Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Espanyol sporting director Monchi has issued an apology for endorsing Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or chances, having angered the club’s fans by outlining his support for the Barcelona star.
Yamal is one of the three foremost contenders to be crowned the best player in the world at next month’s award ceremony in London.
Real Madrid and France star Kylian Mbappe has generated plenty of support, as has Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane.
Yamal helped Barca retain their LaLiga title in 2025-26, then recovered from a season-ending hamstring injury to contribute to Spain’s World Cup triumph in North America.
He registered 24 goals and 17 assists in 45 outings across all competitions for the Blaugrana during the 2025-26 eligibility period, with his 41 combined goal involvements being the sixth-most of any player from Europe’s top five leagues.
Yamal also attempted (429) and completed (225) the most dribbles of any player, while his 59 chances created following carries were also the most.
However, Espanyol’s fierce rivalry with their cross-city rivals prompted supporters to react angrily to Monchi suggesting Yamal should win the prize earlier this week.
He has now gone back on that endorsement, telling Cadena Ser: “I was asked between Mbappe, the French option, Harry Kane, the English option, and Yamal, the Spanish option.
“I went for the Spanish option. It’s generated a little bit of controversy among our fans, so if anyone was annoyed, I apologise.
“I supported the candidate from Spain, but I should have said any other player.
“I know what it means to be a Perico [Espanyol fan]; I have felt that sentiment since day one. I said Lamine Yamal, looking at it from a Spanish point of view.”
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 23, 2026
Espanyol are 15th in LaLiga, having earned seven points from as many games this campaign, while Barca are five points clear at the summit with a perfect record and 31 goals scored.
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