The hard player: Sami Hyypiä
Born on October 7, 1973 in Porvoo, Finland, Sami Hyypiä built his career step by step, from the Finnish league with MyPa 47 (8 goals in 105 matches) to the Dutch top flight with Willem II Tilburg (4 goals in 113 appearances), before making his definitive mark in England.
At Liverpool, he became a cornerstone of the defence, racking up 459 appearances and scoring 35 goals – a remarkable record for a central defender. He rounded off his playing days at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, adding 3 goals in 60 matches. For Finland, he earned 106 caps and scored 5 goals, making him one of his country’s most capped players.
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PlayThe medium player: Marouane Fellaini
Born on November 22, 1987 in Etterbeek, Belgium, Marouane Fellaini is a powerful central midfielder whose career took him through the top levels of European football. He made his mark at Standard Liège (12 goals in 84 matches) before establishing himself at Everton with 33 goals in 177 appearances, earning attention from elite clubs.
Manchester United came calling, and he delivered 22 goals in 177 games at Old Trafford. He then headed to China’s Shandong Taishan, where he produced his most prolific club numbers: 50 goals in 142 matches. He also represented Belgium at under-18 level, earning 3 caps.
The easy player: Sonny Anderson
Born on September 19, 1970 in Goiatuba, Brazil, Sonny Anderson was a striker who carved out a prolific career across Europe. He made his name at Monaco with 67 goals in 117 appearances before moving to FC Barcelona, where he added 21 goals in 68 games.
His finest chapter was written at Lyon, where he netted 94 goals in 161 matches, cementing his place in the club’s history books. He later contributed 24 goals in 59 games at Villarreal and rounded off his career at Servette FC with an impressive 33 goals in 56 matches. He earned 7 caps for Brazil, scoring once.