Tebas Claims Vinícius Deserves the Ballon d'Or
Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, stated that the Brazilian Vinícius Junior "deserves the Ballon d'Or because he's a different kind of player," whom he had already praised "when he was struggling" in his early days at Real Madrid.
"Vinícius is a candidate and deserves the Ballon d'Or because he is a different kind of player who has really come into his own over the last two years. He does things differently. If not this year, it will be next year, but he will win it," he assured.
"It’s harder for Carvajal to win the Ballon d'Or than Vinícius, and that’s the reality due to the award’s history. When Vinícius was missing a lot of chances some time ago, I already said he was a star because he is a different kind of player," he added.
The president of LaLiga acknowledged receiving a complaint from Atlético Madrid regarding their shorter rest period ahead of the Madrid derby against Real Madrid.
"Rest periods during the season are repetitive. There are midweek matchdays and European competitions where teams play on Thursday and then again on Sunday. It's sufficient rest; the issue is whether the rival rests more or less, but we don't focus on the fact that it's a derby. There are many situations across different games where clubs would like to have the exact same hours of rest, but it's impossible. They would all have to play at the same time," he lamented.
"This has been the case for many years. There are audiovisual issues that prevent both teams from playing on Wednesday. The top three teams must play on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to properly sell the competition. Atlético called and complained, but I've been president for 11 years, and when the games are scheduled earlier, it’s because it's too hot to play at four in the afternoon. Everything has its explanation. Matches are scheduled for nine o'clock because of the draw and because the broadcasters want them at that time," he explained.
Tebas defended the great appeal of LaLiga with the arrival of stars like Frenchman Kylian Mbappé or Argentine Julián Álvarez this season.
"Everything looks promising, but this year we are coming off winning the European Championship and the Olympics. With the arrival of Mbappé and Álvarez, the exposure increases. Also, the excitement surrounding Lamine Yamal is well deserved. Many players have joined LaLiga after performing at a very high level in other competitions," he praised.
