Champions League

Mohamed Salah among biggest snubs of 2021-22 UEFA Champions League best XI

UEFA revealed the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season on Tuesday. Besides Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, other absences will probably take you by surprise. Here, let's take a look into it.

May 31, 2022 07:34PM EDT

**© Julian Finney/Getty Images**Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah.

The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League came to an end, with Real Madrid extending their supremacy in Europe by winning their 14th UCL title in a hard-fought final against Liverpool. With the tournamentover, it’s the right moment to reflect on the best performances inthis edition.

While Karim Benzema took all the spotlight – especially in the knockout stages,many other players have also done a great job during the competition. On Tuesday, UEFA revealed the Team of the Season based on itsTechnical Observer panel’s opinion.

Assembling a Best XIis always a complicated task, given that manyplayers who maybe deserved to make the cut are usually left out. The 2021-22 UCL Team of the Season was not the exception, with notable absences such as Mohamed Salah.

2021-22 UEFA Champions League Best XI without Salah, Lewandowski, among others

Unsurprisingly, the Best XI of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League is mostly made up by Real Madrid (4) and Liverpool (4) players, with just one player from Manchester City, Chelsea, and PSG, respectively.

This is what the Team of the Season looks like: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool); Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Fabinho (Liverpool), Luka Modric (Real Madrid); Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).

Salah could be seen asone of the biggest snubs, considering that he recorded eight goals in 13 games. Robert Lewandowski‘s absence will also make some noise, as he bagged 13 goals in 10 appearances. But then again, Benzema may have overshadowed him and Bayern‘s elimination at the hands of Villarreal didn’t help him either.

While there’s a perfect balance between the finalists, some could argue that Real Madrid shouldhave more weight in the Best XI. Casemiro andDavid Alaba could have been given aplace in this team as well. Moreover, Villarreal‘s trip to the semifinals may also lookquite overlooked. Their campaign maybedeserved some recognition,which they didn’t get in thisTeam of the Season.

Those are all valid points,but at the end of the day, this Best XI seems to be fair. The defense looks fine, only that it could have included a Real Madrid defender. The most difficult decision was probably that ofthe offensive trio, as they had to leave out the likes of Salah and Lewandowski.

Martín O’donnell

Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, currently serving as the Editor of Bolavip. He began his journey with the website in February 2021, making a name for himself through comprehensive coverage of soccer, NFL, and NBA, with a specialty in real-time reporting of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. In June 2024, Martin took on the role of Subeditor, where he excelled in overseeing the publication of stories, assisting staff writers, and ensuring content quality. His prior experience includes managing social media for CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and Spanish, as well as reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news, Martin has consistently been a valuable asset to the Bolavip team, especially during crucial sports seasons involving trades, playoffs, and finals. Now, as the Editor, Martin brings his extensive experience and keen editorial sense to lead Bolavip’s team, driving the website's growth and ensuring it remains a top source for sports news and analysis.