The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its official website. This award started in 2001 [1] to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football. The UEFA Team of the Year poll for 2007 is the seventh edition of this poll, which has seen nearly 12 million votes cast in previous editions of this popular poll. [2]
In the recent poll, UEFA and its official site allowed its users an additional option of donating to the International Committee of the Red Cross to support landmine victims in Afghanistan. [2].
Selection Process
The writers at the website construct a shortlist of sixty footballers and coaches [1] who have performed well in European club competition for that particular year. Users then go on the website and cast their vote of a lineup consisting of eleven players (including a goalkeeper, four defenders, four midfielders, and two strikers) and a coach based on who they believed excelled in European football.
After the votes are cast, they are tallied and the final team are announced on the website itself.
Appearance records
The player with the most appearances in the team is Thierry Henry who has appeared 5 times. Second are Alessandro Nesta and Carles Puyol (4 times). They are followed by several players with 3 appearances: Zinedine Zidane; Ronaldinho; Steven Gerrard; Pavel Nedved; Gianluigi Buffon; Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry.
The teams with the most player appearances (not including manager appearances) are A.C. Milan and FC Barcelona with 14 appearances. They are followed by Real Madrid C.F. (12), Arsenal F.C. (9) and Juventus F.C. (8).
The manager with the most appearances is Jose Mourinho, with 3 appearances (2 with F.C. Porto, one with Chelsea F.C.). He is followed by Alex Ferguson.
Team of the Year 2001
Coach: 
Gérard Houllier 
Liverpool
Team of the Year 2002
Coach: 
Şenol Güneş Turkey
Team of the Year 2003
Coach: 
José Mourinho Porto
Team of the Year 2004
Coach: José Mourinho Porto
Team of the Year 2005
Coach: José Mourinho Chelsea
Team of the Year 2006
Coach: 
Marcello Lippi Italy
Team of the Year 2007
Coach: 
Alex Ferguson Man United
Team of the Year 2008
Coach: Alex Ferguson Man United
See also
References
- ^ a b UEFA Team of the Year - Awards History, retrieved 2007-12-13
- ^ a b UEFA Team of the Year 2007, retrieved 2007-12-13
External links