In football, rivalries are sometimes set aside to achieve a common goal. For instance, getting to Paris? That’s what Manchester United had in mind. According to Mail Sport, United hoped for one plane carrying the city’s football stars to Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in the French capital.
Unfortunately for the Red Devils, they’ll now have to charter their own flight — adding more work for their finance and logistics team.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, both nominated for the Kopa Trophy awarded to the best young player under 21, will represent United at the gala.
Man United asked Man City if Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho could fly on their plane to the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday night 👀
Man City rejected as their plane was already full with their delegation of eight nominees, report @MailSport 😅 pic.twitter.com/ZfjoC2hQfb
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) October 26, 2024
Manchester City will be sending a larger delegation, including nominee Rodri, young talent Savinho, and manager Pep Guardiola, all reported to be Paris-bound.
Mail Sport reported that United asked City if their smaller delegation could join the Cityzens on the flight, but City declined. Whether it was due to rivalry or simply a lack of seats, this instance shows that sometimes competition wins out over convenience.
Either way, it could have made for an interesting journey, with two of England’s biggest rivals sharing a flight to Paris for the ceremony.
