For over the last ten years, the Ballon d’Or race has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, there have been other names to lift the award during this time, but others believed that they should have won over those two.
In an interview with La Gazzeta dello Sport (via Persempre Calcio), Salernitana star Franck Ribery insists he deserved the 2013 Ballon d’Or more than Messi and Ronaldo. That year, the France international won the UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich.
Ribery felt as though his production in 2013 was enough to win the illustrious trophy, but he would be mistaken as the award went to Ronaldo that year. Furthermore, the winger stated that something was off when determining the award.
“It was unfair, it was an incredible season for me, and I should have won it. They extended the time for votes, and something strange happened. I felt that it was a political choice,” Ribery said.
The forward scored 11 goals in 43 appearances with the Bavarian side that season and played a crucial role in their treble-winning campaign.
Many players were blocked by these two generational players winning the Ballon d’Or ; the latest controversy was last year when the award went to Lionel Messi over another Bayern Munich star player in Robert Lewandowski.
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