A former French player, Thierry Henry, has stood up for his comments about Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and presenter Kate Scott at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. He said his words were not meant to disrespect anyone.
Henry co-hosted the event with Scott. He spoke about the backlash in a video on his Instagram page on Tuesday, the day after the ceremony in London, UK.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker faced criticism for two separate exchanges during the event. His question to Yamal about the Kopa Trophy and a joke with Scott caused people to react on social media.
The reactions were mixed. Some people thought Henry embarrassed Yamal and disrespected Scott. Others defended him, saying the moments were just harmless jokes taken the wrong way.
The first issue started after Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the third time in a row. This award goes to the best young player in football.
Even though Yamal set a record with this win, he did not get the Ballon d'Or, the top award of the night.
Henry pointed out this difference when he asked Yamal if the Kopa Trophy was the one he really wanted. Many saw this question as a jab at the teenager for not winning the bigger award.
This remark got mixed responses online. Critics said it put Yamal in a tough spot and lessened his achievement, especially since he is one of the brightest young stars in football.
On the other hand, some thought the exchange was just friendly banter between two well-known figures in football. They believed Henry was simply pointing out how important the Ballon d'Or is and how disappointing it is to miss out on it.
In response, Henry clarified his intentions. He said he was not trying to hurt Yamal's pride or downplay his success.
"I’m a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn’t trying to check his ego whatsoever. If you didn’t like the joke, I understand," Henry stated.
Henry explained that he was aware the Ballon d'Or announcement was still coming when he asked Yamal his question.
"I was simply asking if that was the trophy he really wanted because I knew the real prize was coming later," he added.
He praised Yamal, saying he is one of the players he enjoys watching the most.
"He’s actually one of those players I would pay to watch. I love him," Henry said.
Henry also talked about the second issue that came up during the Socrates Award presentation. This award is named after the famous Brazilian football player who passed away.
The controversy came from a joke about how to say Socrates’ name. Some viewers thought Henry’s response to Scott was rude or dismissive.
This led to more discussions, with critics questioning Henry’s behavior on stage. Others said the interaction was just part of a joke between the hosts.
Henry denied that he disrespected Scott. He said she knew about the joke and took part on purpose.
"Kate was in on the joke with me, and you can ask Kate, by the way. She did it on purpose to say Socrates," he explained.
Henry expressed his annoyance at the accusations, saying he would never disrespect his co-presenter.
"Please stop saying I disrespected Kate. I will never do that," Henry insisted.
He recognized that not everyone would find the jokes funny but asked critics not to think he had bad intentions.
His comments aimed to clear up both situations as people continued to debate whether the exchanges were inappropriate or simply misunderstood jokes.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇