antonio conte

Conte began to play football in this city, within the U.S. Lecce youth team, before making his Serie A debut with the first squad in 1985. He was signed by Juventus in 1991 (debuting November 17, 1991 vs. Torino^[1]), being later made captain before the promotion of Alessandro Del Piero to this role. During the 1998–1999 season when Del Piero suffered a horrendous leg injury, Conte returned to the captaincy and led Juventus to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. He maintained the captaincy till the 2001/02 season. In 2002–2003, Conte was part of the Juventus team that reached the UEFA Champions League final only to lose on penalties to AC Milan, with Conte himself coming closest to winning the game for Juventus in normal time when he crashed a header off the crossbar early in the second half. Conte became one of the most decorated and influential players of Juventus history. He played for the Italian national team and was a participant at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 UEFA European Championship.^[2]

Coaching career

Arezzo

After having retired as a footballer, Conte worked as an assistant manager for Siena alongside Luigi De Canio in the 2005–06 season. In July 2006 he was appointed coach of Serie B side Arezzo; however, after a series of disappointing results, he was sacked on October 31, 2006.
On March 13, 2007 he was reinstated to the Arezzo head coaching position, as his predecessor failed to gain any significant improvement. In his second time at Arezzo he led the team to five consecutive wins in a row, and 19 points in 7 matches, which allowed the Tuscan side to fill the gap from the last safe spot; his team however did not manage to avoid relegation, and Arezzo dropped into Serie C1 on the final matchday, only one point behind Spezia.

Bari

On December 27, 2007 he was appointed by Bari to replace Giuseppe Materazzi for the second half of their Serie B 2007–08 campaign.^[3] He did very well, turning Bari's 2007–08 season around from relegation-threatened to a comfortable midtable position. In the following season, 2008–09, Bari were crowned Serie B champions, being promoted to Serie A for the 2009–10 season.
On June 2009, after weeks of rumours linking Conte to the vacant managerial role at Juventus, he agreed in principle for a contract extension to keep him at Bari for the new season; however, on June 23 Bari announced to have rescinded the contract with Antonio Conte by mutual consent.^[4]
After Claudio Ranieri was sacked of Juventus, Conte was appointed by the club as one of the candidates to become the new coach.^[5] However, the "bianconeri" hired Ciro Ferrara as the first team manager, instead. Conte had stated shortly prior that he would like to be the Juventus coach in the future, because he thought he was ready to assume the work.^[6]

Atalanta

On September 21, 2009 Atalanta appointed him to replace Angelo Gregucci.^[7] After a good start at the helm of the orobici, Atalanta under Conte's reign began struggling in result from November, leading to protest from local supporters and troubles between Conte himself and the organized ultras of the club.
On January 6, 2010, Conte was repeatedly contested by Atalanta fans during a home game against Napoli, ended in a 0–2 loss for the nerazzurri; the matchday ended with a police intervention to avoid confrontation between Conte and the Atalanta ultras.^[8] The next day, Conte tended his resignations to the club, leaving them in 19th place.^[9]

Siena

On May 9, 2010 he was announced as new head coach of Siena, with the aim to bring the Tuscan side back to the top flight after relegation to the 2010–11 Serie B.^[10] Conte successfully led Siena to promotion for the 2011–12 Serie A season.

Juventus

On May 22, 2011 Juventus sporting director, Giuseppe Marotta, announced that Juventus has appointed Conte as their new head coach replacing Luigi Delneri. It is expected that Conte will lead Juventus to their return on top of the Italian and European football scene.^[11][12] As of 29 April 2012, Juventus remain the only unbeaten side in Serie A after 35 games, and sit at 1st three points above A.C. Milan. The side hasn't lost a single game in the Coppa Italia either, thus extending its unbeaten run to 39 fixtures. Juventus are in the Coppa Italia final, to be played on 20 May against Napoli. The Bianconeri are also on streak of 8 consecutive wins in Serie A.
In spite of the numerous draws conceded by the Bianconeri, Antonio Conte has already won critical acclaim as Juventus manager and earned comparisons with José Mourinho. Like the latter, Conte has developed a reputation because of his obsession with tactics and his ability to win and to bond together his players. However, unlike the cautious Portuguese, Conte favours an attacking brand of football with 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 being his most frequently used formations in Turin.
In his first 10 months on the Juventus bench, Conte, a former fan favourite as a midfielder in Turin, had already reached a number of landmarks. On 17 March 2012, following a 5-0 win over rivals Fiorentina, he equalled Fabio Capello's run of 28 unbeaten games between November 2005 and May 2006. On 20 March 2012, he became the first coach to lead Juventus to a Coppa Italia final since Marcello Lippi in the 2004 Coppa Italia Final. On 25 March, following a 2-0 success at the Juventus Stadium he became the first coach to win both legs of the Derby d'Italia against enemies Internazionale since Fabio Capello in 2005-06.

roberto di matteo

Robert Matthews (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto di matˈtɛo]; born 29 May 1970) is a Swiss-born Italian former footballer and the caretaker manager of Chelsea for the remainder of the 2011-12 season. As a midfielder, he enjoyed spells at Schaffhausen, Zürich, Aarau, Lazio, and Chelsea. He was capped 34 times for Italy, scoring two goals, and played in Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup. He retired as a player in February 2002 at the age of 31 following injury problems.^[1] He has since managed Milton Keynes Dons, West Bromwich Albion, and Chelsea.

Switzerland and Italy

Born in Switzerland to Italian parents from the Abruzzo region, Di Matteo began his career with Swiss club Schaffhausen, before joining Aarau in 1991. He was playing with such football stars as Daniel Rubli. He won the Swiss Nationalliga A with Aarau in 1993 and in the same season achieved Switzerland's Player of the Year award. He signed for Lazio in the summer of 1993 on a free transfer. Di Matteo became a regular in the Lazio side and made his debut for Italy during his three seasons with the Rome club. However, a falling out with coach Zdeněk Zeman over a defensive error which resulted in a loss to Internazionale, ended his career with the Lazio. As a result he was signed by Ruud Gullit for English side Chelsea for a then club record fee of £4.9 million.

Chelsea

Di Matteo made an impressive start to his Chelsea career, scoring the winner against Middlesbrough on his home debut.^[2] His passing ability and accurate long-distance shooting saw him become one of the driving forces of Chelsea's resurgence in the late 1990s. He contributed nine goals in his first season, including long-range efforts against both Tottenham Hotspur and Wimbledon. He helped the club finish 6th in the league, their highest placing since 1989–90, and reach the 1997 FA Cup Final at Wembley. Within 42 seconds of the kick-off, Di Matteo scored from 30 yards, to set Chelsea on their way to a 2–0 win versus Middlesbrough. This was the quickest goal scored in a cup final at the old Wembley, although Louis Saha has since broken the record for the fastest goal scored in an FA Cup final - scoring in 25 seconds against Chelsea for Everton in the 2009 final.
The following season he again proved his worth to the team, chipping in with ten goals and numerous assists, as Chelsea went on to claim the Football League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup, their first European honour since 1971. In the League Cup final, again against Middlesbrough, Di Matteo scored the second goal in a 2–0 win. The 1998–99 season turned out to be a special season for Chelsea as they went on an unbeaten run of over 20 games to finish third in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League. Di Matteo played a pivotal role in midfield next to Gustavo Poyet, Dennis Wise and Dan Petrescu and scored some memorable goals, among them a strike against Coventry City in the dying seconds of the game.
During the 1999–2000, season he was hampered by injury but returned late in the season to score a handful of crucial goals, including his third Cup-winning goal at Wembley, once again in the FA Cup. In a dour match, Di Matteo capitalised on an error by Aston Villa goalkeeper David James to score the winner in the 71st minute, handing Chelsea their fourth major trophy in three years. This lead Di Matteo to comment on the old Wembley Stadium saying "It's a shame they're tearing the old place down – it has been a very lucky ground for me".
Early into the 2000–01 season, Di Matteo sustained a triple leg fracture in a UEFA Cup tie against Swiss side St. Gallen and spent the next eighteen months on the sidelines. He eventually gave up on his comeback and retired in February 2002 at the age of 31.^[3] In his six years at Chelsea, he made 175 appearances and scored 26 goals. He never lost at Old Trafford.^[4] He was selected in the squad of Chelsea's greatest ever XI, and former manager Claudio Ranieri handed him the honour of leading the Chelsea team out in the 2002 FA Cup Final, which Chelsea went on to lose 2–0 to London rivals Arsenal.

Management career

Milton Keynes Dons

In July 2008, Di Matteo was appointed as Milton Keynes Dons new manager after Paul Ince left to join Blackburn Rovers.^[5] He in turn appointed former Chelsea colleague Eddie Newton as his assistant and Ade Mafe, who appeared at the 1984 Summer Olympics and worked at Chelsea during Di Matteo's time there, as his fitness coach. He began qualifying for his UEFA coaching licences while still playing – completing his "B" licence during his time with Chelsea. In his first season with MK Dons, he led them to third place in League One behind Leicester City and Peterborough. They lost in the play-offs semi-finals against Scunthorpe on penalties.

West Bromwich Albion

He was hired as West Bromwich Albion Head Coach. In his first season, the team finished second in the English second division, the Football League Championship, behind favourites Newcastle United, winning automatic promotion to the Premier League.
On the opening day of the 2010–11 Premier League season (14 August 2010) Roberto Di Matteo paid a return visit to Stamford Bridge as head coach of West Brom, but saw his side lose 0-6 to Chelsea. Better results in following matches led to the best start in a Premier League Season by the club, and Di Matteo was also named Premier League Manager of the Month for September 2010.^[6] During December 2010 and January 2011, the club had a period of poor form, winning only one of ten matches. The majority of fans were still loyal to Di Matteo but after a 0-3 defeat to Manchester City on 5 February 2011 he was relieved of his duties with immediate effect.^[7] and first-team coach Michael Appleton was appointed caretaker manager.^[8] West Bromwich finished the season in eleventh position.

Chelsea

After a failed application to become Birmingham City manager^[9], Di Matteo was announced as the assistant manager to new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas on the 29 June 2011,.^[9][10] On 4 March 2012 he was appointed caretaker manager of Chelsea until the end of the season following the sacking of Villas-Boas.^[11] Di Matteo started his reign at Chelsea in winning form, after a 2-0 victory over Birmingham City in the FA Cup and going through to the Quarter Finals of the FA cup. On 10 March 2012, Di Matteo got his first league win against Stoke City, winning 1-0 thanks to second half Didier Drogba goal. On 14 March, in the 2nd leg of a Champions League Last 16, Chelsea overcame a 3-1 deficit against SSC Napoli to win 4-1 on the night, on aggregate 5-4 to qualify for the Champions League Quarter Finals, becoming only the fourth team in 45 attempts to overturn a first leg deficit of two goals or more.^[12] He also guided the Blues to a 5-2 victory over Leicester City, with Fernando Torres getting a brace to put Chelsea through to the Semi Final of the FA Cup. His first loss as Chelsea manager came when Manchester City defeated them 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium. In the Quarter final of the Champions League, Chelsea defeated SL Benfica 3-1 on aggregate, after winning 1-0 away, as well beating them at Stamford Bridge, setting up a Semi-final with reigning Champions FC Barcelona. His side defeated Aston Villa at Villa Park, in between the two Quarter final legs, on 31 March, with a final score of 4-2 with form-finding striker Fernando Torres scoring one of the four goals. His team then won against Wigan Athletic with a score of 2-1 and drew with Fulham 1-1. They then thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 in the Semi Final taking the Blues into the final where they will meet Liverpool on 5 May.^[13] In the Champions League Semi-final first leg match, his side defeated FC Barcelona 1-0 thanks to a Didier Drogba goal - a surprise to many observers, as the Catalan side had recently come into some form, with a string of victories leading up to the tie.^[14]
On 24th April 2012, Di Matteo led Chelsea to a 3-2 aggregate win over FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semi-final by achieving a 2-2 draw in the second leg game at the Nou Camp home stadium of the Spanish club - thus taking the west London team to their first UEFA Champions League final since May of 2008, when they lost to Manchester United on penalties.^[15].
On 29 April, Di Matteo gave Chelsea their first league derby win of the season, as they defeated Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge by a scoreline of 6-1, with Torres' hattrick being accompanied by goals by Daniel Sturridge, John Terry and Florent Malouda.

david silva

David Josué Jiménez Silva (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið xoˈswe xiˈmeneθ ˈsilβa]) (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker. A Spanish international since the age of 20 with over fifty caps, he was a member of the squads that won both the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup.
He spent six years of his professional career with Valencia CF, appearing in more than 150 games and winning one Copa del Rey, before moving in 2010 to Manchester City. Since joining City, his consistently excellent performances have earned the nickname "Merlin" from his English teammates, Adam Johnson and Micah Richards.

Silva was born in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands to Fernando Jiménez, a former municipal police officer who eventually was responsible for the safety of the Valencia CF stadium, and Eva Silva. His father, Fernando, is Canarian while his mother, Eva, is of Japanese descent, confirmed in an interview by his family members to the Canarian media.^[2][3] Silva has two younger siblings, sister Natalia and brother Nando. He is commonly called by the nickname "Chino" (Spanish for "Chinese") due to his physical appearance.
Silva began playing football in the youth team of UD San Fernando, near Maspalomas. Originally he played as a goalkeeper, before becoming a winger^[4] and mirrored his game around his footballing idol as a youth, Michael Laudrup.^[4] When he was 14, he received an offer to become a youth player at Valencia CF, which he accepted. He stayed in Valencia's youth set-up until he was 17.

Club career

David Silva playing for Valencia

Valencia

Silva made his professional début in 2004–05, with Segunda División's SD Eibar, while on loan from Valencia, playing 35 league games and scoring on five occasions. In the following season, he was again out on loan, this time to Celta de Vigo, where he played 34 matches, scoring four goals. After two late substitute appearances, the first in a 2–0 home win over Málaga CF on 28 August 2005, Silva finished as an undisputed starter as the Galician side reached the UEFA Cup straight from the second-tier.
Silva returned to Valencia in the summer of 2006, becoming an automatic first-choice despite his young age (20). In two seasons combined, he only missed six matches and netted 14 goals (his first coming on 5 November 2006 in a 1–1 draw at RCD Espanyol). In August 2008, he extended his contract by five years, amidst interest of several Premier League teams.^[5]
After not appearing in the first three months of 2008–09 due to a chronic ankle ailment,^[6] Silva returned to the call-ups in mid-December. On 3 January 2009, he scored twice in a 3–1 home win over Atlético Madrid,^[7] still contributing with 19 matches (four goals) as the Che qualified for the Europa League.
In the 2009–10 season, Silva scored a career-best eight goals, as Valencia finished in third position and returned to the UEFA Champions League. On 15 April 2010, he scored a brace against Athletic Bilbao for a 2–0 home win,^[8] adding three assists in the 4–4 thriller at SV Werder Bremen, for the Europa League's round of 16.^[9]

Manchester City

2010–11

David Silva pictured playing for Manchester City in April 2011.

On 30 June 2010, Manchester City announced that they had reached an agreement with Valencia CF over the transfer of Silva and that he would join the club on a four-year deal, prior to the start of the 2010–11 season.^[10] On 14 July, the Premier League side completed the signing^[11] and Silva was awarded the number 21 shirt, the same number he wore for Valencia and when playing for Spain. Manchester City had previously tried to sign Silva and his Valencia team-mate David Villa in 2008, but were put off when Valencia quoted a £135m combined price tag on both players.^[12]
City manager Roberto Mancini mainly deployed Silva as a winger^[13] and later in a trequartista role in his first season.^[14] Silva made his Premier League début on 14 August 2010, in a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.^[15] He scored his first goal for the club on 16 September, eight minutes into the Europa League group match against FC Red Bull Salzburg.^[16] On 17 October, he scored his first league goal in a game against Blackpool, netting City's third goal in a 3–2 away win.^[17] In a 3-1 home win in the Europa League against Lech Poznań, he set up two goals for Emmanuel Adebayor.^[18] He made another assist slipping through Adam Johnson for Manchester City's third in a 3–1 away win against West Ham United.^[19] Erroneous media reports emerged suggesting Silva could return to Spain and cited homesickness and difficulty to adapt to the English game.^[20] His performances however impressed Manchester City supporters and won three Player of the Month awards from Manchester City in a row for October, November and December in 2010.^[21]
On 12 February 2011, he was credited for the equalising goal in the 2–1 loss to rivals Manchester United when an Edin Džeko shot deflected off his back and into the net. On 2 March, he scored from twenty yards out in an FA Cup win (3–0) against Aston Villa. Three days later, he scored the only goal in Manchester City's win against Wigan Athletic. Silva netted the third goal in City's 5–0 rout of Sunderland on 3 April. On 25 April 2011, he started the game against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park and was replaced on 90 minutes by Dedryck Boyata in the 1-0 win for City. His assist to Yaya Toure against Everton at Goodison Park took Silva to 15 assists in all competitions for the season.^[22] Following his debut season in the Barclays Premier League, Silva has emerged as one of the league's finest playmakers. Carlos Tévez lauded him as "The best signing we (Manchester City) have made".^[23]

2011–12

Silva began the 2011–12 season in fine form, scoring the third goal in City's 4–0 thrashing of Swansea City^[24] and was voted man of the match. Silva also scored the following week against Bolton Wanderers, and was named man of the match.^[25] Silva then set up two of Sergio Agüero's three goals in city's second home game against Wigan Athletic, after another magnificent display from Silva, Roberto Mancini compared Silva to fellow Spain internationals Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta and said that Silva is "One of the best players in the world".^[26] On 1 October Silva was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for his outstanding performances and making it the first time ever that two Manchester City players have won the award in back to back months with Edin Džeko winning it the month before.
In the first Manchester Derby of the season at Old Trafford, Manchester City won 6–1, with Silva proving, yet again, to be instrumental in the Manchester City attack, scoring the fifth goal and setting up Edin Džeko's second with a chested volley pass through the United defence.^[27] On 25 October 2011, in a interview with a Spanish radio station, Silva revealed that he turned down FC Barcelona and Real Madrid so he could sign for Manchester City and that he wants to stay at the club for years. He commented "Madrid and Barcelona are great teams, but I'm happy here and I would like to stay here for many years".^[28] Former City and England defender Earl Barrett said he is almost impossible to stop due to his ability to create space^[29] and Andy Cole, who mostly played for City rivals, Manchester United, has stated that Silva "is a joy to watch".^[30] On 5 November 2011, Silva scored his 4th goal against QPR. On 18 December, David Silva scored his 5th goal of the season against Arsenal, the game finishing 1–0 to Manchester City.^[31]

International career

Silva has won both a European Football Championship and World Cup, as pictured here in 2010

Silva first represented Spain in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, scoring three goals. In 2006, he became an under-21 international and scored four goals during the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship; this was enough to earn him joint-fourth place in the goal ranking, alongside Italian striker Graziano Pellè.
Silva made his senior international début in the 1–0 friendly home defeat to Romania on 15 November 2006, and continued to receive call-ups to the side after good contributions in his first games. On 22 August 2007, he scored his first two goals for Spain, netting twice in a 3–2 friendly win versus Greece, and was then called-up to the squad of 23 for UEFA Euro 2008.
In the semi-finals game versus Russia, Silva scored the third goal for Spain after a quick counter-attack in which Fàbregas delivered a low cross, and he sent the ball into Igor Akinfeev's goal with his left foot.^[32] In the final, he was involved in an incident with Germany's Lukas Podolski. After he pulled Podolski to the ground, the German approached Silva, which resulted in an angry exchange of words and a coming together of heads that the referee decided not to punish. Shortly afterward, Spanish coach Luis Aragonés substituted Silva for Santi Cazorla in an attempt to calm the tensions.^[33]
After appearing regularly during the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification stages – Spain won all ten fixtures – Silva was also picked for the squad for the finals in South Africa. His participation would be however a small one, as the national team won the tournament: he started in the first match, a 0–1 group stage defeat against Switzerland, then played the last four minutes of the 1–0 win against Germany in the semifinals.
On 11 August 2010, during an international friendly with Mexico, Silva scored two minutes into second-half injury time, ending the game with a 1–1 draw.^[34] In a Euro 2012 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 3 September 2010, Silva scored after 62 minutes, in a 4–0 away win.^[35] The following month, in the same competition, he scored through a rare header, as the national team downed Lithuania in Salamanca (3–1).
In Spain's first match for 2011, a friendly against Colombia on Feb 9, he came off the bench to score the game's only goal with just four minutes remaining, helping Spain to a hard-fought 1-0 win.^[36] He scored twice and provided 1 assist in Spain's 3-1 victory against Scotland in their final match of the Euro 2012 qualifiers. The win saw the Spaniards enter the tournament with a perfect qualifying record by winning all their group games.^[37] He scored the 1st goal in Spain's 2-2 comeback against Costa Rica; a friendly match where he came on as a sub in the 2nd half with Spain trailing 2-0.^[38] He once again scored in Spain's first friendly of 2012 against Venezuela to make the scored 2-0, in a match that ended in a 5-0 win.

sergio kun aguerro

Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo aˈɣweɾo]; born 2 June 1988) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team.
On 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to debut in the Argentine First Division at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona in 1976.^[3] Maradona would later become Agüero's father-in-law by virtue of Agüero's marriage to his daughter, Giannina.
At international level, Agüero represented the Argentina under-20 team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005 and in 2007 winning both tournaments. Agüero played at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he scored two goals in the 3–0 semi-final win against Brazil as Argentina went on to win the gold medal.^[4] Agüero was selected to represent Argentina in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2011 Copa América.^[5]
In 2006, Agüero moved to Europe to play for La Liga side Atlético Madrid for a fee of €23 million from Independiente. Here, he made a name for himself, attracting attention from Europe's top clubs by scoring 101 goals in 234 appearances while winning the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010. Agüero moved to Premier League club Manchester City in July 2011 for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £38 million

Independiente

Sergio Agüero joined the youth system of Independiente at the age of nine. He started playing for the side, becoming the youngest player to debut in the division at 15 years and 35 days (on 5 July 2003 against Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro), breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona in 1976, when Independiente's coach, Oscar Ruggeri sent Agüero onto the field as a substitute for Emanuel Rivas in the 69th minute of the match.^[5][8] His performance was well received by the press,^[9][10][11] Despite his early debut, Agüero was not selected again by Ruggeri, and his replacement Osvaldo Sosa, for the remainder of 2002–03 season, having only made just one appearance in the Torneo Clausura. Following the arrival of coach Jose Omar Pastoriza, seven months after Agüero's first match he returned to the club's first-team in 4–2 win against Peru's Cienciano during the group stages of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. This meant that Agüero also became the youngest player to participate in the Copa Libertadores, a record that he held for three years.^[12] One month later, Agüero again featured in a Copa Libertadores fixture against Ecuador's El Nacional. On 19 June, for the first time, Agüero played a full 90 minute match for Independiente against Atlético de Rafaela during the Torneo Clausura.^[13] He scored his first goal for Independiente in a 2–2 draw against Estudiantes on 26 November, with a 22nd minute shot from outside the penalty area.^[14][15] Agüero became a regular in the club's first-team, being selected for the Argentina U-20 squad for the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which Argentina won. During the 2005–06 season, Agüero scored 18 goals in 36 league appearances, having missed two games due to suspension. In a 4–0 win against Racing on 11 September, Agüero dribbled from inside of his own half and scored Independiente's fourth goal with a left footed shot.^[16][15] His first red card came in the Torneo Apertura, after slapping an opponent in a match against Tiro Federal.^[17] His outstanding performances during the Torneo Apertura attracted interest from a number of big name European clubs, and after months of speculation, Agüero announced on TV in April that he intended to leave the club at the end of the season. Before the end of the season, there had already been speculation of a possible transfer to Atlético Madrid.^[15] With his performances being lauded by the press, there was talk of a possible call up for Agüero for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.^[18][19][20] In a 2–0 away victory against Olimpo de Bahia Blanca in round 17 of the Torneo Clausura, Agüero received his fifth yellow card of the season. This prevented him from playing his last game for Independiente in a fixture against Boca Juniors in Avellaneda one week later. The yellow card brought tears to the eyes of Agüero, as television cameras recorded.^[21] Agüero, who scored Independiente's second goal of the match later said "I think that it was my last goal for Independiente". He played his last game for Independiente, two weeks later, in a 2–0 away defeat to Rosario Central.^[22] On 30 May, Agüero officially transferred to Atlético Madrid for €20 million, marking a record for the Bank of Spain.^[23]

Atlético Madrid

Agüero with Atlético Madrid.

Agüero with Atlético Madrid.

In May 2006, Agüero joined Spanish club Atlético Madrid for fee reported to be around €23 million, breaking the club's previous transfer record.^[24][25] He caused controversy early in his Atlético career by using his hands to score the winning goal against Recreativo Huelva on 14 October 2006, only his second goal for the club, with the first coming in a 4–1 away win against Athletic Bilbao on September 17.^[26] In the 2007–08 season, Agüero finished third highest scorer in La Liga, behind Dani Güiza and Luís Fabiano, with 19 goals, and was runner up in the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano award.^[27] Agüero won many plaudits for his man of the match display against Barcelona in March 2008, scoring twice, assisting a goal, and winning a penalty for Atlético in a 4–2 win.^[28][29] He also scored important goals against the likes of Real Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal to help Atlético finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over ten years.^[30]

Agüero with Atlético Madrid.

Agüero was once again a regular goalscorer for Atlético in the 2008–09 season, forming a partnership with Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán, also a former Independiente striker. On 16 September, he scored his first Champions League goals in a 3–0 away win at PSV Eindhoven.^[31] In March 2009, the duo of Forlán and Agüero scored a brace each in a 4–3 win over league leaders Barcelona.^[32] Agüero finished in the top ten contenders for the Pichichi Trophy which was won by his teammate Forlán.^[33] Atlético finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the following season's Champions League.
Despite not being as prolific in front of goal, Agüero had another good season in 2009–10, and was praised for his influential performances as Atlético enjoyed their most successful season in over a decade.^[34] On 3 November 2009, he scored twice against Chelsea during a 2–2 draw in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón. Atlético were knocked out of the competition, but went on to reach the final of the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League, where Agüero assisted both goals in a 2–1 extra time win against English club Fulham.^[35] He also helped Atlético reach the final of the Spanish Cup, although this time they were not victorious, losing to Sevilla in the Camp Nou on May 19.^[36]
On 27 August 2010, Atlético Madrid captured the UEFA Super Cup by beating favorites Internazionale 2–0. Agüero provided the assist for José Antonio Reyes's opening goal and then secured the win by scoring the second.^[37] On 4 January 2011, Atlético Madrid confirmed via their official website that Agüero had signed a new contract with the club, keeping him at the Vicente Calderón until 2014.^[38] The following day he was named as the new vice-captain of Atlético, along with strike partner Diego Forlán.^[39]
The 2010–11 season was arguably Agüero's most successful for Atlético, as he scored 20 league goals for the first time in his career. Between March and May of 2011, he went on a run of seven consecutive goalscoring appearances, a feat that no other player in Europe could match during the season.^[40] Agüero's final outing for Atlético came on May 21 against Mallorca, a game in which he reached two milestones. In a 3–4 win, he scored his first career hat-trick, the second goal being his 100th for the Colchoneros.^[41] However, failure to celebrate any of the goals lead to speculation that he would be on his way out of the club.
On 23 May 2011, Agüero announced on his official website that he wanted to move from Atlético Madrid and formally asked to be released from his contract.^[42][43] Aguero later spoke to ESPN, where he stated that he would "not be returning to Atlético".^[44] On the same day that Agüero officially became a Manchester City player, Atletico Madrid hosted a 2011–12 Europa League qualifier against Strømgodset, where a group of Atlético fans brandished "Aguero We Hope You Die" banners, in a reaction to the striker's £38million move to Manchester City, at the Vicente Calderon on 28 July 2011.^[45] Upon his departure, Atlético used the €45 million from Agüero's sale to buy Radamel Falcao as his replacement.^[46]

Manchester City

2011–12 season

On 28 July 2011, Manchester City confirmed that Agüero had signed a five-year contract with the club.^[47] The fee was reported to be in the region of £38 million (€45 million).^[6][7][48] He was given the number 16 shirt for his first season at City^[47] and wears the shirt name Kun Agüero. He was an unused substitute in the Dublin Super Cup match against Internazionale and the 2011 FA Community Shield against Manchester United with manager Roberto Mancini believing Agüero was not yet fit.^[49] Agüero made his debut for Manchester City on 15 August 2011, in a 4–0 Premier League victory over Swansea City. Agüero came on as a substitute in the 59th minute scoring his first goal for the club within 9 minutes after a tap in from a cross from full back Micah Richards. He then turned provider with an assist after chipping over the oncoming goalkeeper before flicking the ball back into the penalty box and into the path of David Silva to score. Agüero rounded off his debut by scoring again in injury time with a 30 yard strike.^[50] His 30 minute debut gained rave reviews among football journalists, with some suggesting it was one of the best in English football.^[51][52][53] City continued their strong start winning 3–2 away at Bolton Wanderers with Agüero missing two chances in the penalty box.^[54] On 28 August, Agüero scored his third league goal in Manchester City's 5–1 rout of Tottenham Hotspur.^[55] On his third start for the club, he scored his first hat-trick in English football, against Wigan Athletic.^[56] On 18 September, he scored twice at Craven Cottage against Fulham but Manchester City were held to a 2–2 draw.^[57] Having been substituted off of the field after just 28 minutes due to an injury during a 4-0 win against Blackburn Rovers on 1 October, Agüero returned to action in a 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage fixture, where he came on for Nigel de Jong on 62 minutes and scored a 93rd minute winner in his side's 2–1 victory against Villarreal on 18 October.^[58][59] On 23 October Agüero took part in his first Manchester derby, scoring in the 69th minute as he converted a Micah Richards pass across the face of goal. The match incredibly finished 6–1 to City.^[60] On 1 November, Agüero was shortlisted for the prestigious FIFA Ballon d'Or. On 19 November, he scored a penalty in a 3–1 win at home to Newcastle United, ending Newcastle's unbeaten start to the season.^[61]
Agüero made his League Cup debut in the quarter final match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, scoring the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute from an Adam Johnson through ball.^[62] His next goal came in a 5–1 home win against Norwich City, opening the scoring in the 32nd minute, giving him his 13th goal of the season and maintaining the team's 100% league record at home.^[63] On 21 December, he scored a brace as City beat Stoke 3–0 at home.^[64] On 3 January 2012 he opened the scoring in a 3–0 win at home to Liverpool, beating Pepe Reina with a low shot.^[65] Agüero scored his 15th goal on 4 February, scoring a penalty against Fulham in a 3–0 win at a snow covered Etihad Stadium. During the first-leg of a Europa League round of 32 match against FC Porto, Agüero entered the field in the 78th minute for Mario Balotelli and scored the match winning goal, and his first Europa League goal for Manchester City, in the 85th minute.^[66] The game had ended 2–1, when in the second-leg, Agüero scored within 19 seconds at Etihad Stadium in a 4–0 win on 22 February. Manchester City advanced to the last 16 of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, having won 6–1 on aggregate. On 25 February, Agüero scored his 16th league goal in a 3–0 win against Blackburn Rovers^[67][68] During the second-leg of Manchester City's Round of 16 Europa League fixture against Sporting CP on 15 March, Agüero netted a double to help City claim a 3–2 win, having been trailing 2–0 at half-time, to level the scores to 3–3 on aggregate. Sporting CP won on away goals, as they defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the first-leg on 8 March.^[69] One week later, Agüero scored his 17th league goal in 2–1 win against Chelsea on 21 March.^[70] On 29 March, Ageuro was ruled out for up to 10 days to two weeks due to a foot problem, which was later diagnosed as a reaction to a substance that blistered his foot.^[71][72][73] On 11 April, Aguero scored two goals for himself and also set up another two goals (for David Silva and Carlos Tévez) in a 4–0 home victory against West Bromwich Albion.^[74] On 14 April, Aguero scored a double in a 6–1 away win against Norwich City, his two goals meant that he had surpassed 20 league goals in the English Premier League.^[75] On 16 April, it was announced that Aguero had been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, making the six-man shortlist announced by the Professional Footballers' Association.^[76]

International career

Senior team

Agüero made his senior debut for Argentina in a friendly with Brazil, played at Emirates Stadium, England on 3 September 2006.^[1] As a teenager, he represented Argentina at three FIFA World Youth Championships. Together with future 2008 Olympics squad teammates Fernando Gago of Real Madrid and Lionel Messi of Barcelona, they won the 2005 edition in the Netherlands.

2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup

At the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada, he scored twice and helped set up three goals in a 6–0 win over Panama in the second game of the group stage of the tournament. Agüero then scored the only goal in Argentina's third match against North Korea from a free kick. Having qualified to the round of 16, he scored two of the three goals against Poland that would eventually give them a 3–1 win to advance to the next round. Argentina defeated Mexico in the quarter-finals and Chile in the semi-finals, and faced the Czech Republic in the finals, a team they drew 0–0 in the group stage. Agüero captained and scored the equaliser in the 62nd minute, leading to a 2–1 victory. In addition, Agüero won the Golden Boot of the tournament, scoring six goals in seven, and the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.

2008 Summer Olympics

As a member of the Argentine squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Agüero scored two goals in the space of five minutes in the semi-final 3–0 win over Brazil on 19 August 2008.^[77] Argentina went on to win the gold medal, a second in a row at the Olympic tournament.

2010 FIFA World Cup

He was chosen for the 2010 World Cup squad, and made his World Cup debut in Argentina's second group match against Korea Republic on 12 June 2010, replacing Carlos Tévez in the 75th minute. Agüero's impact was immediate as Argentina scored in the next minute. He assisted on Gonzalo Higuaín's hat-trick goal late in the game. Argentina won the game 4–1. However Argentina subsequently lost to Germany in the quarter finals.

2011 Copa América

Agüero was named in the 23-man squad for the 2011 Copa América where Argentina had been drawn into Group A with Bolivia, Colombia and Costa Rica. On 1 July in Argentina's opening group stage match against Bolivia he was substituted on to the field for Ezequiel Lavezzi on 71 minutes and scored an equaliser on 76 minutes to secure a 1–1 draw.^{[78][79][80][81]} On 6 July he was substituted onto the field for Ezequiel Lavezzi on 64 minutes as Argentina drew 0-0 with Colombia in their second group stage fixture.^[82] On 11 July in Argentina's third group stage match against Costa Rica, Agüero scored a goal in each half as Argentina won 3–0 and finished in second position of their group.^[83]

Style of play

Agüero is a striker and is regarded as an all out centre forward,^[84] but can also play as a second striker off another striker, which he often did at Atlético Madrid with Diego Forlán.^[85]
Agüero is a diminutive figure with a stocky build, which has led to comparisons with fellow Manchester City striker, Carlos Tévez^[86] and past strikers such as Romário and Maradona. Some pundits go as far to say Agüero is Tévez's heir apparent at City^[87] and is superior to Tévez.^[88] His manager at Manchester City, Roberto Mancini has compared Agüero to former Brazilian striker, Romário.^[89]
Agüero is characterised by agility, acceleration and strength, being described as "sharp and clever" by former Argentine player Osvaldo Ardiles.^[90] A view which is shared by his international captain Lionel Messi, who believes Agüero possesses "immense power, strength and an ­incredible work ethic."^[91] Combined with his close control and strength to keep the ball, he is described as a menace in the box.^[85]