By admin 
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed his belief that Real Madrid Vinicius Jr should have won the 2024 Ballon d’Or instead of Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
Real made headlines in October after members of the club, including Ancelotti and Vinicius, decided not to attend the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony after reportedly learning the Brazil star did not win the award.
Instead, influential Spain and City midfielder Rodri recieved the prestigious prize after helping his club to another Premier League title and winning Euro 2024, with Vinicius’ team-mate Jude Bellingham coming in third.
Until now, Real have not previously spoken of their reasons to not to attend the ceremony, where they were incidentally awarded Team of the Year, but Ancelotti has now broken his silence on the matter as the two sides prepare to face off in a two-legged Champions League knockout round play-off.
“We didn’t want to participate because we believed Vinicius should have won the Ballon d’Or,” the Italian said.
“And that doesn’t mean we don’t respect Rodrigo, but we believed he should have won the previous year, not this one.”
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📺 Press conference ➡️ RM Play— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 10, 2025
City v Real ‘a classic’
City and Real are facing off in a Champions League knockout tie for the fourth consecutive time, with Real advancing into two of those previous three meetings on their way to winning the competition.
It has led many to dub the encounter comething of a modern classic in football.
Ancelotti said: “Now it seems like a classic, it will be an entertaining match like before. It’s very difficult to predict what will happen because it depends on quality, personality.
“They (the matches) have such a high level that you have to bring out the best version”, he explained.
Ancelotti: Facing Pep is a ‘nightmare’
Ancelotti got the better of Pep Gardiola last season, with Real winning on penalties in the quarter-finals after a 4-4 draw on aggregate.
Despite that though, the 65-year-old knows he faces another daunting task against the 2023 Treble winners.
“What I can say is that he seems to me a coach who has contributed a lot to soccer: possession, attacking play, pressing, and building from the back.
“Every time we face each other, it’s a nightmare to prepare the matches because he always has ideas that make you think.”