The aftermath from the decision by the Barcelona players to snub the FIFA Football Awards continues, with new revelations, responses, and developments appearing every now and then. Their decision to skip the gala didn’t sit well with many, especially with Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo took a sly dig at Messi and Co. for not showing up, whilst football legends and former Blaugrana Dani Alves all slammed the club for their absence. However, according to Marca, Andres Iniesta made attempts to build bridges with the disgruntled Blancos members.
The Spanish publication write that Les Merengues took this move by the Catalan giants as a “betrayal”, with the relationship between the two Spanish giants already being rocky. Iniesta’s gesture did little to help.
The Spanish maestro reportedly called the Blancos players to apologize for them not turning up, explaining that their absence was due to “differences with their own club's hierarchy” – not due to the Real Madrid players and Cristiano winning.
The official reason from the reigning Spanish Primera Division champions is that their absence was due to preparation for their Copa del Rey clash. Barcelona will host Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday in the 2nd leg, trailing 2-1.
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