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ZURICH, Switzerland. — Six members of the Germany soccer squad that won the World Cup are included among nominees for the Fifa Ballon d’Or award, joining Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar on the 23-man shortlist while the 10-man coaching shortlist was full of anomalies and controversy.
Mario Goetze, who scored the winning goal against Argentina in the World Cup final, was selected along with Germany teammates Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Mueller, Manuel Neuer, and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Juergen Klinsmann was included among the coaches after leading United States to the last 16 of the World Cup but Jorge Luis Pinto and Jose Pekerman, who took Costa Rica and Colombia respectively to the quarter-finals, were overlooked.
Jorge Sampaoli, whose hugely entertaining Chile side knocked out defending champions Spain on their way to the last sixteen, and Vahid Halilhodzic, who took an inspirational Algeria to the knockout stages, were also ignored.
On the other hand, there was room for Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola, even though his team’s most important match of the year, a Champions League semi-final at home to Real Madrid, ended in a 4-0 defeat.
Almost inevitably, Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho also sneaked in despite failing to land a trophy on his return to Stamford Bridge.
The players’ list showed similar anomalies and appeared to be based more on European club football than Fifa’s flagship tournament.
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez was left out following his biting ban. Suarez was the top scorer in the English Premier League last season with 31 goals in 33 appearances for Liverpool. But his reputation took a hit when he was banned for four months for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in the World Cup group phase.
The winner will be announced on January 12.
Wales forward Gareth Bale is the only player from the home nations on the 23-man shortlist for the Fifa 2014 men’s World Footballer of the Year award.
Manchester City and Cote d’lvoire midfielder Yaya Toure was the only African player short-listed, Neymar was Brazil’s sole representative, and there were none at all from Concacaf region or Asia.
Bale (25) scored 22 goals for Real Madrid last season, as the Spanish La Liga side won the Champions League.
Five English Premier League players in Thibaut Courtois, Diego Costa, Angel Di Maria, Eden Hazard and Yaya Toure have also been nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to retain the award.
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who has won the award three times in the last four years, is also on the shortlist, alongside team-mate Neymar.
The 23 shortlist will be reduced to three in December before the winners are announced on January 12, 2015 in Zurich.
There is no place for Barcelona striker Suarez, who played a crucial role in helping Uruguay qualify for the last 16 in Brazil but was suspended from all football-related activity for four months for biting Italy defender Chiellini.
In terms of English Premier League clubs, Chelsea have the most players on the list with three — Courtois, Costa and Hazard — with Manchester United (Di Maria) and Manchester City (Toure) each supplying one.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich players dominate the list, with each club supplying six players.
World Cup winners Germany have the most players nominated with six, with Spain and Argentina three apiece and France and Belgium two each.
Wales, Portugal, Sweden, Brazil, Netherlands, Colombia and Ivory Coast each have one of their players in contention.
Notable absentees included United States goalkeeper Tim Howard and Costa Rica stopper Keylor Navas, both outstanding in Brazil, and Costa Rica defender Giancarlo Gonzalez, who many critics saw as one of the tournament’s most influential players.
Carlo Ancelotti, who guided Real Madrid to the Champions League, Super Cup and Copa del Rey last season, has been nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho, Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini and Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, who guided Netherlands to the third place in the World Cup, are also on the 10-man list for the coach award, alongside World Cup winning coach Joachim Loew.
Fifa world men’s player of the year shortlist
Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid), Karim Benzema (France, Real Madrid), Diego Costa (Spain, Chelsea), Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid), Angel Di Maria (Argentina, Manchester United), Mario Gotze (Germany, Bayern Munich), Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Paris St-Germain), Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid), Philipp Lahm (Germany, Bayern Munich), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany, Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich), Neymar (Brazil, Barcelona), Paul Pogba (France, Juventus), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid), Arjen Robben (Netherlands, Bayern Munich), James Rodriguez (Colombia, Real Madrid), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, Bayern Munich), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Manchester City).
Fifa coach of the year shortlist
Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Antonio Conte (Juventus/Italy national team), Pep Guardiola (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klinsmann (USA national team), Joachim Low (Germany national team), Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City), Alejandro Sabella (Argentina national team), Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Louis van Gaal (Netherlands national team/Manchester United). — AFP.
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