- Ballon d’Or organizers respond to Real Madrid’s boycott over Vinicius Jr’s loss after the club discovered he would not win the prestigious award.
- Real Madrid’s decision to boycott stemmed from accusations of disrespect towards UEFA and France Football.
- Vinicius Jr ranked second in the voting, surpassing Jude Bellingham, who came in third.
- Dani Carvajal’s exclusion from the top rankings raised further questions, as he finished fourth.
- The boycott overshadowed Manchester City’s Rodri, who celebrated his first Ballon d’Or victory.
- Real Madrid argued that the criteria for the award should have favored either Vinicius Jr or Carvajal.
In a shocking turn of events, Ballon d’Or organisers have responded to the controversial absence of Vinicius Jr and his fellow Real Madrid stars from Monday’s ceremony.
Despite being tipped as one of the favourites to win football’s greatest prize, the Brazilian forward came second place to Manchester City’s Rodri.
After reports emerged earlier in the day that Vinicius would not be lifting the iconic golden ball, Real Madrid pulled out of the event.
The editor-in-chief of France Football, who are responsible for the award, has given his verdict on why the Brazilian missed out and commented on his controversial absence.
Vincent Garcia explained,
“Obviously, Vinicius surely suffered from the presence of Bellingham and Carvajal in the top 5 because, mathematically, that took away some points from him. This also sums up Real Madrid’s season, which took between three and four players and the judges shared their decisions between them, which benefited Rodri.”
He added,
“I had a lot of pressure from Real Madrid but, as with other clubs, I was always clear, fair and perhaps my silence pushed them to the limit. But it was the same as with the others. I was very unpleasantly surprised by his absence.”
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was reportedly furious with the decision. According to journalist Jose Luis Sanchez, a 50-strong party was scheduled to jet out, only for them to cancel after discovering Vinicius would not win. Sources at the club told ESPN Brazil that the snub was ‘historic robbery’.
Marca reported that Madrid insiders have furiously declared ‘the Ballon d’Or no longer exists for us’. A statement from Madrid to AFP said,
“If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner. As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
The incident raises questions about the fairness of the Ballon d’Or voting system and whether it accurately reflects individual player performances. As the debate continues, fans and pundits alike are left wondering if this marks a turning point in the relationship between Real Madrid and the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.
Also Read: Young Woman Kidnapped and Murdered in Abuja: Media Personality Ni’mat Suleiman’s Tragic Death
