Rodri slams Ballon d’Or awards after 2023 snub

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has levelled criticism at the Ballon d’Or awards in a recent interview with the Mirror.

The Spanish midfielder finished fifth in the voting after a tremendous 2022/23 campaign in which he played a key role in Manchester City winning the Premier League, Champions League, and the FA Cup.

The award eventually went to Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, who led his nation to a World Cup triumph in Qatar in 2022. But Rodri says he is not phased by his talents being overlooked when it comes to the final votes.

“I am not surprised,” Rodri told the Mirror, and relayed by the Daily Mail.

“This is normal. I understand very well how things work in these individual awards. They are based on marketing, money and advertising.”

“There have been midfielders before who were also Spanish who did not get what they deserved. Do you understand what I mean?

“What ultimately matters to me in football Is what I achieved collectively.”

Rodri’s collective achievements have been nothing short of sensational since joining Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019 for a reported fee of £62.5 million.

Since his arrival, the 27-year-old has racked up an impressive trophy haul that includes three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one Champions League title, and three Carabao Cups.

His City side could be well on their way to another historic season as they sit in pole position in the Premier League after 23 games, finding themselves just two points behind league leaders Liverpool, and with a game in hand over Jurgen Klopp’s men.

After an impressive 3-1 win away from home against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League round of 16 first-leg, Manchester City will turn their attention back to the Premier League as they host a struggling Chelsea side this weekend.