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Pep Guardiola Names 2 Players Who Deserved To Win Ballon d’Or Award
Posted by Gistsnaija.
on 30 October, 2024 |
0
Pep Guardiola Names 2 Players Who Deserved To Win Ballon d’Or Award
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided insight into why legendary midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta never secured the prestigious Ballon d’Or during their illustrious careers. According to Guardiola, the primary reason was the dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who repeatedly claimed the award during that era.
Xavi and Iniesta are celebrated as two of the greatest midfielders of their generation. The former Barcelona stars achieved remarkable success with both club and country, bringing glory to Spain with two European Championships and a FIFA World Cup win. Their club triumphs with Barcelona included multiple titles, highlighted by two continental trebles.
Despite their exceptional achievements and pivotal roles in these victories, Xavi and Iniesta were overshadowed in the Ballon d’Or race due to the ongoing rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi. This duopoly at the award’s podium during their peak playing years prevented the iconic Spanish duo from being recognized as the top individual players in world football.
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Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s trip to London for their EFL Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, Guardiola said, “Cristiano (Ronaldo) was a monster, and the father of the monster is (Lionel) Messi. And both have done something incredible in the last 15, or 20 years. And maybe in that moment, Xavi and Iniesta deserved the #BallonDor as well…
“You know that the era of Cristiano and Messi has been unbelievable, how they shared it, well deserved it, and they were on another level. And now, it’s another era, and everyone can win the Ballon d’Or, and in the end the opinion is free…”
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