Franck Ribery says what a lot of people think.

Vinz Mesrine · 20-01-2014 5:09pm #1

Franck Ribery has bemoaned the 'politics' of the Ballon d'Or, claiming that he should have won the award after winning the treble with Bayern Munich last year, while "Ronaldo won nothing" in 2013.

In an interview with German newspaper AZ Munchen, the Frenchman said:"I have won everything with the team and individually.

"Ronaldo won nothing (in 2013). I'm not sad, but it hurts the heart. Do not get me wrong, I am proud to have been there. I feel I deserved this title. There are so many politics.

He also suggested there should have been more players from European Champions Bayern Munich in the FIFA Team of the Year:

"When I see the top eleven that was chosen - there are only 3 Bayern players there. This is madness! Muller must be there, Alaba, Schweinsteiger, Robben. We won five titles, made history. Who has done that before?

"I'm sure, if Barcelona and Madrid stood in the Champions League final, the team would consist only of players of Real and Barca."

Fair play to him for speaking out against it, we all know it's the truth but a lot of players just shut up and do whatever Uefa and Fifa say.

Skylinehead · 20-01-2014 5:12pm

He's right about more Bayern players, he's wrong about everything else. It's an individual award.

Vinz Mesrine · 20-01-2014 5:13pm

He also said that if he gets nominated again he won't attend.

GLaDOS · 20-01-2014 5:14pm

Still think Ronaldo deserved to win the individual award, but he's right regarding the team of the year.

ronjo · 20-01-2014 5:15pm

There is no way he was better than Ronaldo last year.

Any one of 5 players could probably have been selected as Bayerns best player

L'prof · 20-01-2014 5:15pm

I thought he had a good chance this year, but as much as I hate to say it he really wasn't better than Ronaldo.

Mitch Connor · 20-01-2014 5:16pm

Disagree - I don't think the Individual Player of the Year award should be decided on how well their team did.

Would not be fair, imo, that a player who individually performs better than Ribery in every game gets beaten simply because their team wasn't as dominent. In fact, being in an utterly dominent team, as Ribery was, would make it easier to do well.

Ronaldo, and Messi, performed better than Ribery did on an individual basis last year, imo, so both are deserving to be ahead of him.

He got half the amount of goals as Messi at club level, and a third the number of goals at Ronaldo did at club level.

It isn't all about goals, but he only got 5 more assists than Ronaldo and 3 more than Messi.

I just don't see what Ribery did as an individual that is better than what Messi and Ronaldo did.

maximoose · 20-01-2014 5:16pm

Franck Ribery says what a lot of people think is a cry baby

Ronaldo deserved it. He is right about the team of the year though.

Knex* · 20-01-2014 5:17pm

As has been said, he's probably spot on with regards to the Team of The Year.

But he's miles off thinking he was better than Ronaldo.

dreamers75 · 20-01-2014 5:17pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25802279

The trial of French footballers Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema, charged with having sex with an underage prostitute, has begun in Paris.

Maybe he had something coming up which went against him?????

Oregano_State · 20-01-2014 5:19pm

Yeah that team of the year is a joke. Ronaldo deserved the Ballon d'Or though.

v3ttel · 20-01-2014 5:24pm

The Ballon D'or is an individual award. Cristiano Ronaldo was by far and away the best player in the world for 2013 IMHO.

If the award was for team of the year, I'm sure Bayern Munich would have won the vote as they would completely deserve it.

A very French reaction from Ribery.

Vinz Mesrine · 20-01-2014 5:25pm

dreamers75 wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25802279

Maybe he had something coming up which went against him?????

I'm not quite sure what that has to do with Bayern having a ridiculously low amount of players on the team of the year.

Arrow. · 20-01-2014 5:30pm

Yeah he says what a lot of people think...and what do said people and Franck have in common?

You completely miss the point of what the Ballon D'or is.

Well done. It's really not hard to comprehend.

Vinz Mesrine · 20-01-2014 5:32pm

Arrow. wrote: »

Yeah he says what a lot of people think...and what do said people and Franck have in common?

You completely miss the point of what the Ballon D'or is.

Well done. It's really not hard to comprehend.

I was actually talking more about the team of the year.

Feel free to go through my posts for my opinion on Ronaldo and the Ballon d'Or. Good boy.

buyer95 · 20-01-2014 5:33pm

It's an individual award, not the best player on the best team award. Ofcourse he is dead on about the lack of Bayern players in the team. Xavi ahead of Schweinsteiger really pissed me off, Xavi has become a passenger when Barca do not have the ball, something that cannot be for your centre midfielder

SlickRic · 20-01-2014 5:34pm

what a smart fellow.

yes, the Bayern team should've been better represented in the team, but fúck me, if he thinks he was better individually than Ronaldo this past year, then he's about as smart as a fúcking beetroot.

buyer95 · 20-01-2014 5:36pm

dreamers75 wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25802279

Maybe he had something coming up which went against him?????

You just wanted to post that story, it has nothing to do with this discussion:rolleyes:

CSF · 20-01-2014 5:39pm

To address the thread title, most people don't think that.

dreamers75 · 20-01-2014 5:39pm

Vinz Mesrine wrote: »

I'm not quite sure what that has to do with Bayern having a ridiculously low amount of players on the team of the year.

1st 3 lines are about the ballon. Unlikely he was going to win with that court case coming up.

buyer95 wrote: »

You just wanted to post that story, it has nothing to do with this discussion:rolleyes:

See line above ^^^ :rolleyes:

LiamoSail · 20-01-2014 5:52pm

Are awards such as the Ballon D'or even necessary?

Footballs a team game. We can all rate players as and how we like, check the stats to see who the top goal scorer. Is there any point to giving an individual an annual award? Surely it does nothing to encourage a team ethos?

hadepsx · 20-01-2014 6:08pm

wah wah wah. quiet frankie

Moneymaker · 20-01-2014 6:52pm

Idiotic statement.

Liverpool won't win the league.

Does that mean Suarez shouldn't win player of the year?

What part of individual award do people have trouble understanding?

Underground · 20-01-2014 6:56pm

Never really understood the fascination that goes with this individual award in a team sport. Some players go as far as to say that it is their dream to win the Ballon D'or, Christ almighty would you not rather win the champions league/world cup?

764dak · 20-01-2014 6:57pm

Shouldn't Ribery be more worried about his criminal trial?

Knex* · 20-01-2014 7:36pm

Moneymaker wrote: »

Idiotic statement.

Liverpool won't win the league.

Does that mean Suarez shouldn't win player of the year?

What part of individual award do people have trouble understanding?

Jokes on you, I'm afraid. Our year.

Dempsey · 20-01-2014 9:09pm

I believe what your team achieves in the year and your contribution as a player to that success should be a factor in individual awards, whether it be Ballon D'Or or assessing individuals for team of the year. The problem for Ribery was that he wasnt enough of a stand out performer in that treble winning side.

The lack of representation of a treble winning side in the team of the year just shows how farcical the current voting process is. That was always the case though

lordgoat · 20-01-2014 9:57pm

Nice way of distracting people from... what else is going on right now. I'm sure i'm guilty of forgetting something... (like to ask the age of the prostitute I allegedly slept with).