Getty Images Pele, Shakira, Lionel Messi, Xavi and Gerard Pique in Zurich,
Switzerland.
The FIFA World Player/Manager of the Year/Ballon d'Or ceremonies tonight in Zurich, Switzerland, were a celebration of FC Barcelona excellence over the past year.
Josep "Pep" Guardiola was named the 2011 Manager of the Year, and his player, Lionel "Leo" Messi, won the 2011 FIFA Player of the Year/Ballon d'Or honor for the third year on the trot. In the balloting for the player Ballon d'Or, Xavi came in third place and Andres Iniesta, fourth, to further represent the Blaugrana. Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid was runner-up to Messi.
Homare Sawa of Japan won the 2011 FIFA Player of the Year/Ballon d'Or for women.
Getty Images Lionel Messi, Homare Sawa, and Abby Wambach in
Zurich, Switzerland.
Josep Guardiola
Getty Images Josep Guardiola in Zurich, Switzerland.
"Quisiera compartir este premio con Mourinho y Ferguson y con todos los entrenadores del mundo que aman este deporte. Se lo quiero dedicar también a los miles de personas que han trabajado en el Barcelona durante muchos años. Es un privilegio y un honor formar parte de este grupo que es el Barcelona".
"Para acabar, quiero dedicar este premio a Tito Vilanova, mi compañero, mi asistente, Va por tí Tito".
"I would like to share this award with Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson and with all of the managers of the world who love this sport. If I can, I want to dedicate it also to the thousands of persons who work for Barcelona for many years. It's a privilege and an honor to be part of this group that is Barcelona."
"Finally, I want to dedicate this award to Tito Vilanova. My good friend and my assistant. It's going to you, Tito."
"Es un placer muy grande ganar este premio por tercera vez. Quiero agradecer y compartir el premio con la gente que me votó, con mis compañeros del Barcelona y de la selección argentina y éste lo quiero compartir con mi amigo Xavi. Es la cuarta vez que estamos juntos en esta gala".
El argentino acabó dejando este mensaje a su amigo Xavi: "Tú también te lo mereces y para mí es un placer estar contigo en la cancha y en esta gala"."Xavi, tú también te lo mereces"
"It's a great pleasure to win this award for the third time. I want to thank and share the award with the people who voted for me, with my teammates at Barcelona and the Argentinean national team. And I want to share this with my friend, Xavi. It's the fourth time that we've been together at this gala."
"Xavi, you also deserve this award."
"No juego para ganar el Balón de Oro, pienso en el equipo, en el colectivo, en ganar cosas con el Barcelona y con la selección española, con la que este verano tenemos la Eurocopa. He venido a disfrutar de la gala, a disfrutar de todo esto, de la buena salud del Barcelona, de la selección española. A disfrutar con Leo, de su tercer Balón de Oro, que se lo merece".
"La mención de Messi es más importante que cualquier premio".
"I don't play to win the Ballon d'Or. I think of the team as a whole to win things with Barcelona and the Spanish national side with whom this summer we have the Euro 2012.
I came to enjoy the gala, to enjoy everything about it, the good health of Barcelona and the Spanish national team. To enjoy it with Leo (Messi), his third Golden Ball, that he deserves."
"What Messi said is more important than any award."
Spanish source of quotes: Marca, 9 January 2012.
Fixture List for Liga BBVA 2011/2012 (PDF)
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