In 1963 Lev Yashin won the Ballon d'Or. He is the only keeper to ever win that price. Franz Beckenbauer (1972, 1976), Matthias Sammer (1996) and Fabio Cannavaro (2006) are the only defenders to win the Ballon d'Or. So of the 57 prices (Ballon d'Or + UEFA best player in Europe) there are 4 defensive players. Isn't that weird? How is it that when we talk about the best footballer in the world we never think of Oliver Kahn, Edwin van der Sar, Gordon Banks or Grégory Coupet for example? The role that only one man can fill, the one who has the 'most important role'. If the goalkeeper makes one mistake it can cost you the game. Doesn't that make their position more difficult? Why don't they get the same praise?
The defenders are forgotten too. The best defense is a good offense is a very famous adage, but in football the defenders and goalkeepers are overshadowed by the midfielders and forwards.
The reason why is simple. I'll give you an example to show you why. A goalkeeper denies a striker to score in a one vs one situation. What will people say in general? Good safe? Amazingly played by the goalkeeper? No. People will curse the striker and shout at him that he's very bad. Nobody 'cares' about the goalkeeper making the safe. People don't see the beauty in defense. Thousands of people got mad at Jose Mourinho for playing anti-football with Chelsea against Liverpool (27-04-2014), but that was just a tactical masterpiece of him. Liverpool had no chance of scoring. Isn't defense a part of football? How is it that you play anti-football when you play defensive? It all makes no sense. We football fans have created such a 'hate' against safe football. Football is an entertainment source for all of us, but I don't think losing and playing offensively is better than winning and playing defensively.
Another reason is that celebrating defensive plays feels weird. I don't see the players jumping on each other after their keepers saving a penalty. You prevented damage, but you didn't deal any to the enemy either. It's like surviving from an attack in the middle of the war; you can still die. The same counts for football; you can still lose a game. But when you score a goal you gain a lead. Without scoring you can never win a game. Good defense is a mental lead, but since it's not on paper you can't do anything with it.
Offense is more enjoyable to watch. If a winger is tearing the defense apart there is action in the game. If the defense is impossible to get through and therefor there is no action. You have a price for the best goal of the year (Puskás award), but nothing for the best safe of the year.
The price for the 'best' footballer doesn't exist. You can't compare a goalkeeper to a striker. You can't compare a box-to-box midfielder to a winger. Why can't we have a price per position? Just because one position is more popular doesn't mean that those type of players are 'better'. The offensive players are getting more attention. The best player price has become a popularity contest. Too bad that will most likely not change.
The defenders are forgotten too. The best defense is a good offense is a very famous adage, but in football the defenders and goalkeepers are overshadowed by the midfielders and forwards.
The reason why is simple. I'll give you an example to show you why. A goalkeeper denies a striker to score in a one vs one situation. What will people say in general? Good safe? Amazingly played by the goalkeeper? No. People will curse the striker and shout at him that he's very bad. Nobody 'cares' about the goalkeeper making the safe. People don't see the beauty in defense. Thousands of people got mad at Jose Mourinho for playing anti-football with Chelsea against Liverpool (27-04-2014), but that was just a tactical masterpiece of him. Liverpool had no chance of scoring. Isn't defense a part of football? How is it that you play anti-football when you play defensive? It all makes no sense. We football fans have created such a 'hate' against safe football. Football is an entertainment source for all of us, but I don't think losing and playing offensively is better than winning and playing defensively.
Another reason is that celebrating defensive plays feels weird. I don't see the players jumping on each other after their keepers saving a penalty. You prevented damage, but you didn't deal any to the enemy either. It's like surviving from an attack in the middle of the war; you can still die. The same counts for football; you can still lose a game. But when you score a goal you gain a lead. Without scoring you can never win a game. Good defense is a mental lead, but since it's not on paper you can't do anything with it.
Offense is more enjoyable to watch. If a winger is tearing the defense apart there is action in the game. If the defense is impossible to get through and therefor there is no action. You have a price for the best goal of the year (Puskás award), but nothing for the best safe of the year.
The price for the 'best' footballer doesn't exist. You can't compare a goalkeeper to a striker. You can't compare a box-to-box midfielder to a winger. Why can't we have a price per position? Just because one position is more popular doesn't mean that those type of players are 'better'. The offensive players are getting more attention. The best player price has become a popularity contest. Too bad that will most likely not change.
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