Real Madrid News
Man City superstar bets on Real Madrid ace to win Ballon d’Or before Mbappe
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the Ballon d’Or awards for over a decade. The Portuguese-Argentine duo represent the pinnacle of football, and it is only right that they did not give other players in their generation any chance to win it, barring Luka Modric.
With the two superstars now playing in lower leagues outside Europe, the door is open for the next generation to take over. Messi may take home his final Ballon d’Or this year, but it is clear that a change of guard is around the corner.
Vinicius will win Ballon d’Or before Mbappe says KDB
As revealed by Sky Sports (h/t Madrid Xtra) earlier today, Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne was asked to rank three of world football’s top young talents in order of who would win the accolade first.
The Belgian ranked his teammate Erling Haaland first on the list, for the Norweigan superstar is on fire in front of goal for Pep Guardiola’s side. He placed Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr second on his list with Kylian Mbappe taking third place.
De Bruyne’s choice of order between Vinicius and Mbappe attracted the interest of the interviewer who asked the midfielder to explain his leaderboard.
“Why Vinicius ahead of Mbappe? Because I don’t know what’s going to happen with him this year. I also think it’s harder for him to win it at PSG. There are rumours he may go to Madrid, then maybe I’d put him first or something,” he said.
Mbappe’s key to winning the award could lie in Madrid
It is no secret that Mbappe is desperate to join Real Madrid. The Frenchman has been a fan of the Merengues since his early footballing days and dreams of donning the white colours.
He is one of the best players in world football at the moment, but the Ballon d’Or is an award that counts not just individual brilliance but the club-level trophies won as well.
Needless to say, moving to Real Madrid would significantly boost Mbappe’s chances of winning the French award.
A transfer this summer is unlikely, but a move next year as a free agent appears well placed.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
