UEFA Best Player Award candidates

The finalists for the 2014-15 UEFA Best Player of the year have been announced. The finalists are:

1. Leo Messi (FC Barcelona)
2. Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona)
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid C.F.)

No player from Champions League runners up and Italian champions, Juventus made the top 3, despite having five entries voted in to the top ten. FC Barcelona’s Neymar was voted 5 Overall and Eden Hazard was 6.

Any player who plays in a country that is associated with UEFA is eligible for this award. In round one of voting, 54 journalists (each from 1 member country of UEFA) vote on thier top 3 players. First vote is worth 5 points, second is worth 3 points and third is worth 1 point. Players are judged on domestic and international performances.

The top 3 players with the most points go into the second round of voting, which will follow the same voting system. This will be done when the UEFA Champions League group stages for the 2015-16 season will be announced – in Monaco on August 27.

The Top 10 are:

1. Leo Messi (FC Barcelona)
2. Luis Suarez (FC Barcelona)
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid C.F.)

Followed by:

1. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
2. Neymar (FC Barcelona)
3. Eden Hazard (Chelsea FC)
4. Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
5. Arturo Vidal (Juventus)
6. Carlos Tevez (Juventus)
7. Paul Pogba (Juventus)

Read ahead for a look into the top 3 candidates’ 2014/15 season exploits at both the international and domestic level.

1. Leo Messi

Club Appearances: 58
Club Goals: 60
Club Assists: 31
International Appearances: 17 (includes Copa America)
International Goals: 8
International Assists: 6
Discipline (across domestic and international): 6 Yellow
Team Trophies won: 4

The Argentine Master overall had a fine season for both club and country. He was the main reason for Argentina’s march to the World Cup final and was awarded the Best Player of the Tournament. He started his season in his usual manner, providing the club with assists and goals. However, December was a tough time with reports of bust ups with Coach Enrique following a shock defeat to Real Sociedad at the start of 2015.

After that, there was no stopping the Argentine and FC Barcelona. They demolished all who stood in their path and without a doubt, there was no player in a finer form than Leo. 35 goals and 24 assists for the club in 2015 alone, as they marched to their second treble. He formed a fine understanding with Luis Suarez and Neymar and the rest of the team. He was once again instrumental in the UEFA Super Cup win, scoring 2 and assisting a goal in a thrilling 5-4 win to win his 4 club trophy for the year. In the Copa America, while just scoring once he was the main threat for Argentina as they marched to the finals.

He took a deeper role sometimes and if not scoring, he continued to provide assists, and scoring opportunities to his teammates by providing precise crosses and key passes. He terrorized every defence, and nothing could be more memorable than him nutmegging James Milner in the Champions League round of 16 or bringing Boateng to the ground in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League against FC Bayern Munch. His all-round play was the driving factor for FC Barcelona.

As is tradition with the last few seasons, he continued to break records. He broke Raul’s tally of goals in the UEFA Champions League and sits atop the UEFA Champions League scoring charts with Cristiano Ronaldo, both with 77. He broke the all-time La liga scoring record by passing Telmo Zarra’s 252. He is also the top scorer in the Catalan Derby with 12 goals when he scored against Espanyol. His individual accolades for the season include Team of the Year/Tournament at the 2014 World Cup, 2015 Copa America, Champions League. He was the joint top scorer in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League with Neymar and Ronaldo. He was also top assist provider in the 2014/15 Champions League and 2015 Copa America and won the FIFA Golden Ball at the 2014 World Cup.

He is the favourite to take this award for the record second time since its creation in 2010.

1. Luis Suarez

Club Appearances: 44
Club Goals: 26
Club Assists: 25
International Appearances: 6 (including 3 friendlies after the world cup incident)
International Goals: 5 (including 3 in friendlies after the world cup incident)
International Assists: 1
Discipline (across domestic and international): 7 Yellow Cards
Team Trophies won: 4

He did not have the best start to the season. He was instrumental in Uruguay’s World Cup hopes but ended up biting Chiellieni and getting a four month ban from International football. This did not stop a massive €94 million move to FC Barcelona. Luckily, the CAS reduced his ban allowing him to train with the team. Making his debut in the El Classico, he got off to a rocky start with FC Barcelona.

He only scored once in La Liga in 2014 as he struggled. In 2015, like the rest of the squad his fortunes turned. He was a constant menace and combined wonderfully with Neymar and Messi. 22 goals and 18 assists came in 2015. Primarily, he started at the tip of the Barcelona attack but constantly changed positions with Neymar and Messi throughout the game. For the club, his most devastating performances came in Champions League. His most memorable moment would be nutmegging PSG’s David Luiz twice before scoring each time in their victory in the quarter finals. He would score the second goal for FC Barcelona in their 3-1 win in the final. Across European club competitions, he finished 3 highest in assists and was one of the most prolific strikers, despite missing 2 months of competition!

He would continue leading the Barcelona line in their pre-season tour as Messi and Neymar were not with the squads because of the Copa America followed by their annual holiday. He also scored and assisted in Barcelona’s UEFA Super Cup win, in a thrilling 5-4 encounter with Sevilla.

His individual accolades include being part of the UEFA 2015/16 Team of the season. No doubt, he would have had more if not for the World Cup incident and may have led Uruguay better in the Copa America.

He will be an outside contender for the award behind Messi and Ronaldo.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Club Appearances: 54
Club Goals: 61
Club Assists: 22
International Appearances: 9
International Goals: 6
International Assists: 1
Discipline (across domestic and international): 6 Yellow and 1 Red Card
Team Trophies won: 2

At an individual level, Ronaldo had an amazing season. Like with the rest of Real Madrid, he started in fine form. In the Liga, they won the first El Classico and were taking every team by storm in Liga and UEFA Champions League. At the end of 2014, it seemed Real Madrid would be runaway winners in all competitions. In the other competitions in 2014, he scored twice in the UEFA Super Cup win over Sevilla and had 2 assists in the club world cup and was fairly ineffective in the Spanish Super cup.

2015 saw Real Madrid and Ronaldo suffer a dip in form. Barcelona cut their lead at the top in January and RMFC lost the lead to Barcelona in February. He was sent off in a match against Cordoba and was not able to prevent Athletico Madrid from eliminating Real in the Copa Del Ray. However, his goal scoring exploits continued as he tried to lead a late season Madrid surge.

In the Champions League, he played a vital role in preventing a shock exit at the hands of Schalke and set up their quarter final victory over Athletico Madrid. However, he was unable to fully breakdown the Juventus defence who went to the finals. He would finish top scorer of La Liga with 48 goals.

His personal best moment in the season would be his 5 goal haul against Granada in a 9-0 white wash win. 32 goals and 10 assists came in 2014 and the rest in 2015. Did show a slight dip in form, given more games are played in the latter part of the season.

His explots with the national team were not as brilliant. The sole hope for Portgual, they crashed out of the World Cup and he scored a single goal only. He scored 5 goals in European Qualification matches as Portugal sit atop their group in the 2016 Euro Qualifiers.

At an individual level, he once again broke some records in the year. He won his record, 4 European Golden Shoe with his 48 goal tally in La Liga, he won the Pichichi Trophy and is the joint top scorer in the UEFA Champions League history. He was part of the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League team of the season and was the joint top scorer with Messi and Neymar. He was the recipient of the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’or, winning it for a 3 time and has won the last 2 in a row.

He will be second favourite to win this trophy behind Messi, whose second half of the season was just phenomenal. But Ronaldo still has a fairly good chance to take his second UEFA Best Player Award.