Franck Ribéry

[big_man]

Ribery is begging for the award just like CR has done over the years. I don't understand this obsession with individual awards.

Say what you want about CR, but even he hasn't pathetically begged for the award like this clown is doing. Let the people vote and don't force your opinion down their throats dammit.

 

[Cule4life]

Say what you want about CR, but even he hasn't pathetically begged for the award like this clown is doing. Let the people vote and don't force your opinion down their throats dammit.

CR has begged for it too. Having Mou campaign for him pathetically in every press conference not even remotely related to him, the Tristiano tantrum when Madrid were campaigning Casillas for the award, giving interviews saying people misunderstand his personality suspiciously just before voting is about to be over etc

 

[big_man]

CR has begged for it too. Having Mou campaign for him pathetically in every press conference not even remotely related to him, the Tristiano tantrum when Madrid were campaigning Casillas for the award, giving interviews saying people misunderstand his personality suspiciously just before voting is about to be over etc

All good points. But did CR ever go into desperate detail about how he takes better free kicks or headers than Messi and for that reason he is more deserving? because that is basically what this clown is doing.

His comment reads like any random conversation on a message board from casual fans,which is pathetic for a so called professional football player. I honestly think hell cry if he doesn't win the thing.

 

[Paganinisrvnge]

The most baffling thing to me is Ribery blatantly lying about getting more assists than Messi.

 

[Luftstalag14]

I think it's incredible how so many people are denying that Ribery had an amazing year and they say that he is 'riding the Bayern hype' and then are arguing that Messi has won everything by himself.

The fact that Messi carried our team to the CL semi-finals and to a lesser degree the La Liga title does NOT mean that Messi has won everything by himself of course, to suggest that is rather silly. Our team wouldn't win anything with 11 Messi's, we need every other player we have to contribute.

How did Ribery carry Bayern? He scored some goals here and there and had some assists, but which of those were the crucial ones liked the ones Messi did against AC Milan and PSG? How many game-winning goals (and assists for that matter) that Ribery that had scored which carried Bayern to the next match/level?

I am not denying the fact that Ribery is an awesome player, he truly is. Look at how he dribbles. I for one am amazed by the high competitive level he is able to maintain at age 30 (and I was questioning whether Messi can do the same when he hits 30). But, what is Ribery doing/performing differently in 2013 that he did not do in 2012, and 2011? What is he doing in 2013 that he was not doing in 2012 and 2011? "the king of the Allianz" has been on the same level (he is certainly not declining) for several years. So, why give the award to him in 2013, but not in 2012 or 2011? If the answer is, well, because Bayern, despite its consistent appearences in the CL finals and semi-finals for several years, did not win the CL title until 2013, then I must say Ribery is being gifted with this award because of Bayern's treble-winning record, not because of his invididual performance.

If that's going to be the case bye bye Ballon D'Or as the individual award, its first and foremost criterion should be: Members of teams that did not have the best record overall need not apply.

It's not black and white. There isn't a rule saying the player has to be on the team with best record or that won more trophies, or Messi wouldn't had won it last year. But when there's a lack of individual brilliance (and imo no player really had a stand out year), people tend to turn to the best team to pick a player.

Flavia, what would you consider "stand out" performance? Messi's performance in the 11/12 season as the yardstick?

Sometimes I think we (Barca fans) get spoiled quite a bit, being led to think that Messi can and should not only maintain that level of performance but excel it.

Of the four Ballon d'Ors, Messi didn't deserve two and he doesn't deserve this one at all. Ribery or Robben earned it, fair and square.

Ha, you sort of already acknowledged that no single Bayern player deserves the award and the fame should be shared between Ribery and Robben. If that's true, why not just give the award to the whole team of Bayern München? Ribery alone did not get them where they are today.

 

[Flavia]

Flavia, what would you consider "stand out" performance? Messi's performance in the 11/12 season as the yardstick?

Sometimes I think we (Barca fans) get spoiled quite a bit, being led to think that Messi can and should not only maintain that level of performance but excel it.

11-12 might be his best scoring wise, but to me his best season was 10-11. Stand out is when a player makes a real diference. Not only by scoring. And the balon dor takes the calendar year into account. In 2013 Messi hasn't really shined like he did in previous years, because he's been plagued by injuries. He might even win it, as he is the best player.

 

[Luftstalag14]

11-12 might be his best scoring wise, but to me his best season was 10-11. Stand out is when a player makes a real diference. Not only by scoring. And the balon dor takes the calendar year into account. In 2013 Messi hasn't really shined like he did in previous years, because he's been plagued by injuries. He might even win it, as he is the best player.

And by "real difference" you mean...?

 

[Luftstalag14]

Stole this from the Bayern forum, goal stats of the 13/14 season so far, including all Buli, CL, DFB-Pokal and other cup games. I couldn't find the 12/13 version.

Ribery deserves Ballon D'Or more than Müller and Robben?

 

[suckabov]

The whole "It's between Ribery, Messi and Ronaldo" debate was invented by Ribery, Bayern and the different voting system for the UEFA best player award. In reality it's much more open: People tend to forget how this is voted for. It's not a list of three players out of which the voters pick their favourites. Everyone can pick whomever they like as their top 3, with different points given for the respective places. There will NOT be a second round of voting, with people having to decide between the top three candidates, which is what saved Ribery's head for the UEFA award (he wasn't the clear first place after the first voting). Several voters will choose other Bayern players like Lahm, Schwein or Robben over him. So Messi will almost certainly get more first place votes than Ribery. I suspect Lahm for example, who would be Team Ribery, to vote for Schweini, and Löw for Lahm (or maybe even his favorite Özil).

Also, it is quite unlikely many people will leave Messi out of their list, while this could easily happen to Ribery. So here is where Messi will grab loads of points from second and third places, while Ribery might lose those to Ronaldo, Bale, Neymar, Iniesta, you name it, from voters who don't value the treble as much and just pick who they think are the three best players.

Then, two thirds of the voters are players and coaches. Those tend to favour Messi, a lot. Just look at the quotes from Ibra etc after the UEFA gala. They don't care about injuries.

Also, let's not forget this is not a UEFA voting, but a FIFA voting. Players from South Africa, Africa, Asia and so on might not value the UCL as much. And it is true that Messi attracts loads of votes from there because he is the biggest football celebrity, because of his reputation and his status as the best player.

And anyone in doubt shoul check out last years' votes - it's not like it's been a close race. Messi gets so many votes that it takes some really big player to beat him, and frankly, that's not Ribery - maybe Ronaldo if he managed to win the world cup or something.

Now as for Messi. The arguments about Messi's form and injuries might or might but be true. But before Messi came onto the stage, no rational arguments in the world could have argued that there would ever be a player who grab the award four times in a row. Messi has changed everything. He is not regarded as a player like the others anymore, but like a phenomenon, and people treat him this way. Many peoole vote for him not because he's had a great year, but because he is freaking Mozart. That's why the award will strange to vote for after Messi retires, as the next winner will hardly measure up to him.

 

[Flavia]

And by "real difference" you mean...?

Ae you being thick on purpose? Messi is the best player ever, and he can win because of that. But he hasn't had his best year, or helped Barça during a crucial moment, the game against bayern, because he was injured. La liga was also won last year, when he had an amazing form. He's not being able to replicate that this year, and I'll repeat myself, for being injured.

 

[Alissa]

or helped Barça during a crucial moment

I guess you missed the game vs Milan and the one vs PSG then, when a half fit Messi made all the freaking difference in the world.

I like Ribery, he's a great player. But Messi is better, in every possible and impossible way. And that's all there is to this story.

 

[Flavia]

I guess you missed the game vs Milan and the one vs PSG then, when a half fit Messi made all the freaking difference in the world.

I like Ribery, he's a great player. But Messi is better, in every possible and impossible way. And that's all there is to this story.

I didn't. Against Milan the whole team played a great game, and he made the difference against psg away, but xavi also scored, and at home it was Pedro. And then there's bayern. He was injured, but this will be taken into account. He could get the award just because he is the best, but this isn't clear this year. Not to me, anyway. Last cl also wasn't his best, and Messi can only be measured by himself, at this point.

I don't think cr or ribery deserve it more than he does, none of the 3 really stand out to me. But he might get it for being the chosen for bayern to do it.

 

[Alissa]

he made the difference against psg away, but xavi also scored, and at home it was Pedro

You should see the game against PSG at home not away, you might have missed a thing or two there. As for Milan, watch that first goal again and tell me how that was a team goal. If that's not the definition of 'helping the team in a crucial moment' then I really don't know what is.

 

[Flavia]

You should see the game against PSG at home not away, you might have missed a thing or two there. As for Milan, watch that first goal again and tell me how that was a team goal. If that's not the definition of 'helping the team in a crucial moment' then I really don't know what is.

I don't think Barça would lose or draw the game with milan, even if Messi hadn't scored so early. And some cr fan can make similar arguments about important goals he scored during that cl, against man utd and gala.
But that's just my opinion about this year, he really hasn't stand out like before.

 

[Alissa]

I have no problem with CR fans saying that he was crucial for their team, I have a problem with Cules saying that 'Messi didn't help Barca in a crucial moment'. Because seriously, that's just absurd.

And let us not play the 'if' game, football doesn't work that way.