Cannavaro named World Player of the Year
Boro stay on the edge
Former England defender jailed
—– Italy’s World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro becomes the first defender to be named FIFA World Player of the Year.
The Real Madrid centre-back, who was voted European Footballer of the Year last month, says:
“It’s a great honour for me to be here because it has been an incredible season.
“I can’t ask for anything else, with the World Cup and Golden Ball award - you can’t do any better than that.”
The award polls votes from national team coaches and captains.
He wins the award ahead of three-time winner Zinedine Zidane and reigning champion Ronaldinho.
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—– Following tonight’s 1-2 defeat at Fulham, Middlesbrough stay out of the Premiership’s bottom three on goal difference only.
Boro are level on points with West Ham United but manager Gareth Southgate could see plenty of positives: “We created plenty of chances and coming in at half-time I couldn’t believe we were 2-0 down.
“We had enough pressure and enough opportunities and I thought we deserved something from the game. But you can’t give teams a two-goal start.”
—– Former England full-back Gary Charles is jailed after he drunkenly threatened a bouncer while serving a suspended sentence for another assault.
The 36 year-old ex-Nottingham Forest defender admits a public order offence by threatening a doorman with an imaginary knife.
He was jailed for twelve months at Derby Crown Court having been given a suspended sentence for an assault on a woman in 2005. Charles, a known alcoholic, served a four-month prison sentence in 2004 for driving offences.
Judge Andrew Hamilton says: “There really does come a time when the police and everyone else have to have a rest from Gary Charles.”
He won his four England caps under Graham Taylor in 1991 and 1992, and was forced to retire due to a knee injury four years ago.
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