Chapter 407: FIFA World Player of the Year Announced
Before Manchester United's League Cup semifinal against Hull City, the 2016 FIFA World Player of the Year award ceremony was held at FIFA headquarters in Zurich. Cristiano Ronaldo unsurprisingly won the 2016 World Player of the Year, sweeping both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA's award for the second time since 2008.
Bruno, who couldn't overturn Ronaldo in the more prestigious Ballon d'Or, naturally found it even harder to challenge Ronaldo in the more popularity-driven FIFA award.
Since FIFA and France Football magazine parted ways last year, ending the FIFA Ballon d'Or after six editions, FIFA returned to its annual World Player of the Year award.
Under FIFA's new voting rules, national team coaches and captains' votes account for 50%, with online fan votes and votes from over 200 media outlets making up the other 50%.
In coaching, 65-year-old Italian coach Claudio Ranieri, who led the unheralded Leicester City to a miraculous Premier League title amidst strong competition, was named Best Men's Coach. However, Ranieri's current situation was dire, with his defending champions struggling in 14th place in the Premier League, just six points above the relegation zone, leading to constant media speculation about his imminent departure.
Germany's women's team, having won their first Olympic gold in Rio, saw their coach Silvia Neid awarded Best Women's Coach. However, Germany's midfielder Melanie Behringer, who scored five goals in the Olympics, missed out on the FIFA Women's Player of the Year award, which went to the USA's Carli Lloyd, who won for the second consecutive year.
The Puskas Award, voted online by fans, was won by Malaysian Super League player Mohd Faiz Subri for his stunning, swerving free-kick, garnering nearly 60% of the votes.
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Bruno was named in FIFA's World XI but didn't attend the ceremony as he was preparing for the League Cup semifinal and the upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool. However, he recorded a video, sent via United's CEO Giarrata, explaining his absence and congratulating Ronaldo.
Despite this, Ronaldo's fans were unimpressed, accusing Bruno of disrespecting Ronaldo, further straining the relationship between their fanbases. This even caused a split among Portuguese fans, with Ronaldo supporters and Bruno supporters increasingly at odds.
In fact, Bruno wasn't the only absentee. Besides Real Madrid's Ronaldo, Kroos, Modric, Marcelo, and Ramos, only Barcelona's Dani Alves attended the ceremony, while the other five World XI members were absent.
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The voting results revealed intriguing details about the preferences of national team captains and coaches.
Among the top ten national team coaches, four placed Ronaldo first, four placed Bruno first, and two placed Messi first. Among the top ten national team captains, four placed Bruno first, three placed Ronaldo first, and two placed Messi first.
As captains of Portugal and Argentina respectively, Ronaldo and Messi's votes drew particular interest. Ronaldo voted for Bruno, Bale, and Modric, while Messi voted for Bruno, Suarez, and Neymar.
Ronaldo and Messi not voting for each other was no surprise, but both choosing Bruno as their first choice was unexpected. Ronaldo's choice was understandable given their national team connection and Bruno's impressive year. However, Messi selecting Bruno as his top choice was surprising.
This led to further backlash from Ronaldo's fans against Bruno, accusing him of betrayal for gaining Messi's support. Messi's fans, on the other hand, praised his fairness and even suggested Bruno should switch allegiance to Argentina to support Messi.
British media defended Bruno, declaring him the true, albeit unofficial, king of 2016. English fans echoed this, suggesting Bruno should play for England.
This showcased how opinions can be shaped by perspectives.
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Bruno didn't let the controversy affect him, having anticipated the results and prepared mentally.
His focus on upcoming matches wasn't just an excuse for missing the ceremony—it was genuine.
The FIFA ceremony was at 6:30 PM local time, and just a day later at 8 PM, United faced Hull City at Old Trafford.
Despite the League Cup being a minor competition, reaching the semifinals made it significant for any top team, including Premier League giants.
At this stage, with only three more matches to win a trophy, no team would pass up the opportunity.
United didn't disappoint their fans, thrashing Hull City 4-1 at home, virtually securing their place in the League Cup final.
The next day at St. Mary's Stadium, Liverpool, resting key midfielder Coutinho for the upcoming Premier League match against United, were defeated 1-0 by Southampton, leaving them in a tough spot for the return leg of the League Cup semifinal.
However, Liverpool's focus was clearly on the upcoming Premier League clash with United at Old Trafford, especially after their 4-0 defeat at Anfield in the first encounter of the season. They were determined not to lose again.
(End of the chapter)
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