The best youngster of the Eurocup has been the best youngster of the year. And the world. Pedri obtained another recognition to the apotheosic irruption that it carried out with the Barça in the elite. He already has in his hands something that thousands of footballers dreamed of caressing, of photographing: the closest distinction to the Ballon d’Or. That is the meaning of the Kopa trophy, perhaps the step before the jackpot: the designation as the best footballer under 21 on the planet.
Pedri took the award after a spectacular individual campaign with Barça. The midfielder extended the chapter of thanks “to the players and the captains of Barça, thank you Leo for what you helped me,” he stressed in parliament, to remember the whole family for always being by his side, “in good times and in good times. Bad times”. And he did not forget, of course, “the people of the island of La Palma, that he is having a bad time “since the volcano erupted on September 19.
Pedri, Canarian from Tegueste (Tenerife), received the award from Fabio Cannavaro, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 2006. And then he received a gift bottle by Didier Drogba, the co-presenter of the event, as a gesture to combat the waste of plastic on the planet. “It is the best we can do to live a better future,” said the footballer.
The 24th at the Ballon d’Or
“I recently turned 19 years old and the best way to celebrate it is to receive this award alongside the best in the world,” were his first words. Pedro Gonzalez Lopez blew out the candles last Thursday, with which he will be a contender again next season and the next. And perhaps by then he has risen in the classification for the ball, for which he also opted. He was 24th on the list of 30.
Behind relegated Luka Modric, a whole Golden Ball (2018) sunk to the tail tied with César Azpilicueta (Chelsea), plus Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Ruben Dias (Manchester City) and Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan). Pedri was sandwiched by the English Phil Foden, the new star of City (25th), and Harry Kane, Tottenham’s top scorer (23rd).
Nobody was higher in the Kopa trophy than Pedri, who registered his name as winner in the third edition. They seconded him on the podium Jude Bellingham (18 years old), midfielder who also debuted in the front row after being signed by Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020 and Jamal Musiala (18), Bayern Munich forward.
The French Kylian Mbappé had the honor of being the first, and the Dutch Matthijs de Ligt was the second. The 2020 edition was suspended due to the pandemic. It goes without saying that he is the first Spanish footballer, and has inscribed his name in history.
Pedri collected the penultimate trophy of the year (he was chosen as a component of the ideal eleven of the Eurocup, where he already won the award for the best young player of the tournament) and he already knows that he has to go to Turin on December 13 to receive the Golden Boy delivered by the Italian newspaper Tuttoport. He will go with Alexia Putellas again.
A consolation, a collection of consolations that alleviate the troubles of this campaign. His fragile body pays for the inhuman wear and tear of the past. Juice 52 of the 54 games of Barça –Koeman gave him a break in two out of mercy– and added another 19 with the Spanish team between the Eurocup and the Olympic Games to add 73. Bruno Fernandes played 72 with Manchester United and Portugal.
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Four games he has only been able to play. Three of the first four as soon as he arrived from Tokyo until he heard the first warning from the left quadriceps, which forced him to stop. Fifteen days later he fell back on the Benfica field. New stop. And on Monday of last week, When he was heading back, the rush to increase the work sent him to the infirmary. It will not come out until the scar of the torn muscle, on top transversely, which makes it difficult to heal, is fully sewn.
Reference-www.elperiodico.com