The article below was written after European football of the year was given to Ribery. I think the article explain some of your sentiments about Messi and Ronaldo. They still remain the best. Read on




[b]MONACO -- Last season, Andres Iniesta won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi looked on. The former looked grumpy (later there would be plenty of speculation in the Spanish media that he blamed his club for not "campaigning" on his behalf), the latter merely uncomfortable, staring down at his shoes with the sheepish grin of someone who would rather be anywhere else than decked out in a suit on the stage at Montecarlo’s Grimaldi Forum.

Awards are only as significant as the folks who choose the winners, the criteria laid out by the organizers and how closely the electorate follows those criteria.

Relative to the 500-plus who pick the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner, the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award has a smallish pool of voters: 53 journalists, one from each UEFA member nation. (Yes, even Andorra, San Marino and Liechtenstein; no the Vatican is not a UEFA member.)

Unlike the Ballon d’Or -- whose criteria are deliberately fuzzy and is based on a calendar year -- UEFA’s award has defined criteria: it goes to the "best player" in Europe during the 2012-13 season. And, unlike the Ballon d’Or, it’s basically a two-round vote. Jurors vote for their top three picks, who receive points based on a 5-3-1 system. The top three vote-getters then go on a shortlist and, on the day of the award, the 53 jurors vote for one guy each. In practical terms, it’s arguably a fairer system.

The "problem" is that sportswriters don’t like to follow the rules or, in this case, the criteria. You may feel that Franck Ribery was the most valuable player in Europe last season, that without him Bayern would never have won their Treble. Or you may feel that it’s only right to pick a guy from a team that won important silverware. Or you may just be tired by the hype machine that follows Ronaldo and Messi around everywhere they go, and yearn for a change.

That’s all great. Those are all fine reasons to vote for somebody. But if you observe the criteria, you should only consider one thing: who was the best in 2012-13.

Was it the guy who finished second in his domestic league and cup and took his team to the semi-finals of the Champions League, scoring 55 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions?

Or perhaps it was the guy who helped his team win the league with a record-equalling number of points, also took his side to the semis in Europe’s biggest cup competition and notched an outrageous 60 goals in 49e games?

For a plurality of the folks on the jury, the answer was "no". The answer was neither Ronaldo nor Messi.
It was Ribery.

There isn’t much point in reducing it to numbers, because his contribution goes beyond goals (but then, to be fair, so does Messi’s and Ronaldo’s), but if you want to go there, Ribery scored 11 goals last season while playing in 42 games.

What Ribery did was play exceptionally well in key games last season, particularly in the Champions League knockout round. But you can make an argument that, last year, the contributions of Phillip Lahm, Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben (certainly in the final) were also critical to Bayern’s success.

In some ways, we already saw this thinking last season, when Iniesta won it ahead of Messi and Ronaldo. Iniesta won the same silverware Messi did with Barcelona, but, on top of that, he was instrumental to Spain winning the Euros. Great season, reward for achievement. But nobody outside of his immediate family would suggest Iniesta was a "better player" than Ronaldo or Messi in 2011-12 which rather precludes him being "the best".

Is it just semantics? Sure, maybe. But words do matter.

Call it "Player of the Year".

Or "Most Valuable Player".

Or "Player-other-than-Lionel-or-Cristiano-who-we-want-to-recognize-otherwise-those-guys-will-win-every-award-between-them."

Just don’t call it "Best Player in Europe in 2012-13".

Because, simply put, he wasn’t.

It’s not a knock on Ribery, it’s a knock on the award and those voting for it.

What’s happening here is that we’ve taken the brilliance those two guys have displayed over the past few seasons and turned it into some kind of normality. Well, it’s not normal. This isn’t like when baseball moved out of the dead ball era and everybody started hitting home runs. The total number of goals being scored has remained constant. It’s just these two guys -- and these two guys alone -- who have started scoring in industrial quantities and doing it for years at a time.

Ribery is an exceptional footballer on an outstanding team that deservedly broke records last year, losing just three games in all competitions. But it takes some mental acrobatics to say he’s the "best player" in Europe.

what is your thought?
[/b]

Abu Mikey:





Yessir!!

There's Aubemeyang » Borrusia Dortmund / Gabon
Efe Ambrose » Celtic / Nigeria

ALABA.... Dat Guy shd be on dt list... Y doing this to Negroes...

Cant Believe My Name Is Not There

World Best Player: Messi! Messi!! Messi!!! Messi!!! Messi!!!








Messi, Undisputed 5 Times World Best....

NAIJA NO DEY THERE?

The Ballon d'Or is an individual accolade so Messi, Ronaldo, Ribery have equal chances despite Ribery winning the treble.

If the Ballon d'Or is judged with trophies, then Ronaldo has no chance of winning cuz his Madrid went trophyless....if its truly by individual brilliance, Ribery tho superb last season has minimal chances of winning it as his tallies are like a dwarf when compared to Messi and Ronaldo's ' Heavenly Stats'

Where is Emeneike? Ojoro things.

Amudeneogu: NAIJA NO DEY THERE?

Se u no see Stanley okoro aka little messi there ?

CFCfan: This means that Yaya Toure, according to FIFA and it's 'experts', is the best African player.

before nko

striker9: I agree to the fact Yaya is better,his very fast and has got pace.Mikel has performed better for the national team than Yaya and that can't be overlooked either.For instance,Mikel,Tiote,Keita etc performed better than Yaya at the Afcon.

Because Nigeria won doesnt mean Mikel performed better than Yaya Toure, ok lets give that month of February to Mikel, what happened in Jan, Mar, April, May, June, july, Aug ==>> Date? or do you think the APOTY is for one month? Messi didnt compete at EURO2013 but won the Ballon d'or, Gareth Bale won nothing but won the PFA player of the season. winning the AFCON doesnt mean a whole year is covered.

If Messi wins this fing again, then its high time Ronaldo sees TB Joshua fassssst... thats all

CFCfan: This means that Yaya Toure, according to FIFA and it's 'experts', is the best African player.

maybe lol

Fifa has ruled Out Messi if you don't know. Stay their. Besides who do you think is more frustrated.? Just asking. Christiano ronaldo caused all his problems by leaving old trafford he could have stayed their and win everything winnable. I am not a manchester united fan anyway.

waleadex:

Honestly,I think Yaya deserves it.

African player of the year depends on your performance in the nations cup first... then your club side follows

Personally I don't believe the award should be based on who won more cups in a season, its an individual award not a team award, If am a coach or a captain I will vote base on my believe of who is the best not whether he won many cups. The most popular and celebrated players win this awards except for few occasions like when Cannavaro won. personally I see Messi and Ribery having a close tie on this one, Messi still has alot of influence on player and Ribery is now very popular.

To buttress my point, Tata toure is far better than Mikel judging by statistics but Mikel won the Nations cup, will that make him a superior player to toure. No so long people are going to vote, Mikel will not win but if FIFA or CAF are to decide internally Mikel will win. Its all about Influence on voters mind which is the most reliable.

omar22:

Because Nigeria won doesnt mean Mikel performed better than Yaya Toure, ok lets give that month of February to Mikel, what happened in Jan, Mar, April, May, June, july, Aug ==>> Date? or do you think the APOTY is for one month? Messi didnt compete at EURO2013 but won the Ballon d'or, Gareth Bale won nothing but won the PFA player of the season. winning the AFCON doesnt mean a whole year is covered.

Forget the fact that naija won,Mikel perfomed better than him.I know Yaya is better anyway.But has won more trophies in the last one year.

This is it:
http://nextapps.mtnonline.com/31274

omar22:

Because Nigeria won doesnt mean Mikel performed better than Yaya Toure, ok lets give that month of February to Mikel, what happened in Jan, Mar, April, May, June, july, Aug ==>> Date? or do you think the APOTY is for one month? Messi didnt compete at EURO2013 but won the Ballon d'or, Gareth Bale won nothing but won the PFA player of the season. winning the AFCON doesnt mean a whole year is covered.

Pls mention at least 2 players in dis century dat won the african player of d year award without a trophy.
Only adebayor i know and in dat year africans didnt really perform.And africans didnt win trophies with big clubs.
In messi and ribery who is better ?.
Is Ribery better than any of ronaldo or messi.
Messi and ronaldo are better and based on individual performance,according to facts and statistics,they both performed far better than ribery last season.But ribery was given the award because of the trophies he won and his contributions to his team winning those trophies.
So most times Trophies play a big part in player of the year awards.
At least even tho messi didnt play at d euros,he won a trophy with barcelona last year.
Concerning bale,PFA player of d year is a different case.Trophies dont matter in league awards.But it does most times in continental and world awards.
Yaya toure didnt win any trophy,even a tea cup or a plastic cup.And last season was 1 of his worst seasons.He didnt really perform well for city 4rm January-July if u are to use individual performance.
Its this season that he has really picked up and has been terrific.
But if u check,most african player of the year winners in d past were given d award based on their performance 4rm January to august and not their performance in d recent seasons.
IMO mikel has a strong chance of winning it becos of the trophies he won.He won d afcon and was one of nigeria's best players.
He won d europa league too.
Based on national team performance mikel has been africa's best player not just by afcon,but all the matches played this year.But yaya toure has been underwhelming.Yaya is far behind mikel in national team performance.
At club level no doubt yaya surpasses mikel,but mikel too has been good for chelsea recently.
Katongo won d afcon last year but was nowhere to be found both for national team and club after that.He didnt do anything great after dat afcon and he was playing 4 a useless club and useless league.
His case is not d same as mikel becos:-
1)Mikel plays 4 a big club unlike katongo
2)Mikel didnt only win d afcon,he also won a trophy with a big club.A european trophy for dat matter.
3)Mikel didnt fade into d blue after winning d afcon like katongo.He has been active and great 4 both club and country since winning it.
So u cant compare mikel's case with katongo or any zambian player.
And besides many african players won trophies last year wit their clubs to surpass katongo's afcon trophy.
But this year NO african player in any big club and top league won a trophy dis year aside Mikel and Moses.
Only Kwadwo asamoah of ghana and Juve won a recognized trophy with a big club this year aside mikel and moses.But he is far behind compared to mikel or moses.Mikel deserves to win it but he might not.But anyways im very certain he and victor moses would be in d final 3 shortlist.
I think d final 3 would be Moses,Mikel and yaya.

@Omar22
Katongo won only d afcon and did nothing great after that both for his country and club.Was playing for a poor club in a poor league.But he still won d BBC African Footballer of d year award last yr.
How about that ??.
Compare that to mikel dat has been consistent ever after winning d afcon and playing for one of d best clubs in europe and even won a big trophy with d club(europa league).Participated in d confeds cup and was outstanding.Qualified his team for d worldcup(in anticipation).

If Jay Jay Okocha had won a trophy during d peak of his career,he would have won d african player of the year award.Becos his performance during his time was far better than the africans that were winning d award then.
Trophies matters a lot especially when it comes to African player of the year awards.

BabaAlabi: If the award is given to Messi or Ronaldo, I would never take it serious again. The only player who deserves it is Ribery. Best coach-Fergie Or Heyneckes. Best Goal-Ibracadabra against Hart.
P.S- Hart you are a slowpoke. I still get mad when I remember how you gave Chelsea 3 points day b4 yesterday. If I see you na slap you go receive.

Well said bro!!!!

Teyman henry: African player of the year depends on your performance in the nations cup first... then your club side follows

Oh please!!!! I cant remember Drogba or Ivory coast winning the AFCON and he has won it how many times now?

naija noni: @Omar22
Katongo won only d afcon and did nothing great after that both for his country and club.Was playing for a poor club in a poor league.But he still won d BBC African Footballer of d year award last yr.
How about that ??.
Compare that to mikel dat has been consistent ever after winning d afcon and playing for one of d best clubs in europe and even won a big trophy with d club(europa league).Participated in d confeds cup and was outstanding.Qualified his team for d worldcup(in anticipation).

Did Katongo win the African Player of the years? No

Since the Nations cup Mikel has been on the bench for Chelsea due very poor performce compare that to Yaya Toure who has been ever presence in the heart of the Midfield of Man City.


its like saying we should give the Award to Alex Song because he won La Liga sitting on the bench

naija noni: If Jay Jay Okocha had won a trophy during d peak of his career,he would have won d african player of the year award.Becos his performance during his time was far better than the africans that were winning d award then.
Trophies matters a lot especially when it comes to African player of the year awards.

And when was his peak? When he was at Bolton? fighting relegation, I believe that was the same time Ghanaians Sammy Kuffour was at the heart of Bayern Munich's defence leading them glory

Or was that the year a Senegalis team inspired by El Hadjj Diouf to the Quarter Finals of the world cup (Naija got back home before the post card)

But this year NO african player in any big club and top league won a trophy dis year aside Mikel and Moses

Alex Song!!!! (BARCELONA)

ebamma: my goal of the year will go to zlatan for that bicycle kick against england,last year

that goal was superb.

omar22:

Did Katongo win the African Player of the years? No

Since the Nations cup Mikel has been on the bench for Chelsea due very poor performce compare that to Yaya Toure who has been ever presence in the heart of the Midfield of Man City.


its like saying we should give the Award to Alex Song because he won La Liga sitting on the bench

Mikel has been sitting on d bench ??.
U said mikel sat on d bench after afcon.Then how did he make 15 appearances in all competitions for chelsea after afcon??.Check his stats.Nobody played every game for chelsea last season including mata and hazard.
Benitez was always rotating d players.And mikel like every other chelsea player was rotated.Saying he sat on d bench after afcon is a foolish exaggeration.Making 15 appearances in all comps in less than half a season is sitting on d bench to u??.
He has made 9 appearances dis season starting 4.How is dat sitting on d bench ??.
Alex song hardly played at all 4 barca.