José Félix reports threats over Ballon d'Or vote for Mbappé over Lamine Yamal

José Félix, since it was published this— Mhm.

How have you experienced it? Well, let's see, uh, I understand there are differing opinions, but what I don't understand is the the intolerance, the verbal abuse, the threats, the situations, uh, well, that people who might be close to me, friends and such, could find unsettling,

caused by the actions of some journalists and media outlets that devote themselves to pointing fingers and handing out passports and deciding who is Spanish and who isn't, and saying you have to be Spanish to vote for a Spanish player. Situations that have really caught my attention a great deal

and that have generated, well, obviously, uh, a lot of social violence, right? Let's put it that way.

That violence doesn't matter to me, I don't care. I live with her, but she's crossed a lot of lines, a lot of lines. This is a game, so to speak. This is soccer, this is for our entertainment.

And when they go as far as, as a cl— well, then obviously they've been reported. The thing is, well, these complaints go nowhere, but it's been constant, hasn't it? But I don't understand why, for example, a media outlet that, well,

doesn't talk much about the word Spain, in a three-line image with my face, puts the word Spain in twice, "the Spaniard who doesn't vote for Spain" or something like that, right?

Well, what is that? Is that trying to turn people against me?

Well, and besides, it's a mistake, it's manipulation, because I do vote for Spain, it's just that I voted first for Mbappé, second for Lamine, I include Four players, four players from the Spanish national team among the top ten.

I voted for Unai Simón, I voted for Luis de la Fuente, I voted for Luis Enrique.

I mean, well, but, well, I already take it as, like, a game, just another part of it, and I'm proud to belong. I'll say it again, to the Ballon d'Or jury. And I didn't expect this reaction, I'm telling you seriously. A little bit of rivalry, sure, but a reaction that's completely out of proportion, com-completely, that cro— that crosses

any kind of line. I'm serious. Or I mean it, uh…

well, well, I'll shut up. I mean, I don't want to, I don't want to go on because I don't want to give importance to certain people or little characters who've ded—dedicated themselves to to, to throwing all the, the worst possible shit at me, because I don't understand it. I mean, I swear, I swear I can't understand it,

that people in the same profession would do that. I don't understand it.

Angry or hurt? No, proud. Because I would vote again anyway, the, the, the, the vote, because this isn't about measuring, it's about each person's taste, based on certain parameters.

But not here, in the, in the three points France Football lays out, no, it doesn't mention nationality, it doesn't say you have to vote for someone from your country.

Voting for someone doesn't make you any more or less from your country.

Well, to me, Lamine Yamal was behind Mbappé in his overall performance, and so, and that's how I, I, I voted.

And then, hurt—uh, hurt. Well, it doesn't really hurt me, because we're very used to being slightly mistreated socially, But I think we journalists should sometimes watch what we say and what we say, especially when that message is aimed at so many people, right?

So, well, I think that—some people are disappointed, yes, that's true.

Disappointed. But like I said, I'm proud. Above all, obviously, I'm grateful for the support of my colleagues, both here and... well, yes, here, and from, and from the newspaper As and Prisa, because—and well, some former colleagues of mine from Marca, too, have seen what we're all seeing you can all see.

Have you received threats? Death threats, yes, yes.

But anyway, those, social media keeps those, keeps those, I don't care.

For you. Yes, yes, yes, yes, I don't care, but I don't care. I don't care.

I mean, that's essentially it, it portrays a few more.

You saw the professions, lawyers, who knows what, and so on.

And I was like, “Damn, my God, who would put themselves in this guy's hands?” But anyway.

But seriously, I've enjoyed it, I've had a great time, I've seen so much affection here because we've been talking about what I couldn't talk about, and we've been talking, we've had fun, we've had a good time, which is what it's all about, right? And that's what I'll take away, seriously, all the affection from all

of you, the affection from my colleagues, because it really is a privilege, and that's how I've, I've, I've treated it.

And whoever doesn't see it that way, well, tough luck.

Your family? Well, let's talk about other things.