In this piece, News Manager, Ufuoma Egbamuno calls out the lack of grace and entitlement shown by Real Madrid over the fallout of the 2024 Ballon d’Or and explains why Hansi Flick’s first three months at Barcelona shows Manchester United made a mistake not firing coach Eric Ten Haag a little earlier.
There is no better way to describe the fall out from Monday’s Ballon d’Or awards than to say exactly how I feel: REAL MADRID, ITS PLAYERS AND MOST FANS ARE ENTITLED.
Manchester City’s Rodri was on Monday named the best player in the world by France Football and this has sparked controversy.
Last week, the feelers from Spain had suggested Real Madrid’s Vinicious Jr was odds on favourite to be crowned the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.
The Brazilian has been in sensational form massively helping Real Madrid to another league crown and their 15th Champions League title.
In any other year, that is enough to make one the clear winner.
But 2024 was not that straight forward.
He’s proven he is THE MAN.
— Ufuoma Egbamuno (@Foskolo) October 28, 2024
He’s World Class.
He could as well be winner today and 101% deserves it.
But there’s only one winner. If it ends up being Rodri, can’t fault it either. https://t.co/QMbBcZdNxx
A certain Rodri was the heartbeat for his club in their run to winning the Premier League. More importantly, Rodri was outstanding for Spain as they went on to win the Euros.
I have long argued that there is a clear argument for any one of them to win the award.
While I would accept that Rodri was not the best player at the Euros (he was given the award by the way), Vinicius on his part had a woeful Copa America.
As such, an award that is based on subjectivity and votes for two players who were evenly matched in most key criteria could literally go anyway.
But the reaction from Real Madrid and its players over the last 24 hours has been nothing short of classlessness and a feeling of entitlement.
To think that Real Madrid put out a statement saying, “if the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner…”
LOL!!!
“… as this was not the case,” Real Madrid continued, “it is clear that Ballon d’or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid and Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
LMAO!!!
Where was this show or supposed fight for integrity as some of their fans have alluded when the FIFA Ballon d’Or, as it was called in 2013, inexplicably made the decision to extend voting deadline which most of us argue, helped Cristiano Ronaldo to pip Frank Ribery to the award?
Did Luca Modric, a midfielder with less numbers (since that’s what I see from many Vini supporters) not win it in 2018 and a certain league winner with 54 goals and 24 assists finish a distant 5th?
This seeming “Vinicius not winning the award is a robbery” narrative is nothing short of disgraceful.
Ballon D’or isn’t given for doing ONE SPECIAL THING.
— Ufuoma Egbamuno (@Foskolo) October 28, 2024
It’s your body of work for a 9/10 month period.
Rodri did as much for City/Spain in period under review as Vini did for Madrid/Brazil.
Attackers get all the limelight. Doesn’t negate impact of defensive minded players. https://t.co/AheX2I39U6
I mean, we are not talking about 2022 when a certain Benzema was heads and shoulders above the rest of the competition or 2020 when even a hater acknowledged Robert Lewandoski should have gotten it (never mind France Football and that ridiculous decision to cancel it).
How about last year when Erling Haaland played off his skin breaking records along the way on his way to a treble?
Unfortunately for him, he came up against a certain Lionel Messi in a World Cup Year where the Argentine won the biggest football competition in the world – the World Cup.
I did not see any Man City player tweeting “football politics’ even if some of them may have preferred their teammate get the ultimate individual prize.
Heck, Haaland posted congratulatory messages to Messi even if many till date don’t agree with that decision.
THAT IS GRACE AND CLASS!!!
The tweets from certain Real Madrid players pushing the football politics narrative are beyond ridiculous and only an entitled person will go with such a show of classlessness.
I mean, have we seen this exact same show of comradery for Vini the numerous times when he was racially abused?
I can understand football fans displaying such behaviour because of course, football is tribal, and emotions are at play here.
However, an iconic institution and arguably the biggest club in the world cancelling their flight schedule and players tweeting without grace and ultimately disrespecting another WORTHY winner is nothing short of entitlement and a shocking display of classlessness.
HANSI THE REAL DEAL
If there is a regret, I have from betting this weekend, it is not going with my guts that Barcelona would win the first installment of El-Classico.
Yes, the first 45 minutes of that blockbuster could have seen Real Madrid get into the half-time break with a two-goal lead and no one would argue they did not deserve it.
But Hansi flicked something.
He took out Fermin who wasn’t clicking in the No 10 role and brought in Frankie de Jong pushing Pedri, who had played slightly deeper in the first half, further forward.
The result? An instant turn-around in the game.
Suddenly, Barcelona had more control and dictated the rhythm of the game, bringing Raphinha and Lamine Yamal more in the match.
The final scoreline did not flatter the visitors at all as it could have been six or seven with Robert Lewandoski possibly scoring a hat-trick.
The overriding lesson for me is your team is not just as good as the players it has but also, as good as your manager.
I have long advocated that a manager doesn’t need three years to showcase his capabilities. You may need time like almost all human adventure, but you will surely see the imprints of any good manager from the very beginning.
Oliver Glassner may have just won his first game of the season, but he did not wait three years to show what he could do at Crystal Palace.
Arne Slot inherited a good squad at Liverpool but for any discerning eye, you can obviously see the subtle changes and slight differences from the Jurgen Klopp era.
Chelsea has spent a fortune, yes. But in three months, not three seasons, the imprints of Enzo Maresca are visible for all to see.
Back to Hansi Flick and Barca.
Many of us, me included, had suggested Barca had fallen off the cliff and it would take years for them to get back to Europe’s elite. But on the evidence of Saturday evening at the Bernabau, maybe it won’t be that long.
Which brings me to Manchester United deciding to wait till Monday to do what should have been done last summer.
I have had to rework this column as I had earlier written an argument of why Hansi’s first three months mirrors the idiocy of Eric Ten Haag’s three seasons at Old Trafford.
Three seasons and United look a shadow of the team that was the mainstay in England and revered in Europe.
Three seasons in and you cannot identify what exactly the style of play or identity of Ten Haag’s philosophy is.
Three seasons in and you cannot point out the one signing the former United manager has made that has come good, never mind great.
The mere fact that rival fans were all happy and joyous when the Dutchman signed a contract extension and sad to see the back of him at Old Trafford is all the evidence you need to know keeping Ten Haag was a mistake.
United have found out it is a costly one.
THAT DERBY D’ITALIA THRILLER
I am not happy that there is not much conversation about that incredible 4-4 we witnessed between Inter Milan and Juventus.
I caught the last 15 minutes of the game live to see Juve came from a 4-2 deficit to earn a deserved point.
I think Serie A needs to do a lot more of PR to take the league back to its glory days.
Permit to go back to that Ballon d’Or debate because I would argue that if a certain Messi or Ronaldo pulled off the monstrous season and numbers Lautaro Martinez did, we won’t be arguing over Vini or Rodri.
Back to the Derby d’Italia and I have special praise for substitute Kenan Yildiz.
Coming off the bench with his team trailing 4-2 and scoring two almost identical goals is the reason a 19-year-old is wearing the iconic No 10 shirt.
If you didn’t watch the game, I suggest you go check out the extended highlights on Youtube.
FOOTBALL CAN BE CRUEL
How do you go from leading 2-0 after 84 minutes, concede a goal in the 87th minute, miss a 4 vs 1 counterattack in stoppage time and end up conceding the equalizer from the following counterattack after you missed your 4 attackers vs 1 defender opportunity?
That was the fate of Brighton in their 2-2 draw with Wolves.
A tough one if you are a Brighton supporter.
That’s about it from me this week, see you soon.
