Sergio Ramos has labelled Cristiano Ronaldo the best player in the world by claiming Ballon d’Or rival Lionel Messi is a “step below him right now.”The attacking duo are frontrunners alongside Franck Ribery to win this year’s edition of the prestigious award, though Messi has fallen behind after suffering another injury setback last week. RealMadridcoach Carlo Ancelotti demanded that Ronaldo receives due recognition for his 2013 achievements, and now Ramos has tipped his club-mate to reclaim the award after last winning it in 2008. “Perhaps this year he [Ronaldo] is showing that [he should win the Ballon d’Or], since the player normally seen as the best in the world, Messi, is maybe a step below him right now,” theSpaininternational noted to Movistar.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter caused a furor earlier this autumn when he made comments suggesting he saw Messi as the better player, prompting Ramos to stress the importance of impartiality. “You have to give the Ballon d’Or to the best player in the world at that time,” he continued.
“Any differences between what the players are like as individuals should not affect who is chosen for a personal award.” Despite failing to win any silverware this calender year, Ronaldo has notched up an impressive 63 goals for club and country to stake his claim for the prize.
His latest strike, the winner forPortugalin the first leg of a World Cup playoff againstSweden, gives Paulo Bento’s men a crucial advantage before Tuesday’s return match. – Yahoo Sport A Moscow testing laboratory for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics will have its World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) accreditation suspended unless it improves its procedures by 1 December. The Wada panel heard there were serious concerns about the accuracy and reliability of testing results.
And if it does not engage independent experts to draft a better programme, a six-month ban will be enforced. This could mean that the lab cannot test during the Games in February. Wada has also recommended to the International Olympic Committee that testing is monitored throughout the Winter Olympics inMoscowor a satellite facility inSochi.
The Moscow Anti-doping Centre can appeal against Wada’s decision. The news comes after theRio de Janeirolab was stripped of its Wada accreditation ahead of next year’s football World Cup. In that instance, samples will be flown to world governing body Fifa’s headquarters inSwitzerlandduring the tournament. The decision to give a 1 December deadline toMoscowwas made by Wada chairman John Fahey after recommendations were made to him by its disciplinary committee.
Disciplinary committee chairman and former Wada president Dick Pound told BBC Sport before the decision was announced: “Our expert laboratory group finally came to the conclusion that they ought to suspend the laboratory because it was not sufficiently reliable.”
