In his new book, The Hidden Face of the Ballon d'Or, @Pasferre reveals one unnamed player's agent left him "an envelope" — containing cash, he assumed — after trying and failing to persuade him to "promote" the player to the Ballon d'Or jury. He talks of agents "who will call up five times, 10 times, 15 times, 20 times, to explain that it’s his player who deserves it". He also feels the pressure applied in some quarters — whether direct or indirect, through a sudden wave of media interviews — leaves little impression on the jury. Pascal talks of the growing obsession with winning it — and contrasts that with the humility of Luka Modric, who was in stunned silence, then tearful, after being informed he had won it in 2018. "Why me?" nytimes.com/athletic/7705489…