Lamine Yamal has opened up on the low-point of his career so far, which came just three months ago thanks to some idiotic Spain fans.
Spain drew with Egypt in a pre-World Cup friendly, but the game quickly became about chants at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium.
Audible sections were heard singing ‘whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim’, with Lamine later walking off the pitch shaking his head.
Lamine responds to anti-Muslim chants
In a social media statement hours later, he wrote: “I am Muslim, alhamdulillah.
“Yesterday at the stadium the chant of ‘whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim’ was heard.
“I know I was going for the rival team and it wasn’t something personal against me, but as a Muslim person it doesn’t stop being disrespectful and something intolerable.
“I understand that not all fanatics are like this, but to those who sing these things: using a religion as a mockery in a field leaves you ignorant and racist people.
“Football is to be enjoyed and encouraged, not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe in.
“With that being said, thank you to the people who came to cheer us on, see you at the World Cup.”
Lamine was roundly supported for his message, including from the Spanish Prime Minister, and he’s since reflected on that nasty moment.
Lamine recalls Spain chants
Speaking before facing Austria in the last 32 of the World Cup, he was asked about the moment, and if it made him reconsider picking birthplace Spain over his father’s Morocco.
“The chants were against Muslims, and I think that all Senegalese who are Spanish, Moroccans, Spaniards… would have been offended,” he said.
“I don’t regret it; I would still choose Spain. I don’t usually generalise; I know that not all of Spain was chanting that.
“They don’t realise what they were shouting. My parents raised me one way, and theirs another.”
Lamine was then asked about the pressure on him to lead Spain, and reflected on his Moroccan father and Guinean mother.
He added: “Some people have suffered more.
“My mother had me when she was 16, and my father had to hustle and go out on the streets to put food on the table. Now that’s real pressure.
“I just try to play my game and make all Spaniards happy. Do I want to be unknown? I’d pay a lot of money to be able to go for a drink downtown, where people can see me but not know it’s me. I’d love that.
“To go to the bar next door and have a drink with my family. But I’m not complaining. Both lives are fine.”
Asked if that pressure has changed him, he told Cadena SER: “I hope so. You interviewed me when I was 16 , so I hope I’m more mature than I was then.
“The jokes you hear, the ones you tell, the day-to-day life… They’re not kids in the locker room. There are people with children, who already have their lives established, and it’s very different.
“Who do I owe being at the World Cup to? At night, people get nostalgic, and I look at photos with my mother going to training, with my father, with my friends going on the train…
“I miss my family, my father, my cousin, my grandmother… They’ve all helped me a lot, and I share that with them now that I’m here.
“These days, I send them photos at night, they send them photos too, and we enjoy the moments. It’s a motivation for me.
“In the last World Cup, I was in class watching Spain vs. Costa Rica , so how could I not give it my all? I want to give my absolute best to make it happen.”
Reaction to Spanish chants
At the time of the incident against Egypt, Lamine’s father Mounir Nasraoui said online: “Long live Spain, long live Muslims, Catholics, Jews, and long live everyone equally.
“What’s your problem? If you respect, you will be respected.”
Speaking post-match, president of the Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzán, said: “I want to thank the Barcelona fans for almost filling the stadium.
“At the same time, I condemn these kinds of isolated incidents. Sport and football should be an example, not this.
“We have condemned these attitudes on the video screens and demanded that they not happen again.”
Giving his instant reaction, leading pundit Dani Garrido was furious about a country that is due to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
“The chant ‘whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim’ was heard twice,” he began.
“This country, Spain, is going to host a World Cup and has a serious problem in many areas, including racism.
“This match will go down in history because of these kinds of chants. The Royal Spanish Football Federation has to take action regarding what is happening today.
“It is deplorable, despicable, and an absolute disgrace.
“What is the RFEF going to do? We saw a conversation between the match delegate and the fourth official. The reality is that this country has a problem with racism.
“And this country, which is the least of it, wants to host a World Cup and have the final played here in Spain…”
Why does Lamine Yamal play for Spain not Morocco?
“It was a strange experience, to be honest,” he said.
“The thought of playing for Morocco was definitely on my mind. Morocco had just reached the World Cup semi-finals, but when it came down to it, I never hesitated.
“With all due respect and affection for Morocco, I’ve always wanted to play in a European Championship, to play here in Europe.
“European football is more visible and closer to the international level. While at Barça, I wanted to win a European Championship, which, thank God, I’ve already achieved, and now I want to play in a World Cup with a chance of winning it.
“I’ll always have a soft spot for Morocco. It’s also my country. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been strange or bad at all to play for them, but Spain was playing in the European Championship. I grew up in Spain, and I also feel that it’s my country.”
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