Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, AC Milan striker Kaka and Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu are up for Italian soccer's 'Oscars' to be awarded in January.
The Italian Soccer Oscars are awarded each year, on the basis of votes collected from Serie A players, by the Italian soccer players' association AIC.
The January 19 event at Milan's Auditorium will present prizes to the best Italian and foreign players, best coaches and best referees in the 2007-2008 season, according to voting at last summer's training camps.
There is also a top overall player selected from the winners of the domestic and foreign categories.
Kaka, who scooped world and European soccer's top awards for 2007, beat AS Roma skipper Francesco Totti to the AIC prize last year.
Here are this year's nominations.
Best foreign player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ricardo Kaka, Adrian Mutu.
Best Italian player: Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Andrea Pirlo (Milan).
Best coach: Carlo Ancelotti (Milan), Cesare Prandelli (Fiorentina), Luciano Spalletti (AS Roma).
Best goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon (Juve), Sebastien Frey (Fiorentina), Julio Cesar (Inter).
Best young player: Mario Balotelli (Inter), Sebastian Giovinco (Juve), Marek Hamsik (Napoli).
Best defender: Giorgio Chiellini (Juve), Philippe Mexes (Roma), Alessandro Nesta (Milan).
Best referee: Emidio Morganti, Roberto Rosetti, Massimiliano Saccani.
