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Rodri and Bonmati land Ballon d’Or but ‘disrespected’ Real Madrid boycott awards ceremony
Barcelona's Spanish player Aitana Bonmati (left) and Manchester City's Spanish player Rodri hold their 2024 Ballon d'Or trophies during the 68th Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) award ceremony at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, October 28, 2024
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MANCHESTER CITY midfielder Rodri won the men’s Ballon d’Or and Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati took the women’s award as a “disrespected” Real Madrid boycotted the annual hype-fest in Paris — despite being named men’s club of the year.
Rodri beat the Real Madrid trio of Vinicius Junior, Dani Carvajal and Jude Bellingham to the top honour, and that verdict from the 100-strong panel of voters prompted the delegation from the Spanish giants to stay at home in a huff.
As a result, there was nobody on hand to collect the men’s club of the year award, Carlo Ancelotti could not accept the men’s coach of the year award, and Kylian Mbappe was not there to take his share of the Gerd Muller trophy alongside Harry Kane.
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