Lamine Yamal breaks his silence after racist incident
The Spanish national team footballer posted a message on his social media condemning what happened last night in Cornellá.
Lamine Yamal has spoken out after what happened during the Spain-Egypt match played in Cornellá. The national team player reacted on social media after the chant “whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim” was heard from the stands during the game.
The Spanish international, who is Muslim, was clear in his message: “I am a Muslim, alhamdulillah. Yesterday at the stadium, the chant ‘whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim’ was heard. I know it was directed at the opposing team and wasn’t aimed at me personally, but as a Muslim it is still disrespectful and intolerable.”
Lamine also wanted to distance himself from the behaviour of a section of the crowd while acknowledging the rest of the fans: “I understand that not all supporters are like that, but to those who sing these things: using a religion as a joke in a stadium makes you look ignorant and racist.”
The footballer also highlighted what he believes sport should represent: “Football is for enjoying and cheering, not for disrespecting people for who they are or what they believe in.”
The chants occurred around the 20th minute of the match, a game already marked by tension after the Egyptian national anthem was booed before kick-off. The incident has had repercussions both within and outside the world of football.
Despite everything, Lamine Yamal ended his message by thanking those who supported the team: “Thanks to the people who came to cheer us on. See you at the World Cup.”
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