Messi receives Europe’s golden boot

ZURICH - Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was presented with his second Golden Boot award on Monday in recognition for scoring the most goals in Europe’s domestic leagues last season.The 25-year-old Messi scored a Spanish-league record 50 goals for Barcelona, edging out fellow Spanish league star Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid by four goals.Messi dedicated the award to his teammates, with Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol present for the ceremony in Barcelona.“It is a prize for scoring goals, but without my teammates I couldn’t have scored them,” Messi said. “I share this award with them as I always do.“I don’t fight for individual awards, I fight for titles. My goals are reclaiming the league crown, winning the Copa del Rey and the winning the Champions League again. Those are my goals, team goals.”The Argentina international won his first Golden Boot in 2010 for his 34 goals that helped Barcelona win the league title.He scored an unprecedented 73 goals in all competitions for Barcelona last season, breaking the previous European club record of 67 goals set by Bayern Munich’s Gerd Mueller in 1972-73 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1924-25.In March, Messi passed Cesar Rodriguez’s 57-year-old milestone of 232 goals to become Barcelona all-time leading scorer. He also scored a European Cup-record-tying 14 goals in the Champions League, where he netted a record five goals in one game.Messi is among the favourites to win the 2012 Ballon d’Or for the world’s best player. Players (in alphabetical order):Aguero (Arg), Alonso (Spa), Balotelli (Ita), Benzema (Fra), Buffon (Ita), Busquets (Spa), Casillas (Spa), Ronaldo (Por), Drogba (I.Coast), Falcao (Col), Ibrahimovic (Swe), Iniesta (Spa), Messi (Arg), Neuer (Ger), Neymar (Bra), Ozil (Ger), Pique (Spa), Pirlo (Ita), Ramos (Spa), Rooney (Eng), Yaya (I.Coast), Van Persie (Net), Xavi (Spa).Coaches (in alphabetical order):Del Bosque (Spain national team), Di Matteo (Chelsea), Ferguson (Man United), Guardiola (Barca former coach), Jupp Heynckes (Bayern), Jurgen Klopp (Borussia Dortmund), Joachim Low (Germany national team), Mancini (Man City), Mourinho (Real Madrid), CPrandelli (Italy national team)

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Messi receives Europe’s golden boot