Arsene Wenger has been extremely open about his disapproval of the Ballon d’Or, and while it’s certainly an entertaining spectacle, every year it arguable becomes more and more of a joke. This year is no different, and one of the biggest signs that the award is a farce is that Arsene Wenger was soundly beaten by recently disgraced ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, as reported by Goal.
An award voted for by peers is never going to be totally unbiased, and it’s ridiculous to say otherwise. It’s largely a popularity contest, and the winners are often decided more by fame and notoriety than by merit.
Wenger won the most votes of any current Premier League manager in the coach of the year category (with 61), which few should really be surprised by (via Goal). The fact that Mourinho gained far more votes than the Frenchman though – despite Chelsea enduring a truly abysmal second half of 2015 – shows just how much of a farce the awards are.
While it’s hard to argue that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are a cut above the rest, the pair are handed the award regardless of form, and some of the other players that receive huge numbers of votes just don’t deserve to be anywhere near the award.
Mourinho may have won the league with Chelsea last season, but is that accolade alone enough to earn him the award? Arsenal under Arsene Wenger have been the best Premier League team in 2015, with our defensive record and win ratio eclipsing all other teams. We’re currently sat top of the Premier League, and that is all thanks to the team cohesion Wenger insists on.
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Whether it’s the Team of the Year, Player of the Year, or Coach of the Year, the Ballon d’Or consistently shows that it’s a bit of a joke.
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