Ryan Babel
Encyclopedia
Ryan Guno Babel (ˈrɑjɐn ˈbaːbəl; born 19 December 1986) is a Dutch football player who currently plays for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He can play as a left winger and as a striker
. Babel began his career at AFC Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad. He played three seasons for the first team before he was transferred to Liverpool
in mid-2007, where under three successive managers he failed to secure a regular first team position. Babel was sold to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in January 2011, for a sum around half of that which Liverpool paid for him. Babel has been part of the Dutch national football team since 2005, and has represented his country at all youth team levels.
, Amsterdam
and was interested in football from an early age. Inspired by the local footballing talent, including Ruud Gullit
and Frank Rijkaard
, Babel played for nearby youth-teams S.V Diemen, then Fortius. In 1997, he attended a youth selection day with AFC Ajax. He made it through the first selection round, but failed to progress any further. However, the next year Ajax accepted him and he played the 1998–99 season for their D1 team. After having graduated through the C1, B1 and A1 teams, Babel signed his first professional contract in January 2004.
Playing as a forward, on 1 February 2004, just one and a half months after his 17th birthday, Ajax coach Ronald Koeman
gave Babel his first team debut in Ajax's 4–0 home win over ADO Den Haag
in the Eredivisie
. Ajax went on to win the Dutch league title, but Babel didn't feature again that season. Nine months later, on 20 November 2004 Babel scored his first senior goal against De Graafschap
in a 5–0 victory.
In July 2005, Babel signed a new contract with Ajax. He started the new season by scoring the winning goal in Ajax's 2–1 defeat of PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Super Cup. Babel scored in both legs of the Champions League
third qualifying round against Brøndby
as Ajax made it to the group stage. 2005–06 was a tougher season for Babel in general though as he managed only two league goals. He did however continue to feature for the national team, and scored his second goal against Italy
in November. At the end of the season, Babel came on as a second-half substitute
in Ajax's 2–1 victory over PSV in the Dutch Cup
final.
Babel marked the start of 2006–07 with another Dutch Super Cup winners medal, as Ajax defeated PSV 3–1. Babel was linked with Arsenal
and Newcastle United during the January transfer window of the 2006–07 season
but no move materialised. Amidst the transfer speculation, Babel agreed to a new three-year deal with Ajax on 2 February 2007. In May, Babel got another Dutch Cup winners medal as Ajax successfully defended the title. The match against AZ went to a penalty shoot-out, but Babel was substituted off after 120 minutes.
On 10 July 2007 it was reported that Liverpool
had made a £
14 million offer to the Amsterdam club. On 12 July it was reported that Liverpool and Ajax had agreed a fee in the region of £11.5 million, and later Liverpool confirmed that Babel would sign a five year contract on 13 July. He was unveiled on 13 July with Yossi Benayoun
. Babel was handed the number 19 shirt. He made his debut on 17 July against Werder Bremen in a friendly. He was due to play in the first round of the Barclays Asia Trophy 2007
but for a delay in the granting of international clearance. This was sorted out in time for the final against Portsmouth.
He made his Premier League debut in the 2007–08 Premier League curtain raiser against Aston Villa
away after coming on off the bench. A week later and he made his Anfield
debut, coming off the bench against Chelsea
. On 1 September Babel scored his first goal for Liverpool against Derby County
. Babel scored his first Champions League goal for Liverpool on 6 November against Beşiktaş J.K.
after coming on as a substitute. He netted twice in the game and almost completed a hat-trick, with a header from a Harry Kewell
cross, but was denied by the crossbar. Babel scored the fourth and last goal in Liverpool's 2007–08 UEFA Champions League group stage match against Olympique de Marseille
, which they needed to win. He came off the bench in the second leg of the quarter final against Arsenal in the Champions League
and won a penalty and scored a goal, with Liverpool winning the game 4–2 (5–3 on aggregate). He also came on as a substitute against Chelsea in the semi-final and despite scoring a goal, Liverpool lost 3–2 in extra time.
Former Liverpool and Celtic
player Kenny Dalglish
has said that Babel has the ability to terrorise defenders in the Premier League with his pace and trickery with the ball. On 13 September 2008, Babel came off the bench to score the winner for Liverpool in a 2–1 victory over Manchester United, his first goal of the 2008–09 season Babel scored his second goal of the season in Liverpool's 5–1 victory over Newcastle United
on 28 December 2008.
On the 20 September 2009 against West Ham, Babel came off the bench for Dirk Kuyt. At this stage the score was 2–2. Babel picked up the ball and did well to beat the full-back and sent in a delightful cross for Fernando Torres
to head home the winner. Babel, who has been criticized in the past for his work rate and attitude, earned praise for his efforts in the West Ham game.
On 27 September 2009, Babel scored two goals against Hull City
coming off the bench for Fernando Torres to round up a match which ended 6–1 for Liverpool. On 4 November 2009, Babel scored the opening goal against Lyon
in a Champions League game, a strike from 25 yards in a 1–1 draw. Former Liverpool player Alan Hansen
called upon Babel to play like he did against Lyon, as he still possessed the ability to be a 'top player'.
On 6 January 2010, it was reported that Liverpool rejected an £8 million offer from Birmingham City for Babel. Babel was then disciplined by manager Benitez, over stating on his Twitter
page that he had been dropped for the game against Stoke City
, and was fined two weeks wages of £120,000. He was frequently linked with a move away from Anfield but Rafael Benitez stated his desire for Babel to stay. On 15 March 2010 he scored against Portsmouth
in a 4–1 win. On 1 April 2010, he was sent off for the first time in his Liverpool career in the 30th minute of the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against S.L. Benfica after an altercation with Luisão
. He scored in Liverpool's 4–0 win over Burnley
at Turf Moor, subsequently relegating Burnley to the Championship.
On 19 August 2010, Babel scored the winner against Trabzonspor
in the Europa League qualifier first leg, it was his first game of the 2010–11 season. He started his first match in the Premier League at Anfield
against Aston Villa and scored his first goal in the Premier League with a right-footed volley that beat former Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Friedel
.
Babel was one of the Premier League players that used Twitter
to communicate with fans.
In January 2011 Babel posted an image on twitter of referee Howard Webb
in a Manchester United shirt after Liverpool's 1–0 defeat in the FA Cup
, and was charged by the F.A. with improper conduct and fined £10,000.
On 18 January Liverpool agreed a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million for Babel from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
On 24 January Kenny Dalglish
said that Ryan would be staying at Liverpool, but the next day Babel flew to Germany to finalize the deal to sign with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. During his time at Liverpool Babel gained cult status among many of the Liverpool fans for antics on popular social networking website Twitter.
His first competitive match was on 26 January 2011 in the DFB Cup
quarter final match against FC Energie Cottbus. He is well known for his 'left little finger out' celebration, in support of disadvantaged youths in Amsterdam.
On 9 April 2011 Babel scored his first goal for Hoffenheim, in a 3–2 loss to SC Freiburg
.
Babel took part in the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup
. Babel scored two goals in four games as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. There they were defeated by Nigeria, 10–9 in a penalty shoot-out (Babel scored his penalty).
Later that season, Babel made his international debut on 26 March 2005, away against Romania. He entered the game as a first-half substitute for Arjen Robben
and went on to score the second goal in a 2–0 victory. The goal made Babel the youngest goalscorer in 68 years for the Netherlands and the fourth-youngest of all time. Babel had been a first team regular with Ajax in 2004–05 and finished with seven league goals in 22 appearances.
In 2006, Marco van Basten included Babel in the Dutch squad for 2006 FIFA World Cup
. Due to a knee injury however, Babel only featured once, as a second-half substitute for Ruud van Nistelrooy
in the group match against Argentina
. Van Basten has been quoted as saying Babel "has all the potential to become the next Thierry Henry
".
In June 2007, Babel was part of the Netherlands under-21 team
competing in the UEFA Under-21 Championship
, being held in the Netherlands. In the group stage, Babel scored a penalty against Portugal, helping the Dutch to secure a semi-final spot and thus qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing. His second tournament goal came during his man of the match
performance in the final as the Netherlands defeated Serbia
4–1 to retain their title.
In May 2008, Babel was selected for the Dutch squad which will compete in the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. On 31 May, it was announced that Babel had been withdrawn from the squad after tearing ankle ligaments in training. Van Basten added then-Chelsea
defender Khalid Boulahrouz
to his squad in place of Babel.
in South Africa
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition. Though the Netherlands reached the final
, Babel did not appear in any of the matches during the tournament.
Netherlands
Individual
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. Babel began his career at AFC Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad. He played three seasons for the first team before he was transferred to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in mid-2007, where under three successive managers he failed to secure a regular first team position. Babel was sold to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in January 2011, for a sum around half of that which Liverpool paid for him. Babel has been part of the Dutch national football team since 2005, and has represented his country at all youth team levels.
Early career
Babel grew up in BijlmermeerBijlmermeer
The Bijlmermeer or colloquially Bijlmer is one of the neighbourhoods that form the Amsterdam Zuidoost borough of Amsterdam, Netherlands. To many people, the Bijlmer designation is used to refer to Amsterdam Zuidoost and Diemen Zuid as a pars pro toto...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and was interested in football from an early age. Inspired by the local footballing talent, including Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
and Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard is a Dutch football manager of Dutch and Surinamese descent and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side,...
, Babel played for nearby youth-teams S.V Diemen, then Fortius. In 1997, he attended a youth selection day with AFC Ajax. He made it through the first selection round, but failed to progress any further. However, the next year Ajax accepted him and he played the 1998–99 season for their D1 team. After having graduated through the C1, B1 and A1 teams, Babel signed his first professional contract in January 2004.
Ajax
Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman...
gave Babel his first team debut in Ajax's 4–0 home win over 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...
in the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
. Ajax went on to win the Dutch league title, but Babel didn't feature again that season. Nine months later, on 20 November 2004 Babel scored his first senior goal against De Graafschap
De Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
in a 5–0 victory.
In July 2005, Babel signed a new contract with Ajax. He started the new season by scoring the winning goal in Ajax's 2–1 defeat of PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Super Cup. Babel scored in both legs of the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
third qualifying round against Brøndby
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
as Ajax made it to the group stage. 2005–06 was a tougher season for Babel in general though as he managed only two league goals. He did however continue to feature for the national team, and scored his second goal against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in November. At the end of the season, Babel came on as a second-half substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
in Ajax's 2–1 victory over PSV in the Dutch Cup
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
final.
Babel marked the start of 2006–07 with another Dutch Super Cup winners medal, as Ajax defeated PSV 3–1. Babel was linked with Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and Newcastle United during the January transfer window of the 2006–07 season
2007 in football (soccer)
The following are the association football events of the year 2007 throughout the world.-Events:* February 13-April 26 - CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2007....
but no move materialised. Amidst the transfer speculation, Babel agreed to a new three-year deal with Ajax on 2 February 2007. In May, Babel got another Dutch Cup winners medal as Ajax successfully defended the title. The match against AZ went to a penalty shoot-out, but Babel was substituted off after 120 minutes.
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
had made a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
14 million offer to the Amsterdam club. On 12 July it was reported that Liverpool and Ajax had agreed a fee in the region of £11.5 million, and later Liverpool confirmed that Babel would sign a five year contract on 13 July. He was unveiled on 13 July with Yossi Benayoun
Yossi Benayoun
Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun is an Israeli international footballer who plays for Arsenal on loan from Chelsea.Benayoun plays as an attacking midfielder, often occupying the space just behind the striker. In Israel, he is sometimes nicknamed "The Diamond from Dimona". He is also the captain of the...
. Babel was handed the number 19 shirt. He made his debut on 17 July against Werder Bremen in a friendly. He was due to play in the first round of the Barclays Asia Trophy 2007
Barclays Asia Trophy 2007
The Barclays Asia Trophy 2007 was the third edition of the Premier League Asia Trophy, a four-team football tournament held every two years. The tournament was held in Hong Kong. The 2007 edition was competed by South China AA, the winner of Hong Kong's FA Cup, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Fulham at...
but for a delay in the granting of international clearance. This was sorted out in time for the final against Portsmouth.
He made his Premier League debut in the 2007–08 Premier League curtain raiser against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
away after coming on off the bench. A week later and he made his Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
debut, coming off the bench against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. On 1 September Babel scored his first goal for Liverpool against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. Babel scored his first Champions League goal for Liverpool on 6 November against Beşiktaş J.K.
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
after coming on as a substitute. He netted twice in the game and almost completed a hat-trick, with a header from a Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell
Harold "Harry" Kewell is an Australian professional football midfielder who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. Internationally he has received 55 caps, and scored 16 goals, while playing for the Australian national team...
cross, but was denied by the crossbar. Babel scored the fourth and last goal in Liverpool's 2007–08 UEFA Champions League group stage match against Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, which they needed to win. He came off the bench in the second leg of the quarter final against Arsenal in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and won a penalty and scored a goal, with Liverpool winning the game 4–2 (5–3 on aggregate). He also came on as a substitute against Chelsea in the semi-final and despite scoring a goal, Liverpool lost 3–2 in extra time.
Former Liverpool and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
player Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
has said that Babel has the ability to terrorise defenders in the Premier League with his pace and trickery with the ball. On 13 September 2008, Babel came off the bench to score the winner for Liverpool in a 2–1 victory over Manchester United, his first goal of the 2008–09 season Babel scored his second goal of the season in Liverpool's 5–1 victory over Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 28 December 2008.
On the 20 September 2009 against West Ham, Babel came off the bench for Dirk Kuyt. At this stage the score was 2–2. Babel picked up the ball and did well to beat the full-back and sent in a delightful cross for Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
to head home the winner. Babel, who has been criticized in the past for his work rate and attitude, earned praise for his efforts in the West Ham game.
On 27 September 2009, Babel scored two goals against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
coming off the bench for Fernando Torres to round up a match which ended 6–1 for Liverpool. On 4 November 2009, Babel scored the opening goal against Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
in a Champions League game, a strike from 25 yards in a 1–1 draw. Former Liverpool player Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
called upon Babel to play like he did against Lyon, as he still possessed the ability to be a 'top player'.
On 6 January 2010, it was reported that Liverpool rejected an £8 million offer from Birmingham City for Babel. Babel was then disciplined by manager Benitez, over stating on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page that he had been dropped for the game against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, and was fined two weeks wages of £120,000. He was frequently linked with a move away from Anfield but Rafael Benitez stated his desire for Babel to stay. On 15 March 2010 he scored against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in a 4–1 win. On 1 April 2010, he was sent off for the first time in his Liverpool career in the 30th minute of the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against S.L. Benfica after an altercation with Luisão
Luisão
Ânderson Luís da Silva , aka Luisão , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, as a central defender....
. He scored in Liverpool's 4–0 win over Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
at Turf Moor, subsequently relegating Burnley to the Championship.
On 19 August 2010, Babel scored the winner against Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Trabzon, Turkey. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor won six championships in Turkish Super League. The Club won their first Championship title in 1975 which is also the Club's initiation year...
in the Europa League qualifier first leg, it was his first game of the 2010–11 season. He started his first match in the Premier League at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
against Aston Villa and scored his first goal in the Premier League with a right-footed volley that beat former Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
.
Babel was one of the Premier League players that used Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to communicate with fans.
In January 2011 Babel posted an image on twitter of referee Howard Webb
Howard Webb
Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005....
in a Manchester United shirt after Liverpool's 1–0 defeat in the FA Cup
2010–11 FA Cup
The 2010–11 FA Cup was the 130th season of the world's oldest association football knock-out competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short...
, and was charged by the F.A. with improper conduct and fined £10,000.
On 18 January Liverpool agreed a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million for Babel from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
On 24 January Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
said that Ryan would be staying at Liverpool, but the next day Babel flew to Germany to finalize the deal to sign with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. During his time at Liverpool Babel gained cult status among many of the Liverpool fans for antics on popular social networking website Twitter.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
On 25 January 2011, it was confirmed that Babel had left Liverpool to join German side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for a reported fee of £8 million, signing a deal for two-and-a-half-years.His first competitive match was on 26 January 2011 in the DFB Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
quarter final match against FC Energie Cottbus. He is well known for his 'left little finger out' celebration, in support of disadvantaged youths in Amsterdam.
On 9 April 2011 Babel scored his first goal for Hoffenheim, in a 3–2 loss to SC Freiburg
SC Freiburg
Sport-Club Freiburg, commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German association football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. SC Freiburg has played in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football, since their promotion in 2009...
.
International career
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
. Babel scored two goals in four games as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. There they were defeated by Nigeria, 10–9 in a penalty shoot-out (Babel scored his penalty).
Later that season, Babel made his international debut on 26 March 2005, away against Romania. He entered the game as a first-half substitute for 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...
and went on to score the second goal in a 2–0 victory. The goal made Babel the youngest goalscorer in 68 years for the Netherlands and the fourth-youngest of all time. Babel had been a first team regular with Ajax in 2004–05 and finished with seven league goals in 22 appearances.
In 2006, Marco van Basten included Babel in the Dutch squad for 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Due to a knee injury however, Babel only featured once, as a second-half substitute for Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
in the group match against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. Van Basten has been quoted as saying Babel "has all the potential to become the next Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
".
In June 2007, Babel was part of the Netherlands under-21 team
Netherlands 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....
competing in the UEFA Under-21 Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
, being held in the Netherlands. In the group stage, Babel scored a penalty against Portugal, helping the Dutch to secure a semi-final spot and thus qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing. His second tournament goal came during his man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
performance in the final as the Netherlands defeated Serbia
Serbia national under-21 football team
The Serbia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Serbia and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia....
4–1 to retain their title.
In May 2008, Babel was selected for the Dutch squad which will compete in the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. On 31 May, it was announced that Babel had been withdrawn from the squad after tearing ankle ligaments in training. Van Basten added then-Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
defender Khalid Boulahrouz
Khalid Boulahrouz
Khalid Boulahrouz is a Dutch footballer of Berber Moroccan Rif descent, who plays for the Netherlands and VfB Stuttgart. His nickname is "Khalid the Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" his opposition....
to his squad in place of Babel.
2010 World Cup
Babel was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA 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, 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. Though the Netherlands reached the final
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
, Babel did not appear in any of the matches during the tournament.
2012 Euro
Babel returned in Oranje after an absence of almost a year on 11 November 2011 as a starter in the pre Euro 2012 0-0 drawn friendly against Switzerland.Career Statistics
| Club | Season | Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
KNVB Cup KNVB Cup The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup... |
Super Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Ajax (Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... ) |
2003–04 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 1 | 26 | 8 | |
| 2005–06 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 36 | 5 | |
| 2006–07 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 38 | 7 | |
| Club Total | 73 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 101 | 20 | |
| Premier League | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup League Cup In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | |||||||
| Liverpool (Premier League) |
2007–08 | 30 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 49 | 10 |
| 2008–09 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 42 | 4 | |
| 2009–10 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 38 | 6 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Premier League The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... |
9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 2 | |
| Club Total | 91 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 39 | 9 | 146 | 22 | |
| Fußball-Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
DFB-Pokal DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga... |
DFB-Ligapokal DFB-Ligapokal The DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | |||||||
| TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Fußball-Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... ) |
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... |
15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Club Total | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |
| Career totals | 179 | 27 | 20 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 59 | 14 | 263 | 43 | |
| Last updated 2 July 2011 | |||||||||||
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2005 | 2–0 | Won | WC 2006 Qual. | |||||||
| 2 | 12 November 2005 | 1–3 | Loss | Friendly | |||||||
| 3 | 1 June 2006 | 2–1 | Won | Friendly | |||||||
| 4 | 7 February 2007 | 4–1 | Won | Friendly | |||||||
| 5 | 24 May 2008 | 3–0 | Won | Friendly | |||||||
| Last updated 24 May 2008 | |||||||||||
Career honours
Ajax- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
: 2003–04 - Dutch CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 2005–06, 2006–07 - Dutch Super Cup: 2005Johan Cruijff-schaal XThe match for the Johan Cruijff-schaal X was held on 5 August 2005 between Eredivisie 2004-05 champions and KNVB Cup 2004-05 winners PSV and Eredivisie runners-up Ajax. Ajax won the match 2–1.-Match details:...
, 2006Johan Cruijff-schaal XIThe match for the Johan Cruijff-schaal XI was held on 13 August 2006 between Eredivisie 2005-06 champions PSV and KNVB Cup 2005-06 winners AFC Ajax. Ajax won the match 3–1.-Match details:...
Netherlands
- Winner
- 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
- 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
- Runner-up
- 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 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...
- 2010 FIFA World Cup
Individual
- Man of the Match: UEFA U-21 2007 finals
- UEFA U-21 Team of the Tournament: 2007
- 2006–2007 AFC Ajax Young Player of the Season
- 2007–2008 Liverpool FC Young Player of the Season