Rule diminishes Asian award
Source: Agencies |
November 23, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ARSENAL hosts Borussia Dortmund in a UEFA Champions League game that could pit South Korea captain Park Chu-young against Japanese star Shinji Kagawa today but which prevents either of them being named as the 2011 Asian Player of the Year.
It is a cause of controversy every November because the Asian Football Confederation decrees that only players who attend the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are eligible to receive the continent's major individual football prize.
Since the rule came into operation in 2005, Asia's biggest names, including Park Ji-sung of Manchester United and Keisuke Honda at CSKA Moscow, have had little chance of being honored due to club commitments during what is always a busy time in the European season.
Park Ji-sung moved to Europe in 2002 and has become arguably the most successful Asian player in history. The South Korean forward has won four English Premier League titles, two Dutch championships and the Club World Cup title.
He is the only Asian to appear in the final of the Champions League and the first to score at three consecutive World Cups.
Despite such a record, Park has never been named as the Asian Player of the Year. The 2010 recipient of the prize, Sasa Ognenovski, believes that the AFC should at least reconsider when it holds the ceremony to enable more players to attend.
"I think the rule that players must attend does diminish the award a little," the Australian defender, who plays for South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, said. "The timing of it is an issue," Ognenovski added. "They should consider the boys in Europe, the ones in Asia are usually available to attend. Perhaps if it was held in December then it would be easier for many to make it, then only the English Premier League-based players would have a problem."
Of the six players named on the shortlist for 2011, only two look likely to travel to the Malaysian capital for today's awards, Iranian defender Hadi Aghily and Uzbekistan's Server Djeparov. Kagawa as well as Keisuke Honda and Koo Ja-cheol of VfL Wolfsburg have European commitments. With most players on national duty in Asia last week, clubs are unlikely to release their players for an awards gala.
"We are the only confederation that does this. They should look at all Asian players whether they are playing in Asia or overseas," former AFC general secretary Peter Velappan said. "These days, many of the top national teams call their players from different leagues.
"In the best leagues in the world, they show their skills every week and they should be recognized for that. They provide a tremendous service to Asian football and help it develop and help its profile."
It is a cause of controversy every November because the Asian Football Confederation decrees that only players who attend the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are eligible to receive the continent's major individual football prize.
Since the rule came into operation in 2005, Asia's biggest names, including Park Ji-sung of Manchester United and Keisuke Honda at CSKA Moscow, have had little chance of being honored due to club commitments during what is always a busy time in the European season.
Park Ji-sung moved to Europe in 2002 and has become arguably the most successful Asian player in history. The South Korean forward has won four English Premier League titles, two Dutch championships and the Club World Cup title.
He is the only Asian to appear in the final of the Champions League and the first to score at three consecutive World Cups.
Despite such a record, Park has never been named as the Asian Player of the Year. The 2010 recipient of the prize, Sasa Ognenovski, believes that the AFC should at least reconsider when it holds the ceremony to enable more players to attend.
"I think the rule that players must attend does diminish the award a little," the Australian defender, who plays for South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, said. "The timing of it is an issue," Ognenovski added. "They should consider the boys in Europe, the ones in Asia are usually available to attend. Perhaps if it was held in December then it would be easier for many to make it, then only the English Premier League-based players would have a problem."
Of the six players named on the shortlist for 2011, only two look likely to travel to the Malaysian capital for today's awards, Iranian defender Hadi Aghily and Uzbekistan's Server Djeparov. Kagawa as well as Keisuke Honda and Koo Ja-cheol of VfL Wolfsburg have European commitments. With most players on national duty in Asia last week, clubs are unlikely to release their players for an awards gala.
"We are the only confederation that does this. They should look at all Asian players whether they are playing in Asia or overseas," former AFC general secretary Peter Velappan said. "These days, many of the top national teams call their players from different leagues.
"In the best leagues in the world, they show their skills every week and they should be recognized for that. They provide a tremendous service to Asian football and help it develop and help its profile."
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