Toni Kroos expressed his disappointment after Real Madrid’s failure to win the Club of the Year honour at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
Real Madrid won La Liga last year before defeating Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final to win the title of European champions for a record-extending 14th time.
Karim Benzema of Madrid won the male Ballon d’Or award on Monday in honour of his outstanding performance in the previous season, during which he scored 44 goals across all competitions.
What did Toni Kroos say after Real Madrid not winning the best club award?
The German midfielder embraced the occasion of his 250th La Liga appearance splendidly. In 2014, Kroos made his La Liga debut by substituting against Córdoba, and in the season’s first competitive El Clasico against Barcelona, he made his 250th appearance.
Madrid midfielder Kroos voiced his dissatisfaction with the award’s conclusion following the presentation. He said, “3rd best team in 2021/22 – happy Real Madrid?”
But despite their outstanding performance in the 2021–22 season, Real Madrid came in third place in the Club of the Year poll. The winner was Premier League champion Manchester City, with last season’s FA Cup and Carabao Cup winners Liverpool coming in second place in the vote.
Thibaut Courtois, Benzema’s colleague from his club, was chosen the greatest goalkeeper in global football and went on to win the Yashin Trophy.
Real Madrid’s 2021-22 season
Real Madrid was even the champions of Spain. They won their 35th La Liga title in 2022. They defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals and both Manchester City and Liverpool on their way to their 14th Champions League title, with the Citizens losing in the semi-finals.
Real Madrid also overcame Liverpool in the final in Paris, with a Vinicius Junior goal tilting the game in Real Madrid’s favour. Madrid are outraged by their players’ Ballon d’Or finishes, with Thibaut Courtois claiming it is ‘impossible’ for a goalkeeper to win the accolade.
Despite highly successful seasons, Vinicius Jr finishes seventh and Luka Modric ninth for the Spanish and European champions. The places of Modric, Vinicius, and Courtois in the Ballon d’Or rankings caused suspicions at Real Madrid.
Do you think Madrid and their players were robbed at the Ballon d’Or?
