Finnish journalist, Juha Kanerva, who voted Ademola Lookman among the other nine players to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, has resigned from the award’s jury, Soccernet.ng reports.
The just concluded prestigious award had the Nigeria international placed 14th, ahead of Bukayo Saka, Nico Williams, Granit Xhaka and a host of others.
The journalist, who writes for IIta-Sanomat, had voted Lookman, Erling Haaland, Rodri as his Ballon d’Or winners and Jude Bellingham came second on his list.
The Journalist has come under fire from a section of some Real Madrid fans who believe the Brazilian Vinicius junior, whom he omitted, should have won the award ahead of the Spanish midfielder.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Kanerva, had considered this an error on his part and announced on X that he would resign from the Ballon d'Or jury.
“This was my technical fault, for which I take responsibility. I am leaving my place as Ballon d'Or selector,” he wrote.
According to the Daily Mail, journalists from 99 countries were charged with electing the Ballon d’Or winner, except Syria, with three, including Kanerva, not voting for Vinicius.
Two other journalists who left the Real Madrid forward out of their top ten selections were Bruno Porzio from El Salvador and Namibia’s Sheefeni Nikodemus.
