Ronaldo ‘stole’ my Ballon d’or, claims Ribery
Lakers snap 9-game skid with win over Hawks
Three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray underwent hip surgery on Monday and is determined to return to action in time for this year’s Wimbledon.
The 30-year-old Briton, who has not played a competitive match for six months and last week withdrew from the Australian Open, posted an update on Facebook, Reuters reported.
“Today I underwent successful right hip surgery at the St. Vincent Hospital in Melbourne,” Murray said.
“I’d like to thank Dr. John O’donnell and all of the staff for looking after me. I look forward to returning to competitive tennis during the grass-court season,” he added.
“Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes and support over the last few days. I’ll come back from this.”
Murray, who ended 2016 as world number one, has slipped down to 19th in the rankings. Franck Ribery claimed that the 2013 Ballon d’or was “stolen” from him.
The Bayern Munich star said that it is “incomprehensible” that Cristiano Ronaldo picked up the prize that season after he had enjoyed such a formidable season with the Bundesliga club, goal. com reported.
The France winger led Bayern to domestic glory and played a leading role as Bayern snatched the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Such exploits are generally seen to go hand in hand with winning the game’s greatest individual prize, but Ribery’s contribution was overlooked for that of Ronaldo. Indeed, he did not even finish second, with Lionel Messi pipping him for that spot.
“It was as if it was stolen from me,” Ribery told Canal Football Club.
“It’s incomprehensible. I won every trophy, I couldn’t have done more. It was an injustice.”
The Frenchman grumbled that he did not have the support of his compatriots.
“I didn’t have my country behind me,” he claimed.
“I saw it with my own eyes that the French said Cristiano should win. Did the Portuguese want it to be Ribery or Messi? Of course not.”
Ribery feels that he was made a scapegoat after France’s shambolic World Cup 2010 campaign, in which Raymond Domenech’s side crashed out at the group stage and even staged a strike against the coach by refusing to leave the team bus. And the 34-year-old still points his finger at the media.
“In 2010, they needed someone to blame,” he said.
“Everyone in France believed I was the problem – even my parents.
“I can’t forget the actions of certain French media. It’s a scar that stays with me, it was too much.”
Ribery’s current contract at Bayern expires at the end of the season.
The Los Angeles Lakers snapped a nine-game NBA losing streak on Sunday with a 132-113 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Brandon Ingram scored 20 points to lead the Lakers, who hadn’t won a game since a December 20 victory over the Houston Rockets, AFP reported.
The victory quieted some of the noise growing around the embattled young team, including comments by outspoken basketball patriarch Lavar Ball – father of Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball – who told ESPN that coach Luke Walton had lost the confidenc e of his players.
The difference against the Hawks, Walton said after the much-needed win, was a defensive commitment that set up the Lakers’ transition offense.
“I think it triggered everything for us tonight,” Walton said.
“Once we got engaged and we were crashing back on the glass and able to get out and run ... it was good to see the guys get back to that mode where defense anchors what we do offensively.”
Lonzo Ball, playing just his second game after missing six with a shoulder sprain, was