Novak Djokovic at Ballon d’Or 2023- Why Didn’t He Give the Award to Aitana Bonmati Despite Being the Presenter?

The recently concluded Ballon d’Or event had all the fun and excitement as some of the best players in the soccer world laid their hands on the prestigious title. However, despite the fun and excitement, some drama also unfolded. Novak Djokovic, one of the biggest names in tennis was also present at the ceremony and was all set to award the Ballon d’Or to the greatest female soccer player this year. However, when the moment arrived, he could not do it.

But why did he actually not present her with the award? Not only this but the authorities also faced a huge backlash from the fans for allowing Djokovic to be the award presenter.

Why did not Novak Djokovic present the award to Aitana Bonmati despite being the presenter?

In an unexpected turn of events at the Ballon d’Or 2023 awards ceremony, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who was initially scheduled to present the award to Aitana Bonmati, found himself in an awkward situation. Despite announcing Aitana as the winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or winner, he was not able to present her with the trophy. On the men’s side, things went smoothly as David Beckham stepped up to present the coveted award to Lionel Messi. So what went wrong with the ladies’ end?

The real reason behind Djokovic not being able to present the award was because of the late arrival of the trophy. This delay left Djokovic in a position where he missed his chance to honor Aitana Bonmati. As he announced the winner, the slight delays in bringing the trophy led him to miss the opportunity.

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Thus, despite being the initial presenter, he was not able to present Aitana with the title as a delay resulted in the mishap. However, Novak Djokovic’s presence at the Ballon d’Or ceremony was dealt with huge backlash as some of the fans targeted him.

Authorities suffer huge backlash over allowing Djokovic to present the trophy

In a turn of events, the fans did not hold back their words as they went straight in and lashed the authorities for allowing Novak Djokovic to present the title. One user came in and expressed his astonishment over the fact that one of the most prestigious awards in soccer was presented by someone who actually plays tennis. “the biggest award was presented by a dude from… tennis?” wrote the user.

One more fan came in and expressed their anger with this situation. They suggested that calling out a player to present the award who plays a completely different sport while championing unequal pay does not sound fair and suggested that he shouldn’t be there.

“Nothing says ‘celebrate the achievement of female athletes’ like inviting a male athlete who advocated against equal pay to talk about himself and the completely different sport he plays,” wrote the user.

The notable annual award ceremony dealt with a huge backlash from the fans as they did not enjoy the presence of one of the greatest players in tennis – though all for valid reasons. The delays in presenting the women’s trophy surely didn’t help the situation. What do you make of the circumstances?

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