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Rodri and Bonmati land Ballon d’Or but ‘disrespected’ Real Madrid boycott awards ceremony

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.

Not that Rodri cared about that, as recognition came for the defensive midfielder at the end of a year in which he helped a reborn Spain to glory at the Euros while also lifting the Premier League trophy for a fourth consecutive season with moneybags City.

The 28-year-old was helped on to the stage on crutches after his season-ending knee ligament injury.

Bonmati won the women’s award for a second year running as Barcelona, who lifted the Champions League trophy for a third time in four years, completed a clean sweep of the top three places, rounded out by Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo.

Real Madrid had somewhat signalled Rodri’s success before the ceremony began, as their delegation cancelled their trip to the French capital.

In a statement reported by Spanish newspaper AS, the club said: “If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner.

“As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or does not respect Real Madrid. Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”

Yet Madrid finished the night with two awards and a share of a third, and with four players in the top six in the final ranking for the men’s Ballon d’Or: Vinicius, Bellingham, Carvajal and Kylian Mbappe, who finished sixth in the voting, one place behind Rodri’s team-mate Erling Haaland.

After the ceremony, a pointed social media post from Vinicius said: “I’ll do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready.”

Mbappe and Kane shared the Gerd Muller trophy after both players finished last season with 52 goals.

There was little surprise when the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best male player under the age of 21, went to Barcelona’s teenage star Yamine Lamal.

The forward became the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championships when, four days shy of his 17th birthday, he scored for Spain in their 2-1 semi-final win over France, before going on to lift the trophy.

Barcelona won the women’s club of the year after beating Lyon in last season’s Women’s Champions League final for their third European title in four years.

Emma Hayes was named women’s coach of the year, having collected her seventh Women’s Super League title with Chelsea before leaving to take charge of the United States and guiding them to Olympic glory in Paris.

Emiliano Martinez won the Yashin trophy as the men’s goalkeeper of the year for a second year running, having helped Argentina lift the Copa America and Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League.

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