Do you remember being excited to the lead up of awards like the Ballon d’Or, cheering your favorite players on, not knowing who the winners will be or who will take the awards home? There was something special about waiting months in advance and nervously watching the award show hoping to see that player crowned as the best of the year.
It was a magical day for world soccer… emphasis on was.
The Ballon d’Or needs to stop being ruined by Fabrizio Romano
Fabrizio Romano needs to be stopped.
Present day, the Ballon d’Or ceremony and some of the other important awards such as The Best, are now ruined by journalists desperately looking to exclusively leak all information in regards to the award. And by journalists we mean Fabrizio Romano.
Romano is inarguably the most trusted social media journalist when it comes to transfers and the latest information regarding the soccer world. His trademark "Here we go" has become a staple to confirming the biggest transfers and news.
However, the Italian has taken his journalistic powers to levels that are practically ruining a side of the sport we once loved — award ceremonies.
In the weeks, days and hours prior to the award ceremony, the widely-renowned journalist and transfer guru leaked and released the winner of arguably two of the most important awards in the ceremony, confirming Jude Bellingham’s Kopa Award, Lionel Messi’s 8th Ballon d’Or and even who was going to hand the Argentine the Golden Ball at the time of the unveiling.
✨ Leo Messi, expected to win the Ballon d’Or 2023.
Understand all the indications are set to be confirmed but Messi will be the final winner once again.Official decision to be unveiled Monday night in Paris.
It will be Messi’s historical 8th Ballon d’Or. pic.twitter.com/v8FWZQdeaR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 25, 2023
Lionel Messi will be announced as the Ballon d’Or winner tonight — his Ballon d’Or number 8, as expected ✨
Ceremony in Paris, all set for it. pic.twitter.com/gAKyqmAtUv— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 30, 2023
Didier Drogba will give Lionel Messi his Ballon d’Or number 8.
It will happen on Monday in Paris.pic.twitter.com/8L5b38Q7r7— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 27, 2023
Ballon d’Or number 8️⃣ incoming. ✨ pic.twitter.com/z5dgim9y7e
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 30, 2023
✨ Inter Miami’s David Beckham will give the Ballon d’Or tonight. pic.twitter.com/3JGchtZz79
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 30, 2023
He even went ahead and revealed that Jude Bellingham is practically confirmed as the winner for the upcoming Golden Boy award.
✨ Jude Bellingham, expected to win the Kopa Trophy tonight as Best Talent of the year at the Ballon d’Or.
…and all the indications are also for Jude to win Golden Boy Award in December, waiting for it to be confirmed. pic.twitter.com/Tneqa5DgNE— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 30, 2023
It was over before it even started.
The anticipation and uncertainty leading up to these types of awards and ceremonies that once was, is now gone and soccer fans around the world have started to complain.
Thousands of fans on social media had a sour reaction to Romano’s tweets releasing information in regards to the Ballon d’Or, complaining about the fact that the Italian constantly ruins award ceremonies and even some of the transfers that, in the past, would’ve been spectacular surprises.
Fabrizio Romano ruined Football.
First he killed off all those surprise signings that would all shock us.....Now he's revealing the results of awards like the Ballon d'Or before they're even announced.....
I'm actually over it. https://t.co/akugcjmnLs
— JAKE BUCKLEY (@TheMasterBucks) October 30, 2023
No one talks about how Fabrizio Romano has sucked the enjoyment out of football. He ruined the thrill during transfer windows cause the excitement when you use to get that massive signing all gone cause he leaks transfers. Now he’s ruining thrill of awards as well with his leaks pic.twitter.com/mL1I6ToWkb
— ★ (@primegundo) October 28, 2023
Nah Fabrizio Romano ruining it at this point.
What's the point of watching if his telling us the winners before hand? pic.twitter.com/uRTwNBrIav— Lvchoo7⚡️ (@LuchoXszobo) October 30, 2023
I don’t care what anyone else says, Fabrizio has single handedly ruined the ballon dor hype. https://t.co/kwYLqoanD5
— Janty (@CFC_Janty) October 30, 2023
Modern day social media has taken its toll on the soccer world.
Imagine having randomly woke up one day and seeing the official announcement that Cristiano Ronaldo re-signed for Manchester United? Or seeing Lionel Messi making a shocking transfer to PSG after a lifetime at Barcelona? The scenes on those days would’ve been amazing.
Sadly, we can just imagine.
Romano will only continue with the habit of constantly leaking and releasing information looking to exclusively become the gatekeeper of all breaking news regarding the soccer world.
So far, this journalistic method has earned him the spot as the most influential personality on Twitter (X), racking up over 4.2 billion impressions in just a year. Brutal
Fabrizio Romano is officially ranked first for the most influential accounts on Twitter.
The power of Football ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/I1sFrp4aPq— Janty (@CFC_Janty) August 14, 2023
His success, along with his high stature in the soccer world, will only push other aspiring and competing social media soccer journalists to do the same, wishing to replicate his work ethic on a daily basis.
Therefore, looking to leak, release and anticipate all breaking soccer news they can get their hands on, all at the cost of fans' past shocking-transfer-and-latest-award-ceremony-unveiling enjoyment.
