Soccer: Ronaldinho set for clean sweep of awards

PARIS - Ronaldinho's dazzling skills make him the clear favourite to collect the European Footballer of the Year award on Monday and complete a clean sweep of the most prestigious prizes in the game.

The gifted Brazilian, who underlined his status as the world's most brilliant player with two wonderful goals in Barcelona's 3-0 defeat of Real Madrid last weekend, seems to have no rivals.

"Ronaldinho is the best player in the world," Barca captain Carles Puyol said after the Brazilian's performance against Real.

"He showed it today but he has also demonstrated it in other games."

The 25-year-old received the plaudits of international coaches when he was named FIFA World Player of the Year last December, an award he is tipped to retain this year.

He was then honoured by his fellow professionals when he won the inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year trophy in September.

Now a panel of European soccer journalists selected by French magazine France Football are expected to add their tribute by awarding him with the Ballon d'Or, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Steven Gerrard, who was instrumental in Liverpool's surprise Champions League triumph, once looked like a top contender but his club's sluggish start to the season has probably ruled him out.

Fellow England midfielder Frank Lampard, an inspirational member of the Premier League winning Chelsea side, would make a decent runner-up but looks unlikely to oust Ronaldinho.

TOO GOOD

The same goes for veteran Italian defender Paolo Maldini.

The 37-year-old AC Milan captain, who intends to quit football at the end of next season, has never won the award and certainly would have deserved to were it not for the Brazilian.

Barcelona are playing the most exciting club soccer in Europe and Ronaldinho's skill and vision are at the heart of it.

A prominent member of Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning team, Ronaldinho is already looking forward to next year's World Cup finals in Germany, of which he should be one of the main attractions.

The Ballon d'Or list, inaugurated by Stanley Matthews in 1956, features many exceptional players, among them Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini.

Several of those, notably former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano, who succeeded Matthews in 1957 and was also crowned in 1959, will be in Paris on Monday.

AC Milan's Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko, who won the award last year, will also be present.

All will be thinking about George Best, the 1968 winner and one of the beautiful game's finest names, who was in the final hours of his life in hospital on Friday.

- REUTERS