Manchester City’s technical director, Pep Guardiola, shared his opinion at a press conference regarding the recent recognition of Rodrigo Hernández as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, calling this achievement historic for both the player and the 'Citizen' club. Guardiola expressed that years ago, they could not have imagined that one of their players would receive this prestigious award.
The coach hopes that this award will be an extra source of energy for the Spanish midfielder, motivating him for the upcoming seasons once he returns from his injury. Guardiola did not attend the Ballon d'Or gala and commented on the absence of other important names, such as Erling Haaland, and Real Madrid, making it clear that the decision to attend or not is up to each individual, and after a vote, one must accept the results.
Regarding the case of Vinícius Jr., Guardiola pointed out that just like Haaland the previous year, the Brazilian also deserved the award. He recalled previous cases like those of Xavi and Iniesta, who, despite their quality, coincided with the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, making it clear that Spanish football had never achieved winning the Ballon d'Or despite its successes.
Guardiola also celebrated that this recognition of Rodri is an achievement for Spanish football, a league that has produced great figures in the last decade. He highlighted the influence of coaches and players on Spain's successes in the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships, although none of them have won the Ballon d'Or.
To conclude, Pep Guardiola congratulated Carlo Ancelotti, named the best coach during the gala, and ended his speech with humor by mentioning the importance of his own role in the achievement reached, joking about his contribution to Ancelotti's recognition.
