Harry Kane, the captain of the English national team and Bayern Munich striker, won the Ballon d'Or, opening the door to speculation about the possibility of granting him the title "Sir", after the British government indicated that he deserved an official honor equivalent to his historical achievement, as the first English player to win the award since 2001.
A spokesman for the British Prime Minister praised Kane's achievement, considering that winning the most prestigious individual award in football represents an exceptional milestone for English football, and reflects the player's role model for the younger generations in the country, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
The spokesman said that the Prime Minister congratulated Kane on the win, adding that his coronation, 25 years after the last English win, which was achieved by Michael Owen, represents an exceptional achievement, especially since the award returned to an English player after a long wait.
He also expressed his hope that this achievement would be a prelude to celebrating a new title with the England national team in the near future, in reference to the team’s ambitions for the 2028 European Championship, which England is hosting jointly with Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
When the spokesman was asked whether the Prime Minister supported granting Kane a knighthood, he pointed out that the player had done a lot for English football, and that this moment represented an exceptional occasion for him and the country, but he refrained from pre-empting the official procedures related to awarding medals and honours.
British medals are awarded based on recommendations that can be submitted by ministries and government agencies, as well as individuals, before being considered by the relevant committee. The Prime Minister alone does not have the decision to grant the title, as the process is subject to specific official procedures.
Kane was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire, with the rank of Member, after his contributions to the England national team reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. Football players usually receive a knighthood after they retire, as happened with David Beckham and Gareth Southgate, who received the honor last year.
Kane was crowned with the Golden Ball during the ceremony held in London on Monday evening, ahead of Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid striker, and Spanish Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona player. He became the fifth English player to win the award, after prominent names in the history of the game, including Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen.
Although winning the Ballon d'Or strengthens his position among the most prominent stars in English football, his obtaining the title of "Sir" is still an unresolved possibility, pending any official recommendation and decision within the British honors system.
Manolo Gonzalez, coach of the Spanish football team Espanyol, was dismissed on Tuesday evening, hours after his team was eliminated from the Spanish Cup in the first round, from a team active in the fourth division.
Gonzez (47 years old) was already under pressure, after Espanyol started the season by losing 6 of the 10 league matches it played, leaving the team in eighteenth place in the Spanish League club standings.
Yesterday's 3-4 loss, after extra time, to Sestao River, was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The club said in a statement: “Espanyol FC has decided to end Manolo Gonzalez’s tenure as coach of the team.”
The statement added: “The two parties decided to separate after the coach took over coaching the team for more than 3 seasons and 107 official matches, a period in which the coach left his personal and professional mark, whether on the field or in the team’s daily preparations.”
Gonzalez took over coaching Espanyol in March 2024, and led it directly to the Spanish League.
No replacement has been announced yet.
Espanyol will meet in its next match with Villarreal, the day after tomorrow, Friday.
Japan Football Association Vice President Takeshi Okada resigned on Wednesday, saying that the “series of positions” related to the controversy surrounding the World Cup were inconsistent with his personal convictions.
The resignation of Okada, who supervised the training of the Japanese national team in the World Cup in 1998 and 2010, came a week after the President of the Asian Confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, announced the continent’s support for the candidacy of Swiss-Italian Gianni Infantino for a new term at the helm of the International Federation (FIFA).
Sheikh Salman clearly expressed this support during a meeting held in Tokyo. This came weeks after the AFC joined football bodies in Europe and North America in condemning Infantino because of his plan to open the door to private investors to participate in the ownership or investment of major FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.
Infantino faced calls to resign, and he also lost the support of some federations in his effort to win a fourth and final term.
Okada, one of the JFA's three vice presidents, said he was stepping down "entirely of his own free will."
He added: “Throughout my career, I have believed in the social value of sports based on my conviction that sports must be practiced fairly.”
He continued: “But with regard to the series of positions related to the recent World Cup, I see a large gap between those positions and my personal beliefs, and as a sportsman I cannot accept them.”
Infantino has been president of the International Federation since 2016, and will run in the elections next March, after he apologized for the private investment project that was not successful.
Two months ago, the AFC and Sheikh Salman showed indications of possible opposition to Infantino.
A joint letter with the European Football Association (UEFA) and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) said that football “does not belong to any individual.”
Okada explained that his decision “came after careful and repeated thought.”
He added: “Taking into account our relationship with the AFC and the impact this has on Japanese football, I understand that there are practical reasons for aligning our position with that of the AFC.”
