Globe Soccer Awards 2012
Great excitement at the foot of the giant tower for the Globe Soccer Awards now in their third edition. Downtown Dubai is an unmissable event for football, legends have passed through here, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Del Piero, Rosell’s Barcelona and directors such as Galliani, Gil, Pinto Da Costa have been crowned here, without forgetting the master among agents, Jorge Mendes who works for Mourinho and numerous footballing stars. Burj Khalifa, standing 828 metres tall spread out over 160 floors, has been a constant witness to an event which has grown together with the tower of the skies, a New Year icon that appears on news reports worldwide.
There are ten awards in this third edition, after three in the first year (the award winners were Galliani of AC Milan, Gil of Atletico Madrid, and Jorge Mendes as agent of the year) and six in the second (which went to Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Del Piero, Pinto Da Costa, Mendes again and Ronaldo a second time for the special media award).
This time the various categories include outstanding candidates, such as the footballer of the century, due to the presence of Diego Armando Maradona, or the special award for the UEFA President Michel Platini, a guiding light for the whole sport which, in him, can call on an outstanding executive who made his name as a star on the pitch. The other changes compared to 2011 concern the Award for the highest goal scorer in the United Arab Emirates, as a national product, and the career award for agents, in keeping with the award which is already envisaged for players.
It is right to recall the list of candidates which the ECA and the EFAA put to the award jury. For the best team, the list included Chelsea the champions of Europe, Atletico Madrid the winner of two European trophies including the Super Cup against the English champions, Juventus as the only unbeaten team in the 2011-2012 championships, and Bate Borisov for its ability to compete in the Champions League every year despite starting from a tiny income base. Among agents the three names selected were Jorge Mendes, Vagner Ribeiro and Kostas Liolios, with the Portuguese agent favourite to complete a hat-trick thanks to the successes of his clients. Alongside Mendes are two of his greatest talents, Josè Mourinho and Radamel Falcao.
The setting could not be better. Khalifa which dominates the scene, lights and music for the stars in the sky. Platini and Maradona, Rosell and Gil, Mourinho with Capello, Zaccheroni, Zenga, Radamel Falcao and Eric Abidal, Mendes and Jansen, it’s enough to make your head turn and all with Piero Chiambretti, Dubai TV, Sky TV and MBC at work between one award and another.
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Here are the 10 award winners: (See the page)
1) Diego Armando Maradona : Best player of the Century Award
2) Atletico de Madrid: Best team of the year Award
3) Jorge Mendes: Best agent of the year Award
4) Rob Jansen: Best agent’s career Award
5) Radamel Falcao: Best player of the year Award
6) Eric Abidal: Best player’s career Award
7) Josè Mario Dos Santos Mourinho Felix: Best coach of the year Award
8) Josè Mario Dos Santos Mourinho Felix: Greatest media attraction in football
9) Hassan Mohamed: Best goal scorer of the UAE Award
10) Michel Platini: Director Career Award
