“He is not sad because of what happened to him” - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opens up on why Vinicius Jr is sad following Ballon d’Or snub
Real Madrid will be taking on AC Milan in the fourth matchday of the UEFA Champions League on November 5. Prior to the game, when the Los Blancos supremo Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media in the press conference, he highlighted the reason behind Vinicius Junior's sadness.
Real Madrid winger-cum-forward Vinicius Jr was initially the front-runner for the Ballon d'Or after a season that saw him produce 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances. His outstanding efforts took Los Blancos to Champions League, La Liga and Spanish Cup glory.
However, at the twelfth hour, the award was bestowed on Manchester City's Rodri.
On being asked how Vinicius is feeling now after the Ballon d'Or snub, Ancelotti opened up that he is sad but clarified that it isn't due to the award. He elaborated (via @MadridXtra on X):
"Vinicius and Ballon D'Or? Vinicius is sad but not because of the Ballon D'Or. He is sad because of what's happening in Valencia."
Notably, more than 200 people have lost their lives in the recent floods in Valencia due to torrential rain. This is the worst flooding catastrophe in Spain in decades. Even the Los Blancos' game against Valencia has been postponed due to the same. The match was scheduled for November 2.
Coming back to the Vinicius Jr chapter, after it was understood that Rodri will be winning the Ballon d'Or, Real Madrid boycotted the event. They refrained from sending any representative. The only person from the club who received an award was Carlo Ancelotti. His contributions in the previous season were recognized with the Best Coach of the Year award or the Johan Cruyff Trophy.
Real Madrid to face AC Milan in 16th meeting between clubs
Real Madrid have two fixtures before the international break commences. At first, they will be up against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League before facing Osasuna in La Liga.
Milan, managed by Paulo Fonseca, are currently placed seventh in the Serie A. They have gathered only 17 points from 10 fixtures and have an eight-point difference with table-toppers SSC Napoli.
Fonseca's side are not in a promising situation in the continental event too. Out of three fixtures, they have won only once, losing out on the other clashes. Thus, they will seek revival against Real Madrid, who are coming into this game on the back of a 4-0 drubbing against Barcelona.
The teams have met each other 15 times in the UEFA Champions League, with each team emerging victorious on six occasions. Only three fixtures haven't yielded a result, with the two teams sharing the spoils.