Tuesday, October 30, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 9
Spanish media said Tuesday that Real Madrid had cheapened themselves by boycotting the Ballon d’Or ceremony, with even the normally loyal Marca weighing in while Spain’s national coach admitted it was “not good for football”.
European champions Real announced their decision to skip Monday night’s gala ceremony in Paris just hours before it took place after apparently learning that their Brazilian striker Vinicius had not won the men’s award.
In fact Real Madrid won other awards, including men’s team of the year, but there was no one to collect them.
It was a big night for Spanish football in general with Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati collecting the men’s and women’s awards, but the seats left empty by Real’s delegation cast a shadow over the event.
“It’s not good for football for an entity like Real Madrid not to be present at a gala of this dimension,” said Spain’s Euro 2024-winning coach Luis de la Fuente on the red carpet.
Alfredo Relano, editor-in-chief of Spanish sports daily AS, one of the 100 journalists who voted for the Ballon d’Or, lamented that “the first Ballon d’Or for a Spanish player since 1960, which was keenly awaited, did not provoke the state of collective excitement that was expected, but rather a controversial day”.
Source: AFP
