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Not all that glitters is gold: The gold ball is an absurd and irrelevant poll
The hallucinatory method, the list's connection to reality is loose, the players 'ratings despise them, and the referees' expertise is very much in doubt.
The golden ball continues to exist only thanks to public relations and the ostentatious ceremony, and Michael Yochin explains why this farce should have been put an end to long ago
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The Golden Ball
Lionel Messi
Robert Lewandowski
Cristiano Ronaldo
Michael Yochin
Tuesday, November 30, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
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Summary: Bundesliga goals in the 13th round (Sport 1)
The most important award ceremony, which testified to the true value of the Golden Ball, was last year. Remember who was elected in 2020? True, no one.
The decision to cancel the referendum was made by France Football in late July, when competitions around the world had already resumed at the end of the Corona break, the Champions League was preparing for the decisive stages, and there was a clear and definite expectation of a return to routine for the new season. It has indeed been a difficult year for the football world. A different year, strange, challenging, frustrating. But she was quite complete even in the face of limitations, and there was no logical reason not to award the Golden Ball to the Outstanding Player. There was only one thing that prevented it - there was no certainty about the possibility of holding the ceremony. That was the only reason the Golden Ball was shelved last year.
The editors of France Football tried to make excuses, writing among other things that "the conditions of the participants are not the same because some of the leagues have been shortened".
This is nonsense, because the conditions are never the same for the stars.
There are external constraints, and there are even injuries - what is the difference between shortening the French league and stretching a muscle for Neymar, if in both cases he has not played football for about two months?
There is no difference.
In contrast, for the magazine that organizes the poll, the ceremony is critical.
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Yes, the Golden Ball is worth nothing without the glittering and fake event held yesterday in Paris, with luxurious suits, flashing lights, kisses, hugs and casual and hollow speeches. For this ceremony the whole business is held, and when the corona did not allow him to be hugged and kissed, there was simply no referendum. However, for football fans and most of the players themselves, the ceremony in question is of minimal importance, of course. Therefore, if the Golden Ball list is worth nothing without it, it is not worth anything with it either. It is irrelevant. There is no point in taking it seriously or analyzing it professionally.
It was as clear as the sun even before. Not everyone understands how the list is ranked, so it is worth explaining it in the required shortcut.
First, the judges are journalists - one from every country in the world.
These journalists are selected by France Football, usually permanently.
Once you enter as a member of the judging panel, you are there until death.
To what extent do these people live the game and follow it?
There is no knowing.
To what extent are they really experts?
There is no knowing.
There is a journalist from the Cook Islands, a journalist from the Seychelles, a journalist from Barbados, a journalist from Pakistan, a journalist from Macau, a journalist from Libya, a journalist from Andorra and a journalist from New Caledonia.
Their voice is exactly the same as the voice of a journalist from England, a journalist from Italy and a journalist from Brazil.
France, by the way, is represented by the editor of France Football himself.
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The only goalkeeper on the list sits on the bench of Paris.
Donaroma at the ceremony (Photo: GettyImages, Aurelien Meunier)
These referees, whose nature is in great doubt, are presented with a closed list of 30 players. The connection of this list to reality is quite loose. This year, for example, it has only one representative from Bayern Munich. Thomas Muller, Yuzua Kimish and Leon Gorczak are not there. The Argentina team, which won the Copa America, is represented by two players. Angel Di Maria, the winner of the final, is not there. Spanish champions Atletico Madrid are represented by only one player. Jan Obelek, the quality goalkeeper in the world according to many, is simply not there.
Chelsea goalkeeper Edward Mandy is also not there. Well, there is only one goalkeeper there - Gianluigi Donaroma, who is currently sitting on the bench at Paris Saint-Germain. What would a judge do if he wanted to choose Kimish, Mandy or Di Maria? Nothing, he has no such option. And yet we have not talked about the fact that there is no representation at all for players outside the top five leagues in Europe, and that includes South America.
From the list, each judge must choose five names.
First place gets five points, second place gets four points, and so these - fifth place gets one point.
Since every sane judge must include clear prominent names, such as Robert Lewandowski, diversity has completely disappeared.
The first places win most of the points, and the rest of the stars included in the list remain crumbs.
How many crumbs?
Well, it was proudly reported yesterday that Luca Modric and Cesar Espiliquata jointly reached 29th place in the world in 2021. Both received zero points.
Round zero.
No referee included them in his top five, and they are only mentioned because the people of France Football decided so.
To a considerable extent, it ridicules them, demeans them, and causes them injustice.
It also highlights that other players might have gained greater recognition if they had been on the list in the first place.
Had the organizers wanted to get normal results, they would not have restricted the judges at all, but would have ruled out extremely unreasonable votes and ousted the judges in question immediately.
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This is how it is when you are a less prestigious brand.
Robert Lewandowski (Photo: GettyImages, Aurelien Meunier)
To reveal with a loud noise the list whose difference between the ranks falls within the scope of the statistical error - this is a scandal. Neymar came in 16th place with nine points. Mason Mount in 19th place with seven points. Harry Kane in 23rd place with four points. Pedry in 24th place with three points. applause! He was ahead of Phil Foden who came in only 25th with two points. What should it be? How can a self-respecting newspaper deal with this bullshit? Why do players and clubs cooperate with this?
And if the ranking is absurd at the bottom of the list, the situation is only slightly better at the top. Do you have friends who will always vote for Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo as player of the year? So there are also quite a few such journalists. France Football's referee list consists mostly of older and regular people. Lewandowski is a less prestigious brand, so there are more journalists who put the Argentine first. that's it.
One can agree or disagree with them.
After all, it's a matter of personal preferences and taste, and it's not absolute data.
One thing is for sure - this poll is not serious.
Its value is inferior even compared to the poll of national captains and FIFA national team coaches, because at least most of the participants really understand something about football. In French football it all starts and comes down to public relations.
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It all starts and ends with public relations.
Lionel Messi and the Golden Ball (Photo: GettyImages, FRANCK FIFE)
But this title has existed since 1956, and has an aura around it that is well maintained through money.
Then you can hear young players declaring that they dream of winning the Golden Ball.
Even Karim Benzema said it was the pinnacle of his ambitions.
Why, Karim?
Do you really want a Luxembourg journalist to rank you before Messi?
Is this so important to you?
You have nothing to do in life?
It's time to put an end to this - and France Football did indeed do so in 2020.
No one got the golden ball then, and everything was fine.
Really fine.
It is better to cancel it once and for all.
Let's go back to proportions.
No one was deprived yesterday, because this poll is not worth anything without the ceremony, and is not worth anything with the ceremony.
As long as it exists, treat it as a curiosity.
Laugh at him, be cynical about him.
And that's it.
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