Ménès slams Latour over dismissive comments about Mbappé's Ballon d'Or finish

Pierre Ménès launched a fierce attack on Bertrand Latour following the consultant’s comments on Kylian Mbappé’s Ballon d’Or ranking, where the Real Madrid forward finished second behind Rodri.

Latour had not minced words. The pundit, who would have seen a Mbappé victory as “the Ballon d’Or of shame”, maintained his stance after the result was announced: “It’s a robbery. It’s already very good that he’s second. Without his media campaign, he wouldn’t even be on the podium.”

These remarks triggered a response from Ménès, expressed on YouTube. “Look at what this little guy Bertrand Latour said… He has the right to think what he wants about football, that doesn’t bother me. But expressing it with so much contempt, even hatred, that’s scandalous,” he said.

The former journalist then broadened his criticism to what he sees as a typically French phenomenon. “Can you imagine an English journalist saying this about Harry Kane, or a Spanish journalist about Lamine Yamal? No, of course not. It’s only in France that a guy who follows the France team would go and trash the captain of the Blues, who didn’t have such a terrible season anyway since he’s second.”

Ménès also recalled Mbappé’s Ballon d’Or ranking history. “It’s the eighth time he’s in the top 10. People can tell me you couldn’t give the Ballon d’Or to a guy who won nothing. But if Mbappé had left with the trophy, it would have sparked weeks of controversy. Here, there are just guys who’ll get off on the fact that at 28, he still doesn’t have a Ligue des Champions and a Ballon d’Or.”