Common name	Liechtenstein
Native name
Conventional long name	Principality of Liechtenstein
Image coat	Coat of arms of Liechtenstein.svg
Map caption
Image map2	Location Liechtenstein.png
Map caption2
Map2 width	250px
National motto	Für Gott, Fürst und Vaterland For God, Prince and Fatherland
National anthem	''Oben am jungen Rhein''"Up on the Young Rhine"
Official languages	German
Capital	Vaduz
Largest city	Schaan
Government type
Leader title1	Prince
Leader name1	Hans-Adam II
Leader title2	Regent
Leader name2	Alois
Leader title3	Prime Minister
Leader name3	Klaus Tschütscher
Leader title4	Landtag Speaker
Leader name4	Arthur Brunhart
Area km2	160.475
Area sq mi	61.960
Area rank	211th
Area magnitude	1 E8
Percent water	negligible
Population estimate	35,789
Population estimate year	2009
Population estimate rank	206th
Population density km2	221
Population density sq mi	572
Population density rank	52nd
Population census	33,307
Population census year	2000
Gdp nominal year	2008
Gdp nominal	$5.101 billion
Gdp nominal rank	na
Gdp nominal per capita	$147,200
Gdp nominal per capita rank	2
Gdp ppp year	2008
Gdp ppp	$5.028 billion
Gdp ppp rank	na
Gdp ppp per capita	$141,100
Gdp ppp per capita rank	2
Hdi	0.891
Hdi rank	6th
Hdi year	2010
Hdi category	very high
Sovereignty type	Independence as principality
Established event1	Treaty of Pressburg
Established date1	1806
Established event2	Independence from the German Confederation
Established date2	1866
Currency	Swiss franc
Currency code	CHF
Time zone	CET
Utc offset	+1
Time zone dst	CEST
Utc offset dst	+2
Demonym	Liechtensteiner (male), Liechtensteinerin (female)
Drives on	right
Cctld	.li
Calling code	+423
Footnote1	}}

The Principality of Liechtenstein ( ; , ) is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz; the biggest town is Schaan. Liechtenstein has the second highest gross domestic product per person in the world and has the world's lowest external debt.

Liechtenstein is the smallest yet the richest (by measure of GDP per capita) German-speaking country in the world and the only country to lie entirely within the Alps. It is the only predominantly German-speaking country not to share a common border with Germany and the only predominantly German-speaking nation to have a monarch. It is known as a ''principality'' as it is a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince. Liechtenstein is divided into 11 municipalities. Much of its terrain is mountainous, making it a winter sports destination. Many cultivated fields and small farms characterize its landscape both in the south (Oberland, ''upper land'') and in the north (Unterland, ''lower land''). The country has a strong financial sector located in the capital, Vaduz, and has been identified as a tax haven. It is a member of the European Free Trade Association and part of the European Economic Area but not of the European Union.

History

At one time, the territory was part of the ancient Roman province of Raetia. For centuries this territory, geographically removed from European strategic interests, had little impact on European history. Prior to the reign of its current dynasty, the region was enfeoffed to a line of the counts of Hohenems.

The Liechtenstein dynasty, from which the principality takes its name, comes from Castle Liechtenstein in Lower Austria, which the family possessed from at least 1140 until the 13th century, and from 1807 onward. Through the centuries, the dynasty acquired vast tracts of land, predominantly in Moravia, Lower Austria, Silesia, and Styria, though these territories were all held in fief under other more senior feudal lords, particularly under various lines of the Habsburg family, whom several Liechtenstein princes served as close advisers. Thus, without any territory held directly under the Imperial throne, the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial diet (parliament), the ''Reichstag''. The family yearned for the added power a seat in the Imperial government would bring and therefore sought to acquire lands that would be ''unmittelbar'', or held without any feudal personage other than the Holy Roman Emperor having rights on the land. After some time, the family was able to arrange the purchase of the minuscule ''Herrschaft'' ("Lordship") of Schellenberg and county of Vaduz (in 1699 and 1712 respectively) from the Hohenems. Tiny Schellenberg and Vaduz had exactly the political status required: no feudal lord other than their comital sovereign and the suzerain Emperor.

On 23 January 1719, after the lands had been purchased, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, decreed that Vaduz and Schellenberg were united and elevated the newly formed territory to the dignity of ''Fürstentum'' (''principality'') with the name "Liechtenstein" in honour of "[his] true servant, Anton Florian of Liechtenstein". It was on this date that Liechtenstein became a sovereign member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It is a testament to the pure political expediency of the purchases that the Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their new principality for over 120 years.

As a result of the Napoleonic Wars, by 1806 much of the Holy Roman Empire was under the effective control of French emperor Napoleon I. When the empire was dissolved, this had broad consequences for Liechtenstein: imperial, legal and political mechanisms broke down. The state ceased to owe obligations to any feudal lord beyond its borders.

Modern publications generally attribute Liechtenstein's ''sovereignty'' to these events. Its prince ceased to owe obligations to any suzerain. From 25 July 1806 when the Confederation of the Rhine was founded, the Prince of Liechtenstein was a member, in fact a vassal of its hegemon, styled ''protector'', French Emperor Napoleon I, until the dissolution of the confederation on 19 October 1813.

Soon afterward, Liechtenstein joined the German Confederation (20 June 1815 24 August 1866) which was presided over by the Emperor of Austria.

Then, in 1818, Johann I granted the territory a limited constitution. 1818 also saw the first visit of a member of the house of Liechtenstein, Prince Alois; however, the first visit by a sovereign prince would not occur until 1842.

Developments during the 19th century included:

In 1836, the first factory was opened, making ceramics.

In 1861, the Savings and Loans Bank was founded, as was the first cotton-weaving mill.

Two bridges over the Rhine were built in 1868, and in 1872 a railway line across Liechtenstein was constructed.

20th century

Until the end of World War I, Liechtenstein was closely tied first to the Austrian Empire and later to Austria-Hungary; the ruling princes continued to derive much of their wealth from estates in the Habsburg territories, and they spent much of their time at their two palaces in Vienna. The economic devastation caused by this war forced the country to conclude a customs and monetary union with its other neighbour, Switzerland. Liechtenstein's army was disbanded in 1868 for financial reasons.

At the time of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was argued that Liechtenstein, as a fief of the Holy Roman Empire, was no longer bound to the emerging independent state of Austria, since the latter did not consider itself as the legal successor to the empire. This is partly contradicted by the coeval Liechtenstein perception that the dethroned Austro-Hungarian Emperor still maintained an abstract heritage of the Holy Roman Empire.

In early 1938, just after the annexation of Austria into Greater Nazi Germany, 84 year old Prince Franz I abdicated, naming his 31-year-old third cousin, Prince Franz Joseph, as his successor. His wife Elisabeth von Gutmann, whom he had married in 1929, was a wealthy Jewish woman from Vienna, and local Liechtenstein Nazis had already identified her as their Jewish "problem". Although Liechtenstein had no official Nazi party, a Nazi sympathy movement had been simmering for years within its National Union party.

During World War II, Liechtenstein remained officially neutral, looking to neighboring Switzerland for assistance and guidance, while family treasures within the war zone were taken to Liechtenstein for safekeeping. At the close of the conflict, Czechoslovakia and Poland, acting to seize what they considered to be German possessions, expropriated the entirety of the Liechtenstein dynasty's hereditary lands and possessions in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia – the princes of Liechtenstein lived in Vienna until the Anschluss of 1938. The expropriations (subject to modern legal dispute at the International Court of Justice) included over of agricultural and forest land, and several family castles and palaces.

Citizens of Liechtenstein were forbidden to enter Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. More recently the diplomatic conflict revolving around the controversial post-war Beneš decrees resulted in Liechtenstein not sharing international relations with the Czech Republic or Slovakia. Diplomatic relations were established between Liechtenstein and the Czech Republic on 13 July 2009, and with Slovakia on 9 December 2009.

Liechtenstein gave asylum to about 501 soldiers of the First Russian National Army (a collaborationist Russian force within the German Wehrmacht) at the close of World War II. About 200 of the group somewhat voluntarily agreed to return to the USSR. They departed in a train to Vienna and nothing was ever heard of them again. The remainder stayed in Liechtenstein for another year, resisting with support of Liechtenstein further pressure by the Soviet government to participate in the repatriation program. Eventually the government of Argentina offered asylum, and about a hundred people left. This is commemorated by a monument at the border town of Hinterschellenberg. In contrast, the British and Americans repatriated the Russians who had fought for Germany to the USSR, and many of them perished in the Gulag.

In dire financial straits following the war, the Liechtenstein dynasty often resorted to selling family artistic treasures, including the priceless portrait "Ginevra de' Benci" by Leonardo da Vinci, which was purchased by the National Gallery of Art of the United States in 1967. Liechtenstein prospered, however, during the decades following, as it used its low corporate tax rates to draw many companies to the country.

The Prince of Liechtenstein is the world's sixth wealthiest leader with an estimated wealth of USD $5 billion. The country's population enjoys one of the world's highest standards of living.

Government

Liechtenstein is governed under a Constitutional monarchy. It has a form of mixed constitution, in which power is shared by the monarch and an elected parliament. The Constitution of Liechtenstein was adopted in March 2003, replacing the previous 1921 constitution which had established Liechtenstein as a constitutional monarchy headed by the reigning prince of the Princely House of Liechtenstein. A parliamentary system had been established, although the reigning Prince retained substantial political authority.

The reigning Prince is the head of state and represents Liechtenstein in its international relations (although Switzerland has taken responsibility for much of Liechtenstein's diplomatic relations). The Prince may veto laws adopted by parliament. The Prince can call referendums, propose new legislation, and dissolve parliament, although dissolution of parliament may be subject to a referendum.

Executive authority is vested in a collegiate government comprising the head of government (prime minister) and four government councilors (ministers). The head of government and the other ministers are appointed by the Prince upon the proposal and concurrence of parliament, thus reflecting the partisan balance of parliament. The constitution stipulates that at least two members of the government be chosen from each of the two regions. The members of the government are collectively and individually responsible to parliament; parliament may ask the Prince to remove an individual minister or the entire government.

Legislative authority is vested in the unicameral Landtag made up of 25 members elected for maximum four-year terms according to a proportional representation formula. Fifteen members are elected from the "Oberland" (Upper Country or region) and ten members are elected from the "Unterland" (Lower Country or region). Parties must receive at least 8% of the national vote to win seats in parliament. Parliament proposes and approves a government, which is formally appointed by the Prince. Parliament may also pass votes of no confidence in the entire government or individual members.

Parliament elects from among its members a "Landesausschuss" (National Committee) made up of the president of the parliament and four additional members. The National Committee is charged with performing parliamentary oversight functions. Parliament can call for referendums on proposed legislation. Parliament shares the authority to propose new legislation with the Prince and with the number of citizens required for an initiative referendum.

Judicial authority is vested in the Regional Court at Vaduz, the Princely High Court of Appeal at Vaduz, the Princely Supreme Court, the Administrative Court, and the State Court. The State Court rules on the conformity of laws with the constitution and has five members elected by parliament.

On 1 July 1984, Liechtenstein became the last country in Europe to grant women the right to vote. The referendum on women's suffrage, in which only men were allowed to participate, passed with 51.3% in favor.

New constitution

In a national referendum in March 2003, nearly two-thirds of the electorate voted in support of Hans-Adam II's proposed new constitution to replace the 1921 one. The proposed constitution was criticised by many, including the Council of Europe, as expanding the powers of the monarchy (continuing the power to veto any law, and allowing the Prince to dismiss the government or any minister). The Prince threatened that if the constitution failed, he would, among other things, convert some of the royal property for commercial use and move to Austria. The royal family and the Prince enjoy tremendous public support inside the nation, and the resolution passed with about 64% in favour.

Geography

Liechtenstein is situated in the Upper Rhine valley of the European Alps and is bordered to the east by Austria and to the south and west by Switzerland. The entire western border of Liechtenstein is formed by the Rhine. Measured south to north the country is about long. Its highest point, the Grauspitz, is . Despite its Alpine location, prevailing southerly winds make the climate of Liechtenstein comparatively mild. In winter, the mountain slopes are well suited to winter sports.

New surveys using more accurate measurements of the country's borders in 2006 have set its area at , with borders of . Thus, Liechtenstein discovered in 2006 that its borders are longer than previously thought.

Liechtenstein is one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world—being a landlocked country wholly surrounded by other landlocked countries (the other is Uzbekistan). Liechtenstein is the sixth-smallest independent nation in the world by land area.

The principality of Liechtenstein is divided into 11 communes called ''Gemeinden'' (singular ''Gemeinde''). The Gemeinden mostly consist only of a single town or village. Five of them (Eschen, Gamprin, Mauren, Ruggell, and Schellenberg) fall within the electoral district ''Unterland'' (the lower county), and the remainder (Balzers, Planken, Schaan, Triesen, Triesenberg, and Vaduz) within ''Oberland'' (the upper county).

Economy

Despite (or perhaps because of) its limited natural resources, Liechtenstein is one of the few countries in the world with more registered companies than citizens; it has developed a prosperous, highly industrialized free-enterprise economy and boasts a financial service sector as well as a living standard which compares favorably with those of the urban areas of Liechtenstein's large European neighbours.

Very low business taxes (lowest in Europe)—the maximum tax rate is 20%—as well as easy Rules of Incorporation have induced about 73,700 holding (or so-called 'letter box') companies to establish registered offices in Liechtenstein. This provides about 30% of Liechtenstein's state revenue. Liechtenstein also generates revenue from ''Stiftungen'' ("foundations"), which are financial entities created to increase the privacy of nonresident foreigners' financial holdings. The foundation is registered in the name of a Liechtensteiner, often a lawyer.

Recently, Liechtenstein has shown strong determination to prosecute international money-launderers and has worked to promote the country's image as a legitimate finance center. In February 2008, the country's LGT Bank was implicated in a tax-fraud scandal in Germany, which strained the ruling family's relationship with the German government. Crown Prince Alois has accused the German government of trafficking in stolen goods. This refers to its $7.3 million purchase of private banking information illegally offered by a former employee of LGT Group. However, the United States Senate's subcommittee on tax haven banks said that the LGT bank, which is owned by the royal family, and on whose board they serve, "is a willing partner, and an aider and abettor to clients trying to evade taxes, dodge creditors or defy court orders."

Liechtenstein participates in a customs union with Switzerland and employs the Swiss franc as national currency. The country imports about 85% of its energy. Liechtenstein has been a member of the European Economic Area (an organization serving as a bridge between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Union) since May 1995. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. Since 2002, Liechtenstein's rate of unemployment has doubled. In 2008, it stood at 1.5%. Currently, there is only one hospital in Liechtenstein, the Liechtensteinisches Landesspital in Vaduz. The gross domestic product (GDP) on a purchasing power parity basis is $5.028 billion, or $141,100 per person which in the second highest in the world.

Liechtenstein is a large producer of ceramics and is the world's largest producer of sausage casings, potassium storage units and false teeth. Other industries include electronics, textiles, precision instruments, metal manufacturing, power tools, anchor bolts, calculators, pharmaceuticals, and food products. Its most recognizable international company and largest employer is Hilti, a manufacturer of direct fastening systems and other high-end power tools. Liechtenstein produces wheat, barley, corn, potatoes, dairy products, livestock, and wine. Tourism accounts for a large portion of the country's economy.

Taxation

The government of Liechtenstein taxes both personal and business income and principal (wealth). The basic rate of personal income tax is 1.2%. When combined with the additional income tax imposed by the communes, the combined income tax rate is 17.82%. An additional income tax of 4.3% is levied on all employees under the country's social security program. This rate is higher for the self-employed, up to a maximum of 11%, making the maximum income tax rate about 29% in total. The basic tax rate on wealth is 0.06% per annum, and the combined total rate is 0.89%. The maximum business income tax rate is 18–20%.

Liechtenstein's gift and estate taxes vary depending on the relationship the recipient has to the giver and the amount of the inheritance. The tax ranges between 0.5% and 0.75% for spouses and children and 18% to 27% for non-related recipients. The estate tax is progressive.

The 2008 Liechtenstein tax affair is a series of tax investigations in numerous countries whose governments suspect that some of their citizens may have evaded tax obligations by using banks and trusts in Liechtenstein; the affair broke open with the biggest complex of investigations ever initiated for tax evasion in the Federal Republic of Germany. It was also seen as an attempt to put pressure on Liechtenstein, then one of the remaining uncooperative tax havens along with Andorra and Monaco — as identified by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2007. On 27 May 2009 the OECD removed Liechtenstein from the blacklist of uncooperative countries.

In August 2009, the British Government Department, HM Revenue & Customs, agreed with the Alpine tax haven to start exchanging information. It is believed that up to 5,000 British investors have roughly £3 billion stashed in accounts and trusts in the country.

Demographics

Liechtenstein is the fourth smallest country of Europe, after Vatican City, Monaco, and San Marino. Its population is primarily Alemannic-speaking, although its resident population is approximately one third foreign-born, primarily German speakers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, other Swiss, Italians, and Turks. Foreign-born people make up two-thirds of the country's workforce.

The official language is German; most speak Alemannic, a dialect of German that is highly divergent from Standard German but closely related to those dialects spoken in neighbouring regions such as Vorarlberg, Austria. In Triesenberg, a dialect promoted by the municipality is spoken. According to the 2000 census, 87.9% of the population is Christian, of whom 78.4% adhere to the Roman Catholic faith, while about 8% are Protestant. Compared to the 1990 census, the percentage of Christians fell, whereas Muslims and the undeclared more than doubled in size. According to a 2009 Pew Research Center report, Muslims constitute approximately 4.8% of the population.

Religion	2000
Catholics	78.4 %
Reformed Church	7.9%
Christian-Orthodox Churches	1.1%
Other Christian Churches	0.4%
Muslims	4.8%
Jews	0.1%
Other religions	0.3%
Undeclared / no religion	7.0 %
Total:	100%

Liechtensteiners have an average life expectancy at birth of 79.68 years (76.1 for males; 83.28 for females). The infant mortality rate is 4.64 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to recent estimates. The literacy rate of Liechtenstein is 100%. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Liechtenstein's education as the 10th best in the world.

Transport

There are about of paved roadway within Liechtenstein, with of marked bicycle paths.

of railway connects Austria and Switzerland through Liechtenstein. The country's railways are administered by the Austrian Federal Railways as part of the route between Feldkirch, Austria, and Buchs, Switzerland. Liechtenstein is nominally within the Austrian Verkehrsverbund Vorarlberg tariff region. There are four stations in Liechtenstein, namely Schaan-Vaduz, Forst Hilti, Nendeln, and Schaanwald, served by an irregularly stopping train service that runs between Feldkirch and Buchs provided by the Austrian Federal Rail Service. While EuroCity and other long distance international trains also travel along the route, they do not normally stop at the stations within the borders of Liechtenstein.

Liechtenstein Bus is a subsidiary of the Swiss Postbus system, but separately run, and connects to the Swiss bus network at Buchs and at Sargans. Buses also run to the Austrian town of Feldkirch.

Liechtenstein has no airport; the nearest large airport is Zürich Airport near Zürich, Switzerland. There is a small heliport at Balzers available for chartered helicopter flights.

Culture

As a result of its small size, Liechtenstein has been strongly affected by external cultural influences, most notably those originating in the southern German-speaking areas of Europe, including Austria, Bavaria, Switzerland, and specifically Tirol and Vorarlberg. The "Historical Society of the Principality of Liechtenstein" plays a role in preserving the culture and history of the country.

The largest museum is the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, an international museum of modern and contemporary art with an important international art collection. The building by the Swiss architects Morger, Degelo and Kerez is a landmark in Vaduz. It was completed in November 2000 and forms a "black box" of tinted concrete and black basalt stone. The museum collection is also the national art collection of Liechtenstein.

The other important museum is the Liechtenstein National Museum (''Liechtensteinisches Landesmuseum'') showing permanent exhibition on the cultural and natural history of Liechtenstein as well as special exhibitions. There is also a stamp museum and a ski museum.

The most famous historical sites are Vaduz Castle, Gutenberg Castle, the Red House and the ruins of Schellenberg.

Music and theatre are an important part of the culture. There are numerous music organizations such as the Liechtenstein Musical Company, the annual Guitar Days and the International Josef Gabriel Rheinberger Society, which play in two main theatres.

"In all my travels, there is no country better than Liechtenstein, and no music better than that made by Liechtenstein's Lords." - Sir John Mandeville, The Travels of Sir John Mandeville

The Private Art Collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein, one of the world's leading private art collections, is shown at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna.

Amateur radio is a hobby of some nationals and visitors. However, unlike virtually every other sovereign nation, Liechtenstein does not have its own ITU Prefix. It uses Switzerland's callsign prefixes (typically "HB") followed by a zero.

Sports

Liechtenstein football teams play in the Swiss football leagues. The Liechtenstein Football Cup allows access for one Liechtenstein team each year to the UEFA Europa League; FC Vaduz, a team playing in the Swiss Challenge League, the second division in Swiss football, is the most successful team in the Cup, and scored their greatest success in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 when they tied and defeated the Latvian team FC Universitate Riga by 1–1 and 4–2, to go on to a lucrative fixture against Paris St Germain, which they lost 0–4 and 0–3.

The Liechtenstein national football team is regarded as an easy target for any team drawn against them; this was the basis for a book about Liechtenstein's unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup by British author, Charlie Connelly. In one surprising week during autumn 2004, however, the team managed a 2–2 draw with Portugal, who only a few months earlier had been the losing finalists in the European Championships. Four days later, the Liechtenstein team traveled to Luxembourg, where they defeated the home team 4-0 in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match. In the qualification stage of the European Championship 2008, Liechtenstein beat Latvia 1-0, a result which prompted the resignation of the Latvian coach. They went on to beat Iceland 3-0 on 17 October 2007, which is considered one of the most dramatic losses of the Icelandic national football team. On 7 September 2010, they came within seconds of a famous 1–1 draw against Scotland in Glasgow, having led 1–0 for most of the second half. They lost 2–1 thanks to a Scotland goal by Stephen McManus in the 97th minute. On 3 June 2011, Liechtenstein defeated Lithuania 2-0.

As an alpine country, the main sporting opportunity for Liechtensteiners to excel is in winter sports such as downhill skiing: the country's single ski area is Malbun. Hanni Wenzel won two gold medals and one silver medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics (she won bronze in 1976), and her brother Andreas won one silver medal in 1980 and one bronze medal in 1984 in the giant slalom event. With nine medals overall (all in alpine skiing), Liechtenstein has won more Olympic medals per capita than any other nation. It is the smallest nation to win a medal in any Olympics, Winter or Summer, and the only nation to win a medal in the Winter Games but not in the Summer Games. Other notable skiers from Liechtenstein are Marco Büchel, Willi Frommelt, Paul Frommelt and Ursula Konzett.

Security and defense

The Liechtenstein National Police is responsible for keeping order within the country. It consists of 87 field officers and 38 civilian staff totaling 125 employes. All officers are equipped with small arms. The country has one of the world's lowest crime rates. Liechtenstein's prison holds few, if any, inmates, and those with sentences over two years are transferred to Austrian jurisdiction. The Liechtenstein National Police maintains a trilateral treaty with Austria and Switzerland that enables close cross-border cooperation among the police forces of the three countries.

Liechtenstein follows a policy of neutrality and is one of few countries in the world that maintains no military. The army was abolished soon after the Austro-Prussian War in which Liechtenstein fielded an army of 80 men, although they were not involved in any fighting. The demise of the German Confederation in that war freed Liechtenstein from its international obligation to maintain an army, and parliament seized this opportunity and refused to provide funding for an army. The Prince objected, as such a move would leave the country defenseless, but relented on 12 February 1868 and disbanded the force. The last soldier to serve under the colours of Liechtenstein died in 1939 at age 95. --

References

External links

The Principality of Liechtenstein

The Princely House of Liechtenstein

Statistics Liechtenstein

Parliament

Tourism Liechtenstein

National Art Museum of Liechtenstein

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playername	Xabi Alonso
fullname	Xabier Alonso Olano
dateofbirth	November 25, 1981
cityofbirth	Tolosa
countryofbirth	Spain
height
position	Midfielder
currentclub	Real Madrid
clubnumber	14
years1	1999–2004
years2	2000–2001
years3	2004–2009
years4	2009–
clubs1	Real Sociedad
clubs2	→ Eibar (loan)
clubs3	Liverpool
clubs4	Real Madrid
caps1	119
goals1	9
caps2	14
goals2	0
caps3	143
goals3	15
caps4	69
goals4	4
nationalyears1	2000
nationalyears2	2002–2003
nationalyears3	2003–
nationalyears4	2005–
nationalteam1	Spain U18
nationalteam2	Spain U21
nationalteam3	Spain
nationalcaps1	1
nationalgoals1	0
nationalcaps2	9
nationalgoals2	0
nationalcaps3	87
nationalgoals3	11
nationalcaps4	6
nationalgoals4	0
pcupdate	19:23, 28 August 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	10 August 2011 }}

Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano (; born 25 November 1981) is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.

Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at SD Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed Alonso as his team captain and Alonso succeeded in the role, taking Real Sociedad to second place in the 2002–03 season. He moved to Liverpool in August 2004 for £10,5 million. He won the UEFA Champions League in his first season at the club, scoring the equalising goal in a final in which his team had been 3-0 down at half-time. The following season he won the FA Cup, and subsequently also the FA Community Shield. He moved to Real Madrid for the start of the 2009–10 season, in a deal worth around £30 million, thus making him the fourth most expensive midfielder. Internationally, Alonso has represented Spain in the Euro 2004, Euro 2008 tournaments and in the 2006 World Cup and 2010 World Cup. He made his international debut in April 2003 in a 4–0 victory against Ecuador. He won the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup with Spain.

He holds the record for the longest-range goal ever scored in open play in the Premier League, being some 61 yards away from Steve Harper's line when he netted against Newcastle United in 2006. The season before, he scored from 78 yards with an effort against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road in the FA Cup.

Biography

Early life

Alonso was born into a family known for its footballing prowess. His father, Periko Alonso won the La Liga twice in successive seasons with Real Sociedad and a third time after he moved to FC Barcelona. He also featured in the national team, winning 20 caps over the course of his career. Born in Tolosa, a small Basque town, Xabi Alonso lived in Barcelona for the first six years of his life and moved to San Sebastián thereafter. It was here that his passion for football began as he whiled away his childhood playing at ''Playa de la Concha'' (Shell Beach). On the Basque sands Alonso befriended a fellow resident of Calle Matia, Mikel Arteta, and the two would battle each other in exhibitions of technical ability. He was immersed in football and his father would often bring him and his older brother, Mikel, to CE Sabadell's training ground to practise together. Alonso was influenced by his father's playing, taking more pleasure in passing the ball well than shooting at goal. At an early age he decided to play as a defensive midfielder: a role which helped him learn how to distribute the ball well. This talent would later prove to be an integral part of his club and international career.

When he was 15, Alonso went to the Irish town of Kells, County Meath on a school exchange programme to learn English. During his time there, he played Gaelic football and developed a keen interest in the sport.

Alonso and Arteta were ambitious and dreamed of playing alongside each other for Real Sociedad when they were older. Though they attended different schools, the two young players joined forces at the local youth side Antiguoko, playing games at the weekend. Their performances attracted the attention of scouts from top Spanish sides and the young ''Donostiarras'' separated ways, ending nine years of friendly rivalry, as Alonso went to Real Sociedad and Arteta moved to Catalan giants Barcelona. However, Alonso's move to Real Sociedad was not a companionless one as he was joined by his older brother Mikel Alonso who had also become an adept player.

Alonso progressed through the youth ranks and the reserve team at Real Sociedad and impressed enough to earn a first team debut at the age of 18. He made his first senior appearance against CD Logroñés in December 1999 in a Copa del Rey match. Alonso failed to make another appearance in the season but the following year brought more opportunities. At the beginning of the 2000–01 season, Javier Clemente sent Alonso to Segunda División team SD Eibar to gain experience. Alonso's father particularly felt the move to the smaller club improved him as a player. However, a quick turnover of managers, including a two month period with Periko Alonso in charge, left Real Sociedad in a dire situation. By January 2001 Real Sociedad were bottom of the league and the new manager, John Toshack, turned to the prodigious Alonso in the hope of reversing the team's fortunes. In a surprise move, the Welsh manager made 19 year old Alonso the team captain, a position traditionally held by more senior players. By the end of the season Sociedad had climbed out of the relegation zone and finished in 14th place. Toshack lauded Alonso, noting that the impression he had on the team was exceptional, especially for a player from the youth-team.

Real Sociedad

Under the guidance of John Toshack, Alonso's captaincy marked a resurgence of form for Real Sociedad. Toshack recognised Alonso's potential and invested much time in his young captain, creating a training method designed to improve his touch and control specifically for him. The team cemented their mid-table position in the 2001–02, finishing in 13th place. Alonso appeared consistently in La Liga with 30 appearances over the course of the season and also scored his first league goal, finishing with a season total of 3. Real Sociedad's management changed again in the summer of 2002 with the arrival of Raynald Denoueix but Alonso kept his place in the first team on the strength of his past performance.

The 2002–03 season was the club's best league performance since the 1981-1982 season in which they won the league. The Basque team finished second, two points behind Real Madrid, setting a club record for their highest ever points total and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Alonso received much praise for his role in the team's success and was given the Best Spanish Player award by Spanish sports magazine ''Don Balón''. In addition, Alonso significantly contributed to the team's goal tally, scoring 12 goals in all competitions. His performances earned Alonso national repute and Iñaki Sáez, the coach of the Spanish national team, called him up for ''La Selección''. Alonso made his international debut in April 2003 in a 4–0 friendly win over Ecuador. Sáez raved over Alonso saying: "He has a fantastic range of accurate passing [and] sees football with an extraordinary clarity".

The 2003–04 season comprised mixed results for Alonso and his San Sebastián club. Alonso revelled in the opportunity to perform in Europe, appearing in all the team's games, and Real Sociedad qualified for the knockout phase of the Champions League. However, the team struggled under the pressure of the extra matches and were promptly knocked out of the tournament by Lyon and finished 15th in La Liga. The combination of Alonso's outstanding performances and the team's poor league finish made a move away from Estadio Anoeta inevitable. Despite interest from La Liga champions Real Madrid, Alonso remained committed to Real Sociedad. Madrid failed to meet the £13 million price tag that Jose Luis Astiazaran, the Real Sociedad president, had placed on Alonso and the deal reached a stalemate. Alonso had other concerns and focused on international duty with Spain at the Euro 2004 tournament. Despite the fact that Alonso's appearance at the tournament was brief, he caught the attention of retired footballer Jan Molby who was impressed with his precise passing abilities.

The summer transfer window at Real Sociedad saw the arrival of Alonso's childhood friend Mikel Arteta. Arteta was ecstatic at the prospect of partnering Alonso in midfield but his excitement was short lived. Alonso was not picked for Real Sociedad's pre-season friendlies, signalling that an offer by Liverpool was being treated seriously. The Basque side announced on 20 August 2004 that they had made a deal worth £10.7 million with Liverpool and Alonso had agreed terms with the Merseyside team. Alonso did not lament the fact that a move to Real Madrid had not materialised. Instead he concentrated on integrating with the new Spanish contingent at Liverpool under the guidance of, ex-Valencia coach, Rafael Benítez.

Liverpool

2004–05: Champions League victory

Alonso arrived at Liverpool, along with Luis García from FC Barcelona, marked the beginning of a new era at Anfield. Liverpool's new coach Rafael Benítez sought to revolutionise the club and completely overhauled the squad, impressing his own management style and tactics upon the team. The technical Spaniards were Benítez's first signings and he remarked that their emphasis of skill over strength offered something different to the team. Alonso made his Premiership debut for the Merseysiders against Bolton Wanderers at The Reebok Stadium on 29 August 2004. Liverpool lost the fixture 1–0 but Alonso was already receiving praise for his passing skills from the press. A Premier League tie against Fulham displayed more of Alonso's talents. Liverpool were losing 2–0 at half-time and Benítez brought on Alonso as a substitute after the break. He revived a deflated Liverpool and the game finished 4–2 to the Merseyside team. Furthermore, Alonso scored his first goal for the team from a free kick to bring Liverpool ahead of the opposition.

Alonso continued to provide important goals for the club, scoring his first goal at Anfield against Arsenal in a 2–1 victory. Alonso was elated at the achievement and felt he was settling in well in England. The Arsenal game marked the return of Steven Gerrard from injury but Alonso's midfield partnership with the team captain came to a halt when Alonso suffered his first setback at Liverpool. Alonso's ankle was broken following a tackle from Frank Lampard in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on New Year's Day 2005 and the Spaniard was ruled out of action for three months.

He made his return to the first team in the second leg of the Champions League quarter final against Juventus. Alonso was not at full fitness but, as Steven Gerrard was injured, he played for the full 90 minutes and Liverpool held the score at 0–0 in Italy, defeating the eventual Italian Champions on aggregate. Kevin McCarra of ''The Guardian'' paid testament to Alonso's skill and dedication to the game, saying: "This marvellously accomplished footballer testified in the Stadio delle Alpi that technique can overcome a serious physical disadvantage". In the next round against Chelsea, Alonso received a yellow card in a tense and scrappy 0–0 draw at Stamford Bridge, making him suspended for the following fixture. Alonso was distraught that he would miss the game and vehemently contested the referee's decision to no avail. Gerrard returned from injury for the second leg, however, and the captain steered his team to a 1–0 win with the help of a Luis García goal, qualifying for the final against A.C. Milan.

Liverpool's fifth place finish in the Premiership left much to be desired but debut season glory still awaited Alonso in the form of the Champions League final. The team fell three goals behind Milan but completed a dramatic second-half comeback. Liverpool, trailing 3–2, were awarded a penalty and it was decided that Alonso would take the spot kick. While Dida, Milan's acclaimed Brazilian goalkeeper, managed to save the penalty Alonso fired the rebound into the roof of the net, bringing the score to 3–3. Extra time passed without a goal from either team and Liverpool won 3–2 in the penalty shootout. Alonso was praised for his pivotal influence on the team's comeback and manager Benítez reinforced his importance to the team. Alonso was ecstatic with the win, commenting: "This is the best moment in my professional career". This marked a very successful first year in England for Alonso and victory in the final of the biggest European club competition signified a bright future for the 23-year-old.

2005–06: FA Cup winner

Alonso was ever-present in the first team in the 2005–06 season, largely avoiding injuries that had marred his first season at the club. The summer transfer window brought Peter Crouch to Liverpool and the striker's height sparked accusations that the team would change to long ball tactics. Crouch denied this, highlighting that Alonso's passing ability, alongside Gerrard, would define Liverpool's style of play. Alonso faced more competition for his place in the form of new arrival Mohamed Sissoko. However, Steven Gerrard's injuries and Rafael Benítez's favouring of a 4–5–1 formation ensured Alonso's place in the team. Alonso appeared in all of Liverpool's games in the Champions League but the dominance shown in the previous season had gone as the team lost to Benfica in the knockout stage.

On 7 January 2006, in an FA Cup third-round tie against Luton Town, Alonso assisted Liverpool to a 5–3 comeback victory after being down 3–1 early in the second half. Alonso scored two impressive goals from distance: one from 45 yards, and the other 65 yards from goal; behind the half-way line. Consequently, Alonso's goals marked a stroke of luck for a Liverpool fan who won £25,000 from a £200 bet on Alonso scoring from within his own half. Alonso suffered an ankle injury in a 3–1 victory over Portsmouth, putting his participation in the FA Cup final in doubt. However, he recovered sufficiently to start the game against West Ham United and Gerrard scored Liverpool's third goal from Alonso's free kick, pulling the team ahead of the opposition. Alonso, still affected by the injury, could not manage the whole 90 minutes and was substituted in the second half. Liverpool won on penalties without his help but Alonso still earned his first FA Cup winners' medal.

2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons

On 20 September 2006 Alonso scored what the BBC described as "an outrageous strike" from his own half in a 2–0 Premiership win against Newcastle. Andy Hunter of ''The Independent'' described it as "one of the most audacious goals in Anfield's rich 115-year history". Alonso rebutted claims that his 70 yard goal was all down to luck and stated that he took long range shots as part of his training routine. Despite the similarity of the goals struck from inside his own half, Alonso was in no doubt which was his best. He said, "I think this was better. The Luton goal bounced a few times, this one went quite straight. The Luton one was left-footed - it was different - but I am quite happy to score the goal." It was his first goal for Liverpool since the goal against Luton, making it two consecutive goals from inside his own half of the pitch. He was mainly used as a sub after this, often coming on in the second half when Liverpool where trailling. Examples such as 2-1 against Aresnal at Anfield and 2-0 against Manchester United at Old Trafford

On 8 June 2007 Alonso signed a five-year contract, undermining a flurry of transfer rumours. He had settled in well at Liverpool and after signing the contract extension he stated: "I knew there was interest from other clubs but it was always my idea to stay here. I have been here for three seasons now and have such special feelings for the club and the supporters. I understand what Liverpool means to so many people. It is such a special club and I just didn't want to leave." The 2007–08 season started well for the Spaniard: Gerrard's absence led to Alonso playing in a more advanced position and he scored twice in a 6–0 rout against Premier League newcomers Derby County. However, the bright beginning was short-lived as a minor injury sustained in a game against Portsmouth became aggravated in training. The metatarsal injury forced him out of training for six weeks but his return to the first team was rushed and his injury recurred in his first game back. Alonso's determination and passion proved to be his downfall and he later reflected: "I had been feeling a bit tired around that time because it was only my first game back and the match was very fast. But as a player you don't want to come off, particularly when the team is winning and I stayed on."

Alonso returned from injury at the end of 2007 but over the following months he increasingly faced competition for a place in midfield from Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva. His role in Liverpool's five man midfield role was assured, however, as Rafael Benítez regarded him as "a top class player", stating that Alonso had the ability to change games and break down the opposition's defence. Alonso made a landmark 100th league appearance for Liverpool on 12 January 2008 against Middlesbrough.

2008–09 season

The 2008 summer transfer window suggested a move away from Merseyside as Liverpool pursued England international Gareth Barry to replace Alonso. By the start of the 2008–09 season, neither Alonso or Barry had moved club but the drawn-out transfer saga had left the Spaniard feeling unsettled at Liverpool and unsure of his position in the team. However, the club's fans did much to restore his spirits, supporting him on and off the pitch, and Alonso responded to this, saying:

:"[The fans] couldn't have done more to show me how they felt... If I went out for lunch or a coffee, there was always someone who would come over and say, 'We'd love you to stay'. I'm just glad that, in the end, nothing came of it [the transfer] because it wasn't something I ever asked for."

Despite the events of the summer, Alonso made a confident start to the season and both his peers and the press praised his strength of character, citing his influence as a factor in the team's strong opening to the season. Alonso's importance to the team was further underlined when he scored the only goal, through a deflection, in a 1–0 victory against Chelsea, making Liverpool the first away team to win at Stamford Bridge in over four years. Statistical analysis reflected Alonso's good form: on 11 December figures from Opta revealed that he was the first Premier League player to complete 1000 successful passes in the season. His last goal for Liverpool came in their match against Hull, scoring a volley after his own free kick hit the Hull City wall.

Real Madrid

2009–10 season

Alonso handed in a transfer request in late July and completed a £24.3 million move to Real Madrid on 5 August 2009. He was handed the number 22 jersey in Madrid and continues to play in a holding midfield position. It is believed that Alonso never wanted to leave the Anfield side, with his contract existing until at least 2012, but differences with former manager Benítez during the start of 2008-09 season made him think otherwise. Former teammate Steven Gerrard said he was devastated by Alonso's decision and cited his departure as one of the causes behind Liverpool's poor run of form at the start of the following season. Alonso scored his first goal for Real Madrid on 21 February 2010, scoring the final goal of the match, a penalty against Villareal in a 6–2 win.

Unless he was injured or suspended, Manuel Pellegrini gave Alonso a start in every match of the Champions League and in La Liga in his first season at the club. In La Liga he helped his club finish with 96 points, three points behind winners FC Barcelona. After achieving the feat with Real Sociedad in 2002–03 and with Liverpool in 2008–09, this was the third time in Alonso's career whereby he helped his team set a new club record in terms of points gathered, while finishing in second position. His first season at Real Madrid was reasonably successful as he was considered one of the club's 'most consistent' players. Readers of MARCA made him part of their ''La Liga'' team of the season, as their choice defensive midfielder. The only other Real Madrid player featured was Cristiano Ronaldo. Alonso received the same accolade from ESPNsoccernet, who compiled their team in association with the Castrol Index. He was also a nominee in the LFP Awards, awards given out by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, the Spanish Football league. He was nominated in the category 'Best Midfielder' alongside Xavi and Javi Martinez. Several members of the Spanish press, as well as a number of Real Madrid supporters have given Alonso a new nickname: ''La Barba Roja'' (The Red Beard). Alonso finished the 2009–10 season with three goals for Real Madrid.

2010–11 season

His second season at Real Madrid started with the arrival of a new manager, José Mourinho. He was given the number 14 jersey after the departure of vice-captain Guti. On 6 June, When asked if would ever consider returning to Liverpool, Alonso told Liverpool.tv "Why not?", he also said "At the moment I don't know what is going to happen, but it could be a possibility. Never say never. The 14th of August he scored the equalizing goal against Barcelona in the spanish super cup . On the 28th of august, he scored a goal from 25 yards out after a deflection of of a Zaragoza defender.

International career

Euro 2004

Alonso was a substitute in Spain's 1–0 victory against Russia and played a full 90 minutes against Portugal. Spain were knocked out in the group stage.

2006 World Cup

Alonso was named in the Spanish squad for the 2006 World Cup and he scored Spain's first goal of the tournament, his first international goal, against Ukraine on 14 June 2006. Despite a successful group phase, where Spain won all their games, Alonso did not achieve international glory as the team were beaten by the eventual finalists France in the first knockout stage of the tournament.

Euro 2008

Liverpool's 2007–08 season finished trophyless but the opportunity to win honours awaited Alonso in the form of the Euro 2008 tournament. Alonso featured mainly as a substitute but, with key players resting, he captained Spain in the final group game against Greece, earning the man of the match award. Despite a strong performance, he could not attain a starting position in the team, highlighting Spain's strength in depth. Spain went on to win the tournament and he featured in four of Spain's six matches. Speaking to Guillem Balague, he said that Spain's victory was deserved and the players' teamwork had been crucial to the team's undefeated run in the tournament. The Basque was ecstatic at the achievement, declaring "Right now, we're all just living the moment. It's incredible and we're all walking around in a dream. It's fantastic". Alonso's international success continued as he scored twice in a 3–0 win in a friendly against Denmark in August.

2010 World Cup

Xabi Alonso started every game for Spain during the 2010 tournament, playing alongside Sergio Busquets and Xavi Hernández in midfield and helping his side to lift their first ever World Cup trophy. In the 28th minute of the final against the Netherlands he received a Kung fu-style kick to the chest from Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong, this left Alonso in pain and in fear of a broken rib. Despite this pain, he continued playing on for another hour.

Basque Country

Alonso made his debut for the Basque Country official football team in a friendly against Ghana on 29 December 2001 and receives regular call ups since, while - due to his busy club schedule - not always being able to appear.

Personal life

Alonso was regarded as a quiet and friendly person by his former teammates at Liverpool. He is married to Nagore Aranburu and the couple had their first child on 11 March 2008; a boy named Jontxu Alonso Aranburu. Alonso stayed in Merseyside to be at her side while she gave birth, later saying: "It was a little frustrating to miss the match against Inter but I have to be with my family at times like these." However, this caused much friction with manager Rafa Benítez as this meant he could not pick him for the important Champions League tie against Inter Milan, and the two were at odds over Alonso's decision. On 30 March 2010 they had their second child; a girl named Ane Alonso Aranburu .

Alonso and Arsenal player Mikel Arteta were neighbours on the same street while growing up in San Sebastián and also lived near each other in Liverpool. Alonso convinced Arteta to transfer to Everton after he told him how happy he was living in Liverpool. Alonso also helped persuade former Real Sociedad team mate Juan Ugarte to make a move to Wales by joining Wrexham in 2004.

His brother, Mikel Alonso plays for English team Charlton Athletic, having previously spent a season on loan at Bolton Wanderers in the 2007–08 season with an option for a permanent deal. However, the team opted not to extend the loan deal and he returned to Spain to train with Xabi Alonso's former club, Real Sociedad. Alonso also has another brother involved in football, Jon, who works as a referee.

Alonso is a Meath Gaelic football supporter. His interest in the Irish sport stems from the age of 15 when he went to the Irish town of Kells, County Meath on a school exchange programme to learn English, where he played it in his spare time.

Even while playing at Real Madrid, Alonso has declared himself a Liverpool supporter and returns to watch games at Anfield when his schedule allows. He was quoted in The Times Online in 2011 as saying: "I am still a Liverpool fan and will be forever, absolutely" and that he will raise his Liverpool-born son as a Red supporter.

Career statistics

Club

|- |1999–2000||Real Sociedad||La Liga||5||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||6||0 |- |2000–01||Eibar||Segunda División||14||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||14||0 |- |2000–01||rowspan="4"|Real Sociedad||rowspan="4"|La Liga||17||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||17||0 |- |2001–02||30||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||30||3 |- |2002–03||32||3||1||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||33||3 |- |2003–04||35||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||8||1||43||4 |- |2004–05||rowspan="5"|Liverpool||rowspan="5"|Premier League||24||2||0||0||0||0||8||1||32||3 |- |2005–06||35||3||5||2||0||0||11||0||51||5 |- |2006–07||32||4||1||0||2||0||15||0||50||4 |- |2007–08||19||2||3||0||1||0||4||0||27||2 |- |2008–09||33||4||3||0||1||0||10||1||47||5 |- |- |2009–10||rowspan="3"|Real Madrid||rowspan="3"|La Liga||34||3||0||0||colspan="2"|—||7||0||41||3 |- |2010–11||34||0||7||1||colspan="2"|—||11||0||52||1 |- |2011–12||1||1||2*||1*||colspan="2"|—||0||0||3||2 |- 202||13||11||2||colspan="2"|—||26||1||239||16 143||15||12||2||4||0||48||2||207||19 345||28||23||4||4||0||74||3||446||35 * includes Supercopa de España

International

National team !! Season !! Apps !! Goals
rowspan="10"	Spain
2002–03	5	0
2003–04	11
2004–05	6
2005–06	11
2006–07	6
2007–08	14
2008–09	12
2009–10	13
2010–11	7

{{Ig match | n=1. | d=14 June 2006 | st1=Zentralstadion| ci1=Leipzig | co=Germany | o=Ukraine | sc= 1 – 0 | fr=4 – 0 | comp=2006 FIFA World Cup}} {{Ig match | n =2. | d =20 August 2008 | st1=Parken Stadium| ci2=Copenhagen | co=Denmark | o=Denmark | sc=1 – 0 | fr=3 – 0 | comp=Friendly}} {{Ig match | n =3. | d =20 August 2008 | st1=Parken Stadium| ci2=Copenhagen | co=Denmark | o=Denmark | sc=3 – 0 | fr=3 – 0 | comp=Friendly}} {{Ig match | n =4. | d =1 April 2009 | st1=Ali Sami Yen Stadium| ci2=Istanbul | co=Turkey | o=Turkey | sc=1 – 1 | fr=2 – 1 | comp=2010 World Cup Qualifier}} {{Ig match | n =5. | d =28 June 2009 | st1=Royal Bafokeng Stadium| ci2=Rustenburg | co=South Africa | o=South Africa | sc=3 – 2 | fr=3 – 2 | comp=2009 FIFA Confederations Cup}} {{Ig match | n =6. | d =14 November 2009 | st1=Vicente Calderon Stadium| ci2=Madrid | co=Spain | o=Argentina | sc=1 – 0 | fr=2 – 1 | comp=Friendly}} {{Ig match | n =7. | d =14 November 2009 | st1=Vicente Calderon Stadium| ci2=Madrid | co=Spain | o=Argentina | sc=2 – 1 | fr=2 – 1 | comp=Friendly}} {{Ig match | n =8. | d =29 May 2010 | st1=Tivoli Nuevo Stadium| ci2=Vienna | co=Austria | o=Saudi Arabia | sc=2 – 1 | fr=3 – 2 | comp=Friendly}} {{Ig match | n =9. | d =8 June 2010 | st1=Estadio Nueva Condomina| ci2=Murcia | co=Spain | o=Poland | sc=3 – 0 | fr=6 – 0 | comp=Friendly}} {{Ig match | n =10. | d =7 June 2011 | st1=Estadio José Antonio Anzoátegui| ci2=Puerto la Cruz | co=Venezuela | o=Venezuela | sc=0 – 3 | fr=0 - 3 | comp=Friendly}} {{Ig match | n =11. | d =10 August 2011 | st1=Stadio San Nicola| ci2=Bari | co=Italy | o=Italy | sc=1 – 1 | fr=2 - 1 | comp=Friendly}} |}

Honours

Club

Liverpool

FA Cup: 2006

FA Community Shield: 2006

UEFA Champions League: 2004-05

European Super Cup: 2005

Real Madrid

Copa del Rey: 2011

Country

Spain

FIFA World Cup: 2010

UEFA European Football Championship: 2008

Individual

Don Balón Award for Spanish Player of the Year: 2003

References

External links

Xabi Alonso On Twitter / National team data

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Profile on Real Madrid official website

BDFutbol profile

Profile at BBC Sport

LFCHistory.net Profile

Profile at ESPN

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:Basque footballers Category:Spanish footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Association football midfielders Category:La Liga footballers Category:Liverpool F.C. players Category:People from Tolosa Category:Premier League players Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Real Sociedad footballers Category:SD Eibar footballers Category:Spain youth international footballers Category:Spain under-21 international footballers Category:Spain international footballers Category:Spanish expatriate footballers Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in the United Kingdom Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players

af:Xabi Alonso ar:شابي ألونسو ast:Xabi Alonso bn:শাবি আলোনসো bg:Шаби Алонсо ca:Xabier Alonso Olano cs:Xabi Alonso cy:Xabi Alonso da:Xabi Alonso de:Xabi Alonso es:Xabi Alonso eo:Xabi Alonso eu:Xabier Alonso fa:ژابی آلونسو fr:Xabi Alonso gl:Xabi Alonso ko:사비 알론소 hy:Չաբի Ալոնսո id:Xabi Alonso it:Xabi Alonso he:צ'אבי אלונסו jv:Xabi Alonso ka:ჩაბი ალონსო lv:Šavi Alonso lt:Xabi Alonso hu:Xabi Alonso mr:झाबी अलोंसो ms:Xabi Alonso nl:Xabi Alonso ja:シャビ・アロンソ no:Xabi Alonso nn:Xabi Alonso pl:Xabi Alonso pt:Xabi Alonso ro:Xabi Alonso qu:Xabi Alonso ru:Алонсо, Хаби sq:Xabi Alonso simple:Xabi Alonso sk:Xabi Alonso sr:Шаби Алонсо fi:Xabi Alonso sv:Xabi Alonso th:ชาบี อาลอนโซ tr:Xabi Alonso uk:Хабі Алонсо vi:Xabi Alonso zh-yue:沙比阿朗素 zh:沙比·阿朗素

playername	Sergio Ramos
fullname	Sergio Ramos García
dateofbirth	March 30, 1986
cityofbirth	Camas
countryofbirth	Spain
height
currentclub	Real Madrid
clubnumber	4
position	Defender
youthyears1	1996–2003 | youthclubs1 Sevilla
years1	2003–2004 | clubs1 Sevilla B | caps1 26 | goals1 2
years2	2004–2005 | clubs2 Sevilla | caps2 39 | goals2 2
years3	2005– | clubs3 Real Madrid | caps3 196 | goals3 25
nationalyears1	2002 | nationalteam1 Spain U17 | nationalcaps1 1 | nationalgoals1 0
nationalyears2	2004 | nationalteam2 Spain U19 | nationalcaps2 6 | nationalgoals2 0
nationalyears3	2004 | nationalteam3 Spain U21 |nationalcaps3 6 | nationalgoals3 0
nationalyears4	2005– | nationalteam4 Spain | nationalcaps4 76 | nationalgoals4 5
pcupdate	18:20, 28 August 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	4 June 2011 }}

Sergio Ramos García (; born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Madrid and Spain.

Mainly a right back, he can perform equally as a central defender. After emerging through Sevilla's youth system, he went on to be a defensive mainstay for both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, gaining his first cap at the age of 18.

Club career

Sevilla

Born in Camas, Seville, Andalusia, Ramos began his career at local side Sevilla FC, emerging through the club's youth system alongside Jesús Navas and Antonio Puerta. He made his first team - and La Liga - debut on 1 February 2004, coming on as a second half substitute in a 0–1 loss at Deportivo de La Coruña.

In the 2004–05 season, Ramos appeared in 31 games as Sevilla finished sixth and qualified to the UEFA Cup, netting in home fixtures against Real Sociedad (2–1) and Real Madrid (2–2).

Real Madrid

In the summer of 2005, 19-year old Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for €27 million, a record for a Spanish teenager. He was the only Spanish player brought in during Florentino Pérez first stint as Real Madrid president.

At the club, Ramos was awarded the number 4 shirt, previously worn by Fernando Hierro. On 6 December 2005, he scored his first goal for the ''Merengues'', in a 2–3 UEFA Champions League group stage loss at Olympiacos FC.

During his first seasons, Ramos played as centre back, being also used as an emergency defensive midfielder on occasion. However, with the arrival of Christoph Metzelder and Pepe in the 2007–08 season, he was again relocated to right back, whilst displaying a goalscoring instinct unusual to many defenders, netting more than 20 overall goals in Real Madrid's shirt during his first four seasons combined. On 4 May 2008, Ramos assisted Gonzalo Higuaín in the 89th minute against CA Osasuna in an eventual 2–1 away win, the match that sealed Real Madrid's 31st league championship. On the final day of the season, he scored twice in a 5–2 home win against already relegated Levante UD, one through a header and another after an individual effort, taking his league tally to five.

Ramos scored a vital goal in the Spanish Supercup contest against Valencia CF, making it 2–1 to and 4–4 on aggregate, in an eventual 4–2 win (6–5), despite the fact Real Madrid playing with only nine men for a long period of time. Although he experienced a slight dip in form, he returned to his best and on 11 January 2009, scored on an acrobatic volley against RCD Mallorca (3–0 away triumph), continuing his scoring run in the following week, in a 3–1 home win against Osasuna.

Ramos was named in both FIFA and UEFA's 2008 ''Team of the Year'', adding the FIFPro Team of the Year 2007–08 accolade. He also finished 21st in the European Player of the Year nomination for 2008.

Just at the start of the 2009–10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid's four captains of Real Madrid. As Pepe suffered a serious knee injury during the campaign, he was often deployed as central defender, and scored four goals in 33 league contests, but the team eventually came out empty in silverware. On 21 February 2010, he played his 200th official match for the capital team against Villarreal CF (150 in the first division).

In Real Madrid's 5-0 loss to FC Barcelona on 29 November 2010, Ramos was sent off after kicking Lionel Messi from behind, then pushing Carles Puyol in the ensuing melée. After this ejection, he equalled Fernando Hierro's previous record for red cards at the club, having played in 264 fewer games.

On 20 April 2011, Ramos started in the season's Copa del Rey final, a 1–0 win against Barcelona in Valencia. In the subsequent victory procession, while celebrating on the top of the club's bus, he accidentally lost hold of the cup, which fell under the wheels of the vehicle. The trophy was eventually dented.

On 12 July 2011, Ramos extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017.

International career

In 2004, Ramos became an instant hit for Spain's under-21, for whom he played six international matches. On 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win over China, in Salamanca, he first appeared for the senior side at only 18 years and 361 days of age, making him the youngest player to play for the national team in the last 55 years (he held this record until it was broken by Barcelona's Cesc Fàbregas).

Just seven months later, Ramos scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was selected for the final stages in Germany and, after the international retirement of Real Madrid teammate Míchel Salgado, became the undisputed first-choice right back.

Throughout Spain's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Ramos was a regular member of the starting eleven as the national side finished first in its group, above Sweden. He scored two goals, including one in a 3–1 away win over Denmark, in 11 appearances.

In the tournament's final stages, Ramos played in all matches and minutes, except the 2–1 group stage win against Greece. In the final, his pass nearly set up Marcos Senna's first international goal, but the latter barely missed it by inches. During the celebrations after the 1–0 defeat of Germany, Ramos wore a T-shirt in honor of close friend and former Sevilla teammate Puerta, who died in August 2007.

Ramos was selected in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, as Spain finished in third position. At the 2010 World Cup, held in the same country, he started every game, helping the team keep five clean sheets and reach the final, which they won 1–0 against Holland. Ramos topped the tournament's Castrol Performance Index with a score of 9.79.

International goals

|- | 1. || October 13, 2005 || Stadio Olimpico, San Marino, San Marino || || 0–3 || 0–6 || 2006 World Cup qualification |- | 2. || October 13, 2005 || Stadio Olimpico, San Marino, San Marino || || 0–4 || 0–6 || 2006 World Cup qualification |- | 3. || October 13, 2007 || Atletion, Aarhus, Denmark || || 0–2 || 1–3 || Euro 2008 qualifying |- | 4. || November 17, 2007 || Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain || || 3–0 || 3–0 || Euro 2008 qualifying |- | 5. || March 3, 2010 || Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France || || 0–2 || 0–2 || Friendly |}

Statistics

Club

''''

0 2 0 0 5 5 4 4 3 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	Europe	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Assists!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists
rowspan="4" valign="center"	Sevilla		7	|	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0	0
2004–05 La Liga	2004–05	31	|	0	5	0	0	5	1	0	41	3	0
2005–06 La Liga	2005–06	1	|	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
!Total	39 !!2 !! 0 !!5 !! 0 !! 0 !! 5 !! 1 !! 0 !! 49 !! 3 !! 0
rowspan="8" valign="center"	Real Madrid		33	4	|	6	1	0	7	1	0	46	6	0
2006–07 La Liga	2006–07	33	|	2	3	0	0	6	1	0	42	6	2
2007–08 La Liga	2007–08	33	|	4	5	1	0	7	0	1	45	6	5
2008–09 La Liga	2008–09	32	|	3	2	1	0	8	1	0	42	6	3
2009–10 La Liga	2009–10	33	|	5	0	0	0	7	0	0	40	4	5
2010–11 La Liga	2010–11	31	|	2	7	1	1	8	0	0	46	4	3
2011–12 La Liga	2011–12	1	|	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1
!Total	! 196 !! 25 !! 17 !! 25 !! 4 !! 1 !! 43 !! 3 !! 1 !! 264 !! 32 !! 19
Career Total	! 235 !! 27 !! 17 !! 30 !! 4 !! 1 !! 48 !! 4 !! 1 !! 313 !! 35 !! 19

Honours

Club

;Real Madrid

La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08

Copa del Rey: 2010–11

Supercopa de España: 2008; Runner-up 2011

Country

;Spain U–19

UEFA U-19 Championship: 2004

;Spain

FIFA World Cup: 2010

UEFA European Championship: 2008

FIFA Confederations Cup: Third-place 2009

Individual

UEFA's Best new player of 2004–05

UEFA's 2005–06 All-World Defensive Player of the Year

La Liga: Don Balón Award - Breakthrough Player of the Year 2005

ESM Team of the year: 2007–08

FIFPro: World XI 2007–08

UEFA: Team of the Year 2008 FIFA.com: Team of the Year 2008 Antonio Puerta Award Móstoles Sports Elite Award 2010 FIFA World Cup: Castrol Index Winner

FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010

References

External links

Real Madrid official profile

BDFutbol profile

National team data

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Official website

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Spanish footballers Category:People from Seville (province) Category:Association football defenders Category:La Liga footballers Category:Sevilla FC footballers Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Spain youth international footballers Category:Spain under-21 international footballers Category:Spain international footballers Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players

ar:سيرجيو راموس ast:Sergio Ramos bg:Серхио Рамос ca:Sergio Ramos García cs:Sergio Ramos da:Sergio Ramos de:Sergio Ramos et:Sergio Ramos es:Sergio Ramos eo:Sergio Ramos fa:سرخیو راموس fr:Sergio Ramos Garcia ga:Sergio Ramos gl:Sergio Ramos García ko:세르히오 라모스 hy:Սերխիո Ռամոս hr:Sergio Ramos id:Sergio Ramos it:Sergio Ramos he:סרחיו ראמוס ka:სერხიო რამოს გარსია ku:Sergio Ramos la:Sergius Ramos lv:Serhio Ramoss lt:Sergio Ramos García hu:Sergio Ramos mr:सेर्गियो रामोस nl:Sergio Ramos ja:セルヒオ・ラモス no:Sergio Ramos nn:Sergio Ramos pl:Sergio Ramos pt:Sergio Ramos ro:Sergio Ramos ru:Рамос, Серхио sq:Sergio Ramos simple:Sergio Ramos sk:Sergio Ramos sr:Серхио Рамос fi:Sergio Ramos sv:Sergio Ramos th:เซร์คีโอ ราโมส tr:Sergio Ramos uk:Серхіо Рамос vi:Sergio Ramos zh:塞尔希奥·拉莫斯

playername	David Villa
fullname	David Villa Sánchez
height
dateofbirth	December 03, 1981
cityofbirth	Langreo
countryofbirth	Spain
currentclub	Barcelona
clubnumber	7
position	Striker
youthyears1	1991–1999
youthclubs1	Langreo
years1	1999–2001
years2	2001–2003
years3	2003–2005
years4	2005–2010
years5	2010–
clubs1	Sporting Gijón B
clubs2	Sporting Gijón
clubs3	Zaragoza
clubs4	Valencia
clubs5	Barcelona
caps1	65 |goals1 25
caps2	80 |goals2 38
caps3	73 |goals3 32
caps4	166|goals4 108
caps5	35 |goals5 18
nationalyears1	2000–2003
nationalyears2	2005–
nationalteam1	Spain U21
nationalteam2	Spain
nationalcaps1	7 |nationalgoals1 0
nationalcaps2	76 |nationalgoals2 47
pcupdate	30 August 2011
ntupdate	14 August 2011 }}

David Villa Sánchez (; born 3 December 1981), nicknamed (), is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as winger.

Despite sustaining a serious injury as a child, he started his professional career with Sporting de Gijón. He moved to Real Zaragoza after two seasons, where he made his La Liga début, winning his first senior honours—the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España. He joined Valencia CF in 2005 for a transfer fee of €12 million and was part of the Valencia team that won the Copa del Rey in the 2007–08 season. In 2010 he moved to FC Barcelona for €40 million where he won his first La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles.

Villa made his international début in 2005. He has since participated in three major tournaments, becoming an integral member of the Spain teams that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. He scored three goals at the 2006 World Cup, was the top scorer at Euro 2008 and earned the Silver Boot at the 2010 World Cup. With 46 goals, Villa is Spain's all-time top goalscorer and has also scored more World Cup goals than any other player in Spain's history. The goals-to-games ratio he has achieved for the national team has not been matched by any player since Alfredo Di Stéfano.

Childhood and early career

Villa was born in Tuilla, a small village in Langreo, Asturias, a region in northern Spain, the son of José Manuel Villa, a miner. When Villa was four, his chances of becoming a footballer were put in jeopardy when he suffered a fracture to the femur in his right leg, but made a complete recovery. Due to the injury, he and his father worked on strengthening his left leg and Villa ultimately became ambidextrous. He recalls his father being consistently supportive: "He would be there throwing me the ball over and over, making me kick it with my left leg when my right was in plaster after breaking it, I was four. I can barely remember a single training session when my dad wasn't there. I have never been alone on a football pitch."

Villa admitted that he came close to giving up football at the age of 14 after growing disillusioned and falling out with his coach. However, thanks to his parents' encouragement, he persisted in pursuing his dream, realising his talent could earn him a living. "In those days I was a nobody, not earning a penny and after being made to sit on the bench all season I just wanted to get away and play with my friends" he said. "But my dad always supported me and cheered me up until my career turned round." He went on to begin his footballing career at UP Langreo and when he turned 17 he joined the Mareo football school.

Club career

Sporting de Gijón and Real Zaragoza

Villa attracted interest from many Asturian teams, but one of the province's bigger teams, Real Oviedo, declared that he was too short and that they did not believe he had sufficient potential. He subsequently got his professional breakthrough at his local club Sporting de Gijón, following in the footsteps of his childhood idol Quini. Starting out at the team's youth ranks, he made his first-team début in the 2000–01 season. After scoring 25 goals in two seasons, he became a first team regular. Pepe Acebal, the Sporting Gijon manager at the time, said that Villa initially lacked the stamina to have a real impact and had to be given his chance bit by bit and that Villa's capacity for work was "unrivalled". With his goal tally nearly reaching 40 goals after spending two full seasons in Gijón's main team, Villa ultimately got his chance in Spain's top-flight when Sporting were in financial difficulty and newly promoted Real Zaragoza signed him for approximately €3 million in the summer of 2003. The striker had no trouble adapting to playing at the higher level, netting 17 times in his first season at Zaragoza. His league début came during Zaragoza's first La Liga game since his arrival where the team were defeated 1–0 away from home at the hands of Galician side Deportivo de La Coruña while his first goal came two games later, an eighth minute goal against Real Murcia which put Zaragoza 2–0 up in a match which ended 3–0. 4 December 2003 saw him net his first brace (2 goals) in a 2–2 draw against Athletic Bilbao and on 25 April 2004, David Villa scored his first hat-trick in a tight 4–4 draw against Sevilla which saw Villa score all four of Zaragoza's goals, putting his team ahead on two occasions.

Zaragoza reached the 2004 Copa del Rey final where he played a big part in the team's victory, scoring a crucial goal to put the Aragonese outfit 2–1 up against Real Madrid in a match which eventually ended 3–2. Soon after he earned his first international call-up and cap which resulted in Zaragoza fans becoming so proud of his achievements, they invented the football chant "illa illa illa, Villa maravilla" which is a play on the words "Villa" and "maravilla" which is as "marvel" but can also mean "wonderful" or "great" in that context. After Zaragoza's triumph in the Copa del Rey, they were granted a place in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup; this was Villa's first time playing in a European competition.

In the team's opening group game against Utrecht, Villa netted a brace in the dying minutes of the game which subsequently ended 2–0 in Zaragoza's favour. In the round of 16, Zaragoza faced Austria Wien. The first leg ended 1–1, Villa scored in the second leg, however, the match ended 2–2 which saw the team from Vienna go through to the next stage on the away goals rule. Meanwhile, in La Liga, Villa excited Zaragoza fans on 23 September 2004 by putting the team 1–0 up against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, however, it was not to be as Barcelona came back to win the game 4–1. On 17 April 2005, Villa scored a brace which helped see off Sevilla in a 3–0 victory.

Valencia

2005–06 season

After his success at Zaragoza, the team was in need of money, as a result, Villa made his big move to one of Spanish football's heavyweights, as a new look Valencia under Quique Sánchez Flores parted with €12 million to secure his services in the summer of 2005. During his first game in a Valencia shirt, an Intertoto Cup match against Belgian outfit K.A.A. Gent, Villa scored the first goal in a game which Valencia won 2–0. He made his league début for Valencia coming on as a substitute against Real Betis in a 1–0 win on 27 August 2005. The next match would see his previous team, Real Zaragoza, leading 2–1 for the majority of the match, however, on the 81st minute, Villa came on as a late substitute for Rubén Baraja and scored the equalizer within the space of a minute, earning Valencia a point as the game ended 2–2.

On 21 September, Villa would once again save Valencia a vital point by netting a brace against Barcelona at Camp Nou, actually giving his team the lead at one point after Víctor Valdés' clearance rebounded off Villa's back and into the net. On 23 October, Villa scored the winning goal against another Spanish giant, this time Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and would once again score against Barcelona, on 12 February 2006, his one goal proving enough to secure all three points in a 1–0 victory. Villa scored a goal against Deportivo de La Coruña (at the Riazor on 4 February 2006), described as "superb" by ESPN and "his best" by Sid Lowe who went on to credit it even more pointing out he achieved it "on the turn". Hitting the ball from the half way line (50 yards out) it sailed over the keepers head and into the net.

He scored his first hat-trick for Valencia against Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés in La Liga on the 23 April 2006. Villa managed the hat-trick in just over five minutes (80th to the 85th minute) making it one of the quickest hat-tricks ever recorded. Valencia won that game 3–0. That season saw him score 25 goals in 35 league matches for Valencia, finishing one goal behind the league's top scorer Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona. Villa's goal tally that year was the best that any Valencia player had ever achieved since Edmundo Suárez over 60 years beforehand.

2006–07 season

Villa's form continued into the 2006–07 season, with the striker forming a partnership up front with former Real Madrid star Fernando Morientes. Between them, Villa and Morientes netted 43 goals in all competitions. That year also saw Villa début in the UEFA Champions League; his first match was a qualifying match, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 first leg loss against Red Bull Salzburg. He went on to start the second leg and scored in a 3–0 win which saw Valencia qualify for the Champions League group stages. Crucial goals against Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk helped Valencia qualify for the knock out stages where they faced Inter Milan. Villa scored a free kick goal in the first leg away from home, while one of Inter's defenders complained that Villa had "made us look like idiots, all on his own". Valencia went through to the quarter finals where they faced Chelsea. Villa featured in both games but failed to make the score sheet. Valencia subsequently got knocked out by the London team 3–2 on aggregate. In October 2006 he was included among the 50 nominees for the Ballon d'Or (often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year Award).

A crucial goal against Espanyol and a brace against Sevilla helped him reach 16 goals that season and would see him come 6th in La Liga's top scorer list that season (scoring the same amount of goals as fellow international Raúl Tamudo) while he created more assists than anyone.

2007–08 season

The 2007–08 season was not easy for Villa nor for his teammates. Early in the season, their manager, Quique Sánchez Flores, was fired and replaced by Ronald Koeman, who ended up being fired on the 22 April, after a run of poor results, even though he managed to win a trophy with Valencia, as the team beat Getafe CF in the Copa del Rey-final. Koeman got replaced by the highly rated UD Almería coach, Unai Emery, at the end of the season. Under Koeman, Villa managed to see the back of the net 18 times in his 26 appearances. He also won the first professional trophy of his Valencia spell, winning the Copa del Rey for the second time in his career, beating Barcelona 3–2 in the semi-finals and then Getafe CF 3–1 in the final. giving the team a place in the UEFA Cup. By the end of the season he signed a new six-year contract with Valencia, committing his future to the club until 2014.

That season, Villa once again saw himself playing Champions League football. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Schalke 04 and went on to put Valencia 1–0 up against Chelsea, however, goals from Joe Cole and Didier Drogba saw Valencia lose 2–1. Valencia finished bottom of the group and were knocked out. On his 100th league appearance for Valencia, Villa scored a hat-trick against Levante; his 54th, 55th and 56th league goals for the club. Another two goals on the final day of the season against Atletico Madrid completed his tally of 18 goals that season.

2008–09 season

After finishing as the top scorer at Euro 2008, Villa continued his form into the 2008–09 season where he scored the first goal in a 3–0 win against Mallorca in what was the opening game of the season. After failing to sign the player, Real Madrid manager at the time, Bernd Schuster, accused Villa of having "no ambition", Villa responded by saying "Footballing ambition Is not about your mouth, It is about your feet. You can accuse me of lots of things - of having a bad day, of missing chances, of many things- but I have always had ambition and always will have. I think I have proved that on the pitch with Zaragoza, Sporting, UD Langreo, and the national team." In October 2008, Kaká praised Villa, speaking to Canal+, he claimed that Villa is "the best Spanish footballer" adding that "The player with whom I would most like to play is David Villa of Valencia." On 2 December 2008, Villa came 7th in the Ballon d'Or 2008 rankings and on 12 January 2009, Villa was announced as the joint 9th best player of 2008 alongside international team mate and Barcelona player Andrés Iniesta, according to the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

Valencia finished second in their UEFA Cup group, however, Villa was not featured heavily and was often an unused sub or a late sub. He scored a late winner against Maritimo and was used in the Round of 32 against Dynamo Kyiv, however, he did not make the score sheet. The two legs resulted in a 3–3 aggregate score, Dynamo Kyiv went through as the away goal rule went in their favour.

Hitting a consistent goal scoring form during mid season, he scored against Deportivo de la Coruña; however, he was sent off during the match after his second yellow card, received due to a foul on Daniel Aranzubia and as a result missed Valencia's next match against Real Valladolid, a game which Valencia lost 2–1 at home. Ready to return from suspension, Villa suffered from an inflammation in the joint in his left knee due to a partial dislocation and would be out for the next 15 days, missing games against Numancia, Recreativo de Huelva and Racing de Santander. When he finally returned from injury on 5 April 2009, he had no trouble recovering form, netting a brace in a match against Getafe, which Valencia won 4–1. On 12 April, Villa was set to return to El Molinón, the home ground of Sporting de Gijón where he started his career. He admitted that the encounter would be very emotional for him but went on to score the second Valencia goal in a 3–2 win and kept a pre-match promise by not celebrating the goal. His goal against Villarreal brought his tally to 26, he then scored another two against Athletic Bilbao finishing with 28 goals after the last game of the season, thus equalling records set by the Argentinian Mario Kempes and the Montenegrin Predrag Mijatović, who also scored 28 goals in a Valencia shirt in 1978 and 1996, respectively. Kempes reached his tally of 28 goals in 34 games while Mijatović achieved it in 40, ultimately seeing Villa beat their percentages, as he achieved the 28 goals in 33 games, recording a goal ratio of 0.84 goals per game. That season saw Villa's best season at Valencia as far as goal scoring is concerned.

With the season over Villa had marked his fourth year at Valencia, with only Eto'o scoring more goals than him in that period (six more). British columnist Sid Lowe points out that Eto'o achieved this "in a team that racked up 129 [goals] more than Villa's side" and noted that "most of that time he [Villa] has taken Valencia's corners and free-kicks – and however good a player is he can't head in his own crosses." Villa also ended the season as the third top scorer in La Liga with a total of 28 goals, just behind Samuel Eto'o (30) and Diego Forlán (32). After recording the best goal tally for a Valencia player in 60 years back in the 2005–06 season, he went three better in the 2008–09 season. The 28 league goals plus 3 more in other competitions that season, accumulated a total of 101 goals in 180 official games with the Valencian outfit.

2009–10 season

After the shock exit from the Confederations Cup with the Spain team, Villa returned from his holidays on 27 July, amidst much media speculation linking him with top clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United. Villa put to bed such rumours announcing his desire to remain at the Mestalla to fulfil his contract underlining that he "could not spend all summer refuting things, so I wanted to be quiet... I was told I should leave Valencia for the good of the club, soon after that everything changed and from that moment on I never saw myself out of here - before the Euros, the club told me what my asking price was, and I thought they were going to sell me, but when I returned from my vacations, Vicente Soriano said that he did not want me to leave Valencia. That removed all doubt for me. There is no train missed because all that I have achieved is because of Valencia and the Spanish national team." When questioned on whether or not he should apologise to Valencia fans, he simply replied, "I did not kill anyone, I do not think I have to ask for forgiveness."

On 20 August 2009, Villa scored in his first official match of the season, a 3–0 UEFA Europa League qualifer against Stabæk. He followed this up with two goals against Real Valladolid on 13 September, these were Villa's first league goals of the 2009–10 season. He scored twice more a week later against former club Sporting Gijón in a 2–2 draw at the Mestalla where he performed duties as the team's captain. After the match, Villa hinted towards being unhappy with Unai Emery's managerial decisions, stating "The approach for the second half was not right. We relaxed and ended up with the same result as last year. What has happened, has happened, but their goalkeeper was good, unlike our approach, which was not good", however, a day later he denied being critical of Emery pointing out that "When I talked about the approach, I was referring to the whole team, I spoke in the heat of the moment, I was annoyed at the way we lost two points and I said what I thought, but I have clarified everything that needed to be cleared up."

In 2009 he scored more goals than any other footballer, 43 goals in 54 games across all competitions for Spain and Valencia. The IFFHS listed him 4th in the "World's Top Goal Scorer 2009" rankings.

On 18 October, Villa was nominated for the Ballon D'Or, while nearly two weeks later, on 30 October, he was nominated for the FIFA World Player Of The Year. After going three league games without scoring, Villa contributed two goals towards Valencia's 4–1 victory against Villarreal on 17 January 2010, the first of his two goals became his 100th league goal with Valencia. Another brace came against Getafe on 22 February 2010, the second goal being "a superb chip" (as described by ESPN) over Jordi Codina. On 18 March, Valencia went to the Weserstadion to play Werder Bremen in the Europa League. Villa scored a hat-trick, his third goal being of note, which was fired in from eight yards out. The match ended 4–4 while Valencia proceeded to the next round on away goals. On May 4, 2010, Valencia played Xerez, Villa did not start but came on as a substitute 62 minutes into the match, which ended 3-1. Valencia still had two more games to play in the league, however, Villa did not feature, making the game against Xerez the last time he played for Valencia.

Barcelona

2010–11 season

On 19 May 2010, FC Barcelona reached an agreement with Valencia, for the acquisition of Villa for the fee of €40 million. Villa signed on a four year contract with Barcelona, with the option for a fifth, worth a reported €7 million per season and thus, managed to follow in the footsteps of his heroes, Luis Enrique and Quini, both of whom, like Villa, started out at Sporting Gijón and ended up at Barcelona. On 21 May 2010, over 35,000 Barcelona supporters packed into Camp Nou to see Villa's presentation, where he revealed the kit Barcelona would use during the 2010-11 season. He was given his favourite number 7, a number which had been free at the club since Eiður Guðjohnsen left in 2009. He made his first appearance for the club in the 2nd leg of the Supercopa de España, during the second half as a substitute for fellow Spain international, Pedro Rodríguez. His début appearance would also see him win his first piece of silver-ware with the Catalonian side, as Barcelona won 5-3 on aggregate due to a hat-trick by teammate Lionel Messi. His first goal came during the Joan Gamper Trophy (an annual friendly competition) against Milan. Barcelona won 3-1 on penalties (after the match had ended 1-1 during normal time).

On 29 August 2010, Villa made his La Liga début with Barcelona against Racing de Santander, where he scored the third goal of the match to help seal a 3-0 victory. On 14 September 2010, Villa scored on his Champions League début with Barcelona in a 5-1 victory over Panathinaikos F.C. Against Sevilla, on 31 October 2010, Barcelona won 5-0 against the Andalusian side, while Villa netted a brace. His first goal that match was voted "The Best Goal Of The Week (October 25–31)" by the readers of Goal.com. Villa's first "El Clásico" came on 29 November 2010, he scored two goals as Barcelona won 5-0 at the Camp Nou. Talking about the match, he commented that, "It's been a very important win. We looked for the victory and we got it. And the result and the manner in which we achieved it, you cannot ask for more.". He then scored a goal against Real Sociedad, a match Barcelona won 5-0. He followed with a brace against RCD Espanyol taking Barcelona to a 1-5 win.

On 27 December 2010, Villa was named "Male Athlete of the Year" by the United States Sports Academy, as he edged fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal and previous winner Manny Pacquiao for the title.

On 28 May 2010, Villa scored the third goal — curling the ball into the net from 25-yards out — in Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Manchester United in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League Final. After the victory, Villa said that he would like to dedicate the victory "to all my family, my daughters and also Pepe Reina's, who are like my nieces."

2011–12 season

Villa started the season with goals against C.D. Guadalajara and Club América in pre-season friendly matches. His first official match of the season was against Real Madrid in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España where Villa scored a "world-class" goal, helping Barcelona seal a 2-2 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, while on 17 August 2011, Villa was sent off in the dying moments of the second leg (which Barcelona won 3-2) after an altercation with Mesut Özil.

International career

2006 World Cup

An occasional member of the Under 21 team, Villa marked his international début under Luis Aragonés on 9 February 2005 in a 2006 World Cup Qualifier where Spain beat San Marino 5–0 at the Estadio del Mediterráneo while his first international goal came in the form of a late equaliser during a World Cup qualifier against Slovakia.

A successful season with Valencia saw him get called up as part of the 23-man squad to represent Spain at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Spain's first match at the tournament and Villa's World Cup début resulted in a 4–0 win against Ukraine where Villa netted a brace, and also put his nation 1–0 up against France in the Round of 16, although Spain went on to lose the match 3–1. He and Fernando Torres finished as Spain's top scorers with three goals each.

Euro 2008

By the end of 2006, Villa had become an integral part of Luis Aragonés' plans and ousted Raúl from the team. Proving vital in Spain's qualification for Euro 2008, he scored six goals, including a bicycle kick against Liechtenstein. He was subsequently called up for the tournament where he formed a striking relationship with Torres, with whom he would often celebrate his goals. He scored a hat-trick in Spain's 4–1 win over Russia, making him the first player to do so at a UEFA European Championship since Patrick Kluivert in 2000, and only the seventh overall. After the third goal, he went out of his way to meet Torres, who was on the bench at the time, to celebrate with him, "I had just scored a hat-trick and I knew people would be talking about me, but I wanted them to see that I had benefited from Torres's work, just as he sometimes benefits from mine." In the next match, he secured a 2–1 win against Sweden with a goal in the 92nd minute. Rested for the next match against Greece, he started once again in the quarter finals where Spain beat Italy 4–2 on penalties, Villa took the first penalty and scored.

Reaching their first semi-final in 24 years, Spain went on to face Russia for the second time during the tournament, however, during the early stages of the match, Villa sustained a thigh injury after taking a free kick and was replaced by Cesc Fàbregas. The injury meant that he could not participate in the final where Spain beat Germany 1–0 to claim their second win at the European Football Championships. Despite missing the final and the majority of the semi-final, Villa's 4 goals in the 4 games he played were enough for him to be top scorer of the tournament and was awarded the Golden Boot. He also made the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament alongside striking partner Torres.

2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup qualification

Spain's first match during qualification for the 2010 World Cup was against Bosnia and Herzegovina where Villa scored the only goal of the game. He would go on to score four goals in Spain's next three games, including a last minute winner against Belgium. Another goal during a friendly match against Chile saw him end the year with 12 goals, breaking Raúl's record of 10 goals held since 1999. Villa began 2009 with a goal against England in a 2–0 friendly, with this goal, he broke another record and became the first Spanish international to have scored in 6 consecutive games, seeing off records set by Telmo Zarra and Ladislao Kubala. Speaking of the goal he said, "I am very happy with the goal. Truth is, I really want to see it on TV. The record is very nice. I would never have imagined in years that I would be able to obtain it. I am very proud and I hope I can continue breaking records".

On 1 June 2009, Vicente del Bosque named Villa in his 23 man squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. In a friendly match before the tournament, Villa scored his second international hat-trick against Azerbaijan, nearly exactly a year after his hat-trick against Russia at Euro 2008. He débuted at the Confederations Cup with a goal, the last of the five goals in Spain's 5–0 victory over New Zealand, while in the next game he scored the decisive goal against a defensive Iraqi team. Against South Africa, he missed a penalty, but within a minute made up for the miss by putting Spain ahead, helping them equal the records of most consecutive wins and most consecutive matches undefeated before making way for Pablo Hernández. The goal was his last of the tournament but was enough to see him win the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe, he would also go on to make the team of the tournament.

Villa earned his 50th cap during a friendly against the Republic of Macedonia in a match where Spain won 3–2.

On 5 September 2009, Villa added two more goals to his goal tally for Spain, while assisting twice during the World Cup Qualifier against Belgium, in A Coruña. The match ended 5–0 to Spain where Villa also had a first-half penalty saved by the 30 year old A.S. Bari goalkeeper Jean-Francois Gillet. He finished the year with his sixth international brace against Austria in the Ernst-Happel-Stadion, the setting where Spain were crowned European Champions the previous year. With these two goals, Villa equalled the record he set last year of most goals scored in one calendar year by a Spanish international. Spain's first match in 2010 came on March 3, against France at the Stade de France. Villa scored the opening goal in a game which Spain went on to win 2–0.

2010 World Cup

In 2010, he came 1st in the IFFHS "2010's World Top Goalscorer at International Level" rankings, he was subsequently selected as a part of Vicente del Bosque's 23 man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In a friendly against Saudi Arabia on May 29, 2010, Villa scored the first of Spain's goals as they won 3-2 at the Tivoli Neu - the stadium where he scored his hat-trick against Russia during Euro 2008. Failing to score in Spain's next match against Korea Republic, he opened the score sheet in Spain's next match against Poland, a match where Poland lost 6-0, recording their worst defeat in 50 years.

In Spain's first 2010 World Cup match, Villa was chosen as a lone striker, but could do nothing to prevent their shock defeat at the hands of Switzerland. Five days later, Spain defeated Honduras 2-0, where Villa scored both goals, but wasted his chance to complete a hat-trick when he was awarded a penalty kick - side-footing the ball just wide of the post. It was the first time in fourteen attempts Spain ever missed a penalty in a World Cup during the run of play. In the same game, Villa was shown to slap Emilio Izaguirre in the face after the Honduran player trod on him. Villa said he was "not proud" of the heat of the moment incident, but he escaped a ban. Villa helped secure Spain's place in the round of 16 after scoring the first goal in a 2-1 win over Chile, with a long-range shot into an empty net after Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo ran out of his area to prevent Torres from scoring. The goal would become his 6th goal in FIFA World Cup matches, becoming Spain's all time top scorer at the World Cup finals, ahead of Emilio Butragueño, Fernando Hierro, Fernando Morientes and Raúl González, all of whom have five.

Spain were up against Portugal in the round of 16, and Villa would prove to be vital once again, as Xavi backheeled an Andrés Iniesta pass to the on-rushing Villa who hit the back of the net on the rebound after having his first shot saved by Eduardo, proving enough to give Spain a place in the quarter-finals against Paraguay, where Villa scored a goal from a rebound after Pedro hit the post. Once again, Villa's goal proved to be the difference as the match finished 1-0, while Spain booked a game with Germany in the semi-finals, where Spain recorded yet another 1-0 victory with the only goal coming from Carles Puyol.

Villa started in the final against the Netherlands, where he had an opportunity to score from close range, but was impeded by John Heitinga who managed to block his shot. Villa would eventually make way for Torres after 106 minutes on the pitch. Spain became world champions as they went on to win the match 1-0, while Villa was awarded the Silver Shoe, with the Gold Shoe going to Thomas Müller, both players had five goals, however, Müller had more assists. Villa was subsequently named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team.

Euro 2012 qualifying

Spain's first match of UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying was against Liechtenstein on 3 September 2010, Villa scored the second goal of the match which eventually ended 4-0. It was believed that this goal meant that he had equalled Raúl's record 44-goal tally, however, after many debates about whether he or Dariusz Dudka scored the first goal in Spain's 6-0 win over Poland, FIFA eventually decided that the goal was indeed an own goal by Dudka, meaning Villa's goal tally would remain at 43. On 12 October 2010, he finally equalled Raúl's record, scoring a penalty against Scotland and helping Spain see off the Scots in a 3-2 victory at Hampden Park.

On 25 March 2011, Villa scored two goals against the Czech Republic in a Euro 2012 qualifier, which ultimately handed Spain a 2-1 victory, while at the same time he managed to eclipse Raúl as Spain's all-time leading goalscorer. Speaking of the achievement, he stated that "The goals are dedicated to all the team-mates, all the coaches, all partners and friends I had during my career... But long ago I promised José, who is a friend of mine, that the goal which overtook Raul would be for him."

Succeeding Raúl as Spain's number 7

The Spanish media has often compared Villa with Raúl, to the point where Villa was accused of taking the #7 jersey away from the then-Real Madrid player. In March 2009, Villa spoke out saying, "I have not taken anything away from anybody, I was simply playing well for my club and the national coach gave me an opportunity. Too much has been said about the number issue. I’m not looking to cause any controversy. In fact, Raúl and I were in the national squad together in the past. I haven’t forced anybody out." When questioned on whether the whole uproar created over Raúl's omission was affecting him personally, he said, "I’ve never liked it because I think it has been damaging for the both of us. We’ve always got on well together whenever we’ve met up for international duty, so I’m not concerned. I just work hard for myself. All I want is to be in the squad for every game, to have the Spain badge on my chest and to score as many goals as I can."

In February 2010, Bernd Schuster was asked if Raúl did not favour Villa moving to Real Madrid, to which he responded with "I have a cough", this caused many to believe that he was implying the rumour to be true. Villa firmly ridiculed that idea by saying "It is impossible that a player with as much class on and off the pitch as Raúl would speak poorly of me. I have always had a good relationship with Raúl, even though we have hardly met on international duty."

Speaking of Raúl's record with the Spanish national team as the nation's leading top scorer, Villa said, "I've got 25 goals but he's got 44 and is still playing. I'd be delighted to reach that tally as I'd help the national team achieve great victories and, in many years' time, I could see my name on a [scorers' list] that another young lad was trying to beat. That would be great." On March 25, 2011, two years after making that remark, Villa passed Raúl as Spain's all-time top scorer.

Personal life

In 2003 Villa married his childhood sweetheart Patricia González (who had also been a footballer in her teenage years). They had a daughter who they named Zaida. Her name is engraved on his personalised Adidas F50's, while one boot bears the Spanish flag, the other has the Asturian flag. In 2009, his second daughter Olaya was born, named after the wife of Fernando Torres, who is a close friend of Patricia. His footballing idols are Luis Enrique and Quini.

Villa frequently attends charity events. He is actively involved with the campaigns of the UNICEF charity.

Beginning in July 2008, a "David Villa Camp" is held annually, where children receive training from professional footballers. Villa also participates in a training session with the children.

Villa featured on the Spanish box art for video game FIFA 07.

Music

In 2010 he sang alongside Grammy Award-nominated Spanish singer Ana Torroja on the song "Insurrection" by El Último de la Fila. The recording was made for the beneficiary project ''Voces X1FIN'', to help raise money to build an art and education school in Mali. Villa commented that footballers "are an example for society and we have to be ready to get involved in these projects, where we can help people who need it."

Career statistics

Club

As of 27 August 2011

12 12 13 13 0 0 18 20 20 20 6 15 8 16 18 28 21 7 0

Club	Season	League	Cup	Europe	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists
rowspan=3	Sporting Gijón B		30	|	0	—			—			30
2000–01 Segunda División B	2000-01	35	|	0	—			—			35
Total	65!!25!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!65!!25!!-
rowspan=4	Sporting Gijón		1	0	|	—			—			1
2001–02 Segunda División	2001-02	40	|	0	4	2	0	—			44
2002–03 Segunda División	2002-03	39	|	0	1	0	0	—			40
Total	80!!38!!0!!5!!2!!0!!0!!0!!0!!85!!40!!-
rowspan=3	Real Zaragoza		38	17	|	8	4	1	—			46	21	7
2004–05 La Liga	2004-05	35	|	5	1	2	0	10	3	2	46	20	7
Total	73!!32!!11!!9!!6!!1!!10!!3!!2!!92!!41!!14
rowspan=6	Valencia		35	25	|	4	2	0	1	1	0	40	28	8
2006–07 La Liga	2006-07	36	|	12	2	0	2	11	5	3	49	21	17
2007–08 La Liga	2007-08	30	|	7	6	1	2	7	3	2	41	22	11
2008–09 La Liga	2008-09	33	|	6	2	1	0	5	1	1	40	30	7
2009–10 La Liga	2009-10	32	|	5	2	0	1	11	7	4	42	28	10
Total	166!!108!!38!!16!!4!!5!!35!!17!!10!!212!!129!!53
rowspan=3	Barcelona		34	18	|	4	1	0	12	4	2	50	23	9
2011–12 FC Barcelona season	2011-12	0	|	0	2	1	0	1	0	0	2	1	0
Total	!34!!18!!7!!6!!2!!0!!13!!4!!2!!52!!24!!9
Career total		!418!!221!!56!!36!!14!!6!!58!!24!!14!!507!!259!!76

International

International statistics

''As of 14 August 2011.''

0 1 1 2 5 4 1 14

National team	Club	Year	Friendly	Competitive	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Ratio
rowspan="7"	Spain		Real Zaragoza	2004–05	0	|	1	0	1	0
rowspan="5"	Valencia	2005–06	5	|	7	4	12	5
2006–07	4	|	7	6	11	7
2007–08	4	|	8	4	12	6
2008–09	4	|	10	8	14	13
2009–10	6	|	9	7	15	11
	Barcelona	2010–11	6	|	5	4	11	5
Career Total	29	|	47	33	76	47

Note: ''Each season is September - August''

International goals

''As of 25 March 2011.''

Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia 1 March 2006 13 June 2006 13 June 2006 27 June 2006 2 September 2006 2 September 2006 6 September 2006 11 October 2006 24 March 2007 6 June 2007 6 June 2007 26 March 2008 31 May 2008 10 June 2008 10 June 2008 10 June 2008 14 June 2008 6 September 2008 10 September 2008 10 September 2008 11 October 2008 15 October 2008 19 November 2008 11 February 2009 9 June 2009 9 June 2009 9 June 2009 14 June 2009 17 June 2009 20 June 2009 5 September 2009 5 September 2009 18 November 2009 18 November 2009 3 March 2010 29 May 2010 21 June 2010 21 June 2010 25 June 2010 29 June 2010 3 July 2010 3 September 2010 12 October 2010 25 March 2011 25 March 2011 7 June 2011

'''David Villa international goals
# !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Goal !! Result !! Competition
'''2005–2006
1.	16 November 2005	|		1 – '''1	1 – 1	2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	|	Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain		1 – 1	3 – 2	Exhibition game>International friendly
3.	|	Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany		2 – 0	4 – 0	2006 FIFA World Cup
4.	|	Zentralstadion, Leipzig, Germany	Ukraine	3 – 0	4 – 0	2006 FIFA World Cup
5.	|	AWD-Arena, Hannover, Germany		1 – 0	1 – 3	2006 FIFA World Cup
'''2006–2007
6.	|	Estadio Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain		2 – 0	4 – 0	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
7.	|	Estadio Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain	Liechtenstein	3 – 0	4 – 0	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
8.	|	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland		1 – '''2	3 – 2	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
9.	|	Estadio Nueva Condomina>Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain		2 – 1	2 – 1	International friendly
10.	|	Santiago Bernabéu Stadium>Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain		2 – 0	2 – 1	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
11.	|	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0 – '''1	0 – 2	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
12.	|	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0 – '''2	0 – 2	UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying
'''2007–2008
13.	|	Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero>Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche, Spain		1 – 0	1 – 0	International friendly
14.	|	Nuevo Colombino, Huelva, Spain		1 – 0	2 – 1	International friendly
15.	|	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria		1 – 0	4 – 1	UEFA Euro 2008
16.	|	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Russia	2 – 0	4 – 1	UEFA Euro 2008
17.	|	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria	Russia	3 – 0	4 – 1	UEFA Euro 2008
18.	|	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria		1 – '''2	1 – 2	UEFA Euro 2008
'''2008–2009
19.	|	Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain		1 – 0	1 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
20.	|	Estadio Carlos Belmonte, Albacete, Spain		2 – 0	4 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
21.	|	Estadio Carlos Belmonte, Albacete, Spain	Armenia	3 – 0	4 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
22.	|	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia		0 – '''2	0 – 3	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
23.	|	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium		1 – '''2	1 – 2	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
24.	|	El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain		1 – 0	3 – 0	International friendly
25.	|	Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Sevilla, Spain		1 – 0	2 – 0	International friendly
26.	|	Tofik Bakhramov, Baku, Azerbaijan		1 – 0	6 – 0	International friendly
27.	|	Tofik Bakhramov, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	2 – 0	6 – 0	International friendly
28.	|	Tofik Bakhramov, Baku, Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	3 – 0	6 – 0	International friendly
29.	|	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa		5 – 0	5 – 0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
30.	|	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa		1 – 0	1 – 0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
31.	|	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa		1 – 0	2 – 0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009–2010
32.	|	Estadio Riazor, A Coruña, Spain	Belgium	2 – 0	5 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
33.	|	Estadio Riazor, A Coruña, Spain	Belgium	5 – 0	5 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
34.	|	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria		1 – '''2	1 – 5	International friendly
35.	|	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1 – '''3	1 – 5	International friendly
36.	|	Stade de France, Paris, France	France	0 – '''1	0 – 2	International friendly
37.	|	Tivoli Neu, Innsbruck, Austria		1 – 1	3 – 2	International friendly
38.	|	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa		1 – 0	2 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup
39.	|	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	Honduras	2 – 0	2 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup
40.	|	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria, South Africa	Chile	0 – '''1	1 – 2	2010 FIFA World Cup
41.	|	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa		1 – 0	1 – 0	2010 FIFA World Cup
42.	|	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa		0 – '''1	0 – 1	2010 FIFA World Cup
'''2010-2011
43.	|	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	Liechtenstein	0 – '''2	0 – 4	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
44.	|	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland		0 – '''1	2 – 3	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
45.	|	Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain		1 – 1	2 – 1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
46.	|	Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain		2 – 1	2 – 1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
47.	|	Estadio José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela		0 – 1	0 – 3	International friendly

Note: According to virtually all sources, Villa's apparent 38th goal (against Poland) was actually an own goal by an opponent. Although FIFA credited the goal to Villa at the time, their own website now says his goal against Scotland was his 44th, not 45th.

Honours

Club

;Real Zaragoza

Copa del Rey: 1

:: 2004

Supercopa de España: 1

:: 2004

;Valencia

Copa del Rey: 1

:: 2008

;Barcelona

La Liga: 1

:: 2010–11

UEFA Champions League: 1

:: 2010–11

Supercopa de España: 2

:: 2010, 2011

UEFA Super Cup: 1

:: 2011

Country

;Spain

UEFA European Championship: 1

:: 2008

FIFA World Cup: 1

:: 2010

Individual

;Awards

Don Balón Award (Spanish Player of the Year): 2005-06

Zarra Trophy: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10

UEFA Euro 2008 Golden Boot

UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament

Man of the Match Spain vs Russia, Spain vs Sweden Euro 2008

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Team of the Tournament.

2010 FIFA World Cup Silver Shoe

2010 FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball

FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010

Man of the Match Spain vs Honduras World Cup 2010

Male Athlete of the Year: 2010

FIFPro World XI: 2010

UEFA Team of the Year: 2010

Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010

;Achievements

Valencia Top Scorer: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10

La Liga's Top Assisting Player: 2006-07

Spain all time top scorer: 46 goals

Spain's all time top scorer in FIFA World Cup matches

Most goals scored in one World Cup (by a Spanish international): 5

Most goals scored in one calendar year (by a Spanish international): 12 (2008, 2009) Largest streak of games having scored (by a Spanish international): 6

Notes

References

External links

FC Barcelona profile

BDFutbol profile

Transfermarkt profile

National team data

David Villa career stats at ESPN

Statistics and Analytics of David Villa at Footbalistic

The David Villa Campus official website

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Official Site

John Aloisi|after= Incumbent|years=2009}} Hernán Crespo|after= Incumbent|years=2010}} Andrea Pirlo|after= Incumbent|years=2010}} Manny Pacquiao|after= Incumbent|years=2010}} }}

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:People from Langreo Category:Spanish footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:La Liga footballers Category:Sporting de Gijón footballers Category:Real Zaragoza footballers Category:Valencia CF footballers Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:Spain under-21 international footballers Category:Spain international footballers Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players

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The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups. Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a role so that relatively dark skinned people can be classified as white if they fulfill other social criteria of whiteness and relatively light skinned people can be classified as black if they fulfill the social criteria for blackness. As a biological phenotype being "black" is often associated with the very dark skin colors of some people who are classified as 'black'. But, particularly in the United States, the racial classification also refers to people with all possible kinds of skin pigmentation from the darkest through to the very lightest skin colors, including albinos, if they are believed by others to have African ancestry and exhibit cultural traits associated with being "African-American". Therefore, the term 'black people' is not an indicator of skin color but of racial classification.

Some definitions of the term include only people of relatively recent Sub Saharan African descent (see African diaspora). Among the members of this group, dark skin is most often accompanied by the expression of natural afro-hair texture (recent scientific study notes that human skin color diversity is highest in sub-Saharan African populations). Other definitions of the term "black people" extend to other populations characterized by dark skin, including some indigenous to Oceania and Southeast Asia.

Physiological traits

Dark skin

The evolution of dark skin is linked intrinsically to the loss of body hair in humans. By 1.2 million years ago, all people having descendants today had the same receptor protein of today's Africans; their skin was dark, and the intense sun lowered the chance of survival of those with lighter skin that resulted from mutational variation in the receptor protein. This is significantly earlier than the speciation of ''Homo sapiens'' from ''Homo erectus'' some 250,000 years ago.

Skin cancer as a result of ultraviolet light radiation causing mutations in the skin is less common among people with dark skin than it is among those with light skin. Furthermore, dark skin prevents an essential B vitamin, folate, from being destroyed. Therefore, in the absence of modern medicine and diet, a person with dark skin in the tropics would live longer, be healthier and more likely to reproduce than a person with light skin. White Australians have some of the highest rates of skin cancer as evidence of this expectation. Conversely, as dark skin prevents sunlight from penetrating the skin it hinders the production of vitamin D₃. Hence when humans migrated to less sun-intensive regions in the north, low vitamin D₃ levels became a problem and lighter skin colors started appearing. White people of Europe, who have low levels of melanin, naturally have an almost colorless skin pigmentation, especially when untanned. This low level of pigmentation allows the blood vessels to become visible which gives the characteristic pale pink color of white people. The loss of melanin in white people is now thought to have been caused by a mutation in just one letter out of 3.1 billion letters of DNA.

Hair

The texture of hair in people of Sub-Saharan African ancestry is noticeably different from that of Eurasian populations, as was already noted by Herodotus, who described the peoples of Libya (the "western Ethiopians") as ''wooly-haired''.

Such "afro-hair" texture is denser than its straight counterparts. Due to this, it is often referred to as 'thick', 'bushy', or 'woolly'. For several reasons, possibly including its relatively flat cross section (among other factors), this hair type conveys a dry or matte appearance. It is also very coarse, and its unique shape renders it very prone to breakage when combed or brushed.

The specific characteristics of the natural afro-hair form are unique among all mammals. The texture likely predates the evolution of dark skin. It evolved when, as pre-human Australopithecines lost most of their fur to enable perspiration, the need to protect the newly exposed pale skin underneath this body hair was crucial (see in light of Rogers and others., 2004 and Harding and others., 2000). The trait ceased to be essential to survival at the equator upon the evolution of hairless dark skin. Yet it has continued to be expressed vestigially among most Melanesians, Andaman Islanders, and sub-Saharan Africans.

Africa

North Africa

Sub-Saharan

Sub-Saharan Africa is a common, if imprecise term that encompasses African countries located south of the Sahara Desert. It is commonly used to differentiate the region culturally, ecologically, politically and, more controversially, racially, from North Africa, which has historically been part of the Mediterranean sphere. Because the indigenous people of this region are primarily dark-skinned, it is alternatively called "Black Africa". Some criticize the use of the term, because, having become in many quarters synonymous with ''Black Africa'', it can leave the mistaken impression that there are not indigenous Black populations in North Africa. Furthermore, the Sahara cuts across countries such as Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, and South Sudan, leaving some parts of them in North Africa and some in sub-Saharan Africa.

Owen 'Alik Shahadah argues that the term sub-Saharan Africa has racist overtones:

However, some Black Africans prefer to be culturally distinguished from those who live in the north of the continent.

Cultural ideas of a black race

South Africa

In South Africa during the apartheid era, the population was classified into four main racial groups: ''Black'', ''White'', ''Asian'' (mostly Indian), and ''Coloured''. The Coloured group included people of mixed Bantu, Khoisan, and European descent (with some Malay ancestry, especially in the Western Cape). The Coloured definition occupied an intermediary position between the Black and White definitions in South Africa.

The apartheid bureaucracy devised complex (and often arbitrary) criteria in the Population Registration Act to determine who belonged in which group. Minor officials administered tests to enforce the classifications. When it was unclear from a person's physical appearance whether a person was to be considered Colored or Black, the "pencil test" was employed. This involved inserting a pencil in a person's hair to determine if the hair was kinky enough for the pencil to get stuck.

During the apartheid era, those classed as 'Coloured' were oppressed and discriminated against. However, they did have limited rights and overall had slightly better socioeconomic conditions than those classed as 'Black'.

In the post-apartheid era, the ANC government's laws in support of their affirmative action policies define 'Black' people to include "Africans", "Coloureds" and "Asians". Their affirmative action policies have also favored 'Africans' over 'Coloureds'. Some South Africans categorized as 'African Black' openly state that 'Coloureds' did not suffer as much as they did during apartheid. The popular saying by 'Coloured' South Africans to illustrate their dilemma is:

In 2008, the High Court in South Africa ruled that Chinese South Africans who were residents during the apartheid era (and their descendents) are to be reclassified as "Black people" solely for the purposes of accessing affirmative action benefits, because they were also "disadvantaged" by racial discrimination. Chinese people who arrived in the country after the end of apartheid do not qualify.

Other than by appearance, 'Coloureds' can usually be distinguished from 'Blacks' by language. Most speak Afrikaans or English as a first language, as opposed to Bantu languages such as Zulu or Xhosa. They also tend to have more European-sounding names than Bantu names.

In the Middle East

Arab world

Black African and Near Eastern peoples have interacted since prehistoric times. Some historians estimate that as many as 14 million black slaves crossed the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Sahara Desert in the Arab slave trade from 650 to 1900 CE. The Moroccan Sultan Moulay Ismail "the Bloodthirsty" (1672–1727) raised a corps of 150,000 black slaves, called his Black Guard, who coerced the country into submission.

In more recent times, about 1000 CE, interactions between black people and Arabs resulted in the incorporation of extensive Arabic vocabulary into Swahili, which became a useful ''lingua franca'' for merchants. Some of this linguistic exchange occurred as part of the slave trade; the history of Islam and slavery shows that the major juristic schools traditionally accepted the institution of slavery. As a result, Arab influence spread along the east coast of Africa and to some extent into the interior (see Swahili people). Timbuktu was a trading outpost that linked West Africa with Berber, Arab, and Jewish traders throughout the Arab World. As a result of these interactions, some female-mediated gene flow into the Middle East from Sub-Saharan Africa can be observed in certain populations.

According to Dr. Carlos Moore, resident scholar at Brazil's University of the state of Bahia, Afro-multiracials in the Arab world self-identify in ways that resemble Latin America. He claims that black-looking Arabs, much like black-looking Latin Americans, consider themselves white because they have some distant white ancestry. Moore also claims that a film about Egyptian President Anwar Sadat had to be canceled when Sadat discovered that an African-American had been cast to play him. In fact, the 1983 television movie ''Sadat'', starring Louis Gossett, Jr., was not canceled. The Egyptian government refused to let the drama air in Egypt, partially on the grounds of the casting of Gossett.

Sadat's mother was a dark-skinned Sudanese woman and his father was a lighter-skinned Egyptian. In response to an advertisement for an acting position he remarked, "I am not white but I am not exactly black either. My blackness is tending to reddish".

Fathia Nkrumah was another Egyptian with ties to Black Africa. She was the late wife of Ghanaian revolutionary Kwame Nkrumah, whose marriage was seen as helping plant the seeds of cooperation between Egypt and other African countries as they struggled for independence from European colonization, which in turn helped advance the formation of the African Union.

Because of the patriarchal nature of Arab society, Arab men had more use of black female slaves than black male slaves, more black women were enslaved than men, and, because the Qur'an was interpreted to permit sexual relations between a male master and his female slave outside of marriage, many mixed race children resulted. When an enslaved woman became pregnant with her Arab captor's child, she became “umm walad” or “mother of a child”, a status that granted her privileged rights. The child would have prospered from the wealth of the father and been given rights of inheritance. Because of patrilineality, the children were born free and sometimes even became successors to their ruling fathers, as was the case with Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, (whose mother was a Fulani concubine), who ruled Morocco from 1578 to 1608. Such tolerance, however, was not extended to wholly black persons, even when technically "free," and the notion that to be black meant to be a slave became a common belief. The term "abd", (,) "slave," remains a common term for black people in the Middle East, often though not always derogatory.

Turkey

Beginning several centuries ago, a number of sub-Saharan Africans were brought by slave traders during the Ottoman Empire to plantations between Antalya and Istanbul in modern-day Turkey. Some of their descendants remain, mixed with the rest of the population in these areas, and many migrated to larger cities. Some came from the island of Crete following the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923.

Israel

About 150,000 black people live in Israel, amounting to just over 2% of the nation's population. The vast majority of these, some 120,000, are Beta Israel, most of whom came during the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, Israel is home to over 5,000 members of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem movement who reside mainly in a distinct neighborhood in the Negev town of Dimona. Unknown numbers of black converts to Judaism reside in Israel, most of then converts from the UK, Canada, and the United States. Thousands of mixed-race individuals with non-black Jewish relatives also live in Israel.

In the Americas

Approximately 12 million Africans were shipped to the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade from 1492 to 1888. Today their descendants number approximately 150 million, most of whom live in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, including Brazil. Many have a multiracial background of African, Amerindian, European and Asian ancestry. The various regions developed complex social conventions with which their multi-ethnic populations were classified.

United States

In the first 200 years that black people had been in the United States, they commonly referred to themselves as Africans. In Africa, people primarily identified themselves by ethnic group (closely allied to language) and not by skin color. Individuals would be Ashanti, Igbo, Bakongo or Wolof. But when Africans were brought to the Americas they were forced to give up their ethnic affiliations for fear of uprisings. The result was the Africans had to intermingle with other Africans from different ethnic groups. This is significant as Africans came from a vast geographic region, the West African coastline stretching from Senegal to Angola and in some cases from the south east coast such as Mozambique. A new identity and culture was born that incorporated elements of the various ethnic groups and of European cultural heritage, resulting in fusions such as the Black church and Black English. This new identity was now based on skin color and African ancestry rather than any one ethnic group.

In March 1807, Britain, which largely controlled the Atlantic, declared the trans-atlantic slave trade illegal, as did the United States. (The latter prohibition took effect January 1, 1808, the earliest date on which Congress had the power to do so under Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution.)

By that time, the majority of black people were U.S.-born, so use of the term "African" became problematic. Though initially a source of pride, many blacks feared its continued use would be a hindrance to their fight for full citizenship in the US. They also felt that it would give ammunition to those who were advocating repatriating black people back to Africa. In 1835 black leaders called upon black Americans to remove the title of "African" from their institutions and replace it with "Negro" or "Colored American". A few institutions however elected to keep their historical names such as African Methodist Episcopal Church. "Negro" and "colored" remained the popular terms until the late 1960s.

The term ''black'' was used throughout but not frequently as it carried a certain stigma. In his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. uses the terms ''Negro'' 15 times and ''black'' 4 times. Each time he uses ''black'' it is in parallel construction with ''white'' (for example,, black men and white men). With the successes of the civil rights movement a new term was needed to break from the past and help shed the reminders of legalized discrimination. In place of ''Negro'', ''black'' was promoted as standing for racial pride, militancy and power. Some of the turning points included the use of the term "Black Power" by Kwame Toure (Stokely Carmichael) and the release of James Brown's song "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". In 1988 Jesse Jackson urged Americans to use the term African American because the term has a historical cultural base. Since then African American and black have essentially a coequal status. There is still much controversy over which term is more appropriate. Some such as Maulana Karenga and Owen Alik Shahadah argue African-American is more appropriate because it accurately articulates geography and historical origin. Others have argued that "Black" is a better term because "African" suggests foreignness, despite the long presence of Black people in the US. Still others believe the term black is inaccurate because African Americans have a variety of skin tones. Surveys show that the majority of Black Americans have no preference for whether "African American" or "Black" is employed to describe them, although they also show that there is a slight preference for "Black" in personal settings and "African American" in more formal settings. The appropriateness of the term "African American" is further confused, however, by increases in the number of immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. The more recent African immigrants may sometimes view themselves, and be viewed, as culturally distinct from native descendants of African slaves.

The U.S. census race definitions says a black is a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "Black, African Am., or Negro," or who provide written entries such as African American, Afro American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian. However, the Census Bureau notes that these classifications are socio-political constructs and should not be interpreted as scientific or anthropological.

A considerable portion of the U.S. population identified as ''black'' actually have some Native American or White ancestry. For instance, genetic studies of African American people show an ancestry that is on average 17–18% European.

One drop rule

Historically, the United States used a colloquial term, the ''one-drop rule'', to designate a black person as any person with any known African ancestry. Legally the definition varied from state to state. Thomas Jefferson had slaves who were legally white (less than 25% Black) and legally slaves (mother was a slave). Outside of the US, some other countries have adopted the practice, but the definition of who is black and the extent to which the one drop "rule" applies varies from country to country.

The one drop rule may have originated as a means of increasing the number of black slaves and been maintained as an attempt to keep the white race pure. One of the results of the one drop rule was uniting the African American community and preserving an African identity. Some of the most prominent civil rights activists were multiracial, and advocated equality for all.

Blackness

thumb|upright|right|Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States, was throughout his campaign criticized as being either "too black" or "not black enough".The concept of blackness in the United States has been described as the degree to which one associates themselves with mainstream African American culture and values. To a certain extent, this concept is not so much about race but more about culture and behavior. Blackness can be contrasted with "acting white" where black Americans are said to behave with assumed characteristics of stereotypical white Americans, with regard to fashion, dialect, taste in music, and possibly, from the perspective of a significant number of Black youth, academic achievement.

The notion of blackness can also be extended to non-black people. Toni Morrison once described Bill Clinton as the first black president, because of his warm relations with African Americans, his poor upbringing and also because he is a jazz musician. Christopher Hitchens was offended by the notion of Clinton as the first black president noting "we can still define blackness by the following symptoms: alcoholic mothers, under-the-bridge habits...the tendency to sexual predation and shameless perjury about the same" Some black activists were also offended, claiming Clinton used his knowledge of black culture to exploit black people like no other president before for political gain, while not serving black interests. They note his lack of action during the Rwanda genocide and his welfare reform which some claim led to the worst child poverty since the 1960s along with the fact that the number of black people in jail increased during his administration.

The question of blackness also arose in Democrat Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. Commentators have questioned whether Obama, who was elected the first black President of the United States, is black enough, as his mother was white American, and his father was a black Kenyan immigrant. Obama refers to himself interchangeably as black and African American.

Brazil

The topic of race in Brazil is a complex and diverse one. A Brazilian child was never automatically identified with the racial type of one or both parents, nor were there only two categories to choose from. Between a pure black and a very light mulatto over a dozen racial categories would be recognized in conformity with the combinations of hair color, hair texture, eye color, and skin color. These types grade into each other like the colors of the spectrum, and no one category stands significantly isolated from the rest. That is, race referred to appearance, not heredity.

There is some disagreement among scholars over the effects of social status on racial classifications in Brazil. It is generally believed that upward mobility and education results in reclassification of individuals into lighter skinned categories. The popular claim is that in Brazil poor whites are considered black and wealthy blacks are considered white. Some scholars disagree arguing that whitening of one's social status may be open to people of mixed race, but a typically black person will consistently be identified as black regardless of wealth or social status.

Statistics

+Demographics of Brazil
Year!! White !! Pardo!! Black
1835	24.4%	18.2%	51.4%
2000	53.7%	38.5%

From the year 1500 to 1850 an estimated 3.5 million Africans were forcibly shipped to Brazil. An estimated 80 million Brazilians, almost half the population, are at least in part descendants of these Africans. Brazil has the largest population of Afro-descendants outside of Africa. In contrast to the US there were no segregation or anti-miscegenation laws in Brazil and as a result intermarriage has affected a large majority of the Brazilian population. Even much of the white population has either African or Amerindian blood. According to the last census 54% identified themselves as white, 6.2% identified themselves as black and 39.5% identified themselves as Pardo (brown)- a broad multiracial category.

A philosophy of whitening emerged in Brazil in the 19th century. Until recently the government did not keep data on race. However, statisticians estimate that in 1835 half the population was black, one fifth was Pardo (brown) and one fourth white. By 2000 the black population had fallen to only 6.2% and the Pardo had increased to 40% and white to 55%. Essentially most of the black population was absorbed into the multiracial category by intermarriage. A recent study found that at least 29% of the middle class white Brazilian population had some recent African ancestry.

Race relations in Brazil

Because of the ideology of miscegenation, Brazil has avoided the polarization of society into black and white. The bitter and sometimes violent racial tensions that divide the US are notably absent in Brazil.

However, the philosophy of the racial democracy in Brazil has drawn criticism from some quarters. Brazil has one of the largest gaps in income distribution in the world. The richest 10% of the population earn 28 times the average income of the bottom 40%. The richest 10 percent is almost exclusively white. One-third of the population lives under the poverty line, with blacks and other non-whites accounting for 70 percent of the poor.

In the US, black people earn 75% of what white people earn. In Brazil, non-whites earn less than 50% of what whites earn. Some have posited that Brazil does in fact practice the one drop rule when social economic factors are considered. This is because the gap in income between blacks and other non-whites is relatively small compared to the large gap between whites and non-whites. Other factors such as illiteracy and education level show the same patterns. Unlike in the US where African Americans were united in the civil rights struggle, in Brazil the philosophy of whitening has helped divide blacks from other non-whites and prevented a more active civil rights movement.

Though Afro-Brazilians make up half the population there are very few black politicians. The city of Salvador, Bahia for instance is 80% Afro-Brazilian but has never had a black mayor. Critics indicate that US cities that have a black majority, such as Detroit and New Orleans, have never had white mayors since first electing black mayors in the 1970s.

Non-white people also have limited media visibility. The Latin American media, in particular the Brazilian media, has been accused of hiding its black and indigenous population. For example the telenovelas or soaps are said to be a hotbed of white, largely blonde and blue/green-eyed actors who resemble Scandinavians or other northern Europeans more than they resemble the typical whites of Brazil, who are mostly of Southern European descent.

These patterns of discrimination against non-whites have led some to advocate for the use of the Portuguese term 'negro' to encompass non-whites so as to renew a black consciousness and identity, in effect an African descent rule.

In Asia and Australasia

China

As of August, 2008, ''The Migration Information Source'' article noted that "A Nigerian Embassy spokesman estimated that Nigerians possibly make up the largest group of Black Africans in China, with about 2,000 to 3,000 Nigerians in Guangdong in 2006. Most businessmen only stay temporarily."

India and Southeast Asia

The Great Andamanese are one of five Afro Asian ethnic groups (Adivasi or tribal) native to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands; they are among the first inhabitants of what is now India, arriving over 70,000 years ago. They are facing extinction. The other four ethnic groups are the Jangil, Jarawa, Onge and Sentinelese. By their external physical appearance (phenotype) such people resemble Black Africans with dark skin and sometimes tightly coiled hair. There have been suggestions of a Black African origin. However, in the case of the Andamanese people, a study conducted by the NCBI indicated that the Andamanese people possessed closer affinities with the Southeast Asian population than with the Black African population.

In South India there are also several communities of Black African descent, such as the Sheedis/Siddis, specifically the Siddis of Karnataka, who descend from Zanj (Black African) slaves. In Pakistan, Zanj descendants are known as the Makrani.

Other black people of Southeast Asia, collectively known as Negritos, include the Aeta people of Luzon and the Ati of Panay in the Philippines.

Melanesia

There are several groups of dark-skinned people who live in various parts of Asia, Australia and Oceania who sometimes are referred to as black people. They include the Indigenous Australians, the Melanesians (now divided into Austronesian-speaking populations and Papuans, and including the great genetic diversity of New Guinea), the Semang people of the Malay peninsula, and indigenous first nation Fijians.

In Europe

United Kingdom

According to the Office for National Statistics, as of the 2001 census, there are over a million black people in the United Kingdom; 1% of the total population describe themselves as "Black Caribbean", 0.8% as "Black African", and 0.2% as "Black other". Britain encouraged the immigration of workers from the Caribbean after World War II; the first symbolic movement was those who came on the ship the ''Empire Windrush''. The preferred official umbrella term is "black and minority ethnic" (BME), but sometimes the term "black" is used on its own, to express unified opposition to racism, as in the Southall Black Sisters, which started with a mainly British Asian constituency.

France

France is an ethnically diverse nation, with about 2.5 – 5 million black people.

Balkans

Due to the Ottoman slave trade that had flourished in the Balkans, the coastal town of Ulcinj in Montenegro had its own black community. As a consequence of the slave trade and privateer activity, a considerable number of Ulcinj inhabitants until 1878 were black. The Ottoman Army also sent an estimated 30,000 Black African troops and cavalrymen to its expedition in Hungary during the Austro-Turkish War of 1716–18.

Eastern Europe

As African states became independent in the 1960s, the Soviet Union offered many of their citizens the chance to study in Russia. Over a period of 40 years, about 400,000 African students from various countries moved to Russia to pursue higher studies, including many Black Africans. This extended beyond the Soviet Union to many countries of the Eastern bloc.

Debates on race

In Afrocentrism

A controversy over the skin color and ethnic origins of the ancient Egyptians was sparked as part of the Afrocentric debate. Afrocentrist scholars such as Cheikh Anta Diop contend that ancient Egypt was primarily a "black civilization". One source cited in support of their argument is Herodotus, who wrote around 450 B.C. that "Colchians, Ethiopians and Egyptians have thick lips, broad nose, woolly hair and they are burnt of skin." However, Classical scholar Frank Snowden, Jr. cautions against the reliance on accounts by ancient writers to describe the physical characteristics of other ancient peoples, as they held different connotations from those of modern-day terminology in the West. He also points out that other ancient writers clearly distinguished between Egyptians and Ethiopians.

Keita and Boyce confront this issue in a 1996 article entitled, "The Geographical Origins and Population Relationships of Early Ancient Egyptians". As anthropologists, they point out the danger in relying on ancient interpretation to reveal for us the biological make up of a population. In any case they contend, the relevant data indicates greater similarity between Egyptians and Ethiopians than the former group with the Ancient Greeks.

Ancient Egyptians are often portrayed in modern media as Caucasians. Afrocentrists, in particular, have been critical of this. According to Egyptologists, ancient Egypt was a multicultural society of Middle Eastern, Northeast African, and Saharan influences. Afrocentrists argue that anthropological and archaeological evidence shows that what they term an ''Africoid'' element was evident in ancient Egypt, which they argue was predominant in Abydos in the First dynasty of Egypt.

See also

African-American

African diaspora

African Jews

Afro-Europeans

Afro-Asian

Afro Asians (African Asians)

Afro-Latino

Afro-Trinbagonian

Black British

Black Canadians

Black Hispanic and Latino Americans

Black Indians

Black Jews

Black nationalism

Black Power

Black pride

Black separatism

Black supremacy

Creole peoples

List of topics related to the Black Diaspora

Mulatto

Negritos

Stereotypes of black people

Sub-Saharan Africa

''The Minds of Marginalized Black Men'' (book)

Footnotes

Category:Latin American caste system Category:Race

ca:Raça negra de:Schwarze et:Neegrid es:Negro (persona) eo:Nigrulo fr:Noir (humain) ko:흑인 la:Nigrita simple:Black people sv:Svart (hudfärg) uk:Негр ug:قارا تەنلىكلەر wuu:黑人 yi:שווארצע zh-yue:黑人 bat-smg:Negrā zh:黑人