Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has disclosed that Barcelona star Raphinha should have been named as the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or award.
Raphinha was one of the stars of the night for Barcelona, starting the comeback for his team with the equalizing goal after Alex Baena had put Atletico Madrid in front.
Speaking to the media after his team’s defeat, Diego Simeone was full of praise for Raphinha and the way he played, expressing surprise at the Barcelona superstar not winning the Ballon d’Or this season.
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“Raphinha plays every game. He scores goals, he presses… I don’t know how he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or.
“Cardoso’s injury forced us to change our lineup a bit. We had high expectations for Johny, but he suffered that injury that kept him out of the game. We expect more and more from Julián (Alvarez).
“He’s a player who changes the team’s fortunes and is the most important player on the team.
“He’ll definitely show up in the next game or the one after that. Overall, the team played well. I feel very calm and happy with the team. We lost against a great opponent. It helps us improve; this kind of game.”
