Former Barcelona star criticises Lamine Yamal over Ballon d’Or comments: ‘Not conveying anything positive’

Former Barcelona star criticises Lamine Yamal over Ballon d’Or comments: ‘Not conveying anything positive’ Lamine Yamal’s confidence has never been in doubt. His decision to publicly say he deserves the Ballon d’Or , though, has drawn criticism from a former Barcelona player who believes the teenager should have kept that opinion to himself. Abelardo Fernandez, who spent eight years at Barcelona and won 54 caps for Spain, has questioned the wisdom of Yamal’s comments. It must be remembered that Yamal was asked about the Ballon d’Or race and he made no attempt to hide his belief that he should win the award. “I think I deserve the Ballon d’Or this year, given what I’ve won,” Lamine Yamal told Jorge Valdano. The Barcelona forward then placed himself alongside Kylian Mbappe at the top of the individual rankings. “Who would I give it to? The best player in the world. Who are they going to give it to? That’s a very long conversation…  Abelardo Fernandez has criticised Lamine Yamal. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) “I honestly believe there are two of us who are the best in the world, and this year I’d deserve it for what I’ve won.  “For me, Mbappe and I are the two best in the world. It’s clear to me, and everyone who watches the matches knows it.” Abelardo questions Yamal’s decision to say it publicly Abelardo’s objection was not that Yamal believes he belongs among the favourites. It was the decision to make such a declaration publicly that the former defender found difficult to accept. He didn’t hesitate to point out that “you can think that, but you shouldn’t say it. I don’t think so, because it makes you look bad.” The former Barcelona player argued that Yamal could have acknowledged his candidacy without directly stating that he deserved the prize. “You’re not conveying anything positive in that regard. I think you can think it and say, ‘Well, I might be among the favourites, but with these awards, you never know who they’ll go to,’” he added. Messi comparison called out Lamine Yamal has put himself in the Ballon d’Or race. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) Abelardo also made clear that his criticism was not aimed exclusively at Yamal. He said he had similarly disliked recent comments from Mbappe about his own Ballon d’Or prospects. “I didn’t like the fact that Lamine Yamal said that; just as I didn’t like what Kylian Mbappe said in his interview the other day either .” The former footballer and manager also doubled down on his assessment, insisting, “I didn’t like the fact that Lamine Yamal said that.” Abelardo then invoked the player widely regarded as one of the greatest ever to make his point. “I’ve never heard Messi – who has been the god of football – say that,” he concluded. Source: MARCA