Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Cristiano Ronaldo will win the 2014 Ballon d'Or, despite believing Manuel Neuer to be the more deserving candidate.
A small Bayern delegation, including Neuer and Arjen Robben, left the club's winter training camp in Qatar on Monday morning and headed to Switzerland for the annual Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich.
Auf geht's nach Zürich mit Arjen Robben #NeuerForBallonDor pic.twitter.com/ci28I4xMjN
- Manuel Neuer (@Manuel_Neuer) January 12, 2015
Rummenigge will also be in attendance when the trophy will be presented to either Neuer, Ronaldo or Lionel Messi on Monday evening -- and the former West Germany international is backing the Real Madrid man to take home the award.
"Looking at the experts' opinion in recent days, they rather expect it to be Cristiano Ronaldo. And to be honest, that's what I also fear," Rummenigge told dpa.
"Even though winning the World Cup should be the deciding factor in a World Cup year -- it's the most important event -- the decision is made from Australia to Africa and America, and it's a disadvantage for Manuel that Messi and Ronaldo are two world brands."
Neuer himself concedes he is not expecting to come out on top, although he says he is excited about attending the gala.
"I am looking ahead to the event and will relish the evening," Neuer told Bayern's TV channel on Sunday, and said that making the final three-man shortlist was a "huge honour" in itself.
"Let's put it this way, I am definitely not the favourite," he added.
Bayern winger Robben, meanwhile, told Bild that he is delighted to see his teammate being recognised for his performances last year.
"It's a great success that he's made the list -- that's madness," Robben added. "It's already a victory for Manuel to be at the same level with Messi and Ronaldo."
Speaking to reporters in Qatar on Sunday, Bayern winger Franck Ribery said that Neuer more than deserves to win the accolade.
"Manuel has a good chance, of course," the former France international, who finished third at last year's event, said. "For me, he is the best keeper in the world, he has won many titles and was the best German at the World Cup and won it."
Neuer may feel more confident of his chances after being named by the vast majority of his Bundesliga colleagues as the best keeper in the world in the biannual kicker poll.
The Bayern keeper collected 230 out of a total of 240 votes, and was also named the "best outfield player of the Bundesliga" by one of his colleagues.
When asked who the best player in the world was, however, Neuer only received 2.9 percent of the vote, with Ronaldo receiving the backing of exactly 50 percent of the Bundesliga professionals.