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Cristiano Ronaldo named European Footballer of the Year
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was named European Footballer of the Year on Tuesday, reward for his brilliant performances for Manchester United as they completed the Premier League and Champions League double.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was named European Footballer of the Year on Tuesday, reward for his brilliant performances for Manchester United as they completed the Premier League and Champions League double.
Ronaldo is the fourth Manchester United player to win the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) and the first since fellow winger George Best in 1968.
He beat Barcelona forward Lionel Messi into second place, with Liverpool striker Fernando Torres third in the poll, which is organized by France Football magazine.
"It's one of the greatest days of my life. Winning this trophy ... I dreamed about it as a kid," France Football quoted Ronaldo as saying.
"Those who know me, who live with me, know that this is finally a dream come true for me."
Ronaldo comfortably topped the poll of 96 leading sports journalists with 446 points.
Messi had 281 points and Torres was on 179.
"I'm only 23 and it's magnificent. Unbelievable. It's even better considering all the big names in contention this year," Ronaldo added.
Ronaldo heaped praise on the teammates who helped him score 42 goals in all competitions last season, a remarkable total for a wide player.
"They are the ones who passed the ball for me to score goals," he said. "What is for sure is that I want to win it again, it feels so good. So, (next morning), at eight O'clock, I will wake up and tell myself I want to be even better."
United manager Alex Ferguson also paid tribute to Ronaldo's goalscoring abilities.
"Forty-two goals for a winger is quite unbelievable," he told Associated Press.
"The thing about Ronaldo is that he wants to play with skill and he wants to use the skill all the time, which is great credit to him. Of course the goals really put the icing on the cake for him."
Last year's winner Kaka, Milan's Brazilian playmaker, finished eighth this time around with only 31 points.
The 23-year-old Ronaldo adds the Ballon d'Or award to the FIFPro World Player of the Year trophy he won in October, and the Professional Footballers Association and the Football Writers awards.
He also becomes the first Premier League player to win since former Liverpool forward Michael Owen in 2001, and the first Portuguese player since winger Luis Figo won it with Real Madrid in 2000, and the third after Eusebio in 1965.
The only disappointment for Ronaldo in an outstanding year was Portugal's below-par showing at the Euro 2008, after which he underwent an operation on a nagging right ankle injury.
After a summer of speculation linking him to Real Madrid, Ronaldo returned to United colors in mid-September and is slowly finding his best form with eight goals in 11 Premier League games.
Closest rival Messi has scored freely for Barca all year and also helped Argentina defeat Nigeria 1-0 to win the Olympic football gold medal in Beijing.
Torres made an immediate impression with Liverpool in the Premier League and scored the only goal as Spain beat Germany to win Euro 2008.
2008 Ballon d'Or voting results:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo [Portugal/Manchester - 446 Points]
2. Lionel Messi [Argentina/Barcelona - 281 Points]
3. Fernando Torres [Spain/Liverpool - 179 Points]
4. Iker Casillas [Spain/Madrid - 134 Points]
5. Xavi Hernandez [Spain/Barcelona - 97 Points]
6. Andrei Arshavin [Russia/St. Petersburg - 64 Points]
7. David Villa [Spain/Valencia - 55 Points]
8. Kaka [Brazil/AC Milan - 31 Points
9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic [Sweden/Inter - 30 Points]
10. Steven Gerrard [England/Liverpool - 28 Points]
Real Madrid sign Huntelaar from Ajax
Spanish champions Real Madrid, plagued by injuries and poor form this season, have signed Dutch international striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from Ajax for 27 million euros, the two clubs said Tuesday.
The 25-year-old is expected to replace another Dutchman, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who will miss the rest of the season after a knee operation.
"Huntelaar is now officially a new player at Real Madrid," the club said in a statement, which praised "his great positioning, opportunism and intelligence."
"The agreement is of course contingent upon the player passing a physical and signing his contract with Real Madrid," which would keep him at the club until June 30, 2013.
Ajax said the transfer fee was 27 million euros (34 million dollars) -- a fixed payment of 20 million euros and a "variable" fee of seven million euros.
Huntelaar is currently out of action due to an ankle injury and is not expected to be fit again until the middle of this month.
He has scored six goals in the Dutch first division this season after finishing as top scorer last season with 33 goals in 34 games played. He has also taken over from van Nistelrooy in the Dutch national side.
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said last week the club was "going to make two good signings in the month of December."
Real already have five Dutch players on their books - van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart and Royston Drenthe.
The reigning Spanish champions, currently fourth in the Primera Liga, last summer lost Brazilian Robinho to Manchester City and failed to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
They have also been plagued by injuries this season.
In addition to van Nistelrooy, Robben has been unavailable since early last month.
On Saturday, three players -- Sneijder, Spanish defender Miguel Torres and Brazilian-born Portuguese defender Pepe -- were injured during a 3-1 defeat to city rivals Getafe and will be out for between two weeks and a month.
Recent poor results have also led to press reports that German coach Bernd Schuster, who joined Real in July 2007, could be on his way out. However, Calderon on Monday gave him a cautious vote of confidence. AFP
AC Milan fired up for Lazio visit
Tonight's Coppa Italia match at home to Lazio is crucial to AC Milan's hopes for the season according to Carlo Ancelotti.
The rossoneri will be looking to forget the 3-1 loss to Palermo on Sunday by regrouping for the Lazio visit.
“It's a good chance to put things right and we need to pick up our season again,” Ancelotti said in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.
“Lazio will see the game in the same way we do. They are going through a rough patch and they will look to make a statement.
“I'm just hoping that this match can help us forget what happened in Palermo.” TribalFootball
Wife of Blackburn's Santa Cruz in robbery ordeal
Police are searching for three robbers who broke into the home of Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz and allegedly held a knife to the throat of his wife before stealing jewelry.
Greater Manchester Police said Tuesday the men forced open the front door, before one of them held a knife to the throat of 24-year-old Giselle Santa Cruz, demanding valuables.
Two young children and a man were in the house during the robbery, which took place Saturday evening. They were forced into a downstairs room while the robbers searched the house upstairs along with the Paraguayan striker's wife.
Although Giselle Santa Cruz was not injured, police said she had been left highly distressed by the incident.
"This woman has been left traumatized by what happened to her and the levels of aggression that the offenders used," detective constable Dan Hayes said. IHT
