UEFA Name Their ‘Team Of 2011’ – Gareth Bale The Only Premier League Player Included

Alan Duffy

18th, January 2012

22 Comments

By Alan Duffy


Those overpaid, underworked suits ensconced in the plush environs of Geneva have taken time out from their golf outings and gala receptions to put together their team of the year for 2011 – which has been compiled from over 4.5 million votes cast by users of the UEFA.com website.

Interestingly, Tottenham’s very own flying monkey, Gareth Bale, is the only Premier League player to make the XI – with the likes of Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie and Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany excluded (what does RVP have to do for a bit of recognition for God’s sake?), while eyebrows will no doubt also be raised by the inclusion of Real Madrid’s Marcelo and Milan’s Thiago Silva.

Here’s the team, which is rather unsurprisingly crammed full of La Liga talent and coached by Barca’s debonnaire boss Pep Guardiola.

UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year 2011:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF & Spain)

Right-back: Daniel Alves (FC Barcelona)
Centre-back: Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Centre-back: Thiago Silva (AC Milan)
Left-back: Marcelo (Real Madrid CF)

Right midfield: Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München & Netherlands)
Centre midfield: Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Attacking midfield: Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Left midfield: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur FC & Wales)

Forward: Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF & Portugal).

Coach: Josep Guardiola (FC Barcelona)

Thoughts please, but remember it’s for the calender year of 2011, rather than just the first half of 2011/12 season.

Posted in International football, Tottenham Hotspur

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22 Comments

  1. Chris says:

    Good to see Team GB’s Bale finally having his performances recognised by the European big wigs. He really has gone under the radar thus far.

  2. Dale says:

    “(what does RVP have to do for a bit of recognition for God’s sake?)”

    Erm…be better than Messi and Ronaldo? Damn UEFA’s anti-England bias!!

  3. Arthur says:

    Deciding to put the formation as 4-4-2 opitomises how out of touch UEFA are.

  4. Nuno says:

    Agree with Dale, can’t argue RVP’s not included in the list, he was facing Messi and Ronaldo…
    And also no doubt about Marcelo on that list, or you think Ashley Cole was better last year?
    Thiago Silva over Kompany and Vidic may be the only “surprise” to me, but nothing shocking.

  5. Mr. Sparkle says:

    I’m sure if they included the bench, it would only be players from England.

    Shitty list is shitty.

  6. Alex Lanza says:

    you all realize that fans vote on this…and eyebrows raised over Thiago Silvia?!?! really?!?! He is easily one of the best central defenders in the world.

  7. __wowza says:

    i’m glad bale was included on the list, everyone last year said he was overrated and a flash in the pan. notably his critics haven’t been around much this year..

  8. Luke says:

    ^ This.

  9. jdawg says:

    really marcelo over ashley cole,patrice evra,hell i would take nagatomo over him, robben? how do you make the team of the year having played only 15 games what a joke

  10. Anonymous says:

    Robben? What for? Being injured all the time?

  11. Archbishop Betty Snagcock says:

    agree with alex lanza thiago silva is one of the best cb’s in the world, if not the best

  12. dc says:

    robben = joke. casillas + marcelo= joke. pleasing the madrileños no doubt.

    get rid of those 3 and at least replace robben w van persie, switch it to a 4-3-3 with messi-rvp-prettyboy trident, pretend like gareth bale is an attacking mid and we’ve got ourselves a decent team.

  13. Steve Clarke's Cerebrum says:

    LOL at dc^
    Silva had a brilliant year, and Marcelo has played very well. Ashley Cole was good but not outstanding. Evra? He hasn’t been on top form for nearly two years.
    Robben I’m not really sure of though. Di Maria instead maybe?
    RVP hasn’t made it because Ronaldo and Messi have been better. No need to start shitting kittens Alan.

    Arthur: “Deciding to put the formation as 4-4-2 opitomises how out of touch UEFA are.”
    You mean the 442 that is used for “team of the year” by everyone?

  14. Anonymous says:

    I’d put Di Maria in for Robben and I would then switch maybe Marcelo for another alternative player.
    Overall a good team though!

    Or Bale could go Left Back and could then bomb on from that position, Christiano Ronaldo then Left Mid, freeing up space for another stiker like RVP.

  15. Josh says:

    Holy Barca

  16. Ben says:

    Don’t agree about Marcelo but Thiago Silva is class.

  17. HotSpur922 says:

    I agree fully with __wowza and Luke.

    Bale is a top world class player and I’ve been saying it for a couple years now.

    I’m glad he was included, he deserves the respect and credit.

  18. xzx says:

    if i see the overrated gareth bale once more on ANY sort of list i will quite literally stretch my ball sack skin to the point of snapping, i’ve had it with this one trick pony…

  19. Bruno says:

    Alan have you actually seen Thiago Silva play? Obviously not

  20. Tinez says:

    Interestingly Man United get to the champions league final and don’t have a single player in the list.

  21. Alan (not Duffy) says:

    Really ?! Eyebrows raised over the inclusion of Thiago Silva ??? Are you blind ?

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