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)

It's interesting to know who wins the best foreign player award; Kaka or Ibra? Ibra has started the new season brighter than Kaka [but it's the end of the season that really counts and that's where Kaka outshines Ibra]. but everyone knows who was the best player in 2006/2007...

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

Ibra is the favorite to win the best foreign player award, as he has the Serie A title to show for

Ibra had a better Serie A season than Kaka

What this rumour about him getting an £8 million contract? how much would that be weekly

I wouldn't be surprised if Ibra and Kaka shared the title like Suazo/Kaka did last season.

^^^

Kaka was the best player in European championship last season, he'll most probably get the most prestigious individual award out there: the Ballon d'Or.

Ibra was the best player in Italian championship, he'll get an Italian Oscar! sounds fair enough to me!

They would be my picks. I'm surprise Pirlo was nominated for the best Italian player, I though he was largely disappointing in the league for the first half of the season. As for best foreign player, it was a toss-up between Zlatan and Kaka'!

I'd be surprised if he didn't win

Last season in Serie A, until christmas at least, he was disappointing for me. Not sure if the WC took alot out of him or something. There' no hiding the fact that in general, he probably is Italy's best player though.

Even a 50% fit Pirlo would be a devastating Pirlo

Ibra was better then Kaka is Serie A last season. Actually Kaka was only good in Serie A for a couple of months at most. While he was consistant throughout the CL campaign.

Ibra will win this award, but Kaka will hands down win the Ballon d'Or.

I think the only Milan player that has a chance to win it is Pirlo, although he wasn't in his best form in the first part of last season he was great after christmas, Nesta was out most of last season with that shoulder injury and as previously mentioned Ibra was much better then Kaka in the league.

But I think Totti will be the one to win best Italian player, last season was one of his best seasons for Roma

Pirlo should not even be nominated in my view... if last season's Pirlo is in that list then the true Pirlo should be awarded an eternal Golden Ball.

Totti should be given it, hands down!

Definatley

I think Totti is a brash, spoilt kid who's not the best club icon around, but yeah it would have to be Totti.

Baah Totti. Pirlo's the man

I think... you might be a little biased there...