Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka (, born 27 September 1992) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and captains the Switzerland national team. Xhaka began his career with FC Basel and won the Swiss Super League twice. He moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2012, developing a reputation as a technically gifted player and natural leader alongside criticism for his temperament, and acted as club captain from 2015, twice leading the team to UEFA Champions League qualification. Xhaka signed for Premier League club Arsenal in 2016 for a fee in the region of £30 million, making nearly 300 appearances over seven years, serving as captain, and winning two FA Cups. In 2023, he returned to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, helping the club to their first-ever league title in his debut season. Xhaka was part of the Swiss team that won the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He made his senior debut in 2011 and is currently the nation's record appe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Arsenal F
An arsenal is a place where weapon, arms and ammunition are made, maintenance, repair, and operations, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether Private property, privately or state-owned, publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly regarded as synonyms, although subtle differences in usage exist. A sub-armory is a place of temporary storage or carrying of weapons and ammunition, such as any temporary post or patrol vehicle that is only operational in certain times of the day. Etymology The term in English entered the language in the 16th century as a loanword from , itself deriving from the term , which in turn is thought to be a corruption of , , meaning "manufacturing shop". Types A lower-class arsenal, which can furnish the materiel and equipment of a small army, may contain a laboratory, gun and carriage factories, small-arms ammunition, small-arms, harness, saddlery tent and powder facto ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Central midfielder, central midfielders often go across boundaries, with mobility and passing ability, they are often referred to as deep-lying midfielders, play-makers, box-to-box midfielders, or holding midfielders. There are also attacking midfielders with limited defensive assignments. The size of midfield units on a team and their assigned roles depend on which Formation (association football), formation is used; the unit of these players on the pitch is commonly referred to as the midfield. Its name derives from the fact that midfield units typically make up the in-between units to the Defender (association football), defensive units and Forward (association football), forward units of a F ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro or Euros, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contested by UEFA members' senior men's national teams, determining the continental champion of Europe. It is the second-most watched football tournament in the world after the FIFA World Cup; the Euro 2016 final was watched by a global audience of around 600 million. The competition has been held every four years since 1960, except for 2020, when it was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, but kept the name Euro 2020. Scheduled to be in the even-numbered year between FIFA World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the European Nations' Cup before changing to its current name in 1968. Since 1996, the individual events have been branded as "UEFA Euro ear''". Before entering the tournament, all teams o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2010. It was the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East and the Arab world, and the second in an Asian country after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. This tournament was the last with 32 participating teams, with the number of teams being increased to 48 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2026 World Cup. To avoid the extremes of Geography of Qatar#Climate, Qatar's hot and humid climate in summers, the event was held in November and December, becoming the first one to take place outside the traditional months of May, June, and July. It was held over a reduced time frame of 29 days with 64 matches played in #Stadiums, eight venues across #Cities, five cities. Qatar national football team, Qatar ente ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in late 2010. It was the eleventh time the championships had been held in Europe and the first time they were held in Eastern Europe, also featuring one or two venues, depending on definition, located across Boundary between Asia and Europe, the boundary with Asia. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it was the most expensive World Cup ever held until it was surpassed by the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The tournament phase involved 32 teams, of which 31 came through 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, qualifying competitions, while the host nation Russia national football team, Russia qualified automatically. Of the 32, 20 had also appeared in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2014 event, while Iceland nat ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2007. It was the second time that Brazil staged the competition, the first being in 1950 FIFA World Cup, 1950, and the fifth time that it was held in South America. 31 national teams advanced through 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, qualification competitions to join the host nation in the final tournament (with Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, Bosnia and Herzegovina as the only debutant). A total of 64 matches were played in 12 venues located in as many host cities across Brazil. For the first time at a World Cup finals, match officials used goal-line technology, as well as vanishing spray for Direct free kick, free kicks. FIFA Fan Fests in eac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every four years since the 1930 FIFA World Cup, inaugural tournament in 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to the Second World War. The reigning champions are Argentina national football team, Argentina, who won their third title at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 2022 World Cup by defeating France national football team, France. The contest starts with the FIFA World Cup qualification, qualification phase, which takes place over the preceding three years to determine which teams qualify for the tournament phase. In the tournament phase, 32 teams compete for the title at venues within the host nation(s) over the course of about a month. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau, the Swiss Alps, Alps and the Jura Mountains, Jura; the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, whereas most of the country's Demographics of Switzerland, 9 million people are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts List of cities in Switzerland, its largest cities and economic centres, including Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne. Switzerland is a federal republic composed of Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons, with federal authorities based in Bern. It has four main linguistic and cultural regions: German, French, Italian and Romansh language, Romansh. Although most Swiss are German-speaking, national identity is fairly cohesive, being rooted in a common historical background, shared ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2023–24 Bundesliga
The 2023–24 Bundesliga was the 61st season of the Bundesliga, Germany's premier football competition. It began on 18 August 2023 and concluded on 18 May 2024. The fixtures were announced on 30 June 2023. On 14 April 2024, Bayer Leverkusen were crowned champions for the first time with five matches to spare following a 5–0 win over Werder Bremen, becoming the thirteenth different champion in Bundesliga history and ending previous holders Bayern Munich's run of eleven consecutive titles. Bayer Leverkusen crushed the competition en route to becoming the first Bundesliga team to finish a season unbeaten, with a record of 28 wins and six draws. Teams A total of 18 teams participated in the 2023–24 edition of the Bundesliga. Team changes SV Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bundesliga after a six-year absence while 1. FC Heidenheim competed in the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history. Stadiums and locations Personnel and kits Managerial changes League table ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during the 1871–72 FA Cup, 1871–72 season, it is the list of oldest football competitions, oldest national football competition in the world. It is organised by and named after the Football Association (the FA). A concurrent Women's FA Cup has been held since 1970. The competition is open to all eligible football club (association football), clubs down to level 9 of the English football league system, with level 10 clubs acting as stand-ins in the event of non-entries from above. A record 763 clubs competed in 2011–12 FA Cup, 2011–12. The tournament consists of 12 randomly drawn rounds followed by FA Cup semi-finals, the semi-finals and the FA Cup Final, final. Entrants are not seed (sports), seeded, although a system of Bye (sports), by ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL). Seasons usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away. Most games are played on weekend afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures. The competition was founded as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992, following the decision of clubs from the Football League First Division, First Division (the top tier since 1888) to break away from the English Football League. Teams are still promoted and relegated to and from the EFL Championship each season. The Premier League is a corporation managed by a Richard Masters (football), chief executive, with member clubs as shareholders. The Premier League takes advantage of a £5 billion domestic televi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a Round-robin tournament, round robin league phase to qualify for the double-legged knockout rounds, and a single-leg final. It is the most-watched club competition in the world and the third most-watched football competition overall, behind only the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions (and, for some nations, one or more runners-up) of their national associations. Introduced 1955–56 European Cup, in 1955 as the European Champion Clubs' Cup (), and commonly known as the European Cup, it was initially a straigh ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |