Printable View
Zinedine Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the World Cup's best player, despite being sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the final.
More to follow...
Dont agree with this should have been Cannavarro. Zidane played for 2 or 3 games, Cannavarro played for 7.
Joke decision. I knew sentiment would get in the way of Cannavaro but at least he has his medal
even with the sending off aside Cannavaro was the better player for me. Zidane should have been disqualified for his assault on materazzi anyway
Voting obviously done before the final. 3rd time in a row, the winner of this has lost in the final
Cannavaro for me but i think he'l be happy enough with his medal
The Golden Ball is a meaningless award, a business affair arranged mainly by sponsors just like France Football's one. Both have really little to do with real football and Cannavaro, being a defender like Maldini and Baresi, is aware he has no chance to get any award
Voted for by journalists at half-time during the final.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
After this decision not only is it a meaningless award but it is devalued for those who have won it before.
Hard to see why FIFA would ridicule themselves by sanctioning this award. On second thoughts, given their track record nothing now surprises me.
Jesus Superhoops, you're not one for melodrama are you? Zidane had a great toournament. Not the best player in it but so what, he probably was in 1998 and didn't win.
Relax FFS
one excellent game + two decent games + two ordinary games + one nightmare game + 3 yellow cards + headbutting an opponent + red card + not being available for penalty shoot out which his team lost = great tournament. :confused: :confused: Don't think so.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Yeah and to be honest I thought superhoops comments were very reserved so not sure why you are telling him to relax either. It was a disgrace of a decision to give it to Zidane. Cannavarro was player of the tournament as he was the best and most consistant performer.
I told him to relax because of the melodrama...
Zidane was BRILLIANT against Spain, Brazil and Portuagal and by a mile France's best player last night. To say he didn;'t have agreat tournament is being ridiculous (He was OK too in the other two games)
Of course Canavaro was the best player in the tournament but that doesn't Zidane wasn't great. Does Canavaro care if he didn’t win this? No. Does Zidane care that he won it? No. So why are people getting so upset about it here
Not sure anybody is getting upset.
Good pointQuote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Here's some of the awards suggested by a panicky FIFA to fill the press release after realising Zidane's sending off may not present the association in a warm halo of golden light:;)
The "Ooh, that's a pleasant surprise" award: Australia, Ghana
The "Yeeeaah..Pretty much as expected , then" Award : Trinidad & Tobago, Togo
The "Tim Henman punctuality & consistency award" : (Good to be back again, keep the engines running, we wont be long): Saudi Arabia
The "He's a bit special, isn't he? Who's he p*ss*d off to be out of the starting 11? " award: Willy Sagnol, Aaron Lennon
The "Medical Curiosity" award : Thierry Henry, Michael Ballack (I have received a blow to my lower abdomen. My face is now in great pain.)The "Dr Crippen services to medicine award" : The French medical team (Henry receives blow to abdomen, falls clutching face, & doctor applies icepack. To rear of head. Naturally.)
The "Boot through the plasma screen" award : (Shared) Jermaine Defoe, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Damien Duff, Darren Bent, Huntelaar
The "Most entertaining Lunatic " award : Phil Scolari, Lionel Messi, Graham Poll (Disqualified for not being entertaining)
The "How long will this take, I would like to get some autographs" award: Ecuador (V England)
The "Replaced by a Doppelganger at the airport" award : The entire Serbia & Montenegro squad, Ronaldinho
The "Fifa world cup brought to you by Pepsi & Monty Python" award : Portugal V Holland, Australia V Croatia
The "Oh yeah, they were there too, weren't they?" award: Sweden, Poland, Van Nistelrooy
The "Thank you, Its been a great honour, yadda yadda yadda, now give me my money" award : Sven
The "Of course you were brought for a reason son, we want someone to keep an eye on our stuff when we're playing" award : Theo Walcott
The "Fit? Of course I'm fit! I'm fit enough to eat these 9 kebabs aren't I? " award: Ronaldo
The "Cheat? I'm not a cheat, I'm just a fundamentally horrible person" award: Christiano Ronaldo
The "More likely to be the name of a supporting character in "Hamlet" than a footballer" award :Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
The "Anders Frisk perma-tanned adult film stars in football" award : Marco Van Basten
The "Well, There's 2 hours of my life I'm never getting back." award: Switzerland v Ukraine
The " What does this big red button marked 'Self Destruct' do?" award: Zidane, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Wayne Rooney, Sven
The "Simply going through the motions of going through the motions at this stage" award : Brazil, David Beckham
The "Dammit, I really don't want to praise or like you, but you're making it very difficult for me" Award : Lehmann, Gattuso, Viera, Argentina
The "Harry Callahan" award : Didier Drogba (Handball? What is this handball? Your rules do not apply to me!)
The "Jam-packed to the brim with Excrement" award : Sepp Blatter, Christiano Ronaldo, Sven.
Zinedine Zidane
Zidane's final match in professional football was the World Cup final
Zinedine Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the World Cup's best player, despite being dismissed for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the final.
France captain Zidane polled 2,012 points in the vote by journalists mostly carried out at half-time.
The midfielder, 34, beat Italians Fabio Cannavaro (1,977 points) and Andrea Pirlo (715 points) in the ballot.
He scored a penalty early on in the final but was sent off in extra time as France went on to lose on penalties.
Highlights: Italy 1-1 France (Italy win 5-3 on penalties)
The former international player of the year and 1998 World Cup winner announced last month that he was retiring from football after the tournament.
The vast majority of those votes were cast by journalists before the final was over and that I'm sure is why Zidane has come out top
BBC sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar
On Sunday, he put France ahead from the spot in the opening minutes but was sent off after slamming his head into Materazzi's chest during the tense second period of extra time, which ended 1-1.
It was to be his last act as a professional player and, with the French missing his prowess in the ensuing penalty shootout, Italy went on to claim the World Cup title.
BBC sports news correspondent Gordon Farquhar was in Berlin to see the game and the vote.
"The vast majority of those votes were cast by journalists before the final was over and that I'm sure is why Zidane has come out top," Farquhar told BBC Radio Five Live.
WORLD CUP BLOG
Those of us who dismissed Materazzi while he was at Everton could only watch in bemusement as this maverick, short-tempered talent made a massive contribution to Italy's win
Our blogger Phil in Berlin
More on our World Cup blog
"But it's going to be a bit embarrassing for Fifa - the man who got sent off in the final for a completely unacceptable foul against another player is the guy who's been chosen by journalists as the man of the tournament.
"The reason the journalists voted for Zidane was this great emotional thing - everybody knew it was his last tournament and the final was his last game of football ever - but most people were dumbfounded to see what he did on Sunday.
"If you'd asked the 2,012 journalists - who voted for him - after the game whether they wanted to change their vote, they probably would have."
Other players on the Golden Ball shortlist included Maniche (Portugal), Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluca Zambrotta (Italy), Thierry Henry (France), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Patrick Vieira (France) and Miroslav Klose (Germany).
Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn won the prestigious award in 2002, while other previous winners include Brazilians Ronaldo (1998) and Romario ('94), Italy's Salvatore Schillaci ('90) and Argentine great Diego Maradona.
Germany striker Miroslav Klose was the Golden Shoe winner as leading scorer at the World Cup with five goals.
Italian Gianluigi Buffon was named the tournament's best goalkeeper.
And semi-finalists Portugal won Fifa's "most entertaining team" award.
German striker Lukas Podolski pipped Portuguese winger Ronaldo to be named the World Cup's best young player
:eek: Odd choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilMcD
I find it odd but not unexpected that Ballack was on the shortlist. He only played 3 games and whilst he played well, he was not outstanding in my view but yet he's on the shortlist for Player of the Tournament??
Cannavarrrro?
wtf did he do?!?!??!
he was involved in ONE good game
they struggled past the might of australia - the usa - ooh dropped a greasey meat ball there azzuri didnt we
he was the best of the ten man italian side in the final - (totti didnt bother joining in) - not hard seen as all of them where out on their feet v a supposedly ageing and semi retired frog team
Canavarro was no more than basic
the germans were by far and away the best team in the tournament as they just went for broke as much as their team allowed a refreshing antidote to sterile b0llocks of Italy and Portugal
there was no real outstanding player in this tourney
What rubbish if you dont know why Cannavarro was the best player in the tournament you dont know very much about football. He had evertying a centre half needs. Reading of the game, pace, organisation, passion, aggression, good judgment. He showed this in every game they played. Against Germany he won tackles that he had no right to win. Against the Ukraine he was the same, with great headers and tackles etc. Italy were the more attacking team against Germany esp in extra time as they finished with 4 attackers on the pitch and thats why the won the game.
Its cliched and stereotypical to called the Italians cautious, in this tournament they were anything but with the exception of last night, but that appeared to be from tiredness in my view.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wws
Remove this clowns posting privileges. You clearly haven't a notion about football