Barcelona icon Hristo Stoichkov contends that Jude Bellingham’s receipt of the 2023 Golden Boy Award, granted last week, is undeserved in his opinion.
Addressing Tuttosport, the award organizers, Stoichkov praised Bellingham as a top-tier player but asserted that he shouldn’t have clinched the Golden Boy title due to the absence of any trophy wins in 2023.
Stoichkov said;
“I don’t dispute Bellingham’s value, he is one of the strongest talents in the world: he has a lot of class and a lot of brain. For me he is a mix between Laudrup, Kaká and the first Pogba. The future is his. He will fight with Mbappé and Haaland for the next Ballon d’Or,” Stoichkov said.
“But I would like to know what he won in 2023 between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. Nothing.
“What success have all these goals brought to Real Madrid? You know well what my friend Mourinho would say about ‘titles’… Shall we talk then about how last season ended Bundesliga? Borussia Dortmund had a two-point lead over Bayern with 90 minutes left in the championship.
“They were playing at home against Mainz, while the Bavarians were in Cologne. What happened with 5 minutes left? Tuchel introduced Musiala, who in the final stretch scored the 3-2 for Bayern while Borussia did not go beyond a 2-2 draw at home and goodbye to the title due to goal difference,”
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Expressing his preference for the Golden Boy winner, Stoichkov remarked, “Given Gavi’s ineligibility by regulation, my choice would have been Musiala (Bayern) or Balde (Barcelona).” While Stoichkov’s bias towards Barcelona is evident, it’s essential to note that the Golden Boy award considers a player’s performance throughout the year, not solely based on trophies. Bellingham, in this context, fulfills all criteria. Additionally, Jude has already secured the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d’Or awards, a testament to his standing as a young player of remarkable distinction.
