WORLD SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Marco VAN BASTEN 1992
Cover-w worthy…Marco van Basten n’s amazing acrobatics
The class of ’92
M
ilan’s marksman supreme – top
scorer in Italy last term with 25 goals and leading the way again this season – topped the World Soccer poll for the second time. Marco van Basten’s previous success was in 1988. Joining him among our trio of award-winners this year, in the magazine’s annual readers’ poll, is Manager of the Year Richard Moller Nielsen of Denmark, with Denmark, not surprisingly, your Team of the Year. Early in the voting, Van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp were neck and neck. But the longer the season continued, and the more steadily Van Basten kept on rattling in the goals for Milan, so the more steadily he pulled away. Denmark’s remarkable year has been reflected in the player poll with third place gained by Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel. The blond goalkeeper had enjoyed a fine season in English domestic competition, made a jittery start to the European finals, then ended up a hero with some superb saves in the semi-final against the Netherlands and then in the final against Germany.
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Milan master… on the volley
