UEFA today announced the nominees for their annual ''Best Player in Europe'' award, that is unveiled always before the start of the UEFA Champions League in August.
The Nominees
Ten players have been announced by Europe's governing body of football. Argentine striker Carlos Tévez, now of Boca Juniors, French midfielder Paul Pogba, Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo, Pirlo's fellow countryman - goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal of Champions League runners-up Juventus.
Continuing from that list, the tremendous attacking trio from the reigning UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona. Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar. To finish off the list, are Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Belgian forward Eden Hazard - from Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively.
Since it's inception in 2011, it was aimed at reviving the European Footballer of the Year Award (otherwise known as the Ballon d'Or awarded by French Football), which was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2010 to become the FIFA Ballon d'Or. It also replaced the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award.
History
Ronaldo has been considered Europe's best player on three occassions. In 2008, he won the Ballon D'Or and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and in 2014, he won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Messi has also won the accolade on three ocassions. In 2009, he won the Ballon D'Or and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and in 2011, won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Both the Portuguese and Argentine have finished at least in the top three of all these awards since 2008 except when Messi finished sixth in the voting for the 2014 award.
They are clear favourites to finish in the top three again this year with seven other players looking to make that list as well for the first time. Pirlo finished fourth in 2012, behind Ronaldo, Messi and Andres Iniesta as well as Buffon won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year in 2003 and finished second behind Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.
The top three will be announced on August 12th and the winner will be announced in Monaco on the 28th. Previous winners of this award was Lionel Messi in 2010-11, Andres Iniesta in 2011-12, Franck Ribery in 2012-13 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013-14.