UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW | LUKA MODRIC UEFA BEST PLAYER

The European Football season officially kicked off this afternoon with the UEFA Champions League 2018-2019 Group draw & naming of the Best Players for the past UEFA season. As far as Spanish Football Clubs are concerned relatively speaking Atletico de Madrid & Real Madrid were more favoured in the match-ups as compared to FC Barcelona & Valencia CF.

While At Madrid in Group A has a tough nut in Borussia Dortmund & Monaco, as with Real Madrid in Group G with AC Roma, it is nothing like FC Barcelona in Group B with very difficult Tottenham, Inter Milan & PSV, while Valencia CF in Group H has Juventus FC & Manchester United. 

Said this, from the Football Fan point of view, there are some wonderful overall match-ups which will guarantee that Champions League remains the Best Club Competition in the World.

Below are all the Group match-ups, while UEFA Champions League starts the 18th of September. 

In the individual prize section REAL MADRID dominated globally, starting with the "UEFA Best Player of the Year 2017-2018" going to Real Madrid midfielder LUKA MODRIC. 

His Club team-mates also won prizes with the UEFA Best Goalkeeper going to KEYLOR NAVAS, 

UEFA Best Defender going to Real Madrid Captain SERGIO RAMOS, 

UEFA Best Midfielder going to Real Madrid & Croatian International LUKA MODRIC.

The big talking point of the ceremony was the absence of CRISTIANO RONALDO which left many baffled & speculating why he did not attend. The ex-Real Madrid ( now Juventus FC ) player was the winner of the UEFA Best Forward Award & he also was voted "Best Goal of Champions" against Juventus F with an overhead kick goal.

Congratulations to all the winners, & glad to see Modric receive a well earned recognition as the Top Player he is putting him on course for perhaps a FIFA Golden Ball Award. Stay tuned! 

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CRISTIANO RONALDO WINS UEFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2016-2017

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded "UEFA Player of the Year" season 2016-2017 in tonights UEFA ceremony in Monaco. This prize is Ronaldo´s third & puts the player in line for a future possible "France Football Golden Ball" if they announce him as winner which would be his 5th equalling Lionel Messi.

Below is the final voting results & the Top 10 UEFA players for season 2016-2017 (& positions). As you can see Spanish Football Club REAL MADRID dominates, as does Spanish Liga in general.

1.Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
2.Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) 
3.Buffon (Juventus FC)
4.Luka Modric (Real Madrid CF) 
5.Toni Kroos (Real Madrid CF)
6.Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF)
7.Dybala (Juventus FC)
8.Mbappe (Monaco) 
9.Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
10.Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)

Best goalkeeper: Buffon
Best defender: Sergio Ramos
Best midfielder: Luka Modric
Best forward: Cristiano Ronaldo

Congratualtions to all.
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UEFA LIST OF 3 CANDIDATES FOR BEST PLAYER 2016-2017

UEFA has named their list of candidates for their "Best Player UEFA season 2016-2017". A team of 80 Club Coaches along with 55 specialists Football journalists have placed their votes with Spanish Football Clubs again dominating European Football . The winner to be announced the 24th of August in a UEFA ceremony in Monaco will came from these three candidates:

Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF)
Buffon (Juventus FC)

Other Awards up this very same night are "Best female player" & "Best Europa League Player".

The favourite to take the "Best Player UEFA" is Cristiano Ronaldo who had another magnificent season full of important titles: La Liga & Champions League.

Rest of the Top 10 list:

4: Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid)
5: Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
6: Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus)
7: Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid)
8: Kylian Mbappe (France, Monaco)
9: Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich)
10: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Manchester United).

As a piece of observation PSG has paid 222M€ for Neymar who was not in the top 10 voted list. 

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UEFA BEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR: CRISTIANO RONALDO

UEFA has announced the "UEFA Best Player of the Year" this afternoon-evening at their big Champions League Club draw event. Three candidates were up for the prize, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale & Antoine Griezmann. 

The 55 UEFA Sports journalists gave Real Madrid & Portuguese International player CRISTIANO RONALDO the award & winner. Its his second UEFA MVP prize & acknowledges an extraordinary 2015-2016 season which included a Champions League & European Champions title. 

The UEFA Award is a good indication of the chances of the winner also gaining the FIFA Golden Ball Award. Cristiano Ronaldo is now the "hot favourite" at this particular moment.

Stay tuned!
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UEFA FINAL THREE CANDIDATES PLAYER OF THE YEAR

After their list of 10 candidates for "UEFA Best Player 2015-2016" handed in weeks back, UEFA has reduced it down to three players all playing in the Spanish Liga. The finalists are Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) & Antoine Griezmann (At. Madrid) . Spanish Club FC Barcelona may have surprised some by having no one, with many betting on Suarez or Messi as perhaps getting into the last three names.

Its the European Sports Journalists of the 55 Associations associated with UEFA who vote to decide which players deserve to be on that the last 3 players list. Past winners have been Messi (2015), Cristiano Ronaldo (2014), Franck Ribery (2013) & Andres Iniesta (2012).

UEFA will announce the final winner on the 25th of August.

Who will win? Stay tuned!

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SPANISH FOOTBALL DOMINATES UEFA TOP 10 BEST PLAYERS LIST

The Footballers in the running for the 2015-2016 "UEFA Best Player in Europe Award" ten-man short-list was announced today. They are:

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid & Wales)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus & Italy) 
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid & France)
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid & Germany)
Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona & Argentina)
Thomas Müller (Bayern München & Germany)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern München & Germany)
Pepe (Real Madrid & Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal)
Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona & Uruguay)

Seven of the Top 10 play in Spanish Football, with Real Madrid having 4 candidates, Barça has 2 & Atletico Madrid 1 candi-tate. 

Sports journalists from each of UEFA's 55 member associations provided a list of their five best-ranked players, with the first receiving five points, the second four and so on. The ten players with the most points advance to the second vote, which will determine the three finalists to be named on 5 August. The jury will then cast their votes for the outright winner, which will be announced during the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on 25 August.

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP TEAMS MATCH-UPS 2015-2016

The Champions League Groups for season 2015-2016 have been drawn with the following results for the five Spanish Football Clubs competing:

Group A: Real Madrid with Paris St Germain, Shakhtar & Malmo,

Group C: Atletico de Madrid with Benfica, Galatasaray & Astana,

Group D: Sevilla FC with Juventus FC, Manchester City FC & Borussia Monchengladbach,

Group E: FC Barcelona with Bayern Leverkusen, Roma & Bate Borisov,

Group H: Valencia CF with Zenit, O.Lyon & Gent.

Beforehand, Sevilla FC seems to have fallen into the most difficult Group along with Real Madrid which faces PSG. However, as always mentioned, at this level all Clubs are dangerous & have the potential to shake the believed favourites.

Lastly, as expected FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was awarded the "UEFA Best Player of The Year 2014-2015" ahead of the other candidates Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona) & Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid). This fully deserved award puts Lionel Messi on course towards his 5th FIFA Golden Ball Award which will be announced in January 2016.

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UEFA BEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES - FULL LIST

UEFA has announced its list of three candidates who are down to be awarded the "UEFA Best Player of the Year season 2014-2015". The three are Messi (FC Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) & Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona).  As you can see Spanish Football is well represented in the Top 3 & rest of list (see below).

UEFA will announce the winner the 27th of August in Monaco, a ceremony where Champions League & Europa League qualifying Groups will also be drawn. 

The rest of the list is made up of the following players:

04. Gianluigi Buffon
05. Neymar
06. Eden Hazard
07. Pirlo
08. Arturo Vidal
09. Carlos Tevez
10. Paul Pogba
11. Arjen Robben
12. Manuel Neuer
13. Carlos Bacca
14. Andres Iniesta
14. Morata
14. Thomas Müller
17. De Bruyne
18. Ibrahimovic
19. Bale
19. Gignac
21. Lewandowski
21. Rakitic
23. Boateng
23. Xavi
23. Jackson
23. Mascherano
23. Alexis Sanchez
28. Chiellini
28. Firmino.
28. Matic
28. Milic
28. Otamendi
28. Sergio Ramos
28. Ter Stegen
28. Arda Turan

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CRISTIANO RONALDO WINS UEFA BEST PLAYER SEASON 2013-2014 AWARD

As expected Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded this afternoon the "UEFA Best Player season 2013 - 2014". The Portuguese player won the title over Bayern Munich candidates Manuel Neuer & Arjen Robben.

This award was missing in CR7 "collection" with previous winners being Ribery last year, Lionel Messi & Andres Iniesta.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a fabulous 2013 - 2014 season winning the Spanish Cup & UEFA Champions League title along with his record breaking 17 goals scored in the Champions League competition, plus winning the "European Golden Boot Award" (shared with Luis Suarez) with 31 goals. 

Ronaldo was very happy & with his acceptance speech thanked his team-mates, Club & family, while congratulating the other candidates. 

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