World champion Fabio Cannavaro has officially succeeded Ronaldinho as the European Footballer of the Year.
The Real Madrid defender becomes France Football’s 51st Golden Ball winner after being awarded 173 votes, ahead of Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry.
Cannavaro was expected to receive the honour after a photographer and a journalist from the French magazine were reportedly seen in the Spanish capital in the past 10 days to make a start on their annual feature.
Former Juve man Cannavaro was presented with the Golden Ball award on Monday afternoon, when he held a Press conference, and will then be the special guest on Canal +’s programme 'Golden Ball Presentation'.
The captain of Italy's World Cup winning team is the fourth Italian to win the award after Gianni Rivera (1969), Paolo Rossi (1982) and Roberto Baggio (1993).
He also becomes just the third defender to be awarded the title in 30 years, after Franz Beckenbauer in 1976 and Matthias Sammer in 1996.
The prize represents the ideal end to an amazing year for the Neapolitan player, who won the Scudetto with Juventus before the Bianconeri were stripped of the title, and then led his country to World Cup glory before moving to Real Madrid in the summer.
“I want to bring this trophy to Naples, beacuse it is a town that is living a very particular moment,” said Cannavaro.
“I also want to tell the Naples children that they must believe in dreams, because sometimes they do come true,” added the 33-year-old.
Top 10
1) Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid) 173
2) Gainluigi Buffon (Juventus) 124
3) Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 121
4) Ronaldinho (Barcelona) 73
5) Zinedine Zidane (retired) 71
6) Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) 67
7) Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen) 29
8) Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 25
9) Andrea Pirlo (Milan) 17
10) Jens Lehmann (Arsenal) 13
Now I noticed that this thread is already opened :/ But this is officially information with scores
The Real Madrid defender becomes France Football’s 51st Golden Ball winner after being awarded 173 votes, ahead of Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry.
Cannavaro was expected to receive the honour after a photographer and a journalist from the French magazine were reportedly seen in the Spanish capital in the past 10 days to make a start on their annual feature.
Former Juve man Cannavaro was presented with the Golden Ball award on Monday afternoon, when he held a Press conference, and will then be the special guest on Canal +’s programme 'Golden Ball Presentation'.
The captain of Italy's World Cup winning team is the fourth Italian to win the award after Gianni Rivera (1969), Paolo Rossi (1982) and Roberto Baggio (1993).
He also becomes just the third defender to be awarded the title in 30 years, after Franz Beckenbauer in 1976 and Matthias Sammer in 1996.
The prize represents the ideal end to an amazing year for the Neapolitan player, who won the Scudetto with Juventus before the Bianconeri were stripped of the title, and then led his country to World Cup glory before moving to Real Madrid in the summer.
“I want to bring this trophy to Naples, beacuse it is a town that is living a very particular moment,” said Cannavaro.
“I also want to tell the Naples children that they must believe in dreams, because sometimes they do come true,” added the 33-year-old.
Top 10
1) Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid) 173
2) Gainluigi Buffon (Juventus) 124
3) Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 121
4) Ronaldinho (Barcelona) 73
5) Zinedine Zidane (retired) 71
6) Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona) 67
7) Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen) 29
8) Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 25
9) Andrea Pirlo (Milan) 17
10) Jens Lehmann (Arsenal) 13
Now I noticed that this thread is already opened :/ But this is officially information with scores
