Ballon d’Or: It’s classless – Neville blasts Vinicius over reaction to Rodri’s win

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Ballon d’Or: It’s classless – Neville blasts Vinicius over reaction to Rodri’s win

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has hit out at Vinicius over his ‘classless and outrageous’ reaction after losing the 2024 Ballon d’Or award to Rodri.

Neville believes the Brazil international disrespected his rival Rodri by not showing up at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Rodri won this year’s Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinicius in Paris on Monday.

Vinicius had been considered the strong favourite to scoop the prestigious individual award after playing a key role in Real Madrid winning the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup last season.

However, both Vinicius and Real Madrid boycotted the award ceremony after they were made known that the Brazilian winger would finish second position behind Rodri.

An angry Vinicius, after deciding not to attend the award, later warned the Ballon d’Or organisers on his social media handle, saying: ‘I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.”

Speaking on the development, Neville expressed disappointment over Vinicius’ reaction.

“I’m quite offended by the reaction towards Vinicius Jr not winning by, to be fair, his fellow professionals as well,” Neville said on The Overlap US.

“I can understand people in Madrid and I can understand people in Brazil being upset that their boy hasn’t won it because he’s a special talent.

“But I feel in doing what they’ve done and to disrespect Rodri in the way they have, I think it’s absolutely outrageous.

“Vinicius is a special talent, he is amazing, he is going to win it one day, I’m sure, but the idea that you try and take the glory away, I get it, he’s a fans’ player, he is a players’ player, he is somebody who will be respected all around the world and a good man, I just think it is classless.”