"Real Madrid decided that he shouldn't win the Ballon d'Or" - When Juve icon claimed Cristiano Ronaldo was robbed of award in 2018
Juventus legend Giorgio Chiellini had once claimed that Real Madrid denied Cristiano Ronaldo the 2018 Ballon d'Or, which ultimately went to Luka Modric. Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus for a reported transfer fee of €117 million in the summer of 2018.
In his last season for Real Madrid (i.e., 2017-18), the Portuguese icon netted 44 goals and laid out eight assists in 44 games across competitions.
Additionally, he scored 15 times in 13 games in the UEFA Champions League, helping Real Madrid win their third consecutive European title under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane.
Talking about the alleged snubbing of Cristiano Ronaldo in a 2019 interview (via The Standard), Giorgio Chiellini said:
"It's OK that Messi has won the Ballon d'Or this year [2019]. The real theft was last year [2018], Real Madrid decided that Cristiano should not win the Ballon d'Or. It was really strange."
The Italian defender added:
"Cristiano won the Champions League, [but I suppose] by that logic Van Dijk should have won it this year."
Referring to the heroics of the French national team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Chiellini opined:
"Maybe last year Griezmann, Pogba or Mbappe should have won for doing extraordinary things at the World Cup. Modric made no sense."
In 2018, Luka Modric became the first person apart from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or since Kaka won it in 2007.
Luka Modric, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, completed his hat-trick of Champions League titles for Real Madrid in 2018. He also captained Croatia to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final and won the Golden Ball.
"It was as if it was stolen from me," - When Franck Ribery claimed that he deserved the Ballon d'Or over Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo
Back in 2018, Franck Ribery lambasted the outcome of the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, claiming Ronaldo didn't deserve the award over him. The Frenchman lamented the lack of support he received from his homeland while complaining about the alleged injustice when he was denied the award.
Franck Ribery had one of the best seasons of his career in the 2012-13 season, winning the historic treble with Bayern Munich, with 34 goal contributions in 43 games across competitions. He also played a huge role in the Champions League final, assisting Arjen Robben's 89th minute winner, as the Bavarians edged past rivals Borussia Dortmund by a margin of 2-1.
Despite the heroic effort, Cristiano Ronaldo snatched the Ballon d'Or that year. Franck Ribery didn't even finish second, as Lionel Messi claimed the runner-up spot.
In an interview with Canal Football Club (via GOAL), Ribery said:
“It was as if it was stolen from me. It’s incomprehensible. I won every trophy, I couldn’t have done more. It was an injustice.”
Ribery claimed that his own compatriots didn't support him, asserting that he was made the scapegoat for France's shambolic performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He said:
“I didn’t have my country behind me. I saw it with my own eyes that the French said Cristiano should win. Did the Portuguese want it to be Ribery or Messi? Of course not.”
He continued:
“In 2010, they needed someone to blame. Everyone in France believed I was the problem – even my parents."
"I can’t forget the actions of certain French media. It’s a scar that stays with me, it was too much.”
France crashed out of the group stages in the 2010 FIFA World Cup under the management of Raymond Domenech. Les Bleus finished winless and at the bottom of Group A consisting of Uruguay, Mexico, and South Africa.