After winning the Ballon d’Or at the end of October, Rodri faced mixed reactions. Following comments from Karim Benzema expressing a preference for his former teammate Vinicius, the Manchester City midfielder responded politely, presenting his views.
Recently awarded the prestigious Ballon d’Or, Rodri remains fair, which is one of the essential qualities to obtain such a coveted title. After the Citizen’s announcement as the best player of the 2023-2024 season, Benzema admitted feeling “sadness” for Vinicius, praising the Brazilian in an interview with France Football as the “most deserving” competitor.
With just 41 points separating Rodri from Manchester City’s dynamic dribbler, Vinicius certainly suffered from sharing votes with Bellingham and Carvajal. However, for Benzema, Vinicius’ electrifying style of play should have tipped the scales. “I have nothing against Rodri, who is a good player, but when I sit on my sofa watching TV, Rodri doesn’t do things that make me say ‘Pffff’, while Vinicius did it more once,” he explained.
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When asked to react to this statement during an interview with France Football, Rodri acknowledged Benzema’s opinion. “It’s his opinion; he has the right to think that way. I can’t please everyone. I pleased a jury of a hundred voters, so that’s already something,” he said. launched, before justifying its price. “I also heard Paul Scholes express the opposite, saying that he found my game very beautiful and intelligent, and coming from such a midfielder it means a lot to me.”
Although the current Al-Ittihad player described himself as the “People’s Golden Ball” in 2022, for the Spanish international, who won the Euro this summer, this time it is the “Golden Ball of football.” During his acceptance speech on stage in Paris on October 28, the former Atlético de Madrid player noted that his friends were saying that “football won.”
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Rodri took the opportunity of the interview to elaborate, saying: “It must be understood as: ‘this is another aspect of football that has been rewarded.’ It may not be as spectacular as goals, dribbling or one-on-ones, but it’s about controlling the game for ninety minutes, being the guarantor of what the coach demands on the pitch. field, to organize the game with personality…”
