A late start, broken barriers and a premature online leak characterized the Ballon d'Or Gala in London.
AI-generated summary
The Ballon d'Or gala took place at the Palladium Theater in London and was accompanied by organizational mishaps.
Shortly before midnight it was clear: Harry Kane is the king of football. The decision was actually supposed to have been made more than an hour earlier at 10:43 p.m. The fact that it happened so late was due to the chaos surrounding the Ballon d'Or Gala. The event in London started 45 minutes late - officially due to London traffic and the influx of fans.
However, several reporters, such as those from “Kicker” and Sport1, reported tense scenes. According to Sport1, a small group broke through barriers around the Palladium Theater venue in an attempt to get a better look at the stars. The “Kicker” reported on conditions like “short of mass panic”. The police had to intervene. Only after a few minutes did the situation calm down again.
The organizers acknowledged the glitch in a statement. "Portraits of some of the Ballon d'Or nominees created by Ballondor.com were accidentally published online. These articles were prepared in advance for all nominees to see in the event of a win. They do not in any way reveal the podium finishes, which are currently unknown to anyone," it said. Unlike in the past, the winner of the Ballon d'Or will no longer be announced in advance.
There was turmoil on the pitch after Galatasaray's 2-1 win against Fenerbahçe. Players from both teams clashed, resulting in Abdülkerim Bardakci and Archie Brown being sent off. The sporting result faded into the background.
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