Runme – Jose Mourinho has hit out at the FIFA Balon d’Or award and believes the prize ignores the virtues of team-play in football, visit Runeme.com for more football news and make some friends who loving football too.
The Balon d’Or is voted for by national team coaches, captains and journalists around the globe with the votes counted up at the end of the deadline.
Cristiano Ronaldo took 37% of the votes in January at the awards ceremony in Zurich, whilst both Manuel Neuer and Lionel Messi shared 15% each.
But the attraction of individual brilliance has sometimes overshadowed the award as players who benefit the collective are overlooked, such as, defenders and goalkeepers.
“Maybe not. Maybe my 9km were more important than your 11.
“For me, football is collective. The individual is welcome if you want to make our group better. But you have to work for us, not we have to work for you.
“When the top player arrives, the team is already there. It’s not him who comes to discover the team, like Columbus discovering America. No, no, you are coming now to help us be better.”
FIFA’s Balon d’Or award has been dominated by Messi and Ronaldo since 2010 with the Real Madrid forward winning the last two prizes.
Neuer picked up third-place this season following his World Cup exploits, whilst Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich took the same award last season.