Eurosport - Tue, 02 Dec 17:04:00 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo has pledged to get "even better" after winning the Ballon d'Or, but history suggests that may not be easy.
No player has won the award twice since the Brazilian Ronaldo (1997 and 2002), and few winners over the last 10 years have thrived afterwards.
Eurosport-Yahoo! investigates whether Cristiano Ronaldo could be about to experience the curse of the Ballon d'Or.
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2007 - Kaka
The mercurial Brazilian is still one of the best players in the world, but dropped to eighth in the voting after a disastrous season with Milan, who failed to qualify for the Champions League. Has started diving.
Curse rating: 5/10
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2006 - Fabio Cannavaro
Cannavaro was chosen after a magnificent World Cup, but is now in terminal decline. Moved to Real Madrid after Juventus' enforced relegation and, despite winning La Liga, has committed a number of uncharacteristic blunders.
Curse rating: 7/10
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2005 - Ronaldinho
Not so long ago, Ronaldinho was universally acknowledged as the best player in the world. This year he didn't even make the top 30. Form, fitness and motivation deserted him at Barcelona and he is trying to get back on track with Milan.
Curse rating: 10/10
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2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (pictured)
Once the deadliest striker in the world, Shvechenko's career nosedived after moving to Chelsea in 2006. Roman Abramovich's £30m plaything scored just 16 league goals in two seasons, found himself dropped and has been loaned back to Milan.
Curse rating: 8/10
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2003 - Pavel Nedved
Although 2002/03, when Juventus reached the Champions League final, proved the pinnacle of his career, the Czech is still a consistent performer aged 36. Suffered the indignity of a season in Serie B with Juve but stayed loyal.
Curse rating: 2/10
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2002 - Ronaldo
Ronaldo was already on his third or fourth comeback when he won his second Ballon d'Or in 2002. His career has imploded spectacularly since, although he had two more good seasons with Real Madrid before it all went pear-shaped.
Curse rating: 6/10
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2001 - Michael Owen
A sorry catalogue of injuries ensured Owen has never come close to replicating his 2000/01 season, when he helped Liverpool to a Cup treble and scored a hat-trick against Germany. Now a pale shadow of his former self.
Curse rating: 8/10
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2000 - Luis Figo
Was crowned in the year of his sensational move from Barcelona to Real Madrid, and his sensational play continued among the Galacticos. Won two Liga titles, one Champions League and captained Portugal to the Euro 2004 final.
Curse rating: 1/10
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1999 - Rivaldo
Another Brazilian. Rivaldo's career experienced a slow decline rather than a sudden halt, and he still managed to win the 2002 World Cup. Thereafter it all went wrong with an abortive move to Milan, and he now plays in Uzbekistan.
Curse rating 3/10
Comment 48 - 67 of 67
alex chick/sharrat is useless
During the time of Zidane, Ronaldo Brazil, Figo, Rivaldo football was very impressing more far than today.The players of this period are not consistent truely to say.Kaka, Robinho and Fabregas would only the few to mention
hey zoran your fairly fond of zidane there arent ya, do i detect a hint of gay....
Listen People. Zidane is the greatest player of all time unless you wanna mention Pele but Zidane was just out of this world. Ever since Zidane left Real Madrid, Madrid haven't done anything really. Watch Zidane at the 2006 World Cup vs Brazil and let me remind you that those were some of the better years for Kaka but especially Ronaldinho. Zidane owned the whole Brazil team with help from Ribery ofcourse however they way Zidane controlled the midfield was unbelivable. Zidane is the greatest of all time. 3 time World Fifa player of the year. Cristiano Ronaldo is a fantastic player and deserves the award without a doubt but lets see in a couple of years if he can still play at this level and honestly I do believe that he can but only time will tell.
I also believe that as good a Zidane was, he can not be compared to Cruiff, Pele or Maradona. I also believe that C. Ronaldo is faster and has much better dribbling ability than Zidane. Zidane was stronger as a play maker.
qasim, I'm sorry but Zidane is very much a legend! When you power your country to a World Cup and then the Euro Cup, you cannot be anything less than legendary. Also opowicz is right, Zidane has way more footballing insight than Ronaldo. He was a way more intelligent footballer than Ronaldo is. Granted, Zidane didn't have speed or as much power but heading ability, skills and tricks, dribbling ability? You must be joking! Zidane could head fantastically, and had a boatload of skill and could dribble with the best of them. He could also read the game very well, deliver the killer pass, had a marvelous first touch, excellent ball control, a wicked shot... I could go on. How on earth is Ronaldo a more complete footballer?? A big fan of Ronaldo's ability but c'mon, let's be real here. What next? Messi is better than Maradona? That said, Ronaldo may eventually surpass Zidane, he does have time on his side, but I seriously doubt it.
qasim what are you talking about? In the World Cup 98 Final against Brazil Zidane won it for France with 2 headers. What has Ronaldo ever done in a big match except miss spot kicks?
qasim has lost the plot now, how can you say it was easier to win the european cup back then when today you can lose a game and still win it. You couldnt back then. And I have to agree with michael, dalglish was a class act and rush was a fantastic goal scorer. How an FA coach cant see that is beyond me. Go back and coach monkey tennis mate!!
Another thing michael which u failed to mention. It was much easier to win the european cup when loserpool used to compete for it. It was a knockout comp back then and u didnt have to win many matches at all to win the cup. In addition only the champions of certain countries were permitted to enter.
Michael u idiot, I know my football inside out. i am a fa coach so why dont u realise loserpool scum. Rush couldnt even bloody score against the utd side in something like 17 or 18 matches. A world class player who cant even score 1 in so many games? U fool. Why the hell would players like Daglish or Rush win it if such legends like Cantona couldnt?
qasim7uk u must be a mank how can u say Dalglish and Rush werent great players u dont no ur arse from ur elbow kenny got to four european cup finals winning three of them an rush was just a goal machine. go an eat a prawn sarnie
qasim 7 you are a moron zidane had more football insight in his little pinky than ronaldo i am a big cr fan but you cannot compare him to zidane not yet
i mean in some games zidane only played with the outside of his boot i mean that is just crazy and zidane carried his country to wc and ec victory so you cannot compare the 2 just yet
was bist du eigentlich fuer ein voll idiot alistair, sag mir das denn
sorry last was meant for alistair irons lol
so alistair islands why are u wasting your time in this forum then? arnt there enough problems like uranium depletion etc for u to get busy with, your comment was absolutely ridiculous and u totally missed the point, but why go into that.
It's only opinion after all and the article doesn't set out to be comprehensive but what amazes me is what a bunch of get-a-life losers get totally wound up by what is actually nothing more than a pastime ... really if you want to get excersised about something make it worthwhile like depleted uranium or the terror atatcks in India ... but the Ballon 'Dor, some children never grow up.
Zidane was good but he wants a legend. He was nothing compared to cryuff, maradonna and pele. Ronaldo is the best player since Maradonna and will prove to be one of the worlds greats. Zidane never had the speed, heading ability of power that ronaldo has on top of skill, tricks and dribbling ability. Zidane could play the killer ball but Ronaldo is a much more complete player than Zidane and Ron is only 23. Its frightening to think how good Ronaldo will become. All the people dissing Ronaldo are jealous of his ability, looks and money. Sad little people get a life, u anti man u fans.
idiotic article
Lyndon u idiot. The award means plenty. Kenny Daglish wasnt a great player, neither was Ian Rush. There were plenty of far better players in England let alone Europe and thats why they never won it. They werent worthy of cleaning platinis boots with their tongues. Your just jealous as the only Pool player to have won it was Owen and he left you.
Ronaldo Will Be The End Of This So-called-curse
HEHEHEHHEHE!
Ronalod manutd rulez
FARASH DUDE
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