Zidane scoops world award
Football Italia - March 1999
Italy continued their domination of major trophies when Juventus playmaker Zinedine Zidane romped away with the World Player of Year title to add to the European award that he lifted only a month earlier. France's two-goal World Cup-winning hero received 518 votes, 354 more than runner-up Ronaldo, winner of the annual contest for the last two years and his great rival from Inter. Croatia and Real Madrid striker Davor Suker was their with 108 votes.
Typically, Zidane dedicated the honour to his international and club teammates, but admitted that he had struggled to come to terms with the celebrity status he had acquired after the World Cup. England fans found no evidence of that when he inspired his country to a superb 2-0 victory in February's friendly. Apart from Ronaldo, ZZ follows other Italian-based stars like Milan's George Weah (1995), Juve's Roby Baggio (1993), Milan's Marco Van Basten (1992) and Inter's Lothar Matthaus (1991) who've been voted World No 1 since the awards were inaugurated eight years ago.
Another Italian honour came the way of Dino Zoff. The current Azzurri Coach was inducted into the FIFA-recognised International Football Hall of Fame along with some of the game's other former greats, Just Fontaine, Garrincha, Bobby Moore and Gerd Muller.
