It was reported that Aguero said the winner of the award should come from one of the two Champions League finalists
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has taken to Twitter to clarify a statement he made about the potential winner of the Ballon d’Or.
Aguero was reported as saying that the winner of the award, which Luka Modric took home last year, should come from one of the two finalists of the UEFA Champions League – either a Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur player.
The Argentine has now revealed, however, that he was misquoted and would pick ‘no one other than Messi’ for the award. Controversially, Aguero’s Argentina teammate, now widely considered the best footballer in the world, hasn’t won the Ballon d’Or since 2015 and has only one ‘golden ball’ to his name since 2013.
Aguero tweeted: “I don’t enjoy having to clarify my statements – but when I’m quoted for things I haven’t said, it must be done. I’ll spell it out then. No one other than Messi will be my pick for the Balon d’Or [sic] as long as he keeps playing – particularly if he plays like he did this season.
“The question put forward to me was whether I should win the award myself this year. My reply was that I should have reached the CL finals if I wished to deserve it. Couldn’t be clearer, and there shouldn’t have been room for misinterpretation,” he added.
I don't enjoy having to clarify my statements – but when I'm quoted for things I haven't said, it must be done. I'll spell it out then. No one other than Messi will be my pick for the Balon d'Or as long as he keeps on playing – particularly if he plays like he did this season.
— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) May 14, 2019
The question put forward to me was whether I should win the award myself this year. My reply was that I should have reached the CL finals if I wished to deserve it. Couldn't be clearer, and there shouldn't have been room for misinterpretation.
— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) May 14, 2019
Messi won the award four years in a row between 2009 and 2012 but has finished as runner-up in the voting four times since then.
Remarkably, he finished 2018 in fifth place for the award – behind Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Cristiano Ronaldo and the winner Modric.
He has scored 34 goals in 33 games in La Liga this season, along with 12 in ten games in the Champions League and is surely the only logical choice for the gong this year despite Barcelona’s semi-final defeat at the hands of Liverpool.
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