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Goal.com 50: Wesley Sneijder (28)
Our definitive countdown of the best players of 2010-11 continues with Inter's midfield maestro, who enjoyed a positive campaign despite fatigue and some niggling injuries
5 Aug 2011 09:15:00
By Max De Luca
Getty Images
Welcome to the Goal.com 50! In this special series, Goal.com editors worldwide vote for the top 50 players of 2010-11. We count down to the announcement of the winner on August 14 with profiles of each and every player who made it into the top 50...
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It was always going to be a herculean task for Wesley Sneijder to emulate his feats of the 2009-10 campaign with club and country. The 27-year-old was an integral part of the Inter machine that steamrolled over the competition en route to a sensational treble.
He then scored five goals for the Netherlands on their way to the World Cup final where they fell agonisingly short of claiming football's ultimate prize following a 1-0 loss after extra-time to Spain in Johannesburg.
Many believed his exploits would earn him the Fifa Ballon d'Or but he was inexplicably omitted from the final three-man short-list, and Barcelona star Lionel Messi went on to win the award.
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"Yes, Sneijder's brilliant. He's been brilliant for the last year or so for Inter and Holland." - Ex-Manchester United star Paul Scholes
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The previous winner of the Goal.com 50 suddenly had something to prove, but fatigue and turmoil at the club following Rafael Benitez's appointment as coach hindered the playmaker's progress in the early part of the new campaign.
| MOMENT OF THE SEASON |
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| COPPA ITALIA FINAL: INTER 3-1 PALERMO |
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| The Dutchman capped a virtuoso performance by setting up Samuel Eto'o on two different occasions as Inter lifted the Coppa Italia thanks to a 3-1 win over Palermo. |
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He did not score for the San Siro outfit in Serie A until after the winter break, but did pop up with two important goals in the Champions League group stages. Just as it seemed Sneijder was rounding into form an injury at the Club World Cup in December derailed his momentum.
He returned with a vengeance in February, scoring in consecutive Serie A games and prompting Inter legend Alessandro Altobelli to say that Sneijder was living through a "magical" moment.
Sneijder reinvigorated the squad and Inter reeled off 13 consecutive league victories at home, giving AC Milan a scare before conceding the Scudetto to their city rivals.
Despite failing to defend their Serie A and Champions League titles, Leonardo's men did win some silverware as they cruised past Palermo in the Coppa Italia final with Sneijder pulling the strings in midfield.
The Netherlands international has now found himself in the news on a constant basis after Premier League champions Manchester United allegedly upped their interest in him. Sneijder has maintained that he is content in the fashion capital, but has also refused to rule out a summer move to England.
| "The playmaker returned with a vengeance in February, scoring in consecutive Serie A games and prompting Inter legend Alessandro Altobelli to say that Sneijder was living through a 'magical' moment." |
Sneijder seems poised to continue his assault on opposing back lines but the only question remains is whether or not he will terrorise defences in Serie A - or in the Premier League.
Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from 5 Aug 2011 to 6 Aug 2011
Poll runs from 5 Aug 2011 to 6 Aug 2011
Do you agree with Wesley Sneijder's ranking?
Too low
60.28%
Just right
25.98%
Too high
13.74%
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47 Comments
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