Father of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal Appeals to Club President Amid Racism Concerns
Recent investigations by Spanish media have uncovered that Lamine Yamal, a young talent at FC Barcelona, is enduring a systematic campaign of racist abuse, making him the most targeted player on social media in Spain. His father has reached out to club president Joan Laporta, emotionally pleading for intervention.
According to a report from "El País," 60% of the racist attacks on players in La Liga are directed at Yamal, who has been derogatorily referred to as "the black" and "the Moroccan" in over 20,000 posts.
In light of this troubling situation, the report indicates that Yamal's father, Munir Nasrawi, was in tears when he contacted president Laporta, urging him to take action against the ongoing insults and racism targeting his son. Meanwhile, Yamal's mother, Sheila Ibana, has also called for an immediate response from the club.
While Yamal's family asserts that he remains resilient, they acknowledge the toll it has taken on them, especially following a controversial remark by commentator Mono Burgos, who suggested that if Yamal does not succeed in football, he might end up "at the traffic light."
In response to Burgos' comment, Yamal stated, "He tried to praise me, but he couldn't find the right words."
Yamal is not the only player facing such abuse, but he is the most prominent victim. The investigation revealed that Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, who also frequently encounters racist attacks, has faced 29% of the total incidents, placing him second on the list.
The report highlighted that the most significant spike in racist abuse directed at Yamal occurred on September 22, coinciding with the Ballon d'Or ceremony, where he finished as runner-up to French player Ousmane Dembélé.
Several global football stars, including Kylian Mbappé, Alejandro Balde, Ibrahim Díaz, and Inaki Williams, have also been victims of similar racist insults, underscoring that this issue is widespread.
The "El País" investigation concludes by stressing the urgent need to foster a culture of respect and combat discrimination both on and off the field, noting that the journey to eliminate hate speech in football remains ongoing.
