Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy sends message to Gianluigi Donnarumma with World Cup heroics

Edouard Mendy has sent his team through to the World Cup after an incredible year for club and country that really should have been recognised with one key award Once again Edouard Mendy has shown up for his country when it mattered most. The 28-year-old’s heroics gave Senegal their pass into the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

 

I can go on and on, shouting to the ends of the Earth about how much of an achievement this is for the Chelsea goalkeeper, but the accolade speaks for itself. Yashin Award winner Gianluigi Donnarumma will be looking at Mendy in admiration as Italy face elimination just last week.

It’s no secret that Chelsea fans have been left with a sore spot following last year’s Ballon d’Or awards. Whilst Chelsea won the new “Best Club of the Year” award, their players fell short of winning the top prize. Jorginho was beaten to the ultimate prize by Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. Mendy was runner up to Donnarumma.

Forgive my scrutiny on such a top goal scorer, but my opinion on the actual deserved Yashin award winner has proven to be somewhat correct. Gianluigi Donnarumma had an amazing year in 2021. His final year with AC Milan proved pivotal for the Rossoneri, but it was his performance in the Euros that tipped him ahead of Edouard Mendy.

Despite winning the Champions League, and equalling the record for the most clean sheets kept in the competition, it was not enough for the win. Mendy has been nothing short of a success story since he joined the Blues back in the summer of 2020. There will be many more opportunities to win the award, but his teammates, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sadio Mane expressed their feelings of distaste. The omission of Mendy from the 30 men shortlist opened a can of worms and was met with outrage from the Chelsea fan base. Mane himself said the decision was “unacceptable”.