Ancelotti breaks silence after Ballon d’Or controversy: ‘I want to thank Vini and Carvajal’ | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti thanked his players, staff and club President Florentino Perez, but nobody else after winning the Coach of the Year award at the controversial Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday night.

Ancelotti, along with the entire Real Madrid delegation, decided not to attend the ceremony in Paris after learning that none of Vinicius Jr., Dani Carvajal or Jude Bellingham would win the main award. Manchester City’s Rodri went home as the winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or instead.

Ancelotti was the winner of the inaugural edition of the Coach of the Year prize at the Ballon d’Or, but was not there in-person to collect his trophy. He also decided not to send an acceptance speech via video, though Emma Hayes, who won the Women’s Coach of the Year, did.

Ancelotti breaks silence after Ballon d’Or controversy

“I want to thank my family, my President, my club, my players and above all Vini and Carvajal,” the Italian tactician wrote in a brief statement on an Instagram story late on Monday night.

Carlo Ancelotti: ‘I want to thank my family, my President, my club, my players and above all Vini and Carvajal’, (via Instagram)

Ancelotti beat Pep Guardiola of Manchester City, Xabi Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen, Gian Piero Gasperini of Atalanta, Spain national team head coach Luis de la Fuente and Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni to win the first ever Coach of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or.