Mundo Albiceleste and Hasta El Gol Siempre team-up to let you vote for the best Argentine Player Abroad (2008-2009)

It's our pleasure to announce the nomination period for the annual award our very good friend Sam at Hasta El Gol Siempre gives away to the Best Argentine Abroad.

This time, we have teamed-up to give this voting process a little bit more exposure and, most importantly, to give every Mundo Albiceleste's loyal reader the chance to cast their votes and have a saying in the results.

But first, we need to nominate the players that will be fighting for this award.

In order to do that, you should first read the following basic explanation on how the process works.

You can either read it here below, or visit the excellent Hasta El Gol Siempre, a website devoted mostly to the domestic Argentine league and Argentine football in general.

Nominations for the 2009 HEGS award for Best Argentine Abroad (formerly known as Best Argentine In A Foreign League) are now open. This year the award is being run in conjunction with Seba, John and Roy at the wonderful Mundo Albiceleste, so hopefully we’ll have more voters than ever before.

The award looks to recognise the Argentine footballer who readers feel has performed most impressively for a foreign (that is, non-Argentine) club over the past season, and the previous winners were Lionel MESSI of Barcelona in 2007, and Manchester United’s Carlos TEVEZ last year. Any Argentine player you want to vote for is fair game in this first round of voting, but please only nominate one player. Once the deadline for nominations has passed, the five players with the most nominations will be posted up here on Mundo Albiceleste and over on HEGS, and voting will open again to decide the winner.

As with the previous two years it’s run, the only restrictions are that nominated players must have played for their current side for the whole (or near as dammit) of the 2008-2009 season, and that he’s got to be available for selection in Diego MARADONA’s national side – Darío CVITANICH, Mauro CAMORANESI et al don’t count as Argentine for our purposes! If a player’s at a side whose season doesn’t tie in with the ’standard’ western European season, but has been there for what you feel should be long enough, nominate him anyway – if he’s not eligible we’ll get back to you and allow you a second option.

So, if you think Gabriel HEINZE’s an absolute no-brainer due to his rock-solid performances at the heart of the Real Madrid backline, drop us a line. Perhaps you think Gonzalo HIGUAÍN – who’s outscored club legend Raúl this season – might be a better bet. Still can’t understand why Lucho GONZÁLEZ isn’t playing in Italy, England or Spain? Feel Lucas LOBOS deserves more recognition, or Luciano GALLETTI’s contribution at Olympiakos is overlooked?

Nominations should be emailed to awards@hastaelgolsiempre.com, and to make it easy to remember (and also because the previous two winners’ clubs will be in action that night), will close at midnight Argentine time (4am British Summer Time) on the night of the European Cup final.

So...start sending in those votes!

* Votes coming through the comments' boxes at both websites, will not count for the purpose of the award. We will only consider nominations coming via e-mail.