The Ballon d’Or has as of late shifted to a (much more suitable) format, now reviewing a season rather than a calendar year. However, there is still something rather charming about looking at football over a calendar year, hence the 2022 year-end Cyler Awards.
This week we put a full stop on this year’s awards with a final ceremony with a countdown starting from thirty. We have seen the top five leagues individually, but we have not seen them together. It’s time to award the 2022 Cyler d’Or. Not any regional variant, this is not just for Ligue 1, or Serie A, or any other league. Worldwide.
Of the thirty man shortlist, twenty-five will be the twenty-five players who received honours during the course of the 2022 Cyler Awards, giving us a clean split of five players from each of Europe’s top leagues. The remaining five will be handpicked from the players who missed out on the awards.
Let's see how they stack up.
30-21
30. Nico Schlotterbeck (SC Freiburg/Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
The left-footed dynamic centre back impressed massively at Freiburg and while his form dipped at Dortmund he was still satisfactory.
29. Ivan Provedel (Spezia/SS Lazio, Italy)
The Italian shot-stopper had a fantastic season with Spezia and has only upped his quality after a big move to Lazio.
28. Jonas Omlin (Montpellier HSC, Switzerland)
The Swiss goalkeeper has been simply brilliant all throughout the year. He’s now earning himself interest from German clubs in the winter transfer window’s goalkeeper roulette.
27. Jonathan Clauss (RC Lens/Olympique Marseille, France)
It’s a tragedy Clauss didn’t get called up because he has been by far the most impressive right wing back in France. Great all-round player.
26. Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad, Spain)
It’s hard to believe Merino is only 26 with the way he’s commanded games week-in, week-out for Real Sociedad for the last two years. He has all the makings of a fantastic traditional central midfielder.
25. Gerónimo Rulli (Villarreal, Spain)
Rulli has been almost unbelievably good at times, saving anything and everything that came his way. He’s now newly signed for AFC Ajax. Excited to see if he can inspire a deep run with the Eredivisie giants in the Europe League.
24. Lorenzo Pellegrini (AS Roma, Italy)
It’s a shame he couldn’t shine at the World Cup because Pellegrini has made it a habit of shining in Rome with his creativity in between the lines.
23. Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
The nineteen year old is the most important attacker for both club and country, a simply unbelievable feat. Only Paris’ front three and one Erling Braut Haaland can say they’ve bettered his goals and assists mark this season.
22. Éder Militão (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Militão has claimed a famous league and Champions League double with Real Madrid, and backed it up with solid performances in the face of stiff competition in his position.
21. Bremer (Torino FC/Juventus, Brazil)
Another Brazilian centre back, this time with less silverware to his name but much more impressive individual performances. Bremer was simply everywhere across the defensive line this season, sweeping up loose balls consistently. Even now he is at the heart of a Juventus defense that has only conceded seven goals in the league all season.
Tune in tomorrow for spots 20-11!
What do you think of my picks? Is there any order you would’ve changed? Let us know in the discussion below.
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