Players' favouriteBarcelona's Ronaldinho has been elected the first FIFPro world player of the year from a poll of 38,000 professional players in 40 countries.
The members of the players' world association also voted in a secret ballot to choose the 2004-05 season's best team from a shortlist of 55 top names.
TEAM: Dida (Brazil/AC Milan); Cafu (Brazil/AC Milan), Alessandro Nesta (Italy/AC Milan), John Terry (England/ Chelsea), Paolo Maldini (Italy/AC Milan); Frank Lampard (England/Chelsea), Claude Makelele (France/Chelsea), Ronaldinho (Brazil/Barcelona) Zinedine Zidane (France/Real Madrid); Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon/ Barcelona), Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine/AC Milan).
Beckham a 'slapper'
Espanyol defender Sergio Sanchez has accused Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham of insulting him and slapping him after their Primera Liga match on Sunday which Real lost 1-0.
"The game was very tense. I was stretching on the sidelines when Beckham came to take a corner and by chance I started coughing as he struck the corner," Sanchez said. "He took the episode badly and began to insult me. After the game as I returned to the changing rooms he appeared to be waiting for me, started insulting me again, and slapped me. I still don't understand it. Maybe it was because he was wound up."
Fans pay high price
English soccer fans are playing some of the highest prices in Europe to watch top-flight games. There were almost 62,000 spare seats across the nine Premiership matches at the weekend - which followed a big drop in crowds at the home midweek European ties involving Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Bolton.
ENGLAND - Premiership: Tottenham have the most expensive seats - up to €104. Championship: Leeds have seen crowds slump after a price rise - up to €67. League One: Watching Gillingham costs up to 55. League Two: Costs up to 30 at Bristol Rovers.
FRANCE - Watch champions Lyon for a maximum of 59 - and minimum of 21. GERMANY - Prices at Bayern Munich range from 12 (standing) to 49. SPAIN - Not cheap at Barcelona where tickets start at €45 and climb to 119. HOLLAND - Pay 12 to watch a league game at Ajax, where the highest prices are €45. ITALY: Juventus prices start at 37#25, but their most expensive tickets are 178#120. USA: See DC United v MetroStars in Washington at the Socctoberfest and get two free beers, a free beer glass, and executive suite admission for 37.
In Brief . . .
Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2009. Didier Deschamps resigned as Monaco coach yesterday after a poor run of form that has left the club 15th in Ligue 1 and out of the Champions League. Alex Ferguson visited Norway yesterday to press Manchester United's claim for the transfer of Nigerian teenager John Obi Mikel from Lyn Oslo. Birmingham City's Nicky Butt has been charged with insulting a match official after being sent off at the weekend. Finally, Aston Villa said yesterday they've received a "preliminary approach" to buy the club.
