Madrid, Nov 29 (IANS): Expressing 'surprise' over Michel Platini's statements on the Ballon d'Or prize, Spanish club Real Madrid have urged the UEFA president to be neutral on the selection for the coveted football award.

Platini has repeatedly said Real Madrid's goal-machine Cristiano Ronaldo, a strong contender for the much-craved for award, should not win the Ballon d'Or this year, stating that the trophy should go to one of the players of the World Cup winning German team.

"It's surprise at the repeated declarations regarding his personal preferences over the choice of the winner of the Ballon d'Or, particularly given that he is the head of European football's principal body, where our understanding is that the strictest impartiality should prevail," the club said in a statement Friday.

The club said that the award was meant to reward individual performance of footballers annually and should be given to the 'best player in the world'.

"The Ballon d'Or is an individual rather than collective prize which is awarded annually to the best player in the world, and we believe that, in order to maintain its prestige, those who participate in the vote should take into account exclusively the individual professional achievements of the players."

The current La Liga leaders supported their star striker Ronaldo, last year's winner and a favourite to win this year, saying that the Portuguese deserves the award.

'We believe that Cristiano Ronaldo has without doubt had his best ever professional year individually, and has claimed the Champions League, the Golden Shoe and the record for the highest goalscorer in an edition of the Champions League, as well as the Copa del Rey and the top-scorer award in La Liga. In the current season, he has won the European Super Cup, scoring both goals in the match, and is achieving spectacular figures such as his 20 goals in the first 12 matchdays of La Liga, which confirm his great moment of form and ensure that, more than ever, he is deserving of the Ballon d'Or."