25 Facts About Abel Xavier

Abel Xavier played for clubs in Portugal, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, England, Turkey and Germany before retiring with the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer in 2008.

Abel Xavier represented both Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool in the Premier League.

From his debut in 1993, Abel Xavier played 20 games for the Portugal national team, and was selected in their squads for UEFA Euro 2000 and 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Abel Xavier later became a manager for several Portuguese clubs and the Mozambique national team.

Abel Xavier debuted in the Portuguese top division with Estrela da Amadora.

Abel Xavier helped Benfica win the Portuguese league in 1994, and a season after, he moved to Serie A side Bari.

Abel Xavier was signed to bolster Liverpool's defence following Markus Babbel's absence through illness.

Abel Xavier scored against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League.

Abel Xavier said that the substance came from anti-virus medicine that he had imported from the United States.

Abel Xavier remained employed by the club and unsuccessfully appealed the decision; in January 2006 he said that he would take UEFA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Abel Xavier's ban was shortened to 12 months in June 2006, making him eligible to play again from November 2006.

On 14 May 2007, it was announced that Abel Xavier was to join the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer.

Later, in an interview to an online football site, Abel Xavier criticised Galaxy manager Ruud Gullit and the league itself.

Abel Xavier was a part of the Portugal squad which came third at the 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship in Scotland.

Abel Xavier played three more matches in the unsuccessful qualification campaign that year and did not play for Portugal again until 1998.

Abel Xavier was selected for UEFA Euro 2000 and became one of the key figures in the competition, not only due to playing some of his best football but due to a distinctly bleached-blonde hairstyle with a matching beard.

Abel Xavier was initially given a nine-month ban from football for his vociferous protests against referee Gunter Benko's decision to award the penalty, but it was eventually reduced to six months.

Abel Xavier was sacked by the club on 28 October 2013, despite beating Arouca in his last match to reach 11th in the table.

In December 2014, Abel Xavier signed for another team from the Algarve, Farense of the Segunda Liga.

In July 2015, Abel Xavier signed a one-year deal with another team in the second division, Desportivo das Aves.

Abel Xavier was born in Mozambique, which was then a Portuguese colony, and moved to Portugal as a child.

Abel Xavier settled in Jamor in the western suburbs of Lisbon, where he lived in poverty.

On retiring from his playing career, Abel Xavier converted to Islam.

Abel Xavier said that he was initiated into the faith by a brother of the monarch of the United Arab Emirates in 2009, who gave him the name Faisal.

From 2011 to 2014, Abel Xavier was in a relationship with actress Oceana Basilio.