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Koen Casteels
Koen Casteels (born 25 June 1992) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Belgium national team. Formed at Genk, he spent most of his professional career in Germany with 1899 Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen (loan) and VfL Wolfsburg, making over 100 Bundesliga appearances. Casteels made 37 appearances for Belgium up to under-21 level. He was first called up for the senior team in 2013 and was part of their squad that came third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Club career Casteels was developed at K.R.C. Genk where he was a teammate of fellow goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. He was initially regarded as better than Courtois, but while he and several of the club's other goalkeepers were injured, Courtois broke into the team. Casteels was signed by VfL Wolfsburg from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in January 2015, but spent the first six months of the three-and-a-half-year contract on loan at Werder Bremen. He played for Wolfsburg in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg () or Wolfsburg, is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of Wolfsburg. It is best known for its football department, but other departments include badminton, handball and athletics. The men's professional football team play in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, the DFB-Pokal in 2015 and the DFL-Supercup in 2015. Professional football is run by the spin-off organization ''VfL Wolfsburg-Fußball GmbH'', a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Since 2002, Wolfsburg's stadium is the Volkswagen Arena. History A new team in a new city The city of Wolfsburg was founded in 1938 as Stadt des KdF-Wagen to house autoworkers building the car that would later become famous as the Volks ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xabi Alonso
Xabier Alonso Olano (, ; born 25 November 1981) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player who is currently the head coach of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home province Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar, he was appointed as team captain of Real Sociedad by then-manager John Toshack. He succeeded in the role, taking the club to second place in the 2002–03 season. He moved to Liverpool in August 2004 for £10.5 million and won the UEFA Champions League in his first season, under manager Rafael Benítez, scoring the equalising goal in the Final against Milan. The following season, he won the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. He moved to Real Madrid for the start of the 2009–10 season in a deal worth around £30 million. After winning honours including a league title in 2012 and the Champions League in 2014 during five seasons in Madrid, he was signed by German club B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Regionalliga Süd (1994–2012)
The Regionalliga Süd ( en, Regional League South) was the fourth tier of the German football league system from 2008 to 2012. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It was the highest regional league for the southern part of Germany. It covered the states of Bavaria, Hesse and Baden-Württemberg and was one of three leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Nord and the Regionalliga West. The league was disbanded at the end of the 2011–12 season, with the Bavarian clubs joining the new Regionalliga Bayern while the others joined the clubs from the southwest of Germany to form the new Regionalliga Südwest.DFB-Bundestag beschließt Reform der Spielklassen [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2011–12 Regionalliga
The 2011–12 Regionalliga season was the eighteenth season of the Regionalliga since its re-establishment after German reunification and the fourth as a fourth-level league within the German football league system. It was contested in three regional divisions. The season began on 8 August 2011 and ended on 20 May 2012. The champions of each division was promoted to the 2012–13 3. Liga. This tier of the German league pyramid was expanded to five divisions for the 2012–13 season. No team was relegated to a lower level on competitionally aspects at the end of the season. Teams A total of 55 teams will compete in three geographical divisions (North, West and South); the North and South circuits will comprise 18 sides each, while the West division was expanded to 19 teams. Licensing issues prior to the season The composition of the three divisions was severely affected by licensing difficulties for multiple teams. Rot Weiss Ahlen were demoted from the 3. Liga at the end ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II is the reserve team of German association football club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, based in Hoffenheim, Baden-Württemberg. The team has been playing in the tier four Regionalliga since 2010. History With the rise of the first team the club's reserve side, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II, started to climb through the ranks, too. It entered the Verbandsliga Baden in 2001, only a year after the senior team had won this league, and won promotion to the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg in its second season there after coming second in the Verbandsliga.Historic German league tables Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv, accessed: 22 January 2015 After seven seasons in the Oberliga where it gradually improved season by season the team won promotion to the [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
The 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A was the top division of the 2020–21 edition of the UEFA Nations League, the second season of the international football competition involving the men's national teams of the 55 member associations of UEFA. League A culminated with the Nations League Finals in October 2021 to determine the champions of the competition. Portugal were the defending champions, having won the inaugural 2019 finals. However, they failed to qualify for the 2021 finals after finishing second in their group behind France. None of the teams that had qualified for the previous UEFA Nations League Finals qualified for the 2021 edition. France won the final 2–1 against Spain for their first UEFA Nations League title. Format Following a format change from the first season, League A was expanded from 12 to 16 teams. The league consisted of the top ranked UEFA members from 1–16 in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League overall ranking, split into four groups of four. Eac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iceland National Football Team
The Iceland national football team (in ) represents Iceland in men's international football. The team is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland, and have been a FIFA member since 1947 and an UEFA member since 1957. The team's nickname is ''Strákarnir okkar'', which means ''Our Boys'' in Icelandic. The team has enjoyed success in the second half of the 2010s. In the qualifying rounds for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Iceland reached the playoffs before losing to Croatia. Iceland reached its first major tournament, UEFA Euro 2016, after a qualification campaign which included home and away wins over the Netherlands. After advancing to the knockout stages of Euro 2016, Iceland defeated England in the Round of 16, advancing to the quarter-finals, where they lost to host nation France 5–2. They became the smallest nation by population to ever clinch a FIFA World Cup berth when they qualified for the 2018 tournament on 9 October 2017. They drew with Argentina in their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simon Mignolet
Simon Luc Hildebert Mignolet (, ; born 6 March 1988) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Belgian Pro League club Club Brugge and the Belgium national team. Mignolet started his career with Belgian Second Division side Sint-Truiden in 2004, and spent six years with the club, making 100 senior league appearances and scoring a goal. He moved to Premier League side Sunderland in June 2010 for £2 million, spending three years with them and making 101 appearances across all competitions before moving to Liverpool in June 2013 for £9 million. Mignolet has represented the Belgium national team at every level from under-16 upwards. He made his senior debut in 2011, has since earned over 30 caps. He was also named to Belgium's squad for the 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2016 and 2020. Club career Sint-Truiden Mignolet was born in Sint-Truiden. He first joined his local football team, Belgian Second Division side Sint-Tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matz Sels
Matz Willy Els Sels (born 26 February 1992) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg and the Belgium national team. Club career Lierse SK Sels started his youth career at Kontich, but transferred to Lierse at the age of seven. Over there, he started in 2010 in the first team. After the departure of Eiji Kawashima to Standard Liège in the summer of 2012, Sels became the first choice keeper. In his first game in the First Division, on 29 July 2012 against Gent, he saved a penalty. At the start of the 2013–2014 season, when he refused to sign a new contract, he was demoted to the second team. KAA Gent On 31 December 2013, it was announced that Sels would complete a transfer to KAA Gent once the transfer window opened. He would become the number one goalkeeper as Frank Boeckx's contract was due to expire at the end of the season. Sels made his debut for AA Gent on 14 January 2014 against K.V. Kortrijk, in the quarter finals of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roberto Martínez
Roberto Martínez Montoliu (born 13 July 1973) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player, currently as head coach of the Portugal national team. Martínez played as a defensive midfielder and began his career at Real Zaragoza, with whom he won the Copa del Rey. He spent a year at lower league side CF Balaguer, before signing for English Third Division side Wigan Athletic. Becoming part of a small Spanish contingent at the club known as "the three amigos" alongside Jesús Seba and Isidro Díaz, he was a regular first team player for six years, the longest period of time he spent at one club. During his time there, he won the Football League Third Division and the Football League Trophy. He moved to Scottish side Motherwell, then to Walsall, before joining Swansea City in 2003. He became club captain and helped the team to win promotion to League One in 2005. He moved to Chester City in 2006, and was again chosen to be captain. In 2007, he retired from pl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sammy Bossut
Sammy Andre Bossut (born 11 August 1985) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Zulte Waregem in the Belgian Pro League. He was a first team surprise in the 2006–07 UEFA Cup return against Newcastle United, in St James' Park. At the end of the 2007-08 season, Zulte Waregem chose not to prolong the contract of Geert De Vlieger, who was until then first choice goalkeeper. Bossut started the last matches of that season to gain more first team experience. Instead of signing a new goalkeeper, Bossut was awarded his spot in the starting eleven for the 2008–09 season. International career After Silvio Proto got injured, national manager Marc Wilmots called up Bossut as potential third goalkeeper for the Belgium national football team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Bossut played his first game with the national team against Luxembourg on 26 May 2014. Though considered official by the Royal Belgian Football Association, FIFA did not recognise the match as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silvio Proto
Silvestro "Silvio" Proto (born 23 May 1983) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Career Proto spent the majority of his career with Anderlecht, for whom he made over 300 appearances, won 13 trophies and served as captain for two seasons between 2005 and 2016. His other previous clubs include R.A.C.S. Couillet, Olympic Charleroi, La Louvière, Germinal Beerschot, KV Oostende and Olympiacos. He has also represented the Belgium national team, earning 13 caps between 2004 and 2011. He was called up as a replacement for the injured Koen Casteels for Belgium's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. However, he himself got injured and was then replaced by Sammy Bossut. On 28 September 2008, while playing for Germinal Beerschot, he scored a last minute equalizer in the 2–2 draw with Gent for the Belgian First Division. Personal life Proto is of part Sicilian descent and practises ventriloquism. Career statistics Club Honours Club La Louvière *Belgia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
