Balon D'or

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Opinions?

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Complete list of nominees:

AC MILAN
Andriy Shevchenko, Kaka, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf

BARCELONA
Deco, Samuel Eto'o, Ludovic Giuly, Henrik Larsson, Ronaldinho

REAL MADRID
David Beckham, Luis Figo, Fernando Morientes, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane

CHELSEA
Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Ricardo Carvalho,

VALENCIA
Roberto Ayala, Ruben Baraja, Mista, Vicente

JUVENTUS
Gianluigi Buffon, Emerson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pavel Nedved

MANCHESTER UNITED
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Ruud van Nistelrooy

ARSENAL
Thierry Henry, Jose Antonio Reyes, Patrick Vieira

FC PORTO
Maniche, Giorgios Seitaridis

AS ROMA
Traianos Dellas, Francesco Totti

WERDER BREMEN
Angelos Charisteas, Johan Micoud

Other nominees

Theo Zagorakis (Bologna), Mihalis Kapsis (Bordeaux), Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund ),Adriano (Inter Milan), Milan Baros (Liverpool), Juninho (Olympique Lyon), Fabien Barthez (Marseille), Antonios Nikopolidis (Olympiakos), Ailton (Schalke 04)

[George_Hanson]

It's not easy to choose this year, cause nobody was way ahead of the others. I would say that Sheva is a favourite but - he plays in the national team that didn't take part in Euro. Ronaldinho has exceptional skills, he's the leader of the best team in Europe right now but - no international successes this year. Deco can be a dark horse of this year voting - CL winner, EC runner-up. Ronaldo and Henry - forget it. Rooney is still too young and unproven to get this ballon. Charisteas? Would there be Charisteas without Rehhagel? His abilities are just for the Werder's bench.

My opinion:
1) Deco - value bet
2) Ronaldinho
3) Sheva

[bullet proof]

I don't know why everybody is appointing to Sheva or Ronaldinho this year.

Sheva won Serie A and what more?
Ronaldinho won nothing.
Deco won the portuguese Liga, runner-up in the portuguese cup, winner of CL, runner-up of Euro 2004. Now in Barcelona he gives a good help to Ronaldinho, so he's in-form in this end of the year also.

But like the Fifa player of the Year (other one that is appointing to be won by Ronaldinho due to the votes of south-american national coaches) the trophy is generally given to a player who is very well-known and it isn't the case of Deco.

[Arbiter Elegantiarum]

Fabien Barthez 8O :P

[Satyr]

Definitely, and by FAR, Ronaldinho.

[ElCid]

Originally Posted by Satyr

Definitely, and by FAR, Ronaldinho.

I'm a great fan of Ronaldinho since he has been in Gremio, but for the previous season Deco surely deserves all the honours IMO :wink:

I would like to see Zagorakis in 3rd place just for being captain of the Euro-Champions (although he's just a moderate player...wouldn't be nominated for any other reason)