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UEFA Team of 2010? Easy.

As we close on another eventful year in European football, it is that time again to pick the best XI players currently playing in Europe today. With a European World Cup Winner, Inter Milan winning the Champions League, and Barcelona playing the kind of football the 1970s Dutch team would be drooling over, 2010 has been an action packed year. So with the help of uefa.com and their vote for the team of the year, we have cobbled together a who’s who of football royalty from the last 12 months. Head to www.uefa.com/community/teamoftheyear to cast your vote.

Goalkeeper – Iker Casillas

Obvious? Maybe, but obvious for one very good reason. The World Cup winning captain gets the nod ahead of nearest competitor  Julio Cesar. Despite a relatively poor domestic season for Madrid, no Team of the year would be complete without the World Cup winning captain. Just See Cannavaro in 2006.

Right Back – Maicon

The so called best full back in World football duly delivered in 2010, helping Inter win the treble and scoring a peach of the goal at the world cup. We can forgive him of his nightmare at the hands of Gareth Bale earlier in the season, with the tactically inept Mr Benitez taking half of the blame for that defeat. Philipp Lahm a close second.

Central Defender – Gerard Pique

The first Barcelona player to make our team, although Brede Hangeland did run him close. Not really. An absolute rock at the back for Spain during the world cup, he has since started the season in superb style for Barcelona as they start their defence of la liga.

Central Defender – Lucio

The best defender in the Champions League last season was at the heart of everything in Mourinho’s Inter team. An outstanding performance against Didier Drogba in the Last 16 set the benchmark, and Inter soon found themselves lifting the trophy after outclassing Munich in the final.

Left Back – Ashley Cole

Controversial. But he is simply the best left back in the world. If this team was solely based on the world cup, you would sooner think about New Zealand’s left back than you would about Ashley. But a double winner with Chelsea last season, and a cross most wingers would be pleased with makes him a genuine world class left back. For his World Cup, Van Bronckhorst gets a worthy mention.

Right Wing – Cristiano Ronaldo

Given the nature of Uefa’s insistence to stick with a 4-4-2 formation, Ronaldo becomes the right winger of the side at the expense of the unlucky Arjen Robben. This lad is phenomenal. So far this season he has scored 27 goals in 26 games in all competitions. Rendering it impossible not to put Ronaldo in the 2010 team of the year.

Central Midfield – Xavi Hernandez

Probably the easiest decision of them all. The Ballon d’Or nominee was scintillating in South Africa and is the heartbeat of a Barcelona side being labelled by some as the greatest ever. Xavi recently equalled the all time Barcelona appearance record and is already on his way to iconic status at Camp Nou. Bastian Schweinsteiger was a not so close second.

Central Midfield – Wesley Sneijder

Terrific throughout last seasons Champions League and carried that form into the World Cup in the summer. The driving force behind a Dutch side that were runners-up in South Africa, and a constant threat for Inter throughout their treble winning season. Unlucky not to be on the final shortlist for Player of the Year.

Left Wing – Andres Iniesta

Not really a left winger, but we have had to force this little magician into the team somehow. World cup winner and Man of the Match in the final, despite being kicked from Jo’burg back to Barcelona, Iniesta would waltz his way into any team in the world. And not even the much coveted Gareth Bale could get a sniff of the left wing spot.

Forward – Lionel Messi

Entirely predictable and a choice every football fan in the world would make. From dismantling Arsenal single handedly in the Champions League, to a goal scoring record verging on the ridiculous, Lionel Messi is well on his way to going down as the greatest player to have ever played the game. All at the age of 23.

Forward – David Villa

The best finisher in world football just makes the team ahead of Diegos Milito and Forlan. The world cup winner has blossomed further since his move to the Camp Nou and has already scored 13 goals for Barcelona this season, including a brace in the 2-0 demolition of Madrid.

There we have it, The Sometimes Beautiful Game’s UEFA team of the year for 2010. Made up of five from Barca, three from Inter, two from Real Madrid and Ashley Cole from Chelsea. Here is hoping for a more English dominated team in 2011.

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