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Wesley Sneijder

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Wesley Sneijder
Personal information
Full name Wesley Sneijder[1]
Date of birth (1984-06-09) 9 June 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Utrecht, Netherlands
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Internazionale
Number 10
Youth career
1991–2001 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2007 Ajax 126 (43)
2007–2009 Real Madrid 52 (11)
2009– Internazionale 73 (13)
International career‡
2000–2001 Netherlands U17 6 (2)
2001–2002 Netherlands U19 8 (1)
2003 Netherlands U21 1 (0)
2003– Netherlands 90 (24)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 September 2012
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 September 2012

Wesley Sneijder (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɛs.li ˈsnɛi̯.dər] ⓘ; born 9 June 1984) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Inter Milan and for the Dutch national team of which he is captain. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season and one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA. A product of the Ajax Academy, he previously played for AFC Ajax with whom he won six trophies and was awarded the Johan Cruijff Award in 2004. He was sold to Real Madrid for €27 million in 2007, winning La Liga in his first season with the club and later being sold to Inter for €15 million. At Inter, he has won Serie A, the UEFA Champions League and the Coppa Italia twice.

Sneijder previously represented various Youth squads for the Netherlands. He is now a regular player for the Dutch national team, having made his debut in April 2003 at the age of 18, and having represented his country at the World Cup in 2006 and 2010 as well as UEFA Euro 2004 and 2008. Individually he was awarded the 2010 Bronze Boot, the 2010 Silver Ball and included in the team of the tournament for UEFA Euro 2008, 2012 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup as well as named man of the match for six out of eleven games played by "Oranje" at these two tournaments.[2]

Early life

Wesley Sneijder was born on 9 June 1984 in Utrecht into a football family: his father was a player, his older brother Jeffrey played for Stormvogels Telstar, and his younger brother Rodney plays for RKC Waalwijk.

Club career

Sneijder (second from left, with Urby Emanuelson, Maarten Stekelenburg, Zdeněk Grygera, and John Heitinga) played for Ajax from 1991–2007.

Ajax

Sneijder started his career in AFC Ajax's famous youth academy. Following his older brother's footsteps, he signed for Ajax, initially on trial but subsequently impressed enough to be signed on a permanent basis. He first made the bench as an unused substitute for Ajax in a 2–0 win at SBV Excelsior on 22 December 2002 when manager Ronald Koeman, troubled by an injury-filled squad, called him up, advised by Danny Blind, the then-coach of the Ajax youth squad. He then made his official Ajax debut against Willem II after the winter break on 2 February 2003 in a 6–0 win. He rapidly established himself in the role of midfield general and occasional left winger.

On 12 August 2007, Ajax agreed to sell Sneijder to Real Madrid for €27 million, according to the club's website, making him the second most expensive Dutch football player.

Real Madrid

Sneijder was the second of three Dutchmen to sign for Real Madrid 2007–08 season, joining Royston Drenthe and Arjen Robben. He also was given the number 23, which had been previously worn by David Beckham for four seasons at Real. In his first La Liga match for Real, he scored the winner in the Madrid derby against Atlético Madrid. On the second matchday, he scored two goals against Villarreal CF, one of them on a direct free-kick. Sneijder capped a fine first season in Spain by hitting a stunning free kick in the last game of the season against Levante UD at the Bernabéu, taking his goal tally to nine in the La Liga season, a season which also saw Real retain their title.

Sneijder at the Amsterdam Arena.

On 3 August 2008, Sneijder was stretchered off in the pre-season friendly at Arsenal with a suspected cruciate ligament injury after a collision with Abou Diaby. Sneijder had an MRI which confirmed the extent of the injury to be not as bad as first feared. It was expected that he would be out for at least three months.[3] However, he managed to recover in time and was included in the starting eleven for the Champions League clash against Juventus in Turin.

Sneijder with Real Madrid.

On 2 September 2008, AS reported that after Robinho's departure to Manchester City for €42 million, Sneijder would now be Real Madrid's new number 10.[4] One day later, Real Madrid confirmed on their web site Sneijder's new number, 10. His previous number, 23, was taken over by his fellow Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart,[5] whose preferred number is 23.[citation needed]

Inter

On 27 August 2009, Sneijder was bought by Inter Milan from Real Madrid for a reported fee of €15 million.[6][7] He was given the number 10 shirt and made his debut a day after he signed the contract. He made an immediate impact by being on the winning side in the Milan derby (4–0) against A.C. Milan. On 3 October 2009 he scored his first, decisive goal, in the 92nd minute against Udinese in a 2–1 win, after a brilliant match.[8][9] His second goal was scored on 24 October 2009 against Catania, directly from free kick, and he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Inter in a dramatic 2–1 win against Dynamo Kiev in the 89th minute. His next goal was also scored off a hard-swerving free kick in a Coppa Italia game against Livorno.

On 9 January 2010 he scored two stunning free kicks against Siena in the game which Inter won 4–3, however on 24 January he received a straight red card in the Milan derby. On 6 April Sneijder scored a free kick against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final in the sixth minute, making it 2–0 on aggregate to Inter. On 20 April 2010 he scored Inter's equalising goal during their UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona. He leveled the game by firing in right-footed from a Diego Milito pass. Inter went on to win the game 3–1. Sneijder was given the nickname 'The Sniper' by the Media for his ability to deliver perfect passes and score from amazing distances.[10]

On 22 May 2010, Inter won the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich by 2–0. Both goals were scored by Diego Milito, with Sneijder supplying the assist for the first goal.[11]

On 21 August 2010, Inter started the 2010–11 season by winning the 2010 Italian Super Cup with a 3–1 win against Roma.[12] On 26 August 2010, Sneijder was named by UEFA as the best club midfielder of the Champions League 2009–10 season.[13] The day after in Monaco, Inter lost to Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup.[14] He scored his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against FC Twente in the Champions League on 14 September 2010, and followed that up with another goal in Inter's second game against Werder Bremen in a 4–0 win at the San Siro on 29 September 2010.[15][16] On 26 October 2010, Sneijder was shortlisted for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or award, which Lionel Messi won.[17]

On 28 October 2010, Sneijder signed a five-year contract extension with Inter, tying him to the club until 2015.[18] Inter finished second in Group A of the Champions League and were drawn against Bayern Munich (whom they had beaten in the previous season's final), in the Round of 16. In the first leg, Sneijder and Inter were uninspired and lost 1–0 to a late Mario Gomez goal at the San Siro.[19] On 15 March 2011, Sneijder helped Inter turn it around scoring in the 63rd minute leading to a 3–2 win (3–3 on aggregate, Inter were through on away goals)[20] at the Allianz Arena,[21] booking a place in the quarter-final against FC Schalke 04.[22] The first leg of that quarter-final ended 5–2 to Schalke. Sneijder also played in the second leg of the tie but could not prevent his team from losing 2–1 and 7–3 on aggregate.

International career

Sneijder (right) with Arjen Robben training for the Netherlands

Sneijder made his debut for the Netherlands under-21 side against the Czech Republic on 28 March 2003.[citation needed] His first game with the senior Dutch side was against Portugal on 30 April that same year,[citation needed] when he became the eighth youngest player to play for the Netherlands in the first team's history.[citation needed] He became the Dutch captain following Mark van Bommel's provisional retirement.

Euro 2004

Sneijder reached the UEFA Euro 2004 semi-finals with the Netherlands. He began the competition mainly on the bench, and was subbed into two group stage matches. He had also contributed two goals in the qualifying tournament.

2006 World Cup

Sneijder (left) with Rafael van der Vaart

Sneijder started all four games for the Netherlands at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He received one of the record 16 yellow cards doled out during the infamous Round of 16 clash with Portugal (titled the "Battle of Nuremberg"); Portugal went on to win 1–0.

Euro 2008

In the build-up to UEFA Euro 2008, Sneijder scored a free kick in a friendly against Wales on 31 May, making it his second strike from a direct free kick in a row. The game ended 2–0 with a goal from fellow Real Madrid teammate Arjen Robben.

Sneijder marked his 24th birthday in style by scoring one of the goals of the tournament; the second goal in the 31st minute of the Euro 2008 match against the World Cup champions, Italy. Following Giovanni van Bronckhorst's goal-line clearance and subsequent run into the Italian half, Sneijder received a headed ball from Dirk Kuyt and volleyed it with an acrobatic strike past Gianluigi Buffon. This brought the score to 2–0 after Ruud van Nistelrooy's opener five minutes prior. The match finished with a 3–0 victory to the Dutch after a third goal was scored by van Bronkhorst after another run by him, following a crucial save from Edwin van der Sar. Sneijder's goal contributed to the Netherlands' first victory over Italy in 30 years, which was the biggest defeat Italy had suffered since Sweden beat them by the same margin in 1983. Many fans and pundits agreed that this goal was one of the best of the tournament. On 13 June, he scored another goal for the Oranje in the Euro 2008 group stage match against France: in the 92nd minute, from outside the box, Sneijder struck the ball into the corner of the net, bouncing off the crossbar on its way in. The match finished 4–1 for the Netherlands. Although the Dutch lost to the Russians in the quarter-final, Sneijder was named in the Team of the Tournament for his strong performances.

2010 World Cup

Sneijder the day before the Dutch team's departure to South Africa

Sneijder was in the starting line-up for their first match in the competition, a 2–0 victory over Denmark.[23] Sneijder scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Japan.[24] In the first two matches of the group stage at the FIFA World Cup he was selected as the man of the match in both of them.[25][26][27] In the Netherlands' round of 16 match against Slovakia, Sneijder scored in a 2–1 victory.[28] He also provided what was at first thought to be an assist for the first goal against Brazil in the quarter finals, but was later credited with the goal.[29] He then scored the first header of his career direct from a corner and consigned Brazil to a 2–1 defeat, bringing his goal total in the tournament to four. Sneijder was again named man of the match on FIFA's website.[30]

In the semi final against Uruguay, Sneijder scored in the 70th minute, taking his total in the competition to five, raising him at the time to first place in terms of goals scored, along with David Villa.[31] The Netherlands won the match 3–2 and progressed to the final. Sneijder was yet again named on FIFA's website as the Budweiser man of the match according to the public online vote.[32] In the World Cup Final, the Dutch lost to Spain 1–0 after extra time, conceding the only goal of the match after 116 minutes.[33]

International goals

Career statistics

Club

Club Season League Cup Continental Other[nb 1] Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Ajax 2002–03 17 4 2 3 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 23 5 2
2003–04 30 9 11 1 0 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 38 10 11
2004–05 30 7 8 3 1 0 7 0 3 1 1 0 41 9 11
2005–06 19 5 5 3 2 1 7 4 2 2 1 0 31 12 8
2006–07 30 18 9 4 1 1 9 1 1 4 2 1 47 22 12
Total 126 43 35 14 5 2 33 6 6 7 4 1 180 58 44
Real Madrid 2007–08 30 9 7 2 0 0 5 0 1 1 0 1 38 9 9
2008–09 22 2 2 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 28 2 2
Total 52 11 9 4 0 0 9 0 1 1 0 1 66 11 11
Inter Milan 2009–10 26 4 8 4 1 1 11 3 7 0 0 0 41 8 16
2010–11 25 4 6 2 0 2 9 3 2 3 0 1 39 7 11
2011–12 20 4 5 2 0 0 5 0 1 1 1 0 28 6 9
2012–13 3 1 1 0 0 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 6 2 3
Total 74 13 10 8 1 3 26 7 11 4 1 1 114 25 39
Career total 249 65 62 26 6 5 68 13 18 12 5 3 353 92 96

Statistics accurate as of match played 17 September 2012[34][35]

International

Template:Football player national team statistics |- |2003||3||2 |- |2004||14||3 |- |2005||3||0 |- |2006||10||0 |- |2007||11||3 |- |2008||10||3 |- |2009||7||1 |- |2010||15||7 |- |2011||7||4 |- |2012||10||1 |- !Total||90||24 |} Statistics accurate as of match played 25 april 2012[36]

Style of play

Due to his impeccable placement and confirmed ability to score from free kicks, Sneijder earned the reputation as a dead-ball specialist.[37][38] With short stature, he is quick, strong on the ball, and his passing range is enhanced by his ambidexterity.[39]

Personal life

Sneijder is married to a Dutch – Spanish actress and presenter Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen since July 2010. He has a son from a previous relationship.[40] By her inspiration and team-mate Javier Zanetti, Sneijder became Catholic[41] and was baptized in Milan.[42]

Sneijder has two brothers, Jeffrey a former footballer[43] and Rodney who plays for RKC Waalwijk. In May 2008, it was reported that Sneijder had prevented his younger brother Rodney from a summer transfer to his club at the time, Real Madrid. Sneijder said, "Real Madrid wanted him and Rodney was very happy about that. But when I heard, I stopped the discussions. I am not in favour of juniors increasingly going to top clubs. I've told him that he first must make a break through at Ajax."[44][45]

Awards

In October 2008, Dutch magazine Voetbal International conducted a poll to decide who was the best Dutch free kick taker. Sneijder received an overwhelming 70% of the votes while Robin van Persie came second with 21% and striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was third with 3% of the vote.[46] He was voted as the best player of the year 2009–10 by Goal.com.[47]

Honours

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