Mendy recorded more clean sheets than Donnarumma in 2021
Former Newcastle United defender Habib Beye has claimed that Edouard Mendy did not win Lev Yashin award “because he is African and Senegalese”.
The Chelsea goalkeeper enjoyed an outstanding campaign with the Blues last season, helping Thomas Tuchel’s side to win the Champions League.
The Senegalese international has continued his impressed form this season, registering seven clean sheets in 12 appearances – with the Blues sitting at the top of the both the Premier League and their Champions League group.
However, he was beaten to the Lev Yashin award by Italy’s European Championship-winning shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma, despite boasting a better clean sheet record.
Following the Ballon d’Or ceremony, ex-Newcastle defender Habib Beye – who is currently the manager of French club Red Star FC – criticised the voting.
“It is because he is African and Senegalese,” he said, as per The Mirror.
“His national team doesn’t shine like Italy can these days in the mass media. These days, the belief is, and even managers say it, that the AFCON is a small tournament and all these things mean we don’t recognise an African international…like you recognise a European or Italian international like Donnarumma.
“We’ve rewarded one month of competition and a goalkeeper who was transferred. Edouard Mendy has been better than Donnarumma over 12 months.”
Habib Beye on Edouard Mendy: “The exceptional year is 12 months and not just one month. Let us stop with this hypocrisy of saying that if someone has a good EUROs, it's an exceptional year. Over 12 months, Mendy has been the best goalkeeper in Europe. It's not even a debate."
— Bolarinwa Olajide (@iambolar) November 30, 2021
The Frenchman went on to slam the ‘hypocrisy’ that supposedly suggests the European Championships are ‘exceptional’.
He said: “Why give more value to the Euros than the Champions League? What’s an exceptional year?
“An exceptional year is 12 months and not just one. Let’s stop this hypocrisy to say that there’s the Euros and that it’s an exceptional year. Over 12 months, Edouard Mendy is the best goalkeeper in Europe. It’s not even a debate.
“The reality is that you’ve seen the statistics. The number of clean sheets by Edouard Mendy is far greater than Donnarumma’s.”
Beye added: “The season, in its entirety, is much better for Mendy than it is for Donnarumma. We’ve rewarded a player for a month of competition and his season at Milan that wasn’t bad, but I think Edouard Mendy had a better season in its entirety with Chelsea, plus the Champions League”.Donnarumma’s.”
Donnarumma’s summer move to Paris Saint-Germain has failed to take-off so far, with the Italian featuring in just eight of the French club’s 21 games.
Related links:
- Ferland and Edouard Mendy slam media outlets for using their images in Benjamin Mendy story
- Gianluigi Donnarumma booed by own fans during Italy’s Nations League semi-final
- Lionel Messi to put seventh Ballon d’Or in Barcelona museum
