Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has shared his thoughts on the Ballon d’Or race, arguing that winning the Champions League or World Cup should not automatically make a player the favourite for the prestigious individual award. Over the years, players from the teams that lift the biggest trophies have often found themselves in pole position for the Ballon d’Or. However, Mourinho believes the Ballon d’Or should not simply be a reward for winning the biggest trophies in football. The Real Madrid manager argued that the award should recognise players whose individual brilliance leaves a lasting mark on the game, citing some of the greatest names in football history, such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane.
“You cannot award the Ballon d’Or to a player just because he has won the Champions League or the World Cup,” the Portuguese said at Real’s press conference before Sunday’s game against FC Malaga
“For me, the Ballon d’Or has to go to one of those players we will miss for eternity when they stop playing. I miss Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano, Messi, Zizou, Lothar Matthäus… I miss these people,” said Mourinho.
He went a step further in making his point, suggesting that if the Ballon d’Or is meant to reward Champions League or international success, the honour should instead go to the coaches or teams responsible for those achievements.
“If you want to honour the Champions League, you should give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique – the coach’s Ballon d’Or, representing the team. Or to the Spain national team. Mister De la Fuente certainly deserves the coach’s Ballon d’Or. That would be the great honour for a team that goes down in history,” Mourinho explained.
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The Portuguese manager separated the idea of winning the biggest trophies from being the best individual player in the world. He stressed that the Ballon d’Or should not be limited to players from the Champions League or World Cup-winning teams, while hinting that the leading contenders are already clear and that one of them made history this summer.
“Something else is the best player in the world. He does not have to be from Paris Saint-Germain or from the Spain national team,” Mourinho explained, adding: “The best player in the world are two, three or four, and we know who they are and where they are. And they are here. And we know who made history individually this summer.”
“Ballon d’Or is also something political”
Mourinho also suggested that factors beyond football could influence the Ballon d’Or, admitting that he is less comfortable with the award when he feels politics enters the picture.
“Maybe the Ballon d’Or is also something political. And when politics comes into it, I don’t like it quite so much any more. You know my opinion on the Ballon d’Or. We are not going to invent anything new now with either the Spain national team or Paris Saint-Germain. Players? That’s something else,” said Mourinho.
