A former France international, Thierry Henry, has defended his interactions with Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal and presenter Kate Scott at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, insisting that his remarks were not intended to disrespect either of them.
Henry, who co-hosted the ceremony with Scott, addressed the backlash in a video posted on his Instagram page on Tuesday, a day after the event was held in London, United Kingdom.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker came under criticism following two separate exchanges during the ceremony, with his question to Yamal over the Kopa Trophy and a joke involving Scott sparking debate on social media.
The incidents divided viewers, with some accusing Henry of embarrassing Yamal and disrespecting his co-presenter, while others defended the former footballer, describing the moments as harmless humour that had been taken out of context.
The first controversy followed Yamal’s third consecutive Kopa Trophy triumph, an award presented to the best young player in world football.
Despite extending his record at the ceremony, the Barcelona teenager missed out on the Ballon d’Or, the event’s most prestigious individual prize.
Henry drew attention to the distinction when he asked Yamal whether the Kopa Trophy was the award he had really wanted, a question widely interpreted as a reference to the teenager’s failure to win the main prize.
The remark triggered mixed reactions online. Critics argued that the question placed Yamal in an uncomfortable position and risked undermining his achievement, particularly given his status as one of football’s brightest young talents.
Others, however, viewed the exchange as light-hearted banter between two prominent figures in football, arguing that Henry was simply acknowledging the significance of the Ballon d’Or and the disappointment of missing out on it.
The reaction prompted Henry to clarify his intentions, insisting that he was not attempting to challenge the Barcelona winger’s ego or diminish his achievement.
“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 said.
Explaining the context of his question, the former Barcelona forward said he knew the Ballon d’Or announcement was still to come when he spoke to Yamal.
“I was simply asking if that was the trophy he really wanted because I knew the real prize was coming later,” he said.
Henry further emphasised his admiration for the teenager, describing him as one of the players he particularly enjoys watching.
“He’s actually one of those players I would pay to watch. I love him,” he added.
Henry also addressed the second controversy, which arose during the presentation of the Socrates Award, named after the late Brazilian football legend.
The exchange involved a joke about the pronunciation of Socrates’ name, with some viewers interpreting Henry’s response to Scott as dismissive or disrespectful towards his co-presenter.
The incident generated further debate, with critics questioning Henry’s conduct on stage, while others maintained that the interaction was part of a shared joke between the presenters.
Rejecting suggestions that he had disrespected Scott, Henry insisted that she was aware of the joke and had deliberately participated in the exchange.
“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 said.
The former France captain expressed frustration at the accusations, stressing that he would not deliberately undermine his co-presenter.
“Please stop saying I disrespected Kate. I will never do that,” Henry added.
Henry acknowledged that not everyone would find the exchanges amusing but urged critics not to attribute malicious intentions to his remarks.
His response sought to clarify the circumstances surrounding both incidents, as debate continued over whether the exchanges amounted to inappropriate remarks or were simply jokes that had been misunderstood by some viewers.
Source: punchng.com
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