Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has issued a statement of support to star forward Vinicius Jr after he missed out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Rodri. Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the prestigious trophy this year ahead of the Los Blancos star.
Vinicius was the frontrunner for the 2024 Ballon d’Or title on the back of his stellar displays for Real Madrid. The 24-year-old was believed to be confident of his chances of winning the trophy, so much so that he reportedly boasted about his chances during El Clasico in October.
Perez and the rest of the Real Madrid team did not attend the gala in Paris after it was widely reported that Rodri would win the award. The club president has now sent a message to the Brazilian forward in an interview with COPE, telling him that the club’s fans remain proud of him. He also declared Vinicius as the best player in the world.
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“Vinicius, you’re the best player in the world. I want you to know that the Real Madrid fans are proud of you, for everything you have had to endure in many unfair times and moments, all this has made you the player you are today,” he said (via Fabrizio Romano).
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The Brazilian finished second behind Rodri by just 41 points in what was a close contest. The Real Madrid star had 1,129 points to 1,170 for Spain international Rodri.
Real Madrid showed solidarity with their Brazilian star as all of their nominees for the Ballon d’Or, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal did not attend the gala. Manager Carlo Ancelotti, also, did not attend the event despite winning the Coach of the Year award after leading Los Blancos to LaLiga and UEFA Champions League.
Florentino Perez blames journalists for Vinicius Jr Ballon d’Or disappointment
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez blamed journalists from four countries for his player’s failure to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. The Brazilian forward finished behind Rodri, who became the first player from the Premier League to win the award since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
Perez spoke with COPE about the outcome of the award, which is usually determined by voting from journalists and national team captains. He pointed out that votes from Ugandan, Finnish, Namibian, and Albanian journalists swayed the award in Rodri’s favor.
“Without Namibia, Uganda, Albania, and Finland, Vinicius would have won the Ballon d’Or. Moreover, these countries didn’t even give him any votes (not even in the top 10). Not a single one!” he added.
