Ballon d’Or organisers have responded to the controversial absence of Vinicius Jr. and Real Madrid stars from the ceremony. Despite being a favorite to win football’s greatest prize, the Brazilian forward came second place to Manchester City’s Rodri.
Real Madrid pulled out of the event after reports emerged that Vinicius would not be lifting the iconic golden ball.
The editor-in-chief of France Football, Vincent Garcia, has given his verdict on why the Brazilian missed out and commented on his controversial absence. Garcia explained that Vinicius suffered from the presence of Bellingham and Carvajal in the top five, which mathematically took away some points from him.
Real Madrid’s season took between three and four players, and the judges shared their decisions between them, which benefited Rodri. Garcia also explained that he had a lot of pressure from Real Madrid but was always clear and fair.
Madrid president Florentino Perez was furious with the decision, and sources at the club claimed the snub was a ‘historic robbery’.
A statement from Madrid to AFP stated that if the award criteria doesn’t give Vinicius as the winner, those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner.
