Cristiano Ronaldo, star striker is selected for the Golden Ball award for the European Footballer of the Year on Tuesday. He is the fourth Manchester United player to get this honour and first since fellow winger George Best got it in 1968. Ronaldo dominated the poll result that was announced by France Football magazine, tallying 446 points. Lionel Messi, Barcelona striker came second with 281 points and Liverpool forward Fernando Torres had 179.
Ronaldo told the press that this day is one of the greatest days of his life. He said that he had dreamed of owning the trophy since childhood and finally a dream has come true. Ronaldo finished second last year to Kaka, Milan’s Brazilian playmaker, who was eighth this time with only 31 points. Ronaldo has made 42 goals in all competitions last season as United won the Premier League and Champions League trophies.The 23-year-old player also has won the Ballon d’Or award to the FIFPro World Player of the Year trophy and the Professional Footballers Association and the Football Writers awards. He is the first Premier League player to win since former Liverpool forward Michael Owen in 2001. He is also the first Portuguese player to win since winger Luis Figo with Real Madrid in 2000, and the third after Eusebio in 1965.

An annual poll of football journalists decided the France Football’s award unanimously after short listing 30 players. After the poor performance form the Portugal side at the European Championship in June, Ronaldo had undergone a surgery on his troublesome right ankle in July and was sidelined until Sept. 17. Ronaldo was shown the second yellow card for a needless foul on Shaun Wright-Phillips while meeting a corner kick a few days back. He later stated that he thought he had heard the referee blow his whistle and that’s why he handled the ball.

Bookmark It

 Del.icio.us    digg  
 Facebook    Google Bookmarks    Stumble It    Technorati    Yahoo! My Web  
Hide Sites Tags : Football, Soccer, France, goal, Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Europe, surgery, Lionel Messi, award, yellow card,

Its thirty-one years since Pele arrived at Kolkata. Now, the City of Joy is preparing to welcome another soccer legend Diego Maradona. Maradona will reach Kolkata this December on a promotional tour. The football-crazy city is waiting eagerly for the Argentinean soccer legend. In the much-awaited two-day trip, Maradona is expected to visit the Mother House and will then inaugurate a state-of-the-art sports facility at a fast-growing township off Kolkata.
Maradona’s expected trip in the first week of December will boost Kolkata’s spirit to new heights. The city have hosted stalwart German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn’s farewell match in summer,

with another German legend Karl Heinz Rummenigge expected to visit the Bengal district of Burdwan on December 12.

Shamik Lahiri, an MP from Kolkata is one of the key people behind the effort to bring Maradona to Kolkata. There are also many other figures working overtime alongside him to make the project work, including Indian Football School (IFS), event managers Celebrity Management Group and real estate bigwig Eden City. The launch of the new sports facility, IFS, at Maheshtala is the main focus of the organisers.

A three-member team had gone to Maradona’s residence in Buenos Aires last week to invite the star of the 1986 World Cup to Kolkata. Acording to sources, Maradona is expected to visit Kolkata accompanied by wife Claudia and daughter Dalma. He may kick-start his trip by launching the IFS centre in Maheshtala. It is expected that Maradona will visit the Mother House in Kolkata, run by the Missionaries of Charity.

The news of the Maradona’s visit to Kolkata has come out at a time when he is appointed as the new coach of the national team back home. This has pumped the enthusiasm among the football lovers to new heights. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has formally announced the decision to appoint Maradona as coach of the senior national side.

Bookmark It

 Del.icio.us    digg  
 Facebook    Google Bookmarks    Stumble It    Technorati    Yahoo! My Web  
Hide Sites Tags : Football, World Cup, Soccer, coach, Kolkata, Diego Maradona, Pele, December, Maheshtala, AFA, Oliver Kahn