Ronaldo in running for Aspire FifPro Award Saturday, October 28, 2006
The five nominees for the Aspire FifPro Young Player Award have been announced with three of five players coming from Premiership clubs.
The award, which is sponsored by Aspire, the Qatar-based Academy for Sports Excellence, will be awarded at a gala event in Athens on November 6 to one of the following nominees following a public vote: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal/ Spain), Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona/Argentina), Lukas Podolski (FC Koln/Germany), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United/Portugal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United/England). At the ceremony — which are the world’s only international player-voted football awards — the World Player of the Year, the FifPro Life Time Achievement Award and the newly sponsored Aspire FifPro World Young Player Award will all be presented along with the announcement of the FifPro World XI.
Voting for this award will be open to and decided by football fans across the world who can log onto www.ASPIRE.qa to cast their vote for who they believe is the best young player in World Football today. There will also be an SMS vote in certain markets including the UK through Sky Sports. Nominees for this award must have been 21 or younger during last season.
Dr Thomas Flock, Director General of Aspire, said: “Our sponsorship of the World Young Player reinforces our commitment to supporting the brightest and best young athletes and helping them develop their talents though the early stages of their careers. This award epitomises the standards we are hoping to achieve in Qatar.”
Theo van Seggelen, Secretary-General of FIFPro, said: “There are no greater football critics than the players themselves and to be recognised by your fellow professionals from across the world will be a unique honour, and as professionals they know what it takes to reach the very top of the game.
“Aspire plays a major role in nurturing the future stars of tomorrow and we fully endorse their commitment to enhancing their pursuit of excellence in young athletes.”
The FifPro World XI Player Awards 2006 is promoted by Ram Media Ltd and commercially represented by Parallel Media Group.
