There’s been a lot of talk over the past two weeks about the Ballon d’Or award. It went to Rodri, and many people weren’t pleased. Some criticized him, others defended him, and almost every footballer, former or active, has weighed in on the matter. Everyone has commented on it except Rodri himself—until now, as the Spanish midfielder has finally spoken up. This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony was marked by Real Madrid’s leadership decision not to attend, feeling their player Vinícius had been ‘robbed.’ In doing so, Madrid showed a lack of respect towards the winner, who didn’t even receive a congratulatory message from Santiago Bernabéu, although the current European champion’s camp emphasized they had nothing against Rodri.Ballon d’Or voting results: It wasn’t so close after allThe Manchester City player, however, wasn’t bothered by Real Madrid’s actions.“Why should that hurt me? All Spanish clubs should have congratulated me, but they didn’t. It was my moment; I enjoyed it with my family and my club. The last thing I’d think about are the people who didn’t show up or didn’t want to participate. They must have their reasons; I wouldn’t have done it that way, and there’s no point in talking about it. It’s wrong to give so much attention to a club that didn’t want to be a part of it,” Rodri told Cope.Rodri wins Ballon d’Or, Real Madrid boycott the ceremonyHe explained that he won the award, and deserved it, for his ability to maintain a high level throughout most of the season.“I think I won it because of my consistency, which is the most challenging aspect of football. I believe I was the most consistent player during the season. I never thought I could repeat the season I had the previous year. Winning with the team, having an impact in key moments, being decisive—repeating that is very complicated. But I think I maintained a very similar level” he explained.The list goes on and on: Another disappointed Ballon d’Or nomineeSo, would he put himself in first place? And second and third?“I’d place Carvajal in second and Vinícius in third. I’ve never disrespected anyone; I really respect both Vinícius and Real Madrid. I was a bit in disbelief when, during the trophy presentation, half the room started shouting ‘Vinícius, Vinícius!’ In any case, there was also a lot of respect from the audience for me because later everyone stood up and applauded me”##NAJAVA_MECA_8495297##Asked if he’d be able to return by the end of the current season, considering he seriously injured his knee ligament at the end of September, Rodri gave a positive response.“Yes, yes. Plus, seasons are longer now; the Club World Cup finishes on July 13. I want that mental challenge. I’ve already started walking, and I feel better than I expected. Gavi used to say, ‘I have to play football.’ At my age, you view it differently, and you have time to rest and recover properly” Rodri concluded.
