Bayern Munich lead way in European player award

Four Bayern Munich stars were nominated in a 10-man list by UEFA on Tuesday to decide the top player plying his trade in Europe. The award will be handed out on August 29 in Monaco, the day of the Champions League group stage draw and day before the European Super Cup.

Franck Ribery, Thomas Mueller, Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger made the list alongside Barcelona’s World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and Tottenham’s English Premier League Player of the Year Gareth Bale. Messi was one of only two Spain-based players alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, the man he deposed as World Player of the Year.

English champions Manchester United’s Robin van Persie is the only other Premier League based player while Zlatan Ibrahimovic represents Paris Saint-Germain and France with Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski ensuring Germany provided half the nominees.