Native name
Conventional long name	Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Common name	Uruguay
Image coat	Coat of arms of Uruguay.svg
National motto	''Libertad o muerte''"Liberty or Death"
National anthem	National Anthem of Uruguay"Himno Nacional de Uruguay"
Capital	Montevideo
Largest city	capital
Official languages	Spanish
Ethnic groups	88% White, 8% Mestizo, 4% Black, Amerindian (Practically nonexistent)
Demonym	Uruguayan
Government type	Presidential republic
Leader title1	President
Leader name1	José Mujica
Leader title2	Vice President
Leader name2	Danilo Astori
Sovereignty type	Independence
Sovereignty note	from Empire of Brazil
Established event1	Declaration
Established date1	25 August 1825
Established event2	Recognition
Established date2	28 August 1828
Established event3	Constitution
Established date3	18 July 1830
Area rank	90th
Area km2	176,215
Area sq mi	68,037
Percent water	1.5%
Population estimate	3,494,382
Population estimate rank	131st
Population estimate year	2009
Population census	3,399,236
Population census year	2002
Population density km2	19.8
Population density sq mi	51.4
Population density rank	195th
Gdp ppp	$48.140 billion
Gdp ppp year	2010
Gdp ppp per capita	$14,342
Gdp nominal	$40.714 billion
Gdp nominal year	2010
Gdp nominal per capita	$12,130
Gini	42
Gini year	2009
Gini category	medium
Hdi	0.765
Hdi rank	52nd
Hdi year	2010
Hdi category	high
Currency	Uruguayan peso ($, UYU)
Currency code	UYU
Time zone	UYT
Utc offset	-3
Time zone dst	UYST
Utc offset dst	-2
Drives on	right
Cctld	.uy
Calling code	+598
Footnote7	}}

Uruguay (; officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88% of the population are of European descent.

Uruguay's only land border is with Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to the north. To the west lies the Uruguay River and the estuary of the Río de la Plata to the southwest. To the southeast lies the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. With an area of approximately , Uruguay is the second-smallest nation in South America by area, after Suriname.

Colonia del Sacramento, one of the oldest European settlements in the country, was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Uruguay won its independence in 1811–28 following a three-way struggle between the claims of Spain, Argentina and Brazil. It is a constitutional democracy, with a president who is both the head of state and the head of government.

Uruguay is one of the most economically developed countries in South America, with a high GDP per capita and the 52nd highest Human Development Index in the world as of 2010, and the first by human development in Latin America, when inequality is factored in. Uruguay is also noted for its low levels of corruption, being ranked by Transparency International as the second least corrupt country in Latin America (behind Chile). Its political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent. It was the highest rated country in Latin America on Legatum's 2010 Prosperity Index. Reader's Digest ranked Uruguay as the ninth "Most livable and greenest" country in the world, and first in all the Americas. Uruguay is ranked highest in Latin America on the Global Peace Index.

Uruguay was the first South American country to legalize same-sex and different-sex civil unions at a national level, and to allow gay adoption. Uruguay and Bolivia were the only countries in the Americas which did not go into recession (2 consecutive quarters of retraction) as a result of the Late-2000s financial crisis. In 2009, Uruguay became the first nation in the world to provide every school child with a free laptop and internet. It was the first nation in the Americas to test hemp cultivation.

Etymology

Translated into English, ''República Oriental del Uruguay'' becomes ''Oriental Republic of Uruguay''; ''The Eastern Republic of Uruguay''; or ''the Republic of the East of the Uruguay''. The last is actually the only correct literal translation, as it is named after its geographic location to the east of the Uruguay River. Because of the ambiguity in its meaning when translated, the government of Uruguay normally uses simply ''Uruguay'' in English.

The word ''Uruguay'', coming from the Guaraní language, means "river of painted birds".

History

Early history and colonization

The only documented inhabitants of Uruguay before European colonization of the area were the Charrúa, a small tribe driven south by the Guaraní of Paraguay.

The Spanish arrived in the territory of present-day Uruguay in 1516 but the people's fierce resistance to conquest, combined with the absence of gold and silver, limited their settlement in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries. Uruguay then became a zone of contention between the Spanish and the Portuguese empires. In 1603 the Spanish began to introduce cattle, which became a source of wealth in the region. The first permanent settlement on the territory of present-day Uruguay was founded by the Spanish in 1624 at Soriano on the Río Negro. In 1669–71 the Portuguese built a fort at Colonia del Sacramento. Spanish colonization increased as Spain sought to limit Portugal's expansion of Brazil's frontiers.

Montevideo was founded by the Spanish in the early 18th century as a military stronghold. Its natural harbor soon developed into a commercial area competing with Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires. Uruguay's early 19th century history was shaped by ongoing fights between the British, Spanish, Portuguese, and other colonial forces for dominance in the Platine region. In 1806 and 1807 the British army attempted to seize Buenos Aires as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result Montevideo was occupied by a British force from February to September 1807.

Independence struggle

In 1811 José Gervasio Artigas, who became Uruguay's national hero, launched a successful revolution against the Spanish authorities, defeating them on 18 May at the Battle of Las Piedras.

In 1813 the new government in Buenos Aires convened a constituent assembly where Artigas emerged as a champion of federalism, demanding political and economic autonomy for each area, and for the Banda Oriental in particular. The assembly refused to seat the delegates from the Banda Oriental however, and Buenos Aires pursued a system based on unitary centralism.

Consequently Artigas broke with Buenos Aires and besieged Montevideo, taking the city in early 1815. Once the troops from Buenos Aires had withdrawn the Banda Oriental appointed its first autonomous government. Artigas organized the Federal League under his protection, consisting of six provinces, four of which are now part of Argentina.

In 1816 a force of 10,000 Portuguese troops invaded the Banda Oriental from Brazil and took Montevideo in January 1817. After nearly four more years of struggle Portuguese Brazil annexed the ''Banda Oriental'' as a province under the name of Cisplatina. The Brazilian Empire became independent from Portugal in 1822. In response to the annexation the Thirty-Three Orientals, led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja, declared independence on 25 August 1825 supported by the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (present-day Argentina).

This led to the 500 day-long Argentina-Brazil War. Neither side gained the upper hand and in 1828 the Treaty of Montevideo, fostered by the United Kingdom, gave birth to Uruguay as an independent state. The nation's first constitution was adopted on 18 July 1830.

Blancos—Colorados conflicts

At the time of independence Uruguay had an estimated population of just under 75,000. The political scene in Uruguay became split between two parties: the conservative Blancos (Whites) headed by Manuel Oribe, representing the agricultural interests of the countryside; and the liberal Colorados (Reds) led by Fructuoso Rivera, representing the business interests of Montevideo. The Uruguayan parties became associated with warring political factions in neighbouring Argentina.

The Colorados favored the exiled Argentinian liberal Unitarios, many of whom had taken refuge in Montevideo while the Blanco president Manuel Oribe was a close friend of the Argentinian ruler Manuel de Rosas. On 15 June 1838 an army led by the Colorado leader Rivera overthrew the president, who fled to Argentina. Rivera declared war on Rosas in 1839. The conflict would last thirteen years and become known as the Guerra Grande (the Great War).

In 1843 an Argentinian army overran Uruguay on Oribe's behalf, but failed to take the capital. The siege of Montevideo, which began in February 1843, would last nine years. The besieged Uruguayans called on resident foreigners for help which led to a French and an Italian legion being formed, the latter led by the exiled Giuseppe Garibaldi. (Hitherto unknown, it was Garibaldi's fame in this war which led to his later central role in the Unification of Italy).

In 1845 Britain and France intervened against Rosas to restore commerce to normal levels in the region. Their efforts proved ineffective and by 1849, tired of the war, both withdrew after signing a treaty favorable to Rosas. It appeared that Montevideo would finally fall when an uprising against Rosas, led by Justo José de Urquiza governor of Argentina's Entre Ríos Province began. The Brazilian intervention in May 1851 on behalf of the Colorados, combined with the uprising, changed the situation and Oribe was defeated. The siege of Montevideo was lifted and the Guerra Grande finally came to an end. Montevideo rewarded Brazil's support by signing treaties that confirmed Brazil's right to intervene in Uruguay's internal affairs.

In accordance with the 1851 treaties Brazil intervened militarily in Uruguay as often as it deemed necessary. In 1865 the Triple Alliance was formed by the emperor of Brazil, the president of Argentina, and the Colorado general Venancio Flores, the Uruguayan head of government whom they both had helped to gain power. The Triple Alliance declared war on Paraguayan leader Francisco Solano López and the resulting War of the Triple Alliance ended with the invasion of Paraguay and its defeat by the armies of the three countries. Montevideo, which was used as a supply station by the Brazilian navy, experienced a period of prosperity and relative calm during the war.

The constitutional government of General Lorenzo Batlle y Grau (1868–72) was forced to suppress an insurrection led by the National Party. After two years of struggle a peace agreement was signed in 1872 that gave the Blancos a share in the emoluments and functions of government, through control of four of the departments of Uruguay. This establishment of the policy of co-participation represented the search for a new formula of compromise, based on the coexistence of the party in power and the party in opposition.

Between 1875 and 1886 the military became the center of power. During this authoritarian period the government took steps toward the organization of the country as a modern state, encouraging its economic and social transformation. Pressure groups (consisting mainly of businessmen, hacendados, and industrialists) were organized and had a strong influence on government. A transition period (1886–90) followed, during which politicians began recovering lost ground and some civilian participation in government occurred.

Mass immigration and development

After the Guerra Grande there was a sharp rise in the number of immigrants, primarily from Italy and Spain. By 1879 the total population of the country was over 438,000. The economy saw a steep upswing, above all in livestock raising and exports. Montevideo became a major economic centre of the region and an entrepôt for goods from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

The Colorado leader José Batlle y Ordóñez was elected president in 1903. The following year the Blancos led a rural revolt and eight bloody months of fighting ensued before their leader, Aparicio Saraiva, was killed in battle. Government forces emerged victorious, leading to the end of the co-participation politics that had begun in 1872. Batlle had two terms (1903–07 and 1911–15) during which, and taking advantage of the nation's stability and growing economic prosperity, he instituted major reforms such as a welfare program, government participation in many facets of the economy, and a plural executive.

Gabriel Terra became president in March 1931. His inauguration coincided with the effects of the Great Depression. when the social climate became tense as a result of the lack of jobs. There were confrontations in which police and leftists died. In 1933 Terra organized a coup d'état, dissolving the General Assembly and governing by decree. A new constitution was promulgated in 1934, transferring powers to the president. In general, the Terra government weakened or neutralized economic nationalism and social reform.

In 1938 general elections were held and Terra's brother-in-law, General Alfredo Baldomir, was elected president. Under pressure from organized labor and the National Party Baldomir advocated free elections, freedom of the press, and a new constitution. Although Baldomir declared Uruguay neutral in 1939 British warships and the German ship fought a battle not far off Uruguay's coast. Admiral Graf Spee took refuge in Montevideo, claiming sanctuary in a neutral port, but was later ordered out. In 1945 Uruguay abandoned its policy of neutrality and joined the Allied cause.

In the late 1950s, partly because of a world-wide decrease in demand for agricultural products, Uruguayans suffered from a steep drop in the standard of living which led to student militancy and labor unrest. An urban guerrilla movement known as the Tupamaros emerged, engaging in activities such as robbing banks and distributing the proceeds to the poor in addition to attempting political dialogue. As the government banned their political activities and the police became more oppressive, the Tupamaros took up an overtly armed struggle.

President Jorge Pacheco declared a state of emergency in 1968, followed by a further suspension of civil liberties in 1972. In 1973, amid increasing economic and political turmoil, the armed forces closed the Congress and established a civilian-military regime. Around 180 Uruguayans are known to have been killed during the 12-year military rule from 1973–1985. Most were killed in Argentina and other neighbouring countries, with only 36 of them having been killed in Uruguay.

Return to democracy

A new constitution, drafted by the military, was rejected in a November 1980 referendum. Following the referendum the armed forces announced a plan for the return to civilian rule, and national elections were held in 1984. Colorado Party leader Julio María Sanguinetti won the presidency and served from 1985 to 1990. The first Sanguinetti administration implemented economic reforms and consolidated democracy following the country's years under military rule.

The National Party's Luis Alberto Lacalle won the 1989 presidential election and an amnesty for human rights abusers was endorsed by referendum. Sanguinetti was again elected in 1994. Both carried on with the economic structural reforms initiated after the reinstatement of democracy and other important reforms were aimed at improving the electoral system, social security, education, and public safety.

The 1999 national elections were held under a new electoral system established by a 1996 constitutional amendment. Colorado Party candidate Jorge Batlle, aided by the support of the National Party, defeated Broad Front candidate Tabaré Vázquez. The formal coalition ended in November 2002 when the Blancos withdrew their ministers from the cabinet, although the Blancos continued to support the Colorados on most issues. Low commodity prices and economic difficulties in Uruguay's main export markets, first in Brazil with the devaluation of the real then in Argentina in 2002, caused a severe recession—the economy contracted by 11%, unemployment climbed to 21% and the percentage of Uruguayans in poverty rose to over 30%.

In 2004 Uruguayans elected Tabaré Vázquez as president, while giving the Broad Front a majority in both houses of Parliament. Vázquez stuck to economic orthodoxy. As commodity prices soared and the economy recoiled from recession, he tripled foreign investment, cut poverty and unemployment, cut public debt from 79% of GDP to 60% and kept inflation steady.

In 2009 José Mujica, a former left-wing militant who spent almost 15 years in prison during the country's military rule, emerged as the new President as the Broad Front won the election for a second time.

Politics

Uruguay is a representative democratic republic with a presidential system. The members of government are elected for a five-year term by a universal suffrage system. Uruguay is a unitary state: justice, education, health, security, foreign policy and defence are all administered nationwide. The Executive Power is exercised by the president and a cabinet of 13 ministers.

The legislative power is constituted by the General Assembly, composed of two chambers: the Chamber of Deputies of 99 members representing the 19 departments, elected based on proportional representation; and the Chamber of Senators consisting of 31 members, 30 of whom are elected for a five year term by proportional representation and the Vice-president, who presides over the chamber.

The judicial arm is exercised by the Supreme Court, the Bench and Judges nationwide. The members of the Supreme Court are elected by the General Assembly; the members of the Bench by the Supreme Court with the consent of the Senate; and the judges are directly assigned by the Supreme Court.

Uruguay adopted its current constitution in 1967. Many of its provisions were suspended in 1973, but re-established in 1985. Drawing upon Switzerland and its use of the initiative, the Uruguayan Constitution also allows citizens to repeal laws or to change the constitution by popular initiative which culminates into a nation-wide referendum. During the last 15 years this method has been used several times: to confirm a law renouncing prosecution of members of the military who violated human rights during the military regime (1973–1985); to stop privatization of public utilities companies; to defend pensioners' incomes; and to protect water resources.

For most of Uruguay's history, the Partido Colorado has been in government. However, in the Uruguayan general election, 2009, the Broad Front won an absolute majority in Parliamentary elections, and José Mujica of the Broad Front defeated Luis Alberto Lacalle of the Blancos to win the presidency.

A 2010 Latinobarómetro poll found that, within Latin America, Uruguayans are among the most supportive of democracy and by far the most satisfied with the way democracy works in their country. Uruguay ranked 27th in the Freedom House "Freedom in the World" index. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2008, Uruguay scored an 8.08 in the Democracy Index and ranked 23rd amongst the 30 countries considered to be Full Democracies in the world. Uruguay ranks 24th in the World Corruption Perceptions Index composed by Transparency International.

Foreign relations

In November 2010 Uruguay ratified the Unasur Constitutive Treaty, becoming the ninth nation out of 12 to do so. The treaty was written in 2008 and was to come into force 30 days after the date of receipt of the ninth instrument of ratification.

Argentina and Brazil are Uruguay's most important trading partners: imports from Argentina accounted for 20% of the total in 2009. Since bilateral relations with Argentina are considered a priority, Uruguay denies clearance to Falkland Islands bound British naval vessels and prevents them from calling in at Uruguayan territories and ports for supplies and fuel. A rivalry between the port of Montevideo and the port of Buenos Aires, dating back to the times of the Spanish Empire, has been described as a "port war". Officials of both countries emphasized the need to end this rivalry in the name of regional integration in 2010.

The construction of a controversial pulp paper mill in 2007, on the Uruguayan side of the Uruguay River, caused protests in Argentina over fears that it would pollute the environment and lead to diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The ensuing dispute remained a subject of controversy into 2010, particularly after ongoing reports of growing water contamination in the area were later proved to be from sewage discharge of Gualeguaychú town. In November 2010 Uruguay and Argentina announced they had reached a final agreement for the joint environmental monitoring of the pulp mill.

Brazil and Uruguay have signed cooperation agreements on defence, science, technology, energy, river transportation and fishing, with the hope of accelerating political and economic integration between these two neighbouring countries. Uruguay has two uncontested boundary disputes with Brazil, over Isla Brasilera and the Invernada River region near Masoller, over which tributary represents the legitimate source of the Quaraí River/Cuareim River.

Uruguay has enjoyed friendly relations with the United States since its transition back to democracy. Commercial ties between Uruguay and the United States have expanded substantially in recent years, with the countries signing a bilateral investment treaty in 2004 and a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in January 2007. The United States and Uruguay have also cooperated on military matters, with both countries playing significant roles in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

President Mujica backed Venezuela's bid to join Mercosur and supported the Venezuelan Economy Minister Ali Rodriguez to become general secretary of UNASUR, a position previously held by Néstor Kirchner. Venezuela has a deal to sell Uruguay up to 40,000 barrels of oil a day under preferential terms. Uruguay will officially recognize a Palestinian state in March 2011.

Military

The Uruguayan armed forces are constitutionally subordinate to the president, through the minister of defense. The armed forces personnel number about 14,000 for the Army, 6,000 for the Navy, and 3,000 for the Air force. Enlistment is voluntary in peacetime, but the government has the authority to conscript in emergencies.

Since May 2009 homosexuals are allowed to serve openly in the military after the Defence Minister signed a decree stating that military recruitment policy would no longer discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. In the fiscal year 2010 the United States provided Uruguay with $1.7 million in military assistance, including $1 million in Foreign Military Financing and $480,000 in International Military Education and Training.

Uruguay ranks first in the world on a per capita basis for its contributions to the United Nations peacekeeping forces with 2,513 soldiers and officers in 10 UN peacekeeping missions. As of February 2010 Uruguay had 1,136 military personnel deployed to Haiti in support of MINUSTAH and 1,360 deployed in support of MONUC in the Congo. In December 2010 a Uruguayan, Major General Gloodtdofsky, was appointed Chief Military Observer and head of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.

Administrative divisions

Uruguay is divided into 19 departments whose local administrations replicate the division of the executive and legislative powers. Each department elects its own authorities through a universal suffrage system. The departmental executive authority resides in a superintendent and the legislative authority in a departmental board.

Capital Artigas, UruguayCanelonesMeloColonia del SacramentoDuraznoTrinidad, UruguayFlorida, UruguayMinas, UruguayMaldonado, UruguayMontevideoPaysandúFray BentosRiveraRocha, UruguaySalto (Uruguay)San José de MayoMercedes, UruguayTacuarembóTreinta y Tres —

align=center	Department	|	Area	Population (2010 est.)
Artigas Department	Artigas	Artigas ||
Canelones Department	Canelones	|
Cerro Largo Department	Cerro Largo	|
Colonia Department	Colonia	|
Durazno Department	Durazno	|
Flores Department	Flores	Trinidad ||
Florida Department	Florida	Florida ||
Lavalleja Department	Lavalleja	Minas ||
Maldonado Department	Maldonado	Maldonado ||
Montevideo Department	Montevideo	|
Paysandú Department	Paysandú	|
Río Negro Department	Río Negro	|
Rivera Department	Rivera	|
Rocha Department	Rocha	Rocha ||
Salto Department	Salto	Salto ||
San José Department	San José	|
Soriano Department	Soriano	Mercedes ||
Tacuarembó Department	Tacuarembó	|
Treinta y Tres Department	Treinta y Tres	|
Total¹	|

¹Doesn't include the artificial lakes on the Rio Negro (1,199 km²).

Geography

At of continental land of jurisdictional water and small river islands, Uruguay is the second smallest sovereign nation in South America (after Suriname) and the third smallest territory (French Guiana is the smallest). The landscape features mostly rolling plains and low hill ranges (''cuchillas'') with a fertile coastal lowland.

A dense fluvial network covers the country, consisting of four river basins or deltas; the Río de la Plata, the Uruguay River, the Laguna Merín and the Río Negro. The major internal river is the Río Negro ('black river'). Several lagoons are found along the Atlantic coast.

The highest point in the country is the Cerro Catedral whose peak reaches to AMSL in the ''Sierra Carapé'' hill range. To the southwest is the Río de Plata, the estuary of the Uruguay River which forms the western border, and the Paraná River.

Montevideo is the southernmost capital city in the Americas, and the third most southerly in the world (only Canberra and Wellington are further south).

Uruguay has 660 km of coastline.

There are nine National Parks in Uruguay. Five in the wetland areas of the east, three in the central hill country and one in the west along the Rio Uruguay.

Climate

Uruguay's climate is relatively mild. Located entirely within the temperate zone Uruguay has a climate that is fairly uniform nationwide. Seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare. As would be expected by its abundance of water, high humidity and fog are common. The absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, makes all locations vulnerable to high winds and rapid changes in weather as fronts or storms sweep across the country. Both summer and winter weather may vary from day to day with the passing of storm fronts where a hot northerly wind may occasionally be followed by a cold wind (pampero) from the Argentine Pampas.

Uruguay has a largely uniform temperature throughout the year, summer being tempered by winds off the Atlantic, and severe cold in winter is unknown. The heaviest precipitation occurs during the autumn months, although more frequent rainy spells occur in winter. The mean annual precipitation is generally greater than , decreasing with distance from the sea coast, and is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year.

The average temperature for the mid-winter month of July varies from at Salto in the northern interior to at Montevideo in the south. The midsummer month of January varies from a warm average of at Salto to at Montevideo. National extreme temperatures at sea level are, Paysandú city (20 January 1943) and Melo city (14 June 1967).

Montevideo's climate is as follows:

Economy

Uruguay experienced a major economic and financial crisis between 1999 and 2002, principally a spillover effect from the economic problems of Argentina. The economy contracted by 11% and unemployment climbed to 21%. Despite the severity of the trade shocks Uruguay's financial indicators remained more stable than those of its neighbours, a reflection of its solid reputation among investors and its investment-grade sovereign bond rating, one of only two in South America.

In 2004 the Vázquez government signed a three-year $1.1 billion stand-by arrangement with the International Monetary Fund, committing the country to a substantial primary fiscal surplus, low inflation, considerable reductions in external debt and several structural reforms designed to improve competitiveness and attract foreign investment. Uruguay terminated the agreement in 2006 following the early repayment of its debt, but maintained a number of the policy commitments.

Vázquez also created the "Ministry of Social Development" and sought to reduce the country's poverty rate with a $240 million National Plan to Address the Social Emergency (PANES), that provided a monthly conditional cash transfer of approximately $75 to over 100,000 households in extreme poverty. In exchange, those receiving the benefits were required to participate in community work, ensure that their children attended school daily and had regular health check-ups.

In 2005 Uruguay was the first exporter of software in South America. The Frente Amplio government, while continuing payments on Uruguay's external debt, also undertook an emergency plan to attack the widespread problems of poverty and unemployment. The economy grew at an annual rate of 6.7% during the 2004–2008 period. Uruguay's exports markets have been diversified in order to reduce dependency on Argentina and Brazil. Poverty was reduced from 33% in 2002 to 21.7% in July 2008, while extreme poverty dropped from 3.3% to 1.7%, respectively.

Between the years 2007 and 2009 Uruguay was the only country in the Americas which did not technically experience a recession (two consecutive downwards quarters). Unemployment reached a record low of 5.4% in December 2010 before rising to 6.1% in January 2011. Low unemployment has caused a rise in inflationary pressures, although Uruguay's GDP expanded by 10.4% for the first half of 2010. According to IMF estimates, Uruguay is likely to achieve growth in real GDP of between 8% and 8.5% in 2010, followed by 5% growth in 2011 and 4% in subsequent years. The gross public sector debt contracted in the second quarter of 2010, after five consecutive periods of sustained increase, reached 21.885 billion US dollars, equivalent to 59.5% of the GDP.

Agriculture

In 2010 Uruguay's export-oriented agricultural sector contributed to 9.3% of the GDP, and employed a 13% of the workforce. Official statistics from Uruguay's Agriculture and Livestock Ministry indicate that meat and sheep farming in Uruguay occupies 59.6% of the land. The percentage further increases to 82.4% when cattle breeding is linked to other farm activities such as dairy, forage and rotation with crops such as rice. Agriculture produces 70% of Uruguayan exports.

Most farms are family managed (25,500 out of 39,120) and beef and wool represent the main activities and main source of income for 65% of them followed by vegetable farming at 12%, dairy farming at 11%, hogs at 2% and poultry at 2%. Beef is the main export commodity of the country totalling over a billion U.S. dollars in 2006.

In 2007 Uruguay had cattle herds totalling 12 million head, making it the country with the highest number of cattle per capita at 3.8. However, 54% of the total number of cattle is in the hands of 11% of farmers who have a minimum of 500 head. At the other extreme 38% of farmers exploit small lots and have cattle herds averaging below a hundred head.

Transportation

The Port of Montevideo, handling over 1.1 million containers annually, is the most advanced container terminal in South America. Its quay can handle draught vessels. Nine straddle cranes allow for 80 to 100 movements per hour. The port of Nueva Palmira is a major regional merchandise transfer point, and houses both private and government-run terminals.

Carrasco Airport, designed by the architect Rafael Viñoly with an investment of 165 million dollars, was inaugurated in 2009. The airport can handle up to 4,500,000 users per year. PLUNA is the flag carrier of Uruguay, and is headquartered in Carrasco. The Laguna del Sauce Airport, located from Punta del Este, has been remodeled in 1997 and runways have been renovated through a private investment concession.

The Administración de Ferrocarriles del Estado is the autonomous agency in charge of rail transport and the maintenance of the railroad network. Uruguay has about of operational railroad track. Until 1947 about 90% of the railroad system was British-owned. In 1949 the government nationalized the railways, along with the electric trams and the waterworks company. However, in 1985 the "National Transport Plan" suggested passenger trains were too costly to repair and maintain. Cargo trains would continue for loads more than 120 tons, but bus transportation became the "economic" alternative for travellers. The last passenger train rolled into Montevideo on 2 January 1988.

Surfaced roads connect Montevideo to the other urban centers in the country, the main highways leading to the border and neighboring cities. Numerous unpaved roads connect farms and small towns. Overland trade has increased markedly since Mercosur (Southern Common Market) was formed in the 1990s. Most of the country's domestic freight and passenger service is by road rather than rail.

Telecommunications

Telecommunications in Uruguay are more developed than in most other Latin American countries, being the first country in the Americas to achieve complete digital telephony coverage in 1997. The telephone system is completely digitized and has very good coverage over all the country. The system is government-owned and there have been controversial proposals to partially privatize since the 1990s.

The mobile phone market is shared by the state-owned (Ancel) and two private companies, Movistar and Claro.

Demographics

Uruguayans are of predominantly European origin with an estimated 88% of the population being of European descent. A 2008 survey by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) of Uruguay requesting the respondent to self-report their predominant ancestry (only one choice was allowed) found that 95.4% reported a predominant white ancestry, 3.4% Black or African, 1.1% Indigenous and 0.1% Asian or Amarillo ("yellow"). Another INE survey, also conducted in 2008, found that 10% reported having some degree of Black/African ancestry, 5.5% partial Indigenous, and 0.3% partial Asian ancestry.

Most Uruguayans of European ancestry are descendants of 19th and 20th century immigrants from Spain and Italy (about one-quarter of the population is of Italian origin) and, to a much lesser degree, from France and Britain. Earlier settlers had migrated from Argentina and Paraguay. Few direct descendants of Uruguay's indigenous peoples remain, and mestizos account for less than one-tenth of the population. People of African descent make up an even smaller proportion of the total.

The rates of birth and population growth in Uruguay are much lower than in other Latin American countries. Uruguay's population is quite mature as a result of the low birth rate, high life expectancy, and relatively high rate of emigration of younger people. A quarter of the population are less than 15 years old and about a sixth are aged 60 and older.

Health Facts:

Fertility rate - 140th most fertile, at 1.89 per woman

Birth rate - 157th most births, at 13.91 per 1000 people

Infant mortality - 128th most deaths, at 1 per 1000 live births

Death rate - 84th death rate at 9.16 per 1000 people

Life Expectancy - 47th at 76.4 years

Suicide Rate - 24th suicide rate per 100,000 (15.1 for males and 6.4 for females)

HIV/AIDS Rate – 108th at 0.30%

From 1963 to 1985 an estimated 320,000 Uruguayans emigrated. By far the most popular destination for Uruguayan emigrants was Argentina followed by the United States, Australia, Spain, Brazil, and Venezuela. In 2009, for the first time in 44 years, the country saw an overall positive influx when comparing immigration to emigration. 3,825 residence permits were awarded in 2009, compared with 1,216 in 2005. 50% of new legal residents come from Argentina and Brazil. A migration law passed in 2008 gives immigrants the same rights and opportunities that nationals have, with the requisite of proving a monthly income of $650.

Metropolitan Montevideo is the only large city and has around 1.3 million inhabitants. The rest of the urban population lives in about 20 towns. Uruguay is less densely populated than Argentina and Brazil although the neighbouring regions of southern Brazil and north eastern Argentina have roughly comparable population densities.

Religion

{{bar box |title=Religion in Uruguay (2008) |titlebar=#ddd |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right |bars= }} Uruguay has no official religion, church and state are officially separated and religious freedom is guaranteed. A 2008 survey by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística of Uruguay gave Catholicism as the main religion, with 45.7% of the population, 9.0% are non-Catholic Christians, 0.6% are Animists or Umbandists (an Afro-Brazilian religion) and 0.4% Jewish. 30.1% reported believing in a god, but not belonging to any religion, while 14% were Atheist or Agnostic. Among the sizeable Armenian community in Montevideo the dominant religion is Christianity, specifically Armenian Apostolic.

Political observers consider Uruguay the most secular country in the Americas. Uruguay's secularization began with the relatively minor role of the church in the colonial era, compared with other parts of the Spanish Empire. The small numbers of Uruguay's Indians and their fierce resistance to proselytism reduced the influence of the ecclesiastical authorities.

After independence anticlerical ideas spread to Uruguay, particularly from France, further eroding the influence of the church. In 1837 civil marriage was recognized and in 1861 the state took over the running of public cemeteries. In 1907 divorce was legalized and in 1909 all religious instruction was banned from state schools. Under the influence of the radical Colorado reformer José Batlle y Ordóñez (1903–1911) complete separation of church and state was introduced with the new constitution of 1917.

Language

Uruguayan Spanish has some modifications due to the considerable number of Italian immigrants. Immigrants used to speak a mixture of Italian and Spanish known as 'cocoliche' and some of the words are still commonly used by the population. As is the case with neighboring Argentina, Uruguay employs both voseo and yeismo (with or ). English is common in the business world and its study has risen significantly in recent years, especially among the young. Other languages include Portuguese and Portuñol (a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese). Both are spoken in the northern regions near the Brazilian border. As few native peoples exist in the population no indigenous languages are thought to remain in Uruguay.

Culture

Uruguayan culture is strongly European and its influences from southern Europe are particularly important. The tradition of the gaucho has been an important element in the art and folklore of both Uruguay and Argentina.

Visual arts

A prominent exponent of Afro-Uruguayan art is abstract painter and sculptor Carlos Páez Vilaró. He drew from both Timbuktu and Mykonos to create his best-known work: his home, hotel and atelier Casapueblo near Punta del Este. Casapueblo is a "livable sculpture" and draws thousands of visitors from around the world. The 19th-century painter Juan Manuel Blanes, whose works depict historical events, was the first Uruguayan artist to gain widespread recognition. The Post-Impressionist painter Pedro Figari achieved international renown for his pastel studies of subjects in Montevideo and the countryside. Blending elements of art and nature the work of the landscape architect Leandro Silva Delgado has also earned international prominence.

Uruguay has a small but growing film industry and movies such as ''Whisky'' by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll (2004), Marcelo Bertalmío's ''Los días con Ana'' (2000: "Days with Ana") and Ana Diez's ''Paisito'' (2008),about the 1973 military coup, have earned international honours.

Music

The folk and popular music of Uruguay shares not only its gaucho roots with Argentina but also those of the tango. One of the most famous tangos, ''La Cumparsita'' (1917), was written by the Uruguayan composer Gerardo Matos Rodríguez. The candombe is a folk dance performed at Carnival mainly by Uruguayans of African ancestry. The guitar is the preferred musical instrument and, in a popular traditional contest called the ''payada'' two singers, each with a guitar, take turns improvising verses to the same tune. Numerous radio stations and musical events reflect the popularity of rock music and the Caribbean genres, known as ''música tropical'' ("tropical music"). Early classical music in Uruguay showed heavy Spanish and Italian influence but, since the 20th century, a number of composers of classical music including Eduardo Fabini, Vicente Ascone and Héctor Tosar have made use of Latin American musical idioms.

Rock and roll first broke into Uruguayan audiences with the arrival of British band The Beatles in the early 1960s. A wave of bands appeared in Montevideo, including Los Shakers, Los Mockers, Los Iracundos and Los Malditos, who became major figures in the so-called Uruguayan Invasion of Argentina. Popular bands of the Uruguayan Invasion sang in English.

Literature

José Enrique Rodó (1871–1917), a modernist, is considered Uruguay's most significant literary figure. His book ''Ariel'' (1900) deals with the need to maintain spiritual values while pursuing material and technical progress. Besides stressing the importance of upholding spiritual over materialistic values, it also stresses resisting cultural dominance by Europe and the United States. The book continues to influence young writers. Notable amongst Latin American playwrights is Florencio Sánchez (1875–1910) who wrote plays about contemporary social problems that are still performed today.

From about the same period came the romantic poetry of Juan Zorrilla de San Martín (1855–1931) who wrote epic poems about Uruguayan history. Also notable are Juana de Ibarbourou (1895–1979), Delmira Agustini (1866–1914), Idea Vilariño (1920–2009) and the short stories of Horacio Quiroga. The psychological stories of Juan Carlos Onetti (such as ''No Man's Land'' and ''The Shipyard'') have earned widespread critical praise, as have the writings of Mario Benedetti.

Uruguay's best-known contemporary writer is Eduardo Galeano, author of ''Las venas abiertas de América Latina'' (1971; "Open Veins of Latin America") and the trilogy ''Memoria del fuego'' (1982–87; "Memory of Fire"). Other modern Uruguayan writers include Mario Levrero, Sylvia Lago, Jorge Majfud and Jesús Moraes. Uruguayans of many classes and backgrounds enjoy reading ''historietas'', comic books that often blend humour and fantasy with thinly veiled social criticism.

Media

The Reporters Without Borders worldwide press freedom index has ranked Uruguay as 37th of 178 reported countries in 2010. Freedom of speech and media are guaranteed by the constitution, with qualifications for inciting violence or "insulting the nation". Uruguayans have access to more than 100 private daily and weekly newspapers, more than 100 radio stations and some 20 terrestrial television channels and cable TV is widely available.

Uruguay's long tradition of freedom of the press was severely curtailed during the years of military dictatorship. On his first day in office in March 1985 Sanguinetti re-established complete freedom of the press. Consequently Montevideo's newspapers, which account for all of Uruguay's principal daily newspapers, greatly expanded their circulations.

State-run radio and TV are operated by the official broadcasting service SODRE. Some newspapers are owned by, or linked to, the main political parties. ''El Día'' was the nation's most prestigious paper until its demise in the early 1990s, founded in 1886 by the Colorado party leader and (later) president José Batlle y Ordóñez. ''El País'', the paper of the rival Blanco Party, has the largest circulation. ''Búsqueda'' is Uruguay's most important weekly news magazine and serves as an important forum for political and economic analysis. Although it sells only about 16,000 copies a week its estimated readership exceeds to 50,000. ''MercoPress'' is an independent news agency focusing on news related to Mercosur and is based in Montevideo.

Cuisine

Asado is a popular traditional dish in Uruguay, a kind of barbecued beef.

Beef is fundamental to Uruguayan cuisine and the country is one of the world's top consumers of red meat per capita. Popular foods include beef platters, steak sandwiches (''chivito''), pastas, barbecued kidneys and sausages.

Locally produced soft drinks, beer, and wine are commonly served, as is ''clericó'', a mixture of fruit juice and wine. Uruguay and Argentina share a national drink called ''mate''. ''Grappamiel'', made with alcohol and honey, is served in the cold mornings of autumn and winter to warm up the body. Often locals can be seen carrying leather cases containing a thermos of hot water, the traditional hollowed gourd called a ''mate'' or ''guampa'', a metal straw called a ''bombilla'', and the dried yerba mate leaves. Sweet treats, including flans with ''dulce de leche'' and ''alfajores'' (shortbread cookies), are favorites for desserts or afternoon snacks.

Other Uruguayan dishes include: ''morcilla dulce'', a type of blood sausage cooked with ground orange fruit, orange peel and walnuts; ''milanesa'', a breaded veal cutlet similar to the Italian cotoletta; snacks such as ''olímpicos'' (club sandwiches), ''húngaras'' (spicy sausage in a hot dog roll), and ''masas surtidas'' (bite-sized pastries).

Sport

Football is the most popular Sport in Uruguay. The first international match outside the British Isles was played between Uruguay and Argentina in Montevideo in July 1902. Uruguay won gold at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, and again in 1928 in Amsterdam.

The Uruguay national football team has won the FIFA World Cup on two occasions. Uruguay won the inaugural tournament on home soil in 1930 and again in 1950, famously defeating home favorites Brazil in the final. Uruguay has by far the smallest population of any country that has won a World Cup. Despite their early success they have only qualified for two of the last five World Cups. Uruguay performed very credibly in the 2010 FIFA World Cup having reached the semi-final for the first time in 40 years. Diego Forlán was presented with the Golden Ball award as the best player of the 2010 tournament.

Uruguay exported 1,414 football players during the 2000s, almost as many players as Brazil and Argentina. In 2010, the Uruguayan government enacted measures intended to retain players in the country.

Education

Education in Uruguay is secular, free, and compulsory for 14 years, starting at the age of 4. The system is divided into six levels of education: early childhood (3–5 years); primary (6–11 years); basic secondary (12–14 years); upper secondary (15–17 years); higher education (18 and up); and post-graduate education.

Public education is the primary responsibility of three institutions: the Ministry of Education and Culture, which coordinates education policies, the National Public Education Administration, which formulates and implements policies on early to secondary education, and the University of the Republic, responsible for higher education. In 2009, the government planned to invest 4.5% of GDP in education.

Uruguay ranks high on standardised tests such as PISA at a regional level, but compares unfavourably to the OECD average, and is also below some countries with similar levels of income. In the 2006 PISA test, Uruguay had one of the greatest standard deviations among schools, suggesting significant variability by socio-economic level.

Uruguay is part of the One Laptop Per Child project, and in 2009 became the first country in the world to provide a laptop for every primary school student, as part of the Plan Ceibal. Over the 2007–2009 period 362,000 pupils and 18,000 teachers were involved in the scheme; around 70% of the laptops were given to children who did not have computers at home. The OLPC programme represents less than 5% of the country's education budget.

See also

International rankings of Uruguay

List of Uruguayans

South America Life Quality Rankings

Further reading

Andrew, G. R. (2010) ''Blackness in the White Nation: A History of Afro-Uruguay'', The University of North Carolina Press

Behnke, A. (2009) ''Uruguay in Pictures'', Twenty First Century Books

Box, B. (2011) ''Footprint Focus: Uruguay'', Footprint Travel Guides

Burford, T. (2010) ''Bradt Travel Guide: Uruguay'', Bradt Travel Guides

Canel, E. (2010) ''Barrio Democracy in Latin America: Participatory Decentralization and Community Activism in Montevideo'', The Pennsylvania State University Press

Clark, G. (2008) ''Custom Guide: Uruguay'', Lonely Planet

Jawad, H. (2009) ''Four Weeks in Montevideo: The Story of World Cup 1930'', Seventeen Media

Lessa, F. and Druliolle, V. (eds.) (2011) ''The Memory of State Terrorism in the Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay'', Palgrave Macmillan

Mool, M (2009) ''Budget Guide: Buenos Aires and Montevideo'', Cybertours-X Verlag

References

External links

Travel guide to Uruguay in English

Photographic Travel Essay Through Uruguay

Category:Countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean Category:Former Spanish colonies Category:Liberal democracies Category:South American countries Category:Spanish-speaking countries Category:States and territories established in 1825 Category:Member states of Mercosur Category:Member states of the Union of South American Nations Category:Member states of the United Nations

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fullname	John George Terry
height
dateofbirth	December 07, 1980
cityofbirth	Barking
countryofbirth	England
currentclub	Chelsea
clubnumber	26
position	Centre back
youthyears2	1991–1995
youthyears3	1995–1998
youthclubs1	Senrab
youthclubs2	West Ham United
youthclubs3	Chelsea
years1	1998–
years2	2000
clubs1	Chelsea
clubs2	→ Nottingham Forest (loan)
caps1	345
goals1	22
caps2	6
goals2	0
nationalyears1	2000–2002
nationalyears2	2003–
nationalteam1	England U21
nationalteam2	England
nationalcaps1	9
nationalgoals1	1
nationalcaps2	68
nationalgoals2	6
club-update	08:11, 28 August 2011 (UTC)
nationalteam-update	15:00, 24 April 2011 (UTC) }}

John George Terry (born 7 December 1980) is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League. He is also captain of the England national football team, having been reinstated in March 2011 after previously holding the post from August 2006 until February 2010.

Terry was voted best defender in the UEFA Champions League in both 2005 and 2008, the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2005, and was included in the FIFPro World XI for four consecutive seasons, from 2005 to 2008. He was also named in the all-star squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the only English player to make the team. He wears the number 26 shirt for Chelsea.

Terry is Chelsea's most successful captain, having led them to three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two League Cups since 2004. He is one of five players to have made over 450 appearances for Chelsea and is also the club's all-time highest scoring defender. In 2007, he became the first captain to lift the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium in Chelsea's 1–0 win over Manchester United, and also the first player to score a full international goal there, scoring a header in England's 1–1 draw with Brazil.

Club career

Early career

Terry was born in Barking, east London, and attended Eastbury Comprehensive School. Terry played initially for Senrab, a side that featured many future stars of the English game, including current Premier League players Sol Campbell, Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora, Ledley King and Jlloyd Samuel. As a boy he initially was part of West Ham United's youth system, joining them as a midfielder in 1991. He moved to Chelsea at 14, playing for the club's youth and reserve teams. It was due to a shortage of central defenders that he was moved to centre-back, the position he plays today.

Early time with Chelsea

Terry made his Chelsea debut on 28 October 1998 as a late substitute in a League Cup tie with Aston Villa; his first start came later that season in an FA Cup third round match, a 2–0 win over Oldham Athletic. He spent a brief period on loan with Nottingham Forest in 2000 to build up his first team experience and was subject to interest from both David Platt and Huddersfield Town manager Steve Bruce.

In 2002 Terry was involved in an incident at a West London nightclub with Chelsea team mate Jody Morris and Wimbledon's Des Byrne. He was charged with assault and affray, but later cleared. During the affair, he was given a temporary ban from the England national side by the FA. Previously, along with Chelsea team-mates Frank Lampard, Jody Morris, Eiður Guðjohnsen and former team-mate Frank Sinclair, in September 2001 Terry was fined two weeks wages by Chelsea after drunkenly harassing grieving American tourists in the immediate aftermath of the 11 September attacks.

During his early days at Chelsea, Terry shared a flat with Andrew Crofts.

First-team regular

Terry began to establish himself in the Chelsea first team from the 2000–01 season, making 23 starts, and was voted the club's player of the year. He continued his progress during 2001–02, becoming a regular in the defence alongside club captain and French international Marcel Desailly. On 5 December 2001 he captained Chelsea for the first time, in a League match against Charlton Athletic. Chelsea reached the FA Cup final, following wins against London rivals West Ham and Tottenham in the fourth and six rounds respectively, and Fulham in the semi-final – where Terry scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. A virus denied Terry a place in the starting line-up for the final, although he came on as a second-half substitute as Chelsea lost 2–0 to Arsenal. In season 2003–04, his performances led to him being handed the captain's armband by manager Claudio Ranieri, when Desailly was out of the side. He played well in the absence of the French international, forming a strong defensive partnership with William Gallas.

Back-to-back Premierships as captain

Following Desailly's retirement, new Chelsea manager José Mourinho chose Terry as his club captain, a choice which was vindicated throughout the 2004–05 season as Chelsea won the Premier League title in record-breaking fashion with the best defensive record in Football League history with the most clean sheets and the most points accrued. He was voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals in England and scored eight goals, including a late winner against Barcelona, in the UEFA Champions League. He was voted the best defender in the Champions League for the season. In September 2005 he was selected as a member of the World XI at the FIFPro awards. The team was chosen by a vote of professional footballers based in 40 countries. Chelsea defended their Premier League title in 2005–06, earning 91 points, and confirming the title with a 3–0 victory against Manchester United.

Recent seasons

In a match on 14 October 2006 against Reading, Terry had to take over in goal for Chelsea after both of Chelsea's usual keepers, Petr Čech and Carlo Cudicini were injured in the game. He wore the number 40 shirt belonging to third-choice goalkeeper Henrique Hilário. However, as the game continued for only a little over a minute, Terry did not have a single save to make – in fact, his goalkeeping experience was limited to taking a free-kick from inside the penalty area. Chelsea managed to hang on to a one-goal lead and win the game and Terry kept a clean sheet. On 5 November 2006, playing against Tottenham Hotspur, Terry was sent off for the first time in his Chelsea career. He received two yellow cards as Chelsea lost at White Hart Lane for the first time since 1987. Terry was charged with misconduct by the F.A. for questioning the integrity of match referee Graham Poll after the game. On 10 January 2007, John Terry was ordered to pay £10,000 for the inappropriate conduct after he changed his mind and pleaded guilty to the FA.

In the 2006–2007 season Terry missed matches for Chelsea due to a recurring back problem. After the tie to Reading on 26 December 2006, José Mourinho stated that his captain may require surgery to fix the problem. In the games that he had missed, Chelsea had conceded six goals. On 28 December Chelsea released a press statement saying Terry had had back surgery: "The operation to remove a sequestrated lumbar intervertebral disc was successful." Although he was expected to return at the game against Wigan Athletic, Terry was missing once again, due to the recurring back problem. He made his return against Charlton Athletic on 3 February 2007. He played his first 90 minutes of football for nearly three months against Middlesbrough and received much applause from the Chelsea faithful. Playing in the UEFA Champions league last-sixteen away against Porto, he suffered another injury, this time to his ankle, and was set to miss the 2007 League Cup Final against Arsenal, but managed to recover from the injury within days and played in the final. During the second half of the match, at an attacking corner, he threw himself at the ball with a diving header; Arsenal's Abou Diaby, in an attempt to clear the ball, kicked Terry in the face. Terry was unconscious for several minutes, at which point he nearly swallowed his tongue. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and immediately transferred to the University Hospital of Wales, where he was successfully treated. Terry discharged himself the same day and returned to the Millennium Stadium to celebrate his team's 2–1 win. The only recollection he had of the second half is walking out onto the pitch and he did not remember the 10 minutes he played prior to his injury. Following the incident, Terry thanked the Arsenal physiologist Gary Lewin for saving his life. Lewin was the first medic that rushed over to assist him after his tongue had blocked his airways. After spending two weeks on the sidelines, he made his return to the Chelsea team against Blackburn in March. He went on to lead Chelsea to the semi-finals of the Champions League, the third time in four years that Chelsea had made it to the final four of the competition. In May 2007, Terry captained Chelsea to the FA Cup, in the first final at the new Wembley Stadium.

Despite failing to agree terms to a new contract immediately following the 2006–2007 season, Terry stated on several occasions that he had no intention of leaving Chelsea. In late July he signed a new five-year contract with a base salary of between £131,000 and £135,000 per week, making him the highest-paid player in the Premier League at the time. Frank Lampard's contract with Chelsea, signed in August 2008, surpassed Terry's with Lampard earning £151,000 a week to become the highest-paid player in the Premier League. On 16 December 2007 whilst playing against Arsenal, while going to clear a ball Terry's foot was stepped on by Emannuel Eboue and Terry had suffered 3 broken bones in his foot. He was expected to be out for at least three months but made a speedy recovery and managed to captain Chelsea to the 2008 League Cup final against Tottenham, which Chelsea lost 2–1. On 11 May 2008 whilst playing in the last league game of the season against Bolton, he collided with goalkeeper, Petr Čech, and suffered a partially dislocated elbow which was put back in while in the ambulance on the way to hospital. This injury did not prevent him playing in the Champions League final against Manchester United. The match went to penalties, and Terry missed a penalty which would have won Chelsea the match (and the Champions League). His standing leg slipped as he took his kick, and the ball missed the goal. Chelsea lost the shootout 6–5, which Terry reacted to by breaking down in tears. On 28 August 2008, Terry was awarded the Defender of The Year award from UEFA at the UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw in Monaco, together with Frank Lampard and Petr Čech who received the award on their respective positions. On 13 September 2008, Terry received the first straight red card of his career against Manchester City for rugby-tackling Jô. However, this was later rescinded on appeal. Despite being a defender, he occasionally scores important goals for Chelsea, such as in the Champions League Group A home game against A.S. Roma in the 2008–2009 season. However, Chelsea went on to lose the away leg 3–1.

Along with Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Petr Čech, Terry is regarded as a part of the spine of the Chelsea team. He has won seven trophies as Chelsea captain (one more than Dennis Wise) Being an English player who came through the club's youth system, he is especially popular with Chelsea fans.

In July 2009, Manchester City made a third bid for Terry, but Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has insisted Terry will remain at Chelsea. Before the start of the season, Terry was again awarded with UEFA Defender of the Year, his 3rd time winning the award. John Terry made his debut for the new season against Premier League side Hull City, a match Chelsea won. On 8 November 2009, Terry scored the decisive goal in Chelsea's match against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge to preserve their perfect home record for the season.

On 9 May 2010, Terry captained Chelsea as they won their fourth League title after an 8–0 win against Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge. A week later on 15 May 2010, Terry captained Chelsea as he won his fourth FA Cup medal, defeating Portsmouth in the final by 1–0 at Wembley.

International career

Terry made his England debut in June 2003 against Serbia and Montenegro, and started his first game for England on 20 August 2003 at Portman Road, Ipswich, in a friendly against Croatia. England won the game 3–1. His main central defensive partner has been Rio Ferdinand. He played for his country at Euro 2004, and England Manager Sven-Göran Eriksson stated that Terry was the first-choice centre back, ahead of Sol Campbell.

In a FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Poland, Terry had the honour of wearing England's captain armband, replacing Michael Owen as captain after the latter was subbed.

He has cemented his place in the England squad by being selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In a warm-up match for that tournament against Hungary on 30 May 2006, Terry scored his first goal for England, the team's second in a 3–1 victory. Despite an injury scare in a friendly against Jamaica, he recovered to play in England's opening fixture against Paraguay, a 1–0 victory.

In the next match against Trinidad and Tobago, Carlos Edwards beat England's Paul Robinson to a cross and as Stern John bundled a header towards the goal, Terry cleared the ball off the line with an overhead kick. In the quarter-finals match against Portugal, Terry played the entire match, but England lost on penalties and he was left in tears with his fellow players. Six days later, he was the only English player to be named in the tournament's all-star squad.

England captaincy

On 10 August 2006, Steve McClaren named John Terry as the England captain, succeeding David Beckham. McClaren said, "Choosing a captain is one of the most important decisions a coach has to make. I'm certain I've got the right man in John Terry. I'm convinced he will prove to be one of the best captains England has ever had." Terry scored a goal on his debut as the England captain, in a friendly international against Greece. This was the first goal of the match and, as such, the first goal during McClaren's reign as manager. When celebrating he kissed his new captain's armband. However, with Terry as captain, England did not qualify for Euro 2008 – their first absence from a tournament finals since the 1994 World Cup. Midway through the qualification campaign, Terry had accepted that he would "bear full responsibility" should England fail to qualify.

On 1 June 2007, Terry became the first player in the senior England team to score an international goal at the new Wembley Stadium when he scored England's goal in a 1–1 draw with Brazil. He scored from a header in the box after a free kick cross by David Beckham. Almost a year later, he scored a similar headed goal once again from a freekick cross by David Beckham to put England 1–0 up against the USA on 28 May 2008.

Terry was confirmed as the England captain in August, and will captain England in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. During his first match after being reinstated as the permanent England captain he was given a torrid time by Milan Baroš and was turned far too easily when Baros scored the first goal for the Czech Republic. The match ended 2–2 with Joe Cole scoring a fortunate equaliser for England in the 92nd minute of the game. He scored his first competitive England goal against Ukraine in the qualifiers for the World Cup, grabbing a late winner after earlier giving away a free kick which saw Andriy Shevchenko equalise for Ukraine.

On 5 February 2010, following allegations regarding Terry's private life, Fabio Capello announced that Terry was removed as the captain of the England team. He was replaced by fellow defender Rio Ferdinand.

On 19 March 2011 Fabio Capello announced John Terry would be the permanent England captain following a long term injury to previous captain Rio Ferdinand.

2010 World Cup

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, England started with two draws against the USA and Algeria which received heavy criticism from the English media.

Two days after the Algeria game in a media interview, Terry hinted at dissatisfaction with Capello's team selection and stated that the players were bored with little to do in the evenings at their training base; he also said that a clear-the-air team meeting would take place that evening. The next day Capello responded by saying that Terry had made "a very big mistake" in challenging his authority to the media.

Manchester, England 16 August 2006 1 June 2007 28 May 2008 19 November 2008 1 April 2009

colspan="7"	International goals
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1	30 May 2006	|		2–0	3–1	Friendly match
2	|	Manchester, England		1–0	4–0	Friendly match
3	|	London, England		1–0	1–1	Friendly match
4	|	London, England		1–0	2–0	Friendly match
5	|	Berlin, Germany		2–1	2–1	Friendly match
6	|	London, England		2–1	2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Sponsorship

Terry is the main face alongside Michael Owen for the Umbro sportswear brand often introducing new brand lines and products as well as new England kits. He has also appeared in adverts for Samsung, Nationwide and Swedish betting company Svenska Spel, as well as being in a sponsorship deal with football gaming series ''Pro Evolution Soccer''. On the UK version of ''Pro Evolution Soccer 6'', he appears on the front cover with Brazil international Adriano.

Family and personal life

Terry's parents are Ted and Sue. His brother, Paul (born 1979), is a professional footballer currently with Conference South side Thurrock F.C..

Despite being a one club man with Chelsea in his professional career, Terry was a Manchester United supporter growing up. Terry revealed in a 2005 interview that he has to go through about 50 superstitious rituals before each game.

Terry currently lives in Oxshott, Surrey. He and his wife Toni (née Poole) are the parents of twins, Georgie John and Summer Rose, born on 18 May 2006 in Westminster, London. Terry celebrated their birth when scoring for England against Hungary, when he performed a baby-rocking celebration. The couple married at Blenheim Palace on 15 June 2007.

Terry is one of a very small group of footballers to have been paid more than £1 million for their autobiography. His deal with publisher Harper Collins was negotiated in 2004 by Chris Nathaniel of NVA Management.

In 2009, Terry was named "Dad of the Year" after he came top of a poll of UK adults in a Daddies Sauce survey.

In January 2010, a super-injunction was imposed by a High Court judge preventing the media from reporting allegations that Terry had had a four-month affair in late 2009 with Vanessa Perroncel, the former girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, his former Chelsea and England teammate. The injunction was lifted a week later, and the British media – especially the tabloid press – covered the rumours in great detail in the days following. On 3 October 2010, The News of the World printed an apology to Perroncel for invading her private life, and accepted that the claims against Terry and her were untrue. The rumours led to Capello dropping Terry from the England captaincy on 5 February 2010, replacing him with Rio Ferdinand. Terry was reinstated as captain the following year.

Career statistics

Club

|- | 1998–99||rowspan="2"|Chelsea||rowspan="2"|Premier League||2||0||3||0||1||0||1||0||6||0 |- | 1999–00||4||0||4||1||1||0||-||-||9||1 |- | 1999–00|||Nottingham Forest|||First Division||6||0||-||-||-||-||-||-||6||0 |- | 2000–01||rowspan="12"|Chelsea||rowspan="12"|Premier League|||22||1||3||0||1||0||-||-||26||1 |- | 2001–02||33||1||5||2||5||0||4||1||47||4 |- | 2002–03||20||3||5||2||3||0||1||1||29||6 |- | 2003–04||33||2||3||1||2||0||13||0||51||3 |- | 2004–05||36||3||1||1||5||0||11||4||53||8 |- | 2005–06||36||4||4||2||1||1||8||0||49||7 |- | 2006–07||28||1||4||0||2||0||10||0||46||1 |- | 2007–08||23||1||2||0||2||0||10||0||37||1 |- | 2008–09||34||1||2||0||1||0||11||2||48||3 |- | 2009–10||37||2||4||1||1||0||8||0||46||3 |- | 2010–11||33||3||3||0||1||0||8||1||45||4 |- | 2011–12||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0 350||22||43||10||26||1||85||9||501||42

International

|- |2003||6||0 |- |2004||9||0 |- |2005||6||0 |- |2006||14||2 |- |2007||7||1 |- |2008||6||2 |- |2009||10||1 |- |2010||7||0 |- |2011||2||0 |- !Total||67||6 |}

Honours

Chelsea

; Premier League:

2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10

; FA Cup:

2000, 2007, 2009, 2010

; Football League Cup:

2005, 2007

; FA Community Shield:

2005, 2009

Individual

PFA Player of the Year: 2004–05

FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament: 2006

FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

UEFA Club Football Awards Best Defender: 2005, 2008, 2009

UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009

Chelsea Player of the Year: 2001, 2006

References

External links

Official Chelsea profile

TheFA.com profile

BBC profile

England Profile and Record

Premier League profile

Category:1980 births Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:Association football central defenders Category:Chelsea F.C. players Category:English footballers Category:England international footballers Category:England under-21 international footballers Category:Living people Category:Nottingham Forest F.C. players Category:People from Barking Category:Premier League players Category:The Football League players Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:West Ham United F.C. players

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playername	Abou Diaby
fullname	Vassiriki Abou Diaby
dateofbirth	May 11, 1986
cityofbirth	Paris
countryofbirth	France
height
position	Midfielder
currentclub	Arsenal
clubnumber	2
youthyears1	1996–1998
youthclubs1	Aubervilliers
youthyears2	1998–2001
youthclubs2	Red Star Paris
youthyears3	2001–2002
youthclubs3	Paris Saint-Germain
youthyears4	2002–2004
youthclubs4	Auxerre
years1	2004–2006
clubs1	Auxerre
caps1	10
goals1	1
years2	2006–
clubs2	Arsenal
caps2	108
goals2	14
nationalyears1	2004–2005
nationalteam1	France U19
nationalcaps1	12
nationalgoals1	0
nationalyears2	2006–2007
nationalteam2	France U21
nationalcaps2	2
nationalgoals2	0
nationalyears3	2007–
nationalteam3	France
nationalcaps3	15
nationalgoals3	0
pcupdate	15:55, 22 May 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	16:05, 6 June 2011 (UTC) }}

Vassiriki Abou Diaby (; born 11 May 1986), commonly known as Abou Diaby, is a French footballer who plays for English club Arsenal in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as a box-to-box central midfielder, as he is adept in both attack and defence, and is described as a player who is "languid, elusive, and athletic" that can either "dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates". Of Ivorian descent, Diaby also possesses "superb touch" and "excellent close control", however on the negative front, he often struggles with repetitive injuries, a common inconsistency that has existed since his time in France. His physical appearance and positional preference have evoked comparisons to Arsenal legend and compatriot Patrick Vieira.

Diaby was born in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, but was raised in the Parisian commune of Aubervilliers. He began his football career playing for hometown club CM Aubervilliers. In 1998, he joined Red Star Paris. A year later, Diaby was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy. He spent four years at the academy while simultaneously training with Red Star. A year before departing Clairefontaine, Diaby moved to professional club Paris Saint-Germain. Following an administrative error by club officials which made Diaby a free agent, he joined the academy of Auxerre. He spent two years in the club's youth academy before making his professional debut in the 2004–05 season. Diaby also played in the UEFA Cup with the club. After spending the fall portion of the 2005–06 season with Auxerre, in January 2006, Diaby signed with English club Arsenal on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut with the club that same month and scored his first goal three months later against Aston Villa. Since joining Arsenal, Diaby has struggled with injuries, which included suffering a severe ankle fracture five months after joining the club.

Diaby is a former French youth international having earned caps at under-19 and under-21 level. Prior to playing for the senior team, he played on the under-19 team that won the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. Diaby made his senior international debut in March 2007 in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania. He has represented France at one major international tournament; the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Diaby participated in all three group stage matches the team played as a starter.

Personal life

Diaby was born in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, but was raised in a housing development in Aubervilliers, a northeastern suburb of Paris. He is the son of a long-distance truck driver and developed an interest into the sport of football after becoming fascinated by several players who played on the 1998 FIFA World Cup-winning team, most notably midfield stalwart Patrick Vieira, whom Diaby describes as "a monument to French football". Diaby was also adept at playing other sports such as basketball and boxing. Of Ivorian descent, Diaby is a practicing Muslim and, while growing up, developed a fascination towards the subjects of religion, philosophy, science, and astronomy. Diaby became interested in accountancy after taking a course at the age of 17, while he was at the Auxerre youth academy.

Club career

Early career

Diaby began his football career playing for hometown club CM Aubervilliers in December 1996. While at Aubervilliers, Diaby was coached by David Giguère and Alain Mboma, the latter now serving as the manager of Red Star Paris. After two years at the club, Diaby's quick progression at the amateur club led to a move to nearby semi-professional outfit Red Star Paris in Saint-Ouen. While in the club's youth academy, Diaby was supervised by youth academy director Yves-Henri Gergaud and was described by club youth coach Marco Lienel as a player who was "fairly quiet and quite frail". Diaby started his career at the club playing on its under-13 team in the Division Honneur Régionale of the Île-de-France region. After spending a year playing with Red Star, in 1999, he was selected to attend the Clairefontaine academy. While at Clairefontaine, Diaby was a part of ''A la Clairefontaine'', a documentary series which chronicled the lives of the France's top young footballers during their time at the academy. During the series, an episode showed Diaby getting into a physical confrontation with Hatem Ben Arfa.

Auxerre

2002–2004

Towards the end of his development at Clairefontaine, Diaby departed Red Star to play domestic football with professional club Paris Saint-Germain, despite being a supporter of Marseille. He spent a year at the Camp des Loges, the club's training center, from 2001–2002. After his departure from Clairefontaine, Diaby was expected to sign a youth contract with Paris Saint-Germain. Club officials wanted to keep the player, however, the club's human resources department failed to send a "letter of commitment" to Diaby's parents ahead of the 30 April 2002 deadline, which resulted in the player becoming a free agent. Diaby was hastily recruited by Auxerre scouts and he joined the club's academy ahead of the 2002–03 season. In his first season in the club's youth academy, he won the ''Division d'Honneur des 16 ans'', the under-16 league title of the Bourgogne region.

During the 2003–04 season, Diaby alternated between playing on the club's under-19 team in the Coupe Gambardella and playing on the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. During the reserve team season, he played on the team alongside future Arsenal teammate Bacary Sagna, as well as Younes Kaboul, Hassan Yebda, Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé, and former Clairefontaine classmate Garra Dembélé. Diaby finished the season with the team with 11 appearances and one goal as the team finished first in its group. After the season, he signed his first professional contract with the club agreeing to a three-year deal. Manager Guy Roux subsequently promoted Diaby to the first team and assigned him the number 24 shirt.

2004–2006

Similar to the previous season, Diaby regularly trained with the first team, while concurrently featuring as a starter on the club's reserve team. He made his professional debut on 14 August 2004 appearing as a substitute in a 3–1 league win over Rennes. After making his debut for the club, Diaby spent the rest of the fall season either playing on the club's reserve team or dealing with injuries. He returned to the team in March 2005 making his European debut in the team's UEFA Cup Round of 16 first leg tie against domestic rivals Lille. Diaby appeared in both legs as a substitute as Auxerre won the round 1–0 on aggregate. The club later lost in the quarterfinals to Russian club CSKA Moscow. Diaby made his first professional start on 20 March against his former youth club Paris Saint-Germain. He played 74 minutes before being substituted out in a 1–0 loss. Diaby made three more appearances as a substitute to close out the season.

Following the season, Roux retired as manager of Auxerre after managing the club for 44 straight seasons. He was replaced with former France national team coach Jacques Santini. During the season, Diaby featured early on during the campaign, but as the fall season wore on, he struggled with injuries, which subsequently, led to the playing failing to gain the confidence of Santini. Unlike fellow youngsters Sagna and Kaboul who were quickly establishing themselves at their respective positions, Diaby only featured in five league matches during the first half of the season. The midfielder did score his first professional goal on 10 September 2005 in a 3–1 loss to Rennes. In Europe, Diaby featured as a starter in the team's first round defeat to Bulgarian club Levski Sofia in the UEFA Cup. Midway through the campaign, Diaby was deemed surplus to requirements by management. Following the sale of the player, vice-president Gérard Bourgoin declared that "We have always kept the young players which our coach wanted to use, but Diaby did not play, so this was a strategic sale for us".

Arsenal

2006–2008

On 13 January 2006, English club Arsenal confirmed that the club had signed Diaby on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee, later revealed to be £2 million. Prior to joining Arsenal, the player had reportedly turned down an offer to join Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea. Upon joining Arsenal, Diaby was given the number 2 shirt, which was left vacant since the retirement of Lee Dixon. He made his club debut on 21 January 2006 appearing as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat to Everton. Three days later, he made his first start in a 2–1 Football League Cup victory over Wigan. On 21 February, Diaby made his UEFA Champions League debut appearing as a substitute in the team's Round of 16 first leg victory over Spanish club Real Madrid. Two weeks later, Diaby assisted on a goal in Arsenal's 4–0 win over Fulham. After dealing with an injury in the month of March, he returned to play in April scoring his first goal for the club in a 5–0 victory over Aston Villa on April Fools' Day 2006. He was set up for the goal by fellow club newcomer Emmanuel Adebayor.

On 1 May, Diaby suffered a severe ankle fracture after being on the receiving end of a tackle, described by the media as "horrendous", from Sunderland defender Dan Smith. After the match, Wenger described the tackle as "a bad kick and an unnecessary one" and also criticized his competitors' over-physicality, while interim Sunderland manager Kevin Ball defended Smith stating "Smith is not a malicious, dirty player and I think it's unfair to make that call on him and say he deliberately went to do it. Dan went for the ball, unfortunately Diaby was quicker than him". As a result of the injury, Diaby missed the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, as well as the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. He underwent three surgeries to repair the injury and was told by doctors that the injury could possibly be career-ending. Following the surgeries, he underwent eight months of rehabilitation and made his return to first team action in the 2006–07 season in a League Cup match against Liverpool. He appeared as a substitute in the match as Arsenal cruised to a 6–3 win. On 25 February 2007, while participating in the 2007 Football League Cup Final against Chelsea, Diaby, while attempting to clear the ball out of the Arsenal defense, accidentally kicked rival defender John Terry in the face. Unconscious, Terry was stretchered off and hospitalized, but recovered to return to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the trophy presentation following Chelsea's 2–1 win. Though Arsenal lost, Diaby was credited with an assist on the team's only goal of the match, which was converted by Theo Walcott. Diaby scored his first and only goal of the campaign on 14 March in a 1–0 win over Aston Villa when he deflected in a Julio Baptista shot. He remained a fixture within the team for the rest of the campaign, mostly as a substitute as he only started in consecutive matches once.

In Diaby's first full season with Arsenal, he scored his first goal on 22 September 2007 in the club's 5–0 win over Derby County. Three days later, he assisted on a goal in a 2–0 League Cup win over Newcastle United. In December 2007, Diaby scored goals in back-to-back matches for the first time in his career. He scored the first goal on 12 December in the team's final Champions League group stage match against Romanian club Steaua Bucureşti. Arsenal won the match 2–1. Six days later, Diaby scored Arsenal's opening goal in the club's 3–2 away win over Blackburn Rovers in the Football League Cup. Diaby failed to chart anything statistical for the rest of the winter months aside from an assist in a 4–1 win over Everton. On 29 March 2008, Diaby was sent off for the first time in his professional career in a league match against Bolton Wanderers for a studs-up tackle on defender Grétar Steinsson. Diaby was defended by Wenger who stated "I don’t think Diaby’s tackle was malicious, it was more protective". Wenger also stated that Diaby's tackle should not be compared to what had happened to teammate Eduardo da Silva a few weeks ago. Wenger was, subsequently, criticized by the English media for flip-flopping on the subject due to providing differing statements when Arsenal players are on the receiving end of tackles and when they are the aggressors.

After serving his red card suspension, Diaby featured in only one match in the final two months of the season. The match was the second leg of the club's quarterfinal Champions League tie against Liverpool. In the match, Diaby netted the opening goal to give Arsenal, who drew 1–1 in the first leg, a 2–1 advantage. Arsenal, however, conceded four goals from Liverpool and lost the tie 5–3 on aggregate. Following the match against Liverpool, Diaby began struggling with a thigh injury. After the injury relapsed in a reserve match in late April, Diaby was ruled out for the rest of the season.

2008–present

Diaby began the 2008–09 season late in the season after the thigh injury from the previous season was discovered to be more serious than first thought. He made his debut in the season on 18 October 2008 in a 3–1 win over Everton. Three days later, Diaby scored the third goal in a 5–2 Champions League group stage win over Turkish outfit Fenerbahçe. He appeared regularly in the campaign for the first time in his Arsenal career. On 26 December 2008, Diaby scored his third career goal against Aston Villa in a 2–2 draw. The following month, he assisted on the equalizing goal, scored by Robin van Persie, in the team's 1–1 draw with Everton. Diaby scored his second goal of the campaign in Arsenal's 3–1 league win against Newcastle on 21 March. He finished the season by scoring the team's third goal in the 4–1 win over Stoke City.

Diaby started the 2009–10 season healthy for the first time since 2007 and quickly made an impact. Playing alongside Alex Song and Cesc Fàbregas, he became part of the dynamic three-man midfield partnership. On 22 August 2009, he scored a double in a 4–2 win over Portsmouth. The following month, Diaby assisted on a goal in the team's 3–2 comeback win over Belgian club Standard Liège in the Champions League. After alternating between the bench and starting lineup for the rest of September, in November, Diaby returned to the first eleven and responding by scoring the game-winning goal in a 3–1 win over Birmingham City. Three weeks later, in the Champions League, he netted another goal in a group stage win over Dutch club AZ. On 7 November, Diaby picked up an injury in a 4–1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The injury resulted in the player missing France's World Cup playoff tie with the Republic of Ireland.

Diaby grabbed his fifth goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Hull City on 19 December. He also assisted on a goal in the win. A week later, Diaby scored his fourth goal overall against Aston Villa in another 3–0 victory. In the new year, Diaby began the 2010 calendar year by assisting on goals in a 2–2 draw against Everton and a 4–2 win over Bolton. On 10 February, he scored the only goal in a victory over Liverpool. Despite failing to score a goal for the rest of the season, Diaby was ever-present in the waning moments of the season starting 12 of the final 14 matches he appeared in. He finished the campaign with career-highs in matches played, goals, and assists.

Diaby began the 2010–11 campaign scoring a goal and issuing an assist in the team's second match of the season against Blackpool; a 6–0 win. During a match against Bolton at the Emirates Stadium on 11 September, he was injured after a challenge by Paul Robinson. Diaby was replaced in the 72nd minute by Denílson in a 4–1 win. Due to the injury, he missed two weeks and return to the team in its 3–2 loss to West Brom. Diaby featured primarily as a substitute after returning from the injury. On 5 February 2011, he was sent off after being adjudged to have committed violent conduct on opposing midfielder Joey Barton in a league match away to Newcastle. Prior to Diaby's expulsion, Arsenal had been leading the match 4–0. The team went on to concede four unanswered goals while playing with ten men, which resulted in the club leaving St. James' Park with only a point. On 10 April, Diaby scored his second goal of the season in a 3–1 win against Blackpool.

International career

Youth

Diaby is a former French youth international having earned caps at under-19 and under-21 level. He played under manager Jean Gallice. Gallice, initially, called up Diaby at under-18 level for a match against Greece in November 2003. Diaby, however, was forced to withdraw from the squad after suffering an injury while playing domestically. He made his youth international debut at under-19 level in a 2–1 friendly match win over Turkey. In qualifying for the 2005 European Under-19 Football Championship, Diaby appeared in all six matches as France finished both the first qualifying round and the Elite Round undefeated. In the tournament, he missed the team's opening 1–1 group stage draw with England due to suspension, but returned to the starting lineup in the team's 3–1 victory over Norway in the second group stage match. Diaby, subsequently, started every remaining match, including the championship match against England. France won the match 3–1 giving the nation its sixth under-19 title and Diaby his first international honor. In total with the under-19 team, he featured in 12 matches and scored no goals. At under-21 level, Diaby made his debut on 28 February 2006 in a friendly match against Slovakia. He appeared as a substitute as France won the match 2–1. Due to suffering a fractured ankle domestically, Diaby missed the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. Due to repetitive injuries, he missed every qualifier for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and made only one more appearance for the team, which occurred in a 1–1 draw in a friendly match with Armenia.

Senior

On 15 March 2007, Diaby was called up to the senior team for the first time by coach Raymond Domenech for UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria. He described the call-up as a "huge surprise" primarily because he has just returned from his ankle fracture just two months prior. Diaby made his senior international debut in the qualifier against Lithuania appearing as a substitute for Florent Malouda. He earned his first international start in the ensuing match against Austria; the game ending in a 1–0 victory for France. Following the Austria match, Diaby went without an appearance for France for three years. The midfielder experienced several call ups to the team during the three years, but either withdrew from the squad due to injury or was not preferred by Domenech for a match. Despite this, Diaby was named to Domenech's 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He made his return to the international scene in the team's 2–1 friendly match win over Costa Rica. Diaby was later named to the 23-man team to serve as a possible backup in the holding midfield role.

Ahead of the competition, it was reported that Domenech was considering changing up the style of play in the team's 4–3–3 formation with Malouda possibly moving from the winger role into the midfield. Following Malouda's relegation to the bench for insubordination, Diaby was inserted in his place and made his FIFA World Cup debut in the team's opening group stage match against Uruguay. The match ended 0–0 with Diaby playing the entire match. He was credited by Scottish newspaper ''The Scotsman'' as being the team's best performer in the goalless draw. Diaby featured as a starter in both of France's remaining group stage matches against Mexico and South Africa. France lost both matches as the competition ultimately ended in disastrous competitively and personally due to the players going on strike in response to its disagreement over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka from the team. As a result of the players' mutiny, Diaby, along with the 22 other members of the team, were suspended for the team's friendly match against Norway.

Under new manager Laurent Blanc, Diaby was penciled in as a starter in the team's first two competitive matches of the new season. After playing the entire match in a 2–0 victory over Luxembourg, he missed the victory against England due to injury. Diaby returned to the team for its 9 February 2011 friendly against Brazil. He appeared as a second-half substitute for Yann M'Vila as France cruised to a 1–0 win. In March 2011, Diaby was called back into the team for matches against Luxembourg and Croatia, but, for the second time this season, he withdrew from the team due to injury.

Style of play

Diaby is often described as a prototypical box-to-box midfielder; a midfielder who is adept both offensively and defensively. While he can play as a defensive midfielder, Diaby has often attempted to extend himself from the position admitting that "I am better if I have a holding midfielder with me". His club manager Arsène Wenger describes him similarly stating "He (Diaby) is more of an offensive player. He is not a defensive-minded player and he's not a holding player. He's a player who crosses the field at ease, goes from box to box like it's no distance and has good power as well". During his early years with Auxerre, he was often used as an attacking midfielder or a support striker due to his technical ability, close control, and dexterity to dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates.

Upon signing with Arsenal, club manager Wenger likened the player to former club player Patrick Vieira. Wenger compared the two primarily because of the similarities between each player's physical appearance and positional preference. While the two are similar in appearance, Diaby has admitted that there are huge differences stating "I think maybe I am more attack-minded, a more technical player" and "Vieira is much more aggressive. He makes more of a physical impact in a game, in midfield. He is amazing. I don’t think I have this quality yet. I think I can develop in that way but he is much stronger." In 2009, Wenger echoed Diaby sentiments declaring "I believe Vieira was more of a passer of the ball. Diaby is more of a dribbler, more offensive and makes more penetrating runs. Vieira was more of a constructor. They have a similar elegance and type of play but are not completely comparable".

Diaby is often accused of being injury-prone. Since returning from his fractured ankle injury in late 2006, the midfielder has endured persistent niggling injuries that has resulted in Diaby failing to play a full season for his current club. During his second season at Auxerre, a season in which he was expected to get some significant playing time, Diaby failed to gain the confidence of manager Jacques Santini primarily due to repetitive injuries he endured during the fall portion of the 2005–06 season. After returning to the team, Diaby struggled to return to form, which ultimately resulted in his sale to Arsenal. His highest output for appearances with Arsenal came in the 2009–10 season when he played in 40 matches. Arsenal played a total of 55 competitive matches in the season.

Career statistics

Club

:''Statistics accurate as of 22 May 2011''

0 1 1 1 1 3 6 2 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	!colspan="3"	Total
	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists
rowspan="2"	Auxerre		5	|	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	7	0	0
Ligue 1 2005–06	2005–06	5	|	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	7	1	0
colspan="2">Total	!10!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!4!!0!!0!!14!!1!!0
rowspan="7"	Arsenal		12	1	|	2	0	0	2	0	0	16	1	1
2006–07 FA Premier League	2006–07	12	|	0	5	0	1	1	0	0	18	1	1
2007–08 Premier League	2007–08	15	|	1	7	1	1	6	2	0	28	4	2
2008–09 Premier League	2008–09	24	|	2	5	0	0	7	1	0	36	4	2
2009-10 Premier League	2009–10	29	|	4	1	0	0	10	1	2	40	7	6
2010–11 Premier League	2010–11	16	|	3	3	0	0	1	0	0	20	2	3
2011–12 Premier League	2011–12	0	|	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		!108!!14!!10!!23!!1!!2!!27!!4!!2!!158!!20!!14
Career Total	!118!!15!!10!!23!!1!!2!!31!!4!!2!!172!!21!!14

International

: ''Statistics accurate as of 9 June 2011''

0 0 6 7

National team!!Season!!Apps!!Goals !! Assists
rowspan="5"	France	2006–07	2	0
2007–08	|	0	0
2008–09	|	0	0
2009–10	|	0	0
2010–11	|	0	0
colspan=2	Total!!15!!0	0

Honours

International

France

UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: 2005

References

External links

Arsenal.com profile

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:French footballers Category:France international footballers Category:French expatriate footballers Category:Association football midfielders Category:AJ Auxerre players Category:Arsenal F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:French people of Ivorian descent Category:France under-21 international footballers Category:People from Aubervilliers Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:French people of Black African descent Category:French Muslims Category:Ligue 1 players Category:INF Clairefontaine players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players

ar:أبو ديابي bn:আবু দিয়াবি bg:Абу Диаби ca:Vassiriki Abou Diaby cs:Abou Diaby da:Abou Diaby de:Abou Diaby et:Abou Diaby es:Abou Diaby fa:ابو دیابی fr:Abou Diaby ko:아부 디아비 hr:Abou Diaby id:Abou Diaby it:Abou Diaby he:אבו דיאבי lv:Abu Diabī hu:Abou Diaby mk:Абу Диаби mr:अबौ दिएबी nl:Abou Diaby ja:アブー・ディアビ no:Abou Diaby nn:Abou Diaby pl:Abou Diaby pt:Abou Diaby ro:Abou Diaby ru:Диаби, Абу simple:Abou Diaby sr:Абу Дијаби fi:Abou Diaby sv:Abou Diaby th:อาบู ดียาบี tr:Abou Diaby uk:Абу Діабі vi:Abou Diaby zh:阿布·迪亚比

name	Facundo Arana
birth date	March 31, 1972
birth place	Buenos Aires, Argentina
birthname	Jorge Facundo Arana Tagle
occupation	Actor }}

Jorge Facundo Arana Tagle (born March 31, 1972 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine actor. He has participated in more than twenty telenovelas.

Biography

Facundo Arana was first taken to an acting class by a friend at the age of fifteen. Soon after, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Arana received treatment for much of 1989 and underwent regular testing until 1994, when he was finally declared cancer-free.

Arana began performing in Argentine telenovelas in 1992, playing smaller parts. Arana is also a musician, having studied the saxophone. While he struggled to get bigger acting jobs at Telefe, he met a street musician and the two became friends, with Arana performing on the Buenos Aires streets for many months. In 1995, his acting career took off after he was castin the hit telenovela ''Perla Negra'' (''Black Pearl''), alongside Andrea Del Boca. In 1996, he acted in another telenovela, named ''Sueltos'' (''Loose'').

His participation in ''Montaña Rusa, Otra Vuelta'' (''Lets go for Another Round on the Rollercoaster'') a teenager-oriented telenovela, paved the way for Arana to be chosen as ''Alejo'' in ''Chiquititas'' (''Tiny Angels''). He played the lead in the fourth season of the popular show; this proved to be the highest-rated season in the show's seven-year run. At the same time, he worked with the well known Argentine actor Gastón Pauls in a play named ''El Rafa''.

After Chiquititas, Arana was cast in the 1999 telenovela Muñeca Brava, where he appeared alongside Natalia Oreiro. Airing on Telefe, Muñeca Brava became a huge hit and was sold worldwide, with success in over 50 countries and territories. The success of the show consolidated his status as a leading man. In 2000, Arana and Malena Solda played a romantic couple in ''Buenos Vecinos'' (''Good Neighbors''). Later, he starred in the 2001 series ''Yago, Pasión Morena'' (''Yago, Dark Passion''), with actress Gianella Neyra. Arana filmed his first movie, ''La Fuga'' (''The Escape''), in 2001. He also reprised his role as Alejo for the Chiquititas feature film. Both movies did well at the box office.

After four years in Telefe, Arana moved to Canal 13, where he had an important role in the successful police show 099 Central. In 2004, he starred as the title character in Padre Coraje, for which he received numerous awards, including a Martin Fierro de Oro. In 2006, he reunited with Natalia Oreiro for another Pol-ka/Canal 13 production, ''Sos mi vida'', which was the year's highest-rated television program in Argentina.

In 2008, he returned to Telefe for the thriller soap ''Vidas robadas'' for which he also received many awards.

Personal life

Arana's longtime partner is Maria Susini. Together, they have a daughter, India Arana (born 2008) and twin boys, Yaco and Moro, born in 2010.

See also

List of Argentines

External links

Category:1972 births Category:Argentine actors Category:Argentine telenovela actors Category:Living people Category:People from Buenos Aires Category:Argentine people of German descent

cs:Facundo Arana el:Φακούντο Αράνα es:Facundo Arana fr:Facundo Arana hr:Facundo Arana it:Facundo Arana he:פקונדו ארנה hu:Facundo Arana pl:Facundo Arana ru:Арана, Факундо tr:Facundo Arana

name	Mesut Özil
fullname	Mesut Özil
dateofbirth	October 15, 1988
cityofbirth	Gelsenkirchen
countryofbirth	West Germany
height
position	Attacking midfielder
currentclub	Real Madrid
clubnumber	10
youthyears1	1995–1998 | youthclubs1 Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen
youthyears2	1998–1999 | youthclubs2 Teutonia Schalke-Nord
youthyears3	1999–2000 | youthclubs3 Falke Gelsenkirchen
youthyears4	2000–2005 | youthclubs4 Rot-Weiss Essen
youthyears5	2005–2006 | youthclubs5 Schalke 04
years1	2006–2008 | clubs1 Schalke 04 | caps1 30 | goals1 0
years2	2008–2010 | clubs2 Werder Bremen | caps2 71 | goals2 13
years3	2010– | clubs3 Real Madrid | caps3 55 | goals3 7
nationalyears1	2006–2007 | nationalteam1 Germany U19 | nationalcaps1 11 | nationalgoals1 4
nationalyears2	2007–2009 | nationalteam2 Germany U21 | nationalcaps2 16 | nationalgoals2 5
nationalyears3	2009– | nationalteam3 Germany | nationalcaps3 30 | nationalgoals3 8
club-update	23:52, 28 January 2012 (UTC)
nationalteam-update	15 November 2011 }}

Mesut Özil (, ) (born 15 October 1988) is a footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and for the German national team. Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, and a member of the German national team since 2009. He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated for the Golden Ball Award which is awarded to the tournament's best player. Following his breakout performance at the World Cup, he was transferred from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid in August 2010.

He is known for his knack at providing assists for his team-mates and has been compared to other stars like Zidane. In 2011, he assisted the second most goals in La Liga with 17 and the most out of all Europe with 26, 12 of which were for his teammate Ronaldo.

Club career

Gelsenkirchen and Rot-Weiss Essen

Özil began his youth career playing for various clubs in Gelsenkirchen and then played five years for Rot-Weiss Essen.

Schalke 04

In 2005, he moved to the youth department of FC Schalke 04. He was a midfielder and wore 17 as his squad number, after starting as play-maker and central attacking midfielder in the place of the suspended Lincoln in Ligapokal matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich for Schalke. On making the first team there, he was described as 'the next big thing', but he eventually fell out with club management and moved on to Werder Bremen in January 2008.

Werder Bremen

On 31 January 2008, he moved to Werder Bremen for a reported fee of , signing a contract with the German club until 30 June 2011. Fresh off his fallout at Schalke 04 he stepped into the shoes of Brazilian playmaker Diego to help lead the north German club to the 2009 DFB-Pokal with the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin. He also excelled in Europe where he led Werder Bremen to the final of the last ever UEFA Cup, losing out to Shakhtar Donetsk. Although Bremen failed to get going in their 2008–09 Bundesliga season, eventually finishing a disappointing 10th, Özil managed to make a significant impact in most games and came away with a respectable three goals and 15 assists that highlighted his attacking credentials. The transfer fee is believed to have been in the region of €15 million. He made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against Hércules, which Real Madrid won 3–1.

Özil's jersey numbers were changed often before the season started. He was given the number 26 in the pre-season and 19 for his debut. But following the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart, he was given the vacant 23.

Özil was brought in to back up teammate Kaka, but due to his surgery, Özil obtained a starting role. He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for Ángel di María in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, which Real Madrid drew 0–0. Özil made his season debut in Champions League on 15 September. He got his first assist with Real Madrid in the 74th minute against Ajax after he crossed in the ball, resulting in a Higuaín goal. Özil's performances for Real Madrid have been praised by media, fans and players.

He walked off the pitch as a second half substitute to standing ovations in his first two games as a starter at the Santiago Bernabéu. His first goal came in a league match against Deportivo La Coruña on 3 October 2010, in a 6–1 victory. Özil's first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010. On 22 December he made his debut in Copa del Rey, scoring once in a 8–0 victory over Levante.

On 6 March 2011, after providing two assists in a 3–1 victory over Racing Santander, Özil was greatly praised by worldwide media thanks to his performance on the pitch, thus consolidating his outstanding season so far. He finished the 2010–11 season with Madrid with 25 assists, the highest for any player in any major European competition that season.

Özil will wear the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid in 2011–12, signalling Jose Mourinho's intent to use the German international as his main playmaker. On 14 August 2011, Özil scored his first goal against Barcelona in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España. On 17 August 2011, Özil was sent off in the last minute of the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España after an altercation with David Villa.

Özil is on the short-list of this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or award.

International career

Career Start

In September 2006, Özil was called up for the Germany U-17 team. Özil has been a member of the German U-21 team since 2007. On 29 June 2009, Özil was selected the man of the match in a 4–0 win over England during the U-21 European Championship final.

He made his debut for the senior side during a friendly match against Norway on 11 February 2009. He scored his first goal for the senior team in his third appearance, another friendly, against South Africa on 5 September in Leverkusen.

2010 World Cup

Özil was selected for Germanys squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, starting in all of the team's matches. Özil provided an assist for Cacau's goal to the 4-0 final score against Australia in Germany's first group game. He scored a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the penalty area against Ghana in the final group game, ensuring Germany progressed to the second round as group winners. On 27 June 2010, he played in Germany's win over England in the last 16 match, setting up the fourth goal with a cross to Thomas Müller as Germany triumphed 4–1. During the quarter-final match against Argentina he assisted the second goal for Miroslav Klose with a cross to ensure the 4–0 final score for the Germans. FIFA announced that he was among the ten tournament players nominated for the Golden Ball.

Euro 2012

Özil was one of the leading forces in Germany's qualification for Euro 2012, he scored five times during the campaign as Germany won 10 out of 10 games to top their group. Özil also confirmed his reputation as a decisive passer, as he provided 7 assists, more than any European international during Euro 2012 qualification.

Style of play

Germany Under-21 manager Horst Hrubesch once said, "We in Germany are prone to rave about foreign players. We praise Wayne Rooney to the heavens, likewise (Cristiano) Ronaldo or Messi. But we have our own Messi. Our Messi is Özil." Özil brings finesse and improvisation to the midfield and his magical left-foot can open any doors. Özil possesses great footwork and is known for his amazing passes in difficult situations, setting up his teammates for strikes on goal. He has superb ball control and has great awareness of the game on the pitch, which at its best can devastate any defence. He also boasts a powerful shot from distance, as evident during his match against Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup or in the Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium where in the latter match he scored a goal which has been described as a 'piece of art'. Germany coach Joachim Löw hails Özil for his 'genius moments' and his performance without the ball.

His nicknames have included "der Rabe" (The Raven, or in Spanish, "El Cuervo") – playing on his smart and opportunistic style of play, and at Werder Bremen “''der neue Diego''” (the new Diego) in reference to Brazilian Diego whose playmaker role he inherited, "''German Messi''" and "''German Zidane''". His attacking midfield partnership in Germany internationals with young talent Mario Götze has earned the 'magic duo' the nickname Götzil, alluding to their similar playing positions, technique, abilities and style of play.

Personal life

Özil is a third-generation Turkish-German, who, in reference to his game, concludes, "My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part." His ancestors are from Devrek, Zonguldak in Northern Turkey.

He attended Gesamtschule Berger Feld.

He is a practicing Muslim. He recites the Quran before his matches. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, Özil said, "I always do that before I go out (on the pitch). I pray and my teammates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period."

In 2010, Özil received the Bambi award for being a prime example of successful integration within German society.

Career statistics

''''

0 0 1 3 9 1 17 1

Club	Season	League	Cup1	!colspan="3"	Total
	!Apps!!Goals!!Assists!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists
rowspan="2"	Schalke 04		19	|	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	21	0	1
2007–08 Fußball-Bundesliga	2007–08	11	|	4	1	1	0	4	0	0	16	1	4
colspan="2">Total
rowspan="4"	Werder Bremen		12	1	|	0	0	0	2	0	0	14	1	1
2008–09 Fußball-Bundesliga	2008–09	28	|	12	5	2	1	14	0	7	47	5	20
2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga	2009–10	31	|	12	5	0	2	8	0	7	44	9	21
2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga	2010–11		|	0	1	—			1	0	1
colspan="2">Total	!71!!13!!25!!11!!2!!4!!24!!0!!14!!106!!15!!43
rowspan="2"	Real Madrid		36	6	|	6	3	2	11	1	6	53	10	25
2011–12 La Liga	2011–12	19	|	10	7	1	4	5	1	1	31	3	15
Total		!55!!7!!27!!13!!4!!6!!16!!2!!7!!84!!13!!40
Career totals		!156!!20!!57!!26!!7!!10!!45!!2!!21!!227!!29!!88

:¹Includes other competitive competitions, including the Supercopa de España.

International goals

BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany 23 June 2010 8 October 2010 7 June 2011 2 September 2011 2 September 2011 11 October 2011 15 November 2011

# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1	5 September 2009	|		2–0	2–0	Friendly match>Friendly
2	|	Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa		1–0	1–0	2010 World Cup
3	|	Olympic Stadium (Berlin)>Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany		2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
4	|	Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan		1–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
5	|	Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany		2–0	6–2	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
6	|	Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany		4–1	6–2	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
7	|	Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany		1–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying
8	|	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany		3–0	3–0	Friendly match>Friendly

Honours

Club

;Werder Bremen

DFB-Pokal: 2008–09 Winner

UEFA Cup: 2008–09 Runner up

;Real Madrid

Copa del Rey: 2010–11

Country

;Germany

FIFA World Cup: Third place – Bronze medal (2010)

UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009

Individual

Bambi Award

2010 FIFA World Cup Most assists (3) (shared with Thomas Müller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Kaká & Dirk Kuyt)

References

External links

Real Madrid official profile

Profile at La Liga

Mesut Özil at kicker.de

The Polite Boy with the Faux-Hawk

ESPN Profile

BDFutbol profile

Transfermarkt profile

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:People from Gelsenkirchen Category:German Muslims Category:German people of Turkish descent Category:German footballers Category:Association football midfielders Category:Fußball-Bundesliga players Category:Rot-Weiss Essen players Category:FC Schalke 04 players Category:SV Werder Bremen players Category:La Liga footballers Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Germany under-21 international footballers Category:Germany international footballers Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:German expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain

ar:مسعود أوزيل az:Məsud Özil bg:Месут Йозил ca:Mesut Özil cs:Mesut Özil da:Mesut Özil de:Mesut Özil et:Mesut Özil el:Μεζούτ Εζίλ es:Mesut Özil eo:Mesut Özil fa:مسعوت اوزیل fr:Mesut Özil gl:Mesut Özil ko:메수트 외질 hy:Մեսութ Օզիլ hr:Mesut Özil id:Mesut Özil it:Mesut Özil he:מסוט אוזיל jv:Mesut Özil lv:Mesuts Ezils lt:Mesut Özil hu:Mesut Özil mk:Мезит Озил mr:मेसुत ओझिल ms:Mesut Özil nl:Mesut Özil ja:メスト・エジル no:Mesut Özil nn:Mesut Özil nds:Mesut Özil pl:Mesut Özil pt:Mesut Özil ro:Mesut Özil ru:Озиль, Месут sq:Mesut Özil simple:Mesut Özil sk:Mesut Özil sr:Месут Езил fi:Mesut Özil sv:Mesut Özil ta:மெசுட் ஓசிழ் th:เมซุท เอิทซิล tr:Mesut Özil uk:Месут Езіл vi:Mesut Özil zh:梅苏特·厄齐尔