Diego Milito named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
Inter Milan striker Diego Milito beat off stiff competition from the likes of Lionel Messi and Xavi to win the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.
The Argentine forward, who scored both of Inter’s goals in his side’s 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in May’s Champions League final, won the prize with a total of nine nominations.
The winner was voted for by the 16 managers of the clubs that reached the knock-out stage of last season’s competition, including the Premier League’s Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti and Arsene Wenger.
Gunners boss Wenger was clearly left impressed by four-goal Messi following his side’s 4-1 demolition at the Camp Nou last season as he voted the Argentine as his top pick for Forward of the Year.
Ferguson, meanwhile, made Milito his number one ahead of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The ceremony in Monaco also saw the presentation of the other awards according to the four categories, with each one of this year’s winners hailing from the title holders Inter.
Goalkeeper Julio Cesar beat Barcelona’s Victor Valdes and Lyon’s Hugo Lloris to win the goalkeeper award while Wesley Sneijder was favoured ahead of Arjen Robben and Xavi in the midfielder category. Brazilian Maicon just edged out Barcelona’s Gerard Pique to seal the defender’s prize.
UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: Julio Cesar
Nominees: Julio Cesar, Hugo Lloris, Victor Valdes
UEFA Club Defender of the Year: Maicon
Nominees: Lucio, Maicon, Gerard Pique
UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: Wesley Sneijder
Nominees: Xavi, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder.
UEFA Club Forward of the Year: Diego Milito
Nominees: Lionel Messi, Diego Milito, Wayne Rooney.
