Ballon d'Or 2021: Ilkay Gundogan believes Robert Lewandowski 'deserves the award most'
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Published 28/11/2021 at 11:14 GMT
“I played with him in Dortmund so I kind of know directly how great a player he is, how dedicated he is, also, to his work." The Manchester City star has been talking up the chances of Bayern Munich's irrepressible hitman in the race for this year's Ballon d'Or award. You can watch a free livestream of the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app.
Ballon d'Or - Watch the moment Lionel Messi collects the trophy in 2019
Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan has tipped Robert Lewandowski to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award.
The Bayern Munich hitman has 25 goals already this season in all competitions, as well as 11 goals for Poland in 2021.
This comes off the back of 41 Bundesliga goals last season – the most in a single campaign and breaking the 49-year record held by the late Gerd Muller.
Gundogan, who played with Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund, believes his former team-mate is most deserving of this year’s award.
“I think I would go with Lewandowski, to be honest,” he told Punditarena. “I played with him in Dortmund so I kind of know directly how great a player he is, how dedicated he is, also, to his work.
“The fact that last year there was no Ballon d’Or winner and he probably would have deserved it last year.”
Lewandowski was favourite to win the award in 2020 after helping Bayern to a Champions League win but missed out after it was cancelled due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
“It didn’t affect him, to be honest, that he didn’t win,” Gundogan added. “I read a quote of Kevin [De Bruyne], I think he summed it up quite well that in the last couple of years he is probably the one player who deserves it most.
“I would agree completely with that and I would hand it out to him probably.”
The winner of the award is due to be announced on November 29.
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You can watch a free livestream of the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony on eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app on Monday night. Join us from 19:30-21:00 GMT as the best male and female players on the planet are crowned in Paris (stream available to UK users only)
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