Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, has stated that he no longer has “respect” for Real Madrid, a Spanish team, because they did not attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Some football fans were taken aback when the Spanish superstar was named the world’s best player at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in October. It was anticipated that Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. would receive the honor.
Real Madrid and Vinicius chose not to attend the ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet after it was announced that the Manchester City midfielder Rodri had been selected by the selection panel as the recipient of the coveted prize.
After winning La Liga, the Champions League, and the Euros, the Spanish powerhouses had anticipated that right-back Dani Carvajal would be given the gong if their Brazilian striker was not selected.
However, Real reacted angrily by prohibiting club personnel from attending after it was revealed that Rodri was the winner.
Now, Rodri has retaliated against Madrid’s position, claiming that he ‘cannot respect’ the team’s choice to skip the Paris Ballon d’Or celebration.
“I can’t describe the emotion [of winning the Ballon d’Or]. In my generation [we] only see two guys winning the trophy [Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo],” he said.
“I cannot respect the decision [of Madrid not to turn up to the ceremony.
“In sport and in life, it’s important to win. But I think even more how to lose, and I say always the same – it was my moment, I didn’t want to speak about others.
“They didn’t want to be there – I want to be with my club, with my family, the people that were there and clapped me, and that was a fantastic moment,” he added.
