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How journalist got sacked from Ballon d'Or voting after losing credibility

Posted on 27 Oct at 7:39 AM

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How journalist got sacked from Ballon d'Or voting after losing credibility

ARGENTINE journalist Enrique Wolff lost his right to vote for the Ballon d’Or winner after his picks showed “he’d lost all credibility.”

Wolff, 75, was removed after voting for FOUR of his compatriots in the top five of the 2023 Ballon d’Or, which was won by Lionel Messi.

The voter for Argentina was removed after last year’s Ballon d’Or

Enrique Wolff was accused of losing ‘all credibility’Credit: wolffquique instagram

France Football will hand the Ballon d’Or to the world’s best player in a glittering awards ceremony in Paris on Monday.

The coveted award is decided by 100 journalists, one from each of Fifa’s 100 top-ranked member nations (top 50 for the women’s award).

Each journalist makes their top 10 pick from the 30-player shortlist and there are different point values for each.

The Ballon d’Or is for the previous season and should go to the best player during that specific period, not the journalists’ favourite.

But guidance carries only so much weight.

Ballon d’Or organiser and commander-in-chief, Vincent Garcia told The Times: “I am not a dictator. They vote with their heart.

“Some prefer attackers or midfielders, this team or that team. The important thing is to be credible. Not everyone passes that test either.”

He then went on to explain where Argentine journalist Wolff went wrong.

Inter Miami and Argentina's Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 — Inter Miami and Argentina’s Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023

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Garcia said: “Last year the voter for Argentina was removed after he selected four players from Argentina — Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez and Emiliano Martinez — in his top five spots.

“There were four Argentina players available on the shortlist and he picked all of them.

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“My opinion was he had lost objectivity. We changed the journalist and he no longer votes.”

The only non-Argentine player included by Wolff was Kylian Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in the Qatar World Cup final.

Messi’s coronation last October was the first time in 15 years that the Ballon d’Or hasn’t gone to a player from Real Madrid or Barcelona.

And Madrid winger Vinicius Jr is the clear frontrunner to win the award for the first time on Monday.

Garcia also wanted to clear up accusations about LaLiga favouritism and the supposed unfair power of Madrid president Florentino Perez.

He added: “If there was a ‘Perez Effect’, what would it be? Would I be in touch with him? I never spoke to him ever in my life so far.

“It would somehow mean he manages to have some influence over us, which is not the case.”

In the men’s category, six England players – captain Harry Kane, midfielders Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Declan Rice, and forwards Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer – have been nominated.