Superstar duo Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been snubbed by UEFA in the list of nominees for the 2019/2020 Champions League awards.
The awards were introduced in 2016/17 to recognize the season’s best player in each position in Europe’s premier club competition. Both players regularly appeared on the list since its introduction until now.
Messi alongside his football club Barcelona suffered an abysmal 2019/20 season crashing out calamitously from the UEFA champions league. They also lost the La Liga title to arch-rival, Real Madrid towards the end of the season.
Ronaldo on the other hand crashed out of the champions league when no one expected. The forward’s team Juventus lost to Lyon in the Round of 16. However, they have crowned winners of the Seria A title which was not enough for Ronaldo to appear in the UEFA award shortlist.
The shortlist is dominated by Champions League holders Bayern Munich who have seven players nominated.
Players from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Atlético de Madrid also featured on the list.
The award nominees for the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League are:
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain), Manuel Neuer (Bayern), Jan Oblak (Atlético de Madrid)
Defenders: David Alaba (Bayern), Alphonso Davies (Bayern), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern)
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Thomas Müller (Bayern), Thiago Alcántara (Bayern)
Forwards: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern), Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain).
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK