h1 a:hover {background-color:#888;color:#fff ! important;}
div#emailbody table#itemcontentlist tr td div ul {
list-style-type:square; padding-left:1em; } div#emailbody
table#itemcontentlist tr td div blockquote { padding-left:6px;
border-left: 6px solid #dadada; margin-left:1em; } div#emailbody
table#itemcontentlist tr td div li { margin-bottom:1em;
margin-left:1em; } table#itemcontentlist tr td a:link,
table#itemcontentlist tr td a:visited, table#itemcontentlist tr td
a:active, ul#summarylist li a { color:#000033; font-weight:bold;
text-decoration:none; } img {border:none;} The Sport Review: “Ballon
d’Or 2010: ‘Surprised’ Lionel Messi is worthy winner” plus 1 moreBallon d’Or 2010: ‘Surprised’ Lionel Messi is worthy winner Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:27 PM PST While it is never a surprise to see Lionel Messi win an award, the footballing world was perhaps slightly taken aback on Monday when the Argentine was named as winner of the Fifa Ballon d'Or in Zurich. The 23-year-old Barcelona forward beat off competition from club team-mates and World Cup winners Andrés Iniesta and Xavi to scoop the prize for the second year running and once again confirm his status as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation. The final vote was not as close as many had predicted. Messi, who scored 60 goals for both club and country in 2010, beat second-placed Iniesta by more than five per cent of the vote, with Xavi trailing the Argentine by just over six in third place. Many had tipped Iniesta, who scored the extra-time goal against the Netherlands that brought Spain their first World Cup crown last summer, to triumph ahead of Messi. Others had expected to finally see Xavi's immaculate passing game appropriately rewarded. But just as his opponents are forced to every week, these two of his Barcelona team-mates have learnt that no one can afford to overlook Messi. The footballing superstar himself admitted to being surprised at hearing his name called out by his manager Pep Guardiola when the moment came. “I’m surprised to win but pleased to be here with my friends,” he said. “I want to share it with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians.” Interestingly, if it were only journalists' votes that counted, Wesley Sneijder would have won this year's crown, with Iniesta in second place and Xavi in third. The media also paid tribute to Diego Forlan's impressive World Cup campaign with Uruguay by awarding him over 3.5 per cent of their votes. Sneijder, who enjoyed a memorable 2010 after having won the treble with Inter Milan before helping his Holland side reach the World Cup final, finished fourth in the final standings, two per cent behind Xavi. But there is no denying Messi as a worthy winner. He may have failed to shine for Argentina in South Africa, but his consistently sublime form in Barcelona colours throughout 2010, including his single-handed destruction of Arsenal in Champions League quarter-final at Camp Nou, is more than enough justification for him to have scooped this award again. Ballon d’Or 2010: Lionel Messi crowned player of the year Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:28 PM PST Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has been named as the World Player of the Year for the second year running after the Argentine won the inaugural Fifa Ballon d'Or Award for 2010. Messi, 23, was selected ahead of his Barcelona team-mates, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi, who both won the World Cup with Spain in South Africa last summer. "I’m surprised to win but pleased to be here with my friends," said Messi, who scored 60 goals for club and country during 2010. "To win it makes it even more special. I want to share it with all of my friends, my family, all the Barcelonistas and the Argentinians. It’s a very special day for me.” Messi emerged as the winner of the award after having secured 22.65 per cent of the total votes, with Iniesta in second place with 17.36 per cent, followed by Xavi with 16.48 per cent. Meanwhile, current Real Madrid manager José Mourinho, who guided Inter Milan to an historic treble last season, was named Coach of the Year. The 47-year-old manager only just beat World Cup winning Spain boss Vincente del Bosque to the award after receiving 2.84 per cent more of the vote. “The most important trophies for me are the collective ones, not the individual ones but this is a historic trophy for me and Portuguese football,” said Mourinho. Brazil’s Marta won a record fifth successive Women’s Player of the Year award and Hamit Altintop’s volley for Turkey against Kazakhstan won the Goal of the Year prize. The Fifa Ballon d’Or 2010 is the result of the merging of the the Fifa World Player of the Year, which is voted for by players and coaches, and the Ballon d'Or, which was awarded by journalists via France Football magazine. The award was previously only voted for by journalists but for the first time the voting committee included all the managers and captains of the 208 national sides affiliated to Fifa. Awards in full Men’s Player of the Year: Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina). Women’s Player of the Year: Marta (FC Gold Pride, Santos and Brazil). Men’s Coach of the Year: José Mourinho (Inter Milan and Real Madrid). Women’s Coach of the Year: Silvia Neid (Germany). World XI: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid and Spain); Maicon (Inter and Brazil), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona and Spain), Lucio (Inter and Brazil), Carles Puyol (Barcelona and Spain); Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain), Xavi (Barcelona and Spain), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan and Holland); Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal), David Villa (Barcelona and Spain), Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina). Puskas Award (Goal of the Year): Hamit Altintop (Kazakhstan v TURKEY). Fair Play Award: Haiti Women Under-17s. Presidential Award: Desmond Tutu. You are subscribed to email updates from The Sport Review To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 -- Posted By Mas Item Arekjowo to The Sport Review at 1/10/2011 11:23:00 PM -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gugukluhayat" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/gugukluhayat?hl=en.
