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Five Inter Milan Players Vie for UEFA Recognition

   Nominations for Club Footballer of the Year chosen by 16 coaches whose
   teams reached knockout rounds of Champions League last season

   VOA News 16 August 2010
   Inter  Milan Argentine striker Diego Milito (R) faces AC Milan's Mario
   Yepes  (L)  during  a  warm-up soccer match between Inter Milan and AC
   Milan at the San Nicola stadium in Bari, 13 Aug 2010

Photo: AP

   Inter  Milan Argentine striker Diego Milito (R) faces AC Milan's Mario
   Yepes  (L)  during  a  warm-up soccer match between Inter Milan and AC
   Milan at the San Nicola stadium in Bari, 13 Aug 2010

   European  Champions League winner Inter Milan of Italy has five of the
   12 players in contention for UEFA's Club Footballer of the Year.
   Nominations  announced  Monday  were  chosen by 16 coaches whose teams
   reached  the  knockout  rounds  of  the Champions League last season.Â
   Their  votes  also  created  a three-player shortlist for each of four
   positional categories - forward, midfielder, defender and goalkeeper.
   Nominations  from  Inter  include  Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder and
   Argentine  striker  Diego  Milito,  who  scored  both goals in the 2-0
   victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.  The German
   champions are represented by Netherlands winger Arjen Robben.
   Barcelona - which was eliminated by Inter in the semifinals - has four
   contenders,  including  Argentine  forward  Lionel  Messi, who won the
   award last year.
   Goalkeeper  Hugo Lloris of France is included after helping Lyon reach
   the  semifinals.   Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is the only
   candidate  from  England  after no Premier League club advanced beyond
   the quarterfinals.
   The  winners  will  be announced on August 26 in Monaco, when the draw
   for this season's group stage is made.
   Nominees:

   Forward  of  the  Year:  Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Diego Milito (Inter
   Milan), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
   Midfielder  of  the  Year:  Xavi  Hernandez  (Barcelona), Arjen Robben
   (Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan)
   Defender  of  the  Year:  Lucio  (Inter  Milan), Maicon (Inter Milan),
   Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
   Goalkeeper of the Year: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Hugo Lloris (Lyon),
   Victor Valdes (Barcelona)

   Some information for this report was provided by AP.

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