Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has spoken to Lamine Yamal about his decision to wave a Palestine flag during Barcelona’s La Liga trophy celebrations.
The newly crowned Spanish champions celebrated their success with an open top bus parade through the streets of the city on Monday evening.
Lamal, who played a major role in his side’s success, was prominent part of the celebrations despite missing Sunday’s win over Real Madrid through injury.
The teenager courted controversy by signaling to a supporter that he was willing to bring the flag on board and wave it above his head in a show of support.
Asked about Yamal’s actions at a press conference on Tuesday, Barcelona head coach Flick suggested he would have advised such an act and revealed he has spoken to his star player.
He said: ‘This topic is something I don’t usually like. I spoke with him and told him: ‘If you want to do that, it’s your decision, you’re old enough. You are 18 years old’.
Yamal’s show of solidarity with Palestine came a month after he condemned Spain’s fans for anti-Muslim chanting during their friendly against Egypt.
Yamal said at the time: ‘Yesterday at the stadium, a chant was heard: ‘Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim’. I know it was aimed at the opposing team and wasn’t something personal against me, but as a Muslim, this still counts as disrespectful and unacceptable behaviour.
‘I understand that not all the fans are like that, but to those who chant phrases like this: using religion for mockery in the stadium makes you ignorant and racist people.
‘Football was created for enjoyment and cheering, not for insulting people because of who they are or what they believe in.’
Yamal, meanwhile, also appeared to aim a dig at England international Jude Bellingham by by posting on social media a video of himself celebrating Ferran Torres’s goal in Barcelona’s title-clinching 2-0 win over Real along with the caption: ‘Talk is cheap.’
Bellingham had posted the same message following Real’s Claisco win over the eventual champions back in October and the dig was clearly noted by Yamal who also brandished a Barcelona shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Thank God I’m not Madridista’.
‘It was very emotional to see tears in people’s eyes,’Flick, meanwhile, added on the opportunity to celebrate with Barcelona’s supporters.
‘The first thing we have to do is make people happy. And I’m proud of that, and I’ve told the players that because it’s been a difficult season due to injuries.
‘There have been key players who haven’t been available at times, who were in and out of the squad, like Lamine, Pedri, Raphinha, Frenkie.
‘It’s incredible the season we’ve had and how we’ve improved in the last two months in attack and defense. You could see it against Real Madrid. That’s why we won La Liga. We conceded the fewest goals, and nobody expected that.’