The fallout from Sunday’s heated El Clásico continues to ripple through Spain. Former FC Barcelona president Joan Gaspart has weighed in on the tension surrounding teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and his confrontation with Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal, offering both advice and a few pointed words of his own.
Speaking on La Posesión, Gaspart began by addressing Yamal’s growing spotlight following his pre-match comments comparing Real Madrid to Ibai Llanos’ Kings League team, Porcinos. The youngster had
joked that Madrid “steal and complain,” remarks that didn’t sit well with some Los Blancos players after the final whistle. Carvajal, in particular, confronted Yamal, sparking the brief altercation that ended the match.
He said that given how young Yamal is, mistakes are part of the process, but it was up to the club captains and manager to dole out fatherly advice, and not up to Carvajal.
In fact, the former president criticized Carvajal’s reaction.
“Who is Carvajal to lecture him? He was a great player, but his time has passed,” Gaspart remarked bluntly. “Why should Lamine call him to apologize if his words were not even directed at Carvajal?”
He added that any tension between the two would likely dissolve quickly, predicting they would “shake hands” during their next national team meeting.
On Yamal’s fitness, Gaspart was equally direct. “If Lamine is not at 100 percent, he should rest and recover,” he said. “He must play only when fully fit. There should be no excuses.”
Gaspart insisted that the Barcelona dressing room and coach Hansi Flick are best placed to guide Yamal through this period of intense scrutiny. “It’s clear that he needs to be looked after, but Barça is above him. There’s a fanbase that loves him very much, and he can’t let them down. He has to win that support back and understand that people know that even though he’s 18, he earns like someone who’s 30.”
