Andres Iniesta named as UEFA Best Player in Europe!

Spain and FC Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta was today chosen and then handed the 2011/12 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Iniesta won the award ahead of club team mate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from CF Real Madrid.

The FC Barcelona midfielder, who helped Spain defend their 2012 UEFA European Championship title this summer in Poland and Ukraine, deservingly got the award for his great performances across the season for club and country. What makes it special is that Andres Iniesta finally won an award ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who normally stand ahead of him in rankings and votings.

In a live poll of sports journalists representing each of UEFA's 53 member national associations, Andres Iniesta received 19 votes while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both received 17 votes.

It is interesting to note that no player from 2011/12 UEFA Champions League champions Chelsea FC and beaten finalist FC Bayern Munich made it into the top three with former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba coming seventh and his club mate Petr Cech as joint eighth within the top 10.

Positions four to ten were finalised after each journalist provided a list of their top five players, with the first receiving five points, the second four points and so on:

4. Andrea Pirlo (Juventus, ITALY) (90 points)
5. Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona, SPAIN) (57 pts)
6. Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF, SPAIN) (53 pts)
7. Didier Drogba (Chelsea FC; IVORY COAST) (31 pts)
8. Petr Cech (Chelsea FC, CZECH REPUBLIC) // Falcao (Club Atlético de Madrid, COLOMBIA) (14 pts)
10. Mesut Özil (Real Madrid CF, GERMANY) (10 pts)