Bayern Munich fume over Ballon d'Or axe after favourite Robert Lewandowski 'performed the best season in his career'

BAYERN MUNICH chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has fumed at France Football's decision not to award a 2020 Ballon d'Or.

The Bundesliga champions' prolific striker Robert Lewandowski had been the bookies favourite to land the prestigious individual award for the first time.

But in order to "avoid overly convoluted calculations", France Football decided to axe the award for the first time in its 56-year history.

On the decision, Rummenigge, himself a two-time Ballon d'Or winner in 1980 and 1981, said: "I believe Robert Lewandowski is playing a fantastic season and he performed maybe the best season in his career.

"Unfortunately France Football cancelled the Ballon d'Or which we are not very happy [with] and in the end it's not very fair, not just Bayern but also for Robert Lewandowski who might have won.

"I believe it's very important that in a season that, except the French league, [the other leagues] performed through to the end of the season, it has to be possible to give the Ballon d'Or to the best footballer in the world.

"And of course, I believe in those circumstances Robert would have a good chance to win it in the first time in his career."

Lionel Messi, winner in 2019, and Cristiano Ronaldo have hoarded the award in recent seasons – between them winning it in 11 of the last 12 years.

But having netted an astonishing 51 goals in 43 games for Bayern this season, Lewandowski could have had a good chance of breaking that duopoly this time around – particularly with the Champions League rolling back around next month.

'THE LEAST BAD OPTION'

France Football chief Pascal Farre, however, insists that the decision was the fairest in protecting the integrity of the award.

He said: "There will be no edition in 2020 because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all of the conditions are not met.

“We believe that such a singular year cannot – and should not – be treated as an ordinary one.

"Two months [January and February] out of the 11 generally required to form an opinion and decide who should lift the trophies represent far too little to gauge and judge.

“The other games were played – or will be played – in unordinary conditions, behind closed doors, with five replacements, the Champions League Final Eight played as single games.

“Finally, all the award seekers will not be in the same boat and some have seen the season cut short.

“Therefore, how can we establish a fair comparison?

“To avoid overly convoluted calculations and projections, we chose the least bad of the options.”

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