Post by Salem6 on Dec 19, 2006 10:14:39 GMT
ITALY'S World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro completed an outstanding year today when he added FIFA's World Player of the Year crown to the European Footballer of the Year award he won last month.
Cannavaro, who captained his country to victory in the World Cup final in Berlin in July, beat Brazil's Ronaldinho and retired French great Zinedine Zidane in a vote by national team coaches and skippers.
"It's an unbelievable moment," said the 33-year-old Real Madrid defender at the awards ceremony inside Zurich's opera house.
"It really has been a golden year."
Cannavaro ended Ronaldinho's two-year reign as World Player of the Year after he also succeeded the Barcelona playmaker as European Footballer of the Year.
Zidane, who quit after the World Cup and finished runner up in the vote, previously won the FIFA award in 1998, 2000 and 2003.
"The competition was scary, it was so strong," added Cannavaro.
"After winning the World Cup and the European Footballer of the Year award too, I do not think I can ask for anything else."
Cannavaro is the first defender to win the FIFA award since its inception in 1991.
Only three defensive players have won the European award, Soviet Union goalkeeper Lev Yashin in 1963, West Germany sweeper Franz Beckenbauer (1972, 1976) and Germany libero Matthias Sammer (1996).
"It is not usual for a defender to be sitting alongside Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane, who get to do marvellous things all season, so I saw it as a victory just to be here," Cannavaro said.
The Italian paid particular tribute to Zidane, his predecessor in the No.5 shirt at Real and a controversial choice on the World Player shortlist following his red card in the World Cup final.
"When I first came to Real everybody asked me what it meant to be wearing the same shirt," said Cannavaro.
"I can only say now what I said then, it is an honour to wear the same number as such a great player."
Like Zidane, Cannavaro has been involved in his fair share of controversy this year, not least when he helped Juventus win a second successive Serie A title only for the club to be stripped of the crown and relegated following a probe into alleged match-fixing.
Italy's World Cup success was achieved against the backdrop of that investigation and Cannavaro went into the tournament facing criticism after he defended former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi, who was at the centre of the allegations.
"I would like to dedicate this award to Italian football," said Cannavaro today.
"Everyone knows the problems we faced before the World Cup and I hope this award can mark a rebirth for Italian football."
Ronaldinho was still wearing his trademark grin despite being jet-lagged after flying from Barcelona's Club World Cup final defeat in Japan.
"It is a privilege to be sitting here next to Cannavaro," said the Brazilian.
"I already feel like a winner because the nomination is a reward for my career so far. Now I just want to help my team and do so in such a way that I can make it to Zurich every year."
Brazil midfielder Marta was named women's World Player of the Year after finishing third at the 2004 awards and second last year.
The 20-year-old, who scored four semi-final goals to lead Swedish club Umea into next April's UEFA Cup final, beat experienced American Kristine Lilly and Germany playmaker Renate Lingor.
World soccer's governing body gave its annual Fair Play Award to the 2006 World Cup fans in recognition of what it called a "highly impressive example of unity and understanding between different peoples".
World Footballers of the Year winners
2006: Fabio Cannavaro (ITA) Real Madrid
2005: Ronaldinho (BRA) Barcelona
2004: Ronaldinho (BRA) Barcelona
2003: Zinedine Zidane (FRA) Real Madrid
2002: Ronaldo (BRA) Real Madrid
2001: Luis Figo (POR) Real Madrid
2000: Zinedine Zidane (FRA) Juventus
1999: Rivaldo (BRA) Barcelona
1998: Zinedine Zidane (FRA) Juventus
1997: Ronaldo (BRA) Inter Milan)
1996: Ronaldo (BRA) Barcelona
1995: George Weah (LBR) AC Milan
1994: Romario (BRA) Barcelona
1993: Roberto Baggio (ITA) Juventus
1992: Marco van Basten (NED) AC Milan
1991: Lothar Matthaus (GER) Bayern Munich
www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20950802-5001023,00.html