First published: Tuesday 14 August 2012, 12:00CET Source: UEFA
Following the inaugural launch last year of the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, created in partnership with the European Sports Media (ESM) group, UEFA today announced the full list of nominees who will run for the title of the UEFA Best Player in Europe 2011/12.
Born out of an initiative by UEFA President Michel Platini, the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award intends to revive the spirit of the old European Footballer of the Year honour. The trophy was handed out for the first time in Monaco last August to Lionel Messi as part of the draw ceremony for the UEFA Champions League group stage.
As was the case in 2011, a jury of journalists from each of UEFA’s 53 member associations has provided a list of their five best-ranked players (in 2011 it was three players only). The players are ordered from one to five, with the first receiving five points, the second four points and so on.
On 14 August, UEFA will reveal the names of the three players with the most points overall from the first round of voting. The jury will then proceed to the live vote on 30 August in Monaco during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw, when the same journalists will use an electronic system to determine the outright winner from the three candidates.
The 32-player long list is as follows (in alphabetical order):
Sergio Agüero (ARG) – Manchester City FC
Xabi Alonso (ESP) – Real Madrid CF
Mario Balotelli (ITA) – Manchester City FC
Jakub Błaszczykowski (POL) –Borussia Dortmund
Gianluigi Buffon (ITA) – Juventus
Iker Casillas (ESP) – Real Madrid CF
Petr Čech (CZE) – Chelsea FC
Fábio Coentrão (POR) – Real Madrid CF
Leslie Davies (WAL) – Bangor City FC
Didier Drogba (CIV) – Chelsea FC (now at Shanghai Shenhua FC)
Cesc Fàbregas (ESP) – FC Barcelona
Falcao (COL) – Club Atlético de Madrid
Joe Hart (ENG) – Manchester City FC
Zlatan Ibrahimović (SWE) – AC Milan
Andrés Iniesta (ESP) – FC Barcelona
Shinji Kagawa (JPN) – Borussia Dortmund (now at Manchester United FC)
Vincent Kompany (BEL) – Manchester City FC
Frank Lampard (ENG) – Chelsea FC
Lionel Messi (ARG) – FC Barcelona
Luka Modrić (CRO) – Tottenham Hotspur FC
Mesut Özil (GER) – Real Madrid CF
Pepe (POR) – Real Madrid CF
Andrea Pirlo (ITA) – Juventus
Sergio Ramos (ESP) – Real Madrid CF
Raúl González (ESP) – FC Schalke 04 (now at Al-Sadd Sports Club)
Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) – Real Madrid CF
Wayne Rooney (ENG) – Manchester United FC
David Silva (ESP) – Manchester City FC
Fernando Torres (ESP) – Chelsea FC
Yaya Touré (CIV) – Manchester City FC
Robin van Persie (NED) – Arsenal FC
Xavi Hernández (ESP) – FC Barcelon
