made with the Manchester United to the semi-finals of the Champions League, and the following season won the final at London's Chelsea. Golden boot winner of the 2008 and 2011. In 2008, he was voted the best player of the year in European football, UEFA and Champions League best player, received the Golden Ball as the European Footballer of the year and FIFA World Player of the year award as the best footballer in the world. 

Cristiano was born to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro (1954-2005). Cristiano was the fourth child in the family after older brother Hugo (born in 1975), and two sisters, Elma (born in 1974) and Liliana Cátia (b. 1976). Liliana Cátia is Portuguese, acting under the stage name «Ronalda». The second name given to Cristiano Ronaldo, at birth, quite rare for Portugal. Parents have named the boy in honor of Ronald Reagan, as the father of Cristiano was a fan of the former American President. 

In his childhood favorite team, Ronaldo was Benfica. At the age of eight, he played for amateur team Andorinha, where his father worked. In 1995, Cristiano signed with local club Nacional. After his victorious campaign in the «Nazionale» Ronaldo went on a three-day preview in sporting, which signed a contract with the Lisbon club. 

In 1997, Ronaldo joined Sporting's Youth Academy. He became the only player in the history of the Club, having played for all the compositions up to, 16 Sporting up to 17 to 18 years old, back and core team for one season. He made his debut for Sporting August 15, 2001, the adult in a friendly against Atlético of Lisbon, as a substitute in the second half and his mobbed. During this time, he played for the national team of Portugal at the Youth Championship, for players under 17 years old. 

Ronaldo became the first Portuguese player in the history of Manchester United, signing a contract with the club after the end of season 2002/03. Transfer amount totaled 12.24 million. pounds. Ronaldo has asked for number 28, as did not want extra pressure associated with the number 7, which had previously belonged to the legendary players United, as George best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. 

In the summer of 2009, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid. During the talks, Florentino Perez and David Gill came to the amount of 93.4 million euro (80 million pounds). Portuguese midfielder became the most expensive player in the history of world football, beating the record of Zidane, who transferred from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2001 year (76 million euros). 

After the departure of Raul, Ronaldo took a Number 7. October 23, 2010, Ronaldo scored four goals Rasingu. In the last match of the 2010 year Cristiano scored a hat-Rick in the Levante. 

Supports a romantic relationship with Russian model Irina Shayk. In July 2012, the couple should marry. Shayk said that intends to give Ronaldo a child.

Football Genius: Filippo Inzaghi

Filippo Inzaghi went offside in a thousand times, but really he was just outside the game: the famous forward now retired and took the helm of the AC Milan youth. On this occasion, GoloFootball tells the story of Superpippo. 

In the spacious House of the parents of Filippo and Simone Inzaghi, San Nicolò, a room that will describe the football career of sons of better and more colourfully no repertories and encyclopedias. Photos, newspaper clippings, awards and an entire wall a little, so the range is still a bunch of boxes of memories. Pippo family (relatives of the nicknames do not exist solely to Filippo) friendly, much of it can be called a typical footballer. Father Giancarlo himself managed to play at a modest level, unrealized ambitions remained, and the wife is very incidentally had two sons. The head of the family with young nails instilled love of football, his mother Marina was not opposed, but provided that the training would not be offside: Filippo graduated from high school, and later at the insistence of my mother received and higher education. 

Local football section, the eldest of the sons of Inzaghi hit the age of seven, remember that for the sake of this even had to falsify documents is too small yet was future Bombardier. Interestingly, the first case tried at the gate. Filippo Very often in his youth years gloves are the least technical guys, Pippo and really never shone – skilled in his other strong qualities that unfold in the future. Fortunately, these did not include vratarskoe art, and soon the guy forwards. And he began to score. Nobody could say - as it turns out, but it worked! 

From San Nicolò to Piacenza at hand, geography has the name itself as the first professional haven Inzaghi. "Wolves have never been a great club, at the time of the debut of 18-year-old Filippo they even in the series not happened. However, he played for Piacenza Pippo only two matches, followed by a link to the Club Leffe in Serie C1. Thirteen goals in 21 match, the awareness that football is not just entertainment, and will be, and hope in the future season play against AC Milan and Juventus, as Piacenza won a seat. 

Just went to Club elite Inzaghi without him - a new lease in Verona (Serie B) postponed the introduction of a young striker with football on the Apennines and in Piacenza on such decision taking is gaining a foothold in the top flight. Filippo will help his native Club to win a new ticket in the class is the strongest in a year, and while he love the fans Verona. They are nicknamed Inzaghi first Peter Pen, and then someone who penned at its transparency, Alberto is a familiar word now is Superpippo. By the way, the striker has not reduced its effectiveness in comparison with the previous season, scoring 13 goals are the same. The following is still 15 already for Piacenza, which became the winner of the Serie B, in the elite Pippo made his debut with another team. 

Parma is a completely different level. Coached her well Nevio Scala familiar on how to work with the us to Spartak attack partner and the possess stellar status. Unfortunately, really consider actually a Duet with Hristo Stoičkov failed: Pippo had time to adapt to the new conditions, the competitors do not, and to top it off dremali all troubles happened nasty injury is a fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone. A long recovery, otgonâemye thoughts on career and resolved to change the Club residence in search of valuable match practice. 

Such words erupted at the Bombardier coach Atalanta Emiliano Mondonico. Inzaghi put bergams in the middle of the standings, scoring 24 goals in a season (more than half of all balls team and best personal record in Serie a). Features familiar to us already then began to gain clarity: Superpippo constant moving, searching for free zones, circle through the offside and beyond, as well as frequent strikes and frequent failures. Filippo has always been a scorer "middle range", the best he knew how to correctly open and on time to meet with the ball. His points and goals were made not of mind-blowing feints and powerful strikes, but from the irrepressible roughing work on TV it is very difficult to consider. 

After a stunning season launched a hunt for Inzaghi. Parma was rocking in banknotes, convincing Pippo back, Atlético call to Spain, but Juventus moved all and have not regretted. At that time, for sure. First season for Signora turned Gold, and Filippo missed one goal to four dozen joint. Not enough goals in the Champions League final, where stronger turned out Real Madrid. Then at Juventus came the recession, once even had to play in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, the intricacies of which brought Juventus ", for example, in Rostov-na-Donu. Famous Italian guests have won local Rostselmash won 4: 0 and the game Superpippo scored twice. 

After one disastrous season Juventus twice stayed one step away from the title, but hurt live Pippo another circumstance, and his name is Del Piero. Everything was fine in Turin – nightlife, girls, but relations with Sandro categorically does not have. All would be nothing, but a confrontation outside the leaders began to affect the game. After the match with Venice, where Alex and Filippo refuse to notice each other, even had to convene a special press-conference, at which had to lie about peace, friendship and bubble-gum. Appearance in Turin, David Trezeguet (which the "Golden goal" buried Italy in the final of the Euro) has an excellent opportunity for a quick parting with Inzaghi. Old Seniora got goodbye portion of bile, but Mom hid a photograph of Filippo Maria, in the form of Juve in the far room box fame. 

Bar career in Milan-the longest and most significant. Inzaghi finally gained its reputation as a striker, propisavšegosâ offside. You could say he was the leader of this style-if any young or not so people at a match more than five times forced the Assistant Referee raised check box is selected, the name evoked by Filippo instantly. Only he has opposed many of his followers. Inzaghi not only eating, drinking, sleeping and generally lives in the offside-once joke one Italian journalist, Inzaghi also scored. Rather, it is difficult to speak in scoring – past tense when many points still stand in front of your eyes. 

A triumphal pages was enough and alone are of course two victorious Champions League final. The first of these Superpippo along with AC Milan beat Juventus on penalties "-one way or another, the revenge was sweet. But four years later, Inzaghi and became the hero of the decisive match, having scored a goal against Liverpool. There were trophies Italian bottling and world team Crown, even to the Victoria is not so great, but my goal in the 1934 tournament Pippo held and always great playing t-shirt No1 striker, scoring almost every second match. And in 2007, Inzaghi was Gaetano Scirea Award for exemplary career. I wonder what got her Filippo a year earlier than - Alessandro del Piero honored at 2008-another little prick old comrade?

Signora Marina Inzaghi has always waited for the day when the sons of hang nail boots. In her dreams they live in their hometown of San Nicolò, where open a football school and train children. At least with the elder sibling plans strictly opposite. Filippo has already said that he dreams of winning the Champions League with AC Milan as coach. It's all in the future, but for now must serve a two-year contract Superpippo, according to which it is to mentor youth rossoneri. Johan Cruyff once spoke about Inzaghi as follows: "He does not know how to play football ... Just always turns out to be in the right place. Well, more will demonstrate their Pippo ineptitude, but it's still going to be in the right place. It is not out of the game, just changed the role and position.