Today UEFA published a list of 60 candidates that will form the UEFA Team of the Year 2009. Eleven players and one manager will be chosen by fans from across the world to represent the best of European football over the last year, and the team announced on January 8th 2010. Their are eleven Spaniards on the shortlist along with nine others who ply their trade in La Liga. You can vote for your team at UEFA Team of the Year To make it more interesting, I have chosen an XI not using more than one player from any one team. See my team in the comments below!
GOALKEEPERS: Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United) Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) Víctor Valdés (Barcelona) Júlio César (Inter Milan) Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04)
RIGHT BACKS: Daniel Alves (Barcelona) Maicon (Inter Milan) Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donestsk) Javier Zanetti (Inter Milán) Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)
LEFT BACKS: Patrice Evra (Manchester United) Ashley Cole (Chelsea) Eric Abidal (Barcelona) Aly Cissokho (Lyon) Marcel Schäfer (Wolfsburgo)
CENTRE BACKS: John Terry (Chelsea) Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United) Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) Carles Puyol (Barcelona) Dmytro Chygrynskiy (Barcelona) Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal) Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen) Bruno Alves (Porto)
RIGHT WINGERS: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan) Miloc Krasic (CSKA Moscow) Jesús Navas (Sevilla) Marek Hamcík (Napoli)
MIDFIELDERS: Xavi Hernández (Barcelona) Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid) Yaya Touré (Barcelona) Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan) Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) Kaká (Real Madrid) Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux) Zvjezdan Misimovic (Wolfsburgo) Diego (Juventus)
LEFT WINGERS: Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich) Andriy Arshavin (Arsenal) Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona) Mesut Özil (Werder Bremen)
STRIKERS: Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan) Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburgo) Grafite (Wolfsburgo) Lionel Messi (Barcelona) Fernando Torres (Liverpool) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) David Villa (Valencia) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona) Diego Forlán (Atlético Madrid) Marcus Berg (Hamburg)
MANAGERS: Josep Guardiola (Barcelona) Mircea Lucescu (Shakhtar Donestsk) Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) Laurent Blanc (Bordeaux) Horst Hrubesch (Germany Under-21)