‘Yes, a thousand times!’ – Lamine Yamal opens up on racism: ‘Someone calling me Black isn’t going to bother me’

The conversation inevitably turned toward recent high-profile incidents in La Liga, most notably during the El Clasico fixtures at the Santiago Bernabeu. During one particular clash, Yamal and his Barcelona teammates were subjected to vitriolic abuse from sections of the home crowd.

Yamal specifically addressed a viral moment involving his teammate Raphinha, who was also targeted by fans during a match in the Spanish capital. Reflecting on that specific afternoon, the 17-year-old said: “For example, that video that came out from the Bernabéu, where my whole family defended Raphinha. People were surprised by my reaction. In the end, I think someone calling me ‘black’ isn’t going to bother me at all. I mean, I’m Black, I’m not some other color. It’s different when someone says it specifically to offend me, of course. Then it’s wrong.”