The Ballon d’Or is almost universally recognized as the greatest accomplishment in football. While there have been plenty of controversies towards the recipient of the award in recent years, it continues to be the most prestigous personal award in the sport. In recent years though, the award has expanded to not just the player of the year, but also coach, and even club of the year.
News broke this week announcing which clubs were nominated for the men’s and women’s Club of the Year and there is plenty
to discuss on these lists. For the category of Men’s Club, the nominees are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo, and Paris Saint Germain. Yes, you read that right. The Norwegian side that went on their miracle run in last year’s Champions League have been nominated which is pretty awesome.
For the Women’s Club category, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club América, Manchester City, and OL Lyonnes were the nominated choices. Amazing news for Bayern Munich as they were the only club to be nominated for both the male and female teams.
Men’s Club of the Year nominees:
- Arsenal
- Bayern Munich
- Bodø/Glimt
- Flamengo
- Paris Saint Germain
Women’s Club of the Year nominees:
- FC Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
- Club América
- Manchester City
- OL Lyonnes
Field Analysis
Initial thoughts on the nominations are that they seem to be the right decisions. Bodø/Glimt seems like a stretch if we are speaking about the most talent, but their story with their budget is worthy of major praise. Atlético Madrid was the only team that qualified for the Champions League semi-finals to be snubbed from a nomination, although finishing 4th in La Liga last season likely held them back from a nomination.
When it comes to predicting the eventual winner, things become a bit more difficult. While fans would love to see the Bodø/Glimt miracle story continue on, it is unlikely to see them receive the award. Arsenal had an incredible year despite coming short in the Champions League final and PSG winning the Champions League in consecutive years make them a reasonable choice.
Bayern Munich had another record-breaking season and swept Germany, but being left out of the Champions League final could be too much to overcome, although they arguably had the most impressive campaign across the entire year.
When it comes to the women’s teams, FC Barcelona typically reigns supreme with their dominance and star-studded cast. However, Bayern Munich have been massively impressive in recent memory as well. Still, a dominant 4-0 UCL Final from Barca might be just too good to ignore.
What are your thoughts on the nominations? Was anyone snubbed? Let us know in the comments!
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