The voting for the Golden Boot is over. However, some jury members decided not to participate, including Gert Verheyen.
Composition of the jury
More than two hundred experts received their voting form at the beginning of December. The group consists of journalists, football celebrities, top-flight coaches, referees and former winners. They determined the three nominees in two rounds.
The journalists include well-known commentators and reporters. The category of football celebrities includes ex-coaches and former players who do not fall into any other group. Active trainers are also allowed to vote, while players are excluded to avoid influence.
In addition to referees, football association employees also have a vote. The list of former winners forms a separate category. Voting has been done digitally since 2016. This allows reminders for those who have not yet completed their form.
Credibility
As a result, the number of valid votes is higher in recent editions and the differences between the two rounds have become smaller. Yet not everyone fills in their form. Among them also football analyst Gert Verheyen.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, which organizes the election, he gives the reason that he has not seen enough matches to form an informed opinion. Verheyen reports that he was unable to follow too many live matches due to the TV rights problems.
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Their choice is accepted by the organization. It fits within the intention of safeguarding the credibility of the election and only counting votes that are based on a complete picture.