Can Cristiano Ronaldo, Franck Ribéry or Arjen Robben stop the Barcelona maestro taking his fifth successive Fifa world player of the year award? It has become as established a January fixture as the sales and midwinter sludge: the sight of Lionel Messi smiling awkwardly into dancing flashbulbs as he hoists up a golden football the size of his skull. But this year the battle for Fifas Ballon dOr is laced with intrigue. An undisputed champion could yet be toppled. Messi has been excellent in 2013, but not to the extent he was between 2009 and 2012 when he was named the worlds best player four years in a row. Cristiano Ronaldo has been exceptional in an unexceptional year for Real Madrid. And while Bayern Munich are the worlds best team, they have no standout star: might votes for their players be split between the clubs six contenders on Fifas shortlist? Only Fifa, incidentally, could describe the 23 nominees for this years Ballon dOr as a shortlist – and the whims and machinations of its judging panel of national team coaches, captains and journalists is also tricky to fathom. They are supposed to vote solely on achievements during the 2013 calendar year. But reputation, inevitably, will play a part too. That much is obvious scanning the shortlist. Andrea Pirlo, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi all deserve automatic entry into footballs hall of fame but their influence has not been as detectable or delectable in 2013. Xavi is struggling with niggles, while neither Iniesta nor Pirlo have left as many fingerprints on major matches. A players position matters too. Of the 57 Ballon dOr awards, 52 have gone to forwards or attacking midfielders. Only once since 1996 has a defender won – Fabio Cannavaro after leading Italy to the World Cup in 2006 – and 50 years have passed since Lev Yashin became the first and last goalkeeper to be rewarded. So while Manuel Neuer conceded just once – a penalty – in five key Champions League matches against Juventus, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, he can be struck from consideration. Similarly Thiago Silva, despite an excellent year at PSG, hasnt a hope either. You can also rule out Bayerns midfield axis of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Phillip Lahm. Lahm, in particular, deserves far greater recognition for a year where he led his side to the treble, played his 100th game for Germany and went from full-back virtuoso to midfield conductor without missing a beat. He rarely misses a game, or has a bad performance either. Another strong trend is that not since 2004, when Ronaldinho was named Fifas player of the year, has a player won following a trophyless season. It would be a shock if Gareth Bale, despite 18 goals in 25 games from January to May, bucked that given his wretched autumn. Ditto Edinson Cavani, despite being top scorer in Serie A last season, Yaya Touré and Mesut Özil. But Ronaldo has a live chance at being an exception: 28 goals in 27 games from January to June, followed by 18 goals in 15 games this season, is a statement every bit as emphatic as his look-at-me goal pose. Others names can be filed under watch this space. They include Neymar, who has followed a breakout Confederations Cup with an excellent start to his Barcelona career, along with Eden Hazard and Luis Suárez. Thomas Müller, who had the most assists in the Bundesliga last season and was top scorer in Bayerns Champions League campaign, makes that list too. Other talents can be ruled out, including Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie. Simply, there were others who were better in 2013. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored 30 times as PSG won Ligue 1, is a more intriguing candidate given his recent goals but Frances weaker league counts against him. Which leaves us with Messi, Ronaldo, Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben. You can certainly make a case for the latter, given his displays and goals for Bayern in the Champions League against Barcelona and Dortmund. But in Germany they believe Ribéry has the edge. He also creates and scores – 13 goals and 10 assists last season – was voted Bundesliga player of the year but, unlike Robben, individual flashes of genius are interspersed with a determination to fight for every ball. Of course a certain Argentinian cannot be discounted: after all he has 35 goals in 31 games this year despite injuries. The unknown is whether voters will have Messi fatigue or whether his reputation will count for him. You suspect the latter. But given Bayern emphatically usurped Barcelona at the head of world football last May, when tiki- takas feyness was blasted by Teutonic heavy metal, a change in tone with the Ballon dOr winner may well be justified. On 13 January we will find out if voters agree. source:-The Guardian
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 14:05:49 +0000
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