“Couldn’t this rascal simply have kept his mouth shut?”: Union Berlin identify Lamine Yamal as the “culprit” for the thrashing at Bayern Munich

Union Berlin were ruthlessly outclassed in Friday’s Bundesliga match away to Bayern Munich. The Iron Ones suffered a 7-0 hammering at the Allianz Arena – and the capital club’s X admin had at least identified an unusual culprit for it in a humorous way: Lamine Yamal.

Harry Kane and Michael Olise stole the show. Kane struck twice, while Olise chipped in with three goals in the rout. For Union’s social media team, the link to Yamal’s recent Ballon d’Or comments was obvious.

"Couldn’t that 19-year-old rascal from Barcelona have just kept his mouth shut? Kane and Olise are really on fire today and proving that they are Ballon d’Or material," Union Berlin wrote on X with a wink.

Not every user seemed to catch the post’s ironic tone and some criticised the Union account for pinning the thrashing on the Barca star’s comments. The Iron Ones did not blink and replied drily: "Humour is not for everyone."

After that, the capital club stuck with the joke. In another post, Union made it clear they would rather not get into trouble with FC Barcelona’s supporters after the heavy defeat: "Please let this tweet steer well clear of Barcelona. I’m not ready for angry Catalans after this away trip."

Lamine Yamal takes a swipe at Harry Kane in Ballon d’Or debate

Behind the social media dig were Yamal’s recent comments on the Ballon d’Or. Speaking to former professional Jorge Valdano for Movistar Plus , the Barca star made it clear he sees himself as one of the favourites for the award, with a barb aimed at Kane: "I think the Ballon d’Or should go to the best player in the world, full stop," Yamal explained, stressing that the winner should not be decided solely by the number of goals scored.

He was clearly referring to Kane. The England captain scored 73 competitive goals last season and secured the Golden Shoe. Against Union, the Bayern striker then brought up his 100th and 101st Bundesliga goals, setting a new record.

Olise, Kane and Yamal are all among the players being mentioned in the Ballon d’Or race.