Ronaldo's stars align as he tops the Goal.com 50

 

This year's Goal.com 50 has been announced with Cristiano Ronaldo revealed as the top player of the past 12 months.

Real Madrid team-mate Iker Casillas was surprisingly placed second with Lionel Messi shunted down to third after Los Blancos' title-winning exploits in La Liga last term.
The list has sparked debate and intrigue among fans and pundits alike, and is likely to continue to do so for time to come.

Not everyone has the time to pore over the facts and stats of the list in full so we have brought the entire 50 to you in the simplest of forms.
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Chelsea's Drogba love story comes to an end

 

Didier Drogba confirmed on Tuesday that he will leave Chelsea this summer after an eight-year spell in west London in which he has cemented his place as a club legend.

The Ivorian's last kick for the Blues came in Saturday's Champions League final victory, with his penalty sealing a dramatic win for Roberto Di Matteo's side and also his very own fairytale swansong.

While John Terry made a last ditch attempt to persuade Drogba to stay during Sunday's open-top bus parade, Chelsea have no choice but to accept the 34-year-old's decision, handing Fernando Torres the opportunity to take up his mantle in the side.

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Unhappy Torres

 

Torres uncertain over Chelsea future after 'disappointment' of missing out on Champions League final start

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Chelsea victory written in the stars

 

As Chelsea lifted the Champions League trophy on Saturday night following an unlikely victory over Bayern Munich, it was hard not to feel that fate had played a large part.

The turnaround against Napoli, a backs-to-the-wall performance against Barcelona and, finally, shoot-out success in Bayern's own stadium all capped a campaign which seemed destined for success against the odds.

When ex-Chelsea winger Arjen Robben missed an extra-time penalty, it felt as though Roberto Di Matteo's side would continue to be bestowed with luck until they actually lifted the trophy.

Didier Drogba, a man who played such a large part in the Blues' presence in Munich, scored the crucial equaliser and winning penalty said it all...
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Chelsea pensioners enjoy FA Cup

 

Goals from Ramires and Didier Drogba helped Chelsea to a 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

The Wembley win is a concrete sign of the turnaround in fortunes at the club since Andre Villas-Boas' departure in March, with interim boss Roberto Di Matteo leading the west Londoners to silverware and a Champions League final later this month.

Now, with the Blues securing their fourth win in the competition in six years, it seems the Chelsea pensioners are enjoying the comfort of the FA Cup...

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Blues will not be following their leader

 

John Terry missed out on a chance to redeem himself for his penalty miss in the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow, after a moment of madness from the Chelsea skipper saw him knee Alexis Sanchez in the back in the first half of the Blues' semi-final second leg against Barcelona at Camp Nou.

The ensuing red card means Terry will miss the final itself this time around, as his team-mates went on to defend valiantly for the best part of an hour without a recognised centre-half to book their ticket to the May 19 final in Munich in the most thrilling of circumstances.

The Chelsea bus rolls on to their next destination, but Terry will have to hitch a ride in the Lionel Messi boat after the Argentine fluffed his penalty and will also miss the final.

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Chelsea bus arrives at Camp Nou

 

Chelsea managed to defy the odds when they kept Barcelona off the scoresheet and secured a 1-0 semi-final win over the reigning Champions League holders at Stamford Bridge last week, but will they be able to repeat the feat at Camp Nou in the second leg?

The Blues' interim coach Roberto Di Matteo has insisted that his side will take the game to the Blaugrana in Catalunya in a bid to extend their advantage. Pep Guardiola, however, remains wholly confident that his Barca outfit will be able to defeat the west Londoners and that Lionel Messi will return to form having failed to score in the club's previous two fixtures.

Will Di Matteo keep his word and attack Barca from the start, or will he opt for the old park the bus routine?

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Didier leaves the Barca Boys trailing in his wake

 

In the wake of Bayern Munich's victory over Real Madrid on Tuesday, all eyes were on Chelsea to inflict similar punishment of their own in their semi-final first leg against Barcelona. The Blues were forced to adopt a counterattacking style against the competition holders, who unsurprisingly dominated possession for the most part, but in football you must grab your chances - something Barcelona appeared to take for granted, while Chelsea ensured their only shot of the evening counted for something.

However, their scalp over the Blaugrana would not have been accomplished without match-winner, Didier Drogba, who netted his third goal against Pep Guardiola's men. But arguably it will be his off-the-ball antics, rather than his goal, that will live longest in the memory. One criticism of the Ivorian is that he tends to fall to the ground a little too easily, despite his powerful physique, as evidenced by his countless trips to the Stamford Bridge surface. Still, the experienced forward had Carles Puyol and Javier Mascherano trailing in his wake throughout the evening!


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Can money make Drogba's world go round?

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Abramovich adds another pawn to his chessboard

 

There seems no stopping Andre Villas-Boas and his rebuilding plans at Chelsea, as the arrival of Gary Cahill is likely to be the first of many through the revolving door.

However, the manager's policy of squad rotation and the disposal of several experienced heads from the team has made for an uncertain state of affairs - almost as much so as David Luiz's defending.

The ruthless style exhibited by the 34-year-old gaffer sees the Brazilian stopper likely to become the sacrificial lamb, while Frank Lampard remains in the cold despite his recent goalscoring form.

But chairman Roman Abramovich has come up with a solution - treat the game as a chess board!

Enter Ashley Cole as the queen, John Terry as the king and an unhappy Lampard as a ... rook? Told you it was confusing - and that's not even taking into account the conundrum involving Didier Drogba or Fernando Torres. 
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Drogba sends the bat out

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Drogba from Zero to Hero

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The truth about Drogba and malaria

Between the absence of the Ivorian Drogba in his game against Liverpool, and the news of his infection of the malaria, this might be the truth

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Eid Adha mubarak

Sheep: People... the ball is back there

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