One of the game's most controversial characters, Luis Suarez,
has been left off the 23-man longlist for the prestigious
Ballon d'Or for "disgracing himself on the pitch."
The award, which is voted for by coaches and captains of
national teams and journalists across the world selected by
France Football Magazine, will be awarded in Zurich,
Switzerland, on January 12.
While the likes of holder Cristiano Ronaldo and four-time
winner Lionel Messi are up for the gong, Suarez's name is
nowhere to be seen, despite the former Liverpool striker
jointly winning the Golden Boot with the Real Madrid
forward.
Barcelona's Suarez returned to action in last weekend's
El Clasico against Real Madrid after completing his four-
month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's
World Cup clash with Italy.
Football's bad boy has paid the price for his behavior
according to Philippe Auclair, the London-based
correspondent for France Football Magazine .
"The criteria used for the selection of the longlist of
Ballon d'Or contenders by France Football and FIFA
are very clear," Auclair told CNN.
"A player who has disgraced himself on the pitch as
Suarez has, cannot and will not be included, regardless
of his achievements throughout the calendar year.
"In short, under no circumstances could the Uruguayan be
considered for the award. I think that this is clear
enough."
Suarez joined the Catalan club for a transfer fee
reported to be in the region of £75 million ($128.5
million) following a sensational season with Liverpool.
The 27-year-old scored 31 goals for Liverpool with the
team just missing out on the English Premier League title,
although it did qualify for the Champions League for the
first time in four seasons.
Suarez's snub looks to have come following his bite on
Chiellini -- the third time he has committed such an offense
during his career.
Tony Barrett, football writer for the Times newspaper who
watched Suarez on a weekly basis during his time at
Liverpool, says the forward can only blame himself for his
absence from the list of nominees.
"On the basis of his outstanding form last season, Luis
Suarez's omission from the nominees for the Ballon d'Or
is staggering," Barrett told CNN.
"By common consensus, the forward was among world
football's best performing players as he inspired a wholly
unexpected title challenge from Liverpool.
"In terms of form, ability and performance levels, any
list of the world's top players over the last 12 months
which does not include Suarez will inevitably provoke
debate and, in some cases, shock.
"The only conclusion to be drawn is that his bite on
Chiellini cost him inclusion and, as ever, Suarez has only
himself to blame for this.
"Regardless of that, his standing as a player has
already been reflected in more meaningful fashion by the
fact that Barcelona were willing to pay £75 million to
sign him."
While the debate over Suarez continues to rage, Ronaldo
and Messi are likely to go head-to-head once again, while
there are several other candidates who will fancy their
chances.
Brazil and Barcelona star Neymar is on the list alongside
the likes of Real Madrid quartet Gareth Bale, Karim
Benzema, James Rodriguez and Sergio Ramos
Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer enjoyed
a fine year, helping his club win the league title before
lifting the World Cup in Brazil.
Neuer's Bayern teammate, Arjen Robben, who helped the
Netherlands qualify for the semifinals in Brazil, is also
in with a shout.
Bayern captain Phillip Lahm is on the list alongside
teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gotze, the man
who scored the winner in the World Cup final.
Five players from England's Premier League have been
nominated including Manchester City's Yaya Toure, Manchester
United's Angel Di Maria and the Chelsea trio of Eden
Hazard, Diego Costa and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
France and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is the sole
representative from Serie A, while Ligue 1 is boosted by
the presence of Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden forward
Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In the managerial stakes, 10 nominees have been named
including Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho -- despite his failure
to win a trophy last season.
Joachim Low, the man who led Germany to victory at the
World Cup will be one of the favorites to be named as
coach of the year.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who led his club
to Champions League glory last term, is joined by Pep
Guardiola of Bayern Munich, Manuel Pellegrini of
Manchester City and Diego Simeone, who presided over
Atletico Madrid's title win in Spain last season.
There is also room for Alejandro Sabella, who took
Argentina to the World Cup final, Louis van Gaal of
Manchester United, Antonio Conte of Italy and Jurgen
Klinsmann, coach of Team USA.