It’s been more than a week since thelong-awaited 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony took place but their results continue making noise in world soccer. If not, just look at Robert Lewandowski‘s reaction to Lionel Messi winning the award.
This year’s eventmay have been the most evenly matchedin recent times, with a number of leaks going viral on social media as the soccer community was eager to know who’d get the upper hand this time. In 2020, the event was cancelled due to the pandemic but many people believe the Bayern Munich striker would have wonshould the ceremony had takenplace.
Even Messi has said in his speech after receiving his seventh Ballon d’Or that the Pole forward deserved to have won the award by now and that France Football should eventually recognize it. But Lewandowski shocked everyone by suggestingthat Messi’s words were not sincere. But shortly after, he set the record straight.
Ballon d’Or: Lewandowski clears the air on his comments on Lionel Messi
In an interview with Pole TV show Moc Futbolu of Kanale Sportowym, Lewandowski said he’d like the PSG star’spraiseto be honest and not just “empty words,” a reaction thatmade big headlines.
After seeing how fast his controversial statement was spreading all over the media, Lewandowski tried to clarify his comments. “There’s a misunderstanding,” he said, according to Marca. “I have never saidMessi’s words were not sincere, on the contrary.
“His speech at the event inParis, in which he said that,in his opinion,I deserved the 2020 Ballon d’Ortouched me and made me really happy. I just wanted to express that, of course, I would be really happy if Messi’s words were heard. I respect and appreciate Lionel Messi despite any decision and once againcongratulate him on winning the 2021 Ballon d’Or.”
Well, his latestcomments makemore sense. Taking a shot at Messi, who has only heaped praise on him in front of everybody in the Ballon d’Or gala, seemed a bit unfair. Of course, he might be unhappy with the results, but Messi has nothing to do with the votes.