Real Madrid President Florentino Perez took a swipe at France Football and the Ballon d’Or while … [+] speaking from an official club assembly on Sunday.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez took a swipe at France Football and the Ballon d’Or while speaking from an official club assembly on Sunday.
Perez’s left winger Vinicius Jr. was widely expected to be handed soccer’s highest individual for the world’s best male player at a star-studded ceremony in Paris last month.
On the day of the awards ceremony, however, it emerged that the Brazilian would miss out with Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri crowned instead.
MARCA reported Madrid as saying that the Ballon d’Or doesn’t “exist” to it anymore, and Perez indeed called off a delegation scheduled to head to the French capital for the gala.
This meant Kylian Mbappe wasn’t able to collect a top scorer award, while no one was present to take home a best team gong and Carlo Ancelotti likewise didn’t take to the stage to receive a prize for being the best coach last season.
Four weeks on from the debacle, Perez touched on the row at a club assembly on Sunday morning.
“For us, Vinicius is the best player in the world,” he said. “Real Madrid is with you, for everything you have had to endure unfairly they have made you what you are”.
As reported by The Athletic, Perez also said that the Ballon d’Or “was an event that UEFA organised for the first time in history with France Football and L’Equipe“.
“First of all, I want to make it clear that Rodri is a great footballer and, furthermore, he is from Madrid. He has all our affection. He deserved a Ballon d’Or, but not this year, last year. This one was [meant to be] for a Madrid player.”
Though the Frenchman is currently struggling at the Bernabeu, Perez wanted to talk about his coup in landing 2024 Galactico Mbappe on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
“The arrival of Mbappe has been one of the events in the world of football that will always remain in the memory. He has already helped us win his first title with the shirt he has always wanted to wear since he was a child,” Perez said.
Perez explained “something about the sports project” at the club, where on the football side of things Madrid is facing “one of the most winning cycles in our history”.
“Madrid has won its sixth Champions League in ten years, something that only our club has achieved. We are working on a sporting mix of stars and young people, who feel this badge and its values. These titles have been achieved with their work,” Perez added.
There is currently a debate in Spain as to which club boasts the best academy in the country and also the sport as a whole. And for Perez, there is no doubt who takes top billing over bitter rival FC Barcelona’s La Masia.
“Madrid is hungry for titles,” Perez said. “Now the team has six players who have gone through the academy, which is an essential part of our club’s identity. It is the best youth academy in the world, 191 players who have been trained to play professional football. The CIES confirms that it is the most prolific quarry in Europe.”
Perez spoke ahead of Madrid’s La Liga clash with Leganes, at a time when it has the chance to move within a point of Barca at the top providing both games in hand are won by Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
