"They showed a lack of respect for football" - Former manager rips into Real Madrid for their Ballon d'Or snub
Former France manager Raymond Domenech has ripped into Real Madrid following their decision to snub the Ballon d'Or award ceremony this week. The Frenchman feels the Spanish giants showed a lack of respect for football with that act.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner was announced by France Football at the award gala in Paris on Monday, October 28. Manchester City midfielder Rodri beat Vinicius Junior to the award. The outcome didn't sit well with many, who were expecting the Brazilian to pick up the accolade following his exploits in the Champions League last season.
After learning beforehand that the winger wouldn't win it, Real Madrid protested by boycotting the event. Raymond Domenech, however, feels this is a disrespect to the sport and held nothing back while slamming the Spanish giants.
"Real is said, and Real itself wants to be said, that it is a big club. Meanwhile, it turned out that it is a small club. Very small. What Real did is absolutely pathetic," the Frenchman told goal.pl.
"They showed a lack of respect for football, for the other participants in the gala, for the winners. It is something downright repulsive. How is it possible that they demanded information about who would win when the results were still secret, hidden? To pressure the organisers to either tell us that ours won or we won't come? That is something incredible. Especially since no one harassed them in these elections," he added.
It goes without mentioning that it's been a run of days for Real Madrid. The Merengues were yet to recover from the 4-0 battering they suffered at the hands of Barcelona on Saturday before the Ballon d'Or episode added to their misery.
What is next for Real Madrid after Ballon d'Or
Following the Ballon d'Or controversy, Real Madrid will be looking to regain their focus when they return to the pitch this weekend. The Spanish giants are scheduled to face Valencia away from home in their next LaLiga game this weekend (Saturday, November 2). However, it's important to note that the match could be postponed due to the aftermath of Storm Dana in Valencia.
Following that, they will turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League where they will go head-to-head with AC Milan. It promises to be a scintillating encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu next week on Tuesday, November 5. They will then return to LaLiga action with a clash against Osasuna at home on November 9.
As it stands, Carlo Ancelotti's men occupy the second position in the Spanish top-flight table with 24 points in 11 games - six points behind arch-rivals Barcelona. So far, they've recorded seven victories, three draws, and one defeat, scoring 21 goals and conceding 11 in the process.