Erik Lamela appointed as kitman at new club to exploit bizarre loophole

A unique reason has seen Erik Lamela registered as a kit man for the upcoming season with Mexican side CF Monterrey 

The former Tottenham star was forced into early retirement from football last summer after a long-term battle with a hip injury.

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Lamela ended his playing days at Greek side AEK Athens, having also turned out for the likes of River Plate, Roma and Sevilla.

Following his retirement, the Argentine then returned to Sevilla Matias Almeyda’s coaching staff at the LaLiga side.

And with Almeyda having since departed the Spanish outfit and taken the reigns at Liga MX outfit Monterrey, Lamela will once again be joining the manager in the upcoming season.

However, his role is set to change slightly in Mexico, or at least on paper.

You’re kitting me

While Lamela will effectively be operating as an assistant coach – as was the case at Sevilla – he is unable to be registered this way as he lacks the required license under Article 17.1 of Liga MX statutes.

With the 34-year-old still yet to earn the necessary coaching qualifications, the club have found a loophole to make sure he can be on the bench during games.

While he works towards his UEFA Pro license, the ex-Spurs star has been named as Monterrey’s kit man/equipment manager.

He isn’t the only member of their backroom team facing this restriction, with goalkeeping coach Fabian Donelli in a similar situation too.

But with the UEFA Pro coaching course taking a year to complete, it’s possible that they’ll be named in Almeyda’s coaching staff soon. 

Erik Lamela’s career

Lamela began his career at South American giants River Plate, before earning a move to Europe with Italian giants Roma.

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He is best known for his eight-year stint in the Premier League with Tottenham, who snapped him up in a deal worth £25.7million in 2013.

This was a record fee for Spurs at the time, as Lamela arrived in the same window that Gareth Bale left for Real Madrid for a world-record transfer.

While the wideman struggled to match Bale‘s heroics in north London, he still became a fan favourite.

The ex-Argentina international became a key player thanks to his tireless running, as well as gaining a reputation for the spectacular.

Lamela announced himself to Spurs fans with a 20-yard rabona goal in the Europa League in 2014, and he later

Seven years later, he famously won the 2021 Puskas Award with another rabona in the North London Derby.

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Lamela ultimately left Tottenham in the same season, ending his eight years in north London having made 257 appearances and scoring 37 goals.

Two years in LaLiga with Sevilla followed, before he ended his career in Greece with AEK Athens, retiring after the 2024/25 campaign.

Following his retirement, Lamela revealed that he battled hip pain for large parts of his playing days, with cartilage wear and advanced osteoarthritis forcing him to retire in his early 30’s.

He said in a 2025 interview: “My first pains started when I was 22, when I started to feel discomfort.

“At 25, I ended up having surgery because I couldn’t compete due to the pain. The operation went well and I kept playing.

“But from then on, everything was different for me because it’s like they replaced my hip. I’ve never had the same hip I had before.”