This
is the sixth edition of the prize, which has previously been won by
current holder Cristiano Ronaldo (twice), Barcelona star Lionel Messi
(twice) and Wesley Sneijder in 2010. As part of the build-up to
this year's gong, we are running a series of polls asking readers to
vote for their own best players in each position for what should be an
intriguing debate.
After kicking off with the goalkeepers, we now
put forward a number of high-profile candidates who can lay claim to
having been the best defender in the world game over the last 12 months. Bayern
Munich were undoubtedly the team of the season and they have three
representatives in our list. Right-back Philipp Lahm, central defender
Dante and left-back David Alaba all impressed throughout 2012-13.
In
Spain, Raphael Varane’s emergence in defence was one of the highlights
of Real Madrid’s season, while Gerard Pique was again important for
Barcelona as they notched up 100 points on their way to winning La Liga.
At left-back, Jordi Alba’s performances have been outstanding for club
and country. Over in Italy, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci
ensured Juventus secured a successful defence of their Serie A title,
while Thiago Silva cemented his reputation as one of the game’s best
stoppers with his performances for Paris Saint-Germain in France.
It
was not a vintage season for defending in the Premier League but Rio
Ferdinand reminded everyone of his quality as Manchester United secured
league glory and Jan Vertonghen enjoyed an impressive first campaign at
Tottenham.
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