Former Spain midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has said Sergio Ramos would have been in contention for the Ballon d’Or had it not been for a disastrous World Cup.
The Real Madrid man was in imperious form for his club last season, and scored two crucial goals in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich. He went one better and netted the last-gasp equaliser in the final too, giving him legendary status among Madridistas.
But at the World Cup with his country, Ramos, along with most of the Spanish squad, had a horror show. La Roja were beaten 5-1 in their opening fixture against Holland and lost 2-0 to Chile in their second group match that ensured an early exit for the 2010 winners.
And Mendieta, who won 40 caps for his country as a player, said Ramos would have been in with a shout of winning the Ballon d’Or had it not been for events in Brazil.
Speaking to goal.com, he stated: “If it wasn’t for the disappointment of the World Cup, he could have been a candidate. We saw that Cannavaro won the Golden Ball so why not Ramos this time? He played well and scored important goals, but the World Cup changed the perspective of the player he really is.
And he continued: “He is one of the best centre-backs in the world. He is a leader for Real Madrid and the Spain team.”
