Rodri hits back at Real Madrid for Ballon d'Or boycott - 'I cannot respect'

Manchester City prima Rodri, who retains anticipation of returning from wounded this season, has spoken retired against Real Madrid's determination to snub his Ballon d'Or win

Manchester City prima Rodri has said helium “cannot respect” Real Madrid’s determination to boycott past month’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The injured midfield prima was named the world ’s champion subordinate astatine a lavish ceremonial successful Paris. But Real, who had respective players successful contention, decided to boycott it en masse erstwhile they learnt that Rodri would get the motion implicit Brazil guardant Vinicius Jr.

Now Rodri has claimed helium would ne'er marque specified a determination - pointing to Erling Haaland finishing down Lionel Messi a twelvemonth earlier arsenic an illustration of recognising different players for their achievements.

"Well, it's a determination of individuals oregon clubs successful wide to determine what to do,” Rodri told the Rest is Football podcast.

“I cannot respect the decision, I ever said I wouldn't bash it successful the aforesaid way. I retrieve past twelvemonth that possibly Erling was adjacent to winning it I wanted to beryllium determination with him to enactment with each the club.

"And adjacent though Leo won it, we were determination clapping him due to the fact that Ballon d'Or is simply a designation not for a player, it's for a year, for a level of a feline for a full year.

“So successful athletics and successful life, it's important to win. But I deliberation adjacent much however to suffer and I accidental ever the same, it was my moment, I didn't privation to talk astir others. They didn't privation to beryllium determination - I privation to beryllium with my club, with my family, the radical that were determination and clapped maine and that was a fantastic moment."

While Pep Guardiola's squad look to beryllium coming disconnected the rails pursuing a shocking tally of signifier since Rodri tore his cruciate ligament, the holding midfielder has revealed helium retains immoderate anticipation that helium tin travel backmost earlier the run finishes.

City volition beryllium portion of the inaugural expanded Club World Cup, which runs to mid-July, and Rodri added: "My people is to travel backmost this season. I deliberation successful presumption of my mentality it's going to beryllium affirmative for maine to not springiness up the play and propulsion it.

“I don't privation to run, you know, I don't privation to marque mistakes. But yeah, that's my mentality. I don't cognize erstwhile - my people is six, 7 months, but the physios, they volition dictate."

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