Villarreal CF

Francisco José Olivas Alba, aka Kiko, (born 21 August 1988 in Antequera), is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Villarreal C.F. of the Spanish La Liga as a defender.

Sebastián Eguren Ledesma (born January 8, 1981 in Montevideo) is an Uruguayan footballer who currently plays for Villarreal CF, mainly as a defensive midfielder.

Club career

Eguren started his career in native Uruguay, playing for Montevideo Wanderers (twice) and Club Nacional de Football. With the latter, after the 0-0 Libertadores Cup match against Ecuador's Club Deportivo El Nacional, on February 12, 2004, he tested positive for cocaine, being suspended from football for six months. He blamed the coca tea, which is widely drunk in the Andean countries (as a medicine which alleviates the effects of altitude), and got the shortest suspension for this kind of cases (this specific match was played at 2,800 meters above sea level, in Quito).
Eguren arrived at Hammarby IF from Norwegian club Rosenborg B.K., on loan during the later part of the 2006 season and, on December 5, 2006, signed a three-year contract with the club. In Hammarby, he became very quickly one of the most popular players because of his fighting spirit, also scoring in some Stockholm derbies.
On January 30, 2008, Eguren was loaned to Villarreal CF of the Spanish first division, until the end of the season. Almost immediately cast into the starting XI, he partnered Brazilian-born Marcos Senna in centre midfield, as the Yellow Submarine obtained its best position ever in the topflight (second). In May 2008, Villarreal decided to buy Eguren, whom penned a three-year deal.
During 2008-09, more of the same: Eguren was, alongside Senna, an everpresent fixture, as the Uruguayan netted his first goal for the club, in a 3-3 home draw against Getafe CF (with the Madrid side leading 0-3 at the half-hour mark).

International career

Eguren made his debut for Uruguay during the Copa América 2001, entering the pitch in the 63rd minute of a 1-0 win against Bolivia, and added a further two appearances in the competition.
On May 28, 2008, he scored his first goal for the Charrúas, netting in a 2-2 friendly with Norway, in Oslo.

Robert Emmanuel Pirès (born 29 October 1973 in Reims, France) is a French international football player, of Portuguese and Asturian descent. He is married to Jessica Lemarie, with whom he has two children.
He plays for Villarreal CF as a winger. He normally plays on the left wing but can play all across midfield or in a position to support the striker(s).

Early Years

Robert Pires was born 29 October 1973 in Reims, France to a Portuguese father and Spanish mother. Robert, the eldest of two boys, spent most of his childhood dressed in two football shirts that reflected his divided loyalty. One was the Portuguese national team jersey. The other was Real Madrid’s. Robert confessed he had difficulty in school because his French wasn't good due to the fact his parents only spoke Spanish and Portuguese.
His passion for football was inherited from his father, Antonio, who played with ‘Les Corpo’, a local team, and every Saturday night Robert would watch him play. At the age of 15, Pires left school and began his dream of a career in football with a two-year sports degree course in Reims. At the insistance of his mother, Pires continued with Reims and eventually was called up 4 years later.

French League career

Pirès is a graduate of the FC Metz youth academy, making his senior debut in 1993, against Lyon. During his six seasons there, he scored 43 goals in 162 matches, and won the Coupe de la Ligue, prompting a £5 million move to Olympique de Marseille in 1998. At Marseille, Pirès had a mixed two-year stay. His first season saw him miss the French league title by a point, and his second season saw him suffer a spate of on- and off-field problems, which led him to boycott the club at the season's end.
Arsenal

He was signed by Arsenal for £6 million in 2000, after stiff competition from Real Madrid and Juventus, replacing Marc Overmars who had left for FC Barcelona for a record £25 million. Initially, Pirès' form was indifferent, and some people criticised him after his comments that the English game was too physical. However, he slowly began to regain the form he had shown at Metz, scoring a superb solo goal against Lazio in the 2000–01 Champions League, and the winner against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semi-finals; however Arsenal went on to lose the Cup final to Liverpool 2–1.
By 2001–02, Pirès had fully got to grips with the English game and had one of his best seasons. Pirès scored some superb goals against Middlesbrough F.C. and Aston Villa. Against Aston Villa, Pirès chased after a long ball by Freddie Ljungberg, and lobbed the ball over the pursuing George Boateng, and finished off the move with a delightful chip over Peter Schmeichel. He led the Premiership assist charts and was voted both FWA Footballer of the Year and Arsenal's player of the season, as Arsenal won the league title. This was despite not playing the last two months of the season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in a FA Cup match against Newcastle United.
After a lengthy layoff, Pirès made his comeback in November 2002 as a substitute against Auxerre in the UEFA Champions League. Initially Pirès found it tough, but he finally found his form, scoring 14 Premiership goals in 20 starts that season, including a hat-trick against Southampton in the penultimate day of the season. Pirès was voted Barclaycard Player of the Month for February 2003. Pirès capped off his season by scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup Final against Southampton.
He went on to be a crucial part of Arsenal's quest for the Premiership title in the 2003–04 season, which they achieved, remaining unbeaten and becoming the first English top flight club to do so in 115 years. Pirès and his Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry were instrumental in that season, scoring a combined 57 goals in all competitions. Pirès made a sluggish start to the campaign, but a wondergoal against Liverpool F.C. at Anfield kick-started his season. Pirès showed football fans his sublime technique, skills and finishing, most notably with his goals against Liverpool, Bolton, Leeds. He surprised a lot of people with a world class tackle on Claude Makelele and following that, a run into the penalty box which dragged William Gallas and John Terry away, thus making space for Patrick Vieira to have a one on one with the Chelsea goalkeeper, and subsequently scoring. Arsenal won that match 2–1, with Vieira's goal the equaliser. That day of EPL action proved decisive, as Man Utd's failure to beat Leed's United during the same day resulted in Arsenal getting a huge lead in the title race. Arsenal never lost 1st place in the table for the rest of the season. More notably, Pirès will always be remembered for a game in the UEFA Champions League 1st leg match against Chelsea, Quarter-Finals, where he managed to beat John Terry to a header, which resulted in getting the equaliser for Arsenal, after Eidur Gudjohnson had given Chelsea the lead. Unfortunately for Arsenal and Pirès, they were eliminated after they lost 1–2 in the return leg, courtesy of a 87th minute Wayne Bridge goal. Pirès also showed his playmaking skills in the wonderfully crafted goal against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, in which Pirès was the architect in building up the goal, and capped off the move with a sublime finish to score Arsenal's 2nd goal of the game. Tottenham refused to give up, and managed to claw their way back and claimed a 2–2 draw. Despite that, Arsenal won the title after the match. Pirès finished that season with an impressive tally of 14 goals and 7 assists in the English Premier League. He was Arsenal's second top scorer (behind Thierry Henry) and had the joint amount of assists (along with Dennis Bergkamp) that season.
In the 2004–05 season, Pirès finished third in the Premiership goalscorers table with 14 goals, behind team-mate Thierry Henry and Crystal Palace's Andrew Johnson. Pirès also picked up a second FA Cup winners' medal after Arsenal beat Manchester United on penalties. Pirès was replaced by Edu in the 2nd half of extra time in that match.
During the 2005–06 season, Pirès wrangled with Arsenal over a new contract, in the hope of a new two-year deal. In keeping with the club's policy regarding players over 30, Pirès was only offered a 12-month extension to his contract, which expired in June 2006. Pirès started the season poorly, and players such as Freddie Ljungberg, José Antonio Reyes and Alexander Hleb were preferred to him on both wings. As the season progressed, though, Pirès's form improved, outscoring his selection rivals overall. Pirès played his last game for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions league final against Barcelona, in which he was substituted after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's sending off during the match. Pirès ended the season as Arsenal's joint second top scorer (along with Robin Van Persie).
In May 2006 he agreed to an offer from Villarreal after a month of speculation, during which time he played against Villareal in the Champions League semi-final. One of the main reasons Pirès gave for leaving Arsenal was that he felt he was no longer a first choice under Arsene Wenger. Pirès was quoted saying, "I have to say I have had some disappointments this season. For instance, I was on the bench very often." Pirès additionally suggested that Wenger's decision to withdraw him in the UEFA Champions League Final showed he had slipped in the eyes of his French boss. Pirès said that he felt hurt by how Arséne Wenger did not trust him anymore, which was a major factor that convinced him that it was time to move on from Arsenal.
Arsenal fans and players alike were saddened by Pirès's departure. His ex-Arsenal teammate Cesc Fàbregas told the August 2006 edition of the Sky magazine how sad it was to lose him.
On the official Arsenal matchday program for the game against Wigan Athletic on 11 February 2007, Pires revealed his heartbreak of being substituted so early on during the game against Barcelona. Pires stated: "I was very disappointed. When I saw my number on the fourth official’s board to be substituted, I couldn’t believe it. It was my last game after six years at the Club, a Champions League Final in front of all my family in Paris where I became World Cup champion and it lasted just 12 minutes. That was very hard to take."
On 11 July 2008, Arsenal fans voted Pirès as the club's sixth greatest player of all time.

Villarreal

In May 2006, Pirès agreed to join Spanish side Villarreal. He joined on a free transfer, subject to passing a medical, bringing to an end his six-year career as an Arsenal player. Pires was officially unveiled as a Villarreal player on 3 July 2006. He scored his first goal for the club in 3–3 pre-season draw with Newcastle United (5 August 2006). However, on 18 August 2006, Robert damaged the cruciate ligament in his left knee in a friendly match against Cádiz and required corrective surgery to alleviate the problem which kept him out of action for seven months in his new club in Spanish top flight.
Pirès finally recovered from knee injury and made his first league appearance for Villarreal as a second-half substitute when he was named in Villareal's squal to face Real Sociedad on 17 March 2007. Pirès scored his first league goal on his return from injury in a 3–3 draw away to Real Betis on 31 March 2007. After three appearances as a substitute, Pirès made his first start for Villareal on 22 April 2007 against Barcelona. He opened the scoring for his team to defeat league leaders Barcelona 2–0, avenging his premature departure against Barcelona in the Champions League Final the previous May. On 13 May 2007, in a thumping 4–1 win at Osasuna, the former France midfielder gave the visitors the perfect start with a seventh-minute opener as Villarreal continued their late-season push for a European spot. The run took the "The Yellow Submarine ," sinking at 11th spot without him in the side, to the brink of a UEFA Cup place in barely six weeks. Villarreal ended the season in 5th spot wherein Pirès played crucial roles in helping Villareal with the late charge up winning each of their final eight games and an entry into the UEFA Cup.
With the ongoing saga between Juan Román Riquelme and the board of Villareal, Pirès' leadership qualities the following season helped Villareal to win six of their opening eight games. Against Barcelona at El Madrigal, Pirès technique earned the Yellow Submarine two penalties which were duly converted by captain Marcos Senna.
Pirès has mentioned that after his two year deal at Villareal ends he would love to have one final season with Arsenal.

International career

Pirès was part of France's 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winning squads (Pirès laid on the pass for David Trézéguet's winning goal in the final), but had to miss the 2002 World Cup due to the injury he sustained playing for Arsenal. He also played in 1996 Olympic Games and Euro 2004. However, a dispute in late 2004 with French national coach Raymond Domenech put a halt to Pirès' international career. He won 79 caps for his country and scored 14 goals.

Santiago 'Santi' Cazorla González (born December 13, 1984 in Llanera, Asturias), is a Spanish football attacking midfielder or winger for Villarreal CF. He can play on either flank and is ambidextrous. He is noted for his speed and capacity to change the rhythm of gameplay. Cazorla fractured a bone in his right leg after falling awkwardly in the 3-0 Primera Liga defeat by UD Almería on April 4, 2009

Club career

Having started playing football for Asturias' Real Oviedo, Cazorla was snapped still a youngster by Villarreal CF, making his first team debut on November 30, 2003, playing one minute in a 1-0 win at Deportivo de La Coruña. Established in the main squad in 2004-05, Cazorla scored 4 goals in the UEFA Cup 2004-05, and made 2 goalless appearances in the following season's Champions League.
On July 7, 2006, Recreativo de Huelva signed Cazorla for €600.000 on a four-year contract, with a clause in his contract whereby he could return to Villarreal (for €1.2 million), going on to score in his team debut, a 1-1 home draw with RCD Mallorca, on August 27. He became Spanish player of the year according to Don Balón, a member of European Sports Magazines after topping its rating list. On April 22, 2007, Cazorla dedicated a goal to his father, who had passed away recently, in a 4-2 home win against Racing de Santander.
The following year Villarreal took advantage of the clause in Cazorla's contract and bought him back, as the team believed he had proven himself (34 matches with 5 goals) during the 2006-07 season.
In 2007-08, Cazorla was instrumental in Villarreal's final runner-up final placing, providing assists for Nihat Kahveci and Giuseppe Rossi and netting five goals himself.
On 26 August 2008, Cazorla announced that Real Madrid wanted to buy him. He then went on to cause a stir in the media by rejecting the team announcing that, "There are many other things in football besides Real Madrid. It’s clear that it is possible to say “no” to them, There is no doubt that they are a great team, but I also feel very satisfied and valued at my club". "I hope I can continue growing at Villarreal because I am young and I’m only starting off with the national team."



Under-21 national team
Cazorla began his international career in the Spain U21 team under Iñaki Sáez. He was called upon for play-off matches against Italy national under-21 football team for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Cazorla played the first match, which ended 0-0, where he came on the 77' minute to substitute Javier Arizmendi. He did not play the second match which Spain lost to subsequently be left out of the competition.

Spain national team

On May 17, 2008, Luis Aragonés surprised the Spanish press by including the uncapped Cazorla and Sergio García in his Euro 2008 squad over more established wingers such as Joaquín and Albert Riera. To justify his decision when asked, Aragonés stated, "They are players [Cazorla and García] who are performing very well and had the possibility of coming. I made myself decide between Riera and Cazorla where I considered each player's form, and in Sergio García's case, he has become very effective on the right wing, we needed another player there and he deserved to come".
After debuting on May 31, 2008 in a 2-1 friendly win over Peru, Cazorla made substitute appearances in the tournament's group stage matches against Russia, Sweden and Greece, also coming from the bench in the quarterfinals against Italy, converting his penalty in the ensuing shootout which Spain won.
In the final, he played the last 25 minutes for David Silva, as Spain defeated Germany 1-0 and aided his country in winning their first major tournament in 44 years.
On November 19, 2008, he scored his first international goal against Chile.

Rubén Gracia Calmache, aka Cani (born August 3, 1981 in Zaragoza, Aragon), is a Spanish footballer. He currently plays with Villarreal CF, usually as a right midfielder, but can also play on the left.

Club career

Hometown Real Zaragoza gradute Cani, after a loan stint with lowly Utebo FC (fourth level), was shining in the B team (which was then playing in Segunda División B). As the main side's fate was already decided in 2001-02 (relegation, ranking last), he received his first-team debut, playing 30 minutes in a 1-1 home draw against FC Barcelona.
After helping Zaragoza regain its top flight status (24 matches, five goals, his first coming on March 23, 2003, in a 2-0 win at Real Oviedo), Cani went on to become a vital element in the Aragonese side's midfield.
In 2003-04, he helped Zaragoza win the Spanish Cup, in a 3-2 extra time win over Real Madrid. He was also sent off during the match.
During 2005-06, Cani was one of the league's best passers and, at the season's end, signed with Villarreal CF for €11 millions.He appeared in 32 contests for the 2007-08 runners-up, although he did not score.

Ariel Miguel Santiago Ibagaza aka El Caño Ibagaza (born 27 October 1976 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine football player who currently plays for Villarreal of Spanish La Liga. His usual position is midfielder, more specifically in a playmaker role. He is well known for his technique and vision and was among the top assisters in La Liga with Mallorca in the 2007-08 season.
The former Mallorca captain signed a €1.5 million deal with Villarreal in July 2008 for two seasons.

Matías Ariel Fernández Fernández (born May 15, 1986 in Buenos Aires) is a Chilean footballer, who currently plays for Spanish club Villarreal CF and the Chilean national team.
An attacking midfielder with playmaking and dribbling skills, also a free-kick specialist, he is known by several nicknames: Mati, El Pelusa and Matigol.

Early life

Born in the Caballito neighbourhood in Buenos Aires to Argentine mother Mirtha and Chilean father Humberto, Fernández moved to La Calera, Chile at just four, being earlier referred to as a young Diego Armando Maradona by a neighbour after watching a game of his.
Fernández has two brothers, Ezequiel and Nazareno. He considers himself Chilean, having moved out of his birth nation very early, without having former a vivid memory of those years.

Club career

Fernández began with the youth squads of Colo-Colo at the age of 12. His debut in the first division came on August 1, 2004, against archrival Universidad de Chile. A week later he scored his first two goals against Club Deportes Cobresal. In the same season, "Matigol" scored a spectacular goal against Club Deportivo O'Higgins, which immortalized him to fans.
He would go on to score a total of eight goals in the 2004 Clausura, and was named best young player of the season. In the 2006 Apertura, Fernández helped Colo-Colo capture their 24th title. In December of the same year he helped it reach the final of the 2006 Southamerican Cup, where they lost to C.F. Pachuca of Mexico, scoring nine goals in six games for the tournament. He left Colo-Colo on a high note, winning the 2006 Clausura tournament and the South American Footballer of the Year award.
On October 18, 2006, Fernández was signed by Spanish side Villarreal CF for a fee of €8.7m, joining compatriot Manuel Pellegrini, the club coach.[2]The transaction was made before he received the "South American Player of the Year" award (which explains the lower price of his fee). Despite reports that Real Madrid and Chelsea were also interested, he agreed to terms with Villarreal and arrived at the Valencia airport on December 27. On January 7, 2007, Fernández made his club debut against neighbours Valencia CF, in a 0-1 home loss.
Despite having had a buyout clause of €50 million inserted in his contract, Fernández failed to achieve significant playing time during his first three seasons, but still contributed with 30 games and three goals in 2007-08, as Villarreal finished a club-best runner-up.

International career

Fernández captained Chile at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring a goal in the 7-0 victory over Honduras, even though he was powerless when Chile lost 0-7 to Spain.
Despite a second-round exit to the Netherlands, Fernández displayed overall good football, playing alongside Nicolas Canales, Carlos Villanueva and Jose Pedro Fuenzalida.
Also a former under-17 international, Fernández quickly established as an integral part of the main side, scoring five goals and appearing for the nation at the Copa América 2007.

Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva (born 17 July 1976 in São Paulo, State of São Paulo) is a Spanish-Brazilian football player who plays as a midfielder for Villarreal CF and Spain. He is known for his passing range and long shooting ability and is also a penalty specialist.

Club career

Marcos Senna began his career with Rio Branco. After playing for a number of different Brazilian football clubs early in his career, Senna moved to the Spanish club Villarreal CF in 2002 from São Caetano. Since joining the team, he has helped them as far as the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. After a slow start to his career in Spain, Senna has become one of the key players in establishing Villarreal CF as a top European side. He is the current captain of the club.
On 27 April 2008, Senna scored a goal from inside the centre circle against Real Betis in La Liga that he deemed, "the best goal of my life."

International career

Senna was granted Spanish citizenship in early 2006, and was part of the Spanish squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008.
Senna was named in Spain's Euro 2008 squad. Senna scored the third of Spain's four converted penalties, which resulted in Spain progressing to the semi-finals at the expense of Italy, winning 4–2 on penalties. He played the full duration of the final of Euro 2008 in Spain's 1–0 win over Germany. Senna was named in UEFA's squad for Euro 2008. Some pundits and journalists named Senna as their player of the tournament.
His first international goal came against Armenia on 10 September 2008, in the 4–0 win in the 2010 World Cup qualifying match.

Bruno, fullname Bruno Soriano Llido (born June 12, 1984 in Artana, Castellón), is a Spanish footballer who plays as a left-footed central midfielder with Villarreal CF, in the Spanish first division.
A product of Villarreal CF's youth system, Bruno made his debuts for the first team on October 1, 2006, in a 2-1 away win over Real Mallorca, alternating between the first and second squads (the latter of which operated in Tercera División, where Bruno first played in 2004).
Bruno made a permanent first-team switch in 2007-08, and was a regular fixture in the team's callups throughout the season, though not an undisputed starter.

Jordi Pablo Ripollés, aka Jordi Pablo, (born 1 January 1990 in Vinaroz), is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Villarreal C.F. of the Spanish La Liga. He plays as a Midfielder.
At international level, he played for Spain U-17 at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Korea Republic. His team played the final against Nigeria lost at the penalty knock-out. His performance at this tournament (3 goals in 4 matches) regards him as a young prospect for the Spanish football. Now he plays for the Spain U-19.

Guillermo Luis Franco Farcuason commonly known as Guille Franco (born on November 3, 1976 in Corrientes, Argentina) is an Argentine-Mexican football striker, who plays for Spanish club Villarreal CF in La Liga and the Mexico national team.

Biography

Guille Franco began his career with Argentine first division San Lorenzo, playing with the team from 1996 to 2002. Franco then joined Mexican first division CF Monterrey in the middle of 2002, and made his debut during the 2002 Apertura. Franco was very successful with the Rayados, and led the league in scoring during the 2004 Apertura with 15 goals in 16 games. By helping the team win a championship in 2003 and achieve runner-up position twice in 2004 and 2005, Franco won himself "idol" status amongst fans of CF Monterrey.
Franco became a naturalized Mexican citizen after settling in Mexico in 2002. He has since played for the Mexico national football team and has amassed eleven caps, scoring two goals for the national team.
In 2006 he signed for Spanish Villarreal CF.
Franco was the scorer of a goal that qualified Villarreal for the UEFA Cup in a 1-0 victory against Celta de Vigo on May 6, 2007.

Joseba Llorente Etxarri (born 24 November 1979 in Hondarribia, Basque Country) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF in the Spanish first division. His usual position is centre forward.

Club career

Llorente came through the ranks of Real Sociedad, making his debut for the first team on October 3, 1999, at Real Zaragoza (0-2 loss). He would however, only amass 23 appearances in four seasons and left, in 2003, for another Basque side, SD Eibar, in the second level, where he already had served a six-month loan stint in 2000-01.
In 2005-06, Llorente joined Real Valladolid, also in that category, and netted 12 league goals in his debut campaign, adding 17 to help the side achieve promotion the following year.
On January 20, 2008, in a league match against RCD Espanyol, Llorente broke the Spanish league record for the fastest goal ever scored (7.82 seconds),[1]beating Uruguayan Dario Silva's previous record of 8 seconds. He broke through that season, aged almost 29, scoring 16 league goals to help the team retain top-flight status (namely a hat-trick against Recreativo de Huelva, on the 13th).
On May 26, 2008, Llorente agreed a four-year deal with Villarreal CF, leaving Valladolid for an undisclosed fee. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win at CD Numancia, on September 21. On October 21, he scored a hat-trick against AaB Football, in a UEFA Champions League 6-3 home win.
On March 10, 2009, after just minutes on the pitch, Llorente the winner against Panathinaikos, in an eventual 2-1 away win in the Champions League quarterfinals' second leg (3-2 aggregate).

Giuseppe Rossi (born February 1, 1987) is an association football player who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Villarreal as a second striker. Rossi was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, and has dual United States and Italian citizenship; he made his international debut for Italy in October 2008.

Early life

Rossi is an Italian American born to Italian immigrants to the United States in Teaneck, New Jersey: his father, Ferdinando Rossi, is a former soccer coach at Clifton High School and his mother, Cleonilde Rossi, is currently an Italian teacher at Clifton High School.

Early career

When offered a spot on the youth team of Parma, Rossi and his father moved to Italy until Manchester United bought his contract when he was 17.[1] There, he enjoyed prolific form in the Youth and Reserve teams but had limited opportunities with the senior side, although he often impressed whenever he made an appearance in cup games.[citation needed] He scored a long range effort for Manchester United in a 3–1 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Rossi moved to Newcastle United on loan until 1 January 2007, where he was expected to gain some first team experience. He made his home debut on 24 September 2006, impressing all, and showing his quick feet with a barrage of snap shots. Rossi scored his only Newcastle goal on his first start on 25 October 2006 against Portsmouth in a Carling Cup 3rd Round tie at St James' Park.
For the second half of the season, he was again loaned out, this time to his former club, Parma, in a far more successful move. Scoring 9 goals in 19 league appearances, he helped the club escape the threat of relegation and proved many of his qualities. Because of this, and his desire to play regularly, Rossi was linked to a host of clubs throughout Europe.

Villarreal

On 31 July 2007, Manchester United confirmed Rossi had been sold to Spanish club Villarreal for an undisclosed fee, reportedly around £6.6 million (€10 million). However, a clause was added to Rossi's Villarreal contract that allows Manchester United to re-purchase him at a later date. He scored his first goal for Villarreal on his debut against Valencia on 26 August 2007.

International career

In 2006, Rossi was invited to a pre-World Cup training camp with the United States national team by then-coach Bruce Arena but declined, stating his desire to play for Italy. He has represented Italy at almost every youth level from U-16 to U-21. He was called up for the 2007 Euro U-21 by head coach Pierluigi Casiraghi. He scored 4 goals at the 2008 Summer Olympics, making him the top scorer for the tournament, despite only reaching the quarter final.
Italy national football team manager Marcello Lippi has stated that should Rossi have been fit, he would have received a call-up for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers in September 2008. Finally he was called up to the Italy squad in October 2008, making his debut for the national team as a second half substitute against Bulgaria on 11 October.

Joan Tomàs Campasol, aka Joan Tomàs, (born 17 May 1985 in Girona), is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Villarreal CF of the Spanish La Liga. He plays as a Left Winger or Striker.