Liverpool fans left fuming and claim Ballon d’Or is ‘rigged’ and say the award is a ‘disgrace’ after player snubbed

Liverpool fans have been left fuming after one star was brutally snubbed for the Yashin trophy at Wednesday’s Ballon d’Or nominations.

A whopping ten players from the league were included among the 30 shortlisted for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award but just one – Aston Villa‘s Emiliano Martinez – was nominated for the best goalkeeper honour.

Manchester City‘s Rodri is among the favourites to scoop up the player of the year trophy with his stunning performances for both club and country last season seeing him lift a fourth Premier League title, reach the FA Cup final and win the European Championship with Spain.

A player from the English leagues has not won the award since 2008 when Man United‘s Cristiano Ronaldo scooped up the honour, and many will be hoping this changes at the 2024 ceremony on October 28 in Paris.

But supporters have reacted furiously to one player being rejected from the list of Yashin Trophy nominees, with some claiming the contest is ‘rigged’.

Just one Premier League star – Aston Villa ‘s Emiliano Martinez – was nominated for the best goalkeeper honour 

Manchester City midfielder Rodri leading the Premier League’s charge to win the Ballon d’Or

The last man from the English leagues to win the Ballon d’Or was Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 

Liverpool‘s Alisson was a somewhat surprising omission from the selection after taking the Anfield side to League Cup glory in manager Jurgen Klopp’s final season with a string of dominant displays in goal.

Samuel said: ‘It’s an absolute disgrace not to see Alisson nominated for the Yachine Trophy, again.’

One X user added: ‘Considering how good we were last season, this is a disgrace.’

A third posted: ‘Robbery again like always…’

Meanwhile, another user unequivocally said: ‘Absolutely disgraceful to not have the best keeper the world there.’

Alisson has enjoyed another sterling year, helping Liverpool to League Cup victory and being a mainstay in a Reds side which finished third in the league.

Klopp’s side did, however, disappoint in the Europa League, crashing out in the quarter-finals to Atalanta, and his Brazil team suffered an early Copa America exit to Uruguay at the same stage.

Alisson was the first winner of the trophy, which is only open to goalkeepers, when he won in 2019 and last time round Martinez grabbed the gong after his performances guided Argentina to an unlikely World Cup win.

Liverpool supporters have reacted furiously to Alisson being rejected from the list of Yashin Trophy nominees

The other nominees are Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid), Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao), Yann Sommer (Inter Milan) and Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns). 

Last year Lionel Messi clinched a record eighth Ballon d’Or trophy after Argentina’s World Cup glory, with Erling Haaland in second for his glut of goals for Manchester City, and Kylian Mbappe coming third thanks to a World Cup final hat-trick.

This year’s frontrunners include Rodri as well as Real Madrid trio Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, the latter being at Paris Saint-Germain last year, and Lionel Messi who will be in the hunt for a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or after taking Argentina to Copa America glory over the summer.