Laurent Koscielny is old enough to be married. This is his wife, Claire. Image: Gareth
Cattermole/Getty Images.
The Laureaus World Sport Awards took place at the Central Hall in Westminster last night. As is
usual with these events, a smattering of footballers turned up to watch Bobby Charlton pick up a
Lifetime Achievement Award and surely what must be the most shocking event of the year so far; Leo
Messi not winning an award he has been nominated for.
Edinson Cavani. Forcing us to rethink our oppression of t-shirt/suit jacket combos since 9.30am
this morning. Image: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images.
If someone else is going to go to the trouble of picking out and rewarding their favourite Serie
A players, it would be remiss of us not to use the photo opportunity for a random post.
Do you loff Helen's dress as much as we do? Images via Dave M. Benett/Getty Images Europe and
Style.com.
El lugar de Lionel Messi en la cima del mundo futbolÃstico fue confirmado el pasado lunes al
obtener su tercer Ballon d'Or de manera consecutiva. Pero él no lo logró solo. Para celebrar su
victoria, Leo agradeció a todos aquellos que lo han apoyado en su carrera, desde sus compañeros
de equipo y familia hasta los aficionados que ayudan a hacer del futbol el deporte mas bello de
todos.
It's right here, with Zinedine Zidane and Pele. Image: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images.
Lionel Messi took home the coveted FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy Monday evening, staving off tough
competition from Barcelona teammate, Xavi Hernandez, and Real Madrid rival, Cristiano Ronaldo (who
was a no-show since his squad is set to do battle with Malaga in the Copa Del Ray today).
While some people continue to revel in the holidaze, we're still combing through our covers to
find the telly remote.
The rage we feel inside when we can't locate the damn device even though we just had it mere
moments ago is unspeakable, which is why the crowning of our FPCOTY will have to wait until we
find it/tomorrow.
Lionel Messi was honored in Rosario, his hometown city, as the Embosser of Rosario in the World
just before the start of the New Year. His Mum, Celia (pictured above), and his brothers were
on-hand to offer the Barcelona player their support.
Lionel Messi was honored in Rosario, his hometown city, as the Embosser of Rosario in the World
just before the start of the New Year. His Mum, Celia (pictured above) and his brothers were also
present and supporting the Barcelona player.
Two important housekeeping issues we'd like to reiterate:
1. Watch what you eat or suffer the allergic reaction consequences ala Iker;
2. Today's the last day to vote in our FPCOTY poll. Have your say here.
Stephen Ireland wouldn't dare forget to bring his snakeskin pants to Ronaldinho's next pyjama
party...would he?
If you think this is good, just wait.
It gets better.
Saturday
- We offered our steamiest congrats to Barcelona's Victor Valdes, who received the Catalan
Athlete of the year award.
It's nearly the end of 2011 (already!), which means its time for leagues and/or associations to
bestow some shiny medal to a few of footy's fiercest faces and bodies. Personally, we can't say we
have a storied past of winning things and thus, know how it feels since most of the plaques stored
beneath our desks say "Dirty Tackle" on them, but we (like most girls) have practised our beauty
queen waves all the same.
The shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or awards was announced today and we just
have to
ask: how will C-Ron be able to top his suavely suited style from last year? Oh, and who do you
think will win? That's important too.
The year's award night was held on the following evening after the last three games were completed
on the previous night at Grand Copthorne with the usual gala setting for this annual get-together
for the local football fraternity.
The night kicked off with the awarding of the "Young Player of the Year" to Albirex Niigata (S)'s
Tatsuro Inui beating the likes of Lions stars Hariss Harun and Safuwan Baharudin.
Keep calm and read on, Kickettes. Image Credit: AP.
Sadly, it was anything but quiet on the news front for us this past weekend, but as always,
we're ready and willing to help you bounce back into work action.
Although if you require posts in addition to this one, know that we'll only resume work upon
receipt of our mandatory compensation (in this case that would be Thanksgiving leftovers from our
U.
Nagore has her GQMF. So what the hell are you going to do about it, bish? Huh? Image:
PacificCoastNews.com.
Image: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images.
Here's Portuguese legend and Kickette fantasy boink buddy Luis Figo at the Estadio da Luz on
November 15th. He received a UEFA award for playing in more than 100 international games. Part of
his prize pack was this hat.
Still hot? Or would removal and burning be a 'pre-match' contractual obligation for you?
Colombian pop star/Gerard Pique's on-again girlfriend, Shakira, loved the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Star that she received on 8th of November so much she was compelled to lay next to it on the dirty
sidewalk. The singer's parents were at the ceremony as well, but showed restraint when asked to
join in their daughter's unsanitary fun.
Graphic Courtesy of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer announced the slate of candidates for various year end awards. Players, club
officials, and reporters had a hand in selecting the finalists. Dates in parentheses are when the
winners will be announced. Here's hoping Don Garber doesn't accidentally name-drop this year's MVP
a day early.
Sleek, glossy, edgy where necessary but with the kind of subtle, smooth finish that betrays
serious, unbridled wealth. The boot isn't bad, either. Image: REUTERS/Sergio Perez.
Nope, he's not shilling another pair of retina bothering football boots. In this photograph, the
goofy grin, perma-tan and gel-tastic hairdo have gathered to collect the European Golden Shoe
Award; a boot shaped lump of metal handed to the player who scored the most goals in the European
Leagues during the previous season.
Arjen Robben and his wife attended the GQ Germany's Man of the Year Awards. The Dutch player was
won the International Sportsman of The Year. The Bayern Munich player attended the ceremonies with
his wife pictured above.
Images via Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Europe
We never pegged Bayern Munich and Netherlands star Arjen Robben as a
polka-dotted-bow-tie-and-matching-pocket-square kind of guy. We like when we're surprised like
this.
Arjen and his pretty (pregnant) wife Bernadien attended the German GQ Men Of The Year Awards on
Saturday night in Berlin.
Will this be the year that Marta will be dethroned as FIFA's women's world player of the year?
The Brazilian striker has won the award for the past five years and was among the 10 players
nominated for the 2011 award.
The United States has three players on the list all of whom played for the WNT at last
summer's Women's World Cup in Germany.
The Cosmopolitan 2011 Bachelor of The Year Awards are after happy hour this evening and
unfortunately, we're sitting this one out. We and are livers feel shameful disgust so please don't
verbally lash out on us. We feel terrible enough thanks to our internal free booze demons.
If you recall, last year D.
Image taken at the Australian Football Awards, 04.10.2011.
It's very long, Lucas. And looks crooked? Basically, it needs work.
Please see David Villa's fantastic facial art when you have a moment.
That is all.
It's like grown-up Subbuteo. For pervy people. Image: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images Europe.
Admittedly there isn't a great deal of room in our office, but if we ever had a reason to locate
and work out how to switch on the vacuum cleaner, this would be it. Our own footballer. In all his
glorious be-suited buffness.
When you consider the amount of hot air, high fashion, alcohol and misbehaviour that generally
occurs when awards are dished out, you'd think we'd have a staff member whose only job is to sniff
out those nominations.
Well, we don't.
Generally, if we learn we've been nominated it's too late and even if we win, we're too
disorganised to go to the ceremony.
Only one person in this photo has a fully functioning set of knees. Can you guess which one? Image
via twitter.
Whether it's signing petitions in aid of animals or thinking about spending more time with the
oldies, this edition of Good Week/Bad Week is packed to the rafters with inspiring ideas.
Pep Guardiola was all smiles yesterday as the Catalan Parliament awarded him the Gold Medal,
Catalunya's highest accolade, for being an excellent representative of Catalan values in the
sporting world. There were words of praise and admiration, which almost brought Pep to tears at one
point.
As a recently graduated high school senior, attacking center midfielder Morgan Brian already has
career stats that any soccer pro would envy. This past spring season she led her high school,
Fredericka Academy in St. Simons, Georgia, to a 17-2-1 record and a fourth straight Georgia
Independent School Association Class AA state title.
Now in its 26th year of honoring the nation's elite high school athletes with the Gatorade
Player of the Year award, The Gatorade Company presented the ninth annual Gatorade High School
Athlete of the Year awards to the nation's best overall male and female high school athletes this
evening.
In the female category, senior Morgan Brian of Frederica Academy received the 2010-11 Gatorade
High School Athlete of the Year award at a dinner reception in Los Angeles.
On behalf of kickettes everywhere, Enrique 'Quini' Castro showed some gentle strokes of adoration
for Daveed Villa and his soul patch in Asturias last Friday. Villa collected his fourth 'Quini'
award, which is given to the region's highest scoring La Liga player each year. Image source:
MundoDeportivo.
Manchester United's Javier Hernandez was the Gold Cup's top scorer and player of the tournament
after playing an important part
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The impostor is a runaway choice in this season's most unwanted award category. Sorry guy, but
you were shit. Give us back our Bison.
Readers' passenger of the season voting results (2010-11)
Total
votes: 139
Michael Essien 56 votes (40.
Our Titan is not one to be overthrown. A thunderbolt from Alex on a warm day in October is
selected as this season's magnum opus. Jamie will be positively giddy.
Readers' goal of the season voting results (2010-11)
Votes:
134
1.
That match that provided so much promise and gave us so much hope in a season stripped of it
proved to be the definitive choice amongst our brethren.
Readers' match of the season voting results (2010-11):
Total
votes: 129
1.
Mrs Jamie Redknapp. As every press opp's best friend, we should've never doubted you. But we
did, because you wore this, this and THAT recently.
By now, you've collected enough paychecks to know how to work a camera lens, we realise.
Throughout your style trials and tribulations, however, we've fostered a weird (we) love (you)/(we)
hate (your outfit) relationship with your red carpet looks.
He has the hair. The charisma. And, yeah, the game. Bob runs away with the voting for readers'
signing of the season in what was hardly a surprising turn of events.
Readers' signing of the season voting results (2010-11):
Total votes: 389
David Luiz 199 votes (51.
The helmeted one, to absolutely no one's surprise, has been named the Chelsea Offside readers'
player of the season. By a country mile.
Readers' player of the season voting results (2010-11):
Total votes: 272 (50 more than last season)
1.
We bring our work week of end of season polling to a close with what sure is to be a testy
subject. Who sucked hardest?
This club had its share of underperformers this season, especially during that forgettable
mid-season lull that drove us all insane. We've somehow managed to narrow our initial list to four:
a pair of midfielders, a forward and one truly atrocious fullback.
Cue the golazos.
Day 4 of our end of season polling brings with it one of the more popular offerings of each
summer, goal of the season. Perhaps there is not a headline favorite as in previous seasons Essien
v. Barcelona in 2009, Drogba v. Bolton in 2010 but that's not to say there aren't several fine
candidates.
