Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Let's just make this quite quick. The Ballon d 'Or list was announced this week, the 30 -man shortlist ahead of the ceremony on October 30th. Only one Italian in the 30 -man list, which I think is
Speaker: is not enough. Because when Serie A had two teams in the Champions League semi -finals and one in the final, and a lot of the Italian players played big roles, for Inter especially, but also the historic season that Napoli had, getting to the quarter -final and winning Scudetto. Um, Niigola Borrell is the only player that's called Mr. in the list now. I'm reading the list now and I can't, I agree with pretty much every single player in there. The only player I might not agree with that shouldn't be there.
Speaker: is maybe, and then that would be maybe very uncharitable, it's Erdogan, who you could say, well, maybe Bastogno di Lorenzo should have been there instead.
Speaker: But players I don't believe should be in there. I carry him Benzema. His brilliant season was the season before. Jamal Musiala for Bayern Munich. If you've got Musiala, Musiala was great the first half of the season, second half of the season, not so much. And he didn't have a good World Cup either, really.
Speaker: no idea what's what what the hell he's doing yeah what the hell is he doing it i mean don't know i think i'm a big fan i'm a big fan of him i want i said that it was madness at the time we landed signing on a free transfer and then he goes for a hundred million a year later so yeah this is coming from someone who's a fan of him but you know
Speaker: Frankfurt player. What the hell was he doing in there? Julian Alvarez was a sub for the World Cup. You see, this is a thing that you have to remember that it's an unwritten rule that lots of this is this is the reason why Lionel Messi is going to win it is because he was the best player at the World Cup. He wasn't the best player overall over the season, but he was the best player at the World Cup. And so he's going to win it. And that's what they
Speaker: And Odegard had a... He was great. I love that arsenal. I think they're wonderful to watch. He was Salah. Salah had a very good individual season, but Liverpool were totally disastrous season. So what's he doing in there? I mean, he did have a very good individual season, I know, but then when I look at Bastoni, DiMarco and Vilarento,
Speaker: I mean, for me, it's not quite there yet to me, but for me, Bastani and Di Lorenzo, I think at least one of them should be there. I am a little bit... Has there been a better right back than Di Lorenzo? I have to say one thing, and maybe I'm wrong here, but I've...
Speaker: Theo Hernandez and Mike Mignon are on there. Well, Theo Hernandez, I understand, because I think he had a quite up and down season. And even Mignon, to an extent, he was injured for a good three or four months a bit, and he missed the World Cup. So I do understand that, to my honest. Milan, let's not forget, Milan finished fifth in Serie A, and they got semi -finals. Yeah, but Theo was outstanding in the World Cup.
Speaker: Yeah, in the World Cup. Yeah, that's fair. Yeah, in the World Cup. Up until the final, yeah. Yeah, that's fair. That's a fair point. Well, they did struggle against England. But yeah, tell you, okay, yeah, if we're doing Julian Alvarez, then I guess, yeah, we could argue. Tell, for me, it's more of a... I reacted to that. I was like, why is he not there? Because I think he is the best left back in the world, together with Alfonso Davis.
Speaker: At least there is some representation from some of the Italian clubs, and we've got Osseman in there, we've got Kvaratke. Kim and Jay, I count Kim and Jay. Two Napoli players. No, three Napoli players. Kim and Jay went there because of his Napoli, that's why he was there. Of course he did, yeah. For me, that's a Napoli player. And we got into, represented by Barella and Lottaro. Which I think is fair. I think that's fair.
Speaker: But we all know Lionel Messi is going to win it so I don't even understand why we're talking about this. Yeah.
Speaker: I'm just happy that now this is the last year we have to deal with this cult, because from now on, it's not going to be another Messier Ronaldo cult. As much as I've loved watching this era, I am over the moon that it's over. I'm tired of it. They are exhausting. Both sets of fans of these two are cult fanboys. They're insane. They're impossible to engage in conversation with.
Speaker: and I'm over the moon that it's now over and finished and done with. Thank God, move next. Yeah, no, first Ballon d 'Or without Ronaldo in 20 years, and I think next year will maybe be the first year without either of them.
