Ronaldo named European Footballer of the Year

Paris (Agence France-Presse): Brazilian World Cup star Ronaldo has been named European Footballer of the Year, the France Football magazine announced on Monday.

Ronaldo, who played for Inter Milan last season before joining Real Madrid after the 2002 World Cup triumph, was voted Europe's best player for a second time.

He was winner in 1997 when playing for Spanish side Barcelona.

Ronaldo's Brazilian and Real Madrid teammate Roberto Carlos was runner-up in the poll with Germany's outstanding World Cup goal- keeper Oliver Kahn third. Fourth was another Real

Ronaldo, also favorite lor Tuesday's 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year award announcement in Madrid, is the fourth two-time winner - the others being Alfredo Di Stefano (1957, 1959), Kevin Keegan (1978, 1979) and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1980,1981).

France's Michel Platini, and Dutch players Marco van Basten and Johan Cruyff have the distinction of winning it three times.

Ronaldo was overjoyed at the decision. "You could say I have had an incredible year," he told Tuesday's edition of France Football. "Hollywood could make films on this and many books could be written.

"It's been a wonderful comeback. For two or three years now it wasn't clear that this would happen. A lot of people doubted if I would keep on scoring goals or if I would recapture my form.

"Frankly, this award is more satisfying than when I won in 1997. This has been something really special. Only great players win it." The winner of the trophy, known as the "Ballon d'Or" or Golden Ball in French, is picked from among 50 players by a European jury representing 52 nations.

The trophy will be presented to Ronaldo on Wednesday when the Spanish giant host a Rest of the World team as part of the centenary celebrations of the nine-time European champion.

Ronaldo, a flop in the 1998 World Cup final, bounced back to finish top scorer in the 2002 tournament, with eight goals, including two in the final against Germany.

The very first European Footballer of the Year was England wizard winger Sir Stanley Matthews in 1956 and England striker Michael Owen won last year's prize.

Up to and including 1994 the award was presented to Europeans only but from 1995, when AC Milan's George Weah of Liberia won, onwards any nationality registered for a European club was eligible.