Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone, has voiced his opinion that Barcelona forward, Raphinha deserved to claim this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Raphinha stood out during the match, igniting Barcelona’s comeback with the equalizer after Alex Baena had given Atletico Madrid the lead.
Following the game, Simeone praised the Brazilian star, expressing astonishment at his omission from the prestigious award.
“Raphinha plays every game. He scores goals, he presses… I don’t know how he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or,” Simeone said.
The Atletico coach also reflected on team adjustments due to injury setbacks. “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.”
