Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has said that the decision to omit Luis Suarez from the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award is ‘shockingly political’. Despite having scored 31 goals last season, Suarez has not been included in the list that features several names like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Many of the players on the 23 man shortlist have not won major trophies last season and their situations are similar to that of Suarez. The Uruguayan helped Liverpool to finish second in the table and qualify for the Champions League this season. This is seen as a major achievement given that the Premier League is regarded as one of the toughest in the world.

However, Suarez receiving a four match ban from Fifa after his shocking bite of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup 2014 appears to have played a major role in this omission. Gerrard says that he has had the opportunity to play with some of the best strikers in the world like Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres, and Suarez. The 27-year-old decided to move to Barcelona after going tired of the ‘media campaign’ against him. He recently made his debut for the Spanish club in the 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernebeu. His major contribution came early on when he provided the assist for Neymar.

“He scored 31 goals and was voted best player in the hardest league in the world. So you tell me how he’s not on the Ballon d’Or list? Incredible. He should be fighting Cristiano Ronaldo for it. That’s a fact. I can’t believe it but that’s politics in football isn’t it?” said Gerrard, who has revealed many times that he was shocked, yet had the empathy, over Suarez’ sudden departure from Liverpool in the summer just after the World Cup.