Former head coach of Cameroon, Clarence Seedorf, has shared his thoughts on why Real Madrid forward, Vinicius Jr., did not win the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.
According to him, Madrid’s strained relations with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) executives over the European Super League influenced the outcome of the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.
The former AC Milan legend stated that with the performance Vinicius Jr. put up in the season under review, he deserved to win the prestigious award over Manchester City midfielder, Rodri.
Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, Seedorf indicated that it is a shame the Brazilian player did not clinch the accolade despite being tipped as the favorite by football pundits.
“I think there are problems between Real Madrid and UEFA, which affected some things in the results. Vinicius Junior is the one who definitely deserves the award. It’s a shame,” he said as shared on X.
Rodri won several titles, including the English Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA EURO 2024, to clinch the coveted award.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. won the UEFA Champions League, Super Cup, and Spanish La Liga, and was tipped as the favorite to win but could not do so, leading to his team boycotting the award ceremony.
Rodri is currently injured and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury.
Read the comment below:
🗣️ Clarence Seedorf: “I think there are problems between Real Madrid and the UEFA, which affected some things in the results. Vinicius Junior is the one who definitely deserves the award. It’s a shame.”
(Source: @TNTSportsBR) pic.twitter.com/HJDrPhKExo
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