By Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Sports journalist
A great football fan, Victor Wembanyama certainly did not escape the recent Ballon d’Or election and the controversy it generated. Unexpectedly, a French analyst has also compared his case in the NBA to that of the winner.
As a native of Chesnay, in Yvelines, it seems quite logical that he supports Paris Saint-Germain. Gold, Victor Wembanyama admits that he now has great difficulty following the matches and results of his favorite football club. It must be said that his schedule has been busy since his arrival in NBA. That said, it’s a safe bet that he knows the identity of the new Ballon d’Or, elected a few days ago.
New Ballon d’Or, Rodri comparable… to Victor Wembanyama?
With the trend and bookmakers leaning in Vinicius Jr.’s favor in recent weeks, the Ballon d’Or ultimately went to Manchester City midfielder Rodri. A choice which has since fueled debates on the football planet and which notably provoked a reaction in After Foot, the famous radio program of RMC. Kévin Diaz notably gave his point of view on this series… which surprised him:
Kevin Diaz: I saw the ultra-vehement reactions – especially from Real Madrid supporters – and I didn’t really understand. (…) We must take into account the impact that Rodri has on a team. What is the Ballon d’Or? Today, if you want to build a team and you are told that you have the right to only take one player, there are many football specialists who would choose Rodri.
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In this sense, Diaz believes that the case of the Spanish international can be compared to that of Wembanyama in the NBA:
Kevin Diaz: In the NBA, every year they ask General Managers which player they would like to recruit to build their project. And often, at the moment, they say Victor Wembanyama.
Well today there are many sports directors who would answer Rodri the same question. Not because Rodri is a better football player than Vinicius or Bellingham, but because in his position, there are very few who come close to him. And for me, that’s the “MVP”. This is the guy who, in his position, has such enormous influence that the results with and without him are significantly different.
It is true that Wemby is popular in the annual surveys carried out among the various GMs in the league. That said, this rapprochement with Rodri is clearly not unanimous on the web, since some Internet users find it shaky:
@__nknin : Ptdrrrr and so we give the MVP trophy to Wemby if I understood correctly? What a buffoon this guy is
Certainly highly appreciated by NBA GMs, Victor Wembanyama still seems very far from a first coronation as MVP. It is therefore difficult for Kévin Diaz to make his comparison between the Frenchman and Rodri heard by football fans.
