Vinicius Junior in a past match//Photo Courtesy
Vinicius Junior believes that his public fight against racism cost him big in winning the Ballon d’Or.
The Brazilian missed out on the prestigious award that was given to Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri..as Real Madrid teammate,Jude Bellingham came third.
The Spanish giants grabbed headlines before Tuesday’s ceremony in Paris when it was reported that players and coaches had decided to boycott the function after that Vinicius Junior will not be taking home the top honour.
The 24-year-old superstar took his mind to social media after being confirmed as the runner up.
He wrote, “I will do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready”.
And according to Reuters after seeing this,he considered the comment as a reference to Junior’s fight against racism in the recent years.
Vinicius has been at the centre of discussions on racism in football,having been a target to abuse at least in 16 occasions in the recent years. Last month he suggested that Spain should not host the World Cup in 2030 unless action is taken over the issue.
But with less concern, his remarks were quickly dismissed by LaLiga president Javier Tebas,who labelled it as ‘incoherent’.
Many of the players criticised the results of the Balloon d’Or saying it was rigged. Chelsea and English footballer, Cole slammed the outcome, claiming that Vinicius Junior deserved the award.
”Good Morning Rodri, hope you slept well or you want to return the ballon d’or to the real winner.”
He added, “Rodri is good midfielder but everyone knows @vinijr is the best player in the world now.”
