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With the Ballon d'Or ceremony less than two months away, the nominees for the prestigious Yachine Trophy have been released. This time, La Liga has the most number of nominees (3), followed by Serie A (2). Premier League, Primera Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have one nominee each. Only one goalkeeper has been nominated from a club outside Europe.
Emiliano Martinez is the defending champion of the award and has been nominated once again. Martinez inspired La Albiceleste to win the Copa America 2024 - their third consecutive international trophy. He was also inspirational for Aston Villa, scripting their first UEFA Champions League qualification after 28 years.
Three shot-stoppers have been nominated from La Liga - Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid), Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), and Unai Simon (Athletic Club).
Andriy Lunin took the stage for Los Blancos in the absence of Thibaut Courtois, winning La Liga, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana last season. Meanwhile, Unai Simon was inspirational for La Roja in Euro 2024. The Spaniard kept three clean sheets and helped a young Spanish side lift the trophy.
The other nominees for the Yachine trophy include Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Yann Sommer (Inter Milan), Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns).
Diogo Costa was the mainstay between the sticks for Portugal and FC Porto. He kept 38 clean sheets out of 45 games in all competitions as FC Porto finished third in the league.
Gregor Kobel was part of a historic campaign for Borussia Dortmund - reaching the Champions League final after 11 years. However, they were defeated by Real Madrid, who bagged their 15th Champions League title.
Mike Maignan was the first-choice goalkeeper for France and AC Milan. The Frenchman was instrumental for his club as they finished second in Serie A. Meanwhile, his fellow nominee Yann Sommer helped Inter Milan win the league in the 2023-24 season.
Ronwen Williams was the only player chosen from a non-European club. The 32-year-old plays for South African club Mamelodi Sundowns. The Protea kept 30 clean sheets in 46 games for his club last season.
Who are the previous winners of the Yachine Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony?
Only one goalkeeper has ever been able to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or - Lev Yashin in 1963. To ensure that goalkeepers get their due recognition, the Yachine Trophy was introduced in 2019.
The first goalkeeper to win the prestigious trophy was Liverpool's Alisson Becker at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in 2019. The Brazilian guided the Reds to UEFA Champions League glory, keeping 27 clean sheets in 51 games in all competitions. Liverpool also finished second in the Premier League that season, beaten only by Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ballon d'Or ceremony didn't take place in 2020. The 2021 Yachine Trophy went to Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian shot-stopper kept 15 clean sheets in 48 games for PSG with AC Milan. He also won the Euro 2020 with Italy.
Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois was awarded the Yachine Trophy in 2022 after Los Blancos won the La Liga, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana. The Belgian was crucial in several key moments for the Spanish giants, recording an astounding 46 clean sheets in 52 games in all competitions.
Finally, Emiliano Martinez is the latest winner of the trophy. The Argentine was one of the most clutch players for La Albiceleste in their World Cup 2022 campaign, especially during penalty shoot-outs.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on October 28, 2024, at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
