“My personal vote would go to him” - Gian Piero Gasperini snubs Rodri and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr as he picks surprise Ballon d'Or winner
Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini has snubbed players like Manchester City midfielder Rodri and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior for his Ballon d'Or pick. The 66-year-old Italian tactician has decided to back Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman.
Last season, the 26-year-old forward was in the form of his life, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists in 45 appearances across competitions. In the Europa League, which Atalanta won, Lookman scored five goals in 11 games.
His impressive performances saw him shortlisted among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded on October 28. While Real Madrid have seven players nominated, including, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Antonio Rudiger, Gasperini believes Lookman should win the award.
He told Sky (via Fabrizio Romano on X):
“My personal Ballon d’Or vote would go to Ademola Lookman. His magic skills helped us to win the Europa League.”
A magical hat-trick from Lookman secured the Europa League for Atalanta. In the final against Bayer Leverkusen at the Aviva Stadium on May 22, he was the best player on the pitch, scoring three times to help his side win 3-0.
Despite his brilliance in the continental competition, it will be a big battle for him to beat players like Vinicius Junior, who won the UEFA Champions League. The Real Madrid winger is widely viewed as the winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or, with reports revealing that he has been told he will win.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti discusses Rodrygo's Ballon d'Or snub
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has discussed the Ballon d'Or's decision to snub Rodrygo while naming their list of 30 nominees for the award. The Brazilian winger was a crucial part of last season for Los Blancos, scoring 17 goals and providing nine assists in 51 games across competitions, helping them win LaLiga and the Champions League.
However, he was not picked as one of the nominees for the prestigious award, leading to Ancelotti speaking about it. The manager revealed that the 23-year-old winger deserved to be nominated, telling the press (via Eurosport):
"In the Ballon d'Or nominations, he [Rodrygo] hasn't been valued. He deserved to be there and I understand that he is upset. Someone has forgotten what he has done in the Champions League, scoring against City and being important."
"It's a virtue that he's a wild card, that he can play in many positions and always [do] well," he added.
Rodrygo will be looking to respond to the snub with impressive performances for Real Madrid this season. He has registered three goals and two assists in 11 games so far and will look to improve on these numbers.