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Ronaldinho wins golden ball!
Ronaldinho won the Golden Ball award yesterday as the European player of the year. The Brazil and FC Barcelona midfielder finished ahead of Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. Andriy Shevchenko of AC Milan, last year's winner, was placed fifth behind Thierry Henry of Arsenal.
Ronaldinho, who won the Spanish league for Barcelona and the Confederations Cup for Brazil, is the third Brazilian to win the award. Rivaldo won it in 1999 and Ronaldo claimed the award in 1997 and 2002. “This is a dream come true,” said Ronaldinho, who won the Fifa player of the year award last year. “When I see all the names on the list, when I see my idols Ronaldo and Rivaldo, I realise this is a great honour.”
Ronaldinho secured 225 points, with Lampard second with 148 points and his England teammate Gerrard third with 142. The winner is chosen by France Football magazine's annual poll of 52 journalists from around the world. This year is the 50th anniversary of the award, which was first won by England's Stanley Matthews.
Ronaldinho's skill, speed, power and strength make him one of the most dangerous attacking players in the world. He has already been compared to Diego Maradona. “God gives gifts to everyone,” Ronaldinho said. “Some can write, some can dance. He gave me the skill to play football and I am making the most of it.” The 25-year-old joined Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain in 2003 and has scored 33 league goals in 79 games, including nine this season. He has also scored 13 times in 19 Champions League matches for
Barcelona. Called up for the national team in 1999, he did not take long to make his mark, scoring a stunning goal against Venezuela. He has played 62 matches for Brazil and has scored 27 goals. He helped them win their fifth World Cup title in 2002 in Japan.
Source: ronaldinho-uk.com
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