A few days after FC Barcelonaโs 4-0 victory over Real Madrid, Gavi spoke out about the Ballon dโOr.
In that match, marking his return to the first team after almost a year, the Spanish midfielder came on in the 87th minute while Barcelona led, thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski. After replacing Pedri, Gavi had a lively exchange with Vinicius Junior, reminding him of the score by holding up four fingers. Vinicius replied, โYes, yes, but Iโll be going for the Ballon dโOr on Monday.โ Although nominated, the award went to Manchester Cityโs Rodri, while Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony, claiming Vinicius deserved it. Following the event, Vinicius posted in Portuguese, โEu farei 10x se for preciso. Eles nao estao preparados,โ meaning, โI will do it 10 times if necessary. They are not ready.โ Gavi congratulated Rodri, stating, โCongratulations, my friend. Well deserved.โ Former Real Madrid player Clarence Seedorf commented, suggesting a conflict between Real and UEFA, saying, โI voted for Vinicius almost a year ago and believe he deserved this award. The issues between Real Madrid and UEFA should not influence these types of decisions. Itโs a shame.โ
