Franck Ribery has once more claimed that the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or is a foregone conclusion if Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are present.
The France international finished below the pair last year, despite lifting a treble with Bayern Munich, and he believes Manuel Neuer‘s failure to win the award for 2014 corroborates his theory that the contest is decided by ‘politics’ rather than merit.
“I was really upset, but it’s the same every year. I don’t know what I have to do to win this award anymore,” the winger lamented to AZ.
“Even becoming a world champion is apparently not enough. What can you do? In 2006, Fabio Cannavaro, a defender and world champion, won the Ballon d’Or.
“In the last two or three years, Neuer has been the best goalkeeper in the world. He has won titles with [Bayern].
“In Brazil, he was the best goalkeeper and became a world champion. Obviously that wasn’t enough either. I just don’t get it.
“If another Bayern player is nominated, we should consider whether it’s even worth going [to the gala]. For what? A photo maybe? No!
“It’s all politics for me, it’s not right. Each player must know that if Ronaldo and Messi are there, the third nominated player shouldn’t hold any hope.”
