Why Barcelona have chosen not to attend the Golden Boy ceremony this year – report | OneFootball

According to a recent report from Alex Pintanel (h/t FCB World), Barcelona have made the decision to skip the Golden Boy awards ceremony in Italy due to several logistical issues with the event organisers.

The awards, which are presented by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport, were set to highlight Barcelona’s achievements, with the club’s players nominated for multiple prestigious accolades.

The likes of Lamine Yamal and Vicky Lopez were both selected for the Male and Female Golden Boy awards, recognising them as the best under-21 footballers globally, while Aitana Bonmati, a Ballon d’Or winner, was chosen for the Golden Woman award.

However, none of these players will be present to collect their honours, as Barcelona has chosen not to attend the gala in Turin.

Why will Barcelona skip the ceremony?

The reason behind this decision stems from a series of disagreements with Tuttosport over logistical matters.

Lamine Yamal will win the Golden Boy award this year. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

One of the main points of contention was Barcelona’s request to travel by charter flight, which the organisers rejected in favour of a regular commercial flight.

Additionally, Tuttosport informed the club that after the ceremony, the airport in Turin would be closed, meaning the team would be forced to stay overnight in the city.

Given that Barcelona’s first team has an important match against Atletico Madrid just a few days later, the club did not feel comfortable spending the night away from the city.

With this in mind, they opted not to attend the event, as it would have disrupted their preparation for the match.

Barcelona feel that Tuttosport has made the situation more difficult rather than accommodating their needs, leading to their final decision to skip the ceremony.

As a result, the Golden Boy event will likely be lacking in star power without the attendance of Barcelona and their three award-winning players, which is a significant blow to the event’s overall appeal.