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Hernán Crespo

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Hernán Crespo
File:78987.JPG
Personal information
Full name Hernán Jorge Crespo
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.84 m)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Internazionale
(on loan from Chelsea)
Number 18
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of february 12, 2007

Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, 1975 in Florida, Argentina) is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, having signed from English Premier League champions Chelsea on a 2 year loan deal on 7 August 2006, although Chelsea have an option to recall him after one season. He is famed for his powerful aerial ability, which allows him to score goals from considerable distances. He is also renowned for being one of the most effective goal poachers in the game, due to his anticipatory off-the-ball movement.

Crespo was included in the FIFA 100 list comprising the best footballers in the world at present.

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.

Olympic medal record
Representing  Argentina
Men's Football
Silver medal – second place 1996 Atlanta Team Competition

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. In his only season at the club, he scored 7 goals in 18 appearances in Italian Serie A and 9 goals in 12 appearances in the Champions League. A bad injury sustained in early 2003 kept him out for 4 months and many people have claimed he has never been the same since that injury.

Crespo was transferred to English Premiership club Chelsea on 26 August 2003, for £16,800 000. However, he had a disappointing season in London, making only 31 appearances (19 League starts) in all competitions and scoring 12 goals as he never really settled and Ranieri's constant tinkering of the team meant Crespo never got a good run in the side. 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 season 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.

In July 2006, Crespo stated his intention to return to play in Italy, particularly his former club AC Milan, as he still owns a residence in the suburbs of Milan.[1] However, Chelsea released a club statement on its website stating that Crespo will remain a Chelsea player unless the club accepted a suitable offer for him.

On the 7th August 2006, Crespo signed for Inter Milan on a two-year loan from Chelsea, in a similar deal to that agreed on for Juan Sebastián Verón. Chelsea have the option to bring Crespo back after one season, and Inter will pay almost all of Crespo's wages during his loan period. In all competitions, he scored 26 goals for Chelsea. 14 of these came in his last season at the West London club, the other 12 were scored during his first spell before going on loan.

On December 2nd 2006, Crespo scored his 125th Serie A goal against Siena.

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, 2002 and 2006 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) saw Crespo as the leader for the strikeforce important for Argentine success in 2006 FIFA World Cup, even though younger players such as Javier Saviola, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tévez had been gaining the coach's attention.

Crespo has scored four World Cup goals; against Sweden in 2002 and against Côte d'Ivoire,Serbia and Montenegro, and against Mexico in the Round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup. He was the 2006 FIFA Silver Shoe Award winner.

Trivia

References

  1. ^ Crespo: I'm rejecting private jet for AC Milan move, TribalFootball, July 24, 2006



Preceded by Serie A top scorer
2000-01 		Succeeded by

Template:Argentina Squad 2006 World Cup

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