Eliminated in Europe in the group stages, it is inexplicable that Toure can be nominated ahead of Dortmund midfield stars Ilkay Gundogan, Marco Reus and Mario Gotze. The presence of just one Borussia Dortmund player, Robert Lewandowski, is insulting. This is a team which lit up the Champions League in 2013 along with Bayern Munich. Dortmund is also a team that defeated Mesut Ozil’s Real Madrid in the semifinal after a 4-1 thrashing at Westfalenstadion. The playmaker was totally overrun by the above trio in that game and didn’t score a goal for Madrid in 2013 until April. His presence on the Ballon d’Or shortlist is purely a reaction to his high-profile big-money move to Arsenal in the summer, where he has played just eight times since. The inclusions of Eden Hazard and Luis Suarez are less controversial, but also very debatable. Hazard has reserved his best form for the start of the 2013-14 campaign, but if that is sufficient to make the cut then Francesco Totti, Aaron Ramsey and Diego Costa should be inserted too. Suarez has been world class almost every time he has taken to the pitch in 2013, but he has missed almost a third of his club’s games this year due to suspension. Spanish magician Isco - who dragged Malaga to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, was Player of the Tournament at the Under-21 Euros and has begun his Real Madrid career exceptionally - is more deserving than both Hazard and Suarez. The coaching shortlist is also a slave to reputation. Vicente del Bosque, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have all achieved nothing in 2013. Mourinho even confessed upon leaving Real Madrid that 2012-13 had been the worst season of his career. The Special One lost the Copa del Rey final to Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid - the Argentine is just one glaring omission in this category. FIFA needs to consider new ways of deciding the nominees and winners of the Ballon d’Or. The current system - whereby the shortlist is compiled by the FIFA Football Committe and employees of France Football before the final voting is decided by international coaches, captains and journalists – does not work. The 2013 short list is confirmation that names are being selected purely on reputation
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 20:57:33 +0000
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