Ballon D'Or 2011

1

[left]

Eight Barca stars on Ballon D’Or shortlist

Tuesday, November 01, 2011 - 07:54 AM

European champions Barcelona lead the way on the 23-man shortlist for the prestigious Ballon D’Or, which was released by FIFA this morning.

Barca have eight nominees on the list, including Lionel Messi, winner for the last two years, with close rivals Real Madrid boasting five.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman to make the grade.

Rooney has bounced back from an awful 2010, helping to guide United to their record 19th league title, reach their third Champions League final in four seasons and contribute to a rapid start to this campaign before the shuddering derby defeat to Manchester City.

Yet the only other United player listed for the award is Nani, who won his club’s players’ player of the year prize but was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up for the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona at Wembley by Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson has been nominated in the coach of the year category, along with Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Only five players on the shortlist have Premier League connections, two of which – Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero – spent only half of 2011 in England - compared to 15 in Spain.

Liverpool’s Luis Suarez has been included and while Manchester City fans will be delighted at the recognition afforded to Aguero, they may be surprised at David Silva’s omission.

Player nominees: Eric Abidal (France), Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Karim Benzema (France), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Dani Alves (Brazil), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Nani (Portugal), Neymar (Brazil), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Gerard Pique (Spain), Wayne Rooney (England), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), David Villa (Spain), Xabi Alonso (Spain), Xavi (Spain).

Coach nominees: Vicente Del Bosque (Spain/Spain national team), Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United FC), Rudi Garcia (France/Lille OSC), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona), Jurgen Klopp (Germany/Borussia Dortmund), Joachim Low (Germany/Germany national team), Jose Mourinho (Portugal/Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay/Uruguay national team), Andre Villas-Boas (Portugal/FC Porto, Chelsea, Arsene Wenger (France/Arsenal).

Read more: http://examiner.ie/breakingnews/sport/eight-barca-stars-on-ballon-dor-shortlist-526607.html#ixzz1cRTBZ6Nl

[/left][/left]

2

Would have thought that Busquets would have been far more deserving of an nomination that Abidal. No room for Cavani either!

  1. Messi
  2. Ronaldo
  3. Xavi
3

Shocking list.

I am disgusted to see Serie A so underrepresented. No Cavani, Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi or Thiago Silva?

And you get dumplings like Nani and players who haven’t kicked their arse in the past year like Sneijder and Forlan on it?

I hope young Neymar does really well.

4

I still can’t get my head around how Abidal is on it

5

Sympathy vote, sure he missed a major chunk of last season and was even a guaranteed starter. I have little time for this award and feel it is anti-Italian given how they constanty overlooked the likes of Maldini, Pirlo, Totti and Vieri when they were up there in the top 3 players in the world.

6

Messi will walk this

7

Shortlist of Messi, Xavi and Ronaldo.

Messi will win at a canter

8

Ireland capt Robbie Keane plumped for Iniesta as best player of 2011, with Messi and Wesley Sneijder completing his selection.

Lionel Messi not in Giovanni Trapattoni’s top three for FIFA Ballon d’Or. Trap gave 1st pref (5pt) to Barca’s Xavi, Rooney 3pts, Iniesta 1pt

9

The FIFA/FIFPro World XI: Casillas, Ramos, Pique, Vidic, Alves, Iniesta, Xavi, Alonso, Ronaldo, Rooney, Messi.

10

Messi, big surprise.

11

:strokechin:

What the fuck was EPL Trap at picking Rooney ahead of Messi ffs…

12

Joachim Low wins Coach of the Year 2014

13

Wrong thread, mate.

14

When David Luiz is in the team of the year its hard to take these awards seriously.

15

Superb to see John Delaney on stage to collect the Ballad D’Or for Joe McDonnell.

16

Thief

17

Enrique talking about how good Messi is must be killing him.

18

Incorrect.

19

A nation holds its breath…

…Christian Karembeu is on stage to present the Puskas Award.

20

James Rodriguez is the winner…