Rodri made a harsh jab at Vinicius Jr in a now-removed video during his Ballon d’Or celebrations.
On Monday, Rodri was awarded the 2024 Ballon d’Or, surpassing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal.
The Manchester City player defied expectations to win the prestigious individual honor, which frustrated the Spanish club, as they anticipated the Brazilian star would take home the award…Continue Reading
In response to the decision, Real Madrid boycotted the event in a show of support for their star winger.
Meanwhile, Rodri attended the ceremony to accept the Ballon d’Or, becoming the first player from Manchester City to do so.
During his acceptance speech, he seemed to ridicule Real Madrid, a moment that fans were quick to notice.
And during a post-ceremony dinner, the City midfielder continued to go off on Vinicius Jr, singing: “Vini ciao, Vini ciao, ciao, ciao!”
Manchester City shared the video on social media, but quickly took it down.
Vinicius Jr missed out on the Ballon d’Or this year, despite his remarkable 24-goal performance across all competitions last season.
Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, congratulated his standout player, expressing pride in the Euro 2024 champion.
“First of all, of course congratulations to him and all his family and friends,” he said.
“It’s incredible news for him and of course for all of us, all at City and our fans. We’re so proud of him. It’s the first time.
“We could never have imagined years ago that one player would receive this prestigious award. We are so delighted to be part of it and to share it with him and yes, hopefully it can give him energy to recover well for next season and be with us again.”
Rodri has played a crucial role in Manchester City’s success since he joined the team in the summer of 2019.
However, in a setback for Guardiola and fans, he will be sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the match against Arsenal.
