Source: Daily_Mail
Vote farce: Terry picks Ballack as No 2 player in the world (but snubs Messi)
John Terry faces further questions about his professional judgment after it emerged that he used his position as England captain to vote for his Chelsea team-mates in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards.[LNB]By the under-fire defender's reckoning, Michael Ballack was the second best player in the world in 2009, while he chose Blues striker Didier Drogba as his No 1 pick.[LNB]The revelation comes in a week when a Sunday newspaper revealed Terry had helped to organise £10,000 hush-hush tours of Chelsea's ground, though his club insist he has done nothing wrong.[LNB] Nice one: Terry (centre) embraces Chelsea team-mates Ballack (left) and Drogba[LNB]HOW FABIO CAPELLO VOTEDTheEngland boss backed the winner Lionel Messi with his first choice,choosing Liverpool's Fernando Torres second and his fellow ItalianGianluigi Buffon third.[LNB]Unableto vote for their own players, ousted Scotland boss George Burley wentfor Messi, Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured).[LNB]Wales'John Toshack chose Messi, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard, whileNorthern Ireland's Frank Worthington plumped for Torres, Franck Riberyand Xavi.[LNB]Curiously,Giovanni Trapattoni passed on his vote to assistant Marco Tardelli, whopicked compatriot Buffon ahead of Messi and Rooney.[LNB]Argentina boss Diego Maradona picked Rooney as the second best player in the world, behind Premier League rival Didier Drogba.[LNB]The runaway winner of the FIFA award Lionel Messi did not cut it for Terry, despite amassing a record-breaking 1,073 points from the votes of national team managers and captains from 147 countries.[LNB]Ballack, in contrast, picked up just 27 points and was voted for by nine of the 296 eligible participants, including such distinguished figures as the captain of Saudi Arabia, the boss of Namibia, and both the skipper and managers of Samoa and Sri Lanka.[LNB]Read how every national manager and captain voted (pdf document)Under FIFA rules, Terry was not allowed to vote for an England team-mate, but he was free to stay loyal to fellow Chelsea players.[LNB]Instructions on the voting form circulated by world football's governing body reminded those taking part to 'take into account not only the players' on-field performance but also their overall behaviour on and off the pitch'.[LNB]The 29-year-old also felt Drogba's attack on referee Tom Henning Ovrebo last season was not misconduct enough to rule the Ivory Coast international out of the running. [LNB]Drogba was initially handed a six-match ban, reduced on appeal, for confronting the referee and swearing into a TV camera after Barcelona knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League in a heated semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge back in May.[LNB] Dissent: Michael Ballack (left) and Didier Drogba confront referee Tom Henning Ovrebo at Stamford Bridge last season[LNB]Ballack was also criticised for chasing Ovrebo with his arms waving in protest after a penalty appeal had been turned down, but the 33-year-old escaped punishment by UEFA.[LNB]In defence of Terry, he did choose Andres Iniesta as his third andfinal choice, despite the Spain midfielder scoring the injury-time goalthat ended Chelsea's European dream.[LNB]As Ivory Coast captain, Drogba did not return the favour with hisvotes, choosing Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o first, followed byMessi and Liverpool's Fernando Torres.[LNB] Scourge of Chelsea: Andres Iniesta celebrates the goal for Barcelona that dumped the Blues out of Europe[LNB] IS CRAIG BELLAMY QUITTING WALES?Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy has been John Toshack's regular captain for Wales, but the man casting the FIFA vote for the country was Ashley Williams.[LNB]The 25-year-old Swansea defender skippered Wales against Scotland last month but did not take the armband during World Cup qualifiers, even when Bellamy was absent.[LNB]Bellamy hinted recently he might quit international football if City make the Champions League, which is firmly on new Eastlands boss Roberto Mancini's agenda.[LNB]Williams voted for John Terry ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Steven Gerrard.[LNB]Czech Republic captainPetr Cech also snubbed his Chelsea team-mates by going for Xavi(Barcelona), Messi and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.[LNB]But Germany skipper Ballack did look after his team-mates. Messi was his first choice, but fellow Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard was his second choice, ahead of Drogba in third.[LNB]Russia boss Guus Hiddink, who was Chelsea's interim managerfrom February till the end of last season, was also impressed by hisformer players, picking Terry as the best player in the world ahead ofMessi and Lampard.[LNB] Snubbed: Andrey Arshavin did not use his FIFA vote to back Arsenal players[LNB]Runaway winner: Barcelona star Lionel Messi[LNB]Questions will no doubt be raised about theintegrity of the vote. Messi was helped to the award by Barcateam-mates such as France captain Thierry Henry and Sweden's ZlatanIbrahimovic, who chose him as their No 1. Henry, in fact, picked threeof Barca's treble winners from last season, with Eto'o second and Xavithird.[LNB]Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun, the Israel captain,voted for team-mates Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, while Anfieldstar Javier Mascherano also picked Gerrard, though as his No 2 pickbehind Chelsea's Michael Essien.[LNB]Arsenal star Andrey Arshavin, the Russia captain, selected Messi, Ronaldo and Torres. His Gunners team-mate Thomas Vermaelen, the Belgium defender, picked Gerrard, Messi and Torres.[LNB]Meanwhile, Manchester United trio Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria), Darren Fletcher (Scotland) and Ji-sung Park (South Korea) did not vote for their Old Trafford team-mates, though each found a place for Ronaldo, who left the club for Real Madrid in a world-record £80million transfer during the summer.[LNB] FIFA World Player of the Year votes in full (pdf document)Lionel Messi crowns stunning year by winning FIFA world player of the yearVIDEO SPECIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo wins Puskas Goal of the Year award for his rocket for Manchester United against PortoEXCLUSIVE: Capello fury as captain John Terry is hit by more controversyReal deal: Spanish giants Madrid circle Chelsea for £9m utility man IvanovicCHELSEA FC
