Former Italian internaional defender Paolo Maldini has admitted that he cannot understand why Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was left off the Ballon D'or shortlist.
The 37-year-old was not part of the 59-man long list revealed this week but Maldini has told his former international teammate to ignore the snub.
Maldini told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "At nearly 38, he is still one of the top three goalkeepers in the world. I can understand [Manuel] Neuer and [Thibaut] Courtois. But [Claudio] Bravo? [David] Ospina?
"Usually team results are also taken into consideration. Giga [Buffon] was one of the reasons Juve reached the Champions League final and won in Italy. Did they see the save he made on Dani Alves in Berlin?
"I hope this decision doesn't bother him as it is absurd."
Buffon has made 429 appearances over 14 years at Juventus winning six Scudettos, a Coppa Italia title and reaching two Champions League finals.
Nathan Staples
