The 2024 Ballon d’Or gala has been one of the biggest talking points this past week, especially after many stars, including Lautaro Martinez, Toni Kroos and more, complained about the results. However, new details about Real Madrid’s decision to skip the ceremony have emerged… Including the fact that the club knew about Vinicius’ loss ahead of the clash against Barcelona on Saturday.
Speaking to Cadena SER, Spanish journalist Antón Meana reported that “according to sources close to Vinicius, the player‘s entourage suspected, or even more than suspected, since Friday that he wasn‘t going to win the Ballon d’Or. I don’t know what calls they had made, but they suspected that what everyone assumed would happen wouldn’t actually materialize.”
“Before the game at the weekend, they informed Madrid that they believed he wouldn’t win. Madrid said that they‘d prefer if they didn’t tell Vinicius as it would distract him before El Clásico. They didn‘t want him to know anything,” he explained.
However, despite the precautions taken, Madrid lost the match 4-0 at Santiago Bernabeu, and Vinicius reportedly told Gavi that he was going to win the award on Monday. But when the day came, it turned out that wasn’t the case, as it finally went to Rodri, of Manchester City and Spain.
Gavi of FC Barcelona and Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid clash during the LaLiga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
According to the report, Madrid took the decision to not attend the gala the very same day, even though they had confirmed to the press they were going to be in Paris. “However, the flight is initially delayed until 4pm (from 3pm), and there are plenty of important people at the Valdebebas training ground that are prepared to go; they don‘t know it’s been canceled because it‘s such a snap decision. They realize when making their way out of the door that the drastic choice has been made and they’re not going, and nobody is to explain anything to anyone about it,” Meana added.
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Carlo Ancelotti was the one who made the decision to not go to Paris
On the other hand, journalist Arancha Rodríguez told COPE that sources close to Madrid told her that the decision to not go to Paris was made by Carlo Ancelotti, who also won as Men’s Coach of the Year.
“To Ancelotti, the best was not to go,” said Rodriguez, who emphasized that the club supported his decision as a way to rally around the players. On the other hand, Ancelotti talked to the press ahead of Madrid’s clash with AC Milan for Champions League, and downplayed Vinicius’ feelings on the award.
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“Vinicius is sad, like us, but not because of the Ballon d’Or, but because he is seeing the situation in Valencia,” he responded when asked, referring to Spain’s ongoing floodings after the DANA storm hit the country.
