EUROPEAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
This award begun in 1956 by France Football magazine. Before 1995 only European players playing in Europe were eligible but since then non-European players have also been declared eligible. The results in 2003 are:
RANK | NAME | NATIONALITY |
VOTES |
1 | Pavel Nedved | Czech Republic | 190 |
2 | Thierry Henry | France | 128 |
3 | Paolo Maldini | Italy | 123 |
4 | Andriy Shevchenko | Ukraine | 67 |
5 | Zinedine Zidane | France | 64 |
6 | Ruud Van Nistelrooy | Holland | 61 |
7 | Raul | Spain | 32 |
8 | Roberto Carlos | Brazil | 27 |
9 | Gianluigi Buffon | Italy | 19 |
10 | David Beckham | England | 17 |
Pavel Nedved helped Juventus win the Italian league and the Czech Republic qualify for Euro 2004. He also helped Juventus reach the final of the European Champion's League but was suspended. Juventus lost the title to Milan, whose captain Maldini finished third in the voting. Thierry Henry had another impressive year for Arsenal and France to finish second. Previous winners of the award are:
YEAR | NAME | NATIONALITY |
1956 | Stanley Matthews | England |
1957 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain |
1958 | Raymond Kopa | France |
1959 | Alfredo Di Stefano | Spain |
1960 | Luis Suarez | Spain |
1961 | Omar Sivori | Italy |
1962 | Josef Masopust | Czechoslovakia |
1963 | Lev Yashin | USSR |
1964 | Denis Law | Scotland |
1965 | Eusebio | Portugal |
1966 | Bobby Charlton | England |
1967 | Florian Albert | Hungary |
1968 | George Best | Northern Ireland |
1969 | Gianni Rivera | Italy |
1970 | Gerd Muller | Germany |
1971 | Johan Cruyff | Holland |
1972 | Franz Beckenbauer | Germany |
1973 | Johan Cruyff | Holland |
1974 | Johan Cruyff | Holland |
1975 | Oleg Blokhim | USSR |
1976 | Franz Beckenbauer | Germany |
1977 | Allan Simonsen | Denmark |
1978 | Kevin Keegan | England |
1979 | Kevin Keegan | England |
1980 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Germany |
1981 | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | Germany |
1982 | Paolo Rossi | Italy |
1983 | Michel Platini | France |
1984 | Michel Platini | France |
1985 | Michel Platini | France |
1986 | Igor Belanov | USSR |
1987 | Ruud Gullit | Holland |
1988 | Marco Van Basten | Holland |
1989 | Marco Van Basten | Holland |
1990 | Lothar Matthaus | Germany |
1991 | Jean-Pierre Papin | France |
1992 | Marco Van Basten | Holland |
1993 | Roberto Baggio | Italy |
1994 | Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria |
1995 | George Weah | Liberia |
1996 | Matthias Sammer | Germany |
1997 | Ronaldo | Brazil |
1998 | Zinedine Zidane | France |
1999 | Rivaldo | Brazil |
2000 | Luis Figo | Portugal |
2001 | Michael Owen | England |
2002 | Ronaldo | Brazil |
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