Hey folks, When it comes to picking the best players in the world, naming a super star or picking the player of the year it always looks like they only look in two places, Madrid and Barcelona. Or at least players in the Spanish league. Messi, Ronaldo, Zidane, Xavi and the other Ronaldo have been the big winners over the last decade or so. The only other winners I can remember are Kaka and Connavaro, both playing in Italy. Many of the players in Spain do have some impressive stats for sure, one example being Ronaldo's 53 league goals last season. Players never score that many goals in the Premier League, and in fact, players who have scored goals galore in other Leagues rarely match their goal scoring stats after moving to the Premier League. For example, Ronaldo was hailed the best player in the Premier League by many when he was in England. In his best season in England he scored 42 goals, 31 of which were in the League (according to Wiki). As for Messi. People always complaining that he never performs so well against English clubs in the Champions League. From this I just cant help but think that Spanish sides are poor defensively. I'v always thought Messi wouldn't do as well in England as he does in Spain. He'd do well enough I'm sure, but I cant see him hitting even 25 league goals, even he even gets 20. So, in support of all those 20+ Premier League goals a season players, where's their Ballon D'Or.
fifa seems to think that the population of the world only likes attacking football and their ethos has no place for defencive teams. I bet they were gutted when Greece won the euo championships
Its only the last few years that the players in Spain has sewn it up exclusivly. That conicides with Spain winning the World cup and Barca the CL twice in 3 years. As for 2011 I think most people would agree that Real are probably the 2nd best team in Europe right now and the PL is weak at the top this season (borne out by our results in Europe) Who apart from RVP (who the nominations came too early for) could seriously claim to have had better seasons than Messi, Ronaldo and Xavi? Only the Talk Sh*te radio and SkySports Publicity believing fanboys would have any argument with those nominees! If you look at the nominees there are plenty from the PL between 2005 and 2008 when PL clubs were dominating the CL. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d'Or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Ballon_d'Or
Who said Real Madrid are 2nd best team in Europe? no way how could they be as United got to the CL final? Well according to them anyways
Because La liga has the best players in the world at the moment. Who would you nominate from the premiership, RvP? Rooney? Suarez? Neither of them are as good as Messi or Ronaldo. Also saying Spanish sides are poor defensively is such a cliched stereotype, the likes of Blackburn, Villa, Bolton etc aren't exactly the masters of the defense.
But players who are super scorers in Spain never pull it off against English teams. The same often applies at world cups to.
I'm sure he moved to Real after the world cup (Juve were relegated for match fixing) so technically he was also in Spain when he picked up the award. You can't deny the two best teams in the world right now are Barcelona and Madrid though. I also don't think CRonaldo's ever deserved to win it, there's always been someone slightly better than him as good as he's been.
Different tactics in different leagues, that's why hardly any English players play for Spanish teams because they don't have the patients or the technical ability to last out there, only the best we have could do this.
