Translated material
Chronicle
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has announced a list of 23 candidates for the Ballon d'Or - the prize for the best player on the planet at the end of the 2010 season. From this list, the top three candidates will be named in early December, and the name of the award winner will be announced on January 10 next year. Let us remind you that the best player in the world now according to FIFA is the Argentinean Lionel Messi. He can maintain his status.
Here's who else, in addition to the South American, is on the list of contenders: David Villa, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Carlos Puyol (all Spain), Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Müller, Mesut Ezil, Bastian Schweinsteiger (all - Germany), Daniel Alves, Julio Cesar, Maicon (all - Brazil), Arjen Robin, Wesley Sneijder (both - Holland), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Cote 'Ivoire), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana).
The nominees for the title of the best coach in the world are also known, there are ten of them in total. These are Vicente Del Bosque (Spain national team), Josep Guardiola (Barcelona, Spain), Dutchmen Louis van Gaal (Bayern, Germany) and Bert van Marwijk (Holland national team), Portuguese Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid, Spain), Joachim Löw (German national team), Italian Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea, England), Scotsman Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, England), Frenchman Arsene Wenger (Arsenal, England) and Uruguay national team coach Oscar Tabares.
Meanwhile, it became known that the Russian national team will play a friendly match in February next year. The opponent is still unknown, negotiations are underway. Also yesterday, England’s bid committee for the 2018 World Cup filed a complaint with FIFA regarding certain statements made by the general director of a similar Russian bid, Andrei Sorokin, who in one of his interviews allowed himself to cautiously criticize competitors.
Ufa will host world league matches for the first time
The All-Russian Volleyball Federation, in consultation with the FIVB, has determined the cities for home matches of the largest commercial competition for men's national teams. The 2011 World League games will be hosted by Surgut and, for the first time, Ufa.
At the intercontinental round, the Russians were in the same group with Japan, Bulgaria and Germany. Moreover, our team spends the first three game weekends at their sites, and then goes on a long voyage to away matches. Double matches with Japan will take place in Ufa on May 27-29, and fights with Germany and Bulgaria will be held in Surgut on June 3-5 and 10-12, respectively.
It is impossible not to notice that every season the VFW strives to expand the geography of Russian World League matches, which always arouse increased spectator interest in various cities. Meetings of the annual tournament took place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Lipetsk, Belgorod, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Khanty-Mansiysk, Khabarovsk and Kaliningrad. As for Surgut, participants of the 2009 World League have already been seen here. Moreover, last season the highest attendance was recorded at home games of the Russian national team at the preliminary stage - an average of 6,328 spectators at matches in Khabarovsk and Surgut.