ARGENTINE journalist Enrique Wolff lost his right to vote for the Ballon d’Or winner after his picks showed “he’d lost all credibility.”
Wolff, 75, was removed after voting for FOUR of his compatriots in the top five of the 2023 Ballon d’Or, which was won by Lionel Messi.
France Football will hand the Ballon d’Or to the world’s best player in a glittering awards ceremony in Paris on Monday.
The coveted award is decided by 100 journalists, one from each of Fifa’s 100 top-ranked member nations (top 50 for the women’s award).
Each journalist makes their top 10 pick from the 30-player shortlist and there are different point values for each.
The Ballon d’Or is for the previous season and should go to the best player during that specific period, not the journalists’ favourite.
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But guidance carries only so much weight.
Ballon d’Or organiser and commander-in-chief, Vincent Garcia told The Times: “I am not a dictator. They vote with their heart.
“Some prefer attackers or midfielders, this team or that team. The important thing is to be credible. Not everyone passes that test either.”
He then went on to explain where Argentine journalist Wolff went wrong.
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Garcia said: “Last year the voter for Argentina was removed after he selected four players from Argentina — Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Emiliano Martinez — in his top five spots.
“There were four Argentina players available on the shortlist and he picked all of them.
“My opinion was he had lost objectivity. We changed the journalist and he no longer votes.”
The only non-Argentine player included by Wolff was Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the Qatar World Cup final.
Messi’s coronation last October was the first time in 15 years that the Ballon d’Or hasn’t gone to a player from Real Madrid or Barcelona.
And Madrid winger Vinicius Jr is the clear frontrunner to win the award for the first time on Monday.
Garcia also wanted to clear up accusations about LaLiga favouritism and the supposed unfair power of Madrid president Florentino Perez.
He added: “If there was a ‘Perez Effect’, what would it be? Would I be in touch with him? I never spoke to him ever in my life so far.
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“It would somehow mean he manages to have some influence over us, which is not the case.”
In the men’s category, six England players – captain Harry Kane, midfielders Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Declan Rice, and forwards Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer – have been nominated.
Ballon d’Or nominees in full
Men’s award
- Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
- Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Turkey, Inter)
- Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid)
- Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
- Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine, Dnipro / Girona / Roma)
- Phil Foden (England, Manchester City)
- Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
- Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund)
- Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich)
- Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
- Ademola Lookman (Nigeria, Atalanta)
- Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
- Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter )
- Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid)
- Martin Ødegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
- Dani Olmo (Spain, Leipzig / Barcelona)
- Cole Palmer (England, Manchester City / Chelsea)
- Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
- Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)
- Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Real Madrid)
- Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
- William Saliba (France, Arsenal)
- Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid)
- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
- Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Nico Williams (Spain, Athletic Club)
- Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Granit Xhaka (Switzerland, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Women’s award
- Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghai RCB / Orlando Pride)
- Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona)
- Lucy Bronze (England, Barcelona / Chelsea)
- Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Barcelona / Arsenal)
- Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi, Paris Saint-Germain / Olympique Lyonnais)
- Grace Geyoro (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Manuela Giugliano (Italy, AS Roma)
- Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
- Patricia Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)
- Giulia Gwinn (Germany, Bayern Munich)
- Yui Hasegawa (Japan, Manchester City)
- Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Olympique Lyonnais)
- Lauren Hemp (England, Manchester City)
- Lindsey Horan (USA, Olympique Lyonnais)
- Lauren James (England, Chelsea)
- Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Alyssa Naeher (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
- Sjoeke Nüsken (Germany, Chelsea)
- Ewa Pajor (Poland, VfL Wolfsburg / Barcelona)
- Salma Paralluelo (Spain, Barcelona)
- Gabi Portilho (Brazil, Corinthians)
- Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)
- Mayra Ramírez (Colombia, Levante / Chelsea)
- Trinity Rodman (USA, Washington Spirit)
- Lea Schüller (Germany, Bayern Munich)
- Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City)
- Sophia Smith (USA, Portland Thorns)
- Mallory Swanson (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
- Tarciane (Brazil, Corinthians / Houston Dash)
- Glódís Viggósdóttir (Iceland, Bayern Munich)
Yashin Trophy
- Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund)
- Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
- Mike Maignan (France, Milan)
- Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia)
- Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
- Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club)
- Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
- Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
Kopa Trophy
- Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
- Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina, Manchester United)
- Arda Güler (Turkey, Real Madrid)
- Karim Konaté (Ivory Coast, Salzburg)
- Kobbie Mainoo (England, Manchester United)
- João Neves (Portugal, Benfica / Paris Saint-Germain)
- Savinho (Brazil, Girona / Manchester City)
- Mathys Tel (France, Bayern Munich)
- Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
- Warren Zaïre-Emery (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Men’s coach award
- Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)
- Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain national team)
- Gian Piero Gasperini (Italy, Atalanta)
- Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City)
- Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina national team)
Women’s coach award
- Sonia Bompastor (France, Olympique Lyonnais / Chelsea)
- Arthur Elias (Brazil, Corinthians / Brazil national team)
- Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, Barcelona / Washington Spirit)
- Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea / USA national team)
- Filipa Patão (Portugal, Benfica)
- Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England national team)
Men club of the year award
- Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- Girona (Spain)
- Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
- Manchester City (England)
- Real Madrid (Spain)
Women’s club of the year award
- Barcelona (Spain)
- Chelsea (England)
- NJ/NY Gotham (USA)
- Olympique Lyonnais (France)
- Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
