Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has congratulated Manchester City’s Rodri, the winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.
Note that this year’s ceremony saw Rodri triumph over Real Madrid’s star player, Vinicius Junior, who had been considered a strong contender for the accolade.
Ancelotti, along with Vinicius and the entire Real Madrid squad, chose to boycott the award ceremony held in Paris, expressing their dissatisfaction with the results.
The disappointment stemmed not just from Vinicius’s loss but also from a broader sense of injustice regarding the recognition of their achievements. 
In a press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League confrontation with AC Milan, Ancelotti reiterated the team’s stance, stating, “Congrats to who won the Ballon d’Or, but it’s the past. We won our Ballon d’Or on June 1st.”
He emphasized that for Real Madrid, their version of the Ballon d’Or was the Champions League title they secured in London, portraying it as a superior achievement.
Furthermore, Ancelotti addressed Vinicius Junior’s emotional state, emphasizing that the young Brazilian was not feeling down due to the Ballon d’Or results. Instead, Ancelotti revealed that Vinicius was troubled by the devastating floods that recently impacted Valencia, Spain, which had led to the cancellation of their La Liga match against the team from the city.
Ancelotti clarified, “Vinicius Jr is sad but not because of the Ballon d’Or… He is sad because of what’s happening in Valencia.”
Despite being a favourite to claim the Golden Ball, Vinicius finished in second place in the voting, with his Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham finishing in third.
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