Brazil cries foul over Vinicius snub, Amorim could be United boss for Chelsea clash

The row over the Ballon d’Or continues to rumble on, while Manchester United are close to appointing Ruben Amorim

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The row over whether Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jnr should have won the Ballon d’Or is rumbling on. Photo: AP

Published: 7:30am, 30 Oct 2024

It hasn’t been the busiest of days around the world, and given that it’s a League Cup week, the football hasn’t exactly been that enthralling either.

Not that the world’s most popular sport is the be-all and end-all of course. The World Series could be decided this morning in Game 4, the men’s best tennis players are battling it out in Paris, and the PGA Tour is considering some big changes for the 2026 season.

Football though is where we’ll start, with Real Madrid continuing to sulk because Vinicius Jnr didn’t get the Ballon d’Or and Manchester United closing in on appointing Ruben Amorim as their next manager.

Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me

A Eurocentric plot, a decision founded in racism, or, according to one commentator, the “biggest injustice in history”. Brazil has now weighed in on the decision to award the Ballon d’Or to Rodri and not their golden boy.

Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim took charge of his side for a Portuguese League Cup match against Nacional on Tuesday. Photo: AP

“We know that Vinicius is a target of racism in Spanish football and other parts of Europe, and he actively fights against racism,” said Guga Chacra, a commentator from the leading Brazilian TV news network Globo News. “This leads us to question whether the result that gave Rodri the win was influenced by prejudice and racism against Vinicius.”

Gustavo Faldon, sports editor for the Brazilian daily Estadao called the decision “the biggest injustice in the history of Ballon d’Or”, while Galvao Bueno, one of the country’s most well-known commentators said it showed the award’s “European bias”, clearly forgetting the eight times it has been won by Argentina’s Lionel Messi, or those handed to Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. What a carry on.

Sporting confirm Amorim news

Ruben Amorim could well be in charge for Manchester United’s game against Chelsea, after Sporting Lisbon confirmed the Premier League club’s interest in their manager.

In a statement to Portugal’s financial regulator, the CMVM, the club said United had “expressed their interest in recruiting coach Ruben Amorim and have said they are ready to pay the €10 million release clause”.