Vicente del Bosque wants Ballon d'Or winner to be Spanish
Spain national team coach Vicente del Bosque hopes that the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or will come from his squad of 2010 FIFA World Cup winners.
The European champions have seven players shortlisted for the World Player of the Year award. They are midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta — both considered among the favourites for the title —defender Carles Puyol and striker David Villa, all
of Barcelona; Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and his team-mate Xabi Alonso; and Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.
No Spanish player has won the award — previously given to the best player in Europe, but now handed to the finest player on the planet as determined by FIFA — since Luis Suarez in 1960.
However, Del Bosque believes that one of his World Cup winners deserves to pick up the accolade.
He told reporters at a press conference that: “I hope that a Spanish player wins the Ballon d’Or. I would wish to give it to each of the seven individually because they deserve as they have been world champions, but I do not have a favourite of the seven."
'Players became champions as a team'
“I would like it to be a Spanish player because individually they are very good, but also became champions because they played as a team.”
Meanwhile, Del Bosque has also received recognition by the game’s governing body after helping Spain become world champions. He has been short-listed for the inaugural World Coach of the Year award alongside such names as Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Sir
Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti.
However, the coach was reluctant to discuss the nomination, only saying that: “I do not mind whether they give me the title or not. It is the result of Spain being the world champion, and that will not change.”
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