Rodri has suggested that outside forces tried to turn his Ballon d’Or win into a personal clash with Vinicius Junior, offering a calmer and more respectful view of a controversy that created plenty of noise around Real Madrid at the time.
As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, the Manchester City midfielder used an interview on Radioestadio Noche to revisit the 2024 Ballon d’Or and speak about Vinicius after the award sparked frustration from the Brazilian and from Real Madrid. He said:
“They wanted to pit Vinicius and me against each other for nothing.”
He also added that he feels great respect for the Madrid winger and for everything he did that year. He also stressed that the Ballon d’Or is ultimately decided by other people, not by the players themselves.
That is probably the healthiest way to frame it. The award debate became emotional because Vinicius had a strong case, Madrid felt deeply invested in him, and the final result was always going to be interpreted through that lens.
Rodri has been openly flirting with a potential move to Real Madrid in recent weeks. He has made it very clear that he would not be able to say no, in all likelihood, if Los Blancos come knocking. Not many footballers around the world can!
Ultimately, the Spaniard will want to keep a potential future teammate on good books and that clearly seems to be the idea behind these words. If ever there was a come-get-me call, it doesn’t get clearer. It has already been mentioned that Madrid have set aside a significant chunk of their budget to pull this transfer off.
It remains to be seen if Real Madrid actually make a move to sign Rodri in the upcoming summer. Let’s wait and see how things play out.
