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Line 7: Line 7:
| cityofbirth = [[Minsk]]
| cityofbirth = [[Minsk]]
| countryofbirth = [[Byelorussian SSR]], [[USSR]]
| countryofbirth = [[Byelorussian SSR]], [[USSR]]
| currentclub = [[Inter Milan|Inter Millan]]
| currentclub = [[FC Barcelona]]
| clubnumber = n/a
| clubnumber = 21
| position = [[Midfielder#Winger|Winger]] / [[Midfielder|Attacking midfielder]]
| position = [[Midfielder#Winger|Winger]] / [[Midfielder|Attacking midfielder]]
| youthyears1 = 1987–1998
| youthyears1 = 1987–1998
Line 18: Line 18:
| years3 = 2005–2008
| years3 = 2005–2008
| years4 = 2008–
| years4 = 2008–
| years5 = 2009–
| clubs1 = [[FC BATE|BATE Borisov]]
| clubs1 = [[FC BATE|BATE Borisov]]
| clubs2 = [[VfB Stuttgart|Stuttgart]]
| clubs2 = [[VfB Stuttgart|Stuttgart]]
| clubs3 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
| clubs3 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
| clubs4 = [[FC Barcelona]]
| clubs4 = [[FC Barcelona]]
| clubs5 = [[Inter Milan]]
| caps(goals)1 = {{0}}12 {{0}}(4)
| caps(goals)1 = {{0}}12 {{0}}(4)
| caps(goals)2 = 137 (13)
| caps(goals)2 = 137 (13)
| caps(goals)3 = {{0}}89 {{0}}(7)
| caps(goals)3 = {{0}}89 {{0}}(7)
| caps(goals)4 = {{0}}19 {{0}}(0)
| caps(goals)4 = {{0}}19 {{0}}(0)
| caps(goals)5 = {{0}}0 {{0}}(0)
| nationalyears1 = 2001–
| nationalyears1 = 2001–
| nationalteam1 = [[Belarus national football team|Belarus]]
| nationalteam1 = [[Belarus national football team|Belarus]]

Revision as of 23:09, 20 July 2009

Alexander Hleb
Personal information
Full name Aliaksandr Paulavic Hleb
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Winger / Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 FC Barcelona
Number 21
Youth career
1987–1998 Dinamo Minsk
1998–1999 BATE Borisov
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 BATE Borisov
2000–2005 Stuttgart
2005–2008 Arsenal
2008– FC Barcelona
International career‡
2001– Belarus
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 June 2009 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Aliaksandr Paulavic Hleb (Template:Lang-be, pronounced [alʲaˈksandar ɣlʲeb]; Template:Lang-ru; born 1 May 1981 in Minsk, Byelorussian SSR), sometimes referred to in English as Alexander Hleb or Alexander Gleb[1], is a Belarusian footballer who currently plays in the midfield for Italian Serie A club Inter Milan and the Belarusian national team.

His natural and preferred position is attacking midfielder or 'in the hole' behind the strikers, but he has often played as a right midfielder. While at FC Barcelona, Hleb had been playing as a winger. His younger brother Vyacheslav is also a footballer.

Childhood

Aliaksandr Hleb grew up in Minsk. His mother was a builder, while his father drove petrol tankers. His father was "volunteered" to help knock down uninhabitable houses in Ukraine as the result of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Hleb believes this exposure to radiation caused his father's ill health. Before getting involved with football, Hleb was a keen swimmer and gymnast.[2]

Club career

Hleb developed playing football on the concrete pitches of Dinamo Minsk school. At the age of 17, he signed for BATE Borisov, a Belarusian Premier League team from Borisov. The next season, they won the Championship.

Stuttgart

Spotted by scouts, Aliaksandr and his younger brother Vyacheslav were signed in 2000 by German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart for approximately €150,000.[3] He made his Bundesliga debut on 5 September 2000 in an away match at Kaiserslautern, coming on as a substitute for the last 20 minutes.[4] Despite only making six league appearances in his first season with Stuttgart, Hleb became a regular at the club in his second season there and went on to establish himself as one of the most important players of the side.

In 2002–03, Stuttgart finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga and enjoyed a Champions League victory over Manchester United and Hleb had become established as the team's playmaker. However, after team manager Felix Magath left to join Bayern Munich in the summer of 2004, Stuttgart were not as successful under new coach Matthias Sammer, having finished the 2004–05 season in fifth place.[5] Nevertheless, Hleb was on top of the assist chart in his last season in the Bundesliga.

Arsenal

2005–06 season

Hleb playing for Arsenal.

On 28 June 2005, Hleb joined English side Arsenal for a sum which may reach €15 million;[6] he agreed to a 4-year contract with Arsenal. Arsène Wenger used Hleb at many different midfield positions, but he mainly played on the right wing for Arsenal. He scored his first goal on his debut against Barnet at the Underhill Stadium, in a pre-season friendly within two minutes of coming off the bench at half-time. On 21 August 2005, he played his first competitive match for Arsenal, away to Chelsea. However, soon after, Hleb sustained a knee injury while on international duty with Belarus and was out for several months. Finding it hard to settle, he was linked with a move back to Germany.[7] He returned to the Arsenal first team squad in December, playing 60 minutes in Arsenal's final UEFA Champions League group stage match against AFC Ajax on 7 December. By January 2006, Hleb had established himself as a first choice player and scored his first official goal for Arsenal in a 7–0 win over Middlesbrough. Hleb did not start in the next few Premiership games, but it was in the Champions League where he showed all the potential he had. When he did get to start again at Highbury, another goal was added to his Premier League count in the win over Charlton Athletic. On 15 April, he scored his third goal against West Bromwich Albion, giving his team a lead right before the half-time. A month later, on 17 May, Hleb became the first ever Belarusian footballer to play in the Champions League Final. Hleb ended the season with 40 appearances and three goals.

2006–07 season

The 2006–07 season started well for Hleb. In the first game against Dinamo Zagreb (Champions League qualifying), the Belrussian claimed two assists in a 3–0 victory. Now a regular starter, Hleb was quickly becoming an impact player in Wenger's side, and gaining respect from the fans. The "thank you supporters" came when he scored his fourth goal for Arsenal, and first at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium in a 2–0 win over FC Porto on 26 September during the group stage of the Champions League. After Thierry Henry slipped the ball to Hleb, Hleb sniped it into the far corner. A month later, Hleb scored again against Reading after playing a three pass combination with Tomáš Rosický. This was also his first goal away from home. On 23 December, Hleb scored Arsenal's second goal against Blackburn Rovers, to put Arsenal back in to the lead in a game they went on to win 6–2. Soon after, Hleb injured his hamstring and missed some games. Hleb, however, would make a quick comeback and in three weeks he was back on a pitch. By the end of the season, Hleb appeared in 48 matches, of which he started 40, scoring three goals.

2007–08 season

During the pre-season, Hleb was moved from the right wing and played behind Robin van Persie in the "hole". This proved a success with Hleb looking more comfortable in this position, and more of a threat to the opposition. On 12 August, against Fulham in Arsenal's first Premier League game of the season, Hleb again played there and scored a vital goal to seal a 2–1 victory for Arsenal. He followed that up in the next game with another goal in a Champions League 3rd qualifying round first-leg game against Sparta Prague in Prague, the game ending 2–0 to Arsenal. Both of his goals were scored in the 90th minute. When strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Eduardo recovered from injuries, however, Arsène Wenger went back to his favourite 4–4–2 formation and Hleb returned playing on flanks. But even there, he remained one of Arsenal's most noticeable playmakers, highlighting games with his ball control and passing. In Arsenal's third Barclays league game versus then perfect record Manchester City, he once again helped Arsenal win late in the game when he dribbled brilliantly into the penalty box past 2 defenders and assisted Cesc Fàbregas in scoring the winning goal, ending Kasper Schmeichel's record of more than 350 minutes of football without conceding a goal since the start of the season. On 23 October in the Champions League group 7–0 win over Slavia Prague, Alex played his best game so far in the season. He was involved in five of the six goals during when he was on the pitch: he scored two goals (first, ricocheted from the defender into the net and was later considered an own goal), assisted Cesc Fàbregas and Theo Walcott in scoring two, and started another attack that resulted in one more goal, before being substituted for Tomáš Rosický on 63 minute with the score at 6–0. He later became the man of the match, receiving the highest grade on Sky Sports fan poll at 9.5 for the game. Next match, Hleb once more played an important role for Arsenal as he assisted Fàbregas again in scoring the late equalizer in the important league match against Liverpool away at Anfield. Two league games later, Alexander again showed his skills when he scored an impressive goal after "dancing" right in front of the Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann in a one-on-one situation. Alex has been described by Sky Sports pundit Andy Gray as one of the most "skillful" players in the Premier League. Starting in late November, he had a slight dip in form, after an injury that kept him out for two or three weeks. After his injury and a few unimpressive performances he hit form again, with constantly improving performances, and seemed to have returned to top form with a great display against AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League tie. Hleb's performances for Arsenal during the 2007–08 season have caught the eye of many, including Spanish giants FC Barcelona, with the club admitting they would be interested in signing the player.[8] However, Hleb's agent Chris Mulcaster has since denied Hleb would be interested in a move to Barcelona.[9] A few weeks later, Hleb himself also denied he would be interested in a move stating he is "very happy and proud to play for Arsenal" and has no intention of joining another club.[10] However, his season was cut short after he was banned for three games by the FA after he was charged with violent conduct in an incident with Graeme Murty of Reading during their 2–0 win. Hleb admitted his offense, thus ending his season.

On 23 May 2008, The Sun claimed that Hleb's agent confirmed the midfielder would be leaving the Emirates in the summer after showdown talks with Arsène Wenger.[11] However, on 28 May 2008, Hleb rubbished these reports as "nonsense", as well as stating his "love" for the club.

FC Barcelona

On 16 July 2008, a medical was held for the player at FC Barcelona, with his transfer completed later that day for a fee of €15 million plus an additional €2 million if Barcelona won the La Liga title in 2008-09 or 2009-10 (which they did in 2008-09, bringing his total fee to €17 million). Hleb signed a four-year contract, with a buy-out clause of €90 million.[12]

In March 2009, after featuring irregularly for the team — starting only five games in La Liga — he admitted that he would readily accept an offer from German Bundesliga team Bayern Munich, if such an opportunity arose in the summer. He said, "I am right in the best years of my career and I do not want to spend those years on bench. Bayern Munich is a special club, their interest in me is a delightful honour. Bayern is among the best teams in the world."[13]

Hleb went on to win the Treble with Barcelona in his first season with the club. Hleb featured briefly in the Copa del Rey final. The next week, Barcelona went on to beat Manchester United 2–0 in the UEFA Champion's League final; Hleb, however, did not feature.


International career

Hleb won over 30 caps for the Under-21 Belarus side. He made his full international debut as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat against Wales in 2001. He scored on his first international start in a 5–2 victory over Hungary in April 2002. In November 2006, former Belarusian captain Sergei Gurenko launched a vicious criticism on Hleb for not working hard in national team settings. However, Hleb rejected any suggestion that he was a prima donna.[14] In August 2007, new national team manager Bernd Stange made him a team captain despite the criticism. On 22 August, Hleb wore the captain's armband for the first time in a 2–1 win against Israel.

Miscellaneous

Hleb was called "Zauberlehrling" or "Wizard's Apprentice" for his silky skills and dazzling tricks in Germany when he played in the Bundesliga.[15]

Personal life

While playing for Arsenal, Hleb lived in Hampstead, North London.[16] In 2003, he was involved in a car crash in Minsk. A passenger in the other car later died.[17] His brother Vyacheslav is also a footballer who plays for Chinese team Shanghai Shenhua, as well as the national team.

Hleb is married to Anastasia Kosenkova, an ex-singer of the Belarussian pop group 'Topless'. Their wedding took place the summer of 2008.[18]

Club career statistics

(correct as of 30 May 2009)[19]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Stuttgart 2000–01 6 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 9 0 0
2001–02 32 2 6 3 0 0 - - - 35 2 6
2002–03 31 4 7 2 1 0 8 3 3 41 8 10
2003–04 31 5 7 3 0 0 8 0 1 42 5 8
2004–05 34 2 14 3 2 0 8 0 3 45 4 17
Total 134 13 34 13 3 0 17 3 7 172 19 41
Arsenal 2005–06 25 3 0 5 0 - 10 0 - 40 3 -
2006–07 33 2 5 5 0 1 10 1 0 48 3 6
2007–08 31 2 7 3 0 0 8 3 2 42 5 8
Total 89 7 12 13 0 1 20 4 2 130 11 14
FC Barcelona 2008–09 19 0 3 8 0 0 9 0 0 36 0 3
Total 0 0 0

Honours

BATE Borisov

Stuttgart

FC Barcelona

Individual

References

  1. ^ The confusion about the spelling arises from the Cyrillic character 'Г' in his Belarussian name 'Глеб', where in Russian is pronounced as 'G'. In player's native Belarusian, however, pronunciation of the same character is something in between latin 'H' than 'G', but closer to first and not 'Kleb' as it is often incorrectly pronounced on British television and radio commentary. See Romanization of Belarusian.
  2. ^ "Aleks Hleb on Futbol Mundial".
  3. ^ "Aliaksandr Hleb profile on MasterCard UEFA Champions League". MasterCard. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
  4. ^ "2000-01 player stats". Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  5. ^ "2004-05 Bundesliga table". Weltfussball.de. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
  6. ^ "International Midfielder Agrees To Join Arsenal". Retrieved 2007-08-27.
  7. ^ "Hamburg confirm Hleb meeting". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
  8. ^ "Barcelona make Alexander Hleb top target". Telegraph. 2008-08-01. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  9. ^ "Hleb happy at Arsenal". Sky Sports News. 2008-08-02. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  10. ^ "I have to address some rumours". Hleb's official website. 2008-05-02. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  11. ^ "Hleb: I will quit Gunners". The Sun. 2008-05-23. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
  12. ^ "Hleb signs four-year deal". FCBarcelona.cat Hleb made his debut for FC Barcelona on 24 August 2008, coming off the bench in the 65th minute to replace Marc Crosas in a game against Hibernian, which they eventually won 6–0. On 4 August 2008, Hleb scored his first goal for FC Barcelona against Chivas USA after receiving a through ball from Andrés Iniesta and slotted the ball into the net, making it 2–0 to Barcelona in a game they would eventually win 5-2. 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-07-16. {{cite news}}: line feed character in |publisher= at position 16 (help)
  13. ^ http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12874_5008890,00.html
  14. ^ "Ex-Belarus captain blasts Hleb". SkySports. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
  15. ^ HLEB (Aliaksandr Pavlovich Hleb) - Arsenal and Belarus
  16. ^ "Playboy from Minsk making capital gains". Guardian Unlimited. 2006-03-26. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
  17. ^ "Hleb death smash hell". The Sun Online. Retrieved 2006-07-18.
  18. ^ Hleb's girl is a Topless stunner
  19. ^ History, soccernet.espn.go.com, accessed 14 November 2007.
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