By Nathaniel Kay

'Shocking, How?': Some Chelsea fans totally bemused by news coming from FIFA

Chelsea supporters on social media were left feeling completely baffled by the latest strange decision coming from FIFA headquarters.

Their feeling of indignation stemmed from the announcement of the FIFPRO World XI nominees.

FIFA revealed their 23-man shortlist yesterday, with the final 11 set to be announced on the 17^th of January.

Four of Thomas Tuchel’s squad made the cut.

Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho were all included due to their contributions towards the Champions League success, not to mention the latter’s European Championship victory.

Romelu Lukaku earned a vote for firing Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in a decade.

However, there were some noticeable absentees from the selection process.

FIFA failure

Mo Salah, arguably the finest player on the planet right now, was axed.

Harry Kane didn’t get a mention, despite finishing as the Premier League’s leading scorer and assist maker in 2020/21.  

There were also some undeserved candidates as well.

FIFA’s beloved sons Dani Alves, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba somehow squeezed their way onto the list.

Frenkie de Jong made up the unmerited Barcelona quartet.

Chelsea robbed 

But what got Blues fans most riled was the fact none of their defenders earned a call-up, regardless of their importance to the European success.

Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen had their names overlooked.

A stunning oversight from the organisers of the accolade, considering Cesar Azpilicueta was put up for the Ballon d’Or and UEFA’s Defender of the Year, an award Rudiger also gained a nomination in.

Here’s how the Stamford Bridge enthusiasts reacted to FIFA’s ridiculous verdict on Twitter:

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Nathaniel Kay

Nathaniel is a football journalist who graduated from the University of Derby. He has worked at Burton Albion as part of their media team for two years. Nathaniel produces regular articles for the club’s official website and match-day programme. He covered the 2018 U20 Women’s World Cup in Brittany and has reported from grounds ranging from non-league up to the Premier League.