Thierry Henry’s Outrage: Gerrard’s Ballon d’Or Snub in 2005
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has voiced his strong disagreement with the outcome of the 2005 Ballon d’Or award, calling it a “disgrace” that Steven Gerrard, whom he considers “one of the greatest midfielders of all time,” was overlooked for the prestigious trophy.
The Ballon d’Or in 2005, then recognized as the European Footballer of the Year, was awarded to Barcelona and Brazil superstar Ronaldinho. This victory came after an exceptional year where Ronaldinho starred for both club and country.
Ronaldinho’s achievements in 2005 were certainly noteworthy. He was instrumental in Barcelona’s La Liga title win and played a key role in Brazil’s successful World Cup qualification campaign. His performances earned him 225 points in the Ballon d’Or voting, securing him the coveted accolade and making him the third Brazilian to receive the honor.
2005 Ballon d’Or Controversy: Should Gerrard Have Won?
Despite Ronaldinho’s deserved victory, Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and France striker, strongly believes that 2005 should have been Steven Gerrard’s year. Henry contends that Gerrard’s remarkable Champions League triumph with Liverpool in Istanbul should have been enough to secure him the Ballon d’Or.
“It was a disgrace he didn’t win European Footballer of the Year after Istanbul in 2005,” Henry stated, according to the official Premier League website. He emphasized his high regard for the Liverpool icon, adding, “For me, he will be regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.” This statement underscores Henry’s deep conviction that Gerrard’s contributions were unfairly minimized in the Ballon d’Or voting.
The final Ballon d’Or standings in 2005 saw Chelsea’s Frank Lampard finishing as runner-up with 148 points. Steven Gerrard closely followed in third place with 142 points. Thierry Henry himself secured the fourth spot with 41 points, and Andriy Shevchenko rounded out the top five with 33 points.
Interestingly, this isn’t the only Ballon d’Or result that Henry feels deserves scrutiny. Many football pundits and fans, including Micah Richards, believe Henry was unfairly denied the 2003 Ballon d’Or, which was awarded to Juventus’ Pavel Nedved.
Speaking on CBS’ Champions League coverage, Micah Richards highlighted the statistical imbalance from the 2002-2003 season: “2003. You had 32 goals and 28 assists that season [Henry]. Nedved, who won it, had 14 goals and 17 assists.” These statistics clearly favor Henry, suggesting a potential oversight in the voting process.
Henry’s response reflects a pragmatic acceptance of the award’s subjective nature. “Look, you can’t debate opinions. When journalists are involved and have a vote, they vote for whoever they want,” he acknowledged. “However you want to look at it, they vote whatever they want and when you look at the votes in the history of it, not only my year, every year, you look at the first three, and you’re like, really? It is what it is. You can’t debate opinions.”
Henry came close to winning the Ballon d’Or. Image credit: Getty
Adding to the intrigue, even Pavel Nedved, upon receiving his 2003 Ballon d’Or, expressed surprise at winning over Thierry Henry. He acknowledged Henry’s superior form, stating, “For me, Thierry Henry is the best forward in the world now.”
Nedved further demonstrated his respect for Henry and other contenders like Paolo Maldini and Zinedine Zidane, admitting, “I am very happy. I did not think I would beat Thierry Henry, Paolo Maldini or Zinedine Zidane and if I had voted, I would have voted for Thierry and for the other players on the podium.”
Do you agree with Thierry Henry that Steven Gerrard should have won the 2005 Ballon d’Or? Or was Ronaldinho a deserving winner? Share your thoughts in the comments below!