GENEVA, Feb 28: Real Madrid defender David Alaba was racially abused on social media after voting for Lionel Messi, and Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic accused FIFA of disrespect on Tuesday in fallout from the football body’s annual awards ceremony.
Messi was named the best men’s player on Monday after leading Argentina to last year’s World Cup title in Qatar, with Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema in third place after a standout season helping Madrid to another Champions League title.
The awards were decided by a poll of national team captains and coaches, selected media and fans voting online from candidate lists decided by FIFA-appointed expert panels.
Alaba’s vote as captain of Austria’s national team placing Messi first, Madrid teammate Benzema second and Kylian Mbappe, the eventual runner-up, in third was among the results published by FIFA after the ceremony in Paris.
That choice provoked anger from Madrid fans and others because Alaba, who is Black, voted for Messi, who spent 17 seasons at Barcelona, Real Madrid’s biggest rival.
“The Austrian national team vote for this award as a team, not me alone,” Alaba wrote on his social media accounts. “Everyone in the team council is able to vote and that’s how it’s decided. Dalic said Tuesday he refused to vote in protest at a perceived lack of respect for himself and his team, which eliminated Brazil before losing to Argentina in the World Cup semifinals.
“I am disappointed with FIFA’s attitude towards the Croatian national team because I strongly maintain that, based on everything we’ve achieved as a national team, we deserve more respect from the head governing body of world football than we have received,” the coach said in a statement published by the Croatian federation.
Dalic also noted that Morocco coach Walid Regragui was a candidate finishing fourth for the coaching award won by Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni despite Croatia beating that team in the third-place game at the World Cup and drawing in their group match in Qatar. (AP)
