Football is made in Spain
The initial list of
23 names has been trimmed and three Barcelona players remain in
contention for the Ballon d’Or. They are Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez
and Anders Iniesta.
The diadem was
formerly given by France Football magazine but has now been merged with
FIFA’s World Player of the Year is voted for by football journalists
and the coaches and captains of all national teams.
Spain won the 2010 World Cup with Iniesta scoring the winning goal in the final over the Netherlands in Johannesburg in July.
Xavi has been described as a metronome in football circles.
Iniesta said on his
facebook page that, “It’s an honour to be one of the three finalists
for the Ballon d’Or, and even more so to be there with Xavi and Leo,”
Iniesta added that: “It’s a marvellous prize for the cantera (Barca’s
football academy at La Mesia).” Argentine maestro, Messi won both
awards in 2009 but failed with Argentina in South Africa.
In the coaches’
category, the three short-listed men for the award are La Furia Roja
coach, Vicente del Bosque; Pep Guardiola of Barcelona; and Real
Madrid’s Jose Mourinho. The three are currently based in Spain.
Mourinho is on the list on account of his conquests with Inter Milan of
Italy in the 2009/10 season.
FIFA’s Secretary
General, Jerome Valcke commented on the Spanish dominance in world
football. “Since 2008, Spanish football is really ahead of the rest.
They are also dominating so much at club level. They are playing so
well in their club. They are crushing world football at the moment.
Barcelona’s match against Madrid last week was a brilliant display of
football.”
Barcelona follow in the step of AC Milan, who had three players
named in the 1988 and 1989 three-man short-list. This year’s winners
will be announced in Zurich on January 10.
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