Where is Pirlo? Barcelona and Real Madrid bias proves that FIFPro World XI has no credibility

UEFA EURO 2012 - Italy v Croatia, Andrea Pirlo
COMMENT
By Carlo Garganese

Footballers are often ridiculed for having more money than sense, and it is little wonder when they are responsible for monstrosities like the 2012 FIFPro World XI.

The best team of the last calendar year, as voted for by approximately 45,000 professional footballers around the globe, produced an all-La Liga line-up consisting of just one player – Atletico Madrid's Radamel Falcao – who is not contracted to either Barcelona or Real Madrid.

If the Fifa Ballon d'Or is traditionally regarded as the most prestigious individual prize in football, then the FIFPro XI considers itself the most distinguished team construct.

However, any credibility that the Fifa-backed award has acquired since its creation in 2005 has now all but disappeared.

The most bizarre inclusion was that of Dani Alves at right-back. At the start of last season, the Brazilian was arguably the best full-back in world football. But 2012 was his worst year since arriving in Spain, as he endured problems with Pep Guardiola and then spent time on the bench under Tito Vilanova.

There were numerous superior right-backs in Europe, including Borussia Dortmund's Lukasz Piszczek, Juventus' Stephan Lichtsteiner and Shakhtar Donetsk's Darijo Srna, to name just a few, all of whom – unlike Dani Alves – won a league title in 2012. The footballers who picked Alves clearly chose him on reputation, and watched little to no German, Italian or Ukrainian football. Most will have barely heard of Piszczek, let alone be capable of spelling his name on a ballot paper.

His Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique also fell out with Guardiola, but his greatest personal achievements of 2012 came off the pitch with Shakira. He certainly had plenty of time to spend with his beautiful Colombian girlfriend as he missed almost half of the 2011-12 Liga season and struggled for form when his footballing partner Carles Puyol was sidelined with injury.

In Pique's favour is the fact that, in addition to winning Euro 2012, this is possibly the worst era for defenders in almost 50 years. But, the likes of Thiago Silva and Mats Hummels were surely more worthy candidates to be considered alongside Sergio Ramos.

Marcelo's addition at left-back is no disgrace, once again due to the dearth of top quality full-backs in the game, but a player who was twice dropped for crucial Real Madrid clashes at the end of last term (the Liga decider in April at Barcelona, and the Champions League semi-final first-leg versus Bayern Munich) should not be preferred to Ashley Cole, who was heroic throughout Chelsea's road to glory. That the Champions League winners, however fortunate they were to lift the trophy, have no representation in the FIFPro XI is somewhat absurd.


The ultimate insult, though, was the exclusion of Andrea Pirlo. The Italian magician will go down in history as one of the best centre midfielders of all time, and 2012 was his annus mirablis as he led Juventus to Scudetto glory without losing a game, before winning three man-of-the-match awards on his way to taking Italy to Euro 2012 silver. In the current campaign he has been just as dominant.

The fact that 45,000 ballots couldn't tally up enough votes for Pirlo makes you lose faith in democracy, particularly as the former AC Milan star has been hailed in the world media on an almost daily basis since his Euro 2012 quarter-final masterclass against England.

Football today may have become monopolised by a small group of rich, elite clubs, but Barcelona and Real Madrid – neither of whom made the Champions League final in 2012 - are not the only two teams in world football.

Andres Iniesta's insertion in the midfield three is a no-brainer, but the additions of Xavi and Xabi Alonso ahead of Pirlo demonstrates an embarrassing bias towards the Clasico couple.

Even the selection of Atletico Madrid superstar Falcao, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, is debatable given the presence of equally brilliant candidates such as Robin van Persie, Didier Drogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but it is Pirlo's absence that has rightfully created all the headlines.

The Fifa Ballon d'Or itself has suffered its fair share of criticism in recent times, from the snubbing of Wesley Sneijder in 2010, to the bizarre inclusion this time around of Pep Guardiola in the top three of the coaching category.

But its credibility is still just about intact. This is sadly not the case any longer with Fifpro.

blablabla. people vote for the fifpro. complain to them. send an email to the people who vote. this endlessly complaining about other people´s opinion.

Well how about you read it before posting stupidly? It brings up very valid points.

I dont care. People vote. Swallow it.

Well that seems like a very informed choice. Lets just not criticize fifa considering the stats show that much better players should have been put in those positions.

of course you don't care, barca has so many players because of their new plastic fans that rise every day like pansies since their success and act like 10 years old who support spider-man or some animation character:D..

I support Barce since I joined la masia in 1999, so dont give me any bullshit about being a fanboy. Ballon d'Or and other awards are given by journalists, coaches and captains. If you dont like their votes, go and send a email to the ones from your country and give them your opinion. Debating a 'biased prove' something on goallegacy isnt going to change anything.

this was a good read. very true

Collblanc wrote:I support Barce since I joined la masia in 1999, so dont give me any bullshit about being a fanboy. Ballon d'Or and other awards are given by journalists, coaches and captains. If you dont like their votes, go and send a email to the ones from your country and give them your opinion. Debating a 'biased prove' something on goallegacy isnt going to change anything.

If you actually read the article instead of just coming here and bitching, it acknowledges how the voting system works and explains how democracy of the players isn't always right.

Collblanc wrote:I support Barce since I joined la masia in 1999, so dont give me any bullshit about being a fanboy. Ballon d'Or and other awards are given by journalists, coaches and captains. If you dont like their votes, go and send a email to the ones from your country and give them your opinion. Debating a 'biased prove' something on goallegacy isnt going to change anything.

i wasn't pointing to you.. At least you have an avatar with Cruyff, most of the new football fans have no idea what the dutchman meant for barcelona...

zarola wrote:this was a good read. very true

Collblanc wrote:I support Barce since I joined la masia in 1999, so dont give me any bullshit about being a fanboy. Ballon d'Or and other awards are given by journalists, coaches and captains. If you dont like their votes, go and send a email to the ones from your country and give them your opinion. Debating a 'biased prove' something on goallegacy isnt going to change anything.

If you actually read the article instead of just coming here and bitching, it acknowledges how the voting system works and explains how democracy of the players doesn't always rule.

I did read, I understand how it works and still dont care. What is discussing this going to change ANYTHING?

We never said it was going to change anything now did we? We are just discussing the choices made and the facts pointed out in this article.

OK, have fun with that.

Everybody knows the team of the year was a glorified popularity contest anyway. And it's not only Pirlo, every player in the defense of that team should be replaced.

La Liga is the best league.DEAL WITH IT.



DAT La Liga Dream Team.

ronaldo's face again

As Roy Hudson and Neill Barnett agreed today, the selection was relatively fair and that maybe there could have been some Serie A players (they mentioned former, like Ibra and T. Silva, Lavezzi and current like Cavani, Chiellini, Buffon, De Rossi, Totti, Bonucci,Asamoah, Lichtsteiner) but that the EPL just doesn't have the technical quality in terms of players, or the EPL style of play does not allow the technical qualities to be expressed.

It's true...
La Liga is the best!
The only league that was won before December & the titles for the next couple of seasons are already engraved & just waiting on the date...

But on a serious note...Ashley Cole deserve to be here more than Marcelo who won just the Liga title last season..
Cole won the Champions League & Fa Cup!
I hate English football/footballers but Cole was the best fullback last season without a doubt!

Collblanc wrote:I dont care. People vote. Swallow it.

typical cryuff fanboy

Let's be honest every single one of those players,if they played in the EPL would be the best in their position.The only debatable ones are Falcao vs Van Persie,Vidic vs Pique or Ramos and some people will say Yaya Toure is better than Alonso.Though I think Alonso is clearly better myself.

The whole back 6 is wrong, from goalie to Alonso. Marcelo is the only one I find reasonable.

But again, who cares? Noone will remember in a few weeks, its all meaningless.

tuddor wrote:of course you don't care, barca has so many players because of their new plastic fans that rise every day like pansies since their success and act like 10 years old who support spider-man or some animation character:D..

you summed 90% of barca fans up

Your on 25%, I advise you watch what you say.

Raptorgunner wrote:

worms wrote: La Liga is the best league.DEAL WITH IT.



DAT La Liga Dream Team.

Going by your logic Greece had all the best players in 2004.DAT TALENT.