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Pep Guardiola issues response to Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or boycott after Rodri success and Vinicius snub

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has issued a response to Real Madrid’s boycotting of the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday night.

The La Liga club cancelled all plans to send a delegation of representatives to Paris for the illustrious awards ceremony having been informed of Rodri’s pending success at the very highest level of football.

The triumph for the Manchester City and Spain midfielder came as a significant shock to those of a Real Madrid persuasion, who were convinced that Vinicius Jr would emerge as the successful nominee for the prize.

However, with all members of Real Madrid’s delegation absent from Paris, nobody was present to claim their successes in France including the Men’s Club of the Year, Men’s Coach of the Year issued to Carlo Ancelotti, and Gerd Muller Trophy issued to Kylian Mbappe.

Reacting to Real Madrid’s decision to snub the Ballon d’Or ceremony entirely, and as such not be present to congratulate Rodri on a major success in his career, Pep Guardiola told the media on Tuesday afternoon, “Nothing to say. They want to go, it’s fine, they don’t, it’s fine.

“They want to congratulate, it’s fine, they don’t, it’s fine. Absolutely Man City, we are not here to judge what other clubs decide what they have to do.”

Guardiola continued by referring to Manchester City’s experiences at the Ballon d’Or in 2023, as he went on to explain, “For us, last season for example that Erling (Haaland) won the Treble, more than 50 goals, and I said to him, ‘Just being there, you have to be so, so happy!’

“And I think Rodri went there and all the time I said, if you are in the first two, three or four, it’s exceptional. That means you have done an incredible year and you have to be so, so satisfied.”

On whether Vinicius Jr would have been a worthy winner of the award, as has been the belief amongst his Real Madrid teammates in particular, Guardiola said, “Vinicius should’ve won? Maybe, but it’s what happened.

“It’s journalists, it’s not a group of elite people that decide what they have to do. It’s all around the world, it’s not just one country votes. It’s all around the world, different opinions. That’s why football is nice and everyone talks.”

This is a developing story. More to follow.

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