[aLbErTo]

The nominees for the Italian Association of Footballers’ Calcio Oscars 2006-07 have been announced.

The awards are voted for by the players of Serie A and will be presented at a ceremony in Milan on January 28, 2008.

World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro won Best Overall Player, Best Italian Footballer and Best Defender last year, but this time around no one player is set to dominate.

Milan’s Andrea Pirlo [pictured] will battle Roma duo Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi for the Best Italian Player prize, while Ballon d’Or favourites Kaka and Zlatan Ibrahimovic compete for Best Foreign Player along with Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu.

Gigi Buffon isn’t eligible for Best Goalkeeper as he was banished to Serie B with Juventus.

The Azzurri shot-stopper has won for five of the last six seasons and Fiorentina’s Sebastien Frey, Inter’s Julio Cesar and ex-Lazio veteran Angelo Peruzzi will look to take advantage.

Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo and Giampaolo Pazzini are up for Best Young Player as is Villarreal hitman Giuseppe Rossi. Marco Materazzi, Philippe Mexes and Alessandro Nesta are the nominees for Best Defender.

The nominations in full:

Best Italian Player: Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Francesco Totti (Roma)

Best Foreign Player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter), Kaka (Milan), Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina)

Best Goalkeeper: Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina), Julio Cesar (Inter), Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio)

Best Youngster: Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Giampaolo Pazzini (Fiorentina), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal)

Best Defender: Marco Materazzi (Inter), Philippe Mexes (Roma), Alessandro Nesta (Milan)

[dst]

Ibra was not worse than Kaka in Serie A last season!