Falcao (soccer player)

Falcao
Falcao (2019)
Personnel
Surname	Radamel Falcao García Zárate
birthday	February 10, 1986
place of birth	Santa Marta ,  Colombia
size	177 cm
position	striker
Juniors
Years	station
1998-2000	Lancero's fair play
2000	Los Millonarios CD
2001-2004	River Plate
Men's
Years	station	Games (goals) 1
1999-2000	Lancero's fair play	8 0(1)
2005-2009	River Plate	90 (34)
2009-2011	FC Porto	51 (41)
2011-2013	Atlético Madrid	68 (52)
2013-2019	AS Monaco	108 (65)
2014-2015	→  Manchester United  (loan)	26 0(4)
2015-2016	→  Chelsea FC  (loan)	10 0(1)
2019–	Galatasaray Istanbul	16 (10)
National team
Years	selection	Games (goals) 2
2001	Colombia U-17	4 0(1)
2005	Colombia U-20	10 0(2)
2007–	Colombia	89 (34)
1 Only league games are given. As of June 21, 2020 2 As of June 28, 2019

Falcao , with full name Radamel Falcao García Zárate , also called Radamel Falcao (born February 10, 1986 in Santa Marta ), is a Colombian football player . His father gave him his middle name Falcao based on the Brazilian player Paulo Roberto Falcão .

Career

societies

youth

Falcao's autograph

In his youth, Falcao played in the football school Lanceros Fair Play , for which he was already at the age of 13 in the Colombian second division and in the youth department of the CD Los Millonarios club from Bogotá . At the age of 15 he moved to the youth academy of the Argentine club CA River Plate .

River Plate

At the age of 20, he made his debut for River Plate in the Argentine Primera División and scored twice in the first game. In his first seven appearances, he scored seven goals. In 2005 he suffered a serious knee injury and was only fully operational again in 2007 - after several failed comeback attempts.

With a hat trick in the game against Botafogo FR on September 27, 2007 Falcao secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana and then with a hit against Defensor Sporting Club also reaching the semi-finals , which were later lost.

Falcao also met in the Superclásico against Boca Juniors in October 2007. That year he reached fifth place in the election of South America's Footballer of the Year , and he was also elected to the Equipo Ideal de América . In the Clausura 2008 Falcao won his first championship with River Plate. This season and the weaker one that followed, he was River Plates' top scorer.

FC Porto

Falcao in the Europa League 2010/11

In the summer of 2009, Falcao moved to the Portuguese top club FC Porto and succeeded Lisandro López , who had signed with Olympique Lyon . In the first four games for his new club, he scored four goals, a total of 25 goals in 28 SuperLiga games in the first year , only one goal behind top scorer Óscar Cardozo from Benfica Lisbon . In his first Champions League season, he scored four goals. At the end of the season, the Portuguese Cup and the Supercup were won . In the cup, Falcao was also the top scorer with five goals in five games.

He also met regularly in the 2010/11 season from the start. So he converted a penalty in the 3-0 win over KRC Genk in the qualifying games for the Europa League and thus laid the foundation for qualifying for participation in the Europa League. In the group stage itself, he scored one goal each in the first four games, three of which Porto won. In the fifth game he scored all three goals in a 3-1 win over Rapid Vienna .

He also scored three times in the quarter-finals in a 5-1 win in the first leg against Spartak Moscow and one more time in the second leg. In the first leg of the semi-final against FC Villarreal , he scored four goals in a 5-1 runaway win in one half. With another goal in the semi- final second leg and the decisive goal in the 1-0 win over Sporting Braga in the final, he secured his team the Europa League victory and at the same time increased his hit count to 17 goals (in 14 games), thus surpassing the previous one Record holder Jürgen Klinsmann , who scored 15 goals in the 1995/96 season .

In the Portuguese championship , FC Porto secured the title prematurely and unbeaten five game days before the end of the season with the outstanding strike duo Falcao (16 goals) and Hulk (23 goals). With a 6-2 win against Vitória Guimarães in the cup final, Porto finally made the win of the "small European triple " perfect. Falcao was voted fifth in the 2012 European Footballer of the Year poll .

Atlético Madrid

Falcao when he was introduced in 2011

Although Falcao had only extended his contract with Porto to 2015 in July, the traditional Spanish club Atlético Madrid signed him on August 18, 2011. The striker signed a five-year contract. According to media reports, the transfer fee should have been 47 million euros. His debut in the Primera División was Falcao September 10, 2011, the first day of the season 2011/12 , against FC Valencia . In his second league game, he scored three times in a 4-0 win over Racing Santander .

Also in his first international outing for Atlético he had entered the hit list a few days earlier in the Europa League against Celtic Glasgow . He scored another three-pack on January 21, 2012 against Real Sociedad . On May 9, 2012, he defeated Atlético the Basque club Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the final of the UEFA Europa League , where he signed up as a double goal scorer and won the Europa League for the second time in a row. With a total of 12 goals in 15 games, he also successfully defended the top scorer's crown in this competition.

In the league, Falcao scored 24 goals, leaving only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo beaten on the top scorer list . With fifth place, Atlético missed qualifying for the Champions League. During this time, Falcao was considered one of the best strikers in Europe: His achievements this year were recognized with fifth place in the election for world footballer and ninth place in the election for European footballer of the year .

On the second match day of the 2012/13 season , Falcao scored another three-pack in a 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao . Just four days later - on August 31, 2012 - a “flawless” hat trick followed in the first half of the UEFA Super Cup game . Atlético beat the Champions League winners Chelsea FC 4-1 and secured their next international title. On December 9, 2012, Falcao scored five goals in a 6-0 win over Deportivo La Coruña . After scoring 2-0 and 3-0 in the first half, he scored a hat trick in the second half with the goals to 4-0, 5-0 and 6-0 within seven minutes . This makes Falcao the first Atlético Madrid player to score five goals in a league game.

At the end of the season, Atlético was third in the league, which meant direct qualification for the Champions League. Falcao himself scored 28 goals in 34 games, which again meant third place in the top scorer rankings. In addition, in the final of the Copa del Rey, the city rivals Real Madrid were defeated 2-1 afterwards and thus won the cup.

AS Monaco

For the 2013/14 season , Falcao moved to the French first division club AS Monaco . With the financially strong newcomer, he signed a contract with a term of five years until June 30, 2018. According to media reports, he should have earned 14 million euros per season, with a transfer fee of around 60 million euros. In his first league game on August 10, 2013 Falcao scored his first goal for the Monegas in a 2-0 win over Girondins Bordeaux . After scoring nine goals in 15 games in the first half of the season, he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in his left knee in the Coupe de France game against Monts d'Or Azergues Foot on January 22, 2014, and thus missed the entire second half of the season and also the 2014 World Cup in Summer.

On August 2, 2014 Falcao made his comeback in a pre-season friendly against FC Valencia . He played his first competitive game after the injury on the first match day of the 2014/15 season in the 1: 2 defeat against FC Lorient , in which he equalized with a penalty in the 59th minute after being substituted on.

On loan in the Premier League

Falcao (front) in the game against Chelsea with John Terry

After the third match day, he moved on September 1, 2014, the last day of the transfer window, to the English record champions Manchester United under coach Louis van Gaal . He was initially loaned for a year; Manchester United also agreed a purchase option for the Colombian. In the Premier League he played for the first time on September 14, 2014 in a 4-0 win against Queens Park Rangers . Falcao scored his first goal for United on October 5, 2014 in a 2-1 win over Everton FC .

In the further course of the season Falcao could not build on old performances and scored four goals in 26 league appearances. Coach van Gaal soon stopped betting on him and Falcao was often only a substitute option. In March 2015 he had to help out in the U-21 squad to gain match practice. The purchase option stipulated in the loan agreement was not pulled by Manchester United.

In the 2015/16 season , Falcao switched to reigning champions FC Chelsea on loan for one year in exchange with Mario Pašalić . On the first eleven match days of the season he came to eight short appearances and a 90-minute mission, with one goal in the 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace . At the beginning of November 2015, he had to sit out again for a longer period due to a groin injury. He was only back in the squad in April 2016, but only made another brief assignment until the end of the season. Falcao could not meet the expectations placed in him at Chelsea FC either, so the club decided to end the loan after a year and not to take the purchase option.

Return to Monaco

For the 2016/17 season , Falcao returned to AS Monaco. In his first competitive game on his return, he equalized in a 2-1 defeat by Fenerbahçe Istanbul in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League . Falcao also scored a goal in the 3-1 win in the second leg and thus contributed to reaching the play-offs. In the group stage, two more goals followed in three missions. In the league, things went better for Monaco in the first half of the season than in previous years. Falcao also contributed to the average of more than three goals per league game with seven goals in eleven games. With Monaco, Falcao won the championship title ahead of Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season . He was able to contribute 21 hits in his 29 missions. In the Champions League, the team was eliminated in the semifinals against Juventus Turin . By then, Falco had scored five goals in eight missions. At the beginning of June 2017, he extended his contract to June 30, 2020.

Galatasaray Istanbul

On September 2, 2019, Falcao moved to Turkey to Galatasaray Istanbul . The Colombian striker made a free transfer and signed a three-year deal.

National team

Falcao for Colombia 2013

Falcao won with Colombia , the U-20 South American Championship in 2005 and participated in the U-20 World Cup in 2005 in the Netherlands part.

He made his debut for the Colombian national team on February 8, 2007 shortly before his 21st birthday against Uruguay . He scored his first goal in the Kirin Cup in a 1-0 win over Montenegro in his second outing. Between 2007 and 2009 he was used in ten games in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup , in which he scored one goal. The national team failed to qualify for the finals.

In July 2011, Falcao took part with Colombia in the 2011 Copa America . With a "double pack" in the decisive group game against Bolivia , in which he was also voted "Man of the Match", he secured his team the group victory over top favorites and hosts Argentina . Falcao was used in all four Colombian games until he and his team were knocked out by Peru in the quarter-finals . In the 2-0 defeat after extra time, he missed a penalty in regular time.

Falcao was part of Colombia's squad for qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil , which Colombia successfully finished in 2013 with second place in the table and 30 points, qualifying for a World Cup for the first time since 1998. Falcao was tied for third place in the scorers list with nine goals in qualifying. Falcao missed out on the finals due to a serious knee injury that he suffered in January 2014. Until the last day, when the final squad was announced on June 2, 2014, coach José Pekerman waited for the hopefuls to recover, but Falcao did not get fit in time. Even without their superstar, the Colombian national team made it to the quarter-finals. There they failed just 2-1 to hosts Brazil .

Harry Kane and Falcao in the round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup

In the friendly against Costa Rica on June 6, 2015, Falcao scored his 25th goal for the national team and thus became the only record scorer in the history of the Colombian national team. At the Copa America 2015 , Falcao was back in the squad of the Colombian selection and led them as captain. The Los Cafeteros eliminated in the quarterfinals against Argentina from.

Falcao was not nominated for the squad for the Copa America Centenario 2016 - a special edition of the Copa America for the 100th anniversary of the South American football association CONMEBOL . Instead, he was part of the Colombians' preliminary squad for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro .

At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he was part of the Colombian squad . He was used in all four games and scored one goal. With the team he was eliminated in the round of 16 against England on penalties, where he converted his penalty.

successes

title

International

• UEFA Europa League winners : 2011 , 2012
• UEFA Super Cup winner : 2012
• U-20 South American Champion : 2005

National

• French champion : 2017
• Spanish Cup Winner : 2013
• Portuguese champion : 2011
• Portuguese Cup Winner : 2010, 2011
• Portuguese Supercup Winner : 2010, 2011
• Argentine champion : Clausura 2008

Honors

• UEFA Europa League top scorer : 2011 (17 goals), 2012 (12 goals)
• FIFA / FIFPro World XI : 2012
• Onze de bronze : 2012
• Best Player of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards: 2012
• Elected to the Equipo Ideal de América : 2007

Private

• Falcao has three daughters (* 2013, * 2015 and * 2017) and is married to the Argentine singer Lorelei Taron.

Career statistics

society	league	season	league		Nat. Cup		European Cup		Other		total
			Games	Gates	Games	Gates	Games	Gates	Games	Gates	Games	Gates
CA River Plate	Primera División	2004/05	4th	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	4th	0
		2005/06	11	7th	-	-	-	-	-	-	11	7th
		2006/07	19th	3	-	-	5	4th	-	-	24	7th
		2007/08	27	11	-	-	12	8th	-	-	39	19th
		2008/09	32	13	-	-	3	3	-	-	35	16
total			93	34	-	-	20th	15th	-	-	113	49
FC Porto	Primeira League	2009/10	28	25th	5	5	8th	4th	2	0	43	34
		2010/11	22nd	16	3	3	16	18th	1	1	42	38
		2011/12	1	0	-	-	-	-	1	0	2	0
total			51	41	8th	8th	24	22nd	4th	1	87	72
Atlético Madrid	Primera División	2011/12	34	24	1	0	15th	12	-	-	50	36
		2012/13	34	28	4th	2	2	1	1	3	41	34
total			68	52	5	2	17th	13	1	3	91	70
AS Monaco	Ligue 1	2013/14	17th	9	2	2	-	-	-	-	19th	11
total			17th	9	2	2	-	-	-	-	19th	11
Manchester United	Premier League	2014/15	26th	4th	3	0	-	-	-	-	29	4th
total			26th	4th	3	0	-	-	-	-	29	4th
Chelsea FC	Premier League	2015/16	10	1	-	-	-	-	2	0	12	1
total			10	1	-	-	-	-	2	0	12	1
AS Monaco	Ligue 1	2016/17	29	21st	4th	2	10	7th	2	-	45	30th
		2017/18	26th	18th	5	3	5	3	-	-	36	24
		2018/19	33	15th	1	1	5	5	-	-	39	21st
total			88	54	10	6th	20th	15th	2	-	120	75
Galatasaray Istanbul	Super Lig	2019/20	16	10	3	1	3	0	-	-	22nd	11
total			16	10	3	1	3	0	-	-	22nd	11
Career total			369	205	31	19th	84	65	9	4th	493	293

* As of August 11, 2020

Web links

Commons : Falcao  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Falcao in the database of weltfussball.de
• Falcao on football-lineups.com
• Atlético striker Falcao: "The best in the world in the penalty area" . Spiegel Online , May 10, 2012

Individual evidence

1. ^ First name: Radamel Falcao ; Last name: García Zárate .
2. ↑ The dispute over Falcao age ended . Sport1.de , July 25, 2013.
3. ^ John Drayton: Asprilla: I've told Falcao to join Manchester United . dailymail.co.uk , May 1, 2013 (English).
4. ↑ Radamel Falcao García Jugo de la Segunda División en Colombia . ( Memento of April 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Website of the División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano , dimayor.com, April 12, 2012 (Spanish).
5. ↑ Oporto y Atlético cierran el traspaso de Falcao (German: Porto and Atlético complete the transfer from Falcao). Announcement from Atlético Madrid, August 18, 2011 (Spanish).
6. ↑ Atletico: 40 million for Falcao . ( Memento from August 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Sport1.de, August 19, 2011.
7. ^ Atletico Madrid - Deportivo La Coruna . Live ticker on kicker.de , December 9, 2012.
8. ↑ Falcao and Messi make history . kicker.de, December 9, 2012.
9. ^ Agreement with Atletico Madrid for Falcao . ( Memento of the original from June 15, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Message from AS Monaco, May 31, 2013 (English). 
10. ^ Ian Holyman: Monaco sign Falcao from Atletico . ESPN , May 31, 2013 (English).
11. ↑ ^{a b} A difficult moment: Falcao missed the World Cup . kicker.de, June 3, 2014.
12. ↑ Manchester United sign Falcao on loan . News from Manchester United, accessed September 10, 2014.
13. ↑ What does the future hold for United-Flop Falcao? Article on goal.com from May 1, 2015
14. ↑ Falcao leaves United and returns to Monaco . News from Manchester United, accessed May 25, 2015.
    Premier League: Radamel Falcao from Manchester United to AS Monaco . Sport1.de, May 24, 2015.
15. ↑ Pasalic loan move to Monaco , Chelsea FC website, accessed on July 3, 2015.
16. ↑ Falcao loan agreed , Chelsea FC website, accessed July 3, 2015.
17. ↑ Falcao returns to Monaco , spox.com, June 10, 2016, accessed June 11, 2016.
18. ↑ See the match report on kicker online, accessed on July 27, 2016.
19. ↑ See the match report on kicker online, accessed on August 5, 2016.
20. ↑ Carl Johan Winterhagen: Monacos Resurrection - Torrausch in Paradies Article on 11freunde.de from December 7, 2016
21. ^ AS Monaco: Contract extension for Falcao , June 1, 2017, accessed on June 17, 2017.
22. ↑ galatasaray.org: Radamel Falcao Galatasaray'da , accessed on September 2, 2019.
23. ↑ World Cup qualification. South America 2011-2013: 18th matchday . Weltfußball.de, accessed on February 22, 2014.
24. ↑ Rio Olympics: Colombia line up Falcao, Ospina to face Nigeria report on fcnaija.com from April 25, 2016 (English)
25. ↑ http://www.footballdatabase.eu/football.joueurs.radamel.falcao.18700.en.html