Search icon

Football

13th Jan 2016

REPORT: Barcelona took steps to prevent Kaka from presenting Lionel Messi with Ballon d’Or

Pedantic much?

Darragh Murphy

Barcelona are a fussy old bunch, aren’t they?

Not content with the fact that four of their players made it into the FIFPro World XI and that their talisman was being rewarded with a FIFTH Ballon d’Or, the Catalan club wanted even more things to go their way on Monday evening.

According to a report in MARCA, Barcelona attempted to stop former Real Madrid player Kaka from handing the trophy over to Lionel Messi at the ceremony earlier this week.

The story claims that they appealed to Fifa to have Barcelona legends Luis Suarez (not that one) and Hristo Stoichkov present the award to Messi but the requests were rebuffed by Fifa.

Before Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo essentially turned the Ballon d’Or into a duopoly in 2008, Kaka won the gong and he was a more than appropriate presenter as he applauded happily at Messi’s success.

FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2015

Not like former Barcelona player Thierry Henry who didn’t exactly look thrilled at Ronaldo’s triumph 12 months earlier.

FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2014

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10