At a press conference on Tuesday, the day after Rodri won the Ballon d’Or 2024, Pep Guardiola sought to quell the controversy. The Manchester City coach ended up defending France Football and UEFA to explain the failure of Vinicius Jr.
Pep Gaurdiola doesn’t believe in the conspiracy theory! After Vinicius Jr’s failure to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, the Manchester City coach, who was delighted with the success of his midfielder Rodri, left the Brazilian international with a clear message. According to him, no one at UEFA or France Football has anything against Vini, as the Real Madrid entourage would have the world believe.
If Vinicius Jr failed to lift the Golden Ball yesterday, it was simply the fault of the journalists who voted. For Guardiola, the Real Madrid star deserved the Ballon d’Or as much as his player, but it was simply the voters who didn’t choose him.
“Should Vinicius have won? Maybe, but that’s what happened. It’s the journalists, not a group of elites, who decide what to do. This is something that’s happening all over the world, it’s not a vote in just one country. There are different opinions all over the world. That’s why football is beautiful and why everyone is talking…. If Vinicius had won, it would have been more than deserved, like last season with Haaland, when he didn’t win. He was there, he was happy and he congratulated Leo…. If you vote, you have to accept the result. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes you like it, sometimes you don’t, but it doesn’t matter. Tomorrow is another game, another season, try again,’ explained Pep Guardiola.
‘Ronaldo was a monster and Messi the father of that monster’
In a speech tinged with nostalgia, Pep Guardiola also spoke of football’s golden generation, marked by the legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. With thirteen golden balls between them, including eight for La Pulga, the Manchester City coach explained to Vinicius Jr just how difficult it was for stars of that generation.
He takes the example of Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, who, in his opinion, deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, but never did. Despite this, these two Barça legends did not take it as a scandal, as it was above all a vote.
“Last year, Haaland should have won the Ballon d’Or. And should Messi have won like he did? What matters is that you represent something in world football because you, personally, with your team-mates, with your friends, have done something really, really, really good. Cristiano was a monster… and Messi was the father of that monster. And they’ve both done something incredible over the last 15 or 20 years. And perhaps at the time, Xavi and Iniesta also deserved the Ballon d’Or…’ said the Catalan coach at a press conference in Manchester on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola’s reference to this footballing pantheon is an expression of his conviction that recognition goes beyond individual distinctions. For him, every player who fights for his team, who makes his mark on the history of his club, contributes to the greatness of the sport.
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