Lionel Messi has disagreed with Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp over his favourite Reds player to win the Ballon d'Or previous season.
Klopp publicly supported Virgil van Dijk to win the coveted prize, which "upset" Sadio Mane, according to France Football.
However, Messi, who won the award for a sixth-time, believed Mane was Liverpool's outstanding performer from the 2018/19 season.
In an interview with Canal+ after taking home the top prize ahead of Van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi said:
"It's a shame to see Mane finish in fourth place. But I think there have been a lot of great players this year.
"That's why it was difficult to choose a particular player. But I chose Sadio Mane because he's a player that I like.
"Mane achieved a great year that was exceptional for the entire Liverpool team.
"That's why I chose him. I repeat, there were a lot of very great players this year, so the choice was difficult."
Mane has been heavily linked with a move away from the Anfield ahead of the summer window, with Real Madrid among the favourites to snap him up.
Source-
Mirror