Trash Chronicles

At the end of the 2007-08 season, Xabi Alonso’s future was well and truly up in the air. Despite a strong finish to what was an injury-plagued campaign with Liverpool, Rafael Benitez attempted to sell off the midfielder to fund a move for Gareth Barry. Interest from Arsenal, Juventus and Real Madrid amounted to nothing, however – and perhaps just as well, from the Reds’ perspective.

Alonso reported back to Anfield for pre-season in high spirits after a successful summer with Spain at the European Championship. Although he was restricted to a bit-part role with La Furia Roja – barring a man-of-the-match showing in the group stage against Greece – the Tolosa-born playmaker was an important element in Austria and Switzerland, and he had no trouble replicating his international form at club level.

With Javier Mascherano away at the Olympics and Steven Gerrard suffering a string of injuries, Alonso gleefully exploited the opportunity to re-establish himself as the fulcrum around which the Merseysiders functioned. He took it upon himself to direct the play from the middle of the park, exercising his famed passing range and calming influence to their full extent as he helped his side overcome a jittery start to the season.

When ‘Monster Masche’ came back into the team following his return from Beijing, he and Xabi set about forming what some have dubbed Europe’s premier midfield partnership. For even though the Argentine was clearly fatigued, his presence alone granted his Spanish club-mate the sort of freedom that he’d experienced only sporadically since Dietmar Hamann left the club in 2007.

But Alonso did much more than spray 60-yard passes around at his leisure. Not only was his work-rate of an exceptional standard (UEFA statistics from the Champions League showed that he regularly clocked up more mileage per game than any other ‘Pool player); he chipped in with some crucial goals, too. His Lampardesque strike in October ended Chelsea’s mammoth unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge, and he put away a penalty at the same venue later in the season as the Reds crashed out of Europe in epic fashion.


Get In! | Xabi was in peak form for the Reds last term

The 27-year-old’s role within the Spanish national team also strengthened throughout the campaign, as the new coach, Vicente del Bosque, made him a regular starter. He scored twice in a friendly against Denmark in August, and netted from the spot in Turkey as La Seleccion romped towards qualification for the 2010 World Cup. And in the super-friendly against England in February, it was his sublime through-ball that gave David Villa the opportunity to score one of the most memorable goals of the year.

Meanwhile, Liverpool were putting up their first real fight for the league title since Benitez’s arrival at Anfield, and Xabi’s role in their improved domestic form did not go unnoticed. The press praised his professionalism in light of the Barry saga, while his fellow players lauded his ability to exert his influence on any given game. Thus, his omission from the list of nominees for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award was controversial, to say the least.

Liverpool ended an impressive but frustrating campaign trophyless, and even a stellar season – coupled with solid displays at the Confederations Cup – hasn’t saved Alonso from another summer of transfer speculation. But it’s only natural that Real Madrid would so avidly pursue a player whom many regard as the best deep-lying playmaker going around.

Franck Ribery further enhanced his superb reputation with another impressive season with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, although the Bavarians would finish the season empty handed. Such is the high esteem with which he is currently held amongst Europe’s top clubs that his name was strongly linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea at the conclusion of the season.

The 2008-2009 season began with Ribery on the sidelines following an injury suffered while at Euro 2008 with France. The midfielder tore ligaments above his ankle during his country’s 2-0 defeat to Italy, which knocked les Bleus out of the competition.

Surgery saw him sit out the first five games of the German season, which was Bayern’s worst start to a Bundesliga campaign in over 30 years. It took a few games to find his form, but it came as no coincidence that Bayern’s season started to improve with the re-emergence of Ribery.

He scored against Wolfsburg in Bayern’s 4-2 win at the Allianz Arena in what was only his third start of the season, managing to hit the back of the net in six consecutive games as Juergen Klinsmann’s side finished level at the top of the table with Hoffenheim at the winter break.

Bayern ultimately finished second in the Bundesliga behind surprise winners Wolfsburg, but Ribery was once again clearly the best player in their squad. Though not hitting the absolute heights of his first season at the Allianz Arena, his level of skill and ability had no better in the entire league. The numbers speak for themselves: nine goals and 12 assists in 25 matches.

Lisbon Lion | Ribery single-handedly
demolished Sporting

The French wizard also showed his class in the Champions League, although Bayern were ultimately shown up and knocked out at the quarter-final stage by eventual winners Barcelona. Indeed, Ribery probably had one of his worst games of the season at the Nou Camp during Bayern’s 5-0 defeat.

In the group stage, he provided five assists in five games, scoring against Lyon in France to boot. He then single-handedly tore Sporting apart in Lisbon, scoring two and laying on another two in Bayern Munich’s 5-0 win in Portugal in the first knock-out stage. Following the debacle in the Nou Camp, he did make partial amends by scoring Bayern’s goal in the 1-1 draw in the return-leg.

The past season saw him run out three times for France in World Cup qualifiers, and the maestro scored in each of the three matches - one in each of the games with Lithuania and once in the 2-2 draw with Romania. Ribery really has taken on the mantle from Zinedine Zidane in the French national team, and the great ‘Zizou’, in his role as advisor to Real Madrid supremo Florentino Perez, is one of Ribery’s biggest fans.

"There are very good footballers in the world, like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but the best for me is Ribery," Zidane told ESPN. "And I am not saying that because he is French, but because he is very good."

Despite reportedly confessing his desire to join the new Galactico revolution at Real, it sees Ribery is destined to stay at Bayern for at least another season. However, the Bavarians won’t be able to hang on to their own little superstar for too much longer if he keeps on producing the goods he has done for the past two seasons.

Diego Forlan struck up one of Europe’s most tantalising goal-scoring partnerships with fellow South American, Sergio Aguero during his first season at the Vicente Calderon in the 2007-08 term.

Together, they amassed 35 goals in the Primera Division and a lot more was expected of them in the 2008-09 campaign. Forlan, however, was always seen as the supporting act to the superstar that is ‘El Kun’, but instead the Uruguayan surprisingly took over the leading role upfront, although you wouldn’t be able to tell at the start of the season.

‘El Charrua’ wasn’t all that electrifying in the first half of the term, scoring twice in the 4-0 win over Malaga in the opening game before being ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury.

By the turn of the year, he had only netted ten league goals, not a shabby figure by any means, but far from impressive - though that figure would be the exact total number of league goals he scored during his entire three seasons at Manchester United.

But from February onwards, his luck and form would change dramatically. He started banging in goals for fun as he quickly improved his haul for the season, scoring seven times in six games at one point, including two extremely vital strikes in the sublime come-from-behind 4-3 win over Barcelona in March. He also went on to score against city foes, Real Madrid, as well as direct rivals, Villarreal and Valencia.

He ended the season with a remarkable streak of 13 goals in the club’s last ten games, with four assists to boot. Overall, he netted 32 times in 33 league appearances, and that sudden explosive flurry of goals late on undoubtedly helped Atleti nail fourth spot in the table to secure a place in the Champions League qualifiers, the Rojiblancos winning each of their final six La Liga games.


Unstoppable | Forlan celebrates his hat-trick
against Athletic

It also allowed him to overtake rivals such as Samuel Eto’o, David Villa and Lionel Messi to clinch the Pichichi award, while he steamed past Salzburg’s Marc Janko to claim the Golden Shoe.

The striker, once rejected by mighty Manchester United, has now become the first La Liga player to win the Golden Shoe twice, joining other world class icons such as Thierry Henry, Eusebio and Gerd Muller.

Forlan is more than just a target striker. He often backtracks and drops deep, and that allows him to score some spectacular goals from distance. That’s also part of the reason why was able to provide as many as nine assists last season.

At 30-years-old, he’s not particularly the sprightly, young sensation football clubs are after these days. But such was his devastating form that Spain’s big two, Real Madrid and Barcelona, have been constantly linked with his signature during this summer’s transfer window.

A true test for Forlan now will be to see if you can replicate his scoring ratio in the 2009-10 season. Atletico are expected to inject a significant amount of creative, attacking fire-power into the team, especially in midfield, and if he can top score again, he could become the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times.

Like every other member of the England national team, Steven Gerrard came into 2008-09 well rested after a summer spent watching his Spanish club-mates romp to victory in the European Championship. Fresh from another individually impressive yet ultimately trophyless season with Liverpool, the skipper backed up with a marvellous showing – although there were a few hiccups along the way.

The Reds kicked off their Premier League campaign in less-than-convincing fashion. However, it didn’t take Gerrard long to find his feet, as he scored a last-gasp winner in their comeback victory over Middlesbrough in August. Unfortunately, he was then forced to undergo groin surgery and wouldn’t return until the September 16 Champions League clash against Marseille, in which he scored twice – including a goal-of-the-tournament contender – to seal a 2-1 victory.

The following weekend should have marked a milestone for the Whiston-born superstar. In the midst of a frustrating home game against promoted Stoke City, he scored what would have been his 100th goal for his boyhood club – only for a dubious offside call to halt the celebrations. He would have to wait until the 3-1 CL win over PSV Eindhoven in October to officially notch his ton.

He was knocking them in on the international stage, too. Although he was forced out of the first three World Cup qualifiers with a groin problem, Gerrard lined up against Belarus and opened the scoring as England recorded 3-1 win to keep their perfect run going.

While Fabio Capello was using him on the left wing, ‘Stevie G’ spent the early part of Liverpool’s season playing predominantly in central midfield – partly to allow Javier Mascherano some much-needed rest, but also due to the arrival of big-money signing Robbie Keane. But it wasn’t until the gritty Argentine reached something like full fitness and the Irish striker fell out of favour that Gerrard hit top gear further forward.

Perhaps the Scouse superstar’s most devastating display of the season came in the Reds’ last game of 2008. He ran rampant, scoring twice and wreaking general havoc as his side slaughtered Newcastle United 5-1 at St. James’ Park – a result that cemented Liverpool's place at the top of the table at the turn of the year.


Milestone | Stevie celebrates a century of Reds goals

That high point was followed by a nadir just hours later, as Gerrard was arrested after he and his friends allegedly assaulted a DJ in a Southport pub. But although the looming court case and possibility of jail-time threatened to distract him, ‘Captain Fantastic’ went about his football with unwavering focus.

Nevertheless, the Anfield club’s form took a dive following the February international break – in which Gerrard was again conspicuous by his injury-induced absence – as they were ousted from the FA Cup and fell at Middlesbrough in only their second league loss of 2008-09. But their season was far from over, contrary to what the pundits said at the time.

It was in the Champions League that Rafa Benitez’s men rediscovered their form, Gerrard scoring twice in the second leg as he led his side to a 5-0 aggregate mauling of Real Madrid in the knockout phase. With the skipper and Fernando Torres finally able to play together for an extended stretch, the pair tore through the back-end of the season in spectacular fashion as the Reds romped into title contention.

Liverpool would fall agonisingly short in their bid to bring the Premier League crown to Merseyside for the first time, but Gerrard would not end the season entirely trophyless. In recognition of a campaign that saw him notch up 24 goals for his club, he was named the FWA Footballer of the Year – making him the first ‘Pool player to take the title since John Barnes in 1988.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, despite being one of the Premier League's most consistent performers for the last half-decade, enjoyed something of a breakthrough campaign in 2008-09.

It seems unfair that the box-to-boxer has had to win over England fans when he had already earned the respect of Champions League-pedigree coaches such as Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink, and a World Cup winning manager in Luiz Felipe Scolari. Not to mention being a key cog in the Blues' back-to-back title-crowning campaigns.

Lampard has witnessed cat-calling, jeering and below-the-belt pot-shots at his perceived ownership of a bulging belly that was borne in the minds of the Wembley-paying public when the 31-year-old appeared in the middle-spread of newspapers while sunning during one restful summer holiday.

A season in which Lampard has continued to dazzle in front of goal, as well as in the middle-third, where he has cut defences open with accurate-and-pacey trivela-type passes struck over distance, has helped dilute the thoughts of even his most ardent doubter.

This was especially important for 'Lamps' following a summer in which a much-publicised new mega-money contract (making him the highest-paid player in the division) attracted critics for the weekly numbers on show.

Last season, the former Hammer excelled under the tutelage of two different types of manager - Scolari's uncompromising authoritarian stance and Guus Hiddink's tactical nuance - an indication that the managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge has little effect on permanent class.


CL Glory | The boy Frankie strikes in Europe
During the latter part of the decade, Frank has adopted a deeper role than his early days, when he was labelled as an 'attacking midfielder'. His fitness levels continue to stagger, and his form toward the season's death even prompted Dutch master trainer Hiddink to tag him with the moniker of the "complete box-to-box player". Previously, Scolari - the man Hiddink replaced - beamed in a post-match interview in November, that Lampard's third minute lobbed-goal against Hull City was the best he had ever seen.

The 2008-09 campaign was also to be one of multiple accolades for the Romford-born England international, as his strong goal-haul at the genesis of the season helped him reach a ton of strikes in top flight action.

Scolari enthused after the game, "Lampard can score 150 goals in his career. One goal every two or three games is fantastic for a midfielder. I think this season we need to think who is the best in the world. It is Frank Lampard."

Then, at the turn of the year, in a fixture against a battling and newly-promoted side, Stoke City, Lampard's inclusion guaranteed him his 400th club appearance at Chelsea, a feat made the more impressive when one footnotes the statement with the fact that he had only made his debut for the west London outfit eight-and-a-half years prior.

His ability as a big-game player continued to marvel his admirers as he recorded a deuce against Liverpool in a Champions League tie, in the same seven days as he fired in a brace of assists against Arsenal.

Lampard's 20th goal of the season in all competitions (he struck a dozen in the league) was, fittingly, sealed against Everton in the FA Cup final.
He was named the club's Player of the Year.

Julio Cesar's season can be summed by the term 'peak performance', as he was always consistently at a high-level for both club and country.

Playing in 44 matches for Inter last season, Cesar's wonder-saves made the Nerazzurri an even more awkward force to be reckoned with - as coupled with their classy outfield players, they had a goalkeeper that could pull off the odd miracle when necessary.

Cesar's parries no doubt frustrated many a striker in Italy, and that trend will likely continue as the South American continues to challenge as one of the elite goalkeepers in the league.

Sir Alex Ferguson could also tell you of the merits of the 29-year-old, as he put in a man of the match performance at the San Siro in Inter's Champions League round of 16 first-leg encounter against Manchester United.

The Red Devils controlled proceedings, but some fine stops from Cesar - on Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs, in particular - kept Inter from what would have been a deserved loss, which would have effectively ended any hopes they had of progressing in the competition with 90 minutes to play. Despite their custodian's heroics, Jose Mourinho's men came up short at Old Trafford in any case.

Inter's waltz to yet another Serie A title should in part be attributed to the former Chievo man's heroics. He was arguably one of their top three performers, along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and compatriot Maicon. Even when Inter did slip up, like in a 1-1 draws against Torino and Cagliari in mid-season, the scoreline could have been worse if not for the agile man between the posts.

Overall, he started 36 of 38 Serie A matches and was as reliable as coach Jose Mourinho could hope for - Inter only conceded 32 goals in their title-winning run and the ex-Flamengo man is disproportionately responsible. The domestic campaign ended with well-earned silverware for Cesar.


Team Player | Cesar celebrates the Scudetto

As with any team that typically wins titles, Cesar sometimes only needed to make one key save per match, but he was always ready and on his toes when called upon to be the difference.

Finally, the shot stopper's season ended on a very high note, helping Brazil to Confederations Cup champion status in South Africa. He played in all five matches for the Selecao, and although the Brazilians were dominant for a majority of the tournament, he made a couple of very important saves against South Africa in the semi-final, which was won by a late free-kick from Dani Alves.

Taking home yet another medal only enforced what anyone who has followed his career already knew, Julio Cesar is one of the top goalkeepers on the planet.

Barring any major loss of form or injury, the man worthy of the Selcao will be the starting goalkeeper for Carlos Dunga at next year's World Cup and in 2009-10 he will once again try to bring Nerazzurri president Massimo Moratti the Champions League trophy he has coveted for so long.

Twelve months ago few fans outside of the Bundesliga or Bosnia had heard much about striker Edin Dzeko- a bargain signing for Wolfsburg in the summer of 2007 from Czech side Teplice. Eight goals in his first season gave no indication of what was to come, but the 2008-09 season saw the Sarajevo-born forward explode onto the radar with a hatful of goals for both club and country.

With Milan selling Kaka to Real Madrid, the first player the Italians tried to buy to replace the Brazilian was Dzeko, the star of the Bundesliga season. Such was the rate that his reputation had grown over the past campaign that a fee of €26 million was being reported. The Italian giants were ultimately frustrated in their quest to sign him, but it seems that Dzeko is destined for bigger and better things.

The season began rather slowly for the Bosnian and in the first half of the campaign he scored five times. His best performance came in a 4-1 win over VfB Stuttgart in November when he netted twice. Even if the goals were not exactly flowing in the first half of the campaign, the relationship that was developing between Dzeko and Grafite was certainly beginning to blossom.

He provided seven assists in the first 17 games and the scene was set for a spectacular second half to the Bundesliga campaign, which was to culminate in Wolfsburg’s first ever league title triumph.

Dzeko instantly hit a rich vein of scoring form after the German winter break scoring in six consecutive games with doubles against both Bochum and Hertha Berlin, as Felix Magath’s side put together a fantastic run of results seeing them win ten games in a row.

A 5-1 home demolition of Bayern Munich in April saw Dzeko score twice against the Bavarians although it was strike partner Grafite who grabbed all the headlines with his ‘Goal of the Season’. Wolfsburg were on course for the title and the Bosnian's goals in the final five games of the season proved decisive.

His first hat-trick of the season came against Hoffenheim and he scored a total of ten goals in the last five games of the season, including another hat trick against Hannover and a brace against Borussia Dortmund. He finished the season with 26 goals from 32 games played. and, together with strike partner Grafite, who netted 28, became part of the most prolific strikeforce in Bundesliga history with 54 goals over the season, beating the previous record held by Gerd Muller and Uli Hoeness.

Deadly Duo: Dzeko & Grafite
Deadly Duo | Dzeko's & Grafite's goals brought the Greens glory

His goals however were not just reserved for his German club, though, with his country also benefiting from his predator's instinct. He scored in five successive international appearances as Bosnia have moved into second place behind Spain in World Cup qualifying group 5.

He netted another double against Estonia in a 7-0 win back in September and added a goal against both Turkey and Armenia. He then scored three more in the double-header with Belgium to give him impressive figures of seven goals in five games.

No wonder then that Milan headed the queue to sign him this summer although the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked with him. He has committed his immediate future to the Volkswagen Arena, but if the goals continue to flow expect to see Edin Dzeko at one of the European giants before too long.

Put simply, David Villa equals goals.

There are few modern footballers than are so adept at peeling off from his marker to power home a header or volley, or react quickest in a penalty-box scramble to poach a winner.

He has an incredible instinct for scoring, one that cannot be taught, only nurtured, and at Valencia he has developed into one of the world’s most formidable forwards.

Despite los Che’s financial woes, Villa continued from landing the coveted top goalscorer award at Euro 2008 to record yet another staggering goal-per-game ratio in 2008-09. Despite his side's disappointing sixth place finish and early European exit at the hands of Dynamo Kyiv, ‘El Guaje’ was unstoppable, notching 31 goals in just 40 matches in all competitions, including 28 in the Primera Division, which saw him finish third behind Diego Forlan and Samuel Eto’o for the Pichichi Trophy.

That tally confirmed him as Valencia’s top scorer in all of his four seasons at the Mestalla, a startling achievement that further confirms his status as master goal-getter.

However, despite his own personal successes, Villa can only look on in dismay as financial mismanagement at boardroom level means any sustained level of investment in the first team is unlikely in the near future.

The big two have been circling; Real Madrid appeared favourites to secure his signature before their bid fell by the wayside, before Barcelona seemingly had him snared, only for the protracted saga of his future to take a further twist.

The reason for their interest is obvious. As international colleague Cesc Fabregas recently exclaimed, “Having David Villa in your side guarantees 30 goals a season, and there are few players who can provide that.”


Poacher | 'El Guaje' celebrates another goal for los Che

Juan Mata aside, who scored 11 times, Villa managed more goals than the rest of his team-mates combined in 2008-09, further highlighting his importance to los Che and how devastating his departure would to their aspirations of returning to the Champions League.

However, though Villa relishes scoring in the Primera Division, his displays at international level prove that he belongs at a higher standard, lifting trophies and earning accolades. His fruitful partnership with Liverpool’s Fernando Torres has resulted in Spain becoming one of the most feared sides in world football, and has led to them already being installed among the favourites to lift the biggest trophy of all in 2010.

Seven goals in his last seven internationals makes a mockery of his rivals more conservative totals when playing with their countries, and although Spain crashed out of the Confederations Cup to the USA, Villa once again proved his class.

His goals for la Furia Roja have almost ensured their return to South Africa next summer, but Villa, the true poacher that he is, smells Raul’s record of 44 international goals as his next major milestone. He said recently, “I would be delighted to reach [Raul’s] tally as it would help the national team achieve great victories and in many years time I could see my name on a scorers list that another young boy is trying to beat.”

If season 2008-09 proved anything, it is that David Villa finds goals easier to come by than any other player in Europe, and the 27-year old may be becoming a big fish in a shrinking pond at the Mestalla.

Will Barcelona have made the ultimate mistake if they let the 27-year old slip through their fingers? Only time will tell, but if Villa clinches a move to a bigger club who can challenge for honours, do not be surprised to find him near the summit of the Goal.com 50 come the culmination of the 2009-10 campaign.

2008-09 HONOURS

3rd place in Pichichi Trophy with 28 Primera Division goals

Gonzalo Higuain has become the miracle man for the Men in White. Despite assuming the unglamorous supporting role in his first season and a half, he became an overnight sensation when his pivotal goals led Real Madrid to successive league titles in 2007 and 2008. He was the perfect super-sub, coming off the bench and like clockwork, jumping to his team’s rescue almost every single time.

But for the 2008-09 campaign, more was expected of ‘Pipita’, not because he hadn't done enough over the previous 18 months, but because it was now time for him to take a step up to the next level and become the side’s leading man. And he didn’t disappoint.

Right from the get go in the Spanish Supercopa against Valencia, Higuain repeated his trick of old, coming on as an 80th minute substitute in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, and eight minutes later, he scored the crucial fourth goal for his side to seal a 4-2 win, having lost the first leg 3-2.

Even then, the Argentine was still not the regular first choice striker. But after scoring five further goals in the league and supplying two assists, the 21-year-old finally came of age on a madcap night in the Spanish capital in early November.

Entertaining Malaga at home, Gonzalo rattled in four goals as he single-handedly hauled Madrid out from the jaws of death when he orchestrated a biblical 4-3 comeback win after the Merengues had gone behind three times.

From then on, he became the darling of the Bernabeu, and aside from the occasional injury and rotation policy, he would go on to cement his status as an automatic starter. And just as he had done in the previous two years, the youngster continued to either score a number of extremely important and spectacular goals for Madrid, or provide the assists for his team-mates.

Incidentally, it was against Malaga in the reverse fixture in which he scored what he described as one of the best goals of his career. Winning the ball inside his own half, he steamed forward from the halfway line and breezed past three opponents before finishing past the goalkeeper with aplomb. It was a perfect demonstration of his pace, skill, ball control, strength, calmness and execution.


Smoking Pipita | Higuain sizzles against Malaga

His improvement from season to season is astoundingly clear. In league outings alone, he amassed 19 games, two goals and three assists in his first half season, 25 games, eight goals and three assists in his follow-up campaign, and last term, an impressive 34 games, 22 goals and nine assists. That tally is made all the more remarkable considering the instability at the club on and off the pitch.

He ended the 2008-09 term by scoring six goals in the final seven La Liga outings, although Los Blancos were playing virtually without any motivation in the remaining few rounds after their title hopes came to an end.

Despite breaking the 20 goals in a season mark, the year was still a disappointment for ‘El Pipita’. His efforts this time around failed to guide the team to the league title, and he once again failed to score in the Champions League, taking his record now to 12 appearances and no goals.

While the rest of the world are continuously fixated by compatriots Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi, many forget that Higuain is still only 21-years-old and has an enormous amount of potential - he’s equally as dangerous, devastating and exciting to watch. But unlike the more illustrious duo, he is still waiting patiently for his first call-up to the Argentine national team.

They said he was finished when he left Arsenal for Barcelona. Well, this being a rather cynical 'they'. And, based on his first season at Camp Nou, they had a point.

Then came 2008-09, the Triplete, and a real comeback from the French legend, who has justified his price tag and then some.

For one thing, he managed not only to play most games, but also finish them - a far cry from his injury-battered initial campaign.

In doing so, he had no shortage of goals, either. He was of course one third of that forward line that managed over 100 goals in the league alone - never mind other competitions.

Memorable occasions include his hat-trick against Valencia in December 2008, and a series of late goals - not least that against Sevilla in spring - that served both to make emphatic Barcelona victories but also to remind the world that 'Titi' was back.


The Champions | Henry was a CL hotshot

The same applies in Europe, wherein Henry was back to his best.

Over the course of the campaign the Frenchman hit five goals - he didn't net in the final, of course, but he almost single-handedly drove the Blaugrana past Lyon, first by equalising at the Gerland and then scoring twice in the Camp Nou whitewash.

The joy in his play was back, and with it came results. The previous year was one of preoccupation - with injury, with having left London, with personal problems - but this time around it was all about the football, and it showed in abundance.

An easier manner with the press made itself seen, too, as Henry began to grow into his role as a new Catalan. It's one that he should continue for years to come. And if he can play even half as well as he did in the historic Triplete season, the fans won't complain.

Brazilian midfield maestro Diego Ribas da Cunha has finally made the move away from the Weserstadion to the ‘big’ European club that has been predicted for him for a few years now. Another excellent season individually for Werder Bremen led Juventus to shell out some €24.5 million for his services.

The 2008-09 season began in controversy for the 24-year-old following his decision to go AWOL from Werder Bremen in order to fulfil his dream to play for Brazil at the Olympics. His German employers had refused to release him for the Beijing tournament, but he went against Werder’s wishes and flew to Paris to link with Carlos Dunga’s squad nonetheless.

He played in all six of Brazil’s matches, scoring in the group stage against China, but he couldn’t prevent his country from being knocked out at the semi-final stage by South American rivals Argentina. There was some compensation for his decision to travel when he won an Olympic bronze medal, scoring one of the goals in the third-place play-off against Belgium.

He returned in time for Werder’s third game of the season and went about making amends for defying the club by scoring four goals in his first five matches. A superb performance in Werder’s 5-1 hammering of Hertha Berlin in November, in which he scored one, provided two assists and generally ran the show, meant that all was forgiven. He was once again the favourite son.

In a rather disappointing Bundesliga campaign, in which Werder finished tenth, Diego scored 12 goals and provided six assists. However, the Brazilian was to prove instrumental in seeing the Green and Whites to two cup finals, providing their season with a silver lining.

Having dropped out of the Champions League, a Diego inspired Werder then marched through the UEFA Cup, taking some prized scalps along the way. Their opening opponents were Italian giants Milan, and a 2-2 draw at the San Siro set Werder up for the second-leg 1-1 draw which sent them through on the away goals rule. The all-important goal in the second-leg was scored by Diego.

Creative Genius | Diego's influence was key for
Werder Bremen last season

Saint-Etienne were brushed aside before Diego took centre-stage once more in the quarter-final clash with Udinese. The Brazilian scored two goals in each leg to see Werder into a semi-final clash with German rivals Hamburg. They lost the first-leg 1-0 at home, but Diego scored one of the goals at the HSH Nordbank Arena that ultimately saw Thomas Schaaf’s side into the final.

However, joy soon turned to despair after a wholly unnecessary yellow card for a silly altercation with fellow Brazilian Alex Silva ruled Diego out of the final. Werder went on to rue the loss of their talismanic playmaker as they lost to Shakhtar Donetsk after extra-time in the final. Diego's six goals in eight games were the main reason the Bundesliga side were there in the first place though.

Joy did come in the German DFB Pokal, in which Werder beat Bayer Leverkusen in the final at the Olympiastadion. It was Diego’s heir apparent at the Weserstadion, Mesut Oezil, who scored the winning goal, but the Brazilian was once again a key-part in the club’s progression to the final.

He scored both goals in the 5-2 away win over Wolfsburg, as well as providing assists in five games on the way to the final.

Lest we forget, Barcelona started the season in very poor fashion indeed. The word 'crisis', and various synonyms, predictably started doing the rounds rather rapidly.

It was, of course, a false dawn. As soon as Barca got into their stride, they blew opponents away with regularity.

Due to their attacking exuberance, it is easy to forget that Barca boasted one of the best defences on the domestic and European fronts during the last campaign. Now, it must be stressed that Carles Puyol played only 28 league games, the least in his last five seasons at the club. Yet, with Puyol in full flow on the pitch, his team-mates could not help but rise to another level, and never was this more evident than in the two Clasicos.

The first clash between Barca and their eternal rivals Real Madrid came at the worst possible time for Los Merengues. They had just sacked Bernd Schuster, who had declared that they had no chance of winning at the Camp Nou, and had thrown Juande Ramos into the hot seat, fresh off a disastrous spell at Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, Barca had just beaten Sevilla and Valencia 3-0 and 4-0 respectively. Surely the home side would win, and win handsomely?

Eighty-three minutes in, however, and it looked like being a damp squib from a Barcelona perspective. Samuel Eto'o had missed a penalty, and Real Madrid suddenly looked like a well-organised, determined unit who were not going to let their rivals score. Then Barca won a corner.

It is easy to say these things in hindsight, of course, but watching Puyol as he strode towards the box in preparation for the corner was to see a man who had decided to take it upon himself to change things once and for all. Sure enough, the captain rose to meet the corner, and his header bounced in off Samuel Eto'o's knee, crushing Madrid's spirits.

By the time the second Clasico rolled around, Barca were widely accepted to be the best footballing side on the planet. Still, they were yet to actually win anything. Meanwhile, Real Madrid were on a record winning run, and had somehow kept the gap at the top to four points.

Puyol, meanwhile, went into the game after picking up a yellow card minutes after coming on as a substitute in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, ruling him out for the second leg. Then, 13 minutes into the game, some shocking marking from the Blaugrana allowed Gonzalo Higuain to head his side ahead.

Thierry Henry equalised soon after, and then, on 20 minutes, Barca won a free kick that was, to all intents and purposes, a virtual corner. Up strode Puyol. Seconds later, he had gone one better than in the first Clasico, powering a header past Iker Casillas to give his side the lead and open the floodgates. Barcelona ended up thrashing Real Madrid 6-2.

Captain Clasico | Puyol celebrates Madrid goal

And of course, Puyol was back for the Champions League, where he played at right-back as part of a makeshift Barca defence. He was up against Wayne Rooney for most of the match, but in reality, Rooney was up against him. Puyol showed another string to his bow in Rome, bombarding down the right flank with intent and nullifying Rooney's involvement completely.

The enduring images from Puyol's season are him repeatedly holding aloft Barca's three trophies, and that says it all. As important as his various footballing contributions were throughout the season, it is his role as a captain of the troops during this historic campaign, especially coming as it did after such a poor previous season, for which he deserves the most credit.

The 2008/09 season was a big test for Felipe Melo and he passed it with flying colours. Fiorentina signed him on June 8 2008 in an €8million deal and he went on to wear the number 88 jersey. The number 8 has proven to be Melo's lucky charm as he enjoyed an almost faultless season as a central midfielder in the humble surroundings of the Artemio Franchi.

Melo enjoyed a luckless start to his Viola career in Serie A as he got off on the wrong foot in every sense. His debut came against Juventus on the first day of the season. Famed for his tough tackles and combatitive spirit, Melo overstepped the mark against the Bianconeri. He earned his first yellow card just 34 minutes into his new adventure in Tuscany for a fly-kick challenge on Zdenek Grygera. Less than an hour later, he was sent off for a second yellow after a two-footed lunge on Christian Poulsen. It was not the best of starts from a player who carried so much on his shoulders.

The early teething problems began to clear though, and he enjoyed a relatively trouble-free season overall. He picked up 13 yellows and a further red card towards the end of the campaign. Despite his turbulent displays, the former Almeria man started an impressive 29 games, he was never substituted by coach Cesare Prandelli, a fact which underlines his prowess and natural ability in the middle of the park.

There were great expectations and he certainly did his best to meet them. He was the Viola's focal point in midfield, helping his side charge towards the Champions League places. The Brazilian made his Champions League debut on September 17 during a 2-2 draw with Lyon. It wasn't long before he showed his qualities as he kept Karim Benzema, Juninho and Toulalan under control for most of the game. Despite starting six group games for his side, the Viola crashed out of Europe's elite competition. Nevertheless, those impressive displays paid the dividends for the Brazilian with regard to his own future both at club and international level.


Outstanding | Melo took the Confeds Cup by storm

Brazil coach Dunga handed him his international debut in February during a friendly against Italy. Melo continued to show his mettle in Serie A as he stamped his authority both on the pitch and on opposition players.

The campaign ended just as badly as it had begun for the Volta Redonda-born ace as he was sent off in the penultimate game against Lecce. Nevertheless, it meant little to his or the club's season as they had already mathematically clinched a Champions League place.

The ace was then called up by the Selecao as a reward for his outstanding campaign in Tuscany. He did not disappoint in the Confederations Cup either. He was the thorn in Italy's side during the 3-0 group stage win as he commanded the midfield, making players like Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi look anytthing but deft. He scored Brazil's opening goal of the tournament against the USA too as he really stamped his hallmark on the international stage.

Melo played in all five matches in South Africa and he lifted the trophy at the end. His biggest trophy was, perhaps, sealing a move to Juventus. The Bianconeri wasted no time in signing him from Fiorentina, paying triple than what he was worth last year such is the impact he had in Serie A.

A great season then for Melo, and he can look forward to climbing the Serie A ladder further next term as another exciting season awaits him.

Rio Ferdinand described 2008 as his greatest year in football and it was at the end of that calendar year that Rio picked up, as captain, the World Club Cup in Japan. It was the third piece of silverware that the Red Devils claimed last year, following the capturing of the Champions League and the Premier League title the previous summer.

United defeated LDU Quito by a goal to nil in December; a familiar score-line for the Red Devils in the 2008-09 season.

Marching towards an 18th title, United set a new record of clean-sheets, 14 in a row, in Premier League competition that provided the bedrock to their most recent triumph.

Of that, Ferdinand was a integral part. The 30-year-old featured eight times in that sequence as he rehabilitated himself from a niggling injury. When he wasn't there, young Jonny Evans, you can bet, was using every bit of advice he'd gleaned from the master.

Rio provided, as usual, a sure-footed and assured presence in the back-line. Along with defensive colleagues Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra, Ferdinand formed 80 per cent of the back five for the 2008-09 PFA Team of the Year.

His appearance in this year's edition of the dream team marks his third consecutive selection, and his fifth overall.

Combined with that, Ferdinand merited a place on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year, an accolade that went ultimately to his club mate, Ryan Giggs.

Ferdinand played 24 times as United topped the league yet again and that marked the same number of clean-sheets kept by Sir Alex Ferguson's side over the course of the season.

In the domestic cups, too, Ferdinand played his part; he was the winning captain of the 2009 Carling Cup final, against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley as United overcame the Londoners on penalty kicks.



Cup-winning captain | Rio lifting yet more silverware

They could not replicate their accuracy from 12 yards against Everton in the FA Cup semi-finals though, as the Toffees squeezed out the favourites with Rio coming up short from the spot.

However, the elegant centre-back was his usual resilient self in the Champions League. United conceded only one goal in the knock-out stages en-route to the final, when Barcelona ultimately eclipsed their English counter-parts and snatched away their continental crown.

At international level, Ferdinand's performances have been at the top level too; England conceded only four goals and registered four wins with Ferdinand in the line-up during the opening round of World Cup qualification. The Three Lions are all but assured of their place at next year's South African event, with Fabio Capello's side finally living up to their individual reputations.

There has been a gradual maturation in Ferdinand's game during his time at Manchester United and he has flourished into one of the world's most accomplished defenders. With the World Cup looming and United seeking to re-assert themselves in Europe next term, there is every chance that Rio could remain an vital cog in both wheels.

Before the first Derby della Lanterna of the season, Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano teased, "Why shouldn't we be optimistic? We are better than Genoa.” After winning the game 1-0 and leading Genoa to their first victory in the derby since November 2001, Rossoblu striker Diego Milito simply said, "I will remember it forever.”

Almost five months down the line, on May 3, 2009 it was again Milito who led the Grifone to a victory in the derby, this time scoring an emphatic hat-trick to keep alive hopes of a historic Champions League qualification. Genoa failed to achieve qualification to Europe's blue ribbon in the end and had to settle for a Europa League spot, but for a side that was featuring in the Serie B only two seasons ago it was a fairytale.

Between the two derbies, Milito would score goals, goals and lots of goals - 24 goals in Serie A over the course of the season, just one goal short of becoming the Capocannoniere.

Milito joined Genoa from relegated Spanish club Real Zaragoza in the summer of 2008 for his second stint - his first spell had yielded 33 goals in 59 appearances in the Serie B - and started where he left off, banging in goals right away.

Milito's goal against Sampdoria on December 7 was his 12th in 14 Serie A matches, and he was one of only two players into double figures in the league at the time. His first league goal for Genoa had come against AC Milan in the second week of the season, slotting home a 90th minute penalty at the Luigi Ferraris.

As Genoa continued to rise up the table, Milito continued to take the Serie A by storm. His first season in the Italian top flight was turning out to be so emphatic that he was linked with a move to Inter Milan during January. Genoa, though, resisted, and Milito himself expressed reluctance to leave the club and the city he had embraced so dearly to his heart.


Pledge of Allegiance | Milito shows where his heart is

There were some injury concerns for Milito as the season progressed, but the former Zaragoza striker couldn't be shaken off his peremptory form. He scored crucial goals throughout the season, including the equaliser against AC Milan in late January and his perfect hat-trick against Sampdoria in 2008-2009's second Derby della Lanterna.

El Principe proved himself to be the ideal targetman and one of the most clinical finishers in world football. And even after he was confirmed to join Italian champions Inter, the Argentine international couldn't stop scoring, netting twice against Lecce in his final game for Genoa. It was an emotional day for the 30-year-old, who had earlier sent an open letter to all supporters of the club expressing his love for them.

Diego Milito was never really a world beating talent, and despite his goalscoring prowess, will never attain the same status as some of his fellow Argentinians, a fact reflected perhaps in his sparse appearances for the Argentine national team.

But as Cassano admitted, Milito is "one of the best five strikers in the world". The 30-year-old is a natural goalscorer, with equal ability on both feet and a marvellous heading capability, guaranteeing goals for whichever side he plays for.

Although Inter Milan will be by far the biggest club Milito has played for so far in his career, there’s little doubt that El Principe will succeed for the Nerazzurri.

This time last year, Mauro Zarate was ready for a return to Al Sadd after his loan deal with Birmingham City was brought to an immediate end following the Blues' relegation into the Championship. No sooner had the ‘El Pibe de Haedo’ packed his bags, he found himself with another loan deal this time on the blue side of the Italian capital.

Although a rather unknown quantity when he arrived at Lazio, Mauro Zarate wasted little time in showing his desire to take centre stage with the Biancocelesti. After Tommaso Rocchi picked up an injury whilst on international duty at the Olympics, Zarate was handed his chance and he duly took it with both hands.

As Lazio went into the break 1-0 down to Cagliari on the first day of the season nobody could have predicted what was to come in what looked like another disappointing opening for the Biancocelesti. After levelling the scoring from the spot on 62 minutes it took 'Maurito' just nine minutes to invent his first piece of magic producing a sublime chip to lob Marchetti from the tightest of angles.

After scoring twice on his debut Zarate went on to continue his dream introduction into the Italian championship terrorising opposition defences and finding the net six times in the opening five rounds. His spectacular beginning gifted Lazio their best start to a Serie A campaign for a decade, and ‘The Zarate Kid’ earned instant legendary status amongst the Curva Nord faithful.

With Tommaso Rocchi out injured, Zarate and Pandev began to form an explosive strike partnership and Lazio began to shape up as one of the surprise packages of the season. However it was not long before the Lazio captain made his return to action, and shortly after Zarate’s form began to dip after coach Delio Rossi opted to utilise an attacking trident. The early karma between Pandev and Zarate had been interrupted and 'Maurito' was finding it harder to get near the box as he had done in the opening rounds.


Who's a champ? | Zarate celebrates derby strike

As a number of players began to criticise the mercurial youngster for his lack of passing, Zarate slowly started to find his form and began to show his best once again. With the season drawing to its business end, Zarate managed to produce a number of match winning performances which increased his rating to phenomenon status.

His finest moment came on April 11th when Lazio hosted arch rivals Roma in the Derby della Capitale. With Rome’s other no. 10 declaring Zarate was not a true champion in the days preceding the encounter, 'Maurito' responded in stylish fashion scoring a wonder strike just four minutes into the game stunning Roma and silencing the doubters.

With Lazio reaching the final of the Coppa Italia just a month later Zarate yet again took centre stage and scored an almost carbon copy of his derby wonder strike. With the game billed up as a showdown between himself and Cassano, the Argentinian had once again proved he could stand up when it counted showing the makings of a true champion. As Lazio lifted their first piece of silverware since the glory days of the Cragnotti era, all eyes looked to Zarate following his incredible debut season with the Biancocelesti.

Shortly after the Coppa Italia triumph 'El Pibe De Haedo' was rewarded with a five year contract worth €2m a season. Claudio Lotito had dug deep to forward Al Sadd the €20m required to activate the buyout clause in Zarate’s contract and the Argentinian was finally a Lazio player to full effect.

Zarate had finally arrived on the European stage and if should can carry on where he left off last season, he could well go on to earn a call up for Maradona’s Argentina squad in time for South Africa 2010.

You can forgive Juande Ramos for his few foibles during his half-season stint at Real Madrid. He may have lost the big games with a degree of humiliation involved, but winning the small ones with the proficiency that he did was what gave them their non-existent shot at retaining their title in the first place.

Similarly, he may have signed Julien Faubert, but it was only on loan, and far more lasting in the memory will be the arrival of Lassana Diarra.

Make no mistake, these were Juande Ramos signings. Pedja Mijatovic had barely cast so much as a passing eye on the Premier League throughout his reign as sporting director unless it was at Cristiano Ronaldo or Cesc Fabregas - this was, you would think, all Ramos' doing.

Playing for Portsmouth has a way of working against even the best of players. With Lass, as he is now known in Madrid, having been sold by Chelsea and then by Arsenal, to make his way down to Portsmouth was seen as nothing short of his own personal relegation.

The more astute observers realised that had Chelsea looked ahead, they would have made a greater effort to keep him at the club and rotate him more freely with ageing great, Claude Makelele. Arsenal fans bid good riddance, relishing the form of Mathieu Flamini and condemning Lass, despite his quality, for his refusal to remain patient and wait for his chance.

He was always good enough. It was easy to look good at Fratton Park, they said; dominating every match from the midfield and looking as elegant in possession as you would ever see from a so-called 'water-carrier'.

And when the Madrid move came - for £20 million, no less - the ease with which the French international continued to look the most outstanding player in midfield, game after game, almost made the transfer seem like a bargain.

He added much-needed balance with strength and energy that had been missing from Madrid's midfield since the season-long injury sustained his namesake, Mahamadou Diarra: an outstanding champion in his own right who, up to this point, looks as though he may astonishingly be resigned to a role on the bench, or at another club. That's how good Lass has been.


Indomitable | Lass taking charge of La Liga

Lass was unquestionably the key to Madrid's turnaround in form, albeit with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Arjen Robben continuing their excellent performances from earlier in the season right the way through. Lass, like the others, had one or two indiscretions in the big games, in which Madrid suffered humiliation against first Liverpool then Barcelona, but was otherwise the very definition of flawless.

They are calling him the 'new Makelele' - not just in style of play, but even in appearance - and this is a player with whom the club are eager not to make the same mistakes again. Selling Makelele to Chelsea - where ironically, he was to cross paths with Lass - proved the beginning of Madrid's end; Lass will be hoping that his arrival at the Bernabeu, this time followed by Galacticos, can be the end of Madrid's beginning.

This time, the tables turned, and it was Chelsea who allowed the new Makelele to leave for Madrid. Still just 24 years of age, the battling midfielder will only get better, and when Benzema, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo are living free and easy playing their champagne football, it will be Lass who brings it all together. Not bad for a reject.

There can be little dispute that Yoann Gourcuff was the star of Ligue 1 during season 2008-09, providing something of a ‘X-factor’ for the Girondins de Bordeaux side that snapped Olympique Lyonnais’ seven year monopoly on the French crown. The young midfielder quickly became the natural leader of Bordeaux - the go-to man – producing countless key contributions as les Girondins edged Olympique de Marseille into second place.

Last season was the campaign that confirmed the early promise of a young man who had shone in Rennes’ youth ranks, winning a move to Milan, where he never truly convinced coach Carlo Ancelotti. His inability to feature regularly for the Rossoneri brought about a potentially career-changing loan deal to Bordeaux, where he would spend the duration of the term prompting play and even showing glimpses of the ‘new Zidane’ tag bestowed upon him earlier in his career.

It was evident from his early weeks in the west of France that he would quickly become a key presence in the Bordeaux side, scoring the goal on the opening day of the season that drew Laurent Blanc’s men level with Caen en route to an early success

After a promising start to life in Ligue 1, installed in a central role in a Bordeaux side that was playing the most attractive football in France but not necessarily picking up points, the 22-year-old really came to the fore with quarter of the league campaign gone, enjoying a run of form that would see comparisons with Zidane rekindled.

Meanwhile, Raymond Domenech’s France side needed to be reinvigorated. The controversial coach made a rare popular decision by calling up Gourcuff, who set up Nicolas Anelka’s goal against Serbia in a vital 2-1 World Cup qualifying win. Then the young man hauled les Bleus out of a deep mire to secure a 2-2 draw against Romania, despite previously being 2-0 down. The game in Constanta also saw Gourcuff strike his first international goal, a typically exuberant strike from distance that reduced the score to 2-1.

Such highs have not been hit on the international stage again to date, although the 6ft 1in offensive midfielder continued to astound for his club side, becoming increasingly influential during the second half of the season as les Girondins ultimately pieced together a record breaking 11 match unbeaten streak.


An Inspiration | Gourcuff was Bordeaux's go-to man
all season, scoring many key goals

The highlight of Gourcuff’s season, individually, was an outrageous goal scored against Paris Saint-Germain. Receiving the ball to his feet with his back to goal, a swift turn carried him away from his marker before outrageously sharp footwork saw him leave two defenders trailing. Completing two seconds of footballing genius was a toe-poke into the corner of the net, carrying Bordeaux to a crushing victory over the title contenders.

That was just one moment of personal brilliance, there were others: a stunning derby goal against Toulouse; a cheeky goal against Le Havre; two late goals against Rennes to turn a deficit into a victory for his ten-man side; a virtuoso showing in the Coupe de la Ligue final, which Bordeaux won against Ligue 2 opposition in the form of Vannes; and a soaring late winning header against Valenciennes in a vital league encounter.

The goal against Valenciennes really showed Gourcuff to be close to the complete player. Everyone was already aware of his ability over a dead ball, his instinctive brilliance in tight spots, his astute passing, but no-one had seen him score a header with such grace, and at such a vital time, with only seven minutes of a must-win game remaining.

For one so young to be quite so inspiration is remarkable, and it is little wonder that Bordeaux fought so hard to secure his services on a permanent basis. After a somewhat drawn out affair, it was announced at the end of May, that les Girondins had completed his transfer from Milan, with a fee reportedly between €13 million and €15m – truly a bargain for a player of such burgeoning quality.

Overall, 2008-09 was a season of almosts for Antonio Cassano. He almost won the Coppa Italia and almost gained a spot for Italy at the Confederations Cup.

Following a hugely successful loan stint from Real Madrid, the campaign began on a high note as he secured a permanent transfer to Sampdoria. The player’s talent had never been questioned, only his temperament and consistency, and his goal in this past season was to put that reputation behind him. Ten goals in his first year with the club had put him back on the footballing map as a player and improvement was the only way he could maintain such status.

The commitment ‘Fantantonio’ showed to the Genoa-based club saw him given the position of vice-captain and perhaps he can now even think of shedding his Fabio Capello-given nickname ‘Cassanata.’

The Blucerchiati actually got off to a relatively slow start, going winless in their first seven matches of the Serie A season and looking a candidate for relegation in the early stages, but it's no coincidence that when Cassano started to heat up, so did the team itself.

Convincing wins over Lecce, Catania, Reggina, and Lazio in Serie A were nothing short of Cassano-inspired. Single-handedly the Bari-born star made life miserable for these sides with flicks, tricks, and some spectacular assists. At times, he appeared to be the only danger man for his side, but on occasion that was enough to gather a precious result.

The end of the winter transfer window saw Giampaolo Pazzini join Sampdoria from Fiorentina – giving Cassano a suitable partner in crime upfront, allowing him to blossom even further. They became one of the most feared tandems in the league, helping the club pull well ahead of the relegation zone in the process.

Perhaps Cassano’s crowning moment of the season came in a 3-0 win over Scudetto holders Inter in the Coppa Italia, when to open the scoring he stole the ball from the Nelson Rivas and chipped the goalkeeper, before his incisive play caused headaches for the Nerazzurri all night long en route to the convincing victory.

That lead to a date in the Coppa Italia final with Lazio, but, while Cassano and the Blucerchiati fought valiantly, they faltered in a penalty shoot-out. Still, Cassano’s presence is one of the major factors permitting Sampdoria to fight for trophies like the Coppa Italia once again – something they have not managed for over a decade.

In the end, Cassano established himself as someone that has come of age – grabbing 12 goals and 11 assists in Serie A and being one of the most prominent and outstanding strikers in the league – earning a place in the Goal.com Serie A Team Of The Season.


Scandalous | Cassano misses out on the Italy squad

Nonetheless, his season ended on a sour note, despite his success and improved behaviour (apart from some rather interesting anecdotes and remarks in his biography), as he was once again snubbed by Italy boss Marcello Lippi for the Confederations Cup for South Africa. However, the former Roma star may have had the last laugh after the Azzurri’s lacklustre display in the competition proved they are desperate for an imagination like his.

As for the future, Peter Pan must keep daring to fly and then hope that Lippi will grant him a World Cup appearance.

He may be celebrating his 40th birthday next year, but Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is showing few signs of slowing down.

Indeed, the Dutchman smashed records left, right and centre last season as he kept a clean sheet for an unprecedented 1,311 minutes in the Premier League.

His miserly form was integral to United’s season, sending them on their way to a third consecutive Premier League title and yet another Champions League final.

With the Red Devils not at their free scoring best, despite the presence of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez, it was the defence that earned the plaudits in 2008-09, and quite possibly the title too.

Whilst critics point to the fact that the Dutchman is hardly the busiest goalkeeper in the league, the statistics insist that last season he was the best.

With the help of the excellent centre-back pairing of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, Van der Sar conceded a mere 24 goals in the league and kept an impressive 21 clean sheets.

United’s goals against column was crucial to winning the Premier League allowing Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to grind out ten narrow 1-0 victories on their way to the title.

Those crucial wins, built on rock solid defensive foundations, handed United a massive 30 points and went a long way to ensuring that Liverpool and Chelsea simply could not catch them at the top.

All of which earned Van der Sar his third Premier League title and also the Golden Glove, taking the crown from Liverpool’s Pepe Reina, who had won it for the past three seasons.

Of course the highlight of Van der Sar’s season must be the period between November 8 and March 4, when his goal was simply not breached.

A record 1,311 minutes passed - 14 consecutive games - before Peter Lovenkrands of Newcastle United finally ended the drought, leaving the United stopper in the record books.


Record breaker! | 14 clean sheets in a row

Those 14 games were the deciding factor in United reclaiming their title, and Van der Sar’s calmness between the sticks and organisational skills were at the fore.

During that spell, the Dutchman also became a world champion with the Old Trafford outfit, claiming glory in FIFA’s Club Word Cup.

A trip to Japan saw the Red Devils bring home the trophy, with Van der Sar keeping, you guessed it, yet another clean sheet in the final against Liga de Quito while Wayne Rooney scored the only goal of the game.

Not content with his success on the club scene, Van der Sar also came out of international retirement to answer an emergency call from Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk, after injuries to keepers Maarten Stekelenburg and Henk Timmer.

The stopper helped the Netherlands to two wins over Iceland and Norway, yet again keeping clean sheets in both games, before finally hanging up his Holland gloves after 130 caps, making him his country’s most capped player.

Of course, his season ultimately ended in disappointment with defeat to Barcelona in Rome, and fingers pointed in his direction after he allowed Samuel Eto’o to beat him at his near post for the opener.

Yet that was the only low point in a super season, which has meant more frustration for United reserves Tomas Kuszczak and Ben Foster, who continue to twiddle their thumbs on the bench at Old Trafford as they await their chance to claim the No. 1 jersey.

The 38-year-old’s performances have also earned him an extended contract, which will keep him at Old Trafford for one last season, presenting him with the chance to add to his already impressive medal haul.

Like fellow Goal.com 50 entrant John Terry, Nicolas Anelka started the past season with a lot to prove having succumbed to a tortuous penalty shoot-out in Moscow during the concluding fixture of the 2008 Champions League, an epic climax against Premier League champions Manchester United.

Captain Terry seems to shoulder the brunt of banter with ease, aided by a forest of press-pages suggesting it was Anelka who technically lost Chelsea the prestigious continental competition. Terry's infamous slip forced sudden-death - the Blues were ahead by virtue of an erringly languid Cristiano Ronaldo spot kick at that point - and Anelka's soft attempted conversion, which was thwarted by Edwin van der Sar, ultimately proved decisive.

On top of that, the French striker, who had excelled in England's top flight before under the tutelage of talented nurturer Arsene Wenger through to his days leading the line for Bolton Wanderers, had a particularly rotten settling-in period at Stamford Bridge, and the omens did not bode well for a successful second season. Powerful striker Didier Drogba still appeared to be the preferential man to lead the line due to his predatory performances in the final third, and Anelka was, at first, deemed the reserve option in a 4-5-1 system.

An injury to the Ivorian international, though, proved to be Anelka's breakthrough.


Accolade-Magnet | Anelka fired his way to success

Anelka, an Avram Grant recruit, started the campaign in fine fashion as he stormed into an advantageous position at the head of the goal-scoring charts. The first half of the 2008-09 campaign was to be prolific for the Chelsea forward, marked by a stunning hat-trick against Sunderland and a pair of braces versus Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion.

His strikes were made all the more impressive when noting the variety. He scored close-range headers (Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers, Watford), he capitalised on threaded through-balls (Manchester City), mopped up rebounds (against Bordeaux, Aston Villa), finished well-placed efforts (Hull City, Southend), cunningly dinked Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers), succeeded in one-on-one situations (Fulham), and arguably saved his best against the club that made his name - Arsenal - with a powerful long-range lash. For the latter, though, he failed to celebrated, despite Drogba's prompting.

Despite a two-month barren spell at the turn of the year, Anelka maintained his lofty position at the heights of the domestic scoring charts. The change of management brought with it a tactical shift. Under the guidance of brash trainer Luiz Felipe Scolari, Anelka was positioned centrally, but during cultured coach Guus Hiddink's interim spell, Anelka was jostled out wide.

Anelka was still productive from the right flank, and began to forge a formidable understanding with Drogba. The aforementioned strike against Arsenal arrived at the back-end of the season and perhaps epitomised his playing essence under the Dutch boss, as Anelka scored one and assisted in another in a 4-1 rout.

His final strike, against the Black Cats, earned him the title of the division's best goalscorer for the campaign, and his final accumulation of 19 ensured him one-goal-every-two-game status.

There were not too many Munich natives celebrating at the end of the Bundesliga season, but for one Munich-born individual, Wolfsburg’s title triumph was a joy to behold. Zvjezdan Misimovic’s parents are Bosnian Serb gastarbeiters who came to West Germany from Gradiska during the late 1970’s, and he was born in the Bavarian capital on June 5 1982.

VfL Wolfsburg’s surprise Bundesliga title win caused extra joy for ‘Zwetschge’ Misimovic considering the fact that he was deemed surplus to requirements at Bayern Munich having started his footballing career with the Bavarian giants in 2002.

He made only three Bundesliga appearances for the Reds before being shipped off to Bochum. Having impressed there, he then spent a season with Nuernberg where his reputation increased further and Wolfsburg trainer Felix Magath signed him for £3.9 million in 2008.

The Bosnian midfielder had big boots to fill at the Volkswagen Arena replacing crowd favourite Marcelinho, but the Wolves fans quickly forgot about their Brazilian favourite when seeing the performances displayed by Misimovic.

He scored in the first game of the season- a 2-1 victory over newly promoted Koln, and also in Wolfsburg’s last game of the season- a 5-1 trouncing of Werder Bremen, which clinched the club’s first title.

Most of the headlines in Wolfsburg’s title winning season were grabbed by strike duo Grafite and Edin Dzeko who scored 54 goals between them. However, the man behind the headlines was definitely Misimovic, who pulled all the strings from midfield and was the conductor for the Wolfsburg orchestra.

Reputed German football newspaper Kicker only began recording assists in 1988, and until this season the record was held jointly by Uwe Bein (1992-93), Andreas Herzog (1994-95) and Dariusz Wosz (1996-97) with 17 assists in a single season. Misimovic however smashed the record last season with a stunning 20 assists. He also chipped in with seven goals of his own.

He saved his best performance of the season however for the final game of the campaign as Wolfsburg thrashed Werder Bremen 5-1 at the Volkswagen Arena to clinch their first ever Bundesliga title. He put in a ‘Man of the Match’ display, scoring the opener and setting up one for Grafite.



Assist King Misimovic



Misimovic also enjoyed a good season internationally with Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the former Yugoslav state well-placed in World Cup qualifying Group 5. The midfielder scored a hat trick for his country back in September during a World Cup qualifier with Estonia. Bosnia won the match 7-0, with Misimovic scoring the first three goals of the game within the first 56 minutes.

Bosnia are well placed in Group 5 ahead of both Turkey and Belgium in the race for second spot in the group behind favourites Spain. Next season will see Bosnia looking for their first ever World Cup qualification, while Wolfsburg will enter the Champions League for the first time in their history as well as attempting to defend their Bundesliga crown.

Pulling the strings for both sides will be Zvejezdan Misimovic- a rising star in European football.

No player list would be complete without mentioning the ever-present attacking influence of Brazilian midfielder Kaka. He has not had his best season, but his contribution to his former club side Milan has been undeniable, scoring 16 goals and providing nine assists in Serie A alone. He has been one of Milan’s best performers in a mediocre season for the Rossoneri.

Kaka had his fair share of injury problems once again this year, and the Brazilian’s form throughout the campaign fluctuated due in part to these concerns, but he was still able to become Milan’s top scorer in the league, while setting up a goal during his four UEFA Cup games with the Italian giants.

His influence on the pitch cannot be measured, but it was noticed that his team-mates were more confident in their own abilities when the Brazilian was present, allowing the side to lift their game, with Kaka taking on a leadership role throughout a season in which the Rossoneri were always chasing Inter in the Scudetto race.

He was unable to win any titles with Milan this season, but a third place finish in the league allowed the side to gain a UEFA Champions League place for the upcoming season.

He would probably be lower on our list had it not been for a fine Player of the Tournament display for Brazil at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa last month. Brazil won the competition, and Kaka was a big part of their success, scoring two goals and guiding the team to victories over Italy, USA and Egypt along the way. He was named Player of the Tournament, and should have had a goal in the final too, but the officials did not see that the ball had crossed Tim Howard’s line.

Along with his exploits in the Confederations Cup, the last year has been a successful one for Kaka and the national team. The 27-year-old played six World Cup qualifying games with the Selecao, scoring two important goals and helping the team to achieve top spot during the ongoing qualification campaign.


New Arrival | Kaka has signed for Real Madrid

The bottom line, however, is that Kaka's efforts in 2009, though noble and impressive on their own, pale in comparison with 2007. That was the year in which the attacking player single-handedly destroyed Manchester United in the semi-final of the Champions League, going on to win the competition, and adding the European Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup to his trophy cabinet, providing assists and goals as Milan became world champions and Kaka was recognised as the best on the planet.

Any subsequent ranking will take that year as the benchmark for Kaka’s high standards, and it will always be tough to match up to or surpass that incredible season.

Kaka moved down in our list compared to his previous ranking, which had the now Real Madrid player in 16th position, but his season has not been one of fantastic achievements and memorable performances, other than a few at the Confederations Cup. It will be interesting to see where Kaka will place on our chart next time around, after his first months in Madrid with los Merengues.

Giorgio Chiellini’s season got off to a bumpy start as he suffered a rather serious injury during the traditional Trofeo Berlusconi meeting between Juventus and Milan in August.

There were fears in the Bianconeri camp that he had ruptured knee ligaments, which could have potentially brought the curtain down on his campaign, but it turned out to be just a muscular problem.

‘King Giorgio’ took it on the chin and less than a month later he was already back into the fold to command Claudio Ranieri’s defensive line for their Champions League opener against Zenit St. Petersburg after a two-year European hiatus in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal.

Despite a great start in Europe’s premier club competition, ‘Chiello’ and Juve could not quite get into gear in Serie A as they already found themselves trailing pacesetters Inter by seven points in mid-October.

The turning point proved to be the big-match with Spanish giants Real Madrid in October: Chiellini was admirable in shackling the Merengues’ attacking machine of Raul, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gonzalo Higuain.

He did not miss a beat, even when his ‘other half’ Nicola Legrottaglie limped off at half time and made way for the shaky Olof Mellberg.

From then on Juventus hit their stride in the league, rekindling their title ambitions with superb wins over Roma, Milan and Fiorentina.

However, Chiellini suffered a relapse of his muscular problem during the dismal home defeat to Cagliari on January 31 and Juve, deprived of their defensive rock, once again lost their momentum at a crucial stage of the season.

But the Italy centre-back completed another astonishing comeback to fly to London and face Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.


Rock Steady | Solid at the back, Chiellini is also a
notable attacking force from set plays

The 24-year-old was also on hand ten days later to break down the resistance of local rivals Torino in the Derby della Mole and his winner helped the Bianconeri keep pace with relentless leaders Inter.

Juve’s season dramatically died after crashing out of the Champions League, but the appointment of former defender Ciro Ferrara in place of Claudio Ranieri will certainly go a long way toward helping Chiellini establish himself as one of the best centre-backs in the game.

He will be able to learn a few more tricks of the trade from Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro next term after the Neapolitan controversially agreed to return to the club he had left following Juve’s demotion to Serie B because of their involvement in Calciopoli.

The first ‘test drive’ did not exactly go according to plan, the duo looking unusually dodgy at the Confederations Cup, with eventual winners Brazil ripping apart Marcello Lippi’s back line with ease.

Ferrara has a tough job on his hands to oil the newly-formed defensive partnership, but you can bet he will succeed.

It has been quite a season for the Brazilian Edinaldo Batista Líbano. More commonly known as Grafite, the 30-year-old stormed the goalscoring charts in Germany and fired underdogs VfL Wolfsburg to their first ever Bundesliga triumph.

To many observers, the rise of Grafite came as somewhat of a surprise, but, to the more keenly sighted, the signs have been there for quite a while that he was ready to explode onto the European scene, and step up to the next level to be considered one of the continent's best finishers.

He rose to prominence back in his homeland scoring plenty of goals for Goias and Sao Paulo and earning a call-up to the Brazilian squad in 2005 only for a serious knee injury to cut him down and halt his progress. However a move to Europe first with Le Mans and then Wolfsburg led to last season’s outstanding campaign.

The leading goalscorer award in Germany, known as the ‘Torschutzenkoenig’, has had some illustrious recipients in the past with names like Gerd Mueller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Klaus Allofs inscribed upon the trophy, but with 28 Bundesliga goals last season the latest name on the award is that of Grafite.

The Brazilian, who follows compatriots Marcio Amoroso, Giovane Elber and Ailton as winner of the award, opened his account in his first game of the season against Eintracht Frankfurt and never looked back. He palyed a total of 25 league games for the Wolves and scored an amazing 28 goals in the process. Indeed, he only failed to find the back of the net on seven occasions.

Of those 28 goals though, one stood out above all others and earned him the Bundesliga ‘Goal of the Year’ award. With the race for the title entering the crucial final phase, Wolfsburg hosted rivals Bayern Munich at the Volkswagen Arena in April and hammered the Bavarians 5-1. Grafite scored twice, but the final goal of the game was what left spectators buzzing.

He picked the ball up on the left before turning the poor Andreas Ottl inside-out. He then took the ball around both Christian Lell and keeper Michael Rensing before leaving both Breno and Philipp Lahm in his wake. The Brazilian topped it all off cheekily with a reverse back-heel which trickled agonisingly into the Bayern net as if to prolong the Bavarians' agony.

Venerated German commentator Fritz von Thurn und Taxis described the goal during his commentary as the best goal he had ever seen since the Bundesliga's inception in 1963.

Grafite’s partnership with Bosnian Edin Dzeko was amazing and the duo became the most prolific double-act in Bundesliga history, beating the long-standing record of goals held previously by Gerd Mueller and Uli Hoeness. The pair notched up 54 goals between them.



Double Trouble: Dzeko & Grafite



His performance understandably led to speculation that a bigger club would snap him up, but the striker calmed the Wolfsburg faithful’s nerves by signing a contract extension until 2012.

Grafite has just one Brazilian cap to his name and will be hoping to fight his way back into the Selecao frame although his omission from the recent Confederation Cup squad was not a positive sign.

“I admit that I'd been hoping for a call-up and not seeing my name on the list made me sad, because I know I could have been involved. But you can't criticise the squad he [coach Dunga] picked: the four forwards selected are excellent players” he told fifa.com in a recent interview.

“Whatever, I've just got to do my job well and leave it up to Dunga to decide. I think that being successful in Europe was huge, but I'd still like to win something with the national team. I think that's the only thing left before I can look back and say 'I achieved everything I possibly could'. I'll keep chasing that opportunity."

Pato has had a good season for his club side, Milan. He is improving at a rapid pace, whilst showing maturity and a confidence which will serve him well on the pitch, along with his humble approach to the game.

Winners of the 2007 UEFA Champions League, the Rossoneri then came fifth in Serie A, thereby forfeiting their place at the pinnacle of club football to Fiorentina. This left Milan with a clear and achievable goal for the season just ended: to win the Scudetto.

The Scudetto prize was elusive, however, and despite a relatively strong season from the Rossoneri, rivals Inter took the title once again. Still, the most successful club in the world secured Champions League qualification with a third place finish in Serie A, tied with second placed Juventus on 74 points. Pato was key to the team's run in Serie A; overall, he contributed a great deal in his first full season with the Rossoneri.

In other competitions this season, Milan faltered earlier than expected, dropping out of the Coppa Italia at the hands of Lazio, before ending their UEFA Cup run against Werder Bremen thanks to the away goals rule. Despite this disappointment, Pato left his mark on the game once again, scoring a stunning goal against the Germans after a solo run and powerful strike, leaving everyone in awe of his abilities.

The youngster has been in fine form all season, scoring 15 goals in Serie A, adding five assists in the top-flight. The skilful Brazilian striker has mesmerised defences in the Italian league with his pace and spectacular dribbling ability, rounding off his good work with powerful and accurate finishing. In the UEFA Cup, Pato was his usual prolific self, scoring three of the Rossoneri's goals in the competition.


Working Hard | Pato Has Improved A Great Deal

Pato has surely been the most influential and consistent Milan player throughout the 2008-09 season, and he went on to end the season with the Confederations Cup trophy. The youngster had a minimal part in his national team's success at the festival of champions - coming on as a substitute for only a single game - but he gave Brazil an extra dimension in attack, with the option of bringing him off the bench to torture opposition back lines.

Otherwise, Pato took part in three World Cup qualifiers for the South Americans during the season past, contributing to a campaign which currently sees Brazil placed at the top of the standings.

Along with his performances for the full national team, Pato was part of the star-studded Brazilian Olympic football team that came third at the recent Beijing Olympics. It was a successful year for the youngster in terms of his early adventures with the Selecao.

His hard work and displays of sublime talent have not gone unnoticed this season, with a number of teams said to be interested in his services. Milan, though, are unwilling to let their gem slip away. He has impressed and is improving at a staggering rate with the Rossoneri and Brazil, and it will be interesting to see how our number 36 fares next season and beyond.

2008 – 09 HONOURS

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup (Brazil)
2008 Olympic Bronze Medal (Brazil)

The 2007-08 campaign ended with a third consecutive Golden Glove award for Jose Manuel 'Pepe' Reina, ensuring his status as one of Europe's finest goalkeepers. And although he just missed out on claiming the accolade four years running, he more than upheld his reputation in the season that followed.

It proved to be another trophyless term for Liverpool, but the progress made was there for all to see as Rafael Benitez's side pushed Manchester United to the wire in the Premier League race. Fresh off a European Championship win with Spain, Pepe was an integral part of not only his club side's typically solid defending, but also its play-building from the back.

The season began in typically shaky fashion for the Reds. After scraping through Champions League qualifying, they kicked off domestic affairs with nervous showings against Sunderland (1-0), Middlesbrough (2-1) and Aston Villa (0-0). A monumental victory against Man United at home seemed to have set them on the right path, but there were more hiccoughs to be had yet.

In truth, Reina's goal looked a little less secure than usual in the early stages, though not through any great fault of his own - aside from one memorably inadvisable pass-out to Daniel Agger during Wigan Athletic's visit to Anfield. Rather, it was an unstable and injury-struck defensive line that forced the 'keeper to work hard as 'Pool pulled off some miraculous escapes.

The former Villarreal man kept a clean sheet as his side ended Chelsea's record home unbeaten run in October, and as winter drew near, the Merseysiders hit something approaching their best form. Reina continued to demonstrate his all-round contribution to the team - such as in the 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers in December, when his midfield-splitting release allowed Xabi Alonso to set-up one of Robbie Keane's two second-half goals.

Liverpool entered 2009 clear atop the Premier League standings; however, in all-too-familiar fashion, their form soon tapered as they struggled to break down the likes of Stoke City, Wigan and Middlesbrough - the latter dealing them just their second league loss, in February.


Safe Hands | Pepe in practice with La Furia Roja

Meanwhile, though, Rafa's Reds were tearing it up in Europe. In one (well, two) of the more impressive team displays of the Champions League campaign, they claimed a mammoth 5-0 aggregate win over Real Madrid in the knockout phase. As a Barcelona product whose father played for Atletico Madrid, it's safe to say that Pepe would have been pretty chuffed at shutting out the Merengues across two legs.

A costly fumble on a tame Didier Drogba cross/shot at Stamford Bridge would play a big part in his side's exit in the CL semis, but Reina's form was otherwise sound as Liverpool stormed back into league contention. He conceded just seven goals in the last 10 games - which included Andriy Arshavin's four-goal heroics at Anfield - but it wasn't quite enough to prevent Man United from claiming their third straight Premier League crown.

Pepe finished the season with 20 clean sheets, equalling his best-ever tally since joining the club in 2005, although Edwin van der Sar would snatch the Golden Glove. Nevertheless, as one of the few Spaniards at Anfield whose future hasn't come into question this summer, Pepe Reina's place as one of the 'untouchables' in Benitez's squad is assured heading into the 2009-10 campaign.

In many respects, the 2008/09 campaign was a rite of passage for Giuseppe Rossi. His €10m move from Manchester United in the summer of 2007 saw him attempt to fill the considerable shoes of Diego Forlan, who had departed for Atletico Madrid, and his 11 goals in 28 La Liga appearances represented an encouraging if understated start to his Villarreal career.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side had a wonderful second half of the season that year, losing only one Primera Division match in seventeen as Los Submarinos Amarillos infiltrated the Barcelona – Real Madrid duopoly to finish second.

Rossi played his part, but would have been aware that with a season under his belt, the expectations would be greater as his club prepared for a three-pronged assault on La Liga, Copa Del Rey and Champions League.

As the season commenced, the 22-year old took on the mantle as the focal point of Villarreal’s attack with gusto, and after initially struggling to gain a foothold in Pellegrini’s formation, come October had formed a lucrative partnership with new addition Joseba Llorente.

Villarreal, and Rossi, were on fire; six goals in six consecutive appearances including three in the Europe against Aalborg kept the El Madrigal side unbeaten while easing through to the Champions’ League group stage along with Rossi’s former employers Manchester United.

Even as his side's season came off the rails, Rossi remained affluent in front of goal, and had it not been for his intelligent front running, lethal finishing and the intuitive manner in which he brings teammates into the match, then Villarreal may not have landed their Europa League slot for finishing 5th.



Explosive | Rossi blasts home his first Italy goal

It is no exaggeration to suggest that the Italian dragged his side, kicking and screaming, through their barren spell. Six goals in seven fixtures after the winter break helped alleviate the strain during a troubled period, and included a crucial equaliser against Panathinaikos at the super 16 stage that proved pivotal in qualification to the quarter finals.

Arsenal ultimately ended Villarreal’s campaign, comfortably seeing off the Spaniards 4-1 on aggregate, and Rossi’s season in front of goal became defunct after that exit. Fifteen games without a goal represented a hugely disappointing end to a campaign that at one point had appeared so promising.

Despite that setback, Marcelo Lippi saw fit to hand Rossi his debut full international cap against Bulgaria in World Cup Qualifying, an honour that may be deemed controversial given his American upbringing, but one that the player had dreamt of achieving.

Indeed as the season ended the New Jersey-born star notched his first international goal, a stunning strike in a friendly versus Northern Ireland, and his double strike against the USA in the Confederations Cup symbolized one of the few positives from what was a dismal campaign for the Azzuri.

His performances for the national team appeared to remind Serie A sides of his abilities, and both Juventus and AC Milan have been linked with €20m bids to secure his talents.

But he has yet to truly prove himself as the prolific marksman he has the attributes to become, and with transfer talk seemingly cooling, he appears ready to begin the season under the tenure of Ernesto Valverde.

The shrewd coach has already conveyed his desire to build his side around the diminutive frontman, which is testament to how crucial he sees the Italian being as Villarreal strive to return to Euope's top table.

With Rossi leading the line, Los Submarinos Amarillos followers can be confident of another exciting campaign.

Landon Donovan has long been considered the most talented American player. His combination of speed, skill, and experience make him a lethal attacker who, at just 27, is already the all-time leading scorer for the United States team.

In 2008, he had his best individual year as a pro. Unfortunately, his performance was the only bright light in an otherwise gloomy year in Southern California. Amid the hoopla surrounding David Beckham and the hiring (and subsequent resignation) of manager Ruud Gullit, the Galaxy missed the Major League playoffs for the third season in a row in 2008. Donovan, however, had the most productive season of his career, notching 20 goals and winning the MLS Golden Boot.

Bayern or Bust

The off-season saw Donovan make a third attempt in Europe. He began the new year on loan with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, and at first he didn't look out of place as he scored in several friendlies. But he wasn’t as effective when the games mattered, and Bayern chose to add Ivica Olic to their forward corps of Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hinted that club management believed Donovan, who turned 27 in March, was too old to be the young attacking option backing up those other players.

"We believe it's better to have a young player with prospects as a fourth striker," Rummenigge said.

Upsetting Spain

Donovan played well on his return to the Galaxy, helping the squad to a ten-game unbeaten streak at the beginning of the 2009 MLS season. But it wasn't until the Confederations Cup that he showed that he may have finally come into his own as a world-class player.

Against Italy in the opening match, it was largely Donovan's pace and precise passes that put the vaunted Italian defence on its heels. His clinical finish of a penalty kick opportunity gave the Americans the lead even though they were already a man down at the time. If team-mates Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley had done better with the pair of excellent chances that Donovan setup for them, the lead might have been extended.

Instead, Italy rallied to earn a 3-1 win. Yet even in that loss, it was clear that the player running hard until the final whistle on both defence and offence, not showing signs of slowing or weariness, was Donovan. He was in South Africa to make a statement and show the world what he was capable of.

Shock Troop | Donovan led the USA superbly in
the Confederations Cup

Even in the second game, in which the US started badly and then got worse, against Brazil, Donovan's consistent effort did not falter. A position change to the wing had taken him back to his days playing midfield, and he looked dangerous to deliver either an insightful ball or take on defenders on almost every play.

In the USA’s last-gasp chance to advance versus Egypt, Donovan elevated the one part of his game that had still been lacking at the tournament, his set-piece delivery, raising the reliability and quality of the service he sent in, making nearly every chance a threatening one. Egypt were under fire, and the Americans were able to triumph by the exact margin of goals that they needed.

Yet the stunner of the tournament was undoubtedly the 2-0 victory versus Spain. Though Donovan didn't score the goals, his play helped orchestrate the triumph, as he maintained possession for the US, limiting Spain's effectiveness. His pass to Clint Dempsey for the final goal, though it took a favorable deflection, sealed up the upset for the United States.

The final against Brazil featured Donovan's classic finishing skills. Donovan's slashing runs helped create opportunities going forward, and the US team, when it had as much energy as he did in the first half, not only kept up with the Brazilians, but even took the early advantage on a goal.

Donovan added to that tally with a fantastic open-field run that featured his speed on the counterattack, a perfect pass to a breaking team-mate, and an excellent first touch to completely fool a defender before slotting coolly past Julio Cesar for the second goal.

Showing the Critics

Donovan’s critics have always harped on his accomplishments as meaningless because he has played so long in Major League Soccer. Yet if Donovan was out to prove that, despite performing in the US’s 'second-tier' league he is still one of the top players the US has ever produced, he could not have done much better than how he played at the Confederations Cup.

Donovan has said that he would like a move to Europe, and he recently revealed to Goal.com that the Confederations Cup had indeed led to some offers. However, unlike Oguchi Onyewu, who already parlayed his own impressive performance into a deal with Milan, Donovan is not available on a free transfer, and Major League Soccer will not give up their local star for cheap.

Whatever the future holds, though, there is no doubt that Donovan has taken a turn in the spotlight that has opened a few eyes. As the US continue to march to the 2010 World Cup, it does so with Donovan as the key leader.