Florentino vetoed to Sergio Busquets in the Balloon of Gold 2013

As it has published "Superdeporte" and have done echo other sportive newspapers like "Sport", Florentino Pérez would have vetoed the apparition of Sergio Busquets between the 23 final applicants to the Balloon of Gold 2013, with the aim that they did not have too many footballers of the FC Barcelona in comparison with the ones of the Real Madrid not to remain of this badly stopped form regarding the image mediática. The president of the Real Madrid is from 2012 the only Spanish member of the Committee of Football of the FIFA, a charge that allows him have influence in the election of the candidates to the Balloon of Gold and move threads according to his interests.

In this sense, in October of 2013 Florentino would have insisted to the rest of members of the Committee, of surprising form -taking into account that Busquets is player of the Spanish selection-, that the one of Badía did not deserve to be in the list between other things by the behaviour that had in the Classical of the previous year against the Real Madrid, becoming reported to the UEFA by José Mourinho. At the end, between the elected for the centre of the field appeared the names of Özil, Pirlo, Schweinsteiger, Touré and Xavi, but neither trace of Sergio Busquets. It fits to remember that it is the Committee the one who decides the applicants, whereas the three finalists and the winner are chosen by the magazine "France Football", seleccionadores and trainers.

On 28 October, the 23 finalists of the Balloon of Gold 2014

The winner of the Balloon of Gold of this year will give to know the next 12 January 2015 in Zúrich, where the captains, seleccionadores and journalists of "France Football" will choose to the winner. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the favourites, and Neymar could be between the finalists. On 28 October it will make public the list with the 23 candidates to the distinguished award and on 1 December the members of the jury (209 technicians, 209 journalists and 209 footballers) will choose to the three finalists. In addition to the Balloon of Gold, the 12 January also will choose to the Best Player, to the Best trainer, to the Best trainer/to feminine and the Best goal of the Year.

These are the possible candidates to the Balloon of Gold according to "MD": Leo Messi (FC Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Manuel Neuer (Bayern), Thomas Müller (Bayern), Arjen Robben (Bayern), Diego Coast (Athletic/Chelsea), Neymar (FC Barcelona), Thibaut Courtais (Athletic/Chelsea), Gave María (Real Madrid/United), Mascherano (FC Barcelona), James Rodríguez (Monaco/Real Madrid), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Sergio Bouquets (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic (Seville/FC Barcelona) and Yaya Touré (Manchester City).