- The Real Madrid president slammed journalists for not targeting Vinicius Jnr. voted
- A Namibian reporter has now criticized Florentino Perez’s latest complaints
- Liverpool correspondent LEWIS STEELE tells all in bombshell chat with Mo Salah – LISTEN NOW It all starts! New episodes every Monday and Thursday
A Namibian journalist has hit back at Real Madrid president Florentino Perez as he slams the decision to sign Vinicius Jr. not to award the Ballon d’Or title, continued to be rejected.
The protests in Madrid have been incessant and well documented since Rodri became the first Premier League star since Cristiano Ronaldo to be recognized as the best player in the world.
Vinicius Jr. were determined to win the award after a great season that ended with the club capturing the LaLiga and Champions League titles, but were ultimately denied.
Under the competition’s voting format, 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA member states will choose their top five players from the list of shortlisted nominees, with a different points total awarded for each position.
Man City midfielder Rodri preceded Vinicius to take the title. The decision was leaked before the ceremony and Madrid immediately canceled their plans to travel to Paris.
Vinicius and the club declined their invitation at the eleventh hour and the Brazilian’s teammates later published messages of support insisting he should have won the Ballon d’Or.
A Namibian journalist has hit back at Real Madrid president Florentino Perez over his Ballon d’Or complaints
Madrid continued to rage after Vinicius Jnr (pictured) failed to win the award
Manchester City midfielder Rodri was instead named the best player in the world by winning the Ballon d’Or
Perez led the club’s complaints, lashing out at journalists who he said should not be allowed to vote in the process, stating: ‘The readers of ‘L’Equipe’ gave Vinicius the favourite.
‘It is surprising that UEFA’s statement shows that it has remained unchanged. They changed the voting system. It is surprising that when it comes to football, there are countries where journalists with less than a million inhabitants now have a voice.
‘There are journalists that no one knows and who voted this year, without the votes of journalists from these countries such as Uganda, Namibia, Albania and Finland, Vinicius would have won this Ballon d’Or…
“The system has to change and it has to be recognized people who are risking their prestige with those votes,” he added.
Now Namibian journalist Sheefeni Nicodemus has responded subtly to Perez’s latest complaints, insisting that the Real Madrid director is suggesting his country is ‘inferior’.
Vinicius Jnr finished second in the overall vote of 100 different journalists
The journalist did not include Vinicius Jnr in his top three but still voted for a Madrid star with Jude Bellingham topping his list, Rodri in second and Lamine Yamal in third.
In revenge for Perez’s latest complaints, Nicodemus told the program El Larguero: “In principle, I suspect that these are just the words of someone who is frustrated, like Mr. Perez.
‘That is, he thinks that the people of my country and the other countries mentioned have no meaningful voice because we are inferior people.
‘I would like to know: if I came from one of the most important football countries and I disagreed with their opinion, what would their argument be?’