SKOPJE: The strange affair of the FIFA award ballot has taken a new twist with the Macedonia football federation admitting it submitted a wrong vote writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, a loser in the Coach of the Year poll to Spain’s Vicente Del Bosque, had complained about irregularities in the conduct of the election undertaken among coaches and captains of national teams and the media.

FIFA denied any errors but then Goran Pandev, captain of Macedonia, complained that he had voted for Mourinho but his federation had registered as having been for Del Bosque.

The FFM said, in a statement: “When the FIFA questionnaire arrived with us the federation contacted the captain Goran Pandev to ascertain his vote in both categories [coach and player].

“Pandev chose Jose Mourinho as best coach. However, a technical error in completion of the form led the insertion of the name of Vicente Del Bosque. It is clear that Pandev had voted for Mourinho. The federation apologies to both for the mistake.”

Pandev had played previously under Mourinho at Internazionale.

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