Mendy deserved a Ballon d´Or nomination, but Tuchel hopes ´it does not bother him´

Edouard Mendy should have been included on the Ballon d’Or shortlist, but Thomas Tuchel hopes it does not bother the Chelsea goalkeeper. 

Senegal international Mendy kept nine clean sheets during Chelsea’s triumphant Champions League campaign last season – more than any other keeper in the competition. His save percentage of 91.2 also led the way among keepers to play at least six games in the 2020-21 edition of Europe’s premier club competition. 

While Chelsea team-mates Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount were named on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, Mendy was left out. 

But he produced a display worthy of such recognition during Chelsea’s 1-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday, making six saves to earn his 20th clean sheet in his 38th Premier League start. In the competition’s history, only Petr Cech (26), Pepe Reina (32), Alisson (36) and Roy Carroll (37) needed fewer starts to hit that milestone. 

Tuchel believes Mendy should be in the running for the most coveted individual prize in men’s football, but he is not overly concerned by his omission and does not think his keeper should be either. 

Asked if Mendy should have made the shortlist, Tuchel told a news conference: “Yes, but I’m happy and it is more important that he performs like this than he is on any list. 

“It should not, I hope it does not, bother him because it does not bother me too much and it seems like he is not influenced by that, which is a good thing. 

“I think that we could be on that list as a whole team because we won that trophy as a team and if we have five names or six names, I feel that we won it as 21 guys and everybody played his role. That’s how football works. 

“Today we relied heavily on him again. He is the guy he is and everybody is so happy for him that he can help us. So everything is good.” 

Someone explain why he’s not nominated for the ballon d’or What a performance… EDOUARD MENDY

— Antonio Rüdiger (@ToniRuediger) October 16, 2021

Mendy’s best saves came in the final 20 minutes as Chelsea clung on for maximum points after Ben Chilwell’s thunderous strike on the stroke of half-time.

Antonio Rudiger, who was absent for Chelsea after sustaining an injury while representing Germany during the international break, made his feelings clear about Mendy’s Ballon d’Or snub on social media after the Blues’ victory. 

“Someone explain why he’s not nominated for the Ballon d’Or,” Rudiger tweeted. “What a performance… EDOUARD MENDY.”