Real Madrid has been criticized for snubbing the Ballon d’Or.
French soccer publication France Football announced Spain international midfielder Rodríguez (28, Manchester City) as the winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or men’s award on Monday at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
It marks a new era for the Ballon d’Or, which has been split between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But not many people expected Rodri to win it. Rodri had just undergone surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and attended the ceremony on crutches. George Weah, the only African to win the Ballon d’Or, was the presenter.
A key figure in City’s four consecutive Premier League titles, Rodri scored nine goals and provided 14 assists in 50 appearances. He has played a key role in the center of the midfield for Guardiola’s side. At Euro 2024, he led Spain to victory and was named MVP.
However,
Real Madrid, who were confident that Vinicius would win the award, 카지노사이트 were uncomfortable. Originally, Real Madrid had planned to broadcast five hours of live coverage of Vinicius’s award and the aftermath on their own station.
However, as soon as Real president Florentino Perez learned that Vinicius had not won the award, he canceled the plan altogether. The club was nominated in a number of categories, but declined to participate in the ceremony altogether.
Vinicius took to social media to protest the snub, calling it “racism. “European soccer hasn’t come to its senses yet,” he said, claiming he was a victim of racism.
British media criticized Real Madrid’s attitude as selfish. The Independent wrote: “Despite Real’s denials, no one can argue with Rodri’s award. Rodrigo played brilliantly and was the best player in the Spanish title. Real have made the world’s best soccer award meaningless. Vinicius also played well, but he shouldn’t be honored. Real’s behavior denies Ronaldo’s past awards.” / AP