And then there was one:
The coveted Ballon d'Or
The BBC has reported that there will next year be only one award for football’s best player in the world:
“From January, only one award will be handed out although the new title will still be known as the Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball).”
“The agreement was announced on Monday by Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Marie-Odile Amaury, publisher of France Football magazine, which conceived the idea of the Ballon d’Or in 1956.”
This is an idea that is long overdue. Having two awards was confusing.
France Football’s award was voted on by journalists around the world and awarded in November, while FIFA’s award was voted on by national coaches and captains from around the world and awarded in January.
I think it is better to have the award given in the new year – as FIFA did. But the name Ballon d’Or is much better – so I am glad that FIFA is sticking with the name.
As the BBC has pointed out – the question is how the voting will be done.
Hopefully FIFA’s new Ballon d’Or process will be something dynamic – otherwise we here at BPITW will have to finally come up with a special trophy of our own : )
This would no doubt foil FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s plan:
“From January of next year we will have one single trophy for the best player in the world.”
But how about an independent fans’ choice award that could spring from our modest little poll?…
