Barcelona Star Lamine Yamal Speaks Out On Facing Racism A Thousand Times

Yamal Opens Up on Abuse

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has revealed that he has experienced racism a thousand times. The 19 year old forward spoke about the ongoing issue in an interview with Movistar, which is set to be broadcast in Spain on September 18.

In extracts of the interview shared on social media, Yamal explained that racism is often subtle. He said that people can sometimes be indirectly racist towards you without even realising it. He pointed out that there are many comments and looks that are racist, even if the people making them do not understand what they are doing.

While the young star stressed that what is wrong can never be accepted, he has reached a point where he does not let the abuse affect him.

Staying Unfazed on the Pitch

Yamal has quickly become one of the most iconic faces in football. He rose to prominence during the 2024 Euros, a tournament that Spain won. The World Cup winner has also started this season in fine form for Barcelona, scoring seven goals in six La Liga matches.

Despite his success, Yamal still faces hostility from the stands. He shared a specific example of a well known video from the Bernabeu stadium. In the video, fans were shouting all sorts of things at Yamal and his teammate Raphinha.

Many people were surprised by Yamal's lack of reaction to the abuse. However, he explained that being called Black does not bother him in the slightest because he is Black.

Yamal said that while the fan was clearly saying it to offend him, he is not going to get angry just because he has been disrespected. He noted that the spectator had paid for a ticket to watch him play, so he chose to remain calm.

What it means for the next game

Sevilla vs Barcelona (LaLiga, Sat, 19 Sep): Sevilla win 10%, draw 16%, Barcelona win 74%; expected goals 0.91 to 2.65. Our safest pick: Over 2.5 goals.