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Owen Hargreaves

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203-465: Owen Lee Hargreaves (born 20 January 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder . He was known as a hard-working and "solid defensive midfielder who worked tirelessly to win the ball" and provide his teammates with possession. He played with Calgary Foothills as a youth before beginning his professional football career in Germany with Bayern Munich . After seven years with

406-456: A foul in the build-up to the goal. Depending on the format of the competition, an equal number of goals scored may result in a draw being declared with 1 point awarded to each team, or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out . Internationally, association football is governed by FIFA . Under FIFA, there are six continental confederations: AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA . Of these confederations, CONMEBOL

609-502: A headbutt incident, adding a derogatory comment that he had no idea what other role McManaman had in the game [and possibly for Manchester City]. Off the field at City, Fowler and McManaman were caught up in a sex scandal that appeared in the News of the World following a failed attempt by the pair to gain an injunction to prevent publication, costing them £50,000 in addition to making

812-450: A pitch . The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposing team by moving the ball beyond the goal line into a rectangular-framed goal defended by the opposing team. Traditionally, the game has been played over two 45-minute halves, for a total match time of 90 minutes. With an estimated 250 million players active in over 200 countries and territories, it is the world's most popular sport. The game of association football

1015-628: A stele of c.  375–400 BCE in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens appears on the UEFA European Championship trophy. Athenaeus , writing in 228 CE, mentions the Roman ball game harpastum . Phaininda, episkyros and harpastum were played involving hands and violence. They all appear to have resembled rugby football , wrestling , and volleyball more than what

1218-469: A "coincidence" that they pulled out and opted for Rivaldo instead, with it being notable that the fact Barcelona came back again in 1998 (after having already signed Rivaldo five months earlier) had stood as evidence of that point. Nonetheless, McManaman and Liverpool turned them down once and for all for the last time. McManaman had been named Liverpool stand-in captain at the start of the 1997–98 season , but contract negotiations continued to flounder as

1421-417: A "greedy bastard"...It is wholly dependent upon your standpoint as to whether McManaman is a sporting trail-blazer enjoying the benefits of a free market or the very personification of the greed which many would argue has devalued football in recent times." McManaman told the media after one such game where he became a victim of the "boo boys", saying, "That's understandable, when I came off the other day I knew

1624-579: A 2–1 win over Mallorca at the Son Moix stadium in Mallorca , where he assisted Fernando Morientes in scoring an injury time equaliser and thus enabling Madrid to go on to win 2–1 with seconds remaining. On 29 August 1999, McManaman scored his first goal for the club on his home debut in a 4–1 victory over Numancia at home. From December 1999 to January 2000, McManaman and the Madrid team took part in

1827-493: A French XI team in 1920, and also made up most of the England team against a Scottish Ladies XI in the same year, winning 22–0. Despite being more popular than some men's football events, with one match seeing a 53,000 strong crowd in 1920, women's football in England suffered a blow in 1921 when The Football Association outlawed the playing of the game on association members' pitches, stating that "the game of football

2030-585: A La Liga ambassador. He previously worked as a football pundit for Setanta Sports . McManaman was born in Bootle , Lancashire. He grew up as an Everton supporter, with his boyhood heroes in football being the Everton players Bob Latchford and Duncan McKenzie . However, when Everton offered the player a two-year contract, after McManaman had made a name for himself at tournaments for school and around Merseyside , McManaman's father (David- who had played at

2233-465: A bid to convince potential suitors of his fitness, and in August 2011, Manchester City offered Hargreaves a one-year contract, which he accepted, but he was released at the end of the season after just four appearances for the club. As a Canadian citizen with a Welsh mother and an English father, Hargreaves was eligible to represent Canada , Wales or England. Hargreaves initially played for Wales, and

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2436-442: A caution ( yellow card ) or dismissal ( red card ). A second yellow card in the same game leads to a red card, which results in a dismissal. A player given a yellow card is said to have been "booked", the referee writing the player's name in their official notebook. If a player has been dismissed, no substitute can be brought on in their place and the player may not participate in further play. Misconduct may occur at any time, and while

2639-469: A club-record transfer, saw the club forced to sell several key players to reduce debt. McManaman, alongside Redondo, Nicolas Anelka and Christian Karembeu , was suddenly told that he was surplus to requirements before the start of the 2000–01 season and would be sold. When McManaman refused to leave unlike the others, manager Vicente del Bosque told McManaman that he had "little chance of playing this year", and in case he did not understand his position,

2842-473: A contract rebel and mercenary at the time was also exacerbated by his involvement in a year-long dispute between 1997 and 1998 with Umbro , his football boot sponsor. Umbro sued him for breach of contract for knowingly wearing Reebok branded boots in contravention of the deal, and deliberately "blacking out" their logo on his boots in protest. McManaman argued that his contract was unenforceable and an unlawful restraint of trade . McManaman said that he

3045-433: A critical goal in second-half injury time to secure a 2–0 first-leg advantage, chipping over goalkeeper Roberto Bonano after being played in by Flávio Conceição , after Zidane had scored the first goal on 55 minutes. After the game Jorge Valdano added: "McManaman? McManaman is connected to everybody. A football match is a game of little societies and McManaman is a member of them all." This notable victory, Real's first at

3248-505: A deadlock; some competitions may invoke replays . A game tied at the end of regulation time may go into extra time, which consists of two further 15-minute periods. If the score is still tied after extra time, some competitions allow the use of penalty shoot-outs (known officially in the Laws of the Game as "kicks from the penalty mark") to determine which team will progress to the next stage of

3451-400: A goal has been scored or not; this was brought in to prevent controversy. Video assistant referees (VAR) have also been increasingly introduced in high-level matches to assist officials through video replays to correct clear and obvious mistakes. There are four types of calls that can be reviewed: mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card, goals and whether there was a violation during

3654-640: A latex bladder for pressurisation, but modern balls at all levels of the game are now synthetic. As the Laws were formulated in England, and were initially administered solely by the four British football associations within IFAB , the standard dimensions of a football pitch were originally expressed in imperial units . The Laws now express dimensions with approximate metric equivalents (followed by traditional units in brackets), though use of imperial units remains popular in English-speaking countries with

3857-488: A left-winger in this season (with Figo on the right), with the press noting that "the 'telepathy' McManaman and Roberto Carlos displayed down Madrid's left flank flummoxed almost every team they played." McManaman shone in this second season as Madrid advanced to the semi-finals of the Champions League (only to lose to eventual winners Bayern Munich), and won their 28th La Liga crown by a seven-point margin over

4060-508: A loss of form; however, McManaman managed to rally and pick up his play right at the end of that last campaign. McManaman scored a crucial goal away at Blackburn Rovers , set up a dramatic injury-time equaliser with a through-ball for Paul Ince to score in front of the Kop against Manchester United, and scored the winner with a "scorching drive" to complete the full turn around result against Tottenham Hotspur after trailing 2–0 at half-time. In what

4263-442: A major setback to hopes of playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup as Alex Ferguson omitted him from the squad for the knockout stage in favour of Belgian defender Ritchie De Laet . It was expected that Hargreaves would make his return from injury in a reserve team match against Manchester City on 11 March, but on the day of the match, Hargreaves pulled out of the game to continue with his training regime. He eventually made his comeback

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4466-682: A meagre 15 appearances in La Liga , questions constantly arose throughout the season about McManaman's ability and reasons for staying in Spain considering his diminished role, lack of first-team action and international attention. Suggestions that McManaman had "sold out" for money and had grown indifferent and lackadaisical to his football were rampant in the British Press, while Ian Farrell, writing in When Saturday Comes , described

4669-529: A meeting attended by representatives from Eton , Harrow , Rugby , Winchester and Shrewsbury schools. They were not universally adopted. During the 1850s, many clubs unconnected to schools or universities were formed throughout the English-speaking world to play various forms of football. Some came up with their own distinct codes of rules, most notably the Sheffield Football Club , formed by former public school pupils in 1857, which led to

4872-513: A mix of basketball, and volleyball. This is the earliest form of a kicking game for which there is historical evidence. The game was first recorded as in exercise in the Zhan Guo Ce , a military history from the Han dynasty . Cuju players would pass the ball around, having to avoid it touching the ground at any point. It was then passed to a designated player, who attempted to kick it through

5075-425: A new contract with McManaman and fearing that the player might leave on a Bosman free transfer , finally accepted a £12 million bid for the player from Barcelona ; Barcelona had previously tried (and failed) to sign McManaman twice before (after the 1996 FA Cup final and after Euro 96 ). The deal subsequently fell apart amidst recriminations about the player's remuneration demands and Barcelona's motives for

5278-426: A penalty kick. Other markings define the position of the ball or players at kick-offs , goal kicks, penalty kicks and corner kicks. A standard adult football match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each. Each half runs continuously, meaning that the clock is not stopped when the ball is out of play. There is usually a 15-minute half-time break between halves. The end of the match is known as full-time. The referee

5481-606: A player they had been looking at for a few months prior to their initial approach. On 31 August 2011, City confirmed that they had signed Hargreaves on a one-year deal. It was expected Hargreaves would join West Bromwich Albion, but the City offer came as a surprise. The move offered Hargreaves an opportunity for Champions League football as the club looked to challenge United for the Premier League . However, he

5684-416: A relatively recent history of metrication (or only partial metrication), such as Britain. The length of the pitch, or field, for international adult matches is in the range of 100–110 m (110–120 yd) and the width is in the range of 64–75 m (70–80 yd). Fields for non-international matches may be 90–120 m (100–130 yd) in length and 45–90 m (50–100 yd) in width, provided

5887-671: A reunion with several ex-colleagues including Robbie Fowler , Nicolas Anelka , and later, David James , prompting the media to state that Keegan was "reuniting the Spice Boys". McManaman made his debut on 14 September 2003 in a 4–1 win over Aston Villa at the City of Manchester Stadium , and quickly showed good early form with the club starting with a run of wins and progressing in the UEFA Cup , with McManaman hailed by Keegan to great hype, but by Christmas that year, results had fallen,

6090-528: A similar ancient game ( cuju , or tsu chu ) was played by women during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE), as female figures are depicted in frescoes of the period playing tsu chu . There are also reports of annual football matches played by women in Midlothian , Scotland, during the 1790s. Association football, the modern game, has documented early involvement of women. In 1863, football governing bodies introduced standardised rules to prohibit violence on

6293-530: A similar operation on his left knee in January 2009. However, this meant that he would miss the remainder of the 2008–09 season, ultimately meaning he would miss out on a second Premier League title as well as League Cup , FIFA Club World Cup and FA Community Shield winner's medals. Hargreaves underwent his rehabilitation programme in the United States, and was due to return to training with United at

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6496-581: A source of injury for a number of years, could withstand the impact of 'jumping from the Eiffel Tower ', a number of clubs including Bolton Wanderers Aston Villa , Tottenham Hotspur , Leicester City , West Bromwich Albion , Nottingham Forest Queens Park Rangers , Rangers , and "several MLS clubs", were believed to be considering an offer for Hargreaves. In Ferguson's autobiography released in 2013, he called Hargreaves one of his most disappointing signings. In 2020, ESPN ranked his transfer to United as

6699-499: A spectacular run and assist against Tottenham Hotspur . However, this form faltered following a drop in confidence after an incident with Bruce Grobbelaar towards the end of a Merseyside derby , when the players exchanged blows after Grobelaar lambasted McManaman for a poor clearance which led to a goal being conceded (an incident later named as one of the top five bust-ups between team-mates in Premier League history). At

6902-521: A spectacular volley in a 3–0 victory over Valencia . His performance on the greatest of club football stages saw him hailed as the man of the match by the English press , a view endorsed by his Madrid team-mate Iván Helguera . McManaman's part in Madrid's eighth European Cup win also saw him become the first English player ever to win Europe's premier club competition with a foreign club. Despite

7105-512: A substitute for Carsten Jancker in the 83rd minute. His first start came against SpVgg Unterhaching on 16 September 2000. That season the club were Bundesliga champions and also won the UEFA Champions League , with Hargreaves starting the final in central midfield. Hargreaves is one of only three English players to have won a Champions League medal with a non-English club, alongside two-time winner Steve McManaman (who won

7308-412: A substitute in a 3–3 draw against Málaga in mid-September. McManaman reportedly won over the manager by October and managed to feature in two-thirds of the club's matches, becoming a first-team regular for the remainder of the campaign—holding the unique distinction of being described as the only top-class football player from England playing overseas at the time. McManaman was also primarily deployed as

7511-402: A surfeit of flair players) and instead focusing on being a holding player and making short, simple passes of the ball in central midfield, where he was known for his one-touch passing and ability to never give the ball away. In February 2004, McManaman was criticised by Sir Alex Ferguson after an FA Cup Manchester derby at Old Trafford for "intimidating Gary Neville " to get him sent off in

7714-418: A tribute from guest of honour, celebrated veteran winger Sir Stanley Matthews , who had a personal word with McManaman before the final, saying: "I like the way you dribble," adding [to the press] after the final, "He reminds me of me when I was playing ... I wish there are more dribblers like him." By the end of 1995–96 , McManaman was top of the Premier League goal assists chart with 25 assists over

7917-564: A truce to the nation's civil war in 2006 and it helped further reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 by playing a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké , an occasion that brought both armies together peacefully for the first time. By contrast, football is widely considered to have been the final proximate cause for the Football War in June 1969 between El Salvador and Honduras . The sport also exacerbated tensions at

8120-480: A turning point for Liverpool after the lack of success during the previous two seasons. That season, he collected a League Cup winner's medal after scoring twice in his side's 2–1 win over Bolton Wanderers ; such was his performance that fans named it "The McManaman Final" . For his second Wembley final appearance in succession he was awarded man of the match, earning the Alan Hardaker Trophy and

8323-432: A variety of positions in which the outfield (non-goalkeeper) players are strategically placed by a coach, these positions are not defined or required by the Laws. The basic equipment or kit players are required to wear includes a shirt, shorts, socks, footwear and adequate shin guards . An athletic supporter and protective cup is highly recommended for male players by medical experts and professionals. Headgear

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8526-584: A week later, playing for 45 minutes of United's reserve team match against Burnley on 18 March. On 24 April, Hargreaves was named as an unused substitute for the first-team match against Tottenham Hotspur . On 2 May 2010, Hargreaves made his Premier League return in the 93rd minute of United's penultimate game of the season against Sunderland . It was his first Premier League action since a 1–1 draw with Chelsea in September 2008, in which time he had missed 113 matches in 20 months. Despite this, Hargreaves missed

8729-511: A year later. Jamie Carragher defended McManaman in his autobiography, stating that at the time: "Despite being accused of greed, Macca also lost money to secure the move. He was one of the lowest earners at Anfield (for years), despite being the top player, because he'd refused to sign a new contract. Financially he took a big risk, putting his career before money. I respect him for that." Another of McManaman's younger team-mates, David Thompson , also said (in an interview in 2019) that McManaman

8932-544: A youngster in North America, in addition to football, Hargreaves grew up watching and playing sports like basketball , ice hockey , and American football . His sporting heroes were basketball legend Michael Jordan and American football player Deion Sanders . Hargreaves tried out for Bayern Munich in October 1996. Hargreaves moved at the age of 16 from Calgary Foothills to Bayern Munich on 1 July 1997. He played in

9135-525: Is also a Football Analyst on news channel CNN , and has covered the Euro 2016 competition in France. Bayern Munich Manchester United Individual Association football Association football , more commonly known as football or soccer , is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players each, who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a ball around a rectangular field called

9338-469: Is happening. What happened to Redondo happened — well in the end Fernando had a good offer — but McManaman, what has Macca done to deserve the treatment he is getting from the manager?...[McManaman has been] treated with disrespect and is being humiliated—for no reason at all." An El País report in early September 2000 reported Del Bosque as being sympathetic (albeit the fact that his hands were tied) concerning McManaman with Del Bosque saying: "I expected

9541-461: Is in now in the team because his behaviour has been in accordance with the true values of the club". Johan Cruyff described McManaman at the time as the most useful player in the Galácticos because he was el socio del todos ("everyone's best partner on the pitch"). McManaman's partnership role functioned as one of a "perpetual motion style (that) moved defenders out of position and allowed

9744-451: Is in play, the players mainly use their feet, but may also use any other part of their body, such as their head, chest and thighs, except for their hands or arms, to control, strike, or pass the ball. Only the goalkeepers may use their hands and arms, and that only within the penalty area . The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner. There are situations where a goal can be disallowed, such as an offside call or

9947-410: Is marked by the goal line, two lines starting on the goal line 16.5 m (18 yd) from the goalposts and extending 16.5 m (18 yd) into the pitch perpendicular to the goal line, and a line joining them. This area has a number of functions, the most prominent being to mark where the goalkeeper may handle the ball and where a penalty foul by a member of the defending team becomes punishable by

10150-438: Is not a required piece of basic equipment, but players today may choose to wear it to protect themselves from head injury. Players are forbidden to wear or use anything that is dangerous to themselves or another player, such as jewellery or watches. The goalkeeper must wear clothing that is easily distinguishable from that worn by the other players and the match officials. A number of players may be replaced by substitutes during

10353-504: Is one of the most decorated English footballers to have played for a club abroad, with the UEFA website stating in 2012 that "of all England's footballing exports in the modern era, none was as successful as McManaman". During his nine years at Liverpool , he won the FA Cup and League Cup , while individually, he was the Premier League 's top assist provider for the 1995–96 season and

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10556-454: Is played in accordance with the Laws of the Game , a set of rules that has been in effect since 1863 and maintained by the IFAB since 1886. The game is played with a football that is 68–70 cm (27–28 in) in circumference . The two teams compete to score goals by getting the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts, under the bar, and fully across the goal line). When the ball

10759-405: Is positioned on each goal line, midway between the two touchlines. The inner edges of the vertical goal posts must be 7.32 m (24 ft) apart, and the lower edge of the horizontal crossbar supported by the goal posts must be 2.44 m (8 ft) above the ground. Nets are usually placed behind the goal, but are not required by the Laws. In front of the goal is the penalty area. This area

10962-816: Is quite unsuitable for females and should not be encouraged." Players and football writers have argued that this ban was, in fact, due to envy of the large crowds that women's matches attracted, and because the FA had no control over the money made from the women's game. The FA ban led to the formation of the short-lived English Ladies Football Association and play moved to rugby grounds. Women's football also faced bans in several other countries , notably in Brazil from 1941 to 1979, in France from 1941 to 1970, and in Germany from 1955 to 1970. Restrictions began to be reduced in

11165-506: Is recognisable as modern football. As with pre-codified mob football , the antecedent of all modern football codes , these three games involved more handling the ball than kicking it. Association football in itself does not have a classical history. Notwithstanding any similarities to other ball games played around the world, FIFA has described that no historical connection exists with any game played in antiquity outside Europe. The history of football in England dates back to at least

11368-593: Is the dominant region in women's football, with the United States winning the most FIFA Women's World Cups and Olympic tournaments. Europe and Asia come second and third in terms of international success, and the women's game has been improving in South America. Association football is played in accordance with a set of rules known as the Laws of the Game . The game is played using a spherical ball of 68–70 cm (27–28 in) circumference, known as

11571-623: Is the most-viewed sporting event in the world, surpassing the Olympic Games . The two most prestigious competitions in club football are the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women's Champions League , which attract an extensive television audience worldwide. The final of the men's tournament is the most-watched annual sporting event in the world. Association football is one of a family of football codes that emerged from various ball games played worldwide since antiquity. Within

11774-455: Is the official timekeeper for the match, and may make an allowance for time lost through substitutions, injured players requiring attention, or other stoppages. This added time is called "additional time" in FIFA documents, but is most commonly referred to as stoppage time or injury time , while lost time can also be used as a synonym. The duration of stoppage time is at the sole discretion of

11977-577: Is the oldest one, being founded in 1916. National associations (e.g. The FA in England) are responsible for managing the game in their own countries both professionally and at an amateur level, and coordinating competitions in accordance with the Laws of the Game. The most prestigious senior international competitions are the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup . The men's World Cup

12180-404: Is to score goals; defenders , who specialise in preventing their opponents from scoring; and midfielders , who dispossess the opposition and keep possession of the ball to pass it to the forwards on their team. Players in these positions are referred to as outfield players, to distinguish them from the goalkeeper. These positions are further subdivided according to the area of the field in which

12383-421: The football (or soccer ball ). Two teams of eleven players each compete to get the ball into the other team's goal (between the posts and under the bar), thereby scoring a goal. The team that has scored more goals at the end of the game is the winner; if both teams have scored an equal number of goals then the game is a draw. Each team is led by a captain who has only one official responsibility as mandated by

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12586-407: The 1992 FA Cup final as Liverpool defeated Sunderland with a score of 2–0. McManaman was also named the man of the match , having set up the winning goal for Michael Thomas , despite being the youngest player on the pitch. McManaman's performances saw him described by Ian Rush as the most promising young player at Liverpool at the time. Although McManaman had a couple of quieter seasons with

12789-523: The 2006–07 season, Hargreaves broke his leg, which kept him out of most of Bayern's league campaign that season. He recovered in time to take part in Bayern's victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League , progressing after an aggregate score of 4–4 thanks to their two away goals in the 3–2 defeat in the first leg at Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu . However, Bayern were knocked out in

12992-665: The Audi Cup in Munich. However, upon assessment, it was decided that he should continue with his rehabilitation in the United States. Hargreaves returned to the club on 23 September 2009, joined by his physiotherapist for a week to aid the transition process and for the club to understand his rehabilitation programme. In January 2010, it was speculated that Hargreaves was slated to return in time for United's Champions League first knockout round tie against Milan , despite not being fully match-fit. However, on 4 February, Hargreaves suffered

13195-527: The Caribbean and Oceania regions (except Australia ) have yet to make a mark in international football. When it comes to men's national teams, Europeans and South Americans continue to dominate the FIFA World Cup, as no team from any other region has managed to even reach the final. These regional trends do not hold true for the women's game, as the United States women's national team has won

13398-569: The Champions League . The 2003–04 season was Hargreaves' first with Bayern without winning any silverware. After clinching the double the year before, the Bavarian side finished second in the Bundesliga , and were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid. Hargreaves made a total of 38 appearances for the club in this season. In 2004–05 Hargreaves picked up another German championship and DFB-Pokal . He made 27 appearances in

13601-526: The DFB-Pokal . On 26 January 2003, Hargreaves scored his first Bundesliga goal in the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach . 2002–03 saw Hargreaves out injured on three occasions. In September he tore a thigh muscle, then in October a calf muscle. Towards the end of the season adductor problems meant he missed a further three weeks. Altogether he made 25 Bundesliga appearances, four in Cup games and three in

13804-499: The Football League First Division in a 2–0 league win over Sheffield United at Anfield . By the following season , Dalglish had been replaced by Graeme Souness as manager. On 17 August 1991, he made his full debut in a 2–1 win over Oldham Athletic . This was a game in which The Guardian reported that McManaman "ran his legs into the ground" all day and assisted his mentor John Barnes in scoring

14007-477: The Spice Boys for Oasis ." Andrew Longmore of The Independent on McManaman's arrival in Madrid. On 1 July 1999, after making 364 appearances and scoring 66 goals for Liverpool, McManaman transferred to La Liga club Real Madrid as Guus Hiddink 's last signing for the club. The transfer came before the sacking of Hiddink and also came while the club was under president Lorenzo Sanz . Prior to

14210-716: The Under-19 team for two and a half years before spending nine months with the Amateur team . While with the Under-19s the team reached the final of the German Championship in 1998. They lost in the final to Borussia Dortmund , but only after a penalty shoot-out in Dortmund's Stadion Rote Erde . On 12 August 2000, Hargreaves played in his first Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin , making an appearance as

14413-688: The fengliu yan , a circular goal atop 10–11 meter poles. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), cuju games were standardised and rules were established. The Silk Road facilitated the transmission of cuju outside of China, especially the form of the game popular in the Tang dynasty , the period when the inflatable ball was invented and replaced the stuffed ball. Other East Asian games include kemari in Japan and chuk-guk in Korea, both influenced by cuju . Kemari originated after

14616-474: The season , in the derby match away to Manchester City in a 1–0 defeat. Hargreaves scored his first league goal for United against Fulham on 1 March, a free kick from just outside the penalty box. He scored his second league goal for the club on 13 April, a free kick winner against Arsenal . In his first season with United they won the Premier League and Champions League titles. In the Champions League final , Hargreaves played all 120 minutes, starting on

14819-516: The (Galatico) superstars to flourish". A further honour was also extended on the pitch by the club in December 2002, whereas part of Madrid's Centenary Celebrations, McManaman was made the first Englishman to captain Real Madrid in a game against a FIFA World XI, to the applause of the ultras , with whom he had always been a cult favourite, and where the group is sometimes also known as

15022-535: The 19-year-old into his squad for the match against Georgia . The game, played at the Riverside Stadium , Middlesbrough , ended in a 6–1 win for the home team. Further appearances for the under-21s followed in friendlies against Italy and Spain . Hargreaves played his first full international game on 15 August 2001 against the Netherlands at White Hart Lane , giving him the distinction of being

15225-635: The 1960s and 1970s. The Italian women's football league was established in 1968. In December 1969, the Women's Football Association was formed in England, with the sport eventually becoming the most prominent team sport for women in the United Kingdom. Two unofficial women's World Cups were organised by the FIEFF in 1970 and in 1971 . Also in 1971, UEFA members voted to officially recognise women's football, while The Football Association rescinded

15428-521: The 21st century, under the influence of international television, "football" has been gaining prevalence, despite the dominance of other codes of football, namely rugby union and rugby league . The term soccer comes from Oxford "-er" slang, which was prevalent at the University of Oxford in England from about 1875, and is thought to have been borrowed from the slang of Rugby School . Initially spelt assoccer (a shortening of "association"), it

15631-563: The 27th worst Premier League transfer of all time. On 30 August 2011, Hargreaves was pictured supposedly having a medical with Manchester City doctor Phillip Batty ahead of a move to the club. City had been looking for a replacement for Patrick Vieira who retired the season before and an additional midfielder due to Yaya Touré 's anticipated absence during January 2012 because of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations . They had earmarked Daniele De Rossi , Fernando Gago and Mark van Bommel but when these approaches failed, City turned to Hargreaves –

15834-579: The British press as suffering from "a selective media amnesia over McManaman's time in Spain". Nonetheless, McManaman managed to pick up a second La Liga medal for the year and was in the squad that won the Intercontinental Cup in Japan. At the start of the 2003–04 pre-season , the signing of fellow Englishman David Beckham proved the last straw in eventually forcing McManaman down the pecking order at Real Madrid. McManaman remained with

16037-578: The Bundesliga (one goal), played in three Cup games (two goals) and eight Champions League games. In the 2005–06 season, he added another Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal title. Hargreaves scored the first goal at the new Allianz Arena in a competitive match on 5 August 2005, against Borussia Mönchengladbach. In all, he made 15 league appearances (one goal), four cup appearances (two goals) and three Champions League appearances. In October 2005, he extended his contract at Bayern for another four years. In

16240-455: The Camp Nou since 1993, helped secure their place in the final of the 2002 Champions League at Hampden Park , Glasgow , where McManaman came on as a replacement for Figo on the hour mark – and thereby ensuring his second Champions League winners' medal, after Madrid secured a 2–1 victory over German team Bayer Leverkusen . McManaman was used as a late substitute for games at the start of

16443-542: The Champions League final performance and having established himself as a valuable player in his first year in Madrid (including being listed alongside Fernando Redondo in Real Madrid's technical director Pirri 's end of season official report as one of the two "untouchables" around whom the team should be built for the coming campaign), the arrival of a new club president in Florentino Pérez , closely followed by former Barcelona superstar midfielder Luís Figo in

16646-477: The Champions League with Real Madrid in 1999–2000 and 2001–02 ) and Jude Bellingham(who won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2024). In the 2001–02 season Hargreaves established himself as a first team regular. He made 46 appearances in all, with the club finishing third in the Bundesliga , making the quarter-finals of the Champions League and being defeated in the DFB-Pokal by Schalke . The club regained their Bundesliga title in 2002–03 , along with

16849-479: The English-speaking world, the sport is now usually called "football" in Great Britain and most of Ulster in the north of Ireland, whereas people usually call it "soccer" in regions and countries where other codes of football are prevalent, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, most of Ireland (excluding Ulster), and the United States. A notable exception is New Zealand, where in the first two decades of

17052-576: The FIFA Women's World Cup four times, more than any other women's team. Football is played at a professional level all over the world. Millions of people regularly go to football stadiums to follow their favourite teams, while billions more watch the game on television or on the internet. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. According to a survey conducted by FIFA published in 2001, over 240 million people from more than 200 countries regularly play football. Football has

17255-910: The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association , the Football Association of Wales , and the Irish Football Association . FIFA , the international football body, was formed in Paris in 1904 and declared that they would adhere to the Laws of the Game of the Football Association. The growing popularity of the international game led to the admittance of FIFA representatives to the IFAB in 1913. The board consists of four representatives from FIFA and one representative from each of

17458-467: The Game while the ball is in play. The offences that constitute a foul are listed in Law 12. Handling the ball deliberately, tripping an opponent, or pushing an opponent, are examples of "penal fouls", punishable by a direct free kick or penalty kick depending on where the offence occurred. Other fouls are punishable by an indirect free kick . The referee may punish a player's or substitute's misconduct by

17661-475: The IFAB Laws. Each team consists of a maximum of eleven players (excluding substitutes ), one of whom must be the goalkeeper . Competition rules may state a minimum number of players required to constitute a team, which is usually seven. Goalkeepers are the only players allowed to play the ball with their hands or arms, provided they do so within the penalty area in front of their own goal. Though there are

17864-430: The Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and whose decisions are final. The referee is assisted by two assistant referees . In many high-level games there is also a fourth official who assists the referee and may replace another official should the need arise. Goal line technology is used to measure if the whole ball has crossed the goal-line thereby determining whether

18067-479: The Laws of the Game: to represent their team in the coin toss before kick-off or penalty kicks . The primary law is that players other than goalkeepers may not deliberately handle the ball with their hands or arms during play, though they must use both their hands during a throw-in restart. Although players usually use their feet to move the ball around, they may use any part of their body (notably, "heading" with

18270-544: The Match' awards, and Premier League managers were forced to deploy a man-marker specifically to follow him for an entire game. The then Middlesbrough manager, Bryan Robson , was quoted as saying that "everyone in the Premiership knows that if you stop McManaman, you stop Liverpool". According to interviews on an ITV documentary titled The Alex Ferguson Story (1998), Peter Schmeichel stated that Sir Alex Ferguson

18473-443: The Munich side – during which time he won four German league titles and the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League  – Hargreaves signed for Manchester United in 2007, winning the Premier League and UEFA Champions League in his first season. However, his time at Manchester United was thereafter plagued with injuries and he was allowed to leave the club at the end of his contract in June 2011. Hargreaves posted YouTube videos in

18676-518: The Ultra South (or "Ultrasurs"). Another great moment in the white of Madrid took place in the 2002 UEFA Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on 23 April 2002. In this match of huge proportions, due to El Clásico being a massive game in its own right, but also the fact that it was a Champions League semi-final, McManaman appeared as a second-half substitute to score

18879-1056: The aching and played on. It emerged by 2008 that Hargreaves was suffering from a problem with his patella tendon and this was eventually narrowed down to patellar tendinitis . Surgeon Richard Steadman stated that Hargreaves knees were in a worse state than any other he had come across in his 35 years of experience. After numerous operations on both his knees, Steadman said in September 2010 that Hargreaves' problems with his knees were over but Alex Ferguson denied this. In November 2010, Hargreaves made his first start for Manchester United in 777 days, but limped off after six minutes. In 2011, Manchester United did not renew his contract due to his injury troubles. Speculation rumbled about Hargreaves retiring due to his injuries but determined to prove himself, he uploaded YouTube videos of himself training to convince potential clubs of his fitness. His determination to carry on despite chronic injury won him admirers. After his move to Manchester City, Hargreaves stated that he felt like "a guinea pig" during his time on

19082-485: The advent of the Premier League , in which Liverpool initially struggled, he continued to develop a reputation as one of English football's two best emerging young wingers alongside Ryan Giggs of Manchester United . A BBC article described the pair as able to "embarrass defences with their mazy runs, which too often lack the finishing touch they deserve". In the 1993–94 season , McManaman showed fine form with two goals against Swindon Town and some assists including

19285-644: The arrival of McManaman, Real Madrid was described as undergoing a management and debt crisis. Forward Raúl told the press that the dressing room was "a cesspit of lies, treachery and whispers" and commented that he felt "sorry for new players like Steve McManaman coming into the club". Raúl added that "[if] McManaman thinks he is coming to one of the world's top clubs then he has made a big mistake." Previously, Real Madrid had appointed John Toshack as its new coach and had been obliged to sell influential players such as Predrag Mijatović , Davor Šuker and Christian Panucci due to mounting debt, while Clarence Seedorf

19488-472: The audience to be affectionate with McManaman because he is a player very dear here. We will try to unite Real Madrid through the game although there are sectors that think more about those who are not." McManaman meanwhile was adamant that even if the situation to get him to leave was created around him, no one from the club's hierarchy ever told him to leave to his face, with the Spanish press even expressing

19691-460: The ban that prohibited women from playing on association members' pitches in England. Women's football still faces many struggles, but its worldwide growth has seen major competitions being launched at both the national and international levels, mirroring the men's competitions. The FIFA Women's World Cup was inaugurated in 1991: the first tournament was held in China, featuring 12 teams from

19894-410: The beginning of each playing period with a kick-off until the end of the playing period, the ball is in play at all times, except when either the ball leaves the field of play, or play is stopped by the referee. When the ball becomes out of play, play is restarted by one of eight restart methods depending on how it went out of play: A foul occurs when a player commits an offence listed in the Laws of

20097-501: The beginning of the 1994–95 season , McManaman signed a new million-pound contract, and was given a central, freer role by new manager Roy Evans , who wanted to utilise McManaman's natural running and dribbling ability to drift all over the park. It proved a successful decision as McManaman began mesmerising defences with runs that were later to become hallmarks of the Liverpool side of the 1990s. The 1994–95 season also proved to be

20300-429: The beginning of the 2010–11 season, having suffered another injury, for which he travelled to the United States to see a specialist. On 24 September, manager Ferguson announced that Hargreaves had returned to training. On 6 November 2010, he made his first start since September 2008 against Wolverhampton Wanderers , however it was short-lived after a hamstring injury forced his withdrawal for Bébé just five minutes into

20503-534: The beginning of the Croatian War of Independence of the 1990s, when a match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990. Women's association football has historically seen opposition, with national associations severely curbing its development and several outlawing it completely. Women may have been playing football for as long as the game has existed. Evidence shows that

20706-561: The bid, being in negotiation with Brazilian superstar Rivaldo at the same time and snubbing McManaman when he travelled to Spain to meet them. At its height, the transfer saga was dubbed by the International Herald Tribune (later acquired by the New York Times ) as one that ushered in a "new low in transfer trading tactics"; adding that McManaman was a pawn being "used" as the big clubs battled. By

20909-404: The buildup, direct red card decisions, and penalty decisions. The ball is spherical with a circumference of between 68 and 70 cm (27 and 28 in), a weight in the range of 410 to 450 g (14 to 16 oz), and a pressure between 0.6 and 1.1 standard atmospheres (8.5 and 15.6 pounds per square inch ) at sea level. In the past the ball was made up of leather panels sewn together, with

21112-534: The campaign and after scoring a goal and assisting in a couple of new signing Ronaldo's goals he was given surprise starts. In one of his starts, he scored a brace against AEK Athens in the Champions League. McManaman also started in a game in 2003 in which Madrid were beaten 4–3 at Old Trafford against Manchester United in the Champions' League, even as Ronaldo hit a hat-trick. Nonetheless, after only playing 21 games of which he started only nine times, and making

21315-428: The case look like an invariable admission of guilt. The court case came soon after football's " roasting " and rape allegations at Chelsea earlier that year and served only to exacerbate their situations and affected their reputations off and on the pitch at the club, while an incident involving Fowler and McManaman and three other players deliberately missing the team bus at Leicester also did not go down well with

21518-679: The champions of these two club competitions would contest the Intercontinental Cup to prove which team was the best in the world. In the 21st century, South America has continued to produce some of the best footballers in the world, but its clubs have fallen behind the still dominant European clubs, which often sign the best players from Latin America and elsewhere. Meanwhile, football has improved in Africa , Asia and North America , and nowadays, these regions are at least on equal grounds with South America in club football, although countries in

21721-545: The chance to play abroad and now that chance has come along. When you have a chance to join clubs who are involved in the Champions' League every season, you have to consider it...I'm sure everyone must see the logic in that." Numerous European clubs circled the soon-to-be free agent, with Juventus again back in the fray amid huge media speculation, but La Liga club Real Madrid soon emerged in November through December 1998 as his most likely destination. In January 1999, it

21924-411: The club also declined to give him a squad number for the forthcoming season. With the club already in debt, and having just spent another £37 million on Figo, the board were keen to cash in on McManaman and remove his $ 4.5 million salary from the wage bill. McManaman, however, with an iron-clad contract until 2004, declined to leave and instead stated his determination to win back his place in

22127-639: The club could not match the sums available to McManaman if he left as a free agent at the end of the following campaign . Having been overlooked by Glenn Hoddle for the 1998 FIFA World Cup starting lineup, denounced in the English media as being greedy (due to the FC Barcelona fiasco) and bolstered by advice from the likes of fellow professionals Paul Ince , Paul Gascoigne , David Platt and Chris Waddle , McManaman publicly announced his desire to play abroad, explaining: "I have always said I would love

22330-472: The club for its full pre-season, even after coach Vicente del Bosque was given a shock sacking 24 hours after having won the club's latest La Liga title, but in the close season, and the arrival of Carlos Queiroz as the new coach, McManaman was released by the club after helping Beckham with the language and to settle in, despite Beckham's pleas with the management for McManaman to remain. In 2003–04, along with team-mates Claude Makélélé (where McManaman

22533-438: The club in the 1998–99 season , he began turning in mixed performances, with the media accusing him of playing out his final season in a "desultory manner". His form dipped at times, largely due to a combination of injuries (his first recurrent achilles injuries for over five years having set in after years of playing constantly )—where he had already missed an entire month from mid-November, only to return and reluctantly limp off

22736-457: The club were poor in communicating and handling his matters including selling him to FC Barcelona (without consulting him at all) – were all behind his decision back then. These were details which McManaman had never personally revealed publicly prior; and for over 20 years (arguably for confidentiality purposes and to protect the club's reputation). At the time, in McManaman's final games for

22939-686: The confidence to go past players." Sir Alex Ferguson on McManaman's performance in the 2000 UEFA Champions League Final . Following a successful pre-season with the Madrid team in Switzerland and Italy , McManaman and his teammates returned to Spain . McManaman proved immediately to be popular with Real Madrid's supporters at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium after scoring three times and creating several goals in his first few pre-season games for Los Merengues . On 22 August 1999, McManaman made his debut for Real Madrid in

23142-513: The controversial inaugural FIFA Club World Championships in Rio de Janeiro , where McManaman missed an injury time chance to win a game against Necaxa and then also missed the penalty kick that would have sent Madrid into third place. Following this tournament, McManaman and the team returned to Spain and established themselves as a strong European side under new coach Vicente del Bosque , who had replaced John Toshack in November. McManaman's form in

23345-425: The course of the game. The maximum number of substitutions permitted in most competitive international and domestic league games is five in 90 minutes, with each team being allowed one more if the game should go into extra-time; the permitted number may vary in other competitions or in friendly matches . Common reasons for a substitution include injury, tiredness, ineffectiveness, a tactical switch, or timewasting at

23548-444: The deal. He finally won an out-of-court settlement in October 1998, freeing him to negotiate with other companies for what he regarded as remuneration appropriate to his status. Having signed the pre-contract with Real Madrid, McManaman still had five months left on his contract at Liverpool. New manager Gérard Houllier , who had replaced Roy Evans as full coach following the failure of their joint-managerial role that very season,

23751-495: The desire to test himself in the Champions League. In 2021, McManaman finally shed new light on his decision to leave Liverpool back in 1999, stating that a combination of factors including being underappreciated at Liverpool – having not been offered the right contractual deal (as the club presumed on his staying on indefinitely simply because he was a local talent thus only sanctioning higher offers commensurate with his true value when they realised he would actually leave); and that

23954-453: The eighth century. The modern rules of association football are based on the mid-19th century efforts to standardise the widely varying forms of football played in the public schools of England. The Cambridge rules , first drawn up at the University of Cambridge in 1848, were particularly influential in the development of subsequent codes, including association football. The Cambridge rules were written at Trinity College, Cambridge , at

24157-524: The end of England's participation, widely considered one of the few successes of the English squad. He was named Man of the match in the quarter-final against Portugal , the game in which England were eliminated after a penalty shootout , Hargreaves having been the only successful English penalty taker. In 2006, he won both England Player of the Year, and England Player of the World Cup in official FA polls,

24360-420: The end of a finely poised game. In standard adult matches, a player who has been substituted may not take further part in a match. IFAB recommends "that a match should not continue if there are fewer than seven players in either team". Any decision regarding points awarded for abandoned games is left to the individual football associations. A game is officiated by a referee , who has "full authority to enforce

24563-507: The end of the saga, Barcelona had signed Rivaldo after Sir Bobby Robson changed his mind (he had earlier told LFC vice-chairman Peter Robinson that he wanted the player) and intervened and told Louis van Gaal that he decided McManaman was "a cosmetic player who would not score 18 goals a season for Barcelona", while McManaman himself, albeit expressing that he was surprised Liverpool were willing to sell him, stated that he had no desire to leave Liverpool and with two years left on his contract

24766-468: The entrance of the players' tunnel. "…as Steve McManaman was unveiled at a press conference at the Bernabeu stadium, a mile up the road Clarence Seedorf was explaining his part in a dressing-room altercation with Fernando Hierro … The Madrid newspapers had carried a word-by-word and blow-by-blow account of the spat that morning. Pitched unwittingly into the mayhem, McManaman must feel as if he has left

24969-460: The final game against Wimbledon." McManaman himself also credited Houllier for his kindness during what ultimately was a difficult period, adding: "...it was a difficult situation for the pair of us, so I've got nothing but respect for the way he acted." The Guardian reported on how divided the Liverpool fans were about McManaman's departure: "At the age of 27 McManaman is articulate enough to appeal to his public's elders, pretty enough to disrupt

25172-510: The first team had come as a result of then manager Graeme Souness ' decision to sell several ageing players. Moreover, McManaman also found opportunities in the first team as John Barnes had suffered a career threatening achilles tendon injury. McManaman was deployed as a left-sided or right-sided forward, backing the club's new signing Dean Saunders . This was a move which Saunders reluctantly accepted at first, having realised that Souness "had [no choice but] to bring kids like McManaman into

25375-671: The first to win both in the same year. Hargreaves picked up the Man of the match award in England's 4–0 win over Greece on 16 August 2006. On 30 January 2007 he was voted England Player of the Year 2006, as voted for by visitors to the Official FA site. In June 2007, FIFA announced that Hargreaves and Philipp Lahm would visit South Africa in advance support for the 2010 FIFA World Cup . After his transfer to Manchester City in 2011, England coach Fabio Capello hoped that Hargreaves would regain his fitness saying "I hope he will be really good in

25578-420: The forehead) other than their hands or arms. Within normal play, all players are free to play the ball in any direction and move throughout the pitch, though players may not pass to teammates who are in an offside position. During gameplay, players attempt to create goal-scoring opportunities through individual control of the ball, such as by dribbling , passing the ball to a teammate, and by taking shots at

25781-528: The formation of a Sheffield FA in 1867. In 1862, John Charles Thring of Uppingham School also devised an influential set of rules. These ongoing efforts contributed to the formation of The Football Association (The FA) in 1863, which first met on the morning of 26 October 1863 at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street , London. The only school to be represented on this occasion

25984-531: The four British associations. For most of the 20th century, Europe and South America were the dominant regions in association football. The FIFA World Cup , inaugurated in 1930 , became the main stage for players of both continents to show their worth and the strength of their national teams. In the second half of the century, the European Cup and the Copa Libertadores were created, and

26187-411: The future. McManaman was said to be a natural athlete ; having been a cross country champion at school level. McManaman developed through the youth scheme at Liverpool and signed as a full professional on 19 February 1990 in what was to be Kenny Dalglish 's final full season as manager. On 15 December 1990, McManaman made his Liverpool debut under Dalglish as a substitute for Peter Beardsley in

26390-695: The game in a specific position, there are few restrictions on player movement, and players can switch positions at any time. The layout of a team's players is known as a formation . Defining the team's formation and tactics is usually the prerogative of the team's manager . There are 17 laws in the official Laws of the Game, each containing a collection of stipulations and guidelines. The same laws are designed to apply to all levels of football for both sexes, although certain modifications for groups such as juniors, seniors and people with physical disabilities are permitted. The laws are often framed in broad terms, which allow flexibility in their application depending on

26593-425: The goal, which is guarded by the opposing goalkeeper. Opposing players may try to regain control of the ball by intercepting a pass or through tackling the opponent in possession of the ball; however, physical contact between opponents is restricted. Football is generally a free-flowing game, with play stopping only when the ball has left the field of play or when play is stopped by the referee for an infringement of

26796-404: The highest global television audience in sport. In many parts of the world, football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans , local communities, and even nations. Ryszard Kapuściński says that Europeans who are polite, modest, or humble fall easily into rage when playing or watching football games. The Ivory Coast national football team helped secure

26999-461: The home fans turned against him over the contract debacle, with some labelling him a "traitor" and a Judas figure. Nonetheless, Houllier also avoided dropping McManaman entirely from the squad and gave him the chance to play. Houllier stated: "Macca had decided to leave, that's why he didn't sign the year before. When I arrived it was his final year and I didn't want to punish him in any way for that, although I might have done with another player. It

27202-687: The instigation of Alcock. England is also home to the world's first football league , which was founded in Birmingham in 1888 by Aston Villa director William McGregor . The original format contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England . Laws of the Game are determined by the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The board was formed in 1886 after a meeting in Manchester of

27405-707: The lack of a crossbar, rules which made it remarkably similar to Victorian rules football being developed at that time in Australia. The Sheffield FA played by its own rules until the 1870s, with the FA absorbing some of its rules until there was little difference between the games. The world's oldest football competition is the FA Cup , which was founded by the footballer and cricketer Charles W. Alcock , and has been contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match also took place in 1872, between Scotland and England in Glasgow , again at

27608-411: The late winner by flicking on Mark Walters ' cross. McManaman scored his first ever professional goal with a diving header four days later on 21 August 1991, in a 2–1 defeat to Manchester City at Maine Road . The 19-year-old McManaman quickly became a regular first team player in the 1991–92 season , making 51 appearances in total in only his first full season. It was suggested that opportunities in

27811-495: The lower leagues level for Pwllheli F.C. in Wales ), rejected it in favour of a schoolboy contract and two-year apprenticeship offer from Liverpool (through scout Jim Aspinall and then manager Kenny Dalglish ). McManaman signed as a 16-year-old apprentice upon leaving school in 1988. As an apprentice, McManaman was under the mentorship of John Barnes and many regarded McManaman as a player who could potentially replace Barnes in

28014-479: The management about the way McManaman was treated after McManaman turned down again another transfer attempt, this time to Lazio , who came in with an £8 million offer. In September of that year, several Real Madrid first-team stars were reported as having taken up a dressing room revolt collectively for McManaman and went to speak to Del Bosque directly. The Guardian reported that a Marca article had one prominent player stating: "We cannot stand by while this

28217-457: The match, which United went on to win 2–1. On 22 May 2011, Ferguson confirmed that the club would not offer Hargreaves a new contract. His contract expired at the end of the 2010–11 season and he left the club, despite offering to play the 2011–12 season for free. Hargreaves later posted videos on YouTube of him exercising, in order to prove his fitness to potential clubs. Buoyed by Richard Steadman's optimistic assessment that Hargreaves' knees,

28420-408: The most aesthetically pleasing attacking football at the time in England. McManaman was also said to have been one of only a handful of so-called "talismanic" players along with Eric Cantona and Gianfranco Zola in the league at the time believed to have the charisma to lift supporters from their seats each time they got the ball. From 1996 through 1998, McManaman consistently won several 'Man of

28623-534: The nature of the game. The Laws of the Game are published by FIFA, but are maintained by the IFAB. In addition to the seventeen laws, numerous IFAB decisions and other directives contribute to the regulation of association football. Within the United States, Major League Soccer used a distinct ruleset during the 1990s and the National Federation of State High School Associations and NCAA still use rulesets that are comparable to, but different from,

28826-420: The next stoppage of play. The referee's decision in all on-pitch matters is considered final. The score of a match cannot be altered after the game, even if later evidence shows that decisions (including awards/non-awards of goals) were incorrect. Steve McManaman Steven McManaman (born 11 February 1972) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger . Nicknamed " Macca ", he

29029-426: The offences that constitute misconduct are listed, the definitions are broad. In particular, the offence of "unsporting behaviour" may be used to deal with most events that violate the spirit of the game, even if they are not listed as specific offences. A referee can show a yellow or red card to a player, substitute, substituted player, and to non-players such as managers and support staff. Rather than stopping play,

29232-505: The on-pitch celebrations after defeating Queens Park Rangers on the final day. However, after only playing one league match all season, he did not qualify to receive a winner's medal. Following his release, he trained with Queens Park Rangers, but was not offered a contract by the club. Born in Canada to a Welsh mother and an English father, Hargreaves was eligible to play international football for England , Wales or Canada . Hargreaves

29435-466: The only player to appear for England despite having never lived in England. He was also the second player (after Joe Baker ) to have appeared for England without having played in English league football and the first to appear for England without having played in England. In only his second cap he came on as a substitute as England famously beat Germany 5–1 in the Olympiastadion . Hargreaves

29638-470: The original thirteen laws of the game. The sticking point was hacking, which a twelfth club at the meeting, Blackheath FC , had wanted to keep, resulting in them withdrawing from the FA. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead and did not join the FA, and instead in 1871, along with Blackheath, formed the Rugby Football Union . The FA rules included handling of the ball by "marks" and

29841-434: The pitch (as captain) following a tackle by future Liverpool player Dietmar Hamann on his return game on Boxing Day (another compound injury that sidelined him for another month). Other factors for his loss of form included his later being restricted to substitute appearances (as Houllier wanted to cut the side's dependency on his gameplay and replace him, ) as well as suffering a loss of confidence in certain games where even

30044-432: The pitch does not become square. In 2008, the IFAB initially approved a fixed size of 105 m (115 yd) long and 68 m (74 yd) wide as a standard pitch dimension for international matches; however, this decision was later put on hold and was never actually implemented. The longer boundary lines are touchlines , while the shorter boundaries (on which the goals are placed) are goal lines . A rectangular goal

30247-437: The pitch, making it more socially acceptable for women to play. The first match recorded by the Scottish Football Association took place in 1892 in Glasgow . In England, the first recorded game of football between women took place in 1895. Women's football has traditionally been associated with charity games and physical exercise, particularly in the United Kingdom. Association football continued to be played by women since

30450-437: The player spends the most time. For example, there are central defenders and left and right midfielders. The ten outfield players may be arranged in any combination. The number of players in each position determines the style of the team's play; more forwards and fewer defenders creates a more aggressive and offensive-minded game, while the reverse creates a slower, more defensive style of play. While players typically spend most of

30653-431: The player stayed, he said that the club had to respect McManaman's decision to exercise his right to leave at the end of his contract and conceded that he would have to replace the player, ultimately stating that McManaman's departure was inevitable and the only chance of keeping him would be if he (McManaman) decided to sign a 12-month contract extension having failed to secure a move to the club of his choice, saying: "If I

30856-400: The players and spectators by holding up a board showing this number. The signalled stoppage time may be further extended by the referee. Added time was introduced because of an incident which happened in 1891 during a match between Stoke and Aston Villa . Trailing 1–0 with two minutes remaining, Stoke were awarded a penalty kick. Villa's goalkeeper deliberately kicked the ball out of play; by

31059-509: The press and public. The generally negative perception of him by English fans had not been helped by his seeming to have an essence of "German-ness", exacerbated by his Canadian, Welsh accent and fluency in German. While restricted to three appearances as a substitute at Euro 2004, Hargreaves was in the starting lineup of England's final three matches in 2006. In a tournament in which England were generally regarded as having underachieved, he was, by

31262-464: The previous season's champions, Deportivo de La Coruña ; the club's first La Liga title in four years, with McManaman recording eight assists, and making 42 appearances in all competitions that year despite missing the first two months of the season. Eventually, the Board, including Florentino Pérez, relented, declaring that a "man like that would always have a place in my club", adding that "McManaman

31465-490: The quarter-final by Milan and finished fourth in the Bundesliga, missing out on Champions League football for the first time since 1996. In total he played 145 top-flight matches in Germany for FC Bayern. On 31 May 2007, it was announced that Hargreaves would join Manchester United on 1 July 2007, after almost a year of negotiations between Bayern Munich and United for a fee of around £17 million. Hargreaves

31668-433: The reaction there was going to be. But I think if they put themselves in the same predicament, and the fact that I have been at Liverpool for 12 years and that I would like to test myself in a foreign country, that's understandable." At the time, McManaman also suffered personal tragedy when his mother Irene, passed away aged 50 after a long battle against cancer. The combination of all these factors meant McManaman suffered

31871-416: The referee may allow play to continue if doing so will benefit the team against which an offence has been committed. This is known as "playing an advantage". The referee may "call back" play and penalise the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue within "a few seconds". Even if an offence is not penalised due to advantage being played, the offender may still be sanctioned for misconduct at

32074-419: The referee. Stoppage time does not fully compensate for the time in which the ball is out of play , and a 90-minute game typically involves about an hour of "effective playing time". The referee alone signals the end of the match. In matches where a fourth official is appointed, towards the end of the half, the referee signals how many minutes of stoppage time they intend to add. The fourth official then informs

32277-440: The respective six confederations. The World Cup has been held every four years since; by 2019 , it had expanded to 24 national teams, and 1.12 billion viewers watched the competition. Four years later , FIFA targeted the 32-team 2023 Women's World Cup at an audience of 2 billion, while about 1.4 million tickets were sold, setting a Women's World Cup record. Women's football has been an Olympic event since 1996 . North America

32480-557: The right of midfield, and scored United's fourth penalty of the shootout as they defeated Chelsea 6–5 on penalties . The start of Hargreaves' second season at United was hampered by injury, a recurring patellar tendinitis problem that restricted him to sporadic appearances in 2008–09 . After trips to specialists in both London and Sweden yielded no results, Hargreaves travelled to Colorado , USA, in November 2008 to visit renowned knee surgeon, Richard Steadman . Hargreaves underwent surgery on his right knee on 10 November and received

32683-423: The rise of an in-form and up-and-coming Shaun Wright-Phillips saw him lose his preferred right midfield position. When McManaman did play, he failed to rediscover his old form and speed, only occasionally demonstrating the ability he had shown in his earlier career. Part of the problem stemmed from the fact that to find a role at Madrid he had changed his playing style, cutting down on the flair play (as Madrid had

32886-544: The rules. After a stoppage, play recommences with a specified restart. At a professional level, most matches produce only a few goals. For example, the 2022–23 season of the English Premier League produced an average of 2.85 goals per match. The Laws of the Game do not specify any player positions other than goalkeeper, but a number of specialised roles have evolved. Broadly, these include three main categories: strikers , or forwards, whose main task

33089-548: The run-in for the Champions League title saw him receive several man of the match awards, forming a productive midfield partnership with Fernando Redondo , as Madrid beat title defenders Manchester United and Bayern Munich to reach the final . On 24 May 2000 in the Champions League Final at the Stade de France , Paris , McManaman arguably experienced his finest moment as a professional footballer, scoring

33292-643: The season (15 in the Premier League), including assists and top ratings in a match against Newcastle United voted the best of the decade in the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards . By now, McManaman was ranked as one of the finest midfielders in England and had developed a strong reputation on the European stage following UEFA Euro 1996 , earning praise from many at the time including Kevin Keegan , who said "there are few finer sights in world football than

33495-426: The second time. An early Galáctico , he won eight trophies and played in 11 cup finals in four years and made the semi-finals of the Champions League in each of his four years at the club. He went on to play two seasons at Manchester City before retiring in 2005. Since his retirement, McManaman currently works as a co-commentator on ESPN and TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) 's football coverage, as well acting as

33698-499: The sexes are so widely divided are all on the side of emancipation , and I look forward to the time when ladies may sit in Parliament and have a voice in the direction of affairs, especially those which concern them most." Honeyball and those like her paved the way for women's football. However, the women's game was frowned upon by the British football associations and continued without their support. It has been suggested that this

33901-477: The short-term for Manchester City and also for England." Hargreaves' career was affected by injuries, the bulk of which formed in 2006, the year he won the award for England's best player at the 2006 World Cup . Hargreaves stated that he believed the bulk of his injury problems to have been in 2007, when he returned from injury after breaking his leg. He felt that his muscle in his leg was weaker than before he sustained his broken leg, and initially Hargreaves ignored

34104-400: The sight of Steve McManaman running down the length of the pitch". McManaman had also been noted for his versatility in his free role, switching from right to left wings, and his ability to play in central midfield, behind the front pair, or as a forward. McManaman was credited for making the free role that manager Evans gave him work, with the result being that Liverpool were playing some of

34307-402: The strange paradox of the whole situation by revealing that Del Bosque had actually rated McManaman highly and was quoted as saying: "Steve es el que entiende mejor cómo quiero que juguemos" ("Steve is the player in the team who best understands how I want us to play"). Real Madrid's hierarchy's change toward McManaman began when Del Bosque gave him his first appearance of the 2000–01 season as

34510-408: The team before they were properly ready." Saunders however began to change his mind as the season progressed following his observance of McManaman's ability to form an attacking partnership with him, with McManaman managing to create and score several goals across the league and in the side's run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup , as well as in the FA Cup . On 9 May 1992, McManaman started in

34713-416: The team languished and ended the season, well out of European contention, and McManaman injured again. By 2004–05, McManaman's time at City was ultimately deemed a disappointment and he was increasingly vilified by City fans, who later jeered him off the pitch following a draw with Norwich City . On the pitch, a combination of niggling injuries (including a long-term achilles problem not dissipating ) and

34916-467: The team. McManaman was controversially left out of Real Madrid's squad for the 2000 UEFA Super Cup . Real Madrid subsequently accepted first an £ 11 million bid from Middlesbrough and then a £12 million bid for McManaman from Chelsea that included the exchange of Tore André Flo , in the summer of 2000, both of which the player rejected. A Sky Sports report in August 2000 also stated that eight other clubs were vying for his signature at

35119-405: The thought patterns of the girls and good enough at his job to be regarded as a role model for the lads...on the face of it his crime is simply to be young, successful, in demand and wise enough to have surrounded himself with advisers who fully appreciate his true value. Before and during Saturday's game at Anfield he was subjected to some frightful abuse, accused by supporters of both teams of being

35322-447: The time it was recovered, the clock had run out and the game was over, leaving Stoke unable to attempt the penalty. The same law also states that the duration of either half is extended until a penalty kick to be taken or retaken is completed; thus, no game can end with an uncompleted penalty. In league competitions, games may end in a draw. In knockout competitions where a winner is required, various methods may be employed to break such

35525-405: The time of retired former Liverpool player Michael Robinson being his mentor. Robinson had likewise moved to Spain to play football and had cultivated a media career there. "I thought McManaman was excellent...there is no question he was man of the match...He was a threat all night and gave Real great penetration from midfield. The boy has always been blessed with marvellous stamina and he has

35728-538: The time of the first recorded women's games in the late 19th century. The best-documented early European team was founded by activist Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. It was named the British Ladies' Football Club . Honeyball is quoted as, "I founded the association late last year [1894], with the fixed resolve of proving to the world that women are not the 'ornamental and useless' creatures men have pictured. I must confess, my convictions on all matters where

35931-458: The time, including Manchester United, Parma and Fiorentina . Sir Alex Ferguson declared his admiration for McManaman by arranging a contingent to convince him to sign. McManaman, however, said he wanted to succeed in Spain. His stance was rewarded when Real relented after a Spanish poll in El Mundo showed 90% of the fans wanted the club to keep McManaman, while Míchel Salgado complained to

36134-422: The tournament or be the champion. Goals scored during extra time periods count towards the final score of the game, but kicks from the penalty mark are only used to decide the team that progresses to the next part of the tournament, with goals scored in a penalty shoot-out not making up part of the final score. In competitions using two-legged matches , each team competes at home once, with an aggregate score from

36337-438: The treatment table at Manchester United. He believed that his prolonged trouble with injuries were due to the revolutionary treatments he was forced to undergo in an effort to solve a problem he felt had been exacerbated by the injections. Alex Ferguson has rejected these claims. Hargreaves appears as a pundit for TNT Sports as part of their Premier League , FA Cup , UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League coverage. He

36540-439: The two matches deciding which team progresses. Where aggregates are equal, the away goals rule may be used to determine the winners, in which case the winner is the team that scored the most goals in the leg they played away from home. If the result is still equal, extra time and potentially a penalty shoot-out are required. Under the Laws, the two basic states of play during a game are ball in play and ball out of play . From

36743-644: The year 600 during the Asuka period . It was a ceremonial rather than a competitive game, and involved the kicking of a mari , a ball made of animal skin. In North America, pasuckuakohowog was a ball game played by the Algonquians ; it was described as "almost identical to the kind of folk football being played in Europe at the same time, in which the ball was kicked through goals". Phaininda and episkyros were Greek ball games. An image of an episkyros player depicted in low relief on

36946-516: Was Charterhouse . The Freemasons' Tavern was the setting for five more meetings of The FA between October and December 1863; the English FA eventually issued the first comprehensive set of rules named Laws of the Game , forming modern football. The laws included bans on running with the ball in hand and hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Eleven clubs, under the charge of FA secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley , ratified

37149-538: Was also tactically fixated on stopping McManaman each time Manchester United played Liverpool, with Schmeichel adding Ferguson was so concerned about stopping McManaman dictating the play; it became " Groundhog Team Talk": "We've heard it every time we're playing Liverpool—McManaman's doing this ... We know that," said Schmeichel, while Ferguson himself told his players: "We lost the league (title in 1994–95) at Anfield by not listening to instructions about McManaman..." In August 1997, Liverpool, having been unable to agree

37352-548: Was being exploited in that he was being held and tied to a boot deal he had signed back when he was a mere teenager. McManaman's agent during the 1990s, Simon Fuller and 19 Management —of which McManaman was his first football client —helped him negotiate a settlement. The court initially ordered McManaman to fulfil his contract, plus an undertaking to pay Umbro's legal costs for launching contempt of court proceedings against him in 1997, which McManaman accepted and apologised for. A year on, however, McManaman continued to dishonour

37555-852: Was born in Calgary , Alberta , as the youngest of three children of Margaret and Colin Hargreaves, who had emigrated from the United Kingdom at the start of the 1980s. His father played football for the Bolton Wanderers youth side and also for the Calgary Kickers of the Canadian Soccer League . He is the only member of his family born in Canada; his brother Darren and his mother were both born in Wales, and his other brother Neil and his father were born in England. As

37758-463: Was capped three times for the Wales under-19 team , but then opted to play for the England under-21 team in 2000 and was capped by the senior squad the following year. He is the only player to have played for England without having previously lived in England, and only the second, after Joe Baker , to have done so without having previously played in the English football league system . Hargreaves

37961-630: Was courted by the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2010. He represented Wales at the 1998 Milk Cup where Wales finished in third place behind Turkey and Northern Ireland, but finished above Russia. He was set to make his début for the Wales U21 team against the Belarus U21 team in September 2000 but pulled out of the squad after he was approached by England. On 31 August 2000, the then England under-21 manager, Howard Wilkinson , called

38164-521: Was finally unveiled as a United player on 1 July, having signed a four-year contract with the club. He was then revealed to the press on 9 July, along with fellow newcomer Nani . Hargreaves was given the number 4 shirt at Old Trafford. Hargreaves made his first United appearance in a friendly against Peterborough United on 4 August, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–1 victory. He made his first Premier League appearance in United's third game of

38367-521: Was initially included in the exchange as part of Madrid's deal with Chelsea), Fernando Hierro (who signed for Bolton Wanderers like Ivan Campo did – both based on McManaman's advice ) and later Fernando Morientes (who said McManaman was instrumental in selling Liverpool F.C. to him ), McManaman headed back to the Premier League . Initially reported to be joining Arsenal or Everton , McManaman eventually decided to join long-time admirer Kevin Keegan on 30 August at Manchester City , resulting in

38570-595: Was later reduced to the modern spelling. This form of slang also gave rise to rugger for rugby football, fiver and tenner for five pound and ten pound notes , and the now-archaic footer that was also a name for association football. The word soccer arrived at its current form in 1895 and was first recorded in 1889 in the earlier form of socca . Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. The Chinese competitive game cuju ( 蹴鞠 , literally "kickball"; also known as tsu chu ) resembles modern association football as well as

38773-535: Was later released shortly after McManaman arrived. McManaman's transfer saw him become only the second English player to ever play for the club after Laurie Cunningham had played for them in the 1980s. He became the first-ever player from the Premier League to move to play for Madrid and was also the most high-profile English footballer to move for Spanish football since Gary Lineker had moved to Barcelona from Everton in 1986. When McManaman first arrived, he admitted an initial struggle with loneliness, and spoke at

38976-517: Was left out of the Champions League squad. Hargreaves made his City debut against Birmingham City in the League Cup , and opened the scoring in a 2–0 victory with a goal in the 17th minute. On 27 April 2012, it was confirmed that he would be released at the end of the season after just four appearances for the club. City were to be victorious in the Premier League , winning their first English title for 44 years, with Hargreaves being involved in

39179-504: Was motivated by a perceived threat to the "masculinity" of the game. Women's football became popular on a large scale at the time of the First World War , when female employment in heavy industry spurred the growth of the game, much as it had done for men 50 years earlier. The most successful team of the era was Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. of Preston, England . The team played in one of the first women's international matches against

39382-487: Was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 1996–97 season . McManaman moved to Real Madrid in 1999, with the transfer becoming one of the most high-profile Bosman rulings of all time. Amongst his accomplishments with Madrid, he won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League twice, becoming the first English player to win the latter trophy with a non-English club, and later became the first English player to win it for

39585-413: Was not my fault Macca left. You never want your top players to leave the club. He went on a free under a new rule at the time and you have to live with that sometimes. I would have tried hard to sign him before he was able to leave, that's why I was fair to him. I wasn't going to prejudice the matter by not playing him; he played until the end of the season and I asked the fans to give him a great send off in

39788-600: Was not selected to play for the Canada U-17 World Cup team, despite being a promising youth player who trialled for Bayern Munich and was about to sign a contract with them. Hargreaves drew the ire of soccer fans in Canada and football fans in Wales for choosing to play for England. One fansite went to the lengths of demanding that the three Canadian teams in MLS ( Montreal Impact , Toronto FC , Vancouver Whitecaps ) never sign Hargreaves to play for them, after he

39991-446: Was reported that McManaman was talking to Real with the player reportedly offered £60,000 a week and nearly £2 million as a signing-on fee. On 30 January, McManaman passed a medical and signed an official pre-contract with the club which would make him the best-paid British footballer to date. He declined to pose in a Real Madrid shirt at the contract signing event, out of respect for Liverpool's fans. McManaman's image of being

40194-466: Was simply not in any rush to sign a new one. A subsequent bid of £11 million from Serie A club Juventus in November of the same year was rejected by both club and player. In early 1998, Barcelona returned with yet another bid for McManaman, and former Deportivo de La Coruña president Augusto César Lendoiro later added that Barcelona did not want to sign his former player Rivaldo and that they had (initially) wanted McManaman, and put it down to

40397-491: Was the best player in that 1990s Liverpool team, but was playing as the playmaker of the side on a lower salary than even new foreign signings who came in on higher wage contracts at the time. McManaman also stated that his decision to move abroad was something he had wanted to do for a long time and not for financial reasons alone, telling the magazine 90 Minutes that it was about the allure of Real Madrid and Alfredo Di Stéfano , Ferenc Puskás and Madrid's legacy, as well as

40600-459: Was the final match of the season, and what would be McManaman's final match and final contribution on the pitch for the club, McManaman assisted Karl-Heinz Riedle with a goal at the Kop with a trademark right-wing run and pull back as Liverpool won 3–0 against Wimbledon , enabling McManaman to end his career at the club to a standing ovation, a lap of honour at Anfield, and a two-row squad farewell at

40803-494: Was the manager of Real Madrid—or Barcelona or any leading club—I would want to have Steve McManaman in my side," he said. Reports also emerged at the time stating that McManaman's decision making process was significantly shaped by Roy Evans' complete departure from the club in mid-November 1998, as Liverpool would be commencing on a new era and tactical style under Houllier and it dovetailed with McManaman's desire to time his move that year, rather than to sign an extension and move

41006-494: Was the only player playing outside the Premier League to be selected for England's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. Hargreaves was injured after just fifteen minutes of England's second group game against Argentina and had to be substituted. Although he had not usually been part of the first-team, he was selected for the England squads at Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup in Germany despite criticism from sections of

41209-422: Was widely believed to want to get rid of the "Spice Boys" mentality and cavalier attitudes at the club, having told many players they were surplus to requirements (including Jason McAteer , Phil Babb , Rob Jones , Stig Bjornebye , David James and Paul Ince ), and where there were exits for seventeen other players who would leave the club in the next year ahead. While stating that he would have preferred that

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