Tweet
Italy's World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro is lined up to succeed Ronaldinho and become the 51st European Player of The Year according to reports.
The recipient of this year's title won't be officially unveiled until the end of the month but a quick scan of the Spanish press' left precious little doubt that France Football's Ballon d'Or was destined to go to the Real Madrid defender.
If confirmed that Cannavaro has beaten off his main rivals, Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Italy keeper Gianlugi Buffon, then he would be the first Italian to collect the honour since Roberto Baggio in 1993.
A large photograph of a smiling Cannavaro covered the front page of AS under the headline: "Cannavaro - Ballon d'or" and a report suggesting the defender had spent Thursday being photographed with the trophy in a Madrid studio.
Marca told its readers that after club training the player had received a visit at his Madrid appartment from a France Football director.
Its frontpage carried the headline: "A red letter day for Real Madrid".
First won by Blackpool's Stanley Matthews nearly half a century ago this year's award will be officially announced on November 27.
The recipient of this year's title won't be officially unveiled until the end of the month but a quick scan of the Spanish press' left precious little doubt that France Football's Ballon d'Or was destined to go to the Real Madrid defender.
If confirmed that Cannavaro has beaten off his main rivals, Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Italy keeper Gianlugi Buffon, then he would be the first Italian to collect the honour since Roberto Baggio in 1993.
A large photograph of a smiling Cannavaro covered the front page of AS under the headline: "Cannavaro - Ballon d'or" and a report suggesting the defender had spent Thursday being photographed with the trophy in a Madrid studio.
Marca told its readers that after club training the player had received a visit at his Madrid appartment from a France Football director.
Its frontpage carried the headline: "A red letter day for Real Madrid".
First won by Blackpool's Stanley Matthews nearly half a century ago this year's award will be officially announced on November 27.