Football Corner

Three players have been placed on the FIFA World Player Of The Year awards shortlist. One of the players play's at Chelsea while the other two play at Spanish giants Barcelona. Frank Lampard, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o are the three players and I persopnaly think that the result of the winner is a four gon conclusion, Ronaldinho. On Monday the 25-year-old Brazilian, who this year also won the inaugural FIFpro award, was named the 2005 European Footballer of the Year.

Ronaldinho with the award last year
Lampard, the footballer of the year in England last season, came second to Ronaldinho for the European award. It is the first time the Chelsea midfielder has been shortlisted for the Fifa award, which will be announced on 19 December. On Saturday Lampard broke the record for consecutive appearances in the Premiership. He marked his 160th appearances in a row with a goal in the 2-0 away against Portsmouth.

Previous Fifa World Player of the Year winners:
2004 - Ronaldinho
2003 - Zinedine Zidane
2002 - Ronaldo
2001 - Luis Figo
2000 - Zinedine Zidane
1999 - Rivaldo
1998 - Zinedine Zidane
1997 - Ronaldo
1996 - Ronaldo
1995 - George Weah
1994 - Romario
1993 - Roberto Baggio
1992 - Marco van Basten
1991 - Lothar Matthaus

Middlesbrough defender Abel Xavier has decided to appeal against FIFA's decision to ban him from playing football for another 18 months. The 32-year-old tested positive for a banned steroid after Boro's Uefa Cup game in Xanthi on 29 September. Uefa has confirmed Xavier has lodged an appeal and a hearing is likely to take place early in 2006. Xavier has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and is understood to have told Uefa he unknowingly took the drug in a contaminated supplement. The former Liverpool and Everton player was banned at a hearing in Nyon after being found guilty of testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid dianabol.

Uefa said in a statement: "The player was found guilty of being in breach of the Uefa anti-doping regulations. As a result, the Uefa control and disciplinary body decided to impose an 18-month ban on Abel Xavier." Middlesbrough have yet to make an official response to Xavier's ban but it is believed they will immediately terminate his contract if his appeal is turned down. The club signed the Portuguese international for a year on a free transfer in August following his release by Italian side Roma. He has been capped 20 times by Portugal and has played for both Liverpool and Everton as well as Benfica, Galatasaray and PSV Eindhoven.

I personaly think that there isn't a chance of FIFA changing their decision to ban Xavier for 18 months. In the first place I think Xavier was stupid for taking the drugs. I am very much behind FIFA in these kind of cases because it's about time that the matter should be taking much much more seriously and I think Xavier's ban should of been about 24 months instead of the 18 month ban that was handed out.

Club record goalscorer Thierry Henry became the first player to net 100 goals at Highbury as Arsenal were made to work for victory over Blackburn. Cesc Fabregas shot Arsenal into an early lead but Rovers reacted strongly with Craig Bellamy a constant threat. Henry made it 2-0 just before half-time as Arsenal looked comfortably on top. Bellamy and David Thompson went close with headers as Rovers refused to give up, before Robin van Persie's stunning late effort gave Arsenal all three points. Great result for the Gunners and it lifts them to 2nd in the Barclays Premiership table. Full match report: BBC Football, Sky Sports.

Other Premiership results from Saturday:

Aston Villa 1-0 Charlton, Attendance: 30,032
Davies 68

Man City 0-1 Liverpool, Attendance 47,015
Riise 60

Sunderland 0-1 Birmingham, Attendance 32,442
Gray 67

Wigan 1-2 Tottenham, Attendance 22,661
Wigan: McCulloch 89 and Tottenham: Keane 7, Davids 76

Portsmouth 0-2 Chelsea, Attendance 20,182
Crespo 26, Lampard 66 (p)

A middlesbrough fan has been fatally stabbed whilst in Amsterdam after Boro's UEFA Cup game against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday. Police have also confirmed that another man suffered serious injuries following the match which took place around about 40 miles from the Dutch capital.A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "We are in regular contact with police in Holland following information received by Cleveland Police this morning of an attack that took place in Amsterdam."This incident resulted in the death of one man and severe injuries to another man."

This is shocking news for every football fan around the country because all the man was probably trying to do was watch his side play in a UEFA Cup game but instead his family and friends are going to feel the pain and grief. Now I don't know the full details of this story but it has really shocked me on the day a very very famous footballer, George Best, died. A very bad day for football.