Yahoo Sports Italy 2006 World Cup Hero Argues Inter Milan Captain ‘Should’ve Finished In Top Five’ Of Ballon D’Or Voting
Legendary former Inter Milan and Italy defender Marco Materazzi feels that Lautaro Martinez should have been in the top five of Ballon d’Or voting.
The 2006 World Cup winner tipped Inter captain Martinez for a higher place than seventh in an interview in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.
Inter captain Martinez finished seventh in the voting for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
That is hardly a small achievement for any player.
However, in the circumstances the Nerazzurri captain felt that he would have deserved even more.
Martinez won the Serie A title last season as the captain of Inter and the top scorer in the league.
And then over the summer the Argentine was the top scorer at the Copa America as the Albiceleste lifted the trophy. He scored the winner in the final against Colombia.
Therefore, Martinez hasn’t hidden the fact that he felt that he deserved to be on the podium.
Martinez’s snub from the podium hasn’t generated nearly the kind of drama that the selection of Manchester City’s Rodri over Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. has done.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that it is a disappointment for the Inter captain.
Materazzi: “Lautaro Martinez Should Have Finished In The Top Five Of Ballon D’Or Voting”
Asked where he would have put Martinez in the ranking, former Inter and Italy defender Materazzi said “Certainly in the top five.”
“That’s not to say anything about Rodri,” he continued.
“Or anyone who won the Champions League and the Euros like Carvajal.”
“But Lautaro also won trophies,” Materazzi noted. “He did so with Inter and Argentina.”
“He’s right to say that he expected a higher finish.”
Materazzi mused that “Sometimes the people who vote for the award seem to be going by some bizarre line of thinking.”
“As far as I’m concerned the Ballon d’Or doesn’t mean much.”
Materazzi argued that “What really has value is defined by the club you win trophies with.”
“And on that front, I would say Lautaro isn’t doing too badly. He’s managed one success after another with Inter as captain, and then it’s the same story with Argentina.”
“He won a World Cup and two Copa Americas,” Materazzi noted of Martinez.
“The second one as the top scorer at the tournament.”
“That’s what really matters. And this is coming from someone who became a World Cup champion scoring in the final against France, and didn’t even finish in the top fifty!”
Asked if that was a disappointment for him, Materazzi replied, “Honestly, no.”
“I won everything in an Inter shirt. I won the World Cup with the National team.”
Materazzi declared, “I certainly wouldn’t trade away any of the trophies that I won during my career.”
