He just turned 18, but he already behaves as if he were an established star. Lamine Yamal is going through difficult times after El Clásico at Santiago Bernabéu, where his performance fell far short of expectations.

In the offices at Camp Nou, there is concern that the young winger is more focused on his image than on his game. His involvement with the Kings League has ultimately set off the alarm.



More noise than soccer

In the hours leading up to El Clásico, Lamine Yamal was in the spotlight on social media and in the press because of some controversial statements related to the Kings League. In that informal setting, he was attributed the phrase “Real Madrid steals,” something that stirred up emotions before the match.

Frenkie de Jong, one of the captains, later came out to defend him, assuring that he wasn’t the one who said the phrase, but simply nodded when someone else did. However, the clarification came too late. In the Barça locker room, they believe all that noise affected his focus and that he arrived at Bernabéu too distracted by provocations.

Carvajal reminded him of it during the match. According to witnesses on the field, the white team’s full-back told him that “he talks a lot and plays little,” while the young Barça player chose to remain silent. Bernabéu, which was expecting his usual spark, barely saw any flashes.

There is discomfort at Barça

Internal club sources admit that his attitude was not well received. He is reproached for letting himself be carried away by the media environment and overexposure. Lamine Yamal has signed one of the highest contracts in the locker room, and at Barça they understand that this comes with a responsibility that goes beyond talent and demands attitude.

A sector of the board, led by people close to Deco, believes that the time has come to set boundaries. They don’t understand how such a young player can devote so much time to a competition unrelated to the club, no matter how media-driven it is. “He must focus exclusively on Barça,” they say.The warning

Barça fears that the media phenomenon surrounding Lamine could get out of hand. For this reason, it is not ruled out that in the coming weeks he will be formally advised to break ties with the Kings League.