Many people were surprised with his designation as world best player.
Though the designation of players for awards has never been unanimously accepted, the designation of Fabio Cannavarro first as Ballon d’Or and world best player for the year 2006, has raised more differences than ever before. Three times African player of the year and reigning Pichichi of La Liga, Samuel Eto’o Fils said Cannavarro was certainly a good player but didn’t merit the world best player award. A view corroborated by Thierry Henry who was seen as one of the major contenders for the title when he said the world best player award could have been given to anybody, but for Cannavarro.
This feeling is shared by most football fans across the world who in their election on the France Foot website, had put Samuel Eto’o Fils ahead of the others with 33 percent of the vote, followed by Zinedine Zidane with 18 percent, Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba in that order. Fabio Cannavarro came a distant 9th position with just about three percent of the vote of football fans for the Ballon d’Or award. His designation for the golden boot award and the world best player award therefore came as a
surpriseespecially as Cannavaro’s former club, Juventus was involved in match fixing. His detractors say Fabio Cannavarro is far from the enigmatic defender like Frank Bekenbauer of Germany when he won the ballon d’or award. He could defend and participated in offensives and at times scored goals. Qualities that Cannavarro does not have.
Cannavarro’s sole merit seems to have been captaining Italy to the world cup title; a competition during which he was outsmarted by teams mates like Luca Toni.
However, criticisms on Fabio Cannavarro’s designation cannot be said to be based on objectives basis. Some are born out of injury having failed to grab the award or see their favourite player win the award. For example, Eto’o’s designation as African best player has never gone down well with the Ivoirians who believe Didier Drogba is a better player and therefore merited the award. To the Nigerians, Africa’s best player ought to have been Jay Jay Okocha.
Given the differences in appreciation and interest involved, the designation of a player for an award, will never achieve unanimity but efforts should be made to attain a certain level of consensus.
