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VISITORS'
COMMENTS INCLUDED: For the fourth
time in a row, Mohamed Zidan has won the only recognised
vote for the best Egyptian player in Europe. Zizou was
voted by EP fans in first place for his performances
at Mainz, while Ahmed Hassan took runner-up and Hossam
Ghaly third place.
Read also:
When the award's poll kicked off in May,
Zidan had expresse a desire to keep his title.
Zizou had said to EP: "If I win first or second
place that would be a big honour for me and be good
for my image. I hope I do win the first place."
And he has, with over half of the EP visitors registering
him as their top player of the season.
Zidan took 5,810 of the 10,874 votes, giving him a
record 53.4%.
Ahmed Hassan took second place with 20.3% - 2,203 votes.
Hossam Ghaly, who performed for Tottenham Hotspur last
season, beat Mido to third place with over a thousand
votes at 9.9%, while Mido picked up 8.7%.
Last season's battle was a closer affair, with around
17,000 fans voting, and Zidan winning at 41.9% against
Mido's 36%.
After winning the EP Visitors' Player of the Season
2005/06 a year ago, Zidan had promised that it would
help him achieve in the Bundesliga. "It's going
to give me a lot more energy to keep my successes going,
and to make every Egyptian football fan very happy and
proud of me." He was up to his promise.
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Fans' Comments:
A huge number of fans' comments on the EP Poll suggested
Ahmed Hassan should have won a higher percentage. It is worth
noting that in May, Zidan had himself said: "If Ahmed
Hassan wins it, he deserves it."
EP visitor Mohamed Sadek wrote: "Ok Zidan was wonderful;
I agree! But Ahmed Hassan made a great achievment as he helped
his club in taking the Belgian League - to become the second
Egyptian player to win an European league after Mido. Hassan
also played well in the Champions League, and he took the
second best player in the Belgian League. Can you imagine
that?"
Khaled Tawfik, like many, felt that though Mainz were relegated,
it meant Zidan had an even tougher job to do well. "Zidan
scored 13 goals in 15 games, which is considered a superb
performance especially that he was playing almost without
any assistance from his team-mates and with a relegated team."
Yehia Khatib commented that Hossam Ghaly was the Player of
the Season as he played in a tough league, managed to start
in a very competitive midfield, and showed himself in a new
position on the righ wing. "Ghaly has proved himself
in a very difficult-to-break-into midfield. He played most
of the
time in a position he never particularly excelled in before.
I must say he proved to himself and to all of us that he can
do it as good as many wingers out there, including Premiership
players. I am proud of him as an Egyptian player"
This season's award marked the first ever season for a player
to win the EP award with more than half of the visitors' votes.
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