Robinho

Robson de Souza (born 25 January 1984 in São Vicente, São Paulo, São Paulo), commonly known as Robinho, is a Brazilian national football team association football, who currently plays for and the Brazil national football team.

Robinho was personally picked by Pelé as Robinho heir apparent at only 15 years of age and went on to lead Santos FC to its first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title since Pelé himself played for the same legendary Brazilian club. Since then Robinho won another title with Santos, two more with Real Madrid C.F., one Copa América title with Brazil national football team and two Confederations Cup, as well with Brazil national football team. The Manchester City star tied the knot with Vivian Guglielmetti at the Casa Grande hotel in Guaruja, Brazil on 9 July 2009.

Club career

Santos

In 2002, at the age of seventeen, Robinho signed Robinho first professional contract with Santos FC in Brazil. Robinho made 24 appearances in Robinho debut season and scoring 10 goals as Santos won the 2002 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Robinho reached the final of the 2003 Copa Libertadores with Santos, but lost in the final to Club Atlético Boca Juniors. In 2004, Robinho finished with 21 goals and led Santos to another title.

Robinho form had brought Robinho to the attention of many European clubs in the summer of 2004, but Robinho remained with Santos after the Brazilian club rejected all offers. However, Robinho form suffered in the 2004-05 season after Robinho mother, Marina da Silva Souza, was kidnapped by gunmen at her Praia Grande home on November 6, but she was released unharmed six weeks later after a ransom was paid.

Robinho scored nine goals in twelve league games, and Robinho value continued to increase as Robinho talent became more and more apparent to the powers of European football. Santos began to realize it would become increasingly difficult to hold on to their star player. In July 2005, Spanish giants Real Madrid C.F. signed Robinho by agreeing to pay a fee equal to 60 percent of the buyout clause in Robinho contract belonging to Santos (Euro24 million).

Real Madrid

Robinho earned the shirt number 10 for Real Madrid, previously worn by Luís Figo. Robinho ended up making 37 appearances and scored 14 goals in Robinho first season. The pressure and high expectations imposed on Robinho led to infighting in the Real Madrid dressing room between the Spanish based 'Raul faction' and the Ronaldo and Zidane led Galactico faction brought in by Florentino Perez. Robinho got caught in the middle of this battle of egos between 'Galacticos' and the 'Raulista' faction and although Robinho had some outstanding games and showed plenty of brilliance and promise, without a capable and united supporting cast Robinho was unable to show the world Robinho consistent best.

At the start of the 2006–07 campaign, Robinho and David Beckham were considered too flashy and glamorous and rapidly fell out of favor with new footballing regime instituted by Ramon Calderon and carried out by manager Fabio Capello and Robinho spent much of the first few months of the season on the bench, this even after being player of the match in the first Super Classico against Barcelona that year. Only after the winter break did Robinho and Beckham find themselves in the starting eleven and they were both played crucial roles as Real Madrid won their thirtieth league title. That title was the third league title of Robinho's career.

However, Capello was subsequently fired and Bernd Schuster was appointed as head coach of Real Madrid. Robinho finished with eleven goals and fourteen assists for Madrid in the 2007–08 La Liga season as well as six goals during Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League campaign. Robinho then got injured at the beginning of the second half of the season. Robinho didn't recover fully enough to help Madrid against A.S. Roma in the Champions League. The week before though, Robinho saved Real Madrid's La Liga title hopes with a clutch two goal performance on 3 March 2008, as Madrid defeated Recreativo de Huelva away from home. That game kept a resurgent FC Barcelona at bay and ultimately secured Real Madrid's thirty-first league title and Robinho's fourth.

Despite being Real Madrid's highest scorer during Robinho Madrid years behind strikers Raul and Van Nistelrooy, the player with the most assists behind Guti, and the only Madrid player, along with goalkeeper Casillas, to finish in the top ten of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations for 2007–08, there were dark clouds forming over team president Ramon Calderon's refusal to renew Robinho contract which was first promised to take place at mid-season then promised to happen at the end of the season. Calderon went back on Robinho word twice, as moves were already underway to use Robinho as trade bait to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. Robinho only found out about it when the initial deal with Cristiano Ronaldo fell through as a result of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's outright refusal to bargain with Real Madrid, who then backtracked and tried to finally make a concerted effort to renew Robinho's contract once their attempts to sign Cristiano Ronaldo failed. For Robinho, Madrid's behavior under Calderon was not only disrespectful, but a betrayal, which Robinho would not soon forgive. Against tremendous pressure from the Spanish media and the Real Madrid club itself, Robinho demanded to be traded and a deal with Chelsea looked to be in the making. Chelsea didn't meet Real Madrid's asking price, which eventually led Robinho to choose Manchester City, as Robinho new destination in the Barclay's English Premiership.

Manchester City

On 1 September 2008, the final day of the Premier League summer transfer window, Robinho completed a euro42.5 million (Pound32.5m) move to , with wages in the region of £160,000 per week. This occurred on the same day the club was bought out by the Arab investment company Abu Dhabi United Group.

Robinho had previously been linked with a transfer to , and Robinho had emphasised Robinho desire to play for the London club up to the eve of the transfer. On 27 August, Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said that the club were "confident" that the transaction would go through, and Madrid had also given their consent for the player to leave.
On 26 October, Robinho scored Robinho first Premier League hat-trick against , and Robinho scored Robinho first European goal for City in a 3–2 UEFA Cup 2008–09 group stage win over FC Twente on 6 November. Robinho was given the captain's armband for the match against , due to Richard Dunne's suspension, which ended in a 2–2 draw.

On 19 April Robinho scored Robinho 13th league goal for Manchester City in the 2–1 win away at on 25 April, Manchester City's first away win since 31 August 2008. The following week, Robinho scored Robinho third consecutive goal in three games, against Blackburn Rovers F.C. to help Manchester City to a 3–1 win. Robinho has Robinho own song from the City fans, which is simply "We've got Robinho", which they sang on the night they signed Robinho and continue to sing on match days. Robinho finished the season as City's top goal scorer with 14 and the 4th top scorer in the league.

International career

Robinho earned Robinho first cap for Brazil in the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup match on July 13, which Brazil lost 1–0 to Mexico national football team. Although Brazil chose to send their Brazil Olympic football team, the CONCACAF Gold Cup matches are considered as full international matches by FIFA. Robinho was part of Brazil squad for 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, which Brazil went on to win.

Robinho played in four of Brazil's five 2006 FIFA World Cup matches as a reserve, but finished the tournament goalless. However, Robinho was in top form in the Copa América 2007 a year later. For the tournament, Robinho wore the number 11 jersey, the same number that Robinho childhood hero Romário wore. Robinho scored all four of Brazil's group stage goals via a hat-trick in Brazil's 3-0 group stage match against Chile national football team, and a penalty in a 1–0 win over Ecuador national football team. Robinho last two goals came in a 6–1 quarterfinal thrashing of Chile. Robinho reaped the individual honors, finishing as the Golden Boot winner in addition to being named the best player of the tournament. Robinho has one cap as captain and that was a friendly against Algeria national football team on 22 August 2007, due to the absence of regular captains, Lúcio and Gilberto Silva, while Kaká and Ronaldinho were on the bench.

On 28 June 2009, Robinho was a member of the Brazil team that won the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. Robinho played in every game in the competition, including the final against the United States men's national soccer team, which Brazil came back from two goals deficit to eventually win the game 3–2.