Napoli and Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly believes his fellow compatriot Edouard Mendy deserves to be a part of the 30 men shortlist for the Ballon d’Or award.
Mendy did make the final 10-man nominees for the Yashin Trophy. The trophy is specifically for goalkeepers. Since signing for Chelsea for a reported fee of £22m, he has gone on to prove himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Mendy capped off last season with a clean sheet against Manchester City in the Champions League final. He became the first African goalkeeper to ever lift the Champions League trophy.
Koulibaly comments on Chelsea goalkeeper Ballon d’Or snub
Koulibaly when asked his thoughts on the Ballon d’Or nominations spoke
“We must not forget that it is journalists who vote. One journalist per country,”. “I think there are some countries that favour other players.”
He also added,
“It is a real shame that Edouard isn’t one of them and he’s the first African goalkeeper to lift the Champions League,” the 30-year-old said. “We must continue to work and move forward. We have to do double the work of some people to be well judged. “ Edouard is a very positive person. We talked about it together. He will continue to fight to be part of it. For me, he has a place among these 30 players.”
Koulibaly also missed out on the 30 men shortlist for the Ballon d’Or award. Gianluigi Donnarumma was the only goalkeeper on the shortlist. Mendy’s Chelsea teammates Jorginho, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta, Romelu Lukaku and N’Golo Kante all made the 30 men shortlist for the Ballon d’Or award.
Manchester City and Chelsea have the most Ballon d’Or nominees with five each. Closely followed by PSG with four. And then Juventus, Inter Milan, Manchester United, and Real Madrid with two each.
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