Comments on: Should This Man Have Won the Ballon d’Or Instead of Cristiano Ronaldo? http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html League Football, Soccer News and Views from Around the World Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:45:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Shazback http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-137060 Shazback Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:05:56 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-137060 Omar : UEFA has 53 nations (including 16 nations from FIFA's top 20 and 13 from the ELO's top 20) competing for 13 places, whilst the CAF has 55 nations (including 5 from FIFA's top 30 and 2 from ELO's top 30) competing for 5 places. So whilst UEFA has more berths, it's because the teams in UEFA are better. When the CAF has a team that is in the top 3 in a world cup and doesn't even qualify for the next world cup (Turkey 2002, non-qualified for 2006), then the CAF will have a serious argument to increase its berths. Until then, we'll just have to stick with the fact that since 1970 two of the podium spots have always been occupied by a UEFA country, whilst no CAF country has reached the podium (or even the last four, something the AFC has achieved with only 4 berths, albeit on home soil, so perhaps South Africa 2010 will at last get a CAF side on the top of the pile). Omar : UEFA has 53 nations (including 16 nations from FIFA’s top 20 and 13 from the ELO’s top 20) competing for 13 places, whilst the CAF has 55 nations (including 5 from FIFA’s top 30 and 2 from ELO’s top 30) competing for 5 places. So whilst UEFA has more berths, it’s because the teams in UEFA are better. When the CAF has a team that is in the top 3 in a world cup and doesn’t even qualify for the next world cup (Turkey 2002, non-qualified for 2006), then the CAF will have a serious argument to increase its berths. Until then, we’ll just have to stick with the fact that since 1970 two of the podium spots have always been occupied by a UEFA country, whilst no CAF country has reached the podium (or even the last four, something the AFC has achieved with only 4 berths, albeit on home soil, so perhaps South Africa 2010 will at last get a CAF side on the top of the pile).

]]> By: Ebrahim http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136998 Ebrahim Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:28:14 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136998 I can't believe the EUROPEAN footballer of the year award should consider players from outside of Europe I can’t believe the EUROPEAN footballer of the year award should consider players from outside of Europe

]]> By: el fanatico http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136969 el fanatico Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:32:56 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136969 He is really good player, no doubt about it, I hope he goes to Real madrid, in the january transfer window, we could use him. And then he could win the "Ballon de oro". He is really good player, no doubt about it, I hope he goes to Real madrid, in the january transfer window, we could use him. And then he could win the “Ballon de oro”.

]]> By: Bra http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136961 Bra Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:10:47 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136961 omar, that's because European countries are better at football, generally. It's not proportional to the number of teams (why not cry about Asia, then?), it's about balancing quality of play with regional weighing. Overall, I think a good job is done on the World Cup berths. omar, that’s because European countries are better at football, generally. It’s not proportional to the number of teams (why not cry about Asia, then?), it’s about balancing quality of play with regional weighing.

Overall, I think a good job is done on the World Cup berths.

]]> By: Ak http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136958 Ak Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:24:10 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136958 Well done guys, 'way to piss on a parade... Well done guys, ‘way to piss on a parade…

]]> By: omar http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136957 omar Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:30:37 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136957 shaz: mayeb u wud think about the fact tht UEFA countries have like 10 x (ok exaggeration)the chance of getting in the world cup than any african team just becuz there are less nations competing for more spots than african nations... shaz: mayeb u wud think about the fact tht UEFA countries have like 10 x (ok exaggeration)the chance of getting in the world cup than any african team just becuz there are less nations competing for more spots than african nations…

]]> By: Shazback http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136953 Shazback Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:47:52 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136953 Maybe Aboutrika deserves it, but I must not be alone in thinking that winning the CAF Champions' League is much less of a feat than winning the UEFA Champions' League, just as winning the CAF African Cup of Nations is less of a feat than winning the UEFA European Football Championship. In the past three Club world Cup (a competition that is taken far more seriously in the CAF, OFC, CONCACAF and AFC than UEFA or COMNEBOL), twice the AFC champions' League winners have finished higher than the CAF champions' League winners, and once the CAF champions' League winners (Al-Ahly, 2005) even finished last... If Aboutrika had won the Libertadores and the Brazilian/Argentine league, he would have a far stronger case in my eyes. But the Egyptian league and the CAF Champions' League aren't exactly what I'd consider premier competitions. The CAF African Cup of Nations is very interesting, but perhaps not as hard to win as the EURO, since if I remember the 2002 and 2006 World Cups properly, 4 and 6 of the last 8 came from the UEFA zone, against only 1 and 0 from CAF... So again it's hard to judge in comparaison. Does Angola have as good a squad as the Netherlands? As Russia? Is Cameroon as good as Spain? Or Germany? The only game Aboutrika played against non-African opposition this year with Egypt was a 2-0 defeat to Argentina, without Messi or Rodriguez. And that was just after winning the CAF African Cup of Nations... Maybe Aboutrika deserves it, but I must not be alone in thinking that winning the CAF Champions’ League is much less of a feat than winning the UEFA Champions’ League, just as winning the CAF African Cup of Nations is less of a feat than winning the UEFA European Football Championship.

In the past three Club world Cup (a competition that is taken far more seriously in the CAF, OFC, CONCACAF and AFC than UEFA or COMNEBOL), twice the AFC champions’ League winners have finished higher than the CAF champions’ League winners, and once the CAF champions’ League winners (Al-Ahly, 2005) even finished last… If Aboutrika had won the Libertadores and the Brazilian/Argentine league, he would have a far stronger case in my eyes. But the Egyptian league and the CAF Champions’ League aren’t exactly what I’d consider premier competitions.

The CAF African Cup of Nations is very interesting, but perhaps not as hard to win as the EURO, since if I remember the 2002 and 2006 World Cups properly, 4 and 6 of the last 8 came from the UEFA zone, against only 1 and 0 from CAF… So again it’s hard to judge in comparaison. Does Angola have as good a squad as the Netherlands? As Russia? Is Cameroon as good as Spain? Or Germany? The only game Aboutrika played against non-African opposition this year with Egypt was a 2-0 defeat to Argentina, without Messi or Rodriguez. And that was just after winning the CAF African Cup of Nations…

]]> By: lazar http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136951 lazar Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:35:30 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136951 i saw him play before, hes good. but hes not as good as ronaldo, i dont even think hes even close. hes good when playing in egypt, but would he be the same if he played on some big european club or even a small one? i saw him play before, hes good. but hes not as good as ronaldo, i dont even think hes even close. hes good when playing in egypt, but would he be the same if he played on some big european club or even a small one?

]]> By: MoMONEY http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136948 MoMONEY Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:12:28 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136948 ABoutrika is an amazing player... One of the best playmakers I have seen anywhere... Controls the game like no other and I have seen him score countless 90th minutes goals to win championships and games... Immense player. Would easily be a household name if he went to Europe from a younger age... ABoutrika is an amazing player… One of the best playmakers I have seen anywhere… Controls the game like no other and I have seen him score countless 90th minutes goals to win championships and games… Immense player. Would easily be a household name if he went to Europe from a younger age…

]]> By: daryl http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136942 daryl Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:51:20 +0000 http://www.theoffside.com/world-football/should-this-man-have-won-the-ballon-dor-instead-of-cristiano-ronaldo.html#comment-136942 Alessio, Since 2007 the Ballon d'Or has been open to players on teams from anywhere in the world. Alessio,

Since 2007 the Ballon d’Or has been open to players on teams from anywhere in the world.

]]>