{"schema":"hottub-news/story/v1","story":"st_ycsy7nbtiq3k4233mg5a","title":"Espanyol director Monchi forced into apology after backing Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for Ballon d'Or glory","title_en":null,"outlets":3,"brief":null,"page":"https://hottub.news/stories/espanyol-director-backs-barcelonas-lamine-yamal-for-ballon-dor-would-ycsy7nbtiq","count":3,"items":[{"id":"n_6nhldhvllxamhpsu4mpa","seq":828475,"kind":"article","title":"Espanyol director Monchi forced into apology after backing Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for Ballon d'Or glory","url":"https://www.yardbarker.com/soccer/articles/espanyol_director_monchi_forced_into_apology_after_backing_barcelona_star_lamine_yamal_for_ballon_dor_glory/s1_17790_44366662","summary":"Monchi sparked an immediate uproar among his own supporters after openly tipping the Blaugrana prodigy to claim football's highest individual prize. The endorsement was viewed as a betrayal of a fiercely contested crosstown rivalry etched into Catalan football culture.","published":"2026-09-30T02:20:00Z","seen":"2026-09-30T05:16:32Z","lang":"en","source":{"id":"kite-yardbarker-com-1134cf","name":"yardbarker.com","domain":"yardbarker.com"},"via":"kite-yardbarker-com-1134cf","topics":["soccer","espanyol","lamine yamal"],"authors":["author"],"entities":[{"id":"Q117439809","name":"monchi","type":"person"},{"id":"Q1492","name":"Barcelona","type":"org"},{"id":"Q113704154","name":"Lamine Yamal","type":"person"},{"id":"Q2881323","name":"Ballon d'or","type":"event"}],"image":"http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/c/4c1036de35746d9c5c3a7ab9eaf8d77645b383ef/thumb_16x9/GettyImages-2296106257.jpg","story":"st_ycsy7nbtiq3k4233mg5a","category":"sport","category_p":0.9100000262260437,"sentiment":"negative","tone":-0.07000000029802322,"political":0.10000000149011612},{"id":"n_jaqadyymz3emsywlgzmq","seq":798870,"kind":"article","title":"Espanyol sporting director apologizes for saying Lamine Yamal should win Ballon d’Or","url":"https://www.barcablaugranes.com/barcelona-la-liga/133742/espanyol-sporting-director-apologizes-for-saying-lamine-yamal-should-win-ballon-dor","summary":"Monchi, the sporting director of RCD Espanyol, has offered some apologies and some explanations for saying Lamine Yamal should win the Ballon d’Or, football’s highest individual honor. Yamal plays for FC Barcelona, Espanyol’s crosstown rivals. “I was asked a question, and I stirred up a bit of controversy among the Perico fans. I apologize to […]","published":"2026-09-30T01:00:00Z","seen":"2026-09-30T01:29:28Z","lang":"en","source":{"id":"kite-barcablaugranes-com-3e5a76","name":"barcablaugranes.com","domain":"barcablaugranes.com"},"via":"kite-barcablaugranes-com-3e5a76","topics":["soccer","barcelona: la liga"],"authors":["Luis Mazariegos"],"entities":[{"id":"Q113704154","name":"Lamine Yamal","type":"person"},{"id":"Q8780","name":"RCD Espanyol de Barcelona","type":"org"}],"story":"st_ycsy7nbtiq3k4233mg5a","category":"sport","category_p":0.8399999737739563,"sentiment":"neutral","tone":0.029999999329447746,"political":0.11999999731779099},{"id":"n_ycsy7nbtiq3k4233mg5a","seq":448541,"kind":"article","title":"Espanyol director backs Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for Ballon d’Or: ‘Would deserve it’","url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espanyol-director-backs-barcelona-lamine-141500218.html","summary":"With Spain winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup convincingly, members of the La Roja squad are strong contenders for all individual awards scheduled for the coming months. The Ballon d’Or, needless to sa...","published":"2026-09-28T14:15:00Z","seen":"2026-09-28T14:23:24Z","lang":"en","source":{"id":"kite-sports-yahoo-com-f96b79","name":"sports.yahoo.com","domain":"sports.yahoo.com","outlet":{"wikidata":"Q1151959","name":"Yahoo Sports","type":"website","designations":["website"]}},"via":"kite-sports-yahoo-com-f96b79","topics":["soccer"],"story":"st_ycsy7nbtiq3k4233mg5a","category":"sport","category_p":0.550000011920929,"category2":"arts-culture-entertainment","sentiment":"positive","tone":0.7099999785423279,"political":0.05000000074505806}]}