Cannavaro's Euro award raises too many questions

	Fabio Cannavaro turned it on for Italy during the five weeks of the World Cup, but what about the rest of the year at the club level? Simon Bruty/SI

Call me offside, but have the scribes over at France Football magazine been hitting the pastis a little too hard again or what? Seriously, you've got to be drunk to believe that Fabio Cannavaro deserves this year's Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year.

Let's analyze it for a moment. Sure, Cannavaro had a wonderful World Cup, one of the most complete and brilliant defensive performances in tournament history. But the Ballon d'Or is given for a full year's worth of brilliance. For the World Cup, the Italian skipper deserved the tournament's Golden Ball that was instead absurdly given to Headbutt Zidane. (Call me offside again, but who was drunk during the FIFA committee meeting decreeing that vote take place before the final?)

If you look at Cannavaro's full year, though, you slam up against these facts: His previous club had to cheat to win its domestic championship -- then was stripped of the trophy and demoted to last place in Italy's second division. In other words, the world's best player was on a team that was relegated, which gives hope to the Sheffield United lads.

When Juventus' empire began to unravel, Cannavaro deserted his club and his fans faster than a rat scurrying off a sinking ship. This one wouldn't be such a big deal, except for the fact that Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon -- another top Ballon d'Or candidate -- decided to stick with Juventus through the storm.

And lastly, Cannavaro hasn't exactly been the most sparkling star in Real Madrid's galaxy. I grant you that manager Fabio Capello has done more to dim all the lights in Madrid than any transformer failure could, but Cannavaro -- once a black hole in the Juventus backline, swallowing up attackers and through balls with his intelligence, cleverness and work rate -- has looked like empty space. Did you see what Lyon's John Carew did to him last week in the Champions League? He made him look like a hung over sportswriter at a Sunday morning pickup game.

Due to all this, I'm heading to the bar. I'll be there all day. Last week when I first heard the rumors -- it became official Monday -- I began planning this day and how I would deal with my disappointment and naturally, decided that fermented denial was the best way. Comprehending the French is always easier when the gears of understanding have been lubricated by a bottle of Bordeaux. Or two.

My D.J./oracle at the bar, Fabrizio, is convinced that Cannavaro somehow colluded with Juventus when the Old Lady bought him in 2004 at a cut-rate price. He was just coming off a long injury and the insinuation is that Cannavaro did want to stay so he extended the injury layoff. I won't go that far, but, hey, it's out in the Nerazzurri ether. And lo and behold, Capello was the coach at Juventus back then -- the same guy who bailed out the 33-year-old Cannavaro with a move to Real Madrid. Hmm ... makes you wonder.

What really makes me wonder, in the end, though, is why people always overstretch when they try to make up for other people's stupid mistakes. So Cannavaro didn't get the Golden Ball in Germany the way he should have. So what? There have been more egregious misjudgments in the history of the world. Let it go. (And yes, I know I'm contradicting my earlier venom.)

It only adds insult to injury, then, to award Cannavaro the Ballon d'Or and place him firmly in the crosshairs of every Tom, Dick, and Harry wondering how exactly Thierry Henry -- who scores 20 goals a year, led France to the World Cup finals, led Arsenal to the Champions League finals and plays always with class and grace -- got shafted again.