Pep Guardiola criticises The Best FIFA Football Awards’ shortlist
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has condemned the Best FIFA Football Awards’ shortlist, with no City player making the cut. The Cityzens continued their dominance over English football last season by winning the domestic treble and even reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
With the nominees for the Best Fifa Men’s Player of the year award already released, there were a few obvious candidates and a few shocking absentees. Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah all made the cut, alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But the list did not contain even one Manchester City name, despite the Cityzens winning the domestic treble. This has irked manager Pep Guardiola with the former Barcelona manager, criticising the Fifa’s award committee.
“Maybe we have to win five or six or get 250 points to be considered next season. I don't think there is one player who had a better season than Bernardo Silva last season, even winning [the Nations League] with Portugal. These awards are normally when you win the Champions League. We were in the last stages and the other competitions do not count, are not important,” Guardiola was quoted as saying.
He further went on to talk about the fact that no Manchester City player has ever picked up the PFA Player of the Year award, despite them winning four out of the last eight titles. "In eight years, winning four times the Premier League is quite good. And never one player - not David , not Vincent , not Yaya - won, not even suggested.
Huge respect for Mohamed Salah, but Kevin de Bruyne that season, when we made 100 points [in 2017-18] was above and beyond the normal situations. I cannot imagine Real Madrid and Barcelona winning four titles and not one single player being there," Guardiola concluded.