Jürgen Klopp Reacts to 2021 Ballon d’Or Snubs

On Monday, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah finished seventh on Ballon d’Or voting, raising the eyebrows of many Liverpool fans. Also raising eyebrows was a second place finish for Robert Lewandowski after a year many thought deserved top honours.

It also appears to have raised the eyebrows of Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, with the German surprised both by Salah’s finish as well of that of the Polish and Bayern Munich striker he managed during his time at Borussia Dortmund.

“I was surprised to be honest,” was Klopp’s response when asked about the results of the Ballon d’Or vote that put Lionel Messi ahead of Lewandowski in a move viewed as giving out something of a career honour for Messi while Salah ranked seventh.

“You can always give it to Messi for his career, but if you don’t give it to Robert Lewandowski at this time, after this year, it’s quite tricky for anyone else to get it. And Mo should definitely have been higher up. I was surprised by his position to be honest.”

Klopp was quick to note, though, that it’s not an award he and other professionals in the game have any say in—and if people think the result looks more a popularity contest than an accurate rankings, they’ll have to take it up with the actual voters.

“I saw the vote and it’s journalists, yes?” Klopp added. “So don’t ask me, it’s your fault if you think it should be different and you have to convince your colleagues.”