Eberl Defends Olise in Ballon d'Or Debate Against Yamal
Max Eberl did not name Lamine Yamal directly, but the message was crystal clear.
Fresh from watching Bayern Munich crush Union Berlin 7-0 on Friday, the club’s sporting director used the mixed zone to wade into the Ballon d'Or debate – and to push one of his own into the conversation.
Asked about recent remarks from the Barcelona teenager on how the award should be judged, Eberl replied with a line that landed like a jab: “The best players are those who do not need a promotional campaign.”
No names. No need. Everyone knew who he meant.
Bayern director backs Olise after hat-trick show
Eberl then turned the spotlight onto Michael Olise, who had just torn Union Berlin apart with a hat-trick in Bayern’s rout.
“For me, Michael Olise is also a candidate for the Ballon d'Or. He is one of the best players in the world,” Eberl said, using the emphatic win over the capital club as the perfect backdrop to elevate his winger into the global conversation.
The timing was no accident. Bayern officials have long leaned on numbers – particularly Harry Kane’s goal tallies – when arguing their case in individual awards. Olise’s three-goal performance offered Eberl the perfect example of a player delivering on the biggest stage without, in his view, needing a PR machine behind him.
Lamine Yamal’s criteria clash with Bayern stance
Lamine Yamal had set the tone earlier in the week. Speaking to “Movistar Plus”, the Barcelona star outlined his vision for what should define the Ballon d'Or winner – and it did not revolve around raw scoring numbers.
“I think the Ballon d'Or should go to the best player in the world, nothing more,” he said. “Not to a player who scored 80 goals, because if you score 80 goals you win the award for top scorer of the year. The two things are completely different, and people don't understand that.”
Those comments cut directly across the argument often made in Munich, where Kane’s extraordinary goal figures are a central plank in his Ballon d'Or case. Eberl’s response, wrapped in that pointed line about “promotional campaigns”, sharpened the divide.
On one side, a prodigy at Barcelona arguing that pure quality should outweigh statistics. On the other, a Bayern hierarchy defending their stars and now thrusting Michael Olise into the race.
The Ballon d'Or vote is months away, but the campaigning – whether people admit it or not – has already started.
