So today the shortlist came out for the Ballon D'or. Lots of very famous players are of course included. But one obvious name is missing. Luis Suarez. Luis Suarez was the leading scoring the Premier League last season with 31 goals despite missing the opening 6 games of the season. Of course we did have the bite at the World Cup. But should that real ruin things? Lets discuss. Shortlist in full: Fifa world men's player of the year shortlist: Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Diego Costa (Spain, Chelsea), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Angel Di Maria (Argentina, Manchester United), Mario Gotze (Germany, Bayern Munich), Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Paris St-Germain), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid), Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany, Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil, Barcelona), Paul Pogba (France, Juventus), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Arjen Robben (Netherlands, Bayern Munich), James Rodriguez (Colombia, Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Manchester City). Fifa coach of the year shortlist: Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Antonio Conte (Juventus/Italy national team), Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klinsmann (USA national team), Joachim Low (Germany national team), Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City), Alejandro Sabella (Argentina national team), Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Louis van Gaal (Netherlands national team/Manchester United). The coach shortlist is a joke. If they include Mourinho they might as well include Rodgers. Both won nothing but we finished higher in the league.
It's a shame but not surprised - you can't bite someone (3rd time in his career) and expect to be put on that stage.
Suarez should be on it, Hazard is and Suarez was miles better than many on the list. He's a dick but he was one of the best players in the world last year ahead of Messi and Neymar but behind Ronaldo. Ronaldo will win it hands down, only Suarez could compete with him but being in and winning the CL puts him out in front, he was pants at the WC. Suarez was much better, till the stupidity anyways. Give it to Ronaldo now, might as well.
Almost impossible to get nominated without a decent showing in the Champions League or international matches. No CL matches this year, and a WC which consisted of two goals against the whipping boys and a suspension were never going to leave him anywhere near being nominated imo, even without the biting.
This list obviously has more to do with who FIFA want to invite to their party than who deserves recognition for good work
There's no way they could include Suarez for obvious reasons. The point about Mourinho being included ahead of Rodgers is valid although in truth neither deserved to be on the list. In a World Cup year there will always be a few coaches from national sides chosen and they've included the coaches of the teams that finished first, second and third. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone other than the extremely stupid. #outragedasalways
I agree neither Mourinho or Rodgers should be on. The managers of the teams who won the worlds biggest leagues should be on, plus CL finalists and the most successful from the world cup. But I also feel that a lot of managers lwer down achhieve great things. Taking over a club who look certain for relegation and saving them with a strong finish can be as impressive as winning the CL in some cases. Diego Simeone is the obvious winner for me.
ermmmm... i am undecided. I feel he did great but only played domestically and f'd up his world cup. I general i feel had he not bitten a player... well he'd have probably been on the list. Overall its prob fair as his actions should have consequences... anyway... its ronaldos this year again without question
It's a guess list to a party, nothing more nothing less. Every man and his dog knows Ronaldo will get the main prize. So they just pack it out with household names rather than actually looking at the leagues to see who has done the best. For me Simeone should be in with a shout, the guy has done wonders at Atletico. Suarez was never going to be there after what he did. But I disagree with Swarbs that he wouldn't be there without the bite. For me he would be a dead cert to be there if not for that, he was head and shoulders above anyone in the PL last year. Not just slightly better, but absolutely head and shoulders above anyone. Just because he wasn't playing in the CL shouldn't matter if these muppets did their reseach properly. But like I said it's a guest list nothing more - extremely ****ing lazy to be quite honest.
Personally, I wouldn't include Pellegrini in the coach's list. If all they're going to do is pick from a list of winners then a child could do it. As has been pointed out, teams lower down often display proportionally more impressive achievements, given their starting point and circumstances. For me, City are still serious under-achievers given their resources. They should have walked the PL last season but only scraped it because we slipped up at the last minute, and they're certainly not sweeping all before them this time around either. As for Goofy well, the no CL point is valid, but unjust- again it suggests that the selectors look no further than the obvious, high profile candidates. His perennial bad boy image is a more pertinent factor. Whether it should affect judgement of his performances on the pitch is debatable, but as the incidents all occur on the pitch, I would argue that they probably are relevant. Given the simplistic, undemanding nature of these things, I really can't see the prizes going to anyone other than Ronnie and Löw.
Personally, I have three thoughts with this... 1) he should be on the list because he was outstanding last season 2) we didn't play in Europe though so very difficult to be considered 3) I don't give a **** who is on or off the list ...
This is stupid anyway as it's always the same players. Not meeee if they have a good or bad eye at, same players get included constantly. Iniesta wasn't great but can't be left off because he is a famous name playing for Barca. Same with coaches, same ones every year even if their team does nothing that year. As mention above, what pullis did with QPR is a far better achievement than what moutinhodid with Chelsea.
I would really to see Lahm win it this year - it's rare for a defender to win but he won the Bundesliga and World Cup. Ronaldo will probs win because his performances are more visible i.e. goals etc which are easily measured. But Lahm has been one of the best players in the world for a number of years.
I think it's a shame for the very close also-rans that Ronaldo and Messi have been so good for so long, it means a whole group of players will all be past it at the same time without winning the main prize. As for Suarez omission I'm torn between - he was the best player in the PL, golden boot winner, so deserves to be there and - morally he shamed football on a global scale so doesn't The coach list
I would love to see a keeper win it. Neur is the best keeper to ever play the game in my opinion, he's like having a keeper and an extra defender in your team.
