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Former Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello has backed Manchester City midfielder Rodri to win the Ballon d’Or this year. He highlighted how the Spaniard did well in all the three major competitions he played, the Premier League, Champions League, and the 2024 EURO, and thus deserved the award.
During an interaction with Il Corriere della Sera, Capello opined that Rodri was the best player last season and should thus get the France Football award. He said (via One Football):
"I'd award Rodri for his performances in the Premier League, the Champions League, and the Euros. He was the best this season."
Rodri, obviously, wants to win the prestigious award. He told the Daily Mirror earlier this year:
"I know legendary midfielders have never achieved it, but I would love for a defensive midfielder like myself to win it. That would mean a lot, both for the recipient and for young players who want to play in that position, so they know they have the right to be recognized, even if they don't score goals or aren't particularly flashy in their game."
"I am not surprised. This is normal. I understand very well how things work in these individual awards. They are based on marketing, money and advertising. There have been midfielders before who were also Spanish who did not get what they deserved. Do you understand what I mean? (Laughs). What ultimately matters to me in football is what I achieved collectively," he added.
Rodri won the Premier League title with Manchester City and played a key role in helping Spain win the EURO 2024 too.
Rodri wants a Spaniard to win the Ballon d’Or this year
Manchester City midfielder Rodri wants a Spain international to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. He highlighted how sever top Spaniards missed out on the award due to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's dominance. He said on BBC:
"I said after the [Euro 2024] final, I would love it if a Spanish player won the [2024 Ballon d'Or] award. We've deserved it all these years, because when we had the best period in our history, we still didn't have a Ballon d'Or winner. Of course, that's because we have the two beasts, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Sometimes it's difficult to say one of them is not the best. They were the best in my opinion during their careers."
Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr are reported to be the front runners for the Ballon d’Or this year. Dani Carvajal is another Real Madrid star in the running for the award.
