Wesley Sneijder

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Wesley Sneijder was born in Utrecht into a football family: his father and his older brother Jeffrey were both football players. His younger brother Rodney is currently also a professional football player. He moved to Ajax's famous youth academy at age seven after beginning as a youth player with local Utrecht club DOS. Following his older brother's footsteps, he signed for Ajax, initially on trial but subsequently impressed enough to be signed on a permanent basis. He first made the bench as an unused substitute for Ajax in a 2–0 win at SBV Excelsior on 22 December 2002 when manager Ronald Koeman, troubled by an injury-filled squad, called him up, advised by Danny Blind, the then-coach of the Ajax youth squad. On 2 February 2003, Sneijder made his official Ajax debut against Willem II in a 6–0 win. He quickly established himself in the first team, starting in the Champions League quarter-final match against A.C. Milan on 23 April 2003. On 5 March 2003, Sneijder scored his first goal for Ajax in a 4–1 win over FC Groningen in the KNVB Cup. On 13 April, he scored his first Eredivisie goal against NAC Breda in a 3–0 win. He scored three further league goals in wins against Roda JC, RKC Waalwijk and De Graafschap. The following season, he scored nine league goals as Ajax won the 2003–04 Eredivisie title. Sneijder's performances saw him awarded the Johan Cruijff Prijs for the season's best young player in the Netherlands. On 14 September 2005, he scored his first Champions League goal in a group match against AC Sparta Praha. Ajax qualified for the knockout stage, with Sneijder scoring again in a 4–2 win over FC Thun. On 7 May 2006, Sneijder was in the starting line-up for Ajax in the KNVB Cup final, setting up Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's opening goal in a 2–1 win over PSV at the De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam. During the 2006–07 season, Sneijder scored 18 goals in the Eredivisie and 20 goals overall. On 6 May 2007, Sneijder played for Ajax in the final of the KNVB Cup as the team defeated AZ on a penalty shootout. On 12 August 2007, Ajax agreed to sell Sneijder to Real Madrid for €27 million, according to the club's website, making him the second most expensive Dutch football player at the time. Sneijder was the second of three Dutchmen to sign for Real Madrid during the 2007–08 season, joining Royston Drenthe and Arjen Robben. He also was given the number 23, which ha

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Camp Nou was thick with tension as Inter faced Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first leg on 20 April 2010. The world expected a tactical masterclass from the Catalan giants, but they had not accounted for the Dutchman in the black and blue stripes. Sneijder received a pass from Diego Milito, his eyes scanning the field with calmness. With a sudden burst, he fired in right-footed, leveling the game. Inter went on to win 3–1 and the tie 3–2 on aggregate. The media later gave him the nickname 'The Sniper' for his ability to deliver perfect passes and score from impressive distances.

Reader's Guide

On 27 August 2009, Sneijder was bought by Inter Milan from Real Madrid for a reported fee of €15 million. He was given the number 10 shirt and made his debut a day after he signed the contract, making an immediate impact by being on the winning side in the Milan Derby (4–0) against Milan. On 3 October 2009, he scored his first goal in the 92nd minute against Udinese in a 2–1 win. His second goal was scored on 24 October 2009 against Catania, directly from a free kick, and he scored his first Champions League goal for Inter in a dramatic 2–1 group stage win against Dynamo Kyiv in the 89th minute. His next goal was also scored off a hard-swerving free kick in a Coppa Italia game against Livorno. On 9 January 2010, he scored two stunning free kicks against Siena in the game which Inter won 4–3. On 24 January, he received a straight red card in the Milan derby. On 6 April, Sneijder scored a free kick against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League quarter-final in the sixth minute, to give Inter a 2–0 aggregate win. On 20 April, he scored Inter's equalising goal during their Champions League semi-final first leg against defending champions Barcelona. He leveled the game by firing in right-footed from a Diego Milito pass. Inter went on to win the game 3–1 and the tie 3–2 on aggregate. Sneijder was given the nickname 'The Sniper' by the media for his ability to deliver perfect passes and score from impressive distances. On 22 May, Inter won the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich by a score of 2–0. Both goals were scored by Diego Milito, with Sneijder supplying the assist for the first goal. The Champions League was Inter's third trophy of the 2009–10 season after winning the Coppa Italia and Serie A titles. Sneijder commenced the 2010–11 season on 21 August 2010 by winning the 2010 Supercoppa Italiana with a 3–1 win over Roma. Five days later, he was named by UEFA as the best club midfielder of the 2009–10 Champions League. The day after, at Monaco's Stade Louis II, Inter lost to UEFA Europa League winners Atlético Madrid in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup with Sneijder playing 79 minutes. He scored his first goal of the season in a 2–2 draw against Twente in the Champions League on 14 September, and followed that up with another goal in Inter's second game against Werder Bremen in a 4–0 win at the San Siro on 29 September. On 26 October, Sneijder was shortlisted fo

Did You Know?

• Sneijder was awarded the Johan Cruyff Trophy in 2004 for the best young player in the Netherlands.
• He was named UEFA midfielder of the season in 2010.
• Sneijder is the most capped Dutch player of all time with 134 caps.
• He scored a free kick in the sixth minute of the Champions League quarter-final against CSKA Moscow on 6 April 2010, to give Inter a 2–0 aggregate win.