- Rodri became the first defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d’Or on Monday
- His victory has sparked anger at Real Madrid after Vinicius Jr had been snubbed
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Footage has reportedly emerged of Manchester City star Rodri chanting about Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr after beating him to the Ballon d’Or.
Rodri was announced as the winner of the coveted prize on Monday night in Paris, with Spain star scooping football’s highest individual honour.
The midfielder was honoured for helping City to a fourth straight league title, as well as being an integral member of Spain’s European Championship winning side.
There was controversy on the night as Real Madrid and their star Vinicius Jr opted to boycott the ceremony after the Brazilian was snubbed.
Man City had shared footage on social media which showed Rodri wildly celebrating his achievement in a restaurant.
Footage reportedly showed Rodri chanting about Vincius Jr during his Ballon d’Or celebrations
Rodri made history as the first defensive midfielder to ever win the Ballon d’Or on Monday
Real Madrid have reacted with fury to Vinicius Jr missing out on the coveted prize
Rodri was sat in a restaurant – alongside team-mate Ruben Dias – singing ‘Rodri’s on fire!’ while throwing their napkins in the air.
Further footage has now been published by Spanish outlet El Chiringuito of the celebrations in the restaurant.
During the video, Rodri is seen singing along to the tune of Bella Ciao but the Man City star appears to have changed the words of the song to ‘Ciao Vini’, meaning ‘Bye Vini’.
The chant could potentially be viewed as a response to Real Madrid’s outrage over Rodri being announced as the winner of the award.
Rodri, who has been labelled ‘humble and kind’ star, is the first defensive midfielder to win a Ballon d’Or.
Vinicius Jr missed out on the prestigious prize despite having been hotly tipped for the honour, while Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham came third.
The Spanish giants grabbed headlines when it was reported that players and coaches had decided to boycott the ceremony after learning Vinicius Jr would not be taking home the top honour.
The European champions had initially planned to send a delegation of 50 people to Paris, before scrapping the trip when reports emerged Rodri would win.
The 24-year-old took to social media after he was confirmed as the runner-up, writing on X: ‘I will do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready.’
Man City had shared footage of Rodri celebrating his success at the same restaurant
Rodri was sat beside Man City team-mate Ruben Dias as he celebrated the award on Monday
According to Reuters, this comment was a reference to his fight against racism in recent years.
Sources at Real Madrid told ESPN Brazil that the snub was ‘historic robbery’.
Marca also reported that Madrid insiders have furiously declared ‘the Ballon d’Or no longer exists for us’.
A statement from Madrid to AFP said: ‘If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner.
‘As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.’
