Erik Lamela has been signed as a kitman at his new club through an unusual loophole.
Erik Lamela has been registered as a kit man for the upcoming season after Liga MX team CF Monterrey used a clever rule that lets him be part of the coaching staff on matchdays.
The 34-year-old, who played for clubs like River Plate, Roma, Spurs, Sevilla, and AEK Athens over his 16-year career, announced his retirement from professional football in August 2025.
After dealing with hip pain for years—which eventually affected how he trained—Lamela decided to retire and joined Matias Almeyda’s coaching team at his former club Sevilla.
This season, he will join Almeyda again, but now with Mexican team CF Monterrey. His role will be a bit different, though. Since Lamela doesn’t yet have the coaching qualifications to be officially registered as a coach under Liga MX rules, the club found a way to have him on the bench during games by naming him as a kit man or equipment manager.
While working toward his UEFA Pro coaching license, Lamela will fill this role.
Lamela struggled with hip pain throughout much of his career due to cartilage wear and severe osteoarthritis, which is why he retired in his early 30s.
“My first pains started when I was 22, feeling discomfort,” he said last year. “At 25, I had surgery because the pain was stopping me from playing. The operation went well, and I kept playing, but it was never the same after that.”
In an interview with TyC Sports, Lamela shared that he played through a lot of pain. “I retired because of a physical problem that had been bothering me for a long time,” he said. “I wanted to finish my career as best as possible and enjoy it despite the difficulty. The problem got worse in recent years with cartilage wear and osteoarthritis.”
“These last few years, my hip became more painful, and I couldn’t train like before,” he added. “I even had to change how I trained during the week because if I trained too hard, I couldn’t play in the games. My hip just couldn’t keep up.”