SIR: In the last 12 years, the global football community has been treated to the very special and awesome talents of the duo of Cristiano Ronaldo, an incredible football prodigy from Portugal and mercurial Lionel Messi, the diminutive, but highly efficient Argentinean from South America, the land of another football icon, Diego Armando Maradona.
The twosome have conspired and collaborated to mesmerize the entire world with their unique football skills and have also been appropriately rewarded with accolades in the shelf of FIFA, European Football Association, as well as other football authorities across the globe.
Essentially, the duo have carted away eleven Ballon d’Or crowns in the last 12 years, with Ronaldo pocketing five and Lionel Messi six.
The only interregnum between the two was in 2017/2018 when Luka Modric, the Croatian mid field genius of Real Madrid was named Ballon d’Or, as well as European Footballer of the Year winner, and even, the global soccer community were of the strong view that the title should have gone to Ronaldo.
However, that remains part of history, as we can’t continue to beat the dead horse.
But, despite the legendary performance of the duo over years, the football world is becoming uncomfortable with their imperial domination, as it is becoming frustratingly monotonous to see them mounting FIFA podium every year, despite the emergence of other super stars like Neymar jnr., Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Erling Haaland, Sergio Aguero, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard, Kevin De-Brune.
In fact, another football superstar, Robert Lewandoski, a Polish and Bayern Munich centre forward, who has lived under the shadow of Ronaldo and Messi for several years, just like other aforementioned players, has been particularly stunning on the field of play this year, recording very amazing performances both in the German League popularly known as Bundesliga and even at the European stage, banking goals in the Champions’ League with reckless abandon.
His performance has united football fans across the world that, eventually another star has emerged to eclipse and halt the dominance of Ronaldo and Messi.
Several opinions’ polls conducted across the world has ceded the Ballon d’Or and European Football crown of the year to Lewandoski before France Football suddenly shocked the entire football world that they’ve resolved to cancel the award, citing very puerile reasons that, there wasn’t football activities in January and February, and also that, football across Europe are being played in the absence of football fans, as if the player who ordinarily should be rewarded for their brave efforts on the field to even come out to play at a very dangerous and perilous time of COVID-19 were the architect of the pandemic that caused lack of football activities as well as absence of spectators.
The whole world could only see their decision as a deliberate plot and conspiracy to deny Robert Lewandoski his hour of glory.
The French football magazine must be told in clear terms, that the widespread expression of indignation and condemnation of their decision is eloquent testimony of the total rejection of their resolve and that, if they don’t refrain from all these controversial decisions, which have been their trademark in recent years, they are certainly condemned to lose the trust and confidence of football community across the globe very soon.
- Kola Amzat(FCA) Lagos.
