Hernán Crespo

Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, 1975 in Florida, Argentina) is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the English Premiership for Chelsea. He is famed for his powerful aerial ability. He is also renowned for being one of the best striker and goal poachers in the game, due to his anticipatory off the ball movement. The reason why he was in the FIFA 100 list.

Club career

Crespo was born in Buenos Aires Province, in the Florida neighbourhood of the Vicente López Partido, Greater Buenos Aires, next to the Buenos Aires city. He made his debut for River Plate during the 1993/94 season, scoring 13 goals in 25 league appearances (an early sign of what was to come). He helped River Plate win the Apertura league title, the second of two championships held in Argentina in the year. He helped River win the Apertura title again in 1994. In 1996, Crespo helped River to win the Copa Libertadores, the South American club championship, scoring twice in the home leg of the final in Buenos Aires.

He left River for Parma in Italy in August 1996 after he won the silver medal with Argentina in the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics, finishing the tournament as top scorer with six goals. In May 1997, coached by Carlo Ancelotti (current manager of A.C. Milan), Crespo helped Parma finish runners-up in Serie A, scoring 12 goals in 27 matches. In 1999, with Parma he won both the Italian Cup and the UEFA Cup (in the final against Olympique de Marseille, held in Moscow, Crespo scored the opening goal in Parma's 3-0 victory). In 2000, after four successful years with Parma, Lazio broke the world transfer record (at that time) by paying £35,500 000 for Crespo. He ended his first season in Lazio as top scorer in Serie A with 26 goals.

In September 2002, Crespo signed with Inter Milan as replacement for the departed Ronaldo, for €40 million.

Crespo signed with English Premiership club Chelsea on 26 August 2003, for £16,800 000. However, he had a disappointing season in London, making only 31 appearances in all competitions and scoring 12 goals. After José Mourinho took over as Chelsea manager in the 2004 off-season, Crespo became surplus to Chelsea's plans and was loaned out for the 2004-05 seasona year to AC Milan, as requested by his former coach Carlo Ancelotti. With Milan he reacquired his form by scoring 10 goals. Crespo scored two of Milan's three goals in the 2004/05 Champions League final against Liverpool before an inspired Liverpool comeback.

After speculation involving Crespo and a return to Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea's failed attempts to land a big name striker during the summer of 05, José Mourinho decided to bring back Crespo from A.C. Milan. Despite Crespo making his desire to stay at Milan well known, Chelsea needed competition for striker Didier Drogba, and José Mourinho convinced him that he had a future in the FA Premier League. Unlike his first season in England, Crespo seemed to have finally adapted. He made his first appearance back at Chelsea in the 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the FA Community Shield. He scored his first league goal of 2005 against Wigan in Chelsea's first game of the season at the JJB Stadium, his second came soon after in his fourth league game, a powerful header against Charlton. Crespo then opened his account in the season's Champion's League campaign with a header against Real Betis. He has since scored against Anderlecht, Newcastle United, Portsmouth, Fulham, Birmingham City, Sunderland, Liverpool (in fact scoring twice, only to be incorrectly ruled offside for his second), and West Ham.

On 20 May 2006, the Italian news agency Ansa reported that Chelsea had been approached by the directors of Italian Serie A team Fiorentina with a view to signing Crespo. But the teams religation as a result of match fixing has ended any hope of a deal. Chelsea is reportedly willing to sell Crespo, but the two clubs have found it difficult to agree on a transfer fee. Another Italian club, A.S. Roma, has indicated interest, but it is unlikely that Crespo would play for Roma, firstly because he had once played for Lazio, with whom Roma have a bitter rivalry, and secondly because Roma has not qualified for the Champions League.

International career

In February 1995, Crespo won his first cap for Argentina national team, in a friendly against Bulgaria in Mendoza, but he had to wait 16 months for his second cap and more than two years for his first goal. He played for his country in the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He has 57 caps for Argentina, and has scored 31 goals. A ratio of more than one goal every other game makes Crespo a formidable forward at all levels.

In June 2005, and as part of his comeback of the 2004/05 season, Crespo scored two goals in Argentina's 3:1 World Cup Qualifying triumph over their arch-rivals Brazil in Buenos Aires. This win ensured Argentina's participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. These last two goals against Brazil turned him into the all-time top scorer for Argentina in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Fans used to call Crespo "Valdanito" because his looks, build and running style recall 1986 FIFA World Cup winning forward Jorge Valdano.

Hernán Crespo was several times compared to Gabriel Batistuta. At the very least, he is considered a great replacement. Former Argentine coach José Pekerman(He resigned on 1st July 2006) still sees Crespo as the leader for the strikeforce and his form and fitness are all important for Argentine success in 2006 FIFA World Cup, even though younger players such as Javier Saviola, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tévez have been gaining the coach's attention.

Trivia

Hernán Crespo, along with Argentine team mate Juan Sebastián Verón, is one of the world's most expensive players of all time, the most expensive being Zinedine Zidane. He has never been sold for less than £16,000,000 since joining Parma in 1996 from River Plate and has a combined transfer fee of £68,000,000 - over half of which was down to his one move, from Parma to Lazio for £37,000,000 (the most expensive transfer fee was that of Zinedine Zidane in 2001 for £47 million).
Crespo scored the opening goal in the Argentina national football teams 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Ivory Coast national football team. He is the second player after Ecuadorian goalkeeper Cristian Mora to receive a yellow card for wasting time.
Crespo added a goal and two assists in the Argentina national football teams 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Serbia and Montenegro national football team. He received a yellow card after a (dubious) offside call for apparently shooting on goal after the whistle blew.
Crespo added his 3rd goal in the Argentina national football teams 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Mexico national football team in the Round of 16.

External links

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Hernán Crespo

Club career

International career

Trivia

External links