Carlo Ancelotti mentions Vinicius Junior in Coach of the Year acceptance statement on social media after Real Madrid's boycott of Ballon d'Or ceremony

Real Madrid decided to boycott the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris at the last moment after they found out that Rodri would be handed the Golden Ball instead of their star winger Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian did finish second in the race behind the Manchester City midfielder, however, Ancelotti was named the Coach of the Year for guiding Los Blancos to La Liga and Champions League titles in 2023-24.

The Italian coach did not travel to Paris to accept his award in person, but he took to social media to share an acceptance statement. The Real boss thanked his family and the entire club and gave special mentions to Vinicius Jr. and Dani Carvajal. Per One Football, there is a feeling at Los Blancos that both the stars were robbed of the award after grabbing a goal each in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Carvajal was also an integral part of the Spain side that lifted the European Championship in Germany.

On X (formerly Twitter), Ancelotti wrote: "I want to thank my Family, my President, my Club, my Players and above all Vini and Carvajal."

After a major setback in El Clasico last weekend, the reigning Spanish champions will be back in action on Saturday as they take on Valencia away from home.