A relatively new award it is, but the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award betting presents itself as an interesting market. This will be just the third edition of the UEFA away, and so far it has been ruled by Barcelona. Lionel Messi won the inaugural title back in the 2010/11 season, while his Catalan team mate Andres Iniesta beat him to the punch for the 2011/12 season. The voting for the award is done solely by journalists (which was what the Ballon d’Or used to be). There voting goes through rounds, whittling down the initial 26 players to the eventual winner, who will be announced on August 26th.
Who will it be?
UEFA Best Player in Europe Award Winner Betting at Bet Victor
Lionel Messi 11/10, Cristiano Ronaldo 6/1, Arjen Robben 8/1, Bastian Schweinsteiger 8/1, Gareth Bale 8/1, Robert Lewandowski 14/1, Robin van Persie 20/1, Zlatan Ibrahimovic 20/1, Franck Ribery 25/1
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In mid July, UEFA announced the ten man shortlist who had made it through the initial round of voting. Two Premier League players have made the top ten, namely Tottenham’s Gareth Bale and Manchester United’s Robin van Persie. No Englishmen made the initial list. What are their chances of winning though?
Gareth Bale was in stunning form last season for Tottenham, netting 21 goals from 33 Premier League appearances and he gained huge recognition. His efforts won him the Barclays Player of the Season, The Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year and topped it off with a win of the PFA Player of the Year title as well. Hard to argue with him being in contention for the 2012/13 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award betting.
Robin van Persie also set the Premier League alight last season following his move from Arsenal to Old Trafford. The Dutchman secured the Premier League’s Golden Boot with a 26 goal haul in his first season in a Red Devils shirt, firing United to the League title. Out of the two Premier League players in the hunt for the title, Bale is the stronger option. But even the Welsh wonder is back at odds of 8/1 with online betting site Bet Victor, with Robin van Persie way back as a big outsider at 20/1.
There’s not too much surprise that four Bayern Munich representatives have made it into the top ten. The Bundelsiga and Champions League winners have Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery in contention. Robben and Schweinsteiger are at 8/1 alongside Bale, with Muller in at 6/1. Ribery is well back as rank outsider at 25/1.
Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski is at 14/1 and that leaves just two spots in the running for the UEFA Best Player In Europe 2012/13 betting. It is two spots filled with the most predictable names too, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Barcelona star Lionel Messi is the head and shoulders favourite at odds of 11/10 with Bet Victor to take the title, ahead of Ronaldo who himself is well back at 6/1.
With Messi helping Barcelona regain the La Liga title, thanks to 46 goals scored in just 38 league matches, his tally eclipses that netted by Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid, a paltry 34. So, this market is pretty much just mimicking what is happening in the 2013 Ballon d’Or betting, with Messi taking favouritism over Ronaldo there (albeit by a much smaller margin). Messi’s efforts over last season will probably see him walk away with this one comfortably.
The award will be handed over on August 29th, when the Champions League Group Stage draw is made in Monaco.
2012/13 UEFA Best Player In Europe Shortlist
Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain)
Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich)
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)
Robin van Persie (Manchester United)
