Eljero Elia
Encyclopedia
Eljero George Rinaldo Elia (ˈɛldʒəroː ˈeːlijaː; born 13 February 1987 in Voorburg
) is a Dutch
footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A
club Juventus and the Dutch national team
. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
.
youth team, Elia played for many amateur clubs. He made his professional debut in 2004 when he was just 17 years old. In that season, he played four matches and scored one goal for Den Haag. But things went wrong when Den Haag picked their new coach, Lex Schoenmaker
. After some conflicts with Elia, FC Twente
moved in to sign the exciting young player.
were interested in Elia's signature but also Ajax were keen to sign him but if he chose Ajax, he would first be loaned back to ADO Den Haag
, and Elia did not have a chance of playing there. ADO Den Haag were also relegated, and he did not want to play in the Eerste Divisie
. When he played for FC Twente
, he was recognised as one of the Eredivisie's best players, and named Dutch Football Talent of the Year
in 2009 which added to his already growing reputation in Europe.
on a five-year contract. and cost €8.5 million. On 8 August 2009, Elia made his debut as a substitute in the first match of the season.
In March 2010, Elia had a severe infection due to a poorly applied tattoo, which meant he felt uncomfortable in his shirt. As a result, Hamburg's neighbours Werder Bremen have since banned their players from getting tattoos.
. He was selected by coach Bert van Marwijk
for the senior team
's friendly encounter with England
.
On 6 September 2009, Elia had his debut for the Netherlands against Japan
in a friendly match. He came on at half-time replacing Arjen Robben
. His first match for the Oranje went very well, with Elia producing two assists in the 3–0 victory. In just his second match, Elia scored the only goal to win a match against Scotland
on 9 September 2009. Elia scored his second international goal in a 6–1 friendly win over Hungary
with a solo effort after coming on as a substitute.
in South Africa
. On 27 May 2010, the Netherlands' manager Bert van Marwijk
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
He assisted their second goal in a 2–0 win over Denmark
, with his shot hitting the post and Dirk Kuyt
tapping it in. In Durban, during the Netherlands' second match of the group stage, Elia came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute, after the Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima
fumbled a powerful effort by Wesley Sneijder
into the back of the net to give the Dutch a 1–0 lead after 53 minutes of play.
In the 66th minute of the Netherlands' final group stage match, against Cameroon
, he came on as a substitute for Dirk Kuyt.
*Eljero Elia at transfermarkt
Voorburg
Voorburg is a Dutch town and former municipality in the western part of the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. As also Leidschendam and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg. It has approximately 39,000 inhabitants....
) is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Juventus and the Dutch national team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
ADO Den Haag
Before excelling in the ADO Den HaagADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club...
youth team, Elia played for many amateur clubs. He made his professional debut in 2004 when he was just 17 years old. In that season, he played four matches and scored one goal for Den Haag. But things went wrong when Den Haag picked their new coach, Lex Schoenmaker
Lex Schoenmaker
Alex "Lex" Schoenmaker is a Dutch former professional football player and manager.-Playing career:Born in The Hague, Schoenmaker played as a striker for ADO, Feyenoord and FC Den Haag...
. After some conflicts with Elia, FC Twente
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
moved in to sign the exciting young player.
Twente
Not only FC TwenteFC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
were interested in Elia's signature but also Ajax were keen to sign him but if he chose Ajax, he would first be loaned back to ADO Den Haag
ADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club...
, and Elia did not have a chance of playing there. ADO Den Haag were also relegated, and he did not want to play in the Eerste Divisie
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
. When he played for FC Twente
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
, he was recognised as one of the Eredivisie's best players, and named Dutch Football Talent of the Year
Dutch Footballer of the Year
The title Dutch Footballer of the Year has been awarded in the Netherlands since 1984. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional footballers playing in the First and Second leagues....
in 2009 which added to his already growing reputation in Europe.
Hamburger SV
On 5 July 2009, after media speculation Elia joined Hamburger SVHamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
on a five-year contract. and cost €8.5 million. On 8 August 2009, Elia made his debut as a substitute in the first match of the season.
In March 2010, Elia had a severe infection due to a poorly applied tattoo, which meant he felt uncomfortable in his shirt. As a result, Hamburg's neighbours Werder Bremen have since banned their players from getting tattoos.
Juventus
On 31 August 2011, Juventus confirmed the signing of Eljero Elia from Hamburg on a four-year contract for a fee of €9million.International career
Elia first appeared for the Netherlands U19 team in 2005, a year after his debut as a professional. He developed rapidly, and in the beginning of 2006, he was selected for Netherlands under-21 teamNetherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
. He was selected by coach Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
for the senior team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
's friendly encounter with England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
On 6 September 2009, Elia had his debut for the Netherlands against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
in a friendly match. He came on at half-time replacing Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
. His first match for the Oranje went very well, with Elia producing two assists in the 3–0 victory. In just his second match, Elia scored the only goal to win a match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 9 September 2009. Elia scored his second international goal in a 6–1 friendly win over Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
with a solo effort after coming on as a substitute.
2010 World Cup
Elia was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. On 27 May 2010, the Netherlands' manager Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
He assisted their second goal in a 2–0 win over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, with his shot hitting the post and Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
tapping it in. In Durban, during the Netherlands' second match of the group stage, Elia came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute, after the Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima
Eiji Kawashima
is a Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Lierse S.K..-Career:During his time at Omiya, Kawashima went overseas to train with Serie A club Parma, and also trained in Italy in January 2010....
fumbled a powerful effort by Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
into the back of the net to give the Dutch a 1–0 lead after 53 minutes of play.
In the 66th minute of the Netherlands' final group stage match, against Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
, he came on as a substitute for Dirk Kuyt.
International goals
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Den Haag ADO Den Haag Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club... |
2004–05 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 2 | |
| Den Haag ADO Den Haag Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club... |
59 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 6 | 3 | |
| Twente FC Twente FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys... |
2007–08 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 1 |
| 2008–09 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 13 | 5 | |
| Twente FC Twente FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys... |
64 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 73 | 15 | 6 | |
| Hamburg Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
2009–10 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010... |
24 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 6 | 8 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter... |
24 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 3 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hamburg Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
52 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 63 | 8 | 11 | |
| Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
2011–12 2011–12 Serie A The 2011–12 Serie A is the eightieth season since its establishment, and the second under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 9 September 2011 and will end on 13 May 2012. The league was originally scheduled to start on 27 August, but this was delayed due to a strike by the players... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career totals | 176 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 196 | 29 | 20 | |
External links
- Eljero Elia Voetbal International
*Eljero Elia at transfermarkt
- Eljero Elia stats at Sky Sports
- Eljero Elia at kicker.de