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| messi feeling the pressure |
Now it is Messi's turn to complain that his club is not backing him in his quest for the Ballon d'Or.
However, in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo, on other occasions it has been the other way round. Not long ago, it was the Portuguese complaining about the little support he was receiving from his club, while Barcelona bent over backward to ensure the Argentine won the Ballon d'Or, promoting the virtues of their star player at every turn.
At the awards ceremony, this imbalance was plain to see. While the Portuguese turned up accompanied by just one director and Emilio Butragueño, Barcelona arrived en masse. Next to Messi stood president Rosell and Pep Guardiola, together with various Barça directors and teammates.
This time round, all is quiet at Can Barça. Nobody is talking about Messi's chances of winning the award. In contrast, Real are constantly looking for people to come out in support of their candidate. There has been a complete about face over the past few years. Once it was Cristiano who felt unloved, now it is Messi's turn.
