Eberl Defends Olise and Critiques Yamal's Ballon d'Or Views

Bayern Munich’s 7-0 rout of Union Berlin didn’t just boost their goal difference. It lit up the Ballon d’Or debate.

In the mixed zone after the game, sporting director Max Eberl was asked about recent comments from Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal on how the award should be judged. Eberl didn’t name him directly, but the response landed like a well-aimed jab.

“The best players are those who do not need a promotional campaign,” he said, a clear swipe at the noise currently swirling around the Barça star.

Yamal had argued that the Ballon d’Or must go to “the best player in the world, nothing more,” and not simply to the man with the most goals. Speaking to “Movistar Plus”, he drew a sharp line between pure numbers and overall impact: “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 remarks cut across one of Bayern’s own favourite arguments in support of Harry Kane: his extraordinary goal tally. Eberl, though, chose a different angle on Friday night. He used the moment to champion another Bayern star who had just torn Union Berlin apart.

“For me, Michael Olise is also a candidate for the Ballon d'Or. He is one of the best players in the world,” Eberl declared, pointing directly at the Frenchman’s performance after Olise hit a hat-trick in the demolition of the capital club.

The subtext was obvious. While the conversation in Spain circles around Yamal’s definition of “best in the world” and the value of goals, Bayern are pushing a different face into the frame, one they believe doesn’t need any manufactured campaign.

As the Ballon d’Or race gathers pace, the argument is no longer just about numbers or aesthetics. It’s now a straight question: who truly looks like the best player on the planet when the lights are brightest?