World champs miss out on Ballon d'Or nominations
By Soccernet staff

Real Madrid's record signing Cristiano Ronaldo leads a list of 30 nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or that does not include a single player from current world champions Italy.

Gianluigi Buffon: Missed out on the nominations.

Ronaldo, 24, won the prestigious award last year and will be one of the favourites for this year's title after his stunning start to his career at the Bernabeu.

The Portuguese attacker has scored nine goals in seven games since joining the Spanish giants for a world record £80 million from Manchester United in the summer.

Ronaldo, who is currently sidelined by an ankle injury, headed Madrid's significant summer spending which also saw them sign Kaka and Karim Benzema - who were both also included in the list.

There was, however, no room for any players from world champions Italy. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Luca Toni were the Azzurri's only nominees last year.

European champions Spain are the best represented nation with six players listed, while the Primera Liga boasts the most players from a single league with 12. The Premier League is next best with 10 players while Serie A has just four.

Champions League and La Liga winners Barcelona top the list in terms of club representation with six players - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Yaya Toure and Xavi.

Chelsea and Manchester United both had three players selected on the list. The Blues' nominees are England captain John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba while United's selection affords another accolade to 35-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs, as well as Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic.

The Ballon d'Or is an award handed out to the world footballer of the year. It is voted for by journalists and organised by France Football magazine. The winner will be announced on December 1.

Full list: Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Diego (Juventus), Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg), Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Kaka (Real Madrid), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Maicon (Inter Milan), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Luis Fabiano (Seville), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), David Villa (Valencia), Xavi (Barcelona), Yaya Toure (Barcelona).

Source: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=686639&sec=europe&cc=5739

Dayokanu and chickenshrimp talk una own

jalether:

Dayokanu and chickenshrimp talk una own

Talk Wetin? Who you wan make I defend? The Legendary Serie A or The Azzuri(Still world champs BTW)?

Misplaced priorities!!!!

Players from the 2 best countries in Europe were ommited so what?

They set their eyes on winning bigger things while some are just contented with being Ballon D or nominees

They have set their priorities on what matters Ballon D or or world cup.

Several English players were nominated is this not supposed to mean they are making fun of you when the National team cant qualify for ordinary Euro cup.

Methinks some players from serie A ought to have made the list,but not Bundes----what
Pleaaaaaaaase

Gbam Raspun


Italy maybe but Bundesliga? who watches that crap anyway?

only senile old men with rusty pipes full of fermented tobacco do

Methinks some players from serie A ought to have made the list,but not Bundes----what
Pleaaaaaaaase

This is about the nationality not the league. Rassputtin whats wrong with you this afternoon. You usually reason better than this.

dayokanu:

This is about the nationality not the league. Rassputtin whats wrong with you this afternoon. You usually reason better than this.

O boy forget,of course I know Dzeko managed to make the list ,but if you want me to spell it out for you,for your sake,we'll make it about the league

Like I said,Bundes-----what ,anything to make your evening more enjoyable my friend

Did you see Ribery there? Or is it about daytime blindness now?

It's so simple.
Germany's best player is on Chelsea's bench.
Mikel plays more matches than Germany's best

Two players from the whole Bundesliga?? Arsenal produced two players in that list.

It's so simple.
Germany's best player is on Chelsea's bench.
Mikel plays more matches than Germany's best

Is this an error or evidence of insanity?? Give us the number of games played by Ballack and those by Mikel.

I would assist you to diagnose your own insanity

Champions League and La Liga winners Barcelona top the list in terms of club representation with six players - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Yaya Toure and Xavi.

I just noticed Yaya's Name Oh Goody

Brash face front small

go chase the shim that took your candy

Yaya is tha bomb

Eldee you could have added brashy's name to the list

so he would stop harring on my loff

OMG
Dayo is so pissed over the non-inclusion of Germans and the paltry representation the Bundes----what has in the nominations
Admit your league and adopted nation has failed WOEFULLY and we may pity you a little and maybe offer you a handkerchief

No Germany players in the list. Thought the Germans are much better than the English players? Maybe the nominators knows better.

German players show their worth in Major tournaments not in Nominees

Ibi pelebe lati mu ole je.

Ibi pelebe? for 43 years no trophy for England just stick to your ibi pelebe and leave the big task to the big country

Like Germany will win the next World cup! GREAT NAZI

dayokanu:



Is this an error or evidence of insanity?? Give us the number of games played by Ballack and those by Mikel.

I would assist you to diagnose your own insanity

Stop being a bleeping plonker Dayo . . . aren't you supposed to be an elder or sumn??
They both came in 2006 . . . Who's had more caps since then??

Germany's best player has had fewer matches than Nigerian fans' reject. . . it's a shame.
Germany cannot boast of a player on a list of the world's best players, Arsenal has two.

messi's probably gonna win it,but Edin Dzeko deserves too.

This is shameful. Ballack had almost a season out with injury.

Like saying Oshea is better than Hargreaves. Is there a common strain of delusion in all Gayyners?

dayokanu:

This is shameful. Ballack had almost a season out with injury.

Like saying Oshea is better than Hargreaves. Is there a common strain of delusion in all Gayyners?

Oh shit so you know about injuries??
Then why've you been spewing fuckery about Van Persie??
Or is it not the same thing here?? Or are we using a different yardstick for this now??

eldee:

Stop being a bleeping plonker Dayo . . . aren't you supposed to be an elder or sumn??
They both came in 2006 . . . Who's had more caps since then??

Germany's best player has had fewer matches than Nigerian fans' reject. . . it's a shame.
Germany cannot boast of a player on a list of the world's best players, Arsenal has two.

Phillip Lahm woulda made it but Nani raped him all night @ the Audi cup.

@eldee,

How many seasons has Van Persie been playing football vs how many he was injured.

Van persie has had almost 10 seasons in first team football but averaged about 12 goals a season

~Sauron~:

Phillip Lahm woulda made it but Nani raped him all night @ the Audi cup.

Nani?? What of the Russian demons??
Lahm has been raped repeatedly for about three seasons now . . . it's disgraceful.

dayokanu:

@eldee,

How many seasons has Van Persie been playing football vs how many he was injured.

Van persie has had almost 10 seasons in first team football but averaged about 12 goals a season

He's averaged 1 goal in 3 league games for 9 seasons. . .1 assist in every 4 league games at Arsenal.
How's that bad for an injury prone supporting striker??
This is the same player that was kept in jail for a crime he didn't commit for half a season.

Asharvin's better than every player in Germany . . . Bleep that, Giggs is better than every German player.

^^ This was evident when Germany raped Arshavins team home and away in qualifiers.

eldee:

Asharvin's better than every player in Germany . . . Bleep that, Giggs is better than every German player.

Giggsy has to be the best foreigner this league has ever produced.
Consistency, titles, he's scored in every league season of the Premiership till date.
I think Giggsy is Premiership's number one.