Lewandowski grudge over Ballon d’Or 2020 cancellation, Digi Mart USA News: Robert Lewandowski held a lasting resentment toward former France Football chief Pascal Ferré over the cancellation of the 2020 Ballon d’Or, according to remarks Ferré made to the media outlet Le Vestiaire, as reported by RMC Sport.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had brought much of the world to a standstill. Sports competitions had resumed in some cases, but under strict health conditions, with many matches played behind closed doors.
In this unusual context, the management of France Football decided to cancel the 2020 Ballon d’Or.
Ferré explained that the decision reflected the belief that conditions that year were not all in place, particularly with regard to fairness. He said that 2020 was the most difficult period of his tenure, when the edition had to be called off.
Ferré said he had personally called Lewandowski that year, who was dominating the game and far ahead of his rivals. He said he warned the striker of the decision, but that Lewandowski did not fully understand it.
According to Ferré, that misunderstanding turned into a lasting bitterness. In the years that followed, whenever they crossed paths, Lewandowski would tell him, “Here’s the man who never wanted to give me a Ballon d’Or.”
That season, Lewandowski, then 32, was dominating European football with Bayern Munich. He had won the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the German Cup.
He also finished as top scorer in the German league and in the Champions League, with 55 goals and 10 assists in 47 club matches across all competitions.
In 2021, he finished second in the Ballon d’Or behind Lionel Messi, a modest consolation after the disappointment of the previous year.
