Malome Thabsio speaks about the Ballon d’Or list being a joke and why Lionel Messi really shouldn’t win the award, even though he is the best player in the world…
Haha!
That was my initial reaction when I saw the Ballon d’Or nominee list for 2011.
I was a bit intoxicated I admit, but my sentiments remain roughly similar today.
We were at our favourite spot in Tlokoeng when a drinking buddy of mine Lekopokopo asked me why Karim Benzema was on the list, but please tell me why Abidal is there. This is the World Player of the Year nomination after all, the guy kids around the world will be looking up to for the next year.
It’s a joke.
If I were to go all scientific to explain the make-up of the 23-man list, I would say it probably demonstrates that in recent years there hasn’t been that scope of player – the top-class, wow player.
And with the death of the Italian Serie A, the situation is doubtless even worse.
It’s not like ten years ago when such a list would have great players from the Italian league on it, your Batistutas, Tottis, Baggios and Crespos.
Also, because the sheer pre-eminence of three teams – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Spain – it means all focus is in one little corner so to speak, and that is borne out by a list comprising mostly of players from these three sides.
Rightly or wrongly, other players and teams are not really looked at.
In defence you can argue that Barca, Madrid and the Spanish national team are the teams setting and pushing the benchmark in football.
Still, some nominations are just bizarre to be honest.
Thomas Muller? Fantastic at the 2010 World Cup yes, but I’d say Robben and Ribery have made more waves since then, which is what I thought this award would be about. I’d even consider Mario Gomez because he’s just been scoring for fun, a top scorer in Euro 2012 qualifying and one of the most feared strikers in Europe at the moment.
Now if we are talking about true worth over the past 12 months then I would expect a man like Pedro there, or Nemanja Vidic, or even Chicharito... but Benzema? Mexico won the Concacaf Gold Cup just a few months ago and overall Chicha-boy-wonder has been a revelation in world football.
Pedro for his part has been a pillar for Barcelona and apart from Lionel Messi has been Barca’s most potent weapon over the past 12 months.
There’s also Robin Van Persie, he has to be ahead of Sergio Aguero for this past year no doubt.
Anyway, can’t change those names on the list now can we? The big argument is who should win it.
I’d give it to Diego Forlan. Even consider Luis Suarez. It’s about time national achievements are given more weight.
Fine, in my opinion I thought Fifa messed up a bit by giving Cannavaro the award in 2006 (over Ronaldinho)... but thinking about it, he had captained his side the World Cup… Fifa had a point.
Messi is the best on the planet, of that there is no doubt, and if he keeps the going same way he could end up as the greatest ever. But achieving mountainous things with your country has more weight with me, something which Messi hasn’t done.
Even though two wrongs don’t make a right, it would be unfair on previous years (I’m thinking Ronaldinho in particular here, whose decline can to a degree be attributed to the Cannavaro incident) for major national team tournaments, such as the World Cup, to be so disregarded now.
What has changed? Does it mean international football no longer has any worth? If so Fifa should say it.
It was shockingly last year when Messi won the World Player of the Year award ahead of Xavi and Iniesta. We lived with it because we are witnessing the greatest player of a generation. But should Messi win the award he won would become the first player ever to win three in a row, and on closer inspection it demeans the value of international football and very much demeans the need to achieve for one’s country, which to me is still the ultimate judgement of a footballer and their career.
Images of Diego Maradona lifting the 1986 World Cup, Pele in 1970 or Sir Bobby Charlton in 1966 will forever be etched through time. But sadly we are now disregarding this.
To me Forlan has been exceptional, and for a while too. Last year he led Atletico, almost singlehandedly in the latter stages, to the Europa League. He then captained Uruguay to fourth at the World Cup where he won the Golden Ball. Then just three months ago he was monumental again, leading his country to the Copa America.
In my opinion it would be between him and Suarez who, like Forlan, has been instrumental in turning Uruguay into arguably the world’s top national side of the past 12 months. When I was growing up there were only two things I held hallow, the World Cup and the World Player of the Year.
Please don’t demean it and spoil it for me, my kids and future generations to come.
With love from Mokhotlong,
Malome Thabiso
2011 Ballon d’Or nominees
Eric Abidal (France, Barcelona)
Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City)
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| The Divine... The Ballon d'Or |
That was my initial reaction when I saw the Ballon d’Or nominee list for 2011.
I was a bit intoxicated I admit, but my sentiments remain roughly similar today.
We were at our favourite spot in Tlokoeng when a drinking buddy of mine Lekopokopo asked me why Karim Benzema was on the list, but please tell me why Abidal is there. This is the World Player of the Year nomination after all, the guy kids around the world will be looking up to for the next year.
It’s a joke.
If I were to go all scientific to explain the make-up of the 23-man list, I would say it probably demonstrates that in recent years there hasn’t been that scope of player – the top-class, wow player.
And with the death of the Italian Serie A, the situation is doubtless even worse.
It’s not like ten years ago when such a list would have great players from the Italian league on it, your Batistutas, Tottis, Baggios and Crespos.
Also, because the sheer pre-eminence of three teams – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Spain – it means all focus is in one little corner so to speak, and that is borne out by a list comprising mostly of players from these three sides.
Rightly or wrongly, other players and teams are not really looked at.
In defence you can argue that Barca, Madrid and the Spanish national team are the teams setting and pushing the benchmark in football.
Still, some nominations are just bizarre to be honest.
Thomas Muller? Fantastic at the 2010 World Cup yes, but I’d say Robben and Ribery have made more waves since then, which is what I thought this award would be about. I’d even consider Mario Gomez because he’s just been scoring for fun, a top scorer in Euro 2012 qualifying and one of the most feared strikers in Europe at the moment.
Now if we are talking about true worth over the past 12 months then I would expect a man like Pedro there, or Nemanja Vidic, or even Chicharito... but Benzema? Mexico won the Concacaf Gold Cup just a few months ago and overall Chicha-boy-wonder has been a revelation in world football.
Pedro for his part has been a pillar for Barcelona and apart from Lionel Messi has been Barca’s most potent weapon over the past 12 months.
 |
| The Hero... Diego Forlan |
Anyway, can’t change those names on the list now can we? The big argument is who should win it.
I’d give it to Diego Forlan. Even consider Luis Suarez. It’s about time national achievements are given more weight.
Fine, in my opinion I thought Fifa messed up a bit by giving Cannavaro the award in 2006 (over Ronaldinho)... but thinking about it, he had captained his side the World Cup… Fifa had a point.
Messi is the best on the planet, of that there is no doubt, and if he keeps the going same way he could end up as the greatest ever. But achieving mountainous things with your country has more weight with me, something which Messi hasn’t done.
Even though two wrongs don’t make a right, it would be unfair on previous years (I’m thinking Ronaldinho in particular here, whose decline can to a degree be attributed to the Cannavaro incident) for major national team tournaments, such as the World Cup, to be so disregarded now.
What has changed? Does it mean international football no longer has any worth? If so Fifa should say it.
It was shockingly last year when Messi won the World Player of the Year award ahead of Xavi and Iniesta. We lived with it because we are witnessing the greatest player of a generation. But should Messi win the award he won would become the first player ever to win three in a row, and on closer inspection it demeans the value of international football and very much demeans the need to achieve for one’s country, which to me is still the ultimate judgement of a footballer and their career.
Images of Diego Maradona lifting the 1986 World Cup, Pele in 1970 or Sir Bobby Charlton in 1966 will forever be etched through time. But sadly we are now disregarding this.
To me Forlan has been exceptional, and for a while too. Last year he led Atletico, almost singlehandedly in the latter stages, to the Europa League. He then captained Uruguay to fourth at the World Cup where he won the Golden Ball. Then just three months ago he was monumental again, leading his country to the Copa America.
 |
| The Terrible Twins... Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez celebrate, again |
Please don’t demean it and spoil it for me, my kids and future generations to come.
With love from Mokhotlong,
Malome Thabiso
2011 Ballon d’Or nominees
Eric Abidal (France, Barcelona)
Sergio Aguero (Argentina, Manchester City)
Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid)
Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid)
Dani Alves (Brazil, Barcelona)
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, Anzhi)
Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Barcelona)
Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Inter Milan)
Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona)
Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)
Thomas Muller (Germany, Bayern Munich)
Nani (Portugal, Manchester United)
Neymar (Brazil, Santos)
Mesut Ozil (Germany, Real Madrid)
Gerard Pique (Spain, Barcelona)
Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich)
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Liverpool)
Xavi (Spain, Barcelona)
Note: Malome Thabiso wrote this article shortly after the 23-man Ballon d’Or shortlist was announced last month
Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid)
Dani Alves (Brazil, Barcelona)
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, Anzhi)
Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Barcelona)
Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Inter Milan)
Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona)
Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)
Thomas Muller (Germany, Bayern Munich)
Nani (Portugal, Manchester United)
Neymar (Brazil, Santos)
Mesut Ozil (Germany, Real Madrid)
Gerard Pique (Spain, Barcelona)
Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich)
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Liverpool)
David Villa (Spain, Barcelona)
Xabi Alonso (Spain, Real Madrid)Xavi (Spain, Barcelona)
Note: Malome Thabiso wrote this article shortly after the 23-man Ballon d’Or shortlist was announced last month
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