Golden Ball (1 Viewer)

Golden Ball (choose 5)

  • Pablo Aimar (Valencia)

  • Michael Ballack (Bayern Monaco)

  • David Beckham (Real Madrid)

  • Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)

  • Sol Campbell (Arsenal)

  • Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)

  • Christian Chivu (Roma)

  • Deco (Porto)

  • Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus)

  • Dida (Milan)

  • Giovane Elber (Lyon)

  • Samuel Eto'o (Real Maiorca)

  • Luis Figo (Real Madrid)

  • Ludovic Giuly (Monaco)

  • Thierry Henry (Arsenal)

  • Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Ajax Amsterdam)

  • Filippo Inzaghi (Milan)

  • Oliver Kahn (Bayern Monaco)

  • Patrick Kluivert (Barcellona)

  • Jan Koller (Borussia Dortmund)

  • Darko Kovacevic (Real Sociedad)

  • Henrik Larsson (Celtic Glasgow)

  • Roy Makaay (Bayern Monaco)

  • Claude Makelele (Chelsea)

  • Paolo Maldini (Milan)

  • Adrian Mutu (Chelsea)

  • Alessandro Nesta (Milan)

  • Kahveci Nihat (Real Sociedad)

  • Michael Owen (Liverpool)

  • Pedro Miguel Pauleta (Paris SG)

  • Robert Pires (Arsenal)

  • Raul (Real Madrid)

  • Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid)

  • Ronaldinho (Barcellona)

  • Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

  • Michel Salgado (Real Madrid)

  • Paul Scholes (Manchester United)

  • Andriy Shevchenko (Milan)

  • Lilian Thuram (Juventus)

  • Francesco Toldo (Inter)

  • Francesco Totti (Roma)

  • Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax Amsterdam)

  • David Trezeguet (Juventus)

  • Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)

  • Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)

  • Christian Vieri (Inter)

  • Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal)

  • Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus)

  • Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)

  • Pavel Nedved (Juventus)


Results are only viewable after voting.

IncuboRossonero

Inferiority complex
Nov 16, 2003
7,039
"truly exceptional" about Nedved.

Please don't use that term this loosely. Van Basten was TRULY EXCEPTIONAL...Maldini in 94 was TRULY EXCEPTIONAL. Last year NO ONE WAS TRULY EXCEPTIONAL...not Paolo, especially not Nedved who was not consistent and had ups and downs...a poster even confirmed this recently.
Everyone speaks of PM Berlusconi's influence. WEll where is your evidence of it? Juve has the most questionable calls in football, has large doping scandals "swept under the rug" and a P.R. campaign to make Republicans in the U.S. proud. If Berlusca is so influencing. What is he doing? Winning a CL in PK? Is that how he is using his muscle? If truly he used his influence we would have more success in Serie A. Please think..then write.
Sally besides your TRULY EXCEPTIONAL statement.....you are the most logical poster thus far.
 

denco

Superior Being
Jul 12, 2002
4,679
Okay enough of this , how can a player as good as Sammer was in prime and far away the best player in the Euro96 tournament be said that his winning footballer of the year devalued the accolade

2)Berlusconi who is a media magnate has been known to influence the thinking of people as it was his constant telling us that Gullit was better than Maradona before anyone outside Holland had heard of him

Gullit won 2 European footballer of they year awards and that in no small part was due to Berlusconi's influence

MVB who I regard as the best number 9 ever also won the Golden ball in 92 due to Berlusconi's influence than any other thing as Milan were banned from Europe for unsportsman like behaviour after losing a tie to Marseilles and Stoichkov whose team Barcelona won the European cup was so incensed, he made his feelings known to everyone

Inzaghi was yes in fact nominated while he was at Juve as he would definitely have been in the top 50, lets not forget that the naming of 50 players just started a few seasons ago

By the way whose big mouth led to Zoff retiring from the NT, it was not Moggi's

The gauntlet has been thrown if you wanna argue when it comes to football bring it on, but i aint into insults
 

IncuboRossonero

Inferiority complex
Nov 16, 2003
7,039
Denco:

1. Because Sammer is a defender. Because defenders rarely get the Golden Ball and because of looking back we want to see people like Baresi and Maldini and even Scirea winning it and not Sammer. Looking at that generation of defenders will Sammer stick out?

2. Berlusconi ownes and operates Finninvest and one of Finninvest's companies is his publishing sector others are Insurance companies, AC Milan Team and investment in foreign entreprises. Berlusconi having time to do the things you accuse him of would render him unable to control his empire and bankrupt within years. Before all he is a businessman...before his love of AC Milan before his loyalty to Galliani..BEFORE ALL...don't be naive. he does what is best for his enterprise and not diddy daddle in how is better on a soccer field.

QUOTE: MVB who I regard as the best number 9 ever also won the Golden ball in 92 due to Berlusconi's influence than any other thing as Milan were banned from Europe for unsportsman like behaviour after losing a tie to Marseilles and Stoichkov whose team Barcelona won the European cup was so incensed, he made his feelings known to everyone. (the same Stoichkov who lost 4-0 to Milan two years later?? Oh yeah...and I guess your suggesting that VB did not deserve it because they didn't win the CL? Baggio won it a year later based on his performace in the Uefa Cup.)

Really, could it not be to the fact he was one of the top scorers in the tournament and Serie A...did you even follow the CL afterwards? Do you remember what became of Marseille? And do you remember the unsportsman like behaviour???? It was because they refused to play in poor lighting..the stadium was barely visible and Marseille didn't care because they aimed for a tie. STATS are deceiving when you don't know the WHOLE STORY.

"By the way whose big mouth led to Zoff retiring from the NT, it was not Moggi's" And by the way, a week afterwards everyone supported Berlusca by saying that if Zoff was that scared to stand up and take criticism he should not be the national team coach. In addition, do you remember what Berlusca said? Was he wrong about it? Because every football critic did not seem to think he was wrong..they were just too scared to bring it up. And one more thing: If Zoff was so great..hmmm...where is Zoff now? oh yes and shortly afterwards ..Berlusconi's party won with a majority not seen in 20 years. I guess people liked his way of thinking after all. One more thing..hitting and pointing at Bersluconi just hits your owners right in the face...the biggest and largest contributors financially and publicly to the Forza Italia.
I never saw the gauntlet thrown..I saw stats and very predictable theories presented which needed Clarification.
 
Aug 1, 2003
17,696
i think mcd's burger is truly exceptional. really, no kidding :D okay on a more serious note:

btw: my definition of truly exceptional: something outstanding, unique, eye catching.

given u my definition, i just think its impossible for someone to watch juve matches last season and not say, "hell, that blonde player is damn good!" and that goes for nearly every match! besides, if you still disagree with me, if you ask any football fan to come up with a player who is as influential and hardworking as nedved was last season, i dont think they can come up with anyone.

and surely there must be a reason behind the media hype over nedved, thats just another sign how outstanding he really was. and its not because hes good looking or has a new haircut or has a superstar wife (ehem, beckham :D ), its simply because hes just plain superb.

the fact that no one can compare to him last season makes me feel he is truly exceptional. its ok if u dont agree, but im just stating my points. i hope we could discuss nedved in good terms, incubo.

btw- ur nickname incuborossonero- why incubo? it reminds me of incubus.
 

IncuboRossonero

Inferiority complex
Nov 16, 2003
7,039
IncuboRossonero : The black and red Nightmare (in Italian)

"influential and hardworking" see Maldini, Paolo.
if you want to talk about Juve see Buffon, Gianluigi.

Nedved was damn good...Paolo was amazing...outshining Nesta...holding Real to no goals without NESTA...holding Juve to no goal for 120 minutes and doing the same when "Neddy" did play. Playing in Coppa Italia, CL and Italian Championship and getting top marks in most performances...being consisent and coming off a year when everyone wrote him off. Look at Paolo's career and ask: Will 2002-2003 be remembered as one of his best years as a defender. YES...was he the best defender in italy? No who then? Was he the best defender in CL? was he a big part of the CL team? was he on top of his game? Did he stand out?
Where were the heir apparents Cannavaro and Nesta? Canna has lost credibility because of his year with Inter and Nesta took time to adapt. When he did hey it was a beautiful thing but the point is you can't say that Paolo rode his coat tails because Nesta was not fitting in during the first few months. Even if you don't agree he was the best...if he gets it .. ITS NOT because of a career achievement. winning the Coppa Inter. in December should seal it.
and the reasons you gave for Neddy being in the papers....what is there to say about Paolo then? in reality what is the better story? Think abou it..we know the answer but Paolo is too classy and conservative....not giving it to Baresi made him realize that the award is irrelevant.
 

Zlatan

Senior Member
Jun 9, 2003
23,049
++ [ originally posted by IncuboRossonero ] ++


define truly exceptional? Is a Mcdonald's burger "truly exceptional" then maybe yes....he was "truly exceptional".
And Maldini was truly exceptional last year?
 
Aug 1, 2003
17,696
incuborossonero, i told you, maldini IS a great player, but not exactly last season, more like for the last century. maldini was just not as influential to milan as nedved was last year. i mean, i KNOW he's influential and he's the captain and all, but milan's performance doesn't really drop without him. juve on the other hand relies on nedved more and needs him.

like i said, if you want an example of how influential and important pavel was, see juve-MU at old trafford. we could've get slaughtered had it not been for him.
 

gray

Senior Member
Moderator
Apr 22, 2003
30,260
++ [ originally posted by IncuboRossonero ] ++
Denco:

1. Because Sammer is a defender. Because defenders rarely get the Golden Ball and because of looking back we want to see people like Baresi and Maldini and even Scirea winning it and not Sammer. Looking at that generation of defenders will Sammer stick out?
I'm not exactly talking about the golden ball award here, but if the WC golden ball is anything to go by, goalkeepers and defenders are getting their fair share of the glory these days.

Golden Ball - Oliver Kahn
Silver Ball - Ronaldo
Bronze Ball - Hong Myung Bo :strong:

Now I know FIFA is full of crap when it comes to a lot of decisions, but at least it shows that people recognise the contributions of the backline players. I mean, Germany didn't even win the tournament, Ronaldo was top scorer, and Kahn made silly mistakes in the final.

++ [ originally posted by IncuboRossonero ] ++

"influential and hardworking" see Maldini, Paolo.
if you want to talk about Juve see Buffon, Gianluigi.
Hey, u stole my cool official-sounding way of referring to players :p :D
 

Martin

Senior Member
Dec 31, 2000
56,913
It's That Time Of Year Again…

A cursory glance at some of the names on Uefa's much-vaunted "short-list" of 50 (yes, 50) nominees for the European Footballer Of The Year begs the question, just how long was the "long list?"

And what were the criteria for making it on to this list? Just being famous, presumably. By its sheer size the short-list is somewhat devalued, bloated by all the usual suspects. In fact I get the impression that after maybe the first half-dozen or, being charitable, dozen names of worthy contenders, the selectors were reduced to adding anyone else they could think of.

How else can you explain the presence, on this list of Europe's alleged elite, of Sylvain Wiltord? A few reasonable games for Les Bleus, OK; but most Gunners fans would be hard-pressed to find a place for Wiltord in a list of their top 50 current Arsenal players.

Those who find the whole idea of such awards and polls distasteful, like a kind of butch beauty contest, would also question the rationale behind including guys like Luis Figo, Giovane Elber, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Del Piero, Patrick Kluivert, Lilian Thuram, Filippo Inzaghi, Jan Koller, Henrik Larsson and even Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos on the basis of their performances during 2003. Too many seem to have drifted onto the list purely on the strength of their past reputations. Maybe there should be a separate award for longevity to satisfy all the nostalgia buffs.

Others of course start with an unfair advantage in the quest for the Golden Ball. David Beckham, for example, is actually nicknamed "Golden Balls" by his shy and retiring wife Victoria. And his every kick, body-swerve, sneeze and knowing smile has received such blanket coverage from a ravenous media that many could be forgiven for believing Beckham has been the ONLY player in Europe all year.

It was inevitable that Ronaldo would feature on the list. His move to Real virtually guaranteed it; and to be fair the soon-to-be-divorced gap-toothed icon has produced some entertaining goalscoring feats despite continuing to eat all the pies. But will we be able to stay awake long enough to applaud if he wins the accolade again? Ronaldo's dentally-challenged compatriot Ronaldinho seems to be on the list largely because of memories of his 2002 World Cup exploits; ditto Sol Campbell, Oliver Kahn, Samuel Eto'o and Nihat Kahveci, perhaps? But it is a measure of how far Rivaldo has fallen from grace since moving to Milan that he doesn't even make the top 50.

Of course, football is all about opinions. It's one of the things that make the game so fascinating, so compelling and so endlessly debatable. Get 50 football fans together and you'll get 50 different views about who's good, who's bad and who's just plain ugly. It's part of the world-wide passion.

I've probably upset any number of people already with my own swipes at some of the hallowed names on this cumbersome and rather dubious list. And so far I haven't even mentioned the merits - or otherwise – of Iker Casillas (Real's attacking style tends to keep the ball away from him but when their defence is under pressure it – and he – usually buckle); Cristian Chivu (great potential, as yet unrealised); Dida and Mutu (same applies); Pauleta, Deco, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Darko Kovacevic, Ludovic Giuly, Michel Salgado, Hatem Trabelsi, Roy Makaay and Michael Owen (good players all, but included just to make up the numbers with no realistic chance of winning this year), etc, etc.

Picking the best player in each position to arrive at a symbolic if largely meaningless "Best European XI" might be an amusing diversion, because in a list of 50 names there is hardly any sensible, rational or objective basis for comparing a goalkeeper with a striker or a centre-back. They each perform specialist functions in what is, after all, a team game.

And it's goals that make the football world go round, so the goalscorers – strikers and attacking midfielders – always start with an edge of glamour that defenders are denied.

So who is the winner likely to be this year? There are 15 Serie A candidates, 10 of them Italian, and the smart money is already on Pavel Nedved of Juve and the Czech Republic. He wouldn't get my vote as I don't like his attitude, though he's certainly a hell of a player. (The same applies to Ruud Van Nistelrooy). If it has to be someone from the Italian League's finest I'd prefer to see Francesco Totti, Alessandro Nesta, or one of the keepers, Buffon or Toldo, get the nod. But assuming it's not a foregone conclusion and other Leagues are in with a shout, Raul is consistently devastating, Ballack tirelessly creative and Henry sheer balletic pace and power.

For purely partisan reasons, I'd give that Golden Ball to Henry. Which probably means it's Nedved's already. And if this article has infuriated the hell out of you, it just goes to show that in football as in life, one man's pizza supreme is another man's mouldy old dough.


Graham Lister
 

kaizer

Senior Member
Nov 1, 2003
2,973
from socerage.com


Report: Henry To Win Fifa World Player 2003


11/21/2003. According to rumours surrounding the Fifa World Player 2003 Thierry Henry will end up with the award in his hands. Zidane and Nedved should come up in second and third place.

204 experts vote for the prize and each year the winner always ends up in the top three for the Golden Boot.

Maldini and Nedved are warned: you can count Henry out at your own risk.


----------------

:fero::fero: stupid soccerage again.....

but then again, henry is one of the favourites...
 

IncuboRossonero

Inferiority complex
Nov 16, 2003
7,039
Gray you said: And Maldini was truly exceptional last year?

And a few posts back I HAD SAID:
Last year NO ONE WAS TRULY EXCEPTIONAL...not Paolo, especially not Nedved who was not consistent and had ups and downs...a poster even confirmed this recently.

and Gray yes I borrowed your see Last name, Name. Take it as a compliment! Kudos!
 

gray

Senior Member
Moderator
Apr 22, 2003
30,260
++ [ originally posted by IncuboRossonero ] ++
Gray you said: And Maldini was truly exceptional last year?
++ [ originally posted by GOAT ] ++
And Maldini was truly exceptional last year?
Hey, take your beef up with the right man ;)

++ [ originally posted by IncuboRossonero ] ++
and Gray yes I borrowed your see Last name, Name. Take it as a compliment! Kudos!
I did take it as a compliment ;) Hence the :p:D at the end :thumb:
 

Roverbhoy

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2002
1,840
++ [ originally posted by Alex ] ++
It's That Time Of Year Again…


Those who find the whole idea of such awards and polls distasteful, like a kind of butch beauty contest, would also question the rationale behind including guys like Luis Figo, Giovane Elber, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Del Piero, Patrick Kluivert, Lilian Thuram, Filippo Inzaghi, Jan Koller, Henrik Larsson and even Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos on the basis of their performances during 2003. Too many seem to have drifted onto the list purely on the strength of their past reputations. Maybe there should be a separate award for longevity to satisfy all the nostalgia buffs.


Graham Lister
Hmm this looks familiar Martin

OK I'm a Celtic man, but this guy Lister knows jack sh*t about Henrik Larsson if he thinks he had a bad 2003. Joint top scorer in the uefa cup before the final, even after coming back from a broken jaw, then scores two good goals against Porto in the final to bring his team back into the match. Scored crucial goals for Celtic in all comps (Liverpool, Boavista, Blackburn, Celta Vigo, etc). Broke British record for European goals with the same club and once again voted Celtic most valuable player of the year. Not saying by any means he should be the winner, but deserves, in my opinion, to be in at least the top fifty
 

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