FIFA World Player Of The Year shortlist announced

Three players have been placed on the FIFA World Player Of The Year awards shortlist. One of the players play's at Chelsea while the other two play at Spanish giants Barcelona. Frank Lampard, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o are the three players and I persopnaly think that the result of the winner is a four gon conclusion, Ronaldinho. On Monday the 25-year-old Brazilian, who this year also won the inaugural FIFpro award, was named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year.


Ronaldinho with the award last year
Lampard, the footballer of the year in England last season, came second to Ronaldinho for the European award. It is the first time the Chelsea midfielder has been shortlisted for the Fifa award, which will be announced on 19 December. On Saturday Lampard broke the record for consecutive appearances in the Premiership. He marked his 160th appearances in a row with a goal in the 2-0 away against Portsmouth.

Previous Fifa World Player of the Year winners:
2004 - Ronaldinho
2003 - Zinedine Zidane
2002 - Ronaldo
2001 - Luis Figo
2000 - Zinedine Zidane
1999 - Rivaldo
1998 - Zinedine Zidane
1997 - Ronaldo
1996 - Ronaldo
1995 - George Weah
1994 - Romario
1993 - Roberto Baggio
1992 - Marco van Basten
1991 - Lothar Matthaus

Abel to appeal against drugs ban

Middlesbrough defender Abel Xavier has decided to appeal against FIFA's decision to ban him from playing football for another 18 months. The 32-year-old tested positive for a banned steroid after Boro's Uefa Cup game in Xanthi on 29 September. Uefa has confirmed Xavier has lodged an appeal and a hearing is likely to take place early in 2006. Xavier has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and is understood to have told Uefa he unknowingly took the drug in a contaminated supplement. The former Liverpool and Everton player was banned at a hearing in Nyon after being found guilty of testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid dianabol.


Uefa said in a statement: "The player was found guilty of being in breach of the Uefa anti-doping regulations. As a result, the Uefa control and disciplinary body decided to impose an 18-month ban on Abel Xavier." Middlesbrough have yet to make an official response to Xavier's ban but it is believed they will immediately terminate his contract if his appeal is turned down. The club signed the Portuguese international for a year on a free transfer in August following his release by Italian side Roma. He has been capped 20 times by Portugal and has played for both Liverpool and Everton as well as Benfica, Galatasaray and PSV Eindhoven.

I personaly think that there isn't a chance of FIFA changing their decision to ban Xavier for 18 months. In the first place I think Xavier was stupid for taking the drugs. I am very much behind FIFA in these kind of cases because it's about time that the matter should be taking much much more seriously and I think Xavier's ban should of been about 24 months instead of the 18 month ban that was handed out.