Dec 20
Ed. Note - Sure, we would have all liked to see the honour go to TH, but these things aren’t exactly a science. To choose between Ronaldinho and Thierry is a bit like choosing between Adriana Lima and Tyra Banks…
Thierry Henry should have been last year’s FIFA Player of the Year and I was sure he would get it this year…it went to Ronaldinho.
I don’t think Ronaldinho has done as much as Henry has at Arsenal. Yes, Ronaldinho is a great midefielder, but you can’t ignore Henry’s remarkable talent as a playmaker. I’m often reminded of that comment when Thierry mowed down Liverpool’s defense, and the commentator said, “Genius is at work, and his name is Thierry Henry!”
That’s all I have to say.
10 Responses to “FIFA 2004 World Player”
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December 20th, 2004 at 4:23 pm
A better placing than the Baloon D’Or, surely. With Henry letting the world down in the Euro’s and the CL (not me, however), it may have cost him a vote or two.
If it went to the player that has CARRIED his club team to unbeaten heights, it would’ve been a walk.
From what I read, Sven, Beckham and Blatter all voted for him. Doens’t that make us all feel better. ;^)
December 20th, 2004 at 4:43 pm
Honestly, I am not suprised. After missing out last year, I started to have a feeling Henry would never win any major international individual honour in his career… Now consider a talent as hugh as Thierry would end up never winning any international individual honour, yet Michael Owen was named European Player of the Year a couple years back after he helped Liverpool to win the so-called “Treble” [UEFA Cup, FA Cup and Worthless Cup]……
what the hack, when u consider Wayne Rooney were in the shortlist of FIFA POFY [what had he really DONE]… and El-Hadji Diouf was in FIFA’s all time GREAT list…. I have totally lost respect to all those FIFA, UEFA bullshit.
December 20th, 2004 at 7:15 pm
Vieira didn’t vote for Henry????
VIEIRA: Shevchenko, Ronaldinho, Adriano
What does this say about his attitude to the team, did he rather an outsider win it? He had front row seats to Henry’s impressive performances. Adriano for crying out loud???
No wonder he’s always lusting after other clubs!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/3717770.stm
December 20th, 2004 at 8:00 pm
Or, maybe voting for somebody who plays with you at the club level is not proper etiquette. Can’t exactly claim objectivity.
December 20th, 2004 at 8:56 pm
Becks voted for Zidane and Ronaldo…
December 20th, 2004 at 10:20 pm
Someone fill me in on this, but under FIFA rules, I don’t think you could vote for your own countryman, but you could vote for your league team mate.
December 21st, 2004 at 4:50 am
Please… give Paddy a break. Did he even allow to vote for his own country man?
December 21st, 2004 at 5:00 am
Who cares if some footballing body votes for a player of the year it?s what we think that counts.
Anyway when do the manager and captain of Fiji or Botswana get to see Henry play apart from on TV? You will see that the player who wins every year is the one who gets the most television exposure.
After all Ronaldo won it in 2002 for helping Brazil win the World Cup but he only played a handful of games for his club side that year. How can you be called World Player of The Year for only playing 8 games? These awards are a joke.
I don?t care if Henry is ranked 1st, 2nd or 1500th as long as he does it for Arsenal every week.
December 21st, 2004 at 2:02 pm
It always goes to the player who’s had the most media exposure. Look at who’s voting: not just Sven, Paddy, Beckham, etc. , but coaches and managers in places like New Zealland and Bali, who presumably never get a chance actually to see a game in the flesh.
December 21st, 2004 at 3:18 pm
on the plus side, there is the very likely possibility that henry will be inspired to perform even better… and may god help the opposition if he manages to go onto greater heights
just trying to see this from a positive angle