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By Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport
The Best Fifa Football Awards were filled with elegance sophistication and swankiness at the Teatro alla Scala of Milan.
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and also Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp came up trumps at men’s coach groups and the men’s player.
United States forward Megan Rapinoe won the very women’s player, with her boss Jill Ellis that was international claiming the women’s coach award.
However there was lots going from the approaches of voting to some high profile no-show and yet one or two outfits.
With more than 400 managers, gamers and press representatives voting for the best men’s player (each picking a primary, second and third option ), Cristiano Ronaldo unexpectedly found common ground with Mauritania captain Abdoul Ba along with his Eswatini counterpart Dlamini Banele.
How, you may ask? Well, they were the only 3 people to pick Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt as their pick for player of the year.
Can it be a case of strategic voting from Ronaldo, who was able to exclude winner Lionel Messi from his three? Or a show of solidarity for his Juventus team-mate?
At the 2018 voting Ronaldo also omitted his rival Messi favouring former Real Madrid colleague Raphael Varane.
Messi did include Ronaldo because his second choice . Virgil van Dijk, the other major candidate for the men’s player award, went ahead of Mane and the Liverpool team-mates Mohamed Salah with Messi.
Speaking of Ronaldo…
A moment was when the Fifa Fifpro Men’s Team of the Year has been announced.
Ten titles were read , in formation. Ten players – all present on the point – lined up. And then the hosts proceeded on to another prize.
The absentee? Ronaldo, whose name wasn’t called out but Fifa site confirmed whose inclusion.
So why was that the Portugal captain not there? Juventus travel to Brescia on Tuesday, just 24 hours after manager Maurzio Sarri and the ceremony has suggested Ronaldo may not comprise because of muscular fatigue.
The 60-mile journey was made by juve team-mate De Ligt to Milan, and it is a fantastic point awarded its place between Brescia and Turin.
Messi is due to be in action on Tuesday. His 90-minute trip home to Spain would have taken longer then the drive of Ronaldo back to Turin.
No matter the reason for his lack, Ronaldo was happy evening, posting this Instagram message just as the service was reaching its conclusion.
“Patience and persistence are two attributes that distinguish the professional from the amateur,” he also wrote.
“Everything that’s big now has begun small. You can’t do anything, but do all you can to make your fantasies come true. And keep in mind that following night always comes dawn.”
In a year when a part of manager Marcelo Bielsa’s staff was caught spying out the practice ground of Derby County, a fair play award for Leeds seemed distinctly unlikely.
But their manager and the Championship club – who called a news conference to explain his own hacking in meticulous detail were rewarded following the Circuit’s intervention during their match against Aston Villa in the conclusion of last season.
Mateusz Klich had shopped for Leeds while Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia sought attention, with Villa’s players stopping in the expectation the ball would be pumped out.
Bielsa ordered his players to let Villa to equalise immediately.
Former England defender Micah Richards amazed. “That has got to be a joke!” He said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
His captain Harry Kane and england manager Gareth Southgate were almost at one. Both plumped for Ronaldo Messi and Virgil Van Dijk, though the Tottenham ahead Kane picked Van Dijk moment.
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke proceeded with Van Dijk, Kylian Mbappe along with Sadio Mane, with his captain Andy Robertson selecting Liverpool team-mate Van Dijk before Frenkie Jong and Mane.
Wales manager Ryan Giggs went for Messi Ronaldo and Van Dijk, while former priest Ashley Williams opted for Eden Hazard, Van Dijk and De Jong.
Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill picked Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Messi, and captain Steven Davis went for Messi, Van Dijk and Mane.
They barely registered a mention in the awards ceremony, Even though Manchester City became the first English club to acquire a domestic treble in 2018-19.
They had eight players hammered to the Fifa Fifpro Men’s World11 but Sergio Aguero Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva were all overlooked.
So was director Pep Guardiola, that lost out in the top men’s coach category to Klopp.
Apparently recording that the second-highest points tally at Premier League history – 98 – and winning three trophies is not quite enough.
There were some remarkable outfits on display. Perfect timing given the ceremony happened on the last afternoon of Milan Fashion Week…
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