November 1st 2024.
Vinicius Jr, the talented young player from Real Madrid, recently missed out on the prestigious Ballon d'Or award to Manchester City's Rodri. However, his reaction to this defeat has caused quite a stir. Manchester United legend Gary Neville has publicly criticized Vinicius' behavior, calling it "classless" and "outrageous" and accusing him of disrespecting his rival.
Many had predicted Vinicius to be the clear favorite for the award, thanks to his impressive performances for Real Madrid last season, where he played a crucial role in their victories in the Champions League, La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup. However, a leak before the ceremony revealed that Rodri, who had a stellar year winning the Premier League and Euro 2024, would be the one taking home the award.
In response, the Madrid delegation, which included Vinicius, decided to boycott the event as a form of protest. As a result, no one was present to collect Real Madrid's Men's Club of the Year award. Vinicius himself was reported to be "furious" and even warned the organizers that he would do it again "10x if I have to." It was also revealed that he had planned a celebration party with 50 of his friends in Madrid, which he had to cancel after the disappointing news.
Neville, who was a guest on The Overlap US, expressed his disappointment with Vinicius' reaction, saying, "I'm quite offended by the reaction towards Vinicius not winning, by his fellow professionals as well." He went on to praise Rodri, calling him "an amazing player" and "the best midfield player in the world by a mile at this moment in time."
The former United and England right-back also acknowledged Rodri's leadership qualities, saying, "He holds them together. They lost four or five games last season when he didn't play. We talk about having no leaders nowadays, but he is outstanding." Neville was pleased that Rodri won the award, saying, "I'm delighted Rodri has won the Ballon d'Or and I'm delighted it's gone to a player who has contributed week-in, week-out, consistently at such a high level for his club and country."
He also addressed the controversy surrounding Messi winning the award last year, stating that he believed it was wrong and that this year's incident has taken it to another level. Neville praised Rodri's consistency and reliability and expressed his delight that the award went to a player who is often undervalued because he plays in a different position.
Neville also had some advice for Vinicius, suggesting that he should have taken the disappointment on the chin and acted with dignity. He said, "What I would have liked to have happened was Vinicius still travel to the awards and invite Rodri to his party after and celebrate with him." He went on to say, "That, to me, is what class looks like."
Neville also commented on the absence of Real Madrid players and their manager from the event, saying, "I think there were five Real Madrid players that were awarded on the night and none of them turned up out of protest, I suspect, that Vinicius has not won it." He concluded by acknowledging Vinicius' talent but stating that his behavior was "classless" and lacked respect for his fellow professionals.
In the end, Neville expressed his delight that Rodri won the award and hoped that Vinicius would learn from this experience and show more grace and class in the future. He also reminded everyone that Vinicius is a "special talent" and will surely have his chance to win the Ballon d'Or in the future.
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