Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Juventus FC

2012-12-09T22:57:42Z

MDougall: Added parts

'''Juventus FC''' is an [[Italian]] [[soccer]] club currently playing in [[Serie A]]. The club was founded in 1897 by (according to legend) some friends who just wanted to play soccer.<ref>http://www.juventus.com/site/eng/CLUB_storia.asp</ref> The club has been one of the four most successful teams in Italy and retains a rivalry with both Milan teams, but a match-fixing scandal in 2006 sent their director to jail and relegated them to [[Serie B]].<ref>http://www.monstersandcritics.com/sport/soccer/article_1178400.php/Juventus_set_to_accept_relegation_to_Serie_B_at_match-fixing_trial</ref> Due to the retaining of some of their top players, the club has since rebounded. The team play in black and white vertical stripes. The current manager is Claudio Ranieri; the current sponsor is New Holland Fiat Group. The club is based around [[Turin]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Italian Soccer]]
[[Category:Serie A teams]]

A-League

2012-12-09T22:55:16Z

MDougall: typo fix

The A-League is the top tier of [[Soccer]] played in Australia. The most recent champions are the Brisbane Roar, and past winners include Sydney FC, Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets. In the current season, notable players include Japanese play maker Shinji Ono, and forwards Emile Heskey and Alessandro Del Piero, who have played for [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] and [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] respectively.

A-League

2012-12-09T22:54:14Z

MDougall: Will be expanding this a lot in the future.

Chelsea F.C.

2012-12-09T22:42:08Z

MDougall: /* History */

[[Image:Chelsea-fc-logo200.jpg |thumb|300px|]]
'''Chelsea F.C.''' is a [[British]] [[football]] club playing in [[London]]. The team has a winning history in the [[English Premier League]], winning in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2009-10. The team is known as one of the "Big Four" of the Premiership, along with [[Arsenal F.C.]], [[Liverpool F.C.]], and [[Manchester United]]. Chelsea has been considered the "[[New York Yankees|Yankees]] of British Football", meaning that you either love or hate them, there being no middle ground. The team is owned by Russian oil magnate Roman Abramovich, is managed by Carlo Ancelotti, and is sponsored by [[Samsung]].

==History==
Chelsea was formed in 1905 and placed in the Second Division. However, their first trophy came exactly fifty years later, when they won the 1955 league title under the leadership of Ted Drake. Soon after their FA Cup win in 1970, however, the team fell to the Second Division. They climbed back up in 1984 for four years, but in 1989 they returned to Division One and have remained since. Some of the club's greatest successes, however, came under the leadership of [[Jose Mourinho]], now the manager of La Liga's [[Real Madrid]], who won their two Premiership titles in 2005 and 2006.

Avram Grant, an Israeli, led Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008. They lost on penalties to Manchester United. Carlo Ancelotti, an Italian won the League and FA Cup in 2010 but was sacked a year later, replaced by the Portuguese Andre Villas-Boas. Villas-Boas was sacked during the 2011-12 season, and replaced with Assistant manager Roberto Di Matteo. He would lead The club to victory in the FA Cup and Champions League.

==Colours and badge==

Chelsea are one of few clubs to have never changed their home colour of blue [http://historicalkits.co.uk/Chelsea/Chelsea.htm] although the shade was lighter before World War I. The blue stemmed from the horse racing colours of Viscount Cadogan, Earl of Chelsea. Originally with white shorts and blue socks, manager Tommy Docherty reversed the pairing in the 1960s to create a unique look, although by the 1980s Chelsea wore all blue. The white socks returned in 1992 at the start of the Premier League.

Chelsea's away colours were, before the 21st century, often yellow or red. However in recent times, black or white have been more common.

Their badge is based on the coat of arms of Viscount Cadogan and was reintroduced for the 2005 centenary, when it was detailed with gold.

==Roster==
===Goalkeepers===
*1 [[Petr Cech]]
*30 Rhys Taylor
*40 Henrique Hilario

===Defenders===
*2 Branislav Ivanovic
*3 [[Ashley Cole]]
*4 David Luiz
*17 Jose Bosingwa
*19 Paulo Ferreira
*26 John Terry
*33 Alex
*42 Michael Mancienne

===Midfielders===
*5 Michael Essien
*7 Ramires
*8 Frank Lampard
*10 Yossi Benayoun
*12 John Mikel Obi
*15 Florent Malouda
*18 Yuri Zhirkov
*44 Michael Woods
*46 Jimmy Smith
*47 Lee Sawyer

===Strikers===
*9 Fernando Torres
*11 [[Didier Drogba]]
*21 Salomon Kalou
*39 Nicolas Anelka
*43 Miroslav Stoch

==Notable Former Players==
*25 Gianfranco Zola - his shirt number has been retired in honour of his talent, character and philanthropy.

==Sources==
http://www.premierleague.com/page/chelsea-fc

{{nb sl english premier}}
[[Category:Soccer teams]]
[[Category:Premier League Teams]]

English Premier League

2012-12-09T22:40:18Z

MDougall: Correction, sorry

[[Image:Barclays Premier League.png|thumb|300px|League logo]]
The '''Premier League''' (or Premiership) is the highest senior club league in English football<ref>http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=forwardOnly&nextPage=enAboutLanding&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are</ref> ([[soccer]]). It was formed in 1992, replacing the old Football League First Division, and now consists of the top 20 clubs. Each year three clubs are relegated, and three are promoted to the Premier League from the [[Football League Championship]]. The current Premier League champions (season 2011-12)) are [[Manchester City]] and the league is currently sponsored by the banking and finance group Barclays. The top two clubs gain automatic entry to the European Champions League whilst the third and fourth-placed clubs must play a qualification match in order to participate in the the first round.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;"
|+ '''Premier League champions'''
!width="75" | Season
!width="125" | Winner
!width="125" | Runner-up
!width="125" | Third place
!width="125" | Fourth place
|-
| align="center" | 1992–93
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
|[[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]]
||[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|-
| align="center" | 1993–94
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
||[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 1994–95
|[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 1995–96
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
|-
| align="center" | 1996–97
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 1997–98
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|-
| align="center" | 1998–99
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|-
| align="center" | 1999–2000
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2000–01
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|-
| align="center" | 2001–02
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|-
| align="center" | 2002–03
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
||[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|-
| align="center" | 2003–04
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
||[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2004–05
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Everton F.C.|Everton]]
|-
| align="center" | 2005–06
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2006–07
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2007–08
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2008–09
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2009–10
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Tottenham Hotspur F.C|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|-
| align="center" | 2010–11
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2011-12
|[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|-|}

It should be noted that while [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham]] finished in 4th place in the league for 2011-12, [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] qualified for the [[Champions League]] as they won the competition in that season.

== References ==

<references/>

{{Nb sl english premier}}

English Premier League

2012-12-09T22:38:51Z

MDougall: Note for 11-12 season

[[Image:Barclays Premier League.png|thumb|300px|League logo]]
The '''Premier League''' (or Premiership) is the highest senior club league in English football<ref>http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=forwardOnly&nextPage=enAboutLanding&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are</ref> ([[soccer]]). It was formed in 1992, replacing the old Football League First Division, and now consists of the top 20 clubs. Each year three clubs are relegated, and three are promoted to the Premier League from the [[Football League Championship]]. The current Premier League champions (season 2011-12)) are [[Manchester City]] and the league is currently sponsored by the banking and finance group Barclays. The top two clubs gain automatic entry to the European Champions League whilst the third and fourth-placed clubs must play a qualification match in order to participate in the the first round.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;"
|+ '''Premier League champions'''
!width="75" | Season
!width="125" | Winner
!width="125" | Runner-up
!width="125" | Third place
!width="125" | Fourth place
|-
| align="center" | 1992–93
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
|[[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]]
||[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|-
| align="center" | 1993–94
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
||[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 1994–95
|[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 1995–96
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
|-
| align="center" | 1996–97
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 1997–98
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|-
| align="center" | 1998–99
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|-
| align="center" | 1999–2000
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2000–01
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|-
| align="center" | 2001–02
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|-
| align="center" | 2002–03
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
||[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|-
| align="center" | 2003–04
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
||[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2004–05
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Everton F.C.|Everton]]
|-
| align="center" | 2005–06
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2006–07
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2007–08
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2008–09
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2009–10
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Tottenham Hotspur F.C|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|-
| align="center" | 2010–11
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2011-12
|[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|-|}

It should be noted that while Tottenham finished in 4th place in the league for 2011-12, [[Chelsea]] qualified for the [[Champions League]] as they won the competition in that season.

== References ==

<references/>

{{Nb sl english premier}}

English Premier League

2012-12-09T22:33:28Z

MDougall: Update, similar to La Liga edit.

[[Image:Barclays Premier League.png|thumb|300px|League logo]]
The '''Premier League''' (or Premiership) is the highest senior club league in English football<ref>http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=forwardOnly&nextPage=enAboutLanding&categoryCode=Who%20We%20Are</ref> ([[soccer]]). It was formed in 1992, replacing the old Football League First Division, and now consists of the top 20 clubs. Each year three clubs are relegated, and three are promoted to the Premier League from the [[Football League Championship]]. The current Premier League champions (season 2011-12)) are [[Manchester City]] and the league is currently sponsored by the banking and finance group Barclays. The top two clubs gain automatic entry to the European Champions League whilst the third and fourth-placed clubs must play a qualification match in order to participate in the the first round.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;"
|+ '''Premier League champions'''
!width="75" | Season
!width="125" | Winner
!width="125" | Runner-up
!width="125" | Third place
!width="125" | Fourth place
|-
| align="center" | 1992–93
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
|[[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]]
||[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|-
| align="center" | 1993–94
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
||[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 1994–95
|[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 1995–96
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]
|-
| align="center" | 1996–97
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 1997–98
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|-
| align="center" | 1998–99
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|-
| align="center" | 1999–2000
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2000–01
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]]
|-
| align="center" | 2001–02
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
|-
| align="center" | 2002–03
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]]
||[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|-
| align="center" | 2003–04
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
||[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2004–05
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Everton F.C.|Everton]]
|-
| align="center" | 2005–06
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2006–07
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2007–08
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|-
| align="center" | 2008–09
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2009–10
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Tottenham Hotspur F.C|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|-
| align="center" | 2010–11
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
|[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|-
| align="center" | 2011-12
|[[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]
|[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]
|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|[[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
|-|}

== References ==

<references/>

{{Nb sl english premier}}

Spanish Primera

2012-12-09T22:24:31Z

MDougall: Updated

The '''Spanish Primera Division''', more commonly known as simply "La Liga", is a the top flight division in [[Spanish]] [[soccer]]. Only nine teams have won the prestigious title since its enception in 1928.

==List of Champions==
*2011-2012: [[Real Madrid]]
*2010-2011: [[FC Barcelona]]
*2009-2010: FC Barcelona
*2008-2009: FC Barcelona
*2007-2008: Real Marrid
*2006-2007: Real Madrid
*2005-2006: FC Barcelona
*2004-2005: FC Barcelona
*2003-2004: [[Valencia]]
*2002-2003: Real Madrid
*2001-2002: Valencia
*2000-2001: Real Madrid
*1999-2000: [[Deportivo La Coruna]]
*1998-1999: Barcelona
*1997-1998: Barcelona
*1996-1997: Real Madrid
*1995-1996: [[Atletico Madrid]]
*1994-1995: Real Madrid
*1993-1994: FC Barcelona
*1992-1993: FC Barcelona
*1991-1992: FC Barcelona
*1990-1991: FC Barcelona
*1989-1990: Real Madrid
*1988-1989: Real Madrid
*1987-1988: Real Madrid
*1986-1987: Real Madrid
*1985-1986: Real Madrid
*1984-1985: FC Barcelona
*1983-1984: [[Athletic Bilbao]]
*1982-1983: Athletic Bilbao
*1981-1982: [[Real Sociedad]]
*1980-1981: Real Sociedad
*1979-1980: Real Madrid
*1978-1979: Real Madrid
*1977-1978: Real Madrid
*1976-1977: Atletico Madrid
*1975-1976: Real Madrid
*1974-1975: Real Madrid
*1973-1974: Barcelona
*1972-1973: Atletico Madrid
*1971-1972: Real Madrid
*1970-1971: Valencia
*1969-1970: Atletico Madrid
*1968-1969: Real Madrid
*1967-1968: Real Madrid
*1966-1967: Real Madrid
*1965-1966: Atletico Madrid
*1964-1965: Real Madrid
*1963-1964: Real Madrid
*1962-1963: Real Madrid
*1961-1962: Real Madrid
*1959-1960: FC Barcelona
*1958-1959: FC Barcelona
*1957-1958: Real Madrid
*1956-1957: Real Madrid
*1955-1956: Athletic Bilbao
*1954-1955: Real Madrid
*1953-1954: Real Madrid
*1952-1953: FC Barcelona
*1951-1952: FC Barcelona
*1950-1951: Atletico Madrid
*1949-1950: Atletico Madrid
*1948-1949: FC Barcelona
*1947-1948: FC Barcelona
*1946-1947: Valencia
*1945-1946: [[Sevilla]]
*1944-1945: FC Barcelona
*1943-1944: Valencia
*1942-1943: Atletico Madrid
*1941-1942: Valencia
*1940-1941: Atletico Madrid
*1939-1940: Atletico Madrid
*1935-1936: Athletic Bilbao
*1934-1935: [[Real Betis]]
*1933-1934: Atletico Madrid
*1932-1933: Real Madrid
*1931-1932: Real Madrid
*1930-1931: Athletic Bilbao
*1929-1930: Athletic Bilbao
*1928-1929: FC Barcelona

==Sources==
http://worldsoccer.about.com/od/spain/a/laligalistwinz.htm

[[Category:Spanish Soccer]]

Real Madrid

2012-12-09T22:18:31Z

MDougall: /* Notable Former Players */

'''Real Madrid''' is a [[Spanish]] [[soccer]] club playing in [[La Liga]]. The club was founded in 1897 as Football Club Sky (translated). The team has won thirty-one Liga titles, most recently in 2007. The club is managed by Jose Mourinho and is sponsored by Bwin.

==Roster==
===Goalkeepers===
*1 [[Iker Casillas]]
*13 Jerzy Dudek
*26 Antonio Adán Garrido

===Defenders===
*2 Alvaro Arbeola
*3 Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira
*4 Sergio Ramos
*12 Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior
*18 Raul Albiol
*19 Ezequiel Garay
*21 Christoph Metzelner
*22 Miguel Torres

===Midfielders===
*5 Fernando Gago
*8 Kaká
*10 Lassana Diarra
*14 José María Gutiérrez
*15 Royston Drenthe
*17 Dani Parejo
*22 Xabi Alonso
*23 [[Rafael van der Vaart]]
*24 Esteban Félix Granero Molina
*30 Pedro Mosquera
*-- Rubén de la Red
*-- Mahamadou Diarra

===Strikers===
*7 [[Raúl González]]
*9 [[Cristiano Ronaldo]]
*11 Karim Benzema
*20 Gonzalo Higuaín

==Notable Former Players==
*MF [[David Beckham]]
*MF [[Zinedine Zidane]]
*FW [[Ferenc Puskas]]

[[Category:Spanish Soccer]]
[[Category:La Liga teams]]

Soccer

2012-12-09T22:16:35Z

MDougall: Added a couple of things, nothing much though.

[[Image:2010 World Cup.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Pictured is [[Miroslav Klose]], a star Polish-born player competing for the highly ranked German team, during the 2010 World Cup]]
'''Soccer''' is a popular sport played with a round ball propelled mainly by kicks from a player's foot.
In soccer, players are not allowed to intentionally touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play, with the exception of goalkeepers in a restricted area. The goal of the game is to kick the ball into the opposing team's goal; each goal gives that team a point and the team with the most points at the end of the 90 minute game is the winner.
Outside the USA, it is generally called "football" (Spanish: ''fútbol'').

When played at the [[Olympics]], soccer is considered by a minority as a [[joke sport]]. This is so as the Olympic competition is held with players who must be under-23. Therefore, they are not the best players in the world.

==Origins==

The word ''soccer'' derived in England as slang for "As<u>soc</u>iation Football", <ref>[http://london.usembassy.gov/rss/transcripts/worldcup2006a.html] ''US Embassy, London'' </ref>. Football games have been popular in [[England]] since the [[Middle Ages]], but the modern game of soccer derives from formalizations of the rules during the mid nineteenth century which came from the universities of England. The [[Football Association]] (FA) was founded in 1863 and continues to be the game's governing body within the [[UK]]. "Association Football" (later shortened to soccer) meant the version of football approved by the Football Association's rules. The rules were published at [[Cambridge University]] in 1847, as many private schools were playing each other with different rules.

==Rules of the Game==
[[Image:Soccer pitch.gif|right|thumb|300px|left|Dimensions of a soccer pitch]]
The game is played between two teams of 11 players (10 out-field players and one goalkeeper each). In official play, there are two 45 [[minute]] halves separated by a break known as half-time which according to the rules of the game must last less than 20 minutes. Unlike most sports, the clock does not always stop when the ball is not in play. When the ball is knocked out of bounds or a penalty is committed, the clock runs continuously. If a player is injured then the [[referee]] makes up that lost time by adding minutes onto the end of the half. This is known as [[stoppage]] or injury time. If both scores are even at the end of regulation time, the game is usually declared a draw. However, in knockout cup games, there is often an additional period of play consisting of two 15-minute halves. In some competitions, the first goal in this period (golden goal) wins the game. If the scores are still level, the result is decided with a [[penalty shootout]]. The set of rules used in soccer are called the [[Laws of the Game]].

The game is played on a [[grass]] (or artificial grass) pitch with dimensions 90-120 m (100-130 yards) in length and 45-90 m (50-100 yards) in width.
<ref>[http://www.fifa.com/documents/fifa/laws/LOTG2006_e.pdf FIFA Laws of the Game 2006] ''Official FIFA website''</ref>
A goal is scored when the ball is propelled into the opposition net. The side scoring the most goals is the winner. Infringements include playing the ball with any part of the body other than the feet or head; pushing or blocking an opposing player and stepping outside the playing area while the ball is in play.

Accuracy in kicking is very important to make sure that one can kick the ball around opponents, manage it in tight spaces, and make long passes to other players in better positions. Expert players have trained to kick from a variety of angles, both forward and back and to the side, and also to use their chests and heads to maneuver a high-flying ball.

==Soccer Around the World==
[[Image:800px-Soccer goalkeeper.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Goalkeeper leaping to make a save]]
It is the most popular [[team sport]] in the world, described by the legendary Brazilian player, [[Pele]], as "The Beautiful Game". Its governing body is [[FIFA]] (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). In most countries it is the most popular sport or at least among the most popular (the [[United States]] being a notable exception). Though it is often not a high-scoring game, its popularity comes from the often dramatic saves from goalkeepers and incredible shots from skilled players in attempts to score a goal. In the United States soccer was associated with communism during the Thirties, as several communist organizations used soccer in an attempt to recruit recent European immigrants to their cause.

Every four years there is an international competition known as the [[World Cup]], where countries send their best players to compete for the title of best national soccer team. Every four years in Europe there is the European Championship in June and July when the leagues finish which is a 16 team competition for members of UEFA, the European governing body. Each other continent also has a competition, such as the African Nations Cup, which is every two years in January.

Many soccer fans are extremely passionate about their favorite teams, traveling to other countries to support them. Several countries have had problems controlling over-excited fans, with the crowd sometimes spilling onto the pitch, fighting with themselves, disliked referees and even players. [[England]] once had a poor reputation from its soccer [[hooligan]]s who got into drunken fistfights with fans of other teams. This situation has largely changed, with much better behavior at English football matches and considerably increased violence in several other countries, especially [[Italy]].

In most European countries each large town will have at least one football team who play in leagues, which last August to May in most of Europe but March to October in others. Unlike most American sports, the top teams in each league go up a league to be replaced by the last teams in the league above. The top teams in the top division of each European country enter the UEFA Champions League, a league and knockout competition played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays around the season.

==Great Players==

* [[Ferenc Puskas]], a forward for [[Real Madrid]] and [[Hungary]] in the 1950s, introduced 'total football' and destroyed the old-fashioned English team of the time.
* [[Lev Yashin]] of the USSR in the 1960s is reputed to be the best-ever goalkeeper.
* [[Pele]], [[Brazil]]ian player active from 1956-1974, often considered to be the greatest soccer player to ever kick the ball.
* [[Alfredo di Stéfano]], [[Argentinia]]n midfielder who played for [[Real Madrid]]. considered by Maradona to be the greatest.
* [[Bobby Moore]], captain of England in the 1966 World Cup Finals and one of the finest ever center halves.
* [[George Best]], of [[Manchester United]] and [[Northern Ireland]] in the 1960s, was possibly the best player never to have played in the World Cup Finals.
* [[Franz Beckenbauer]] played for [[West Germany]] in the 1960s and 70s. Defenders rarely gain the limelight in football but Beckenbauer's performances against the great teams of England in 1970 and Holland in 1974 were exceptional.
* [[Johann Cruyff]], captain of Holland in 1974 and 1978: why his Dutch team's brand of Total Football never won them the World Cup is an enduring mystery.
* [[Diego Maradona]], [[Argentinia]]n midfielder of the 1980s, often mentioned alongside Pele as one of the greatest.
* [[Zinedine Zidane]], [[French]] player, retired shortly after the World Cup final match between France and [[Italy]] in 2006.
* [[Cristiano Ronaldo]], a [[Portuguese]] contemporary player for [[Real Madrid]].
* [[Lionel Messi]], [[Argentina]]n forward, currently plays for [[Barcelona]].

==A note on terminology==

{{football meaning}} In many other languages, a [[phonics|phonetic]] equivalent to the English word "football," such as the Portuguese word "futbol" is used to denote the sport.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Football soccer]]
[[Category:Soccer]]