Monaco Mocks Thauvin Award, Highlights Akliouche Snub
AS Monaco has taken a thinly veiled swipe at the UNFP after Florian Thauvin was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Month for March, beating out the Monegasque club's own Maghnes Akliouche. The official Monaco social media account posted a sarcastic message of congratulations to Thauvin, suggesting their player, Akliouche, was more deserving.
The club's official account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a 30-second highlight reel of Akliouche's recent performances, accompanied by the caption, "Félicitations 👏🏾. On a dû louper quelques épisodes..." (Congratulations. We must have missed a few episodes...). The video montage, which also featured teammate Folarin Balogun, was a clear and public statement of the club's disagreement with the award decision.
Thauvin, the 31-year-old winger for RC Lens, was awarded the UNFP trophy for March after scoring two goals and providing two assists in four games. He was shortlisted alongside two Monaco players, Akliouche and Balogun, who were also in exceptional form. The award is voted on by a panel of journalists and former players.
The public reaction from Monaco is a rare instance of a club openly, if implicitly, criticizing a player of the month award. The club's social media post, with its sarcastic tone, was widely interpreted as a pointed critique of the selection, suggesting that Akliouche, who has been a standout midfielder for the Ligue 1 leaders, was more deserving. The 22-year-old French youth international has been a revelation this season, contributing crucial goals and assists from midfield.
This public spat highlights the competitive nature of the Ligue 1 season, where Monaco, currently top of the table, are battling for the title. The perceived snub of their in-form player has clearly not gone down well at the club. The incident also casts a spotlight on Thauvin's own remarkable resurgence. The former French international, who struggled with injuries and form after a high-profile move to Marseille, has found a new lease on life at Lens, becoming a key figure in their attack under manager Franck Haise.
While Thauvin's individual brilliance in March earned him the official accolade, Monaco's public reaction underscores the high stakes and intense rivalries that define the top of French football. The award itself has become a point of contention, adding an extra layer of narrative to the final stretch of the Ligue 1 season.
