Five
Premier League players have been named on the 23-man shortlist for the
prestigious FIFA Ballon d’Or award - with Luis Suarez a high-profile
omission.
Current league-leaders Chelsea have a strong presence among the names, with
Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois joining Diego Costa and Eden Hazard on
the list.
Manchester United winger Angel di Maria and Manchester City’s Yaya Toure
have also been nominated.
Lionel Messi, whose four Ballon d’Or trophies makes him the most-awarded
player in history, represents Barcelona along with Neymar Junior, Javier
Mascherano and Andres Iniesta - but Suarez is left off the list, despite
being awarded the Golden Shoe last week.
Two-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who won last year's award and is
earmarked as the favourite again, leads six Real Madrid players among the
choices - the most of any team - along with Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Toni
Kroos, Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez.
There are six German players, with Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Bastian
Schweinsteiger and Mario Gotze joining Kroos.
The list is completed by Paris Saint-Germain and Sweden striker Zlatan
Ibrahimovic, Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba, and Netherlands and
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben.
Meanwhile, three Premier League managers have been shortlisted for FIFA’s
Coach of the Year including Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, Manchester United’s
new manager Louis van Gaal and title-winning Manchester City boss Manuel
Pellegrini.
Carlo Ancelotti, who lifted the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League with Real
Madrid, is in a strong position but faces competition from La Liga-winning
boss Diego Simeone of rivals Atletico.
Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola clinched the Bundesliga in record time
earlier this year and is also on the list along with Italy boss Antonio
Conte, who won Serie A with Juventus before taking over the national team
following the World Cup.
World Cup winning coach Joachim Low makes the list, along with Argentina
boss Alejandro Sabella and USA head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Ballon d’Or nominations: Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema,
Lionel Messi, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Angel di Maria,
Yaya Toure, Mario Gotze, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta, Toni Kroos,
Philipp Lahm, Javier Mascherano, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Neymar, Paul
Pogba, Sergio Ramos, Arjen Robben, James Rodriguez, Bastian Schweinsteiger
Coach of the Year nomination: Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Carlo
Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klinsmann, Joachim Low,
Manuel Pellegrini, Alejandro Sabella, Diego Simeone
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