One of the biggest talking points surrounding the Ballon d’Or gala last night was the boycott of Real Madrid after they reportedly found out their forward Vinicius Jr. was being snubbed for the title.
Everyone online has had their take on the situation, and now legendary Spanish manager Pep Guardiola has spoken out on the situation during his Tuesday press conference.
As per GOAL, Guardiola said ‘If they want to go, it’s fine, if they don’t want to go, it’s also fine. We at Manchester City are not here to judge what the other clubs do.‘
On his player Rodri’s win, Guardiola said ‘What can I say? Firstly, congratulations to him and all his family and dear friends. It’s incredible news for him and for all of us at Manchester City and our fans. We are so proud of him.‘
Guardiola also compared the situation to last season, when Lionel Messi won, but Erling Haaland still attended the ceremony out of respect for the eventual winner.
On whether Vini should have won, Pep said ‘Maybe, but that’s what happened. It’s the journalists, not a group of elites who make the decision.’
In the football community, there seem to be two clear camps; those who believe Real Madrid and Vinicius are justified in their boycott, and others who believe they should have attended the ceremony regardless as a show of respect for their opponents.
