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Premier League legend Thierry Henry has hit out at journalists over his controversial Ballon d'Or snub back in 2003. The Frenchman had a huge chance to win the accolade that year but somehow lost it to former Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved. He certainly doesn't seem to be pleased with it.
It goes without saying that the 2003 Ballon d'Or award decision remains one of the most controversial ones in history. Thierry Henry received massive support from fans to claim the accolade after enjoying a prolific outing during the 2002-03 campaign.
The Frenchman bagged an impressive 32 goals and 28 assists in 55 games for Arsenal across all competitions. He helped the Gunners claim the FA Cup and finish as runners-up in the Premier League title race.
However, when the Ballon d'Or result was finally announced, everyone was shocked to see Pavel Nedved emerging as the winner. The then Czech Republic international was nowhere near Henry in terms of numbers as he only had 14 goals and 13 assists during the term. In terms of trophies, he helped Juventus win the Serie A and finish as runners-up in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking on CBS’ Champions League coverage, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards brought back memories of the incident. Henry didn't hesitate to hit out at the journalists who voted for the award at the time.
Richards said to Henry:
“2003. You had 32 goals and 28 assists that season. Nedved, who won it, had 14 goals and 17 assists.”
Henry said:
“Look, you can’t debate opinions. When journalists are involved and have a vote, they vote for whoever they want."
He added:
“However you want to look at it, they vote for whoever they want. When you look at the vote in the history of [the Ballon d’Or], not only my year, you [often] look at the top three and think ‘Really?’ You must have looked at some sometimes and thought, ‘Really?’ So it is what it is. You can’t debate opinions."
Henry won a number of team and individual trophies during his illustrious career, including four Premier League Golden Boots but the Ballon d'Or remained elusive.
Pavel Nedved on beating Thierry Henry to 2003 Ballon d'Or award
Thierry Henry's 2003 Ballon d'Or snub looked quite contentious. Even Nedved, who won the accolade, admitted that he never he expected to beat the Frenchman to it. The former Juventus midfielder opened up during an interview with The Guardian, saying:
"I did not even dream of winning such an award. I heard about the nominees and being among them, but I did not believe in my chances too much. For me, Thierry Henry is the best forward in the world now. If I had voted I would have voted for Thierry and the other players on the podium."
The race for the accolade finished with Nedved emerging on top and Henry finishing in second position. AC Milan duo Paolo Maldini and Andriy Shevchenko occupied the third and fourth spots respectively while Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane completed the top five.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Raul Gonzalez, Roberto Carlos, Gianluigi Buffon, and David Beckham made up the rest of the top 10 list in that order.
