NEWS
Mourinho Criticizes Alleged Influence in Ballon d'Or
The Real coach believes that the award for the best footballer of the season is not truly given to the best, because those players would be playing in Madrid.
Real Madrid's new coach, Jose Mourinho, has made a controversial statement that is sure to spark debate.
At a press conference, the Portuguese coach criticized the awarding of the Ballon d'Or, the prize for the best footballer of the year. He argued that the award should not be given to someone merely because they won the World Cup or the Champions League.
If that were the criterion, he said, it would be better to simply give the award directly to the coaches of the winning teams. However, when it comes to the best player, from his perspective, this year the Ballon d'Or should not necessarily go to a Spaniard or a Paris Saint-Germain player.
Indirect Call for Recognition for Real Players
Instead, he asserted, the award should go to one of the three to four truly best players in the world right now, and those players would be at Real Madrid.
However, the Ballon d'Or has become political, and Mourinho stated that he dislikes it when politics comes into play.
The context: In 2024, the 'Royals' (Real Madrid) firmly anticipated a win for their player Vinicius Junior, but instead, Rodri of Manchester City was honored. Since then, Real Madrid's relationship with the Ballon d'Or has been fractured.
