Barcelona Coach Ernesto Valverde believes it is ‘absurd’ Lionel Messi did not win this year’s Ballon d’Or award and suggested ‘inconsistencies’ in the process.
The Argentine – who is a five-time winner of the award – ranked fifth in this year’s rankings, behind eventual winner Luka Modric, Antoine Griezmann, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.
“I’m not going to enter into the debate over whether or not there are consistencies in these type of awards or not,” Valverde told reporters on Tuesday.
“That is something for the organisers and those who vote to explain, but if we are talking about the best player in the world then for us, it (Messi’s exclusion) is absurd.
“However, we congratulate Modric because he is a great player and enjoyed an amazing year.”
