“<a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/01/see-live-match-barcelona-vs-real-madrid-free-online-without-ads-spanish-super-cup-spanish-league/" title="See LIVE match Barcelona vs Real Madrid, free, online, without ads, Spanish Super Cup | Spanish League”>Vinicius certainly suffered the competition from Bellingham and Carvajal in the top 5 because, mathematically, this took some points away from him.”
Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, thus explained the Brazilian striker’s failure to win the Ballon d’Or which infuriated Real Madrid, so much so that it led the club to boycott the ceremony last night in Paris, which seeing the award go to the Spanish Rodri, of Manchester City. “This also sums up Real’s season – added the journalist of the French weekly which organizes the recognition – represented by three to four players and the jurors divided their decisions among themselves, which gave the Spaniard an advantage.” Vincent Garcia then revealed how, in his opinion, the club may have understood already in the afternoon that Vinicius had not won. “I received a lot of pressure from Real Madrid, but, as happens with other clubs, I was always clear and fair and perhaps my silence pushed them to the limit. But it was the same with the others. We were very clear with everyone: this year the winner would not be notified. I thought everyone had accepted it. But at the last minute they wanted to change the rule.”
Neither Puskas, nor Iniesta, nor Baresi, nor Ribery, nor Paolo Maldini have ever won this award (not to mention Maradona, excluded from the European footballer norm and then rewarded with the Ballon d’Or for lifetime achievement in ’96). . In the history of the most glamorous individual recognition in football, from ’56 to, the list of those excluded – with the associated controversy over the choices of the winner – is full of champions only a little less than that of the list of winners. But the case of Vinicius, predestined for the 2024 investiture and then beaten by City’s Spaniard Rodri, 2024 Golden Ball winner, takes on sensational contours due to a protest from Real Madrid never seen before. A real boycott by the club that boasts the highest number of golden balls for its players (12, like Barca, four more than Juve and Milan). In the end, Paris crowned the Manchester City midfielder who two seasons ago scored the winning goal of the Champions League in the final in Istanbul against Inter, and above all led Spain to win Euro 2024 with a string of seven victories out of seven. He beat three of Real Madrid, lining up behind him Vinicius, Carvajal and Bellingham. “He deserves it – the words of the Spanish coach, De La Fuente, regarding Rodri – and the fact that Real Madrid aren’t here tonight is not good for football”.
Video Ballon d’Or goes to Rodri, Real is furious
However, there were many male and female footballers, and also the US actress Natalie Portman, who made the red carpet at the entrance to the Chatelet Theater a true football Oscar. “I love football, especially women’s football”, the actress’s words, before announcing that the women’s Ballon d’Or had gone to Aitana Bonmati, the 2023 world champion Barcelona and Spain striker who had already won one year ago.
Then, as the top 10 gradually revealed itself (Lautaro best place in Serie A, seventh, in a ranking devoid of Italians), Rodri’s proclamation. A few hours after the ceremony in Paris, however, the scene had taken over the sensational announcement: the president of the Galacticos, Florentino Perez, cancels the private flight from Madrid to the French capital, leaving Carvajal, Bellingham, Ancelotti and a delegation of 50 people on the ground with the Brazilian talent: none of them and ‘ took to the stage when Real was announced as the best club of the year. “We don’t go where Real isn’t respected, and the Ballon d’Or didn’t respect us”, Perez’s explanation, while the club’s sources came down more harshly on the Spanish newspapers. “For us the Ballon d’Or no longer exists.” Which does not mean that the seven trophies won in the last eleven editions by Merengue footballers will disappear by magic. If he could, Cristiano Ronaldo would make Messi’s 2021 one disappear, which provoked a reaction that everyone defined in dialect as ‘gnawed’.
What has raised the tone of the protests against such a coveted and subjective prize – this year we have returned to the formula of journalists’ votes, no longer captains and coaches – is perhaps the CR7-Messi dualism of past years, which has convinced many that everything was predefined. It also remains to be understood how Real Madrid knew of the final outcome, if the organizers ensured that with the return of 100 journalists to the vote the outcome was sealed until the very end. On the Parisian evening, Lamine Yamal was also awarded as best young player, Barcelona women as best team, Ancelotti (absent) as best coach and Emma Hayes (Olympic champion with the USA) as best coach. Socrates Award for social football to Jenny Hermoso, the Spanish player behind Rubiales’ ‘scandalous’ kiss. “For girls who want to become footballers like us – she said – we must leave a game without gender violence”.
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