Simon Jordan has slammed Real Madrid for their sense of entitlement’ after their actions as a result of Vinicius Jr’s Ballon d’Or snub.
The Brazilian missed out on the award on Monday night, finishing second behind Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
talksportJordan has slammed Real Madrid for their ‘arrogance’ surrounding the Ballon d’Or[/caption]
GettyA party to celebrate Vinicius Jr winning the award was scrapped after he missed out[/caption]
Vinicius Jr had appeared the favourite to take home the trophy after playing a key role in Real Madrid’s Champions League success.
So much so that an after-party had been planned in Paris by the player and his staff, according to The Athletic.
Other plans included 30 people travelling to the French capital to support the 24-year-old, with some guests already arriving from Brazil when news broke he was set to miss out.
Meanwhile, Nike had prepared special boots for Vinicius Jr to mark the expected victory along with an event in Madrid to be attended by the player, his loved ones and celebrities.
Instead, though, Los Blancos boycotted the event altogether after learning Vinicius Jr would come second behind Rodri and ahead of teammate Jude Bellingham on the podium.
Their players also publicly criticised the decision to snub Vinicius Jr and fellow Champions League final goalscorer Dani Carvajal, who finished fourth.
talkSPORT pundit Jordan has criticised the Spanish giants for their reaction, though.
The boycott came despite Real being named men’s club of the year, Carlo Ancelotti winning men’s coach of the year and Kylian Mbappe sharing the Gerd Muller Trophy with Harry Kane as last season’s highest scorers.
Reacting to the fallout on the White & Jordan show, he said: “It’s arrogance. It’s a sense of entitlement.
“It reverberates through Real Madrid, it reverberates through their perception of the space they occupy.
AFPManchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri won his first Ballon d’Or on Monday[/caption]
“We know they occupy a great space, we know that this team is a unique football club with a unique history but that means there is a great burden upon you.
“To be able to behave in certain situations like showpiece events and I’m not a great fan of the Ballon d’Or, I don’t think it’s a meaningful event, but the football world does.”
Continuing his criticism, Jordan later added: “Real Madrid are saying, ‘we’re not a participation team’. I think it’s unpalatable and a little bit arrogant.”
Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr is already eyeing the 2025 Ballon d’Or, writing on X after his 2024 heartache: “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.”
The Brazil international scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists for Real Madrid last term as they won both the Champions League and LaLiga.
