France Football apologises to Iniesta
Andres Iniesta has received an apology from France Football for never awarding the Barcelona midfielder the prestigious Ballon d'Or.
The Ballon d'Or, awarded annually to the world's best player, provokes endless debate among football fans and pundits each year.
The weekly French magazine published an editorial on Tuesday in tribute to Spain international Iniesta, who is this week expected to announce his departure from Barcelona after a trophy-laden 16 years in order to move to China.
The article effusively praised Iniesta's style of play and the positive effect he has had on his teammates including Lionel Messi, and expressed regret that he has never won the award, which has been monopolised by Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo since 2008.
"Of all the absences on the list of Ballon d'Or winners, his is particularly painful," the magazine's editor Pascal Ferre said in the article. "Unless he can have an opportune campaign at the World Cup in Russia and repair this democratic anomaly." - REUTERS
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