Post by Salem6 on Dec 21, 2003 9:26:24 GMT
By Ben Lyttleton
(Filed: 21/12/2003)
Thierry Henry will miss out on another award this week when the Czech Republic and Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved is confirmed as the Ballon d'Or winner tomorrow.
Nedved will be the first Eastern European to win the prize - awarded by France Football magazine who poll the votes of journalists from 52 European countries - since Barcelona's Bulgarian forward Hristo Stoichkov in 1994. Nedved has been linked with a move to Chelsea and looks unlikely to see out his Juventus contract, which runs until 2006. "Everything can change so quickly in football," warned his agent Zdenek Nehoda. "Before Chelsea inquired about Pavel, Juventus did make a tentative offer to bring forward contract extension talks but he said no."
Nedved, 31, scored against Deportivo La Coruna, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid as Juventus marched to the Champions League final last season but was ruled out of the Old Trafford match after picking up a yellow card in the semi-final against Madrid. This week's accolade will be scant consolation. "I still have sleepless nights about missing the final and have never been interested in awards for the individual," he said. "When I was younger, there were so many guys more skilful than me. I had to work really hard to improve my skill just to be at their level."
Juventus signed Nedved for £25 million from Lazio in the summer of 2001 as a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Zinedine Zidane, who last week beat Henry to the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Nedved took time to settle in Turin and suffered through comparisons with Zidane. "It bothered me when I first joined Juventus," he added, "but I knew I could be an important figure for the side."
But did Zidane deserve to win the FIFA award? "Yes, he's an incredible player. He does everything so naturally, it's as though his feet are like his hands. Unlike him, I don't think I am that great technically. My game is simple; there are no secrets to it, just work and more work." Henry, meanwhile, has accepted the double disappointment with typically good grace, unlike AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti who grumbled about a conspiracy against his side.
"Zidane and Nedved did not win anything in Europe last season and I'll have to check that we still have the Champions League trophy here," Ancelotti said.
But the Arsenal striker said: "I didn't win but I have the mentality of a winner," he said. "I still have a lot of work to do if I'm going to attain the ideal ratio of a goal per chance."
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=C1&xml=%2Fsport%2F2003%2F12%2F21%2Fsfnned21.xml
(Filed: 21/12/2003)
Thierry Henry will miss out on another award this week when the Czech Republic and Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved is confirmed as the Ballon d'Or winner tomorrow.
Nedved will be the first Eastern European to win the prize - awarded by France Football magazine who poll the votes of journalists from 52 European countries - since Barcelona's Bulgarian forward Hristo Stoichkov in 1994. Nedved has been linked with a move to Chelsea and looks unlikely to see out his Juventus contract, which runs until 2006. "Everything can change so quickly in football," warned his agent Zdenek Nehoda. "Before Chelsea inquired about Pavel, Juventus did make a tentative offer to bring forward contract extension talks but he said no."
Nedved, 31, scored against Deportivo La Coruna, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid as Juventus marched to the Champions League final last season but was ruled out of the Old Trafford match after picking up a yellow card in the semi-final against Madrid. This week's accolade will be scant consolation. "I still have sleepless nights about missing the final and have never been interested in awards for the individual," he said. "When I was younger, there were so many guys more skilful than me. I had to work really hard to improve my skill just to be at their level."
Juventus signed Nedved for £25 million from Lazio in the summer of 2001 as a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Zinedine Zidane, who last week beat Henry to the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Nedved took time to settle in Turin and suffered through comparisons with Zidane. "It bothered me when I first joined Juventus," he added, "but I knew I could be an important figure for the side."
But did Zidane deserve to win the FIFA award? "Yes, he's an incredible player. He does everything so naturally, it's as though his feet are like his hands. Unlike him, I don't think I am that great technically. My game is simple; there are no secrets to it, just work and more work." Henry, meanwhile, has accepted the double disappointment with typically good grace, unlike AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti who grumbled about a conspiracy against his side.
"Zidane and Nedved did not win anything in Europe last season and I'll have to check that we still have the Champions League trophy here," Ancelotti said.
But the Arsenal striker said: "I didn't win but I have the mentality of a winner," he said. "I still have a lot of work to do if I'm going to attain the ideal ratio of a goal per chance."
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=C1&xml=%2Fsport%2F2003%2F12%2F21%2Fsfnned21.xml