A few hours before the winner of the Ballon d’Or 2021 is known, Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo has broken the silence on social media with harsh criticism of Pascal Ferré, France Football’s managing editor, and hinting that he won’t be the one winner.
“Today’s outcome explains why Pascal Ferré’s statements last week, when he stated that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Golden Balls than Lionel Messi”, he began by writing CR7 and then affirming that “Pascal Ferré lied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for”.
But Cristiano Ronaldo does not stop there and says it is “inadmissible that the person responsible for awarding such a prestigious prize could lie in this way, in absolute disrespect for someone who has always respected France Football and the Golden Ball. And he lied again today when justifying my absence from the Gala with an alleged quarantine that has no reason to exist”.
Having made this clarification, the Portuguese international highlights the “sportsmanship and fair-play that guide” his career, stressing that: “I always win for myself and for the clubs I represent, I win for me and for those who love me. I don’t win against nobody”.
“I end by saying that my focus is already on Manchester United’s next game and on everything that, together with my team-mates and our fans, we can still achieve this season. The rest? The rest is just the rest…” .
