The vote to select the best Brazilian player in Europe this year will begin this coming Saturday, 1 December.
Sambafoot.com can exclusively reveal the 30 players nominated for the award and who will compete for one month to win the fifth edition of the trophy and succeed Thiago Silva, winner of last year’s trophy in the colours of AC Milan.
As with every year, the election will be composed of three voting groups: the internet users of the world (more than 115000 voted in 2011), eleven former players of the Brazil National Team (Cafu, Rai, Carlos Alberto Torres…) and also eleven journalists specialised in Brazilian and European football, last year including the BBC’s Tim Vickery and ESPN regular Andy Brassell.
The list chosen this year offers some surprises, with the notable absence of former winners Kaka and Maicon, as well as Robinho and Oscar, with the latter arriving in Europe too late for consideration.
There are also new candidates for the award such as 35-year-old centre-back Vitorino Hilton, champion of Ligue 1 with Montpellier, and Giuliano, the Dnipro attacking-midfielder who recently returned to the Seleção.
Voting will begin on Saturday on Sambafoot.com, without the need to register to participate.
The 30 nominees to win the Samba Gold Trophy 2012:
- Adriano – Barcelona (Spain)
- Alan – Braga (Portugal)
- Alex Teixeira – Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
- Cleiton Xavier – Metalist (Ukraine)
- Daniel Alves – Barcelona (Spain)
- Dante – Bayern Munich (Germany)
- David Luiz – Chelsea (England)
- Diego – Wolfsburg (Germany)
- Diego Alves – Valencia (Spain)
- Felipe Melo – Galatasaray (Turkey)
- Fernandinho – Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
- Fernando – FC Porto (Portugal)
- Filipe Luis – Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- Giuliano – Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine)
- Hernanes – Lazio (Italy)
- Hilton – Montpellier (France)
- Hulk – Zenit St-Petersburg (Russia)
- Jonas – Valencia (Spain)
- Lima – Benfica (Portugal)
- Luiz Gustavo – Bayern Munich (Germany)
- Maicon – FC Porto (Portugal)
- Marcelo – Real Madrid (Spain)
- Miranda – Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- Nene – Paris SG (France)
- Rafael – Manchester United (England)
- Ramires – Chelsea (England)
- Sandro – Tottenham (England)
- Taison – Metalist (Ukraine)
- Thiago Silva – Paris SG (France)
- Willian – Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
Countries represented:
- Spain: 7
- Ukraine: 6
- England: 4
- Portugal: 4
- France: 3
- Germany: 3
- Italy: 1
- Russia: 1
- Turkey: 1
Samba Gold Honours Board:
- 2011: Thiago Silva (AC Milan)
- 2010: Maicon (Internazionale)
- 2009: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla)
- 2008: Kaka (AC Milan)
