Ballon d’Or ceremony neglects its female nominees in latest football blunder
The haphazard, careless organisation of this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony is the latest symptom of the repeated failings the women’s game is subject to.
Spain’s Alexia Putellas receives last year’s Ballon d’Or – (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
France Football are not only the organisers of the Ballon d’Or, but the latest culprits of an embarrassing faux pas. The annual event that hands out arguably football’s most prestigious and valuable individual award, has led its organisers to outdo themselves this year, as they thunder in an own goal.
The event is set to take place with a significant chunk of the female nominees unable to attend due to international commitments. This almost impressive ignorance once again exposes the second-rate service women’s football still receives.
While Spanish player, Aitana Bonmatí, is set to be named the winner of the Ballon d’Or, France Football are nailed-on winners for the newly added, and rather hotly contested category that rewards staggering levels of ineptitude and bureaucracy.
Aitana Bonmati holds the UEFA Women’s player of the Year 2022/23 trophy
Despite the pageantry that will undoubtedly feature on an impressive, important evening, the shimmer of the event, enhanced by the glistening backdrop of the Seine, is beginning to remarkably lose its glow and stature.
England and Bayern Munich midfielder, Georgia Stanway, has criticised the scheduling of Monday night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.
She said: “if it was planned a little bit better, then it would be easier for a lot of female footballers to be there.
“You never know if you’re ever going to get selected for such an accolade like that again, so it would be really nice to enjoy the experience and be there and feel like a star among the stars.”
Georgia Stanway during the Nations League match between England and Scotland
Three of her international teammates, Rachel Daly, Millie Bright, and Mary Earps, are also unable to attend due to their crucial upcoming Nations League tie against Belgium on Tuesday.
Introduced 67 years after the men’s award, it is also worth mentioning that there is only one prize on offer for female players. Male players, however, are additionally able to win the Kopa Trophy for the best player under the age of 21, the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper, and the Gerd Müller trophy for the best striker.
For a currently unexplained reason but one we can probably guess, these categories are unavailable for female players. Better luck next year, Mary! Saving a penalty in a World Cup final is impressive, but not quite worthy of an award.
Speaking on the lack of women’s award categories, England manager, Sarina Wiegman, said: “Well, you hope that develops too. It would be nice for them [to be able to attend the ceremony].
“It would be really nice if things like that were organised so that players have the opportunity to join too.”
Women’s football award ceremonies have not historically covered themselves in glory either, with this year’s clumsy blunder just the latest blot on an already tarnished record.
Last May, John Shiels, the chief executive of the Manchester United foundation, was forced to apologise to former United striker, Alessia Russo, after suggesting on stage that her Women’s Player of the Year trophy was ‘too heavy’ for her.
Even his subsequent apology was weak and somewhat daft saying he ‘simply did not want her to drop it’, later saying, ‘the comment has been misconstrued’. Blimey, Mr Shiels, our sincerest apologies! We didn’t realise you were simply protecting her delicate limbs from the burden of a far greater achievement than you’ll ever see.
Alessia Russo trains ahead of England’s Nations League matches
The optimist/high-ranking male football officials would assume this was some sort of freak incident, an anomaly that does not represent any sort of grizzly undercurrent that gushes through and continually undermines women’s football.
Shocking is the revelation that in fact, a staggeringly similar and, if we are cynical enough to rank them, far worse feat was achieved by French DJ and previous Ballon d’Or co-host, Martin Solveig (I had to google him too).
He asked the Norwegian international, Ada Hegerberg, just after becoming the first ever women’s Ballon d’Or winner in 2018, if she could ‘twerk’ on stage. Solveig ironically made the comment immediately after former French international, David Ginola, gave a speech to encourage more women and girls to get involved with football, likely as a timely reminder that this whole football lark is still a major work in progress.
Ada Hegerberg wins the 2018 Ballon D’Or
While he was later and correctly branded ‘an idiot that doesn’t know how to behave,’ by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, the lack of foresight shown this year again lays bare this steadfast commitment to totally fudging award ceremonies and neglecting female talent.
Frustration and disbelief once again envelop women’s football, as the very women they insist they want to promote, are abandoned and neglected. The players have come to expect such shoddy treatment. It is unfortunately only the latest oversight, with a new gaffe bound to be made shortly.
I dare say, somebody is in for a little slap on the wrist.
