The football world's version of the Oscars - 2016

2015 was a year full of ups and downs for teams across the footballing world. Apart from the thrill of the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga, we also saw the exciting Copa America, a tournament won by hosts Chile, making it the first major international trophy in their history.The Oscars for 2016 just concluded earlier today, with some of the best talents in Hollywood rewarded for their excellence and hard work. With that in mind, here are the football equivalent of the Oscars for the work done in 2015:Disclaimer: Performances have been considered for the year 2015, across all competitions, with no discrimination intended against any team.Â

#1 Best comedian - Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique had a great year in 2015, winning the treble with Barcelona, the second time he's achieved that with the Catalans, apart from having a stellar year in defence. However, it was not just for his exemplary play that he caught the eye of fans for, it was also for his statements on social media or about his rivals.

During Barcelona's treble celebrations last season, Pique poked a jibe at Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo, indicating that the Portuguese star's birthday celebrations, which had singer Kevin Roldan performing, following Real's 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in La Liga was the turning point of Barcelona's season.

Pique said, “Thank you to all the staff for your help...and thanks Kevin Roldan! It all started with you!"

Another moment when he showed himself to have great timing was when Real Madrid were disqualified from the Copa del Rey for fielding Denis Cheryshev, an ineligible player, in the match against Cadiz. Following the announcement of the ban, the Spaniard tweeted his response, which indicated that he couldn't control his laughter.

— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) December 2, 2015

#2 Best Story - Leicester City

The best story of the year 2015 has to be that of Leicester City, without a doubt. The Foxes worked very hard to avoid relegation, and accomplished their goal thanks to a great run of form which saw them get 6 wins out of 8 matches, accumulating a total of 18 points from 24 available.

Following that great show of teamwork and collective strength, they started the 2015/16 season on a good note and still sit top of the table after 27 matches, leading Tottenham in second position by two points.

They have only lost three matches this season, two of them to Arsenal and one to Liverpool as they have strived to maintain their sensational form on the back of career seasons for striker Jamie Vardy and winger Riyad Mahrez.

Credit should also be given to their coaches, Nigel Pearson who led them to safety last season, and the Italian Claudio Ranieri, who has used his managerial acumen to take steer them to the top of the Premier League table.

#3 Lifetime achievement - Francesco Totti

Francesco Totti, the man all AS Roma fans look up to as one of their own, has achieved a great deal in his career for both club and country. He's won a Serie A title, two Coppa Italias and two Supercoppa Italiana with the Giallorossi and has always been loyal, never having entertained any thoughts of leaving the club for greener pastures.

Of late, Il Re di Roma has not been able to get into the first team of the Roman giants, with new coach Luciano Spalletti preferring to keep him on the substitutes bench. Totti is clearly not happy with the fact that he isn't getting enough chances to play and though he is 39 now, he believes he is good enough to still be leading his team from the front.

Serie A's youngest team captain ever, the Italian is the club's highest goalscorer and has made the most number of appearances for the club. He is also the second-highest goalscorer of all-time in Italian league history and is also the oldest goalscorer in the Champions League currently.

Though he isn't getting any playing time right now at Roma, his legacy at the club remains etched in stone and we believe he is a worthy recipient of this award.

#4 Best entrepreneurial endeavours outside football

This is an award we have instituted to reward footballers who have shown great initiative outside their careers to set themselves up for an alternative career following the end of their time in football.

The award will be shared by Cristiano Ronaldo and Mathieu Flamini, as both of them have clearly shown themselves to be thinking footballers and are ready for lives after the end of their football careers.

Cristiano Ronaldo has recently indicated that he would be open to a career in movies and the release of Ronaldo, an autobiographical film that showcased the Portuguese captain's life outside football and how he spends his time after finishing training and games. The movie showed fans a different side of Ronaldo, and it was something that appealed to them a lot.

Mathieu Flamini is the co-founder of GFBiochemicals, a company that is able to mass produce Leuvinic acid, thought to be a substituent for oil in all forms. The potential for this industry is believed to be in the range of £20 billion and shows how savvy the defensive midfielder is.

Flamini has been part of this enterprise for 7 years now and will be doing this full-time once he decides to hang up his boots.

#5 Best celebration - Batman and Robin

This year's award for the best celebration goes to the Borussia Dortmund duo of Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for their Batman and Robin celebration during their 3-0 win over Schalke in the Revierderby last year.

Following the first goal in the game, which came in the 78th minute, both Reus and Aubameyang proceeded to run behind the goal, where they had placed Batman and Robin masks prior to the beginning of the match.

Aubameyang put on the Batman mask while Reus put on the Robin one, and it was a celebration that fans enjoyed and became one for the future. For that piece of innovation, they get the best celebration award.

#6 Best Costume Design - Real Madrid away

2015's best kit award definitely goes to Real Madrid for their grey away kit, which looks like it is a combination of a sweater and a cotton t-shirt, completely unlike a jersey and very different to anything that they have ever worn before.

Real have always had kits that are attractive and strike a chord with the fans instantly, but this kit was one that had all fans questioning what it was supposed to be – a sweater vest or a jersey.

Also, we have a special category here – Best Costume on Awards Night – the winner of which is Juventus’ Paul Pogba, whose extremely extravagant outfit at the Ballon d’Or ceremony had tongues wagging. The Frenchman chose to wear a gold tuxedo which in combination with his flamboyant hairstyle was something unique, without a doubt.

#7 Best Supporting Actor - Mesut Ozil

Arsenal's midfield genius Mesut Ozil has been in scintillating form this season, registering assist after assist as the Gunners look to try and get their first Premier League title since the 2003-04 season. The German currently has 18 assists, just two shy of Thierry Henry's Premier League record of 20, and has 11 games to better that achievement.

Ozil has also been very consistent since joining Arsenal, and has been one of the most important players for them during the last two seasons, as they have won two FA Cup titles in a row and look to improve their trophy-winning record going forward.

Though the North London outfit lost to Manchester United 3-2 recently, Ozil had a good game, scoring one and assisting the other, and has shown that he is ready to stand up and be counted in the big games.

#8 Best Dialogue - Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal

The next award is one that we believe needs to be shared between two football managers – Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal. Mourinho, who was sacked by Chelsea earlier in the season, kept avoiding all questions at the post-match press conference, refusing to answer anything directed at him, instead saying, “I have nothing to say”.

This was in response to questions asked to him after Chelsea's meltdown against Liverpool, a match that saw them lose 3-1 after initally leading 1-0. This is how the interview went:

"I have nothing to say," he said when asked if his team threw away the match. Then he continued, "I have nothing to say." He was also asked if Lucas and Diego Costa should have been sent off and all he had to say was, “I have nothing to say, I am sorry but I have nothing to say."

The other awardee is Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, who responded to rumours of him getting the sack by going on the offensive against the media, questioning their intentions and saying that they had no compassion and respect for his family and him.

A couple of excerpts from what he said are – “Erm, has anybody in this room not a feeling to apologise to me? Nobody has that feeling? That’s what I’m wondering?” He also said, “I think I was already sacked, I have read – I have been sacked. My colleague was here already. What do you think that happens with my wife or with my kids or with my grandchildren or with the fans of Manchester United or my friends? What do you think? They have called me a lot of times and also Arsène Wenger is saying something about that. Do you think that I want to talk with the media now?

#9 Best individual performance in a match - Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi won his fifth Ballon d’Or earlier this year, and deservedly so, as he led Barcelona to a tremendous season, helping them win the treble, apart from the Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. In between, he also led Argentina to the finals of the 2015 Copa America, as they lost out in a heartbreaking penalty shootout to hosts Chile.

The year saw some brilliant performances from Messi, none more captivating than his show of skill in the last 20 minutes of Barcelona's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou.

The manner in which the little Argentine took over the match, first scoring with a low, powerful shot and then wrongfooted Jerome Boateng and dinked the ball over Neuer, bamboozling everyone in the Bayern team and the fans alike.

#10 Best Goal - Wendell Lira

For the best goal of the year, we go with Wendell Lira's acrobatic effort for his club side Goianesia in the Brazilian Goias state championship. The goal came at the end of an amazing team move, players exchanging passes to put Lira through on goal with a lob over the defence.

Though he was free, the ball was right above him, and the distance between him wasn't enough for him to try and head it in or to let it drop and then shoot. Lira decided to contort his body while the ball was in flight, turning and jumping to take it as a bicycle kick, and timed it to perfection, getting enough power and direction to guide it into the goal.

#11 Best Team - Barcelona

Barcelona were the team to talk about in the year 2015, winning 5 out of the 6 trophies on hand to register an unprecedented 2nd treble, something no team had achieved before. The Catalans did not have a good start to the season, and at one point were struggling to keep up in the title challenge, amidst rumours of a rift between talisman Lionel Messi and coach Luis Enrique.

However, post a loss to Real Sociedad, the Blaugrana turned their season around, and started dominating the opposition, performing to the best of their capabilities as they developed a swashbuckling, attacking style of football. The trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez came into their own and helped decimate defences as the Catalan giants powered their way through their opponents.

Barcelona took on the best of teams and got past them, and by the end of it all were deserving winners in all the competitions they were part of. For such a great season, they receive the best team of 2015 award.

#12 Best Director (Coach) - Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique took over Barcelona in the summer of 2014 and guided the team to five trophies in his first season, including the 2nd treble in the club's history, something which no other club had accomplished before.

He also transformed the team's playing style, making them a tremendous counter-attacking team, adding multiple weapons to the team's armoury. He devised a very effective manner using which the team made the best use of the talents of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Earlier this season, when Messi was ruled out of action for two months due to an injury, Enrique took it in his stride and tinkered with the system a little, making Luis Suarez the focal point of the attack. That saw Barcelona perform very well without Messi, and extended their lead in the title race.