Julius OkorieLa Liga President, Javier Tebas, has tongue lashed Real Madrid for cancelling their flight to France after learning that neither Vinicius Junior nor Jude Bellingham would emerge winner of the Ballon d’Or.
Spain and Manchester City star, Rodri won the award on Monday, beating the real Madrid duo to the second and third positions in that order
Join our WhatsApp ChannelUnfortunately, Real cancelled their delegation’s flight to Paris on the day after learning Manchester City midfielder Rodri would win the Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinicius Junior.
But the decision did not go down well with La Liga President, Tebas, who insisted that the decision was uncalled for and unprofessional
Tebas told reporters in France: “I’m a Madrid fan. The important values of this club are to be a gentleman and to shake hands when you lose.
“I think Real Madrid lost that mentality a long time ago. They should have gone to the ceremony and not questioned the France Football system, which is transparent, with 100 journalists voting. Real Madrid’s victimhood is senseless and exaggerated. I don’t know where they are going. We also experience this lack of elegance in Spain.”
On Kylian Mbappe, Tebas also said: “A player doesn’t make a competition. The effects of his arrival can’t be calculated in three months. Mbappé hasn’t forgotten how to play football. He will bring joyful afternoons and nights to all of Madrid and to all of Spanish football. He was a star and will continue to be a star. In Spain we are often very impatient…”
The fun of having all the nominees under the same roof adds a lot of glamour to the event. With early leakage now becoming a recurring decimal, some say it is important to arrest the drift.
READ ALSO :Man City Star, Rodri, Wins 2024 Ballon d’Or As Lookman Finishes 14th
The occasion was forced into awkward moment as Real Madrid failed to collect their award.The Spanish giants were named Club of the Year after winning LaLiga and the Champions League.But not a single club representative was present as Real Madrid boycotted the awards ceremony, with an awkward silence in the room as host Didier Drogba read out their name as winners.
He added: “Congratulations to them,” before moving on swiftly.Real Madrid boycotted the show Vinicius Jr missed out on the top prize to Rodri.
The winger was amongst the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or following an impressive campaign in which he scored 24 goals and registered 11 assists.
But Vinicius Jr was not even in attendance to see his rival walk on stage to collect the prize, nor were any of his team-mates or coach Carlo Ancelotti, who failed to collect his Coach of the Year gong.
Drogba said in response to his absence: “I’m disappointed my former coach is unable to be here to collect the award.”
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
