Atletico Madrid Coach Diego Simeone believes two of his players, Diego Godin and Antoine Griezmann, have been unfairly overlooked on the Ballon d’Or shortlist.
The 23-man shortlist was revealed on Tuesday and Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only Spanish clubs represented, with six and five players each.
Simeone was named on the 10-man World Coach of the Year shortlist but told a Press conference prior to the Champions League fixture with Astana that his involvement is credit to his players, who deserve greater recognition.
“Where I am is thanks to my players, thanks to the team because without them Coaches can’t convey what we want. It depends on the collective,” he said, AS reports.
“That Godin and Griezmann aren’t on the list isn’t fair, but that’s how the list has been selected. Griezmann is having an extraordinary season, and he’s at a very high level.
“And what about Godin? But this will encourage them to keep being demanding of themselves. The only way to change opinions is to continue to improve.”
