Wesley Sneijder (Part 2)

In the 2010–11 season, Wesley Sneijder continued to play a crucial role for Inter Milan, contributing both on the domestic and European fronts.The season started on a positive note for Sneijder and Inter as they secured the 2010 Supercoppa Italiana with a 3–1 victory over Roma on 21 August 2010. Shortly after, Sneijder received recognition from UEFA as the best club midfielder of the previous season's Champions League.Despite the individual accolade, Inter faced disappointment in the 2010 UEFA Super Cup, losing to UEFA Europa League winners Atlético Madrid on 27 August 2010.


Sneijder's goal-scoring campaign began in September with a goal against Twente in the Champions League, followed by another goal against Werder Bremen in a 4–0 victory at the San Siro.His impressive performances earned him a place on the shortlist for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or award, ultimately finishing fourth behind Lionel Messi. Shortly after, Sneijder committed his future to Inter by signing a five-year contract extension, emphasizing his importance to the club.
In the Champions League round of 16 against Bayern Munich, Sneijder played a crucial role in the second leg, scoring a vital goal that contributed to Inter's 3–2 win at the Allianz Arena, securing their progression to the quarter-finals on away goals.
However, Inter's Champions League journey ended in disappointment in the quarter-finals against Schalke 04. Despite Sneijder's efforts, including playing in both legs of the tie, Inter suffered a 7–3 aggregate defeat, ending their hopes of defending their title.


In Wesley Sneijder's third season at Inter Milan, he started strongly by netting the opener with a free kick in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana match against Milan. Despite his goal, Inter ended up losing the match 2–1 to their rivals. However, in September, Sneijder suffered a setback when he injured his left thigh during a 3–1 away loss to Novara.
This forced him to spend some time on the sidelines.After his recovery, Sneijder returned to action in October, playing a significant role in a 1–0 win against Chievo by assisting Thiago Motta's header. He followed this up with his first championship goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against Atalanta.


Unfortunately, Sneijder encountered another injury setback in November 2011, damaging his right knee's rectus femoris muscle during the warm-up before a match against Cagliari. This injury kept him out for the remainder of the year, and he made his return in January 2012 as a substitute in the derby victory over Milan.Despite the interruptions due to injuries, Sneijder reached a milestone by making his 100th appearance for Inter on 26 February. He marked this occasion by scoring a brace against Udinese, helping Inter to a 3–1 win.


However, Sneijder's third season at Inter was hampered by injuries, limiting him to just 20 league appearances. Inter finished sixth in the Serie A, conceding 55 goals, which was close to their all-time worst concession in a single campaign.In the Coppa Italia, Sneijder featured twice as Inter were eliminated by Napoli. In the Champions League, he made five appearances as Inter exited in the round of 16 against Marseille. Overall, injuries disrupted Sneijder's season, affecting both his and Inter's performances.


After reportedly experiencing issues with contract renewal at Inter Milan, Wesley Sneijder made a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray on 20 January 2013. The transfer fee was reported to be €7.5 million. Thousands of Galatasaray fans welcomed him at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, and he signed his official contract the following day at the Türk Telekom Arena, Galatasaray's home stadium.
Sneijder made his debut for Galatasaray on 27 January, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against rivals Beşiktaş. He scored his first goal for the club on 25 February in a 4–2 home win against Orduspor. His impactful performances continued, including scoring against his former club Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.


Galatasaray went on to win the 2012–13 Süper Lig title, with Sneijder adding another league title to his collection, making it four different countries where he had won league championships.In the following season, Sneijder continued to impress, scoring crucial goals such as a late winner against Juventus in the Champions League. He also scored a hat-trick against Bursaspor in the Süper Lig.
Sneijder's contributions extended to cup competitions as well. He scored the winning goal in the Turkish Cup final against Eskişehirspor and helped Galatasaray reach the final of the 2014–15 Turkish Cup, where they emerged victorious against Bursaspor.


In the UEFA Champions League, Sneijder scored crucial goals, including a late free kick against Arsenal, although Galatasaray were knocked out in the group stage.
During his time at Galatasaray, Sneijder became a key figure in the Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray rivalry, scoring important goals against Fenerbahçe and earning a reputation as a club legend among Galatasaray fans.After completing his 100th game for Galatasaray and continuing to play a pivotal role for the team, Sneijder signed a three-year contract extension with the club on 3 October.
However, his time at Galatasaray came to an end on 14 July 2017 when he and the club terminated his contract, making him a free agent. Sneijder reportedly bought himself out of the remaining period of his contract for €4.5 million.


During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Wesley Sneijder played a pivotal role for the Netherlands national team. He started in their first match, a 2–0 victory over Denmark, and later scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Japan. Sneijder was selected as the man of the match in both of these group stage games.In the round of 16 match against Slovakia, Sneijder found the back of the net in a 2–1 victory for the Netherlands. He also played a significant role in the quarter-final match against Brazil, where he scored what was initially thought to be an assist but was later credited as a goal. Sneijder then scored his first header of his career, direct from a corner, in a 2–1 victory over Brazil, bringing his goal total in the tournament to four.


In the semi-final against Uruguay, Sneijder scored in the 70th minute, taking his total goals in the competition to five, tying him with Spain's David Villa for the top scorer position at the time.
The Netherlands won the match 3–2, with Sneijder once again named the man of the match by FIFA's website.However, in the World Cup Final against Spain, the Dutch team lost 1–0 after extra time, conceding the only goal of the match to Andrés Iniesta in the 116th minute. Despite the loss in the final, Sneijder's performances throughout the tournament were widely praised, and he played a crucial role in the Netherlands' journey to the final.

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