UEFA.com Names Pogba,De Gea,Kompany,Alaba in Best 40 Players in Europe
UEFA.com has released its list of the Best 40 players in Europe complied by some of the continent’s best and most well-respected reporters.
The list featured some expected players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović, and some controversial inclusions like David De Gea and Gerard Pique while some football heavyweights like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney were missing.
The nominees were chosen by UEFA.com staff writers on the basis of their performances for a European club or national side in 2013. The Website visitors have now been invited to vote for the best XI from the list.
The 40 best players on the continent, according to Uefa.com:
Goalkeeper
Petr Cech (Chelsea), Thibaut Courtois (Athletico Madrid), David de Gea (Manchester United), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Defenders
David Alaba(Bayern Munich), Giorgio Chiellini(Juventus), Dante(Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels(Borussia Dortmund), Branislav Ivanovic(Chelsea), Philipp Lahm(Bayern Munich), Stephan Lichtsteiner(Juventus), Filipe Luis(Athletico Madrid), Vincent Kompany(Manchester City), Gerard Pique(Barcelona), Sergio Ramos(Real Madrid), Thiago Silva(PSG).
Midfielders
Gareth Bale(Real Madrid), Ilkay Gundogan(Borussia Dortmund), Isco(Real Madrid), Paul Pogba(Juventus), Mesut Özil(Arsenal), Nemanja Matić(Benfica), Blaise Matuidi(PSG), Marco Reus(Borussia Dortmund), Franck Ribery(Bayern Munich), Arjen Robben(Bayern Munich), Bastian Schweinsteiger(Bayern Munich), Yaya Toure(Manchester City).
Strikers
Sergio Aguero(Manchester City), Edinson Cavani(PSG), Diego Costa(Athletico Madrid), Falcao(Monaco), Zlatan Ibrahimović(PSG), Robert Lewandowski(Borussia Dortmund), Mario Mandzukic(Bayern Munich), Jackson Martinez(Porto), Lionel Messi(Barcelona), Thomas Muller(Bayern Munich), Cristiano Ronaldo(Real Madrid), Robin van Persie(Manchester United).