Florentino Perez finally breaks his silence over Ballon d’Or drama – ‘The system must change’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez addressed the Ballon d’Or drama during the club’s annual assembly, where he shared his thoughts on the award’s voting process and its outcomes.

His remarks sparked applause and laughter from the club’s delegate members, as he delved into the intricacies of how the prestigious accolade is awarded.

Perez began by discussing Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder who secured the 2024 Ballon d’Or. While praising Rodri’s abilities, Perez expressed his belief that the timing of the award was questionable.

He pointed out that Rodri’s exceptional treble-winning season with Manchester City last year would have been the more fitting moment to receive the honour.

Highlighting a report from Tuttosport, Perez noted their stance that the Ballon d’Or should have gone to Real Madrid this year, indicating a sense of dissatisfaction with the current voting system.

“Rodri is a great footballer. We love him, but I’ll tell you something. Tuttosport said: -The Ballon d’Or should have gone to Real Madrid.

“This year they compensated Rodri for his performance last season-. He deserves the Ballon d’Or, but not this year. He deserved to win it last season when he won the treble with Manchester City,” he began saying.

Questioning the system

Florentino Perez questioned the voting system. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

He also touched on how L’Equipe readers had ranked Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. as the favourite for the award.

However, the eventual outcome left many surprised, particularly as UEFA had claimed that no changes had been made to the voting structure.

“L’Equipe readers had Vinicius as the favourite. It’s surprising that UEFA’s statement said it had remained unchanged. They’ve changed the voting system.”

Perez raised concerns about the expanded voting pool, where journalists from countries with smaller populations now have a say, questioning whether their inclusion affects the fairness and credibility of the award.

“It’s surprising that, given the football, there are countries in which journalists with less than a million inhabitants now have a vote,” he noted.

Nobody knows the voters

Perez also criticised instances where journalists had reportedly opted out of voting altogether, citing one from Finland as an example.

“There are even journalists who have given up voting for this award, as in the case of the Finn.”

The Real Madrid President also questioned the voters. (Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images)

He suggested that the involvement of lesser-known journalists from countries like Uganda, Namibia, Albania, and Finland might have significantly influenced the outcome, hinting that Vinicius could have won without their votes.

“There are journalists that nobody knows and they have entered to vote this year, without the votes of journalists from these countries like Uganda, Namibia, Albania and Finland, Vinicius would have won this Ballon d’Or,” he said.

Asking for a change

The Real Madrid president called for reforms to the system, advocating for the inclusion of recognised professionals who understand the weight of their decisions.

“The system must change and they must be recognized people who risk their prestige with these votes.”

He emphasised that transparency and credibility are essential for preserving the prestige of the award. Perez concluded by explaining Real Madrid’s decision to skip the Ballon d’Or Gala, signalling their discontent with how the process unfolded.

“Let everyone understand that journalists risk their reputation with their vote, we don’t know who has voted and some countries that we don’t even know, for all these reasons we did not attend the Ballon d’Or Gala,” he concluded.

Source: MARCA