Voting opens for UEFA.com users’

5-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — Voting has opened for the new-look UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year 2012. The poll, now in its 12th year, gives UEFA.com users the chance to pick a team of players who have impressed on the pitches of Europe in the past year.

Voting will run until 12.00CET on Friday 4 January 2013, before the final lineup is announced on Wednesday 16 January on UEFA.com and in the January edition of Champions, the official UEFA Champions League magazine.

The format of the poll has changed this year, with users now asked to select their team in their preferred formation from four goalkeepers, twelve defenders, twelve midfield players and twelve forwards. The nominees were selected by UEFA.com staff writers based on their their performances for a European club or national team, or in a UEFA club competition, in 2012.

The UEFA.com Team of the Year is not intended to rival more established awards and does not bear the official UEFA imprimatur. However, it has proved hugely popular with fans since its inception, with five million votes cast last year alone.

UEFA EURO 2012 winners Spain have a total of nine nominated players and Spanish clubs Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona both have six players nominated. Madrid duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas are aiming to feature in the final selection for the sixth successive year while Barça pair Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernández could feature for the fifth year running. European champions Chelsea FC have five players nominated.

Among the first-time nominees are Poland pair Jakub Błaszczykowski and Robert Lewandowksi and their Borussia Dortmund colleague Marco Reus.

For full details of the nominees and to place your vote, visit UEFA.com.

UEFA.com user’s Team of the Year 2012 nominees list:

Goalkeepers

Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus and Italy), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF and Spain), Petr Čech (Chelsea FC and Czech Republic), Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern München and Germany)

Defenders

Andrea Barzagli (Juventus and Italy), Ashley Cole (Chelsea FC and England), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund and Germany), Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea FC and Serbia), Jordi Alba (FC Barcelona and Spain), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City FC and Belgium), Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München and Germany), Javier Mascherano (FC Barcelona and Argentina), Pepe (Real Madrid CF and Portugal), Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona and Spain), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF and Spain), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain FC and Brazil)

Midfielders

Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid CF and Spain), Jakub Błaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund and Poland), Eden Hazard (Chelsea FC and Belgium), Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona and Spain), Juan Mata (Chelsea FC and Spain), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus and Italy), Mesut Özil (Real Madrid CF and Germany), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus and Italy), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund and Germany), David Silva (Manchester City FC and Spain), Yaya Touré (Manchester City FC and Ivory Coast), Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona and Spain)

Forwards

Sergio Agüero (Manchester City FC and Argentina), Burak Yılmaz (Galatasaray AŞ and Turkey), Edinson Cavani (SSC Napoli and Uruguay), Didier Drogba (Shanghai Shenhua FC and Ivory Coast), Falcao (Club Atlético de Madrid and Colombia), Mario Gomez (FC Bayern München and Germany), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (FC Schalke 04 and Netherlands), Zlatan Ibrahimović (Paris Saint-Germain FC and Sweden), Robert Lewandowksi (Borussia Dortmund and Poland), Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona and Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF and Portugal), Robin van Persie (Manchester United FC and Netherlands)