Lhe time is long past when the Golden Ball was awarded to its winner on the edge of the pitch, before any match, in front of a few local photographers. This handover is now the subject of a ceremony with great pomp and shiny tuxedos, with its inevitable share of bombastic speeches and embarrassing moments. The awards for the 2021-2022 season will be awarded this Monday, October 17, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris.
The essential is played before and after. Despite changes to the voting system and eligibility criteria, the volume of controversy surrounding the winner remains stable. Even when he was monopolized by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (winners 12 times out of 13 between 2008 and 2021, Luka Modric interfering in 2018), everyone had to decide for one or the other, as between Lennon or McCartney .
The criteria, which have been redefined many times, remain ambiguous. Sometimes the Golden Ball went to a partridge of the year who did not justify this honor afterwards (Michael Owen, in 2001). Sometimes to a player favored by a lack of competition (Igor Belanov, in 1986), or because he had won a world title and embodied his team (Fabio Cannavaro, in 2006).
Biases and injustices
Often, on the contrary, it is a statute that takes precedence, as if the jurors had to answer: “Who is the absolute best player? » rather than: “Who has been the best player this year? » Messi thus overtook Robert Lewandowski in 2021…
There was a time when the respectability of the player was an implicit criterion. In 2000, Zinédine Zidane, European champion with France, was deprived of the trophy by Luis Figo, but above all by an annoying headbutt (already) dealt to a player from Hamburg SV.
We are no longer there, at least if it is indeed Karim Benzema who takes the stage tonight. The Lyonnais, after renouncing, in June, to appeal his conviction in the so-called “sextape” affair, was found guilty of “complicity in attempted blackmail”. The absolution had been granted by the coach Didier Deschamps, the Golden Ball will be worth beatification.
Let’s leave the moral aside: the sporting legitimacy of the Madrilenian is indisputable. Not only was he sparkling and decisive for Real, but we can rejoice that his exceptional longevity at the highest level is being rewarded. Long-term footballers have often fallen through the cracks of the charts.
Some profiles have been almost totally excluded. Defenders have just three winners – the last in 2006 – and keepers can’t even dream of that anymore. To the point that the organizers created in 2019 the “Yachine trophy”, a consolation prize named after the only winner in this position, Lev Yachine, in 1963.
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