Soccer Extreme : Manchester United players had a whip-round and collected £500 to ensure baby KAI ROONEY is kitted out just as well as mum and dad.

They handed over designer clothes from Bolton-based boutique Bossy Boots to WAYNE and COLEEN.

The posh togs included a £69 electric blue hoodie and tank top, plus Cheeky Monkey gear. The Old Trafford stars will also wet the baby's head when they return from international duty.

I bet there's a few pics of the nipper in an Everton FC kit.

source : Thesun

Soccer Extreme : Meeting Frank Lampard's sisters was always going to be a tough test for new girlfriend Christine Bleakley (pict), but it appears she passed with flying colours.

The One Show host is said to have won over his two older siblings after the Chelsea star took them all along to the Beyonce gig at London's O2 Arena last week.

Frank is known to be particularly close to Natalie and Claire, especially since losing his mother Pat last year.

A source told the Sun: 'It was incredibly important to him that his sisters gave him their blessing.

'It all went really well and they told Frank they thought Christine was lovely and perfect for him.'

Christine, 30, tentatively confirmed the romance last week, but added: ‘When you start seeing someone and it’s early days, you need to get to know them a bit before you come out and say you’re dating.’

The 30-year-old and Frank, 31, were first introduced by Piers Morgan at the ITV1 Pride Of Britain awards on October 2 and are now said to be smitten with one another.

They've enjoyed dates at a Harvester restaurant in North London and the Hollywood Arms in Chelsea.

He has bought her a necklace with her name on it and a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes, according to sources, and she has promised to teach him to dance.

Miss Bleakley broke up with fiancé Mark Beirne, 35, in January.

Lampard split up last year with Spanish fiancée Elen Rives, 34, with whom he has two daughters, four-year-old Luna and Isla, two. (dailymail)

Soccer Extreme : With anger over ‘that handball’ still at boiling point, the Irish have turned their frustration towards a vacuum cleaner brand.

It seems that the smiley-faced cleaner known as ‘Henry’ is being persecuted due to it sharing the same name as the French striker Thierry Henry.

A worker at an Irish government building in Dublin told The Sun: “Several cleaners say they’re unhappy working with vacuum cleaners with the cheat’s name written on them.

“It’s bizarre because the machines have nothing whatsoever to do with Thierry Henry.

“Some have painted over the name on the cleaner and wiped the smile off its little red face.

“It just shows how the frustration caused by that goal has got to everyone in Ireland.”

The sales of the Henry vacuum cleaners have also reportedly taken a dip in Ireland since the controversial handball goal saw the country fail to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

Last week saw both the Irish Captain Robbie Keane, and Thierry Henry himself, call for a replay of the controversial play-off match.


With innocent vacuum cleaners now also caught in the firing line, will justice be allowed to prevail? (thedailydust)

Soccer Extreme : David Beckham's big secret was revealed when it emerged that the most high-profile footballer on the planet has suffered from asthma since he was a boy.

The 34-year-old finished 120 minutes of LA Galaxy’s Major League Soccer Cup Final coughing violently after playing extra time for the second time in nine days.

Beckham was photographed using an inhaler during the game, which ended in a 5-4 shoot-out loss to Real Salt Lake.

Amazingly, given all the pictures taken of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, it is the first time he had ever been snapped using an inhaler.

Beckham will return to AC Milan next month as part of a marathon campaign to win his place at the World Cup, where altitude will be a factor, and England may want to monitor his breathing.

Beckham takes regular medicine to control his asthma, which makes it all the more remarkable that he had managed to keep his condition under wraps for so long.

LA Galaxy said the inhaler was to help Beckham battle allergies, but the player’s agent Simon Oliveira said: ‘David has suffered with this since he was a young boy, but it has obviously had no effect on his performance.

‘He has never sought to make it public but if it does inspire any sufferer to think they can achieve great things like many other sportsmen have done then so much the better.’

Dr Mike Thomas, chief medical adviser to Asthma UK, said: ‘Asthma is particularly common among elite sportspeople. Paul Scholes and Paula Radcliffe both suffer with the condition — proof that asthma needn’t stop you competing at the highest level.’ (dailymail)

Soccer Extreme : Duda, Nani, Bruno Alves, Paulo Ferreira and Miguel gathered to show the "Nike Pro Combat" Kit for the Portuguese National Team.


The new Nike Pro Combat gear will be used in the match against Bosnia Herzegovina, and available through the FSC Shop and official Nike Store.

Nike Pro Combat is ergonomically designed to provide specific protection to athletes without restricting mobility on the field for maximum performance.

Nike Pro Combat will be worn under the normal football kit and is integrated seamlessly into the kit as a lightweight extension of the body. (footballshirtculture)

Soccer Extreme : Christmas in the Catalan region of Spain is a joyous occasion. People spend days painstakingly recreating replicas of the nativity scene, which are proudly displayed in the run up to Christmas Day.

But when friends and family gather round to look at the handiwork, no-one is particularly bothered about the nativity bit — they’re all looking for a discreetly-placed gnome (or Caganer, “pooper”), like the one above, taking a sly shit somewhere.

The Caganer trade is big business. Replicas of the planet’s most famous people, from the Queen to Tiger Woods to Homer Simpson, are churned out every year; but this Christmas in Catalonia will be extra special/sexy — a family who have been steadily producing Caganers since 1992 are releasing their own Cristiano Ronaldo statue.

If CR9 doesn’t float your boat, there’s Andres Iniesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Xavi or Diego Maradona. (thespoiler)

Soccer Extreme : Barcelona have confirmed midfielder Yaya Toure has also contracted swine flu along with defender Eric Abidal.

The club revealed on Friday morning that Abidal had been diagnosed with the virus and that Toure was undergoing tests after developing similar symptoms. And they have now confirmed the Ivory Coast international does indeed have swine flu.

"Eric Abidal and Toure Yaya have viral-like symptoms with fever and general discomfort," read a statement on FCBarcelona.cat. "Relevant tests have been carried out on both players and these have confirmed that it is swine flu."

It continued: "This Friday at midday the club's medical services informed that Eric Abidal had swine flu and in the afternoon the tests carried out confirmed that Toure Yaya was also suffering from it.

"The medical services are working following the protocols established by the health department isolating the players, carrying out symptomatic treatment and giving appropriate hygienic measures."

It is further misfortune for Abidal who was struggling to recover from an injury picked up during Saturday's World Cup play-off between France and the Republic of Ireland.

The news comes as a big blow for Barcelona who have a tough week ahead with a Champions League clash with Inter Milan sandwiched between Primera Division matches against Athletic Bilbao and second-placed Real Madrid. (mirrorfootball)

Soccer Extreme : Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe revealed how he made a last-minute change of boots before his goalscoring frenzy against Wigan that sent his club back into the Barclays Premier League top four.

Spurs development coach Clive Allen, himself a prolific striker in his playing days, told Defoe to change his green boots - and the result was five goals in the 9-1 demolition at White Hart Lane.

It was Spurs' biggest victory for 32 years, since they defeated Bristol Rovers, and their biggest in the Premier League.

"I had a funny feeling before the game," Defoe said. "Adidas gave me a pair of green boots and I tried them on before the game, but Clive Allen said I couldn't wear them, so I changed them.

"They were pinkish silver ones in the end, and I go and score five."

Peter Crouch's early strike gave Harry Redknapp's men a half-time lead, with nothing at that stage suggesting Spurs would almost hit double figures. Robbie Keane, who was rested following his World Cup efforts for Republic of Ireland last week, told his team-mates in the dressing room at half-time that they needed a second goal to kill Wigan off.

Defoe, when asked if they needed the ninth goal, joked: "Maybe a 10th."

Aaron Lennon and Niko Kranjcar also netted, while David Bentley's free-kick went in off Chris Kirkland, who made a string of fine saves despite the scoreline.

Redknapp believes his player can finish top goalscorer in the league and cement himself in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad with England.

"I don't see why Defoe can't be the top scorer in the Premier League this season," the Spurs boss said. "It's about time he scored 20 goals in a season. I don't know whether he's done it before, maybe with West Ham, but he should be able to do that.

"He's been so sharp in training. You could see this coming."

Defoe recently came back from a three-match suspension for violent conduct after getting sent off against Portsmouth - with his club losing two of the games he missed.

"The England manager will have watched him and he can't react that way," Redknapp added about his striker, who joined Ted Harper, Alf Stokes and Les Allen as Spurs players to have score five times in a match.

"But he's come back strong. When he concentrates and plays his football, he can be unstoppable."

Wigan's goal came from Paul Scharner, who appeared to handle before lashing in, offering a reminder of Thierry Henry's handball last Wednesday.

Redknapp added: "Handball. It was as blatant as Thierry Henry's handball. I haven't even seen a replay. If he could have controlled it with his body, he would have done and I'm surprised the referee didn't spot it. I can't believe he missed it."

Redknapp suffered a 9-0 reverse in first match as a manager - Lincoln beat Bournemouth on that occasion - and he did not celebrate in front of Wigan boss Roberto Martinez as the goals crashed in.

Martinez is hoping his side are not psychologically scarred from the defeat.

"The damage of this won't be carried into the next game," said the Spaniard. "We have enough characters in the dressing room and we need to react in the right way. I've never been involved in a game like this.

"From the mental point of view, we'll get stronger from this. This is a very unique situation but we can use it in a positive way in terms of learning from these situations. We've never experienced this before.

"The biggest disappointment was how we started the first half, then the naivety that saw them scoring in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

"It's about damage limitation after that in terms of going into next week, avoiding yellow cards that will be carried into next week." (sportinglife)

Soccer Extreme : Eric Cantona says he would have HIT Thierry Henry if he was one of the Republic of Ireland players cheated of their World Cup spot.

The former France and Manchester United star said: "What shocks me the most quite frankly, is not the hand-ball.

"What shocks me the most is that this player, at the end of the game, in front of the TV cameras, went to sit down next to an Ireland player to comfort him - when he had just screwed him."

Cantona could not believe Henry chose to sit and chat with Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne after his handball set up William Gallas for the goal which ended Ireland's World Cup dream in Paris.

Cantona, infamous for his kung-fu kick at a fan, added: "If I had been an Irishman, he wouldn't have lasted three seconds."

Former Arsenal striker Henry has finally done the decent thing and admitted that the World Cup qualifying play-off should be replayed.

Henry said: "The fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control."

The incident has destroyed Henry's reputation as a football ambassador.

There was a feeling that if Henry and the French had asked for it, the Irish may have had a chance.

But FIFA have already said they will not order a replay and the French Football Federation last night insisted they do not want to play the game again.

Henry admitted: "I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who deserve to be in South Africa.

"But I am not a cheat. If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was instinctive." (thesun)

Soccer Extreme : This is a good news. Paypal.com has a good offer. Now you can earn up to $100 from Paypal Wishlist. What is Paypal Wishlist? It is facebook application ease people to buy product on their wishlist. In this program, PayPal will give you up to $100.

It’s easy to start this promo event. You just register to Paypal Wishlist program, then you’ll generate $1 directly to your earning. After that what you need to do is just referring your friend to do the same thing, and you’ll get $1 for everybody registered through your referral link. Through this way, you can earn up to $100. Easy way right?


Here is simply details on How it works:

1. You should have Facebook account. Have not yet? Register www.facebook.com
2. Click here to join PayPal WishList application
3. Submit your Paypal email address at the form provided. If you don’t have Paypal account, just make one through Paypal.Com
4. You get $1 after joining Paypal Wishlist
5. Create and share your wishlist to your friends
6. You’ll earn $1 for every friend you refer who add Paypal Wishlist application
7. You’ve got money

In order to qualify for this Program, you must follow their Terms & Condition:

1. Successfully complete registration for a new PayPal account within the Promotion Period or already have an existing PayPal account prior to the Promotion Period. If you don’t have Paypal account, just make one through Paypal.Com
2. Submit to PayPal via the Paypal Wishlist and within the Promotion Period, the email address to which your PayPal account is linked;
3. Be at least of 18 years of age, and have a PayPal account with a valid registration address in relation thereto located in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia or Singapore (“Eligible Countries”);
4. Have a PayPal account in Good Standing, with current contact information throughout the Promotion Period. In order for an account to be deemed in Good Standing as that term is used herein, the account must not have a hold status and/or be suspended or past due as of December 31st, 2009; and
5. Complete the downloading of the Paypal Wishlist, and use the same to create a PayPal WishList, within the Promotion Period.

You will be entitled to $1 USD for your own Paypal Wishlist, plus an additional $1 USD per friend who uses your invitation to create his or her own PayPal WishList, provided your friend has aPayPal account. Each person is only entitled to create one (1) PayPal WishList . For the avoidance of doubt, in the event your friend receives more than one invitation, only the person whose invitation is used to create the former’s PayPalWishList, will be entitled to the $1 USD.

You will be notified by PayPal no later than February 28th, 2010, via email or any other method as PayPal may from time to time determine, of how much you have earned.

Prizes will be credited to your PayPal account as per your submission to PayPal via the Paypal Wishlist, no later than February 28th, 2010. If you do not provide Paypal.com with this, Paypal will not be able to deposit your earnings.

To submit the PayPal email address you would like linked to your PayPal WishList, go to the Paypal Wishlist and click the link below to the ’submit your email address’ in the upper left side of the page. Any cash prizes to be paid to yourPayPal account, will be credited in the currency as set out herein and currency conversion fees (if applicable) or any other related fees, will be borne solely by you.

Join now, refer your friend, and get $100. So simply!

Soccer Extreme : Inter striker Samuel Eto'o has given every member of the Cameroon squad a £30,000 watch after they qualified for next summer's World Cup in South Africa.

The Indomitable Lions beat Morocco 2-0 at the weekend to make sure of qualification for their sixth World Cup. Eto'o scored nine goals in the qualifying campaign.

It's not the first time, Eto'o has used his generous side to incentivize his team-mates. Four years ago, the 28-year-old promised the Cameroon squad $2,000 a piece if they beat the Ivory Coast.

Cameroon won 3-2 in Abidjan and Eto'o paid out an astonishing $60,000.

Eto'o is not shy of making a bet, as long as the proceeds go to charity. Three years ago, he did a deal with Ford whereby they would send an ambulance to Cameroon for every goal he scored above a certain quota.

He is now in the process of recycling Europe's unwanted shoes, installing special bins in Spanish department store El Corte Ingles where people can donate them to charity. (football italia)

Soccer Extreme : Following the international friendly between Italy and Holland, Dutchman Dirk Kuyt has accused the Azzurri of bad behaviour.

During the game, Robin Van Persie was forced off due to an injury caused by Giorgio Chiellini which will keep him out for a couple of months.

“I am really disappointed,” he told Sky Sports.

“We played a friendly against a great national side but if you see the way they kicked us all through the 90 minutes it is just very sad.

“It was bad for us and especially for Robin, who has been in great form recently.”

Despite Chiellini apologising to the Arsenal ace, Kuyt hopes this won't occur again.

“His tackle was a nasty one. When you play a friendly you should have more respect for your opponent.

“I hope things will change in the future,” concluded the Liverpool player. (football italia)

Soccer Extreme : Bad news. Spurs keeper Carlo Cudicini has been involved in a serious road accident, in Walthamstow, London. The Italian’s BMW motorcycle collided with a Ford Fiesta at around 10.30 this morning.



A police spokesperson confirmed:

“A 36-year-old male suffered injuries described as possibly life-changing and was taken to an East London hospital for further assessment and treatment.”

Tottenham’s official website says that Cudicini has a fractured pelvis and broken wrists (link).

Shit. Poor bloke. Let’s all hope it’s not as serious as it sounds.

Get well soon, Carlo. (whoateallthepies)

Soccer Extreme : Injured England star Ashley Cole was torn between watching his wife on The X Factor or soccer internationals - and he chose the football.

The Chelsea defender, 28, could have sat in the studio to see Cheryl give her opinions on the remaining contestants on Saturday.

But instead he opted to kick back and relax on a sofa in her dressing room.

He watched his England team-mates' lose to Brazil, then Ireland's World Cup qualifier against France. The left back is out with a depressed fracture of a shin bone so did not travel with the squad for the showcase friendly in Qatar.

A source said: "We thought he might have given Cheryl some support by watching her, but he stayed in her dressing room.

"He had a TV in there and was quite comfortable."

The source added: "He would have been on the pitch with the team if he had not been injured - so I suppose it would have been more odd for him to be watching Jedward live." (thesun)

Soccer Extreme : Didier Drogba admits he is embarrassed by his behaviour after Barcelona knocked Chelsea out of last season's UEFA Champions League.

The Ivory Coast ace erupted following the full-time whistle of Barca's away goals success against Guus Hiddink's Blues at Stamford Bridge.

Although Chelsea took the lead in the game, Drogba was furious referee Tom Henning Ovrebo turned down numerous penalty appeals.

The striker vented his frustration at full time by confronting the Norwegian referee and swearing at the television cameras.

Drogba admits his son was watching the game and knows he behaved inappropriately and that he set the wrong example for youngsters.

"I don't always worry about what people think," said Drogba.

"On this occasion it was really important to come out and apologise because of the kids watching the game.

"My son was watching with his friends from school and I was embarrassed by my behaviour.

"The good thing is Isaac came to me and said, 'It's not right what you did, dad, you should have had more penalties, but it's not right to do that to referees'.

"He's eight and he plays for Chelsea's Under-9s, but is very different to me, he's really calm.

"It was really difficult for me after the Barcelona game because I made a mistake but I was frustrated that people didn't understand why I reacted.

"I apologised, but I also wanted to show I'm not the person people think I am.

"I'm not a bad guy, I just want to win and sometimes I react." (sky sport)

Soccer Extreme : AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has admitted that David Beckham's expected arrival at the San Siro club in January will provide them with a huge lift.

The 26-year-old thinks the England veteran can help create chances for the strikers as they aim to claw their way into championship contention in Serie A this term.

Speaking to Datasport, Huntelaar said: "The arrival of Beckham is positive.

"It will be good for the forwards. I hope it will give me more opportunities to play.

"Everyone can still compete. We are only in November." (foootball.uk)

Soccer Extreme : Rio Ferdinand is branching out from his off-pitch work in entertainment and publishing and is opening a restaurant called Rosso. Located in Manchester inside an building formerly used as a bank, the restaurant is currently undergoing a major refurb to ready itself for the onslaught of ballers, locals and wagabees soon to grace its dinner tables.

A spokesperson for the resto says Rosso will seat about 150 people and be quite a laid back affair.

“We want it to be a really nice, relaxed place for people to come and dine and it’s not going to be ridiculously expensive, it will be good food at a good price… “Rosso” is Italian for red, because it gives it that authenticity, but is also a bit of a nod to Rio too.” (kickette)

Soccer Extreme : This is the infamous red beach ball that cost Liverpool FC a shock defeat to Sunderland last month.

The News of the World won a fierce bidding war with rival media organisations to secure the red ball, which caused a fluke goal after it was thrown onto the pitch by a young fan and deflected a shot by Darrent Bent.

The newspaper has donated the ball to the Alder Hey Imagine Appeal after obtaining it from Liverpool fan Wayne Bate, 41, who asked a steward for it for his four year old son.

Wayne from Thirsk in North Yorkshire said: "We were both stunned by the goal and couldn't believe what had happened. We were in the front row and I asked a steward if we could have the beachball to cheer up Callum."

So.. don't miss your chance to own a piece of footballing history.. and help raise money for this excellent cause. (ebay)

Soccer Extreme : Could this be the fastest goal ever in football.On the weekend 21-year-old Saudi striker Nawaf Al Abed scored what people are claiming to be the fastest goal ever recorded in a professional football match to date.

The incident too place in the match between Al Hilal and Al Shoalah, in the Prince Faisal bin Fahad Cup, with the goial officially clocked a amazing two seconds.

As you can see from the video below Al Abed spotted the Al Shoalah goalkeeper off his line and that was all the invitation for the forward to smash one from the half way line.

Even to the Commentary team was caught out great goal, great dance celebration, and one for the record books. (boxofficefootbal)

Video : Al Hilal Striker Nawaf Al Abed Scores After Two Seconds

Soccer Extreme : John Terry is the centerback for Chelsea FC, arguably the top soccer club in the world.

He makes 275,000 pounds-per-week.

His mother and father, however, continue to embaress Terry by committing petty crimes. Back in March, Terry’s mother was arrested and charged with shoplifting (she stole flip-flops and pet food). This week, Terry’s father was videotaped selling cocaine to a News of the World reporter for a $66 profit at a wine bar in Essex.

More about the journalistic dilemma Ted Terry’s cocaine dealing raises after the jump.

After selling the cocaine, Ted Terry endorsed his product, telling the reporter that he also enjoyed using the cocaine.

After selling three grams of cocaine to our man, who pretended to be buying for his wealthy boss, Ted insisted:

“This is just between me and you. DON’T tell him that I’m John Terry’s dad. I can’t have this going back, I’m not saying that they’ll say anything, but you never know.

”You CAN’T tell them I’m John Terry’s dad. I’ve just got them a load of gear.”

If the News of the World investigation has any legitimacy, expect Ted Terry to be investigated and charged by police in England.



Though this is a terrible PR hit for John Terry, it raises an interesting journalistic delimma: Is it right for a member of the media to pose undercover and basically ruin the life of someone? Moreover, is it OK for a member of the media to give up this information to the police?

In this situation, I think the British tabloid was wrong.

Ted Terry was a target of News of the World because of his son’s ability on the soccer field. He’s simply the father of a famous figure in England, which doesn’t prop him up onto a morally higher ground. Therefore, he shouldn’t be the subject of this type of investigative report. (ripcordnews)

Soccer Extreme : In a remarkable show of charity, ferocious Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has pledged a £3million donation to build a hospital. Drogba is handing over the fee he will receive for becoming the new face of Pepsi. Chelsea, his employers, should have been entitled to a cut from his sponsorship fee as a result of an image rights clause in Drogba’s contract.

Sources close to the remarkable deal also claim there will be a further generous donation by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich in a personal show of support for Drogba.

Billionaire owner Roman Abramovich may even have offered to match the donation pound for pound. The project in the Ivory Coast, Drogba’s homeland, will shock those who consider Drogba the unacceptable face of the Barclays Premier League because of his aggressive demeanor, diving antics and foul-mouthed rant in the Champions League last season that saw him banned for three games by UEFA.

There is, however, another side to the prolific centre forward. He launched the Didier Drogba Foundation two years ago, bought land in his hometown of Abidjan and committed to raise funds to build a hospital with the aim of opening the facility by the end of 2010.

He set up the Foundation after a close friend, Stefan, died from leukaemia and the project gained momentum after 19 fans died and 132 people were injured when a wall collapsed in Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium before a World Cup qualifier between Ivory Coast and Malawi in March.

The first aim of the Foundation is ‘to build and fund a hospital giving people basic healthcare and a chance just to stay alive’. Later this month, the Didier Drogba Foundation Charity Ball will take place at London’s Dorchester Hotel and has already sold out.

Drogba, 31, will be the latest in a long line of global stars from the worlds of sport, music and entertainment to represent the soft drinks giant Pepsi.

David Beckham, 34, ended his 10-year association with Pepsi in December last year. Brazilians Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas and Drogba’s Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard have also featured in Pepsi television commercials.

For some, Drogba may seem an odd choice to follow in Beckham’s footsteps, but Drogba’s charity work and role with the United Nations sets him apart from other candidates.

The striker was the first Ivorian to be crowned African Footballer of the Year in 2006.

Let us be some of the first people to say “bravo! to Didier” Well done. (theoriginalwinger)

Soccer Extreme : adidas and the Japanese Football Association (JFA) have officially launched the adidas Japan World Cup 2010 home kit under the theme Samurai Blue.

The new kit comes in two versions – one featuring adidas Techfit technology and another featuring adidas Formotion technology.

The new Japan adidas 09/10 home kit is expected to see action during November 14th friendly with South Africa.

The Blue Samurai (as the team are nicknamed) are on their way to their fourth consecutive FIFA World Cup. (wordpress)

Soccer Extreme : Photographs of Germany’s football kit for the 2010 World Cup have been leaked.


As is always the case with Germany, Adidas have designed a beautiful jersey for the German national team to wear when they play in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The new Germany World Cup jersey is white with a black trim. Down the left chest of the shirt, there are three small lines — in gold, red and black; the colors of the German flag — which also intercept the German national team badge.

Here’s another image of the new German World Cup kit modeled by Michael Ballack:


Also noteworthy is the sleeve design with the three Adidas stripes appearing at the bottom of the sleeve, which definitely adds a classy touch with the aesthetics of the shirt.

What do you think of the new Germany World Cup shirt? Do you love it or hate it? Click the comments link below to share your opinion. (worldcupbuzz)

Soccer Extreme : A football fan who wanted a beautiful grin to match the beautiful game brushed his teeth at Stamford Bridge as he watched Chelsea beat Manchester United.

The supporter was caught on film cleaning his pearly whites during the Barclays Premier League game and the clip was promptly posted on video-sharing website YouTube.

Within hours more than 1,000 people had viewed the bizarre entry, which was posted by several different users.

During his show on BBC Radio 5 Live, DJ Spoony asked: "Why has he got a toothbrush in the stadium? And more importantly, why is he brushing his teeth in the stadium?"

Co-host Gabriele Marcotti joked: "Dental hygiene. Every time you eat something, afterwards you should be brushing your teeth. You were taught that, right? You should also be flossing too, I would add."

Spoony went on: "So you're in the football stadium, you have had your pie, you brush your teeth. I mean where do you rinse, or gargle?"



He appealed for calls from the fan's friends to explain why he cannot leave his toothbrush at home. (telegraph)

Soccer Extreme : World Cup winner Lothar Matthaeus said on Sunday he was one of the greatest players ever to emerge from Germany yet had been shunned by his own country.

"In other countries they treat idols differently and I am an idol in Germany," said the former Germany captain, who has coached clubs abroad but never in his homeland.

"This may sound a little cocky but after Franz Beckenbauer I am the second most famous German soccer personality around the world. Germany should be ashamed of the way it treats such an idol," Matthaeus told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Sunday.

Matthaeus, accused of arrogance during his playing days, captained West Germany to World Cup victory in 1990 and had a glittering career at both Bayern and Inter Milan but as a coach he has enjoyed little success.

The 48-year-old former midfielder has never worked in the Bundesliga or the second division, with German clubs hesitant to offer him a job.

He has coached clubs in Austria, Serbia and Israel as well as the Hungarian national team and had a brief spell in South America with Brazil's Atletico Paranaense in 2006.

Matthaeus said German clubs perceived him as being too much of a Bayern supporter and too closely linked with an influential German tabloid newspaper to give him a job.

"These two things of which I am accused of by clubs have no basis. I am neither Bayern Munich nor am I Bild newspaper. Neither of the two. And these two are my main problems in Germany.

"I hope a German club will just trust me. And only then can you make a judgement: he is good or he is bad," he said. (reuters)

Soccer Extreme : Samuel Eto'o earned Serie A leaders Inter Milan a 1-1 draw with AS Roma at the San Siro on Sunday, while their city rivals AC Milan climbed to third with a 2-1 win at troubled Lazio.

The Cameroon forward controlled a Thiago Motta pass, spun around and drove home a diagonal strike just after the break to cancel out Mirko Vucinic's first-half goal.

The champions now have 29 points from 12 games, five more than second-placed Juventus, who won 5-2 at Atalanta on Saturday. Inter started the weekend with a seven-point lead.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho had said former title challengers Roma were dangerous despite being in the lower half of the table and missing injured players such as captain Francesco Totti.

He was proved right in the 13th minute when Montenegro striker Vucinic put the visitors in front with a looping header to make amends after his dithering had allowed Inter's defence to recover when he was clean through soon after kickoff.

Inter had keeper Julio Cesar to thank for keeping them on level terms after Eto'o's goal when he produced a fine save to repel a powerful Jeremy Menez shot after the hour mark.

Milan are two points behind Juve after their centre back Thiago Silva scored for both sides in a victory at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

The Brazilian nodded in an Andrea Pirlo free kick from the left to put Milan ahead in the 22nd minute with his maiden Serie A goal.

His compatriot Alexandre Pato also used his head to put away a Ronaldinho cross and make it 2-0 10 minutes before the break before Silva unluckily deflected a Mauro Zarate shot into his own net in the 65th minute to set up a nervy climax.

The visitors held out under pressure to continue their recovery from a shaky start.

Lazio coach Davide Ballardini is now in serious danger of losing his job. His side have not won in the league since August and were hammered 4-1 at Villarreal in the Europa League on Thursday.

Milan leapfrogged Sampdoria, who lost 2-0 at Cagliari after having Marius Stankevicius sent off for a foul at the end of the first half.

Samp share fourth place with Fiorentina after the Tuscan team won 1-0 at Udinese thanks to Juan Vargas's free kick six minutes from time. (reuters)

Soccer Extreme : Captain John Terry headed Chelsea five points clear at the top of the Premier League on Sunday when his 76th-minute goal secured a 1-0 home victory over champions Manchester United.

The eagerly-awaited showdown had been meandering towards a disappointing goalless draw until Terry was left unmarked to glance in a Frank Lampard free kick -- with striker Nicolas Anelka claiming he got the final touch.

The victory took Chelsea to 30 points, five clear of Arsenal, who won 4-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and United, who also lost to Liverpool last month.

Tottenham Hotspur are fourth on 22 after they beat Sunderland 2-0 on Saturday. Liverpool host Birmingham City on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, Hull City beat visitors Stoke City 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal, Everton won 2-1 at West Ham United while Wigan Athletic drew 1-1 at home to Fulham.

However, all eyes were on Stamford Bridge this weekend, even though for the most part the big game failed to deliver.

United were without first-choice centre-halves Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic but stand-ins Wes Brown and Jonny Evans were barely tested in a game high on errors and short on goalmouth action. Chelsea's defence was similarly comfortable, despite the willing running of United striker Wayne Rooney, and the first hour passed without either goalkeeper seriously troubled.

Peter Cech stretched to keep out a Rooney curler after 68 minutes as United applied some pressure but it remained tight.

The absence of Ferdinand and Vidic proved key, however, eight minutes later when United's defence got hopelessly confused defending a straightforward Lampard free kick from the left.

Terry reached it first but Anelka and his strike partner Didier Drogba were also in the vicinity -- unlike any United defenders.

The champions upped the tempo after that but, with forward Dimitar Berbatov also absent through injury, too much fell on Rooney's shoulders and the Chelsea defence was able to crowd him out.

Terry, whose day began with some unwelcome tabloid headlines about his family, was delighted.

"I want it (the goal) because I've never scored against Manchester United home or away, but Nicolas was brilliant today so he can have it," he told Sky Sports.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti added: "We did what we had to do. We beat a very good opponent, the best opponent, and we're five points clear but we know this is a very long (season). We have to maintain this gap."

United manager Alex Ferguson was left complaining about the free kick that led to the goal and claimed his defenders were impeded defending it.

"That goal shouldn't have been allowed," he said. "The referee's position to make the decision was absolutely ridiculous, he can't see anything.

"It was a bad decision, but there's nothing we can do about it. You lose faith in refereeing sometimes, that's the way the players are talking in there -- it was a bad one.

"We have dominated the game and had great chances to win the match and that's our fault.

"We should be finishing it off and we have only ourselves to blame in that respect but we never got the break we needed. We did play well and were the far better team." (reuters)

Soccer Extreme : Adriano has been doing really well since returning to Brazil and getting his head back together. So well, in fact, that people are even using his image on their products. Unfortunately, those products are drugs.


From the Corriere dello Sport:

Now that Adriano is back in Rio de Janeiro and is the top scorer in the Brazilian championship with Flamengo, he’s so popular that his picture is even selling packets of drugs. According to the Jornal do Brasil, a blitz of police yesterday arrested trafficker Cordovil on the outskirts of Rio and seized 1350 rocks of crack packaged in bags ready for disposal. On the bags, stickers with pictures of the bomber of Flamengo, the most popular team in Brazil. Too bad the photo is in the Nerazzurri shirt, when Adriano was still Inter.

Yeah, I’m sure Flamengo was real upset that their shirt wasn’t shown on the crack packs.

Anyway, as much of an honor as this is, I think Adriano might want to take legal action against this drug trafficker. Not so much for tying him to the drug business and potentially damaging his reputation, but for using his image without giving him a cut of the action. I mean, come on — a footballer’s image rights are his livelihood. How is he supposed to go out and buy crack of his own if people are going around and using his image without paying him for it? (dirtytackle)

Soccer Extreme : Manchester United and Arsenal are the only English clubs to make the top 10 of a list of Europe’s 50 best supported clubs. The rankings, based on last season’s average attendance, are still dominated by German clubs - nine made the top 20. (thespoiler)




See the full list after the jump…

Soccer Extreme : Chelsea face title rivals Manchester United at the perfect time on Sunday because the London side are fit, playing well and full of confidence, coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

Chelsea, two points ahead of the champions at the top of the table, have scored 19 goals and conceded only two in their last five games, both of those by Sergio Aguero -- a possible Chelsea transfer target -- in Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw at Atletico Madrid.

The club received a boost on Friday with news that they had been cleared to sign new players in the January transfer window after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) suspended a ban imposed by world body FIFA who found them guilty of inducing young Lens striker Gael Kakuta to break his contract.

But Ancelotti hinted after Friday's training that the club would only spend if his squad suffered significant injury.

After trotting out the usual cliches that the Manchester United match involved only three points like any other, Ancelotti said: "We are happy to play this game at this moment because we are playing very well, we are in good condition and we have a very good mental attitude just now."

Chelsea have only one player injured, defender Jose Bosingwa. Ancelotti said the decision about whether the Portugal back would need an operation on a knee injury would be made in the next few days.

The Italian coach, who has experience of both winning and losing against Ferguson's United while at AC Milan, said United could also be confident: "United have a very good team. Like us they are doing well because they have qualified in the Champions League and are doing well in the Premiership.

"But everybody is vulnerable and there are no invincible teams," he added. United have not won at Stamford Bridge since 2002.

Ancelotti said now was not the time to be thinking about signing players despite the CAS appeal decision.

"We have this possibility now but we have time. We don't want to make a decision at this moment. I am very happy about this squad, these players," he said.

Chelsea will lose several leading players, including in-form striker Didier Drogba and midfielders Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel for several weeks in January because of the African Nations Cup.

"But if we maintain players all fit I think we can manage a good period also without the African players," Ancelotti said.

Chelsea's scouts have been busy in recent weeks, however, and the club has been linked strongly in the British media with Aguero.

The Italian added that United were not Chelsea's only realistic rivals for the title. Liverpool, he suggested, were probably out of the race but Arsenal looked dangerous, he said. (reuters)

Soccer Extreme : Don’t call me Hugo any more. I’m English, don’t you know? So you have to change my name. At school, P.E. teachers insisted on branding me “Steckel”, although I suppose I should just be grateful I escaped that awful nom de plume that is the quintessentially British “Macca”.

It’s 10:30pm, and a day both frustrating and unproductive has truckled obeisantly past. I’ve seen the interview with “La Radio” yabbering on about “Berba/The Assassin” and “Keano”. “Curbs” is frustrated – who wouldn’t be? “Stevie G” and “El niño” just won’t stop scoring, and “the Pope” feels a little more secure on his Anfield throne. They once had a cocaine-snorting “God” in Liverpool, you know? They say anything’s possible up north.

As you will have made out from my opening paragraph, this post is going to be about NICKNAMES, and I must extend a note of thanks to my father, who was responsible for informing me about Fitz Hall’s ingenious moniker “One size”, and to Hall himself for inspiring this article. A shout out also to former Everton player Neil “Dissa” Pointin and QPR’s on-loan Chelsea midfielder Michael “Haunted” Mancienne.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the “Baby-faced assassin”I must admit, foreign influence in the Premier League is welcome in my eyes if only because it makes us rethink our sobriquets. The standard Anglican procedure, that of affixing the ‘a’ or ‘y’ sound onto any name whatsoever, nominally the surname – “yes, I thought Stubbsy was mammoth at the back today” – is problematized somewhat by these delicious foreign syllables. Oh, the torments of David Moyes and Alan Curbishley, who are two of the worst culprits. For every “Sheva” and “Berba” that we manage to conjure up (the Bulgarian is also known as “The Assassin”), there is an “Ole Gunnar Solskjaer”, the “Baby-faced Assassin” whose surnames resist all butchering. Although I dread to think what would’ve happened had he ended up at Arsenal, where some awful Gunnar/Gunner foreplay would surely have emerged.

Juan Sebastián Verón, La Brujita (The Little Witch)And in truth, we have a lot to learn about nicknaming, us Brits. Where is the imagination? In the World Cup of nicknames, we are destined invariably to be knocked out on penalties. “Wazza” against “The Beast”? “Becks” versus “The Little Witch”? (”Little Witch” i.e. “La Brujita” in Spanish is the name given to Juan Sebastián Verón – whom us Englanders branded simply “Seba”: it is the diminutive form of “La Bruja”, Verón’s father’s nickname back at Estudiantes). For G-d’s sake, as well as playing the best football at the 2006 World Cup, Argentina had by far and away the best set of sobriquets.

Lionel Messi, La Pulga AtómicaAdmit it, as a defender you’d cower at the sight of “La pulga atómica”, “El Apache” and either one of “Valdanito” or “El Jardinero” lining up as a united front. It makes me laugh to think of the nomenclatural crisis that would be sparked in Alan Curbishley’s brain when presented with a name like “Messi”. “But it already ends in the “y” sound…” his phrenic cavity would grumble, with furrowed brow, before spitting out the only other sound we seem to know, and “Mezza” he would be forever. Look what’s happened to Rooney. And I much preferred “Roonaldo” to “Wazza”.

And that’s why Mr Hall’s hilarious handle had me in raptures. We can do it, I thought. So I’ve decided to set up a sort of project, if you will. Next time you see a manager refer with desperation to his charge as “Giggsy”, screw up your face, defrost those neurons, and think of something better. Then swing by and let us know what you’ve thought of. And while you’re here, have a vote for your favourite nickname – I’ve provided a long, but no means complete, list below, grouped into countries and continents for ease of browsing and comparison. You could also tell us which country has the best nicknames. (soccerlens, Apr 2008)

United Kingdom / Ireland

Darren Anderton = Shaggy, Sicknote
David Beckham= Becks, Spice Boy, Goldenballs
Jamie Carrager = Carra
John Charles = The Gentle Giant
Jack Charlton = The Giraffe
Ashley Cole= Cashley
Peter Crouch – Crouchy, The Giraffe, El Esparagus, Two Metre Peter, RoboCrouch, Bean Pole
William Ralph Dean = Dixie Dean
Jermaine Defoe = Danger Defoe
Gary Doherty = Ginger Pele
Nathan Ellington = Duke
Rio Ferdinand = Snoop, Jar-Jar Binks
Duncan Ferguson = Big Dunc, Slam Dunk
Paul Gascoigne = Gazza

Steven Gerrard = Stevie G/Captain Marvellous
Ron Harris = Chopper
Fitz Hall = One size fits all
Emlyn Hughes = Crazy Horse
Paul Ince = The ‘Guv’nor’
Roy/Robbie Keane = Keano
Kevin Keegan = Mighty Mouse (given to him by Hamburg fans)
Frank Lampard = Lamps, Fat Frank
Aaron Lennon = Roadrunner
Gary Lineker = Sir
Stanley Matthews = Wizard of Dribble
Paul McBride = Super Mac, Macca, Bake, Big Mac
Brian McClair – Choccy Éclair
Darren Moore = Big Dave
Gary Neville = The Neviller
Phil Parkes = Lofty
Stuart Pearce = Psycho
Bryan Robson = Captain Marvel
Neil Ruddock = Razor
Alan Shearer = Big Al
Alan Smith = Smithy, Smudger
Tommy Smith = the ‘Anfield Iron’ (As Bill Shankly once said, “Tommy Smith wasn’t born, he was quarried”)
David Unsworth = Rhino
Chris Waddle = Dribbleur fou [Crazy dribbler] (Named this by the Monaco supporters after his spell in the French league)
Theo Walcott = The Kid
Jonathan Woodgate = Woody
Ian Wright = Dr. Jekyll
Shaun Wright-Phillips = SWP
.

Argentina

Sergio Agüero = El Kun
Roberto Ayala = El Ratón (the rat)
Gabriel Batistuta = Batigol
Hernán Crespo = Valdanito
Julio Cruz = El Jardinero
Fernando Gago = Pintita, Doctor Gago, Gagoterapia (Gagotherapy)
González Higuaín = Pipita
Mario Kempes = the Matador
Diego Maradona = El Pibe de Oro
Lionel Messi = La Pulga [Atómica] (Atomic Flea), Messidona
Martin Palermo = El loco (the madman)
Daniel Passarella = El Guerrero (‘The Warrior’), El Kaiser
Ariel Ortega = Burrito (the Little Donkey)
Fernando Redondo = Prince
Maxi Rodríguez = La Fiera (The Fierce One/The Shrew)
Javier Saviola – El Conejo (the Rabbit), El Pibito, Tambor
.

Brazil

(this list is virtually endless, so I have just provided my favourites/the most famous ones. It is also worth noting that the vast majority of Brazilian players as they are known to us are actually playing under pseudonyms, abbreviations rather than nicknames)

Adriano = O Imperador (the Emperor), The Horse
Alex (Chelsea) = The Tank
Cafu = Cafu, Il Pendolino
Dida = The Black Panther
Edmundo = O Animal (the Animal)
Emerson = El Puma, El señor
Manoel dos Santos = Garrincha (the type of bird dos Santos hunted as a child)
Gilberto da Silva = The Invisible Wall
Julio Baptista = The Beast
Kaká = The Golden Boy
Edson Arantes do Nascimento = Pelé, O Rei (The King)
Roberto Carlos = Thunder Thighs, Dinamite
Robinho = Robishow, O Principe
Romário = Shorty
Ronaldinho = Dinho, Ronnie, The One Man Show
Ronaldo = O Fenômeno (the Phenomenon), Ronie (with one N)
.

France

Jean-Alain Boumsong = Un, deux, trois … BOUMSONG!
Marcel Desailly = The Rock
Youri Djorkaeff = The Snake
Ludovic Giuly = Ludo, The Magic Imp
Yohan Gourcuff = Petit Zizou
Thierry Henry = Titi, TH14, Va Va Voom
Philippe Mexès = Philou, Le Laurent Blond
Franck Ribéry = The Magician, Scarface
Mickaël Silvestre = Mickey So-Fine, Tweety, 50p head
Lilian Thuram = The Philosopher
David Trezeguet = Trez, Trezegol
Patrick Vieira = Paddy, Tentacule, La Pieuvre (The Octopus)
Zinedine Zidane = Zizou
.

Germany

Michael Ballack = Balle
Franz Beckenbauer = Der Kaiser, Kaiser Franz
Oliver Kahn = Olli, Titan, Vulkahn
Jürgen Klinsmann = The Golden Bomber
Phillip Lahm = Lahmy, Wireless Lahm, The Magic Dwarf
Jens Lehmann = Mad Jens, John
Gerd Müller = The Fat One, Bomber
Lukas Podolski = Prinz Poldi
Karl-Heinz Riedle = King of the Sky
Bernd Schuster = The Blond Angel, Don Bernardo
Sebastian Schweinsteiger = Basti, Schweini
.

Holland

Dennis Bergkamp = The non-flying Dutchman, Dennis the Menace, Beavis, Bergy
Ruud Gullit = Il Tulipo Nero (The black tulip)
Arjen Robben and Mateja Kezman (Serbian) = together, Batman and Robben
Roy Makaay = the Phantom
Clarence Seedorf = Opa (Grandfather)
Marco Van Basten = The Swan of Utrecht
Ruud Van Nistelrooy = Van the Man, Ruud Boy!, The Flying Dutchman, RVN, La Locomotora, Van Gol, Van Nisterror, The Ruud Devil, Van The Crack, Trivilin, Guffy
Robin Van Persie = RVP
Boudewijn Zenden = Bolo, The Rocket
.

Italy

Roberto Baggio = Roby, Divin Codino (Divine Ponytail)
Gianluigi Buffon = Gigi, Super Gigi
Mauro Camoranesi = Camo
Fabio Cannavaro = Il muro di Berlino (The Berlin wall), Il Capitano, El Bus Humano (The Human Bus), Cannavoro, Il Bello, Il Duce
Antonio Cassano = Peter Pan, Fantantonio, El Pibe de Bari, Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia (the jewel of Old Bari), Talento di Bari Vecchia, Talentino. Cassano is also the subject of the Italian neologism “Cassanata”, a word invented by Fabio Capello to refer to behaviour against the current of team spirit.
Alessandro Del Piero = Ale, Pinturicchio
Gennaro Gattuso = Rino, Ringhio, Braveheart, Pittbull, The Snarling Dog
Alberto Gilardino = Gila
Filippo Inzaghi = Super Pippo, Inzagol, Alta Tensione
Attilio Lombardo = The Bald Eagle
Massimo Maccarone = Big Mac
Paolo Maldini = Il Capitano, San Paolo
Marco Materazzi = Matrix, Macellazzi
Vincenzo Montella = L’aeroplanino (the little airplane)
Alessandro Nesta = Sandro
Angelo Peruzzi = Ansiano, Pigskin
Gianluca Pessotto = Il Professore (the Professor), Pessottino
Fabrizio Ravanelli = Penna Bianca (white feather)
Salvatore Schillaci = Totò (given to all Italians named Salvatore)
Luca Toni = Tonigol, Bomber
Francesco Totti = Il Capitano, Er Pupone, Gladiatore, Il Bimbo d’Oro, Il Principe
Christian Vieri = Bobo, Bobone, Bobogol
Dino Zoff = Dino Nazionale, The Spider, Il Monumento
Gianfranco Zola = The Italian Maradona, Marazola, Tamburino Sardo
.

Portugal

Luís Boa Morte = Good Death, Boa Constrictor
Francisco José da Costa = Costinha
Deco (itself a nickname, as in Art Deco) = Mágico
Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro = Maniche
Ricardo Pereira = Mãozinhas (Little Hands)
Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes = Pauleta, L’Aigle des Açores (the Eagle from the Azores)
Tiago Cardoso Mendes = Tiago
.

Spain

Emilio Butragueño = El Buitre (The Vulture)
Iker Casillas = El galáctico de Móstoles, San Iker
Andoni Goikoetxea = El Carnicero de Bilbao (‘The Butcher of Bilbao’)
Luis Enrique Martinez = Lucho
Fernando Morientes = El Moro (the Moor)
Carles Puyol = Lionheart, Tarzan, Capità , Capitán,Puyi, Corazón de León, Greñol el Puyol, Superman
González Blanco Raúl = El Niño Raúl
Sergio Ramos = El Comanche, Carapony, El Tarzán de Camas, Rambo, Lobo (Wolf)
Michel Salgado = Il Due (el dos), Míchel, la Abuela (the Grandmother), Malulo, La Cabra Loca (Mad goat)
Roberto Soldado = Gudari
Fernando Torres = El Niño, Nando
David Villa = El Guaje (similar to El Pibe)
.

Europe – miscellaneous

Gheorghe Hagi = The Maradona of the Carpathians, Baciul (The Sheperd), The Black Sea Bomber
Thomas Gravesen = Shrek
Vladimir Jugovic = Mezzasquadra (Half the squad), Vinci Tutto (Conquers all)
Jan Koller = The Tall One
Oleg Luzhny = The Horse
Pavel Nedved = Duracell, Crazy Peleloid, Medvěd or Meda (Czech for “bear” or “teddy=bear”), The Czech Cannon, Furia Ceca (at Lazio & Juventus)
Robert Prosinecki = The Big Yellow One (Veliki žuti)
Ferenc Puskás = The Galloping Major, Cañoncito Pum (‘The Booming Cannon’).
Hasan Salihamidzic = Little Brother, Brazzo (at Juventus)
Philippe Senderos = Swiss Tony [Adams], Big Phil
Andriy Shevchenko = Sheva, Shevagol, The Eastern Wind, Wind of Passion
Hristo Stoichkov = the Pitbull
Davor Suker = Sukerman
Hakan Sükür = the Bull of Bosphorus
Nemanja Vidic = Hench, The Serbian Ninja
Lev Yashin = The Black Spider
.

Africa – miscellaneous

Stephen Appiah = Tornado
Henri Camara – Smiling Rabbit with a Rifle
Mahamadou Diarra – The Rock, The Malian Warrier, The Panther
Efan Ekoku = Efan ecuckoo bird
Michael Essien = The Bison
George Weah = King George, Opong, Mister George
.

South America – miscellaneous

Faustino Asprilla = the Black Gazelle
Rafael Márquez = The Kaiser of Michoacán, Prince of Cataluña
Wilson Palacios – The Magician/Harry Potter
Walter Pandiani = El Rifle (‘The Rifle’), then renamed El Firo Blanks and The Walter Pistol at Birmingham
Iván Zamorano = Ivan the Terrible, The Helicopter, Bam Bam, The Warrior
Marcelo Salas = El Matador, El shilenoo Salas
.

Rest of the world

Tim Cahill = Tiny Tim
Ali Karimi = Asian Maradona , Wizard Of Tehran
Eddie Pope = Benedict XVI
Mark Viduka = V Bomber