For the fourth year in succession Cristiano Ronaldo has made the final three-man shortlist for UEFA’s Best Player in Europe Award and this time he is accompanied by Arjen Robben and Manuel Neuer.
Real Madrid forward Ronaldo will hope to claim this award for the first time, having been nominated every single year since its inception in 2011 but having failed to win it on each occasion.
The Ballon D’Or winner enjoyed a stellar season, winning the Copa del Rey as well as Madrid’s 10th European Cup – La Decima.
Ronaldo also netted an incredible 17 goals in the Champions League as he broke the competition’s all-time goal-scoring record.
Neuer, meanwhile, is the first goalkeeper ever to make the final three following a magnificent year in which he won the Bundesliga and German Cup with Bayern Munich before capping off his season by lifting the World Cup in Brazil with Germany.
He was also named German footballer of the year for the second time.
His Bayern team-mate Robben on the other hand netted 21 times during the season for the German champions, before bagging three goals during Holland’s journey to the semi-finals in Brazil.
The trio gained the highest cumulative points in a second poll from journalists around Europe, seeing them progress ahead of the other seven nominees on the original shortlist.
The overall winner will be decided at a live vote in Monaco on August 28, alongside the group stage draw for the 2014-15 Champions League.
European journalists, who have already decided on places seven to 10, will rank their top three via an electronic system.
A player will receive three points for finishing in first place, two for second and one for third, and the one who gains the highest cumulative points will be crowned the Best Player in Europe 2013-14.
Source: Daily Mirror