The 50 nominated players for the Ballon d'Or 2006

[DonBilly]

Here are the 50 nominated players for the traditional Ballon d'Ord of France Football journal. This is considered as the almost official designation of the best football player in Europe. The people participating to the vote are journalists from the main sport journal of Europe. These people have been in charge to set up the list too.

Here it is, the name of the countries are in French but you should be able to identify them. For our Aussie friends there's an Australian player in the list. I think this is the first time this happens. As far as France is concerned you will see that there are many French players in the list. This is the first time that there are so many.

FRANCE (11) : Grégory Coupet (Lyon), William Gallas (Arsenal), Ludovic Giuly (Barcelone), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), Florent Malouda (Lyon), Franck Ribéry (Marseille), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich), Lilian Thuram (Barcelone), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan), Zinedine Zidane (retraité).

ITALIE (7) : Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus Turin), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Fabio Grosso (Inter Milan), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Luca Toni (Fiorentina), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelone)

ALLEMAGNE (6) : Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Miroslav Klose (Werder Brême), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

ANGLETERRE (5) : Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea)

BRÉSIL (4) : Cris (Lyon), Juninho (Lyon), Kakà (AC Milan), Ronaldinho (Barcelone)

ESPAGNE (4) : Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Carles Puyol (Barcelone), Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid), David Villa (Valence)

PORTUGAL (3) : Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Deco (Barcelone), Tiago (Lyon)

ARGENTINE (2) : Lionel Messi (Barcelone), Juan Roman Riquelme (Villarreal)

PAYS-BAS (1) : Arjen Robben (Chelsea)

AUSTRALIE (1) : Tim Cahill (Everton)

UKRAINE (1) : Andreï Shevchenko (Chelsea)

MALI (1) : Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid)

COTE D'IVOIRE (1) : Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

GHANA (1) : Michael Essien (Chelsea)

CAMEROUN (1) : Samuel Eto'o (Barcelone)

EQUATEUR (1) : Edison Mendez (PSV Eindhoven)

[/b]

 

[melon]

Go Tim! TAMMMAYYYYYAHHHH

 

[tituslechmakus]

ZIDANE

 

[getofmeland]

I think I would have to put my money on an Italian Player!!! possibly Cannavaro

 

[tituslechmakus]

naaah if its an italian (which i don't want !!!) it would, i think, be pirlo or gatuso

 

[RoyalBlueStuey]

Go Tim! TAMMMAYYYYYAHHHH
[/b]

Do you ever pop over to Liverpool and sit in the Lower Gwladys? There is one guy there who is either hopelessly optimistic or has a great sense of fun. He is always trying to get the song "Timmy, Timmy...Timmy the blue kangaroo" much to the amusement of others.

There is also guy by us in the Upper Gwladys who is forever singing "Arrrrrrrrteta, Arteta, Arteta..." to the Mexican Hat Dance tune.

SB

 

[Bullitt]

The best player on that list is Ronaldo. Even if he is a cock.

 

[RoyalBlueStuey]

The best player on that list is Ronaldo. Even if he is a cock.
[/b]

He is looking superb this season isn't he. He'd be up there but Henry, Ballack and Gerrard would be too....it's a tricky one.

I don't get to watch much European footy so my knowledge is Premiership bound.

SB

 

[getofmeland]

Like I said I reckon it will be a world cup winning player from Italy!!!

 

[tituslechmakus]

don't you think Zidane should have it ?

 

[getofmeland]

Nope

 

[An Tarbh]

Taking his world cup performance into account it has to be Cannavaro, there was nobody to touch him in terms of their world cup form.

Ronaldinho was awesome in the champions league, as was Henry but the former's poor form in Germany might cost him.

 

[tituslechmakus]

ronaldinho was poor in germany 'cause of the brazilian coach ... he was using "the horse" as a right amf whereas he's much better being a left wing forward (his position in barcelona). he couldn't play his football, the one that gave him the ballon d'or in 2005.
And Henry was not bad at this wc but he does not deserve this ***le (he should have had it in 2003).

again i say Zidane, for his great wc and his whole exceptional carrer.

 

[Bullitt]

I thought Zidane had a very poor world cup personally. He was showing his age at the latter stages of most games (ie fitness) which in turn made the whole team slow down.

France were a much more dangerous team without him.

 

[tituslechmakus]

I thought Zidane had a very poor world cup personally. He was showing his age at the latter stages of most games (ie fitness) which in turn made the whole team slow down.

France were a much more dangerous team without him.
[/b]

Are you serious ???? for the only time since 2 years we got our god back again from the 1/8th till the final ... zidane was monstruous, giving a dribble lesson to the brazilinan and delivering, what is the only decisiv pass, to henry, in their whole carrer for france. as we said after the match, the best brazilian on the field was zinedine !!!
naaah seriously he deserves that ballon d'or, even if his last season in madrid was not great (i think he was preserving himself for the wc)... he's done his best wc (the one he should have done in 2002)