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Mon, February 10, 2025

'The subject is over': Guardiola dismisses Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or boycott


Published on 2025-02-10 13:45:36 - MSN
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  • Pep Guardiola said there was no bad blood between Manchester City and Real Madrid after the Spanish giant boycotted last year's Ballon d'Or awards in apparent protest. Madrid did not attend the gala ceremony in Paris in October when City midfielder Rodri was voted the best player in the world ahead of Brazil and Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has dismissed Real Madrid's boycott of the Ballon d'Or awards, stating that the issue is "over" and not worth discussing further. Real Madrid had previously announced they would not attend the ceremony due to perceived disrespect towards their players, particularly after Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham were not shortlisted for the Kopa Trophy, an award for the best young player. Guardiola emphasized that the Ballon d'Or is an individual award and should not overshadow the collective achievements of teams. He also mentioned that while individual awards are nice, the focus should remain on team success, especially as Manchester City prepares for their upcoming Champions League match against Real Madrid.

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