An Open Letter To FIFA Coaches

Gentlemen,

You astound me. Allegedly you are the most qualified judges in the game. I would love to hear how you came to select the three candidates for the World Player of the Year award.

Five years ago Zinedine Zidane was the most mercurial player on the planet, no question. In the last twelve months however he has been a bit-part player with a Real Madrid side humbled by Thierry Henry and friends in the Champions League. His swansong saw glimpses of glories past, in particular one outstanding display against Brazil, as he accompanied Henry and his French team-mates to the World Cup Final, where he saw fit to end his career with an absurd attack on an opponent.

Ronaldhino has enjoyed bathing in the reflected glory of Barcelona’s late, late triumph against ten man Arsenal in the Champions League Final, a victory in which he was largely anonymous. His World Cup displays were equally nondescript as his team were unceremoniously dumped out of the competition by a Thierry Henry goal for France.

Cannavaro formed part of the Juventus defence that lifted the Serie A title under a cloud. He is probably the only valid selection of the three, on the basis that he was not directly implicated in the Juve scandal, and led his side to an unexpected World Cup triumph. Yet who was responsible for dumping Juve out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage. Yes, that’s right. Thierry Henry and his Arsenal side.

What has Henry got to do to win you over? He is a serial winner of the Golden Boot in the Premier League, regularly features towards the top of the assists charts too. The old chestnut about him not turning up for big games was blown apart by his match-winning goals for Arsenal in Madrid, and France against Brazil. What has he done that has upset you so?

I do hope it wasn’t the fact that he turned down influential, powerful, Barcelona!