Former Barcelona star believes Real Madrid ace deserved to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or | OneFootball

Among all the transfer in La Liga this past summer, Inigo Martinez’s move to Al Nassr was one of the most shocking ones, as the veteran defender abruptly left Barcelona.

Now plying his trade alongside former Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, Martinez recently sat down with MARCA to talk about the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony.

He notably discussed last year’s Ballon d’Or award as well as facing Real Madrid last season.

Martinez believes Vini deserved the Ballon d’Or

When asked about last year’s Ballon d’Or, Martinez admitted he expected Vinicius Junior to win the award.

“Of course I expected it, like many others. For me, the best was Vinicius, and in the end, votes are what they are – fair or unfair.

“Let everyone judge and express their opinion. Last year it was for Vinicius, and this year it’s for Dembele,” he said.

Martinez is certainly not the only one to expect Vinicius Jr. to win the Ballon d’Or last year. But to everyone’s surprise, who was Rodri who clinched the top prize, prompting Real Madrid to boycott the event this year as well.

Martinez on facing Real Madrid last season

Barcelona were undoubtedly the most dominant team in Spain last season, notably beating Real Madrid four times in all competitions.

When asked if Barcelona were superior to Real Madrid last season, the veteran defender said, “I think so. I’m clear about it. They were games where you felt superior or the opponent was overwhelmed at certain moments. I didn’t have that feeling two years ago.

Inigo Martinez has already scored once in eight matches for Al Nassr so far. (Photo by Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images)

“I saw a Real Madrid that stood up to us and knew they were going to have their chances and cause us problems.

“Last season, it wasn’t like that. We knew that Real Madrid always have one or two clear chances per game, but we knew we were going to have many more than them. Tactically, we were superior, with the ball, too. We created a lot,” he added.

Martinez talked about the Copa del Rey final, where he also admitted to never being fearful about facing them.

“They came back, but I never had the feeling that this match was going to slip away from us. I didn’t have the feeling of, forget it because no one beats Real Madrid anymore, especially in a final,” he said.

“It’s strange to play against Real Madrid and not feel that way, because you can’t play against them. It wasn’t like that.

“Our dynamic was very good, we had beaten them in La Liga, the Super Cup, which were big upsets, and that weighs heavily on you. When you face a team you’ve beaten like that again, subconsciously you’re afraid,” he added.

Real Madrid, though, have come roaring back since last season and are currently the only team in Spain to retain a hundred percent winning record.

Martinez acknowledged the same, praising new coach Xabi Alonso in the process while admitting that Barcelona may find it more difficult to dominate Los Blancos this time.

“This year I’m seeing Real Madrid doing very well, with a lot of changes and with such a great coach, Xabi Alonso, with whom I was able to share matches. I have no doubt that it will be much more difficult this time,” he concluded.