Speaking at his press conference ahead of his club’s match against Cornella, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has responded to comments made by FIFA president Sepp Blatter while the head of world football’s governing body was speaking to local press on his visit to Moscow for the presentation of the logo for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Blatter stated that he believed it was “incorrect” to have given Lionel Messi the Golden Ball as best player in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“I think the decision was incorrect. I was surprised when I received the [award] committee’s decision. They told me they had only looked at 10 of the players who took part in the final,” Blatter said according to the Spanish publication AS.

The 78-year-old reportedly stated that he believes Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer should have received the award, and Blatter feels the shot stopper should also be the favorite to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as the world footballer of the year when the Ballon d’Or is handed out in January.

This news has provoked Ronaldo’s manager to come the Portuguese forward’s defense.

“It has surprised me and it appears it’s impossible for him to shut his mouth, the president of FIFA” Ancelotti said on Wednesday.

“The Ballon d’Or is something that gets talked about months before yet this year there are not many things to think about.”

“Last year Cristiano had other player like Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery contesting it but this year, with the titles he has won and the goals he has scored, there’s no doubt he is going to win it.”

“Therefore, Blatter’s words don’t make any sense.”

Ronaldo’s camp is still leary of Blatter’s motives after the FIFA President told the Oxford Union last October that he preferred Messi to Ronaldo.

At the time, Blatter addressed the gathering by saying Messi was a “good boy”, before making an apparent reference to Ronaldo by saying “one has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other.”

Blatter would continue on to say that he liked both players, but he ‘preferred’ Messi.

Those comments brought an angry reaction from the Portugal international who responded: “This shows clearly the respect and consideration that FIFA has for me, for my club and my country. Much is explained now. I wish Mr. Blatter health and a long life, with the certainty that he will continue to witness, as he deserves, the successes of his favorite teams and players.”

Ancelotti followed his forward’s comments up by stating the FIFA president had shown a “lack of respect” and requested the world organization retract the statement.

Blatter would later apologize and Ronaldo revealed that the two men settled their differences in a phone conversation in January.