Inter Milan moved to the top of the AP Global 10 soccer rankings by The Associated Press on Tuesday, replacing Barcelona after ending Juventus’ 49-match unbeaten run. Argentine striker Diego Milito was voted player of the week by AP’s panel of 20 international soccer writers, ousting Lionel Messi from the top spot by scoring two goals in Inter’s 3-1 victory over Juventus.
Barcelona was second in the poll, closely followed by Bayern Munich and Manchester United, who are at the top of their respective leagues in Germany and England. Inter scored 165 points out of a possible 200, with Barcelona on 128 and Bayern Munich on 126. Manchester United had 118. Each panelist picks 10 teams and players, with 10 points for first place and one for 10th. The weekly survey includes journalists from Europe, South America, North America and Asia. Milito scored 132 points from the 20 writers, with Brazil’s Neymar on 115, one ahead of Robin van Persie, Manchester United’s Dutch striker. Messi did not score last weekend for Barca and slipped to seventh in the rankings, while Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo fell from second to 10th. Everton’s Belgian striker, Marouanne Fellaini, scored twice in his team’s 2-2 draw with Fulham and entered the rankings for the first time at sixth. Paolo Condo, soccer writer with Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, said: “Inter was able to interrupt a line of 49 wins or draws of Juventus. Neymar scored three goals, and at the end of the match opponents’ fans chanted his name.”
