Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Sadio Mane deserves to beat his Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk to the Ballon d'Or. Dutchman Van Dijk is the overwhelming favourite to lift the award in December, becoming the first defender to claim it since 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, and the first Liverpool player since Michael Owen in 2001. Van Dijk's performances were heralded as the Reds won the Champions League by beating Tottenham in the final in June, but Mane scored four goals in the competition and shared last season's Premier League Golden Boot with his teammate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Senegalese has also started this season with eight strikes in his 11 appearances in all competitions, including a brace as the Reds won the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea in August. When asked who should win the Ballon d'Or by beIN Sports during a Twitter Q&A, Wenger said: "Mane was the outstanding character, I would say – because he is a fighter… and efficient. "He’s not scared of anybody. At the moment, he deserves huge credit." Mane is unlikely to win the award though, with Van Dijk set to go head-to-head with five-time winner Lionel Messi. The Senegal star insists team glory is more important to him than individual awards though, having missed out on a spot in FIFA's World XI last month. "As I said before, I do not focus on individual distinctions, the collective results are more important to me," Mane told Canal+ Sport, quoted by RMC Sport . "The choices were made. I wasn't chosen, the players in the awards had exceptional seasons, they deserved to be there, I congratulate these players. "I think it's a strong message for me to work harder. "I accept, it's hard for me to to say that I deserve to be there, I'm modest enough for that, and the thing is, the choices have been made and I respect them."
Ballon d'Or,FIFA,European Super Cup,Champions League,Fabio Cannavaro,Lionel Messi,Michael Owen,Arsene Wenger,Mohamed Salah,Arsenal FC,Liverpool FC,Virgil van Dijk,
Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Sadio Mane deserves to beat his Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk to the Ballon d'Or. Dutchman Van Dijk is the overwhelming favourite to lift the award in December, becoming the first defender to claim it since 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, and the first Liverpool player since Michael Owen in 2001. Van Dijk's performances were heralded as the Reds won the Champions League by beating Tottenham in the final in June, but Mane scored four goals in the competition and shared last season's Premier League Golden Boot with his teammate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Senegalese has also started this season with eight strikes in his 11 appearances in all competitions, including a brace as the Reds won the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea in August. When asked who should win the Ballon d'Or by beIN Sports during a Twitter Q&A, Wenger said: "Mane was the outstanding character, I would say – because he is a fighter… and efficient. "He’s not scared of anybody. At the moment, he deserves huge credit." Mane is unlikely to win the award though, with Van Dijk set to go head-to-head with five-time winner Lionel Messi. The Senegal star insists team glory is more important to him than individual awards though, having missed out on a spot in FIFA's World XI last month. "As I said before, I do not focus on individual distinctions, the collective results are more important to me," Mane told Canal+ Sport, quoted by RMC Sport . "The choices were made. I wasn't chosen, the players in the awards had exceptional seasons, they deserved to be there, I congratulate these players. "I think it's a strong message for me to work harder. "I accept, it's hard for me to to say that I deserve to be there, I'm modest enough for that, and the thing is, the choices have been made and I respect them."
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