Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, has finally spoken out on the controversy surrounding Rodri’s 2024 Ballon d’Or victory, arguing that one of his players at Real Madrid deserved the award. The Spanish entrepreneur was previously rumored to be behind the club boycotting the 2024 ceremony in Paris at the last minute.
Vinícius Júnior was widely regarded as a strong favorite to win the award following a stellar season where he helped Real Madrid secure both the La Liga and Champions League titles. However, in a twist of events, the Brazilian was overlooked in favor of Spain and Manchester City’s Rodri.
Rodri, at 28 years of age, made history as the first defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d’Or after a remarkable year in which he won the Premier League with Manchester City and Euro 2024 with Spain. He surpassed Vinícius by 41 voting points, a result that has continued to raise questions about the validity of the prestigious award.
Real Madrid players and staff were reportedly unhappy with the decision. After catching wind of the final results early, they boycotted the award ceremony on the day itself (October 28, 2024), refusing to send players or representatives to the event at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Rodri, who is currently sidelined for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, added to the debate later on, revealing he was just as shocked as he was appreciative of the award. He even admitted that, if it were up to him, he would have chosen Dani Carvajal for the award over Vinícius.
Meanwhile, several international journalists who participated in the voting process left Vinícius out of their top ten entirely, a decision that baffled Pérez. Speaking at Real Madrid’s annual assembly, Pérez criticized the outcome, claiming Rodri’s recognition was a year overdue and calling the current Ballon d’Or voting system flawed and unfit for purpose.
“It was an event that UEFA organized for the first time in history with France Football and L’Équipe. Rodri is a great player, he’s from Madrid, and he has our affection. He deserved a Ballon d’Or, but not this one. He deserved it the year before.
“This year, the Ballon d’Or should have gone to a Real Madrid player: Vinícius Jr., our captain Dani Carvajal, or even Jude Bellingham.
“Some of [the voters] didn’t even include Vinícius in the top 10. Can anyone understand journalists not thinking Vinícius Jr. is one of the best in the world? Nobody knows who they [the journalists] are … The Ballon d’Or should be independently organized, and it should be in the hands of people who are recognized.”
Pérez also criticized the expansion of voting to journalists from countries with smaller populations.
“They’ve changed the voting system. It’s surprising that, given the football, there are countries in which journalists with less than a million inhabitants now have a vote. There are journalists that nobody knows, and they have entered to vote this year. Without the votes of journalists from these countries—like Uganda, Namibia, Albania, and Finland—Vinícius would have won this Ballon d’Or.”
“The system must change, and there must be recognized people who risk their prestige with these votes. For all these reasons, we did not attend the Ballon d’Or gala.”
Despite the outcome, five Real Madrid players finished in the top six, and another standout player – Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez – was ranked seventh. However, the 2024 Ballon d’Or results have likely diminished any chance of Rodri transferring to Real Madrid in the future. The versatile defensive midfielder had reportedly been on Madrid’s wish list, but recent criticism, his injury, and Pep Guardiola’s new contract with Manchester City suggest otherwise.
The fight for the European Super League (ESL)
Florentino Pérez reiterated his support for the European Super League (ESL), a project that has sparked significant controversy since its announcement in April 2021. Real Madrid amongst other European powerhouses began the original journey of creating the breakaway league, following sanctions and threats from UEFA and FIFA, most of the members (clubs) and aspiring clubs dropped the idea. Despite facing widespread backlash and setbacks, Pérez remains determined to see the proposal come to fruition. He also criticized UEFA’s new Champions League format which is currently in use in the men’s 2024/25 European competitions saying “Nobody understands it.”
Reflecting on the committees’ recent legal victories over UEFA and FIFA, Pérez expressed renewed confidence in the ESL’s future. He described the process of challenging UEFA and FIFA’s dominance over football as a monumental struggle, saying it took immense resilience to withstand the pressures involved.
“Today I am more optimistic than ever. Breaking the monopoly of football has required a titanic effort, with pressures that would have brought down anyone, but not us.”
Pérez hailed the European Court’s ruling as a turning point for the ESL, emphasizing its potential to redefine football governance and competition. He highlighted plans for a merit-based format, claiming it would offer fairer opportunities to clubs based on performance.
“We can feel proud. Now it is up to us to put the court’s ruling into practice. The format will be 100 percent meritocratic. The ruling of the European Court has given us back our freedom,” Pérez added, underlining the belief that this decision represents a liberation from UEFA’s control and a step toward greater equality in football.
The ESL project, while divisive, continues to be framed by Pérez and its supporters as a necessary disruption to the status quo in European football.
Defending the club’s Finances
Perez finally hinted at plans for a potential restructuring of Real Madrid’s ownership following the club’s financial imbalances and struggles with government bodies. In his restructuring proposal, members will be able to vote on whether changes are needed to guarantee the club’s financial independence in the coming years.
“We’re working on defending ourselves from attacks on our financial wealth. Our club should have a structure that protects us as an institution. We’ll do everything necessary so that the club belongs to its members so that nobody can take away our financial assets.”
“I can confirm that we’ll bring a corporate reorganization proposal to an assembly, which guarantees members are real owners of our club. They wanted to take away our income to give it to La Liga.”
KYLIAN MBAPPE BACK ON THE SCORESHEET AS REAL MADRID ACE LEGANÉS AWAY FROM HOME
It was beautiful scenery for Real Madrid fans as their teams beat Leganes 3-0 at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque in La Liga to move up into second place in the League table. Goals from Kylian Mbappe, Federico Valverde, and Jude Bellingham were enough to hand Los Blancos the victory and edge them four points closer to Barcelona, who dropped points with Celia Vigo this weekend.
Vinicius Jnr’s brilliance was felt again on the pitch when he created the assist for Kylian Mbappe’s opening goal two minutes before halftime. The Frenchman hasn’t scored since the game against Celta Vigo on the 19th of October.
The second half witnessed goals from Valverde (who played right-back in the absence of Vazquez, Carvajah, and Alaba), crafted by young Turkish and Arsenal target Arda Guler in the 66th minute. Jude Bellingham sealed the game in the 85th to make it two in two La Liga matches in a row.
Real Madrid’s victory announces their bid to reclaim the La Liga title after periods of inconsistency. They face Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday, a game that would be decisive for their future in the most treasured competition.
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