Zidane embarrasses a young goalie in training, but then apologizes to him afterwards. What a class act.

The Barcelona star is now believed to be the highest paid player in the game after earning over £25 million.

I saw this clip when I was scouring the web for stories and felt that I just had to post it. Zizou is one of my all time favorite players and this is exactly why…

The true Total Footballer…Hendrik Johannes Cruyff, born in Amsterdam 1947, began his career at local club Ajax in 1964 where he quickly blossomed into a star. His excellent skills on the ball, great pace and ability to lift his team-mates to a higher level, made him an invaluable asset to the Ajax-team that would later conquer Europe.
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One of the greatest playmakers in the history of the game, Michel Platini typified the player wearing jersey #10. He was the orchestrator, topscorer, free-kick specialist and in charge of every attack his teams built up both at club and national team level. His unique ability to read the game enabled him to stay a split second ahead of everyone else at any given time. This combined with his superb passing skills made him open up even the tightest defences with amazing ease. Going forward was natural for him and he contributed with enough goals to make even world class strikers envious.
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This is a great look at one of the greatest footballers of all time, Mario Kempes.

Mario Alberto Kempes, born in Belville, Cordoba in 1954, began his career at local club Instituto Cordoba before quickly moving on to Rosario Central where he netted 85 goals in just 105 matches and established himself as a notorious goalscorer. Known as a hard-working forward, Kempes liked to attack from outside the penalty area with his surging runs goalwards and was not the traditional center-forward operating solely inside the box. His style was difficult for many defenders to handle. They never knew where they had him.

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Check out this photo I found over at Pies.  The career that Raul has had has made him one of the all time greats in Madrid history.  He is off to start a new adventure in Germany with Shalke.

Red Bull New York announced today that it has signed star French forward Thierry Henry to a multi-year contract as its second Designated Player. Henry, a World Cup, European Championship and UEFA Champions League winner, will be available for selection for New York pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and after the July 15 international transfer window. His debut for the Red Bulls is expected to be on July 22 against English Premiership club, Tottenham Hotspur, in the Barclays New York Challenge at Red Bull Arena.

“It is without question that Thierry Henry is one of the most successful and recognizable soccer players over the past 15 years,” said Dietmar Beiersdorfer, Head of Red Bull Global Soccer. “We are thrilled that Thierry has decided to come to New York to help the Red Bulls compete for championships this year and for years to come. His international pedigree is second to none and he is a proven winner.”

“This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life,” Henry said. “It is an honor to play for the New York Red Bulls. I am fully aware of the team’s history and my sole goal during my time here is to help win the club its first championship. Knowing Red Bull’s significant commitment to soccer locally and internationally, I am confident that my teammates and I will succeed.”

Henry will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday, July 15 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ at 1:15 PM. The press conference will be streamed live on www.newyorkredbulls.com.

The former FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Juventus FC and AS Monaco striker known for his sublime technical ability, sharp acumen and nose for goal, most recently represented France in the World Cup for a record fourth time. Henry, a member of the 1998 World Cup-winning side and leading scorer, has scored a national-record 51 goals and earned 123 caps for his country. Henry also helped France win the 2000 European Championship and the 2003 Confederations Cup.

“Thierry is not only a world class player who will undoubtedly improve our squad, but he has shown most importantly throughout his career that he is a winner,” said Erik Soler, Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director. “He has made it clear to us that he is committed in the short and long term to help in our vision of making our organization the premium franchise in Major League Soccer.”

Famous for his trademark “14” jersey, Henry most recently played for FC Barcelona, where he scored 49 goals and had a successful stint with the Catalan side. In his first season, Henry was the top scorer and led the team with 19 goals. A year later he went one better not only scoring 26 goals but being an integral part of the squad that went on to win six championships – the UEFA Champions League, La Liga Title Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercup, UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Prior to joining FC Barcelona, Henry played for London-based club, Arsenal FC. Henry rose to legendary status with the Gunners, becoming the club’s all-time leading goal scorer with 226 goals from 1999-07. The French marksman was the top scorer in the English Premiership (2002, 2004-06) a record four times and helped his club win the Premiership championship in 2002 and 2004. The 32-year-old also helped lead his team to three English FA Cups and he won the European Golden Boot in 2004 and 2005.

During Henry’s first season, he recorded 26 goals – an indicator of his future success with Arsenal. In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, Henry was a runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year and was the first-ever back-to-back winner of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. In 2005, Henry was given the Captain’s Armband and became the club’s all-time goal scorer with a brace against Sparta Prague on Oct. 17, snapping Ian Wright’s previous record of 185. He again was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, becoming the only player to win the award three times.

For fans interested in purchasing tickets for the Red Bulls’ July 22 showdown versus Tottenham Hotspur, please call 1.877.RB.SOCCER or visit www.newyorkredbulls.com. The Bullshop at Red Bull Arena will be open to the general public from 10 AM to 6 PM on July 14, 15, and 16.  Fans interested in purchasing Henry merchandise can enter Red Bull Arena at Gate A to gain access to the Bullshop or visit www.redbullshopusa.com to order online.

#14 Thierry Henry

Pronunciation: TYAIR-ree ahn-REE
Position: Forward
Height: 6-2
Weight: 183
Day of Birth: Aug. 17, 1977 in Les Ulis, France
Hometown: Paris, France
Previous Professional Club: FC Barcelona (Spanish La Liga)
Status: Designated Player
How Acquired: Signed by New York on July 14, 2010