Golden Ball Contenders..........state your case.

[Thinkerman]

Hi whats up guys.

 

I just wanted to know who you thought would be the likely contenders for the European Player of the year.

 

Am not sure when the award will be decided i think Michael Owen of liverpool Currently has the title, so clearly it is in need of Updated .

 

I think that the award should focus on those players who are annual exmpeted from the awards because of their0 un-glamours work and contribution to the team.

 

I am thinking of players such as Pavel Niedved (Czech Diff in crunch game ) of Juventus a true footballing great Comfortable on either wings, posses devasting shots with rigth and left foot, can also play behind the strikers aswell as a make shift striker. He was simple devastating last season for Juv and was the diff between them and Inter and Roma especially in the closing weeks.

And this year he is on fire from the outset. Scoring Goals freely from Left wing in both Champions league and Seria A.

 

Another Great player and possibel contender is Javier 'The machine' Zanetti of inter milan and argentina

 

But thats just one player am sure everyone has a diff suggetsion. But for whatever choice guys, n especially you premiership lovers here u must qaulify ur answers with good reasons.

[N.O.R.F]

players who win this award are often those who play well in their domestic league, euro competitions and with their respective international team.

 

ie roberto carlos of real madrid- champ league and wc winner

 

mickel ballak- champ league final and took the germans to the world cup final

 

even beckam had a good year, wc 1/4rs, champ league semi, that goal against greece and the argies

 

so who in seria a can actually say that they have done well on all fronts (domestic, euro, international), no seria teams came within a mile of champ league success in the last 3yrs, hence european player of the year!

[WingA]

Ballack!!

[DA_BEAST]

DAMN GUYZ where have you been?the award was won by none other than RONALDO LUIS NAZARIA DA LIMA. you need to come back to the earth coz you missing out big time if you think i'm lying go and check his website and see who won the double? FIFA WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR and EUROPEAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR by the FRENCH magazine yes? it's RONALDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[RaMpAgE]

Theiry HENRY..i anit been biased

[Thinkerman]

Your right Da Beast i just fondout now. My bad ppl.

 

But why did the give the award to the world's most expensive Can opener??

[N.O.R.F]

lol@shujul, if he was in the moroon red of roma, he would be the best can opener!

[Thinkerman]

lol@North i see you have caught on to my logic process . Yep he would be The best 'relatively' Expensive Itenary Opener .

[Thinkerman]

Man i know my football

 

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Juventus 3 - 0 Modena

Nedved 54, 83 (J), Trezeguet 85 (J)

 

Stadio Delle Alpi

 

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A stunning Pavel Nedved brace has handed Juventus a precious win over Modena

 

Juventus were three points clear at the top of the table and took on relegation strugglers Modena at the Delle Alpi.

 

Marco Di Vaio and Alessandro Del Piero were out injured, while Mauro Camoranesi and Alessio Tacchinardi were rested.

 

David Trezeguet and Marcelo Zalayeta combined well in the opening moments only for the Frenchman's effort to be blocked by a desperate Marco Ballotta save.

 

Modena went even closer on 14 minutes. Pacey forward Dioumansy Kamara charged into the box and thumped the near post with a fierce drive.

 

Soon after, Ciro Ferrara's looping header on a corner kick went over the bar and Trezeguet's angled drive went past the far post before Ballotta's save on Gianluca Zambrotta.

 

But the visitors remained a constant danger on the counter-attack and Gianluigi Buffon was forced to punch away Fabio Vignaroli's shot.

 

There was controversy on 52 minutes when Modena thought they had taken the lead, but it was disallowed for an extremely dubious offside. Omar Milanetto's extraordinary lob from 25 metres slammed the crossbar and came back out for Vignaroli's tap-in, but the linesman claimed he was offside. Replays show it was probably an incorrect call.

 

Moments later it was Juventus who broke through. Pavel Nedved took advantage of a defensive error and went round the goalkeeper to deposit into the net.

 

The Czech midfielder almost grabbed a second soon after with a powerful drive that skimmed the crossbar.

 

However, Modena somehow failed to score an equaliser ten minutes from time. A series of efforts were beaten down by defenders before Andrea Fabbrini's close-range attempt was parried by a Buffon reaction save.

 

But the visitors were once again punished moments later by Pavel Nedved. The former Lazio player gathered the ball on the halfway line, dribbled past several defenders and rifled an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from 20 metres. It was a magnificent goal and handed Juve all three points.

 

Modena were shell-shocked and soon after Trezeguet sprung the offside trap, but needed a great deal of determination to wrestle the ball off Ballotta.

 

 

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Juventus: Buffon; Birindelli, Ferrara, Iuliano, Pessotto; Zambrotta; Tudor (Tacchinardi 55), Davids, Nedved; Zalayeta (Camoranesi 59), Trezeguet

 

Modena: Ballotta; Mayer, Cevoli, Ungari; Ponzo (Campedelli 85), Marasco, Milanetto, Balestri; Colucci (Sculli 67), Kamara (Fabbrini 75); Vignaroli

 

Ref: Morganti

[Thinkerman]

lol am i a footballing expert or what lol

 

 

Nedved on the Golden Ball Monday 17 March, 2003

 

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Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved has watered down talk that he could be named the 2003 European Footballer of the Year.

 

"The Golden Ball? Let’s not get carried away," he said. "I’m simply giving my very best at this moment in time and we are picking up some important results."

 

The Czech ace has been in sensational form for the Bianconeri this term and hit the headlines again at the weekend with two stunning strikes in the 3-0 win over Modena.

 

"I particularly liked the first goal because it meant that we broke the deadlock," he continued.

 

"But don’t call me the leader of this side because there are more than enough here already such as Ciro Ferrara, Alex Del Piero and Antonio Conte."

 

Nedved is arguably the best midfielder in world football at the minute with some suggesting he is becoming as crucial as Zinedine Zidane was to the Juventus of old.

 

"I can’t be compared to Zidane," he explained. "I simply look to give my contribution to the Juve cause by playing with grit and determination."

 

The former Lazio player will next be in action against Basle on Tuesday where Juve will be looking to confirm their place in the last eight of the Champions’ League.

 

"It won’t be an easy game for us and we don’t want to blow our qualification chances with a heavy defeat," he added.

 

"Things are going well in the Scudetto race but we need to improve on the European stage if we want to continue our march."

 

Juve need to avoid a 4-0 defeat in Switzerland to qualify for the quarter-finals.

[N.O.R.F]

hey dont get big headed bruv, i knew, just wanted an argument!lol

[Thinkerman]

K thx for the advice i willl keep my Big ehad in check bruv

[OneManGang]

Henry will simply make the list if not winning it. He is been amazing with Arsenal this season. Also Valencia's Aimar is a good bet.

About Niedved winning it, That depends if JUV win something this year. I dont' think a team that hammered by Manc(Man Utd) will win the Seria A.

[Thinkerman]

Henry will make the list?? i doubt it

 

there are more deserving players

 

Zidane

Carlos

Ruud.Van.Nis

and Off course Totti

 

Totti wins Zizou comparison Tuesday 1 April, 2003

 

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Francesco Totti is as good as Real Madrid ace Zinedine Zidane according to Roma boss Fabio Capello.

 

The Giallorossi Coach was in the crowd for Italy’s 2-0 win against Finland on Saturday where the playmaker was the star of the show.

 

"Technically speaking, Totti has reached the levels of Zidane," stated the tactician.

 

"If Totti is physically fit then there is no doubt that he is one of the best five players in Europe."

 

Totti was given a free role in a 4-2-3-1 system where the capital captain laid on both of Christian Vieri’s goals.

 

"We used the same tactics when we won the Scudetto two years ago," continued the former Milan man. "We had Batistuta as a striker, with Delvecchio, Totti and Cafu all offering support.

 

"This is an ideal system to get the very best from Totti. In many ways he plays like Raul does for Real Madrid."

[N.O.R.F]

comparing totti with Zizou???

 

U know i hate that Titti i mean Totti, but to be compared with LEGEND such Zizou is crazy!!!! Capello is just giving the guy confidence, some reverse phycology ish!