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What's the story?
Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo's mother Dolores Aveiro has claimed that the Portuguese ace would have won more Ballon d'Or awards if it wasn't for the existence of a "football mafia", as she described it.
In case you didn't know...
Ballon d'Or is by far the most coveted individual honour in world football. Ronaldo and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi have shared the title ten times, with each of them bagging the golden ball five times.
Last year, the Portuguese was deemed to be a strong contender for the title. However, his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric was announced as the winner, ending the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly over the award.
In what has been an ornamented career so far, Ronaldo has bagged the Ballon d'Or five times so far, besides winning numerous other individual and collective titles. The 34-year-old is on the 30-man shortlist for the award as the ceremony is set to take place in Paris in December.
The heart of the matter
Speaking at a tribute event for his son at his hometown club Uniao da Madeira, Dolores Aveiro said that his son deserved more Ballon d'Ors but was robbed due to the existence of a "football mafia."
"There's a mafia. That's the right word to describe it. Yes, there is a football mafia. If you look at everything that has happened, you'll realise that it's because of this mafia.
"If he were Spanish or English, they wouldn't do what they've done, but since he's Portuguese and from Madeira... well, this happens."
However, Dolores seemed optimistic that Ronaldo would lift his sixth Ballon d'Or later this year, given the 34-year-old's impressive performances for Juventus.
"I don't know if he'll win it, but I'm confident. I think if you look at everything he did last season, he deserves it."
What's next?
Ronaldo, who featured in Juventus' 1-0 win over Torino last night, is expected to feature in the Old Lady's Champions League fixture against Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday.
