La Liga President Javier Tebas has criticized Real Madrid for its decision to boycott the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday night, calling the club's actions a "lack of elegance" following the decision not to award Vinicius Junior the prestigious title.
Real Madrid had initially planned to send a 50-person delegation to Paris, expecting Vinicius to be crowned the world’s best male footballer. Additionally, Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal, who won both the Champions League with his club and Euro 2024 with Spain, was also expected to rank highly in the France Football-organized vote.
However, just before the delegation’s flight, leaks suggested that Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri would take the top spot over Vinicius and Carvajal. Reacting to this news, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez canceled the trip, and the club released a statement expressing its dissatisfaction. "If the award criteria do not recognize Vinicius as the winner, then Carvajal should be recognized," read the statement, adding that “Real Madrid will not attend events where it is not respected.”
In response, Tebas remarked to L'Equipe, "As a Madrid fan, I believe in the club's values of sportsmanship and accepting defeat. Real Madrid should have attended the event and respected France Football's transparent voting process, which involves 100 journalists." Tebas also remarked that Real Madrid’s reaction reflects a “sense of victimhood” that he finds exaggerated and out of line with the club’s image.
Vinicius ultimately finished second in the vote, with Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Carvajal following in third and fourth, while Manchester City striker Erling Haaland secured fifth place.
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