Serie A Oscars Awarded (Fancy Dress Optional)

By: Martha | January 29th, 2008

Kaka n Ronaldo For reasons that have never really been sufficiently explained, the internal Serie A awards are called the Oscar del Calcio. Perhaps the hope is that, by giving the things a Hollywood name, buxom starlets will appear out of nowhere to award them? (Sadly, that dream has still not come true. Instead, the presenters tend toward the male, and are often bald.) The awards are voted on by players during pre-season training and apply to the previous season, but are not awarded until a January ceremony, which just took place last night.

As you might expect, since these days an awards ceremony can’t be held without him turning up, Kaka took home another trophy, beating out Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adrian Mutu as Best Foreign Player, while Francesco Totti got the domestic award, earning more Best Italian Players votes than his Roma teammate Daniele De Rossi and Milan’s Andrea Pirlo.

The best award of the evening, though, was the one for Best Goalkeeper. Since Juventus were in Serie B last season, this was the big chance for someone who isn’t Gigi Buffon to take home the trophy, and the finalists were Fiorentina’s Sebastian Frey (widely considered to be The Best Goalkeeper in Italy Not Named Gigi), Inter’s (and Brazil’s) #1 Julio Cesar, and Angelo Peruzzi, who retired at the end of last season after career of over 20 years that started with Roma and ended across town, with seven years at Lazio. Despite the fact that both Frey and Julio Cesar were better last season, Peruzzi got the award, a tribute from his colleagues based on his two decades of class and commitment. Aw!

The complete list of nominees (winners in bold):

Best Coach: Ancelotti, Prandelli, Spalletti
Best Referee: Rizzoli, Rosetti, Saccani
Best Goalkeeper: Frey, Julio Cesar, Peruzzi
Best Young Player: Montolivo, Pazzini, Giuseppe Rossi
Best Defender: Materazzi, Mexes, Nesta
Best Italian: De Rossi, Pirlo, Totti
Best Foreigner: Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Mutu
Best Goal (fan-voted): Riccardo Zampaga
Champion of Champions (based on the last 10 years): Ronaldo

[Thanks to Marie and Angel for the pics.]

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Category: Serie A, World Football

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Martha

Shehan, the award Ronaldo got was awarded this year for the first time (in recognition of a decade of the Oscars), so it's safe to say Maldini's never won it.
shehan

Guys, since this award goes on every year, going back to what crhis was saying, wouldn't you assume that Maldini has already picked up this trophy?

and i also do agree with chris that kaka' did not deserve the award, totti shouldve won it in my opinion. kaka' really didnt live upto his potential last year in the league, or this year for that matter.
Francesco

Rossi did more in half a season than Montolivo did the whole year.
roswitha

Because Rossi was only around for half the season, perhaps? Or maybe they have something against kids on loan.

Totally happy for Peruzzi. And Chris - Maldini will probably need a new trophy room for everything they'll give him once he actually finally retires at the end of this season, so maybe they're just waiting?
Francesco

Buffon also won the award for Best Loved by Fans.

and I still don't know how Montolivo got best youngster over Giuseppe Rossi.
Martha

I never thought I'd see the day I'd describe you as an optimist, Chris, but those Donadoni hopes really are a sign that your glass is half full.
chris

Kaka also won best overall player, which is between the foreign and Italian winners. Ricky was fantastic in the CL last year, but he was nowhere near the best player in Serie A. Even Milan fans will admit that.

And how the feck Ronaldo won "campione dei campioni" over Maldini is beyond me. If ever there's a trophy cabinet to be jealous of, it's Paolo's.

(And I really hope Donadoni was watching DDR sit between Pirlo and Totti. Maybe now he'll get a clue. Doubtful.)