Athletic Club boss Marcelino believes Karim Benzema has been good enough to have won the Ballon d’Or.
The famed award is the big topic of conversation today after Lionel Messi claimed his record-breaking seventh win on Monday night.
Messi finished as the top scorer in La Liga last season and followed that up by winning Copa América for the first time with Argentina.
That was enough for the former Barcelona star to claim the award for this year, edging out the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Jorginho.
In Benzema’s case, there was a big push from the media in Spain to get the Real Madrid striker rewarded for the best scoring season of his career.
But he was overlooked, finishing fourth in the process, which is decided by votes by football journalists.
Speaking about Benzema and whether he should have win, Athletic Club boss Marcelino said in his latest press conference: “Maybe yes. He has had a spectacular year. But also, I know that it would have been given to Lewandowski – he has had another spectacular (year).
“For me, it’s very difficult to establish who is better. Benzema looks like a spectacular player to me. He is capable of creating and finishing.”
Marcelino will have to stop Benzema on Wednesday night when his Athletic Club take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga.
