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Tag: Ballon d’Or

  • Jorginho knows he doesn’t deserve Ballon d’Or – Cassano

    Jorginho knows he doesn’t deserve Ballon d’Or – Cassano

    Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano has dismissed talk of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho winning the Ballon d’Or.

    And he insists Jorginho agrees with his opinion.

    Cassano told Bobo TV: “Do you remember when I said that the journalist who votes for Jorginho for the Ballon d’Or should have his license revoked? Well, I was in Formentera with my family and just as I sat down I felt a touch.

    “‘Antonio, you are amazing!’, the voice said. I turned around to ask who he was, he took off his glasses and mask, and it was Jorginho.

    “I said to him, ‘Jorgi, can you understand the scandal if they would give you the Ballon d’Or instead of Messi?’ He replied that he absolutely agreed with me, Messi should always win the prize. Now I admire Jorginho even more. We talked for 90 good minutes. He is an exceptional guy, very intelligent, humble and polite.”

  • Humble Kante deserves Ballon d’Or recognition – Terry

    Humble Kante deserves Ballon d’Or recognition – Terry

    Chelsea legend John Terry is adamant N’Golo Kante deserves Ballon d’Or recognition.

    Kante won the Champions League with Chelsea last season.

    Terry said on Stadium Astro: “Kanté plays for 11 players on his own. What he does, it goes so unnoticed. He is a very high level player.

    “I would love to see him win the Ballon d’Or or receive the appreciation that I think he deserves.

    “He’s such a humble man. He just does his job on the field and stays out of trouble. He has been a great asset for the football club and we are very lucky to have him at Chelsea, that’s for sure.”

  • Jorginho deserves Ballon d’Or – Zola

    Jorginho deserves Ballon d’Or – Zola

    Chelsea great Gianfranco Zola insists Jorginho would be a worthy Ballon d’Or winner.

    Zola thinks his fellow Italian has done more to clinch the award than Robert Lewandowksi and Lionel Messi.

    “Should they give it to Jorginho?” Zola said. “It would be deserved. He gives concrete balance and pace to his teams.

    “I was lucky to coach him at Chelsea and I know what he does on the pitch.”

    Jorginho has had a fantastic year after winning European trophies for both club and country. If he does clinch the individual award, he’ll be the second player to win it not named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi since 2008, after Luka Modric’s win in 2018.

    “It would be deserved because not only were his performances at a high level, but the teams he played for have been outstanding.

    “That must be taken into account.”

  • Can I win the Ballon d’Or? – Jorginho

    Can I win the Ballon d’Or? – Jorginho

    Chelsea midfielder Jorginho won’t rule himself out of the running for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

    Jorginho has finished the season a Euro 2020 winner with Italy and a Champions League winner with Chelsea.

    He told Sportmediaset: “Of course, we all live in dreams. However, if we talk about skills on the field, then I understand that I am not the best in the world.

    “Titles are one of the criteria for the Ballon d’Or. No one but me has won so many significant trophies this year, but how can I compare to Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar? They have completely different characteristics.”

  • Messi for Ballon d’Or ahead of Chelsea star – Barca legend

    Messi for Ballon d’Or ahead of Chelsea star – Barca legend

    Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov believes Lionel Messi is in line to win the Ballon d’Or again.

    Speaking with TMW, Stoichkov was asked about the prospects of Chelsea’s Italy midfielder Jorginho.

    He replied: “Who can win this year? Jorginho has had a super season, but for the Ballon d’Or I don’t know if he can. Messì is there and cannot be ignored. A great season in Barcelona, with the Copa del Rey, and then the Copa America, which he had never won, won as a driver.

    “Another is (Robert) Lewandowski: last year was unfair to cancel the prize, France Football had to reward him. And then there’s (Gigio) Donnarumma, the best goalkeeper in the European Championship ”

    Asked if a goalkeeper could win, the Bulgarian added: “I don’t know, but he had an extraordinary season, not only for the penalties with Spain and England. After so many years of (Gigi) Buffon, you have found another great Gigi who will make you feel calm for a long time.”

  • Eto’o slams Ballon d’Or for lack of respect

    Eto’o slams Ballon d’Or for lack of respect

    Samuel Eto’o has hit out at France Football after the publication named him as a right-winger in its Ballon d’Or Dream Team.

    Eto’o carved out a legendary career for the likes of Inter, Barcelona, Chelsea and Mallorca while also establishing himself as Cameroon’s all-time leading scorer and third-most capped player with 56 goals in 118 caps.

    He won three La Liga and two Champions League titles while with Barcelona before then adding a Serie A winner’s medal and yet another Champions League crown after joining Inter.

    In total, Eto’o scored 371 goals across 764 career club appearances, being named to the UEFA Team of the Year in 2005 and 2006.

    However, most of Eto’o’s career achievements came while playing as a number nine, with the Cameroon star establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the sport’s history

    As a result, the 39-year-old former striker says that he felt disrespected by France Football’s decision to classify him as a right-winger as part of its Ballon d’Or Dream team countdown.

    “Thank you, but I played 1-2 seasons on the right (yet I have 25 years of career as a center forward),” Eto’o tweeted in response.

    “The lack of respect. @francefootball WHATEVER!”

    Goal

  • COVID-19: Ballon d’Or 2020 cancelled

    COVID-19: Ballon d’Or 2020 cancelled

    Ballon d’Or event for this year has been cancelled.

    This is the first time ever the organizers would be taking this decision in the award’s history.

    They blamed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the football calendar.

    Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi, won the 2019 award while OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe took home the Ballon d’Or Feminin.

    Organisers of the award, Group L’Equipe, announced in a statement on Monday, saying: “There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met.

    “We believe that such a singular year cannot – and should not – be treated as an ordinary one.

  • ‘Mane need to leave Anfield to win Ballon d’Or’

    Former Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara says Sadio Mane may have to leave Liverpool to win the Ballon d’Or.

    Mane has spoken this week about winning the FIFA award.

    And fellow Senegalese Kamara told ESPN: “If Mané one day wants to win the Ballon d’Or, he may need to leave Liverpool because the club may not be the best advocate for him, despite their outstanding achievements.

    “He has to continue on the road he goes because he was not too far from getting on the podium, and I think he might have deserved to win this year.

    “Now he has to keep working and maybe even change club, because we have seen that Liverpool does not really play for Mané’s strengths and (people) gave their votes to Virgil van Dijk even though Mané and to a lesser extent Mohamed Salah were on the same level.”

  • Ronaldo wins 6th Globe award after missing 6th Ballon D’or

    Portugal captain and Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo picked the prize for best men’s player at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, his sixth and fourth successive win, rounding off the year in high spirits.

    Having lost a 6th Ballon D’Or to rival Lionel Messi, Ronaldo was so emotional about his latest trophy as he shared his triumph in a family album on Instagram, where he has a peerless 195 million followers.

    “Honored to receive one more time @globesoccer Award! A very emotional moment for me to share this award with my family ❤️?Grateful for all the hospitality, see you soon Dubai”, he wrote under the photo that showed him, his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez and three kids in his private jet, a Gulfstream G650, which reportedly cost £50 million.

    Ronaldo, who came third in the 2019 Ballon d’Or rankings behind Virgil van Dijk and winner Lionel Messi, has now won the award six times out of its nine years of existence.

    “I have to thank my family, my girlfriend, my boy there, Cristiano, my three kids who are waiting for me in the hotel, my friends, my team-mates of Juventus and the national team, my agent, all the people here tonight who support this gala,” Ronaldo said.

    “I have to say thank you to the Arabic community, which is always great with me. I have to thank Dubai as well – it’s a marvellous place to be, I’m coming every year and I love this place.

    “And finally to thank [everyone] who voted for me. It’s a great honour to be here and receive this amazing award. I hope to be here next year to receive this award, of course. Thanks to everyone, and a happy New Year.”

    Sportingnews.com reported that Ronaldo was not the only big-name winner at the event.

    Atletico Madrid youngster Joao Felix was named as the “best revelation player” while Miralem Pjanic was given the “player career” award.

    England international Lucy Bronze was crowned best women’s player of the year, while Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was named as the best manager.

    “I am sharing this award equally with my staff, I would not achieve this one without them and of course without the performance of the team,” Klopp said.

    Liverpool are currently top of the Premier League.

  • Ballon D’Or is my Nobel Prize – Ronaldo

    Ballon D’Or is my Nobel Prize – Ronaldo

    Juventus forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, has likened the Ballon d’Or to the Nobel Prize, as he dreams of his sixth title.

    Ronaldo stated this while speaking with France Football after making the 30-man shortlist for the 2019 award.

    The 34-year-old also said that he has learned from the likes of Michael Jordan and others, who have excelled at what they do.

    “I have learned from him like I have learned from all of those who have excelled.

    “I am not just talking about sport either. I like to read things on the Nobel Prize – who has invented, generated, created or developed something.

    “The Nobel Prize for these guys is like the Ballon d’Or for me. I like to know why they invented something and how they did it – it is important, and it helps me to get even better,” Ronaldo said.