Thierry Henry has defended himself after criticism of the way he hosted Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, saying people were “getting really excited about nothing”. The former Arsenal forward was presenting alongside CBS Sports colleague Kate Scott and came under fire for remarks made towards Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, overall winner Harry Kane and Scott during the event.
Henry teased Yamal about winning a third successive young player of the year award, asking: “It’s your third one, right? But is it the one you really wanted to win?” The comment drew an audible reaction from the audience. The 49-year-old insisted he was not “checking his ego” and stressed his admiration for the Spaniard. “I’m a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I wasn’t checking his ego at all – that you didn’t like the joke, I can understand,” he said. “But don’t do that, he’s one of the players I’d pay to watch, I love him.”
Henry also responded to criticism over his reaction when Scott pronounced the name of Brazil legend Socrates. He said Scott was in on the joke and rejected any suggestion that he had disrespected her. “You didn’t like the joke, I understand, but please stop saying I disrespected Kate,” Henry said. “I will never do that and you can ask her, she was on the joke with me. She did Soc on purpose, and I said Soc, so please stop inventing stories.” Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka won the Socrates Award for his humanitarian and charity work.
Henry further addressed his support for Kylian Mbappe in the race for the top prize, saying he had wanted his fellow Frenchman to beat Kane. He nevertheless described Kane as a “worthy winner” and said he had told him so directly. “I’m French and I was always going to back up and support my fellow countryman,” Henry said. “I said to [Kane], ‘You are a worthy winner, you deserve it, you are the example that work ethic is a talent, working hard is a talent’. Well done, Harry Kane – and I call him Sir Harry Kane since the World Cup.”
Henry closed by asking critics to “relax” and reiterating that his comments were not meant as disrespect. “So please, people out there, relax, relax. I love Harry Kane, I love Lamine Yamal and I didn’t disrespect Kate. She was on the joke with me.”