Ancelotti Defends Real Madrid's Decision Not To Attend Ballon D'Or Ceremony Ahead Of City Match

Add as a preferred source on Google

Real Madrid's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has stood by the club's choice to skip last year's Ballon d'Or ceremony. The decision was made in protest after Vinicius Junior did not win the award, which went to Manchester City's Rodri. Despite this being the first meeting between the teams since then, Ancelotti maintains that the club has no regrets about their actions.

Ancelotti expressed his views on the matter, stating, "I don't think it was the wrong decision. We thought Vini was the winner of the Ballon d'Or. It doesn't mean we don't respect Rodri because he is a fantastic player. I think Rodri deserved to win it the year before."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hopes both clubs can move beyond this incident. He acknowledged Rodri's success but also praised Vinicius Junior's performance over the year. Guardiola compared it to past competitions between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, suggesting that both players were deserving.

Despite Manchester City's current league struggles, with Guardiola's team sitting in fifth place, Ancelotti remains complimentary of Guardiola's contributions to football. He believes City is still among Europe's top teams and praises Guardiola as one of the best managers.

Ancelotti admires Guardiola for his innovative approach to football, particularly in attacking play. He noted that preparing for matches against Guardiola is challenging due to his creative strategies. Ancelotti appreciates how Guardiola consistently brings new ideas to the game.

The upcoming match will be significant as it marks their first encounter since Real Madrid's absence from the ceremony. Both coaches seem focused on moving forward and maintaining mutual respect despite past disagreements over awards and recognition.

In summary, while Real Madrid chose not to attend last year's Ballon d'Or ceremony due to their belief in Vinicius Junior's deservingness, both Ancelotti and Guardiola appear ready to leave this behind and focus on future challenges in football.