THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2011
My vote in FIFA Ballon d'Or
There were only three Malaysians
involved in the FIFA Ballon d'Or voting process. K. Rajagobal as the national
coach, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah as the national skipper and yours truly.
Read the votes details
In picking the top three, these
were my comments to France Football's redaction director, Denis Chaumier,
My vote goes to Dutch maestro,
Wesley Sneijder. Over the course of the 2009/2010 season, the script centred on
Internazionale Milan’s march to the treble of UEFA Champions’ League, the
Scudetto and Coppa Italia, an unprecedented feat in Italian football. And
helping Inter re-write history was Sneijder.
Sneijder’s fine passing range,
mastery in set-piece situations and nose for goals became the core element
behind Inter’s successful season.
The icing on the cake was
Sneijder’s role in the Dutch team that came agonisingly close to lifting the
FIFA World Cup for the first time. Sneijder’s five goals were testimony to the
impact he had on the team.
In the final analysis, Sneijder
demonstrated David Villa’s marksmanship, Xavi’s composure and passing range
while providing the Dutch a talismanic influence similar to the impact Diego
Forlan had on Uruguay in the World Cup. That is why Sneijder is my pick as the
inaugural winner of FIFA Ballon d’Or.
Leo Messi, the eventual winner,
was not in my top three because he did not deliver in the tournaments that
mattered most. Neither was Andres Iniesta in my shortlist simply because he was
injured for the early part of the season. Xavi was my No 2, followed by Diego
Forlan. Unlike Messi, Forlan plays for a less heralded team, both at club and
country levels.
To me, the Ballon d'Or is a
reward for the greatest achiever of the year. On media votes alone, Sneijder
would have walked away with the golden ball.
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