Manchester United fans have ruthlessly silenced Arsenal supporters after their rivals showed ‘disrespect’ to Red Devils star Andre Onana over his 2023 Ballon d’Or ranking.
Onana was reunited with United manager Erik ten Hag in the summer after the former Ajax star impressed last season with Serie A side Inter Milan.
The 27-year-old Cameroonian shot-stopper, who was signed by United in a deal worth £44.1m, was instrumental to Inter’s run to the Champions League final.
Onana kept the most clean sheets (at eight) in the 2022-23 Champions League season, with his former side Inter losing 1-0 to Manchester City in the final.
The United No 1’s heroics with Inter earned him high praise, including a place in the Ballon d’Or rankings and a nomination for the Yashin Trophy.
READ MORE: David Beckham claims ‘special’ Man Utd icon was an inspiration behind his middle name
United fans shut down Onana ‘disrepect‘
Onana finished 23rd in the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, with Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi walking away with France Football’s top prize on Monday.
The Cameroon international also finished sixth for the Yashin Trophy, with Emiliano Martinez’s heroics with Argentina at the 2022 World Cup earning him the award.
However, Arsenal fans wasted no time in taking to social media to question how Onana finished one place ahead of Bukayo Saka in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
United fans, unsurprisingly, immediately hit back at Gunners supporters and pulled no punches in the so-called ‘controversy’ of Onana finishing ahead of Bukayo Saka.
“Onana was a UCL [Champions League] finalist. Saka isn’t even world class. Chill,” one fan said in response to Arsenal fans.
Another tweeted: “You mean UCL finalist Andre Onana?”
While a third posted: “The Andre Onana disrespect is getting ridiculous now.”
An X, formerly known as Twitter, user wrote: “But Onana was better than Saka last season, so what’s the fuss?”
Someone else commented: “Not Arsenal fans crying over Andre Onana finishing above Bukayo Saka and [Martin] Odegaard in the Ballon d’Or voting.”
And a sixth added: “Onana made a UCL final while Saka was fumbling a record-breaking [Premier League] lead.”
A seventh simply stated: “One of them played in the Champions League final last season.”
Onana deserved Ballon d’Or ranking
It’s unsurprising that Onana’s rough start to life at Old Trafford has clouded his achievements last season with Inter.
United fans were excited at the prospects of his arrival and working with Ten Hag again after watching him impress during Inter’s Champions League campaign.
Onana, as fans have pointed out, is being disrespected way too much at the moment after a couple of early mistakes at United this season.
It was never going to be an easy task for any player to fill the shoes of United legend David de Gea, who left Old Trafford in the summer after his contract expired.
For now, Onana deserves all the credit for his place in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings and his nomination for France Football’s Yashin Trophy.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
