Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland has handled his second-place finish in the Ballon d’Or well. City’s number nine was considered a favorite for the prestigious award, but he came in second to Lionel Messi in the voting.
Guardiola was asked about Haaland’s reaction to his second-place finish during his pre-game press conference. “I saw him so happy to be in contention close to Messi, Mbappe, and the rest,” Pep explained. Manchester City had a successful night.” The treble winners had five players in the top ten of the Ballon d’Or awards, which were announced at the end of the season. City was also named Club of the Year, and Erling Haaland received the Gerd Muller Trophy for his goal-scoring prowess.
The City manager believes that finishing second in the Ballon d’Or will provide motivation for Haaland this season. “We were important there, and he has his entire career ahead of him, so he has to see it as a challenge and believe he can be there next year if he helps the team,” he added. When he returned, I saw him very clearly.”
After scoring 52 goals in 53 games as City won the treble, Haaland was expected to become the club’s first Ballon d’Or winner. But it wasn’t to be, as Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar, earning him his eighth Ballon d’Or.
The treble winners will play Bournemouth at the Etihad this weekend. They’ll be looking for their fourth consecutive win in all competitions against the Cherries, fresh off their success at the Ballon d’Or awards.
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