Rodri responded to the criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo about the Manchester City midfielder winning the Ballon d’Or.
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What was Ronaldo’s opinion?
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo said that Vinicius Junior deserved the award over Rodri, calling Rodri’s win unfair.
Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, Ronaldo said that Vinicius should have taken the award for leading Real Madrid to a Champions League victory.
“In my opinion, he [Vinicius] deserved to win the golden ball. It was unfair, in my opinion. I say [it] here in front of everybody,” Ronaldo said.
“They gave it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinicius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final.”
Rodri hits back at Ronaldo
In an interview with Spanish outlet AS, Rodri said Ronaldo’s comments were “a surprise.”
The Spain international said that the Portuguese star “knows better than anyone” how the Ballon d’Or winner is chosen.
“A surprise, really, because he knows better than anyone how this award works and, above all, how the winner is chosen,” Rodri said.
“This year the journalists who vote have considered that I should win it. Probably, these same journalists were the ones who at some point voted for him to win, and I imagine that then he would agree.”
Life-changing moment
Rodri, 28, claimed the prestigious individual award following an exceptional season in which he secured the Premier League title with Manchester City and the European Championship with Spain.
Vinicius had been a leading contender for the men’s award after playing a key role in Real Madrid’s LaLiga and Champions League double the previous season.
The Brazil international later received FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player award and the Globe Soccer’s Best Men’s Player recognition on December 30.
Nonetheless, Rodri talked about the life-changing moment he experienced after winning the Ballon d’Or trophy.
He is currently recovering from an ACL injury he sustained last September.
“It has changed my life,” he said. “Many things that I could do before, obviously, I can no longer do. But hey, it is for a good reason … I have the philosophy that in life you have to take things as they are given to you.
“There is no need to complain when things are not the way you want or go crazy when you win a Ballon d’Or. God has given me what he has given me and I am extremely grateful. I have to deal with everything, including injuries, and move forward.”
