France Football chief explains Vinicius’ Ballon d’Or loss – ‘Suffered because of Carvajal, Bellingham’s presence’ | OneFootball

Vincent Garcia, the editor-in-chief of France Football, addressed Real Madrid’s absence at the Ballon d’Or ceremony last night and explained what hampered Vinicius Jr.’s chances.

This no-show by one of football’s biggest clubs sparked considerable attention, especially since Real Madrid’s players were among the top contenders for the prestigious award.

It was reported that Real Madrid chose not to attend the gala after learning that Vinicius Jr. would not be taking home the Ballon d’Or trophy, despite his incredible season.

This decision led to friction between Real Madrid and the Ballon d’Or organisers, who had kept the results confidential and assured that there would be no leaks regarding the winner.

Garcia’s explanation

Vinicius Jr. finished second in the Ballon d’Or standing. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Garcia commented on why Vinicius may have missed out on more votes, particularly noting the impact of other Real Madrid stars, Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal, who were also in the top five contenders.

According to him, having multiple Real Madrid players in high-ranking positions divided the voting pool, limiting Vinicius’s points and ultimately favouring other candidates.

“Vinicius surely suffered from the presence of Bellingham and Carvajal in the top 5 because, mathematically, that took away some points from him,” he said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Garcia suggested that the distribution of votes among several Real Madrid players might have allowed Manchester City’s Rodri to gain an advantage and move higher in the rankings.

“This also sums up Real Madrid’s season, which took between 3 and 4 players and the judges shared their decisions between them, which benefited Rodri,” he added.

Speaking on Real Madrid’s boycott

Real Madrid did not send any representative. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

In response to Real Madrid’s complaints, Garcia revealed that he faced pressure from the club throughout the process.

“I was under a lot of pressure from Real Madrid but, as with other clubs, I was always clear and fair and perhaps my silence pushed them to the limit.”

Despite the pressure, he emphasised his commitment to impartiality, treating all clubs equally without any preferential treatment.

“It was the same as with the others. I was very unpleasantly surprised by his absence,” he added.

The club’s disappointment in not being informed of the winner beforehand became evident in their decision to withdraw from the ceremony.

“We were very clear with them and with all the other clubs. This year, the winner and the prizewinner were not going to be notified.”

Garcia expressed surprise at Real Madrid’s absence, especially as they had previously agreed with the organisers that the results would not be disclosed in advance.

“I thought everyone had accepted it but at the last minute, I don’t know why, they wanted to change the rule. When Real Madrid made their decision, I’m not sure there wasn’t some disappointment,” he concluded.