Barça: Lamine Yamal, the reason that allegedly influenced the Ceuta t-shirt affair

FC Barcelona's refusal to have its players wear the Ceuta-related t-shirts is not solely due to the political nature of the message. The situation of Lamine Yamal is also believed to have influenced the Catalan club's decision.

FC Barcelona reportedly opted for a collective approach to avoid further controversy surrounding its players. While the club had hesitated to participate in the operation before the match against Racing Santander, the case of Lamine Yamal is said to have tipped the scales.

According to reports from Le360, Barcelona's management learned that the young striker did not want to wear the t-shirt bearing the slogan "Todos somos Caballas" (We are all Caballas). His Moroccan heritage was also reportedly taken into account by the club, which feared the player would become the target of attacks on social media.

Rather than letting Lamine Yamal appear as the only player not participating in the initiative, Barça reportedly decided not to have any member of its squad wear the t-shirt. According to this version, this was a way to avoid personalizing the controversy and to protect its young talent from any potential repercussions.

The precedent of Real Madrid

This decision comes a few days after a similar scene at Real Madrid. During the trip to Elche, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Ibrahima Konaté rolled up their t-shirts, partially revealing the message dedicated to Ceuta.

The gesture quickly sparked reactions on social media and in the Spanish press. Real Madrid later reiterated that its players were free to decide how they participated in the initiative.

Barça reportedly wanted to avoid one of its players being at the center of a similar controversy. In Lamine Yamal's case, the Catalan management apparently prioritized team unity so that the decision wouldn't fall on the young striker's shoulders.

This case mainly illustrates the sensitivity of the issue surrounding Ceuta and the desire of the two Spanish giants to manage with caution any initiative likely to take on a political or identity dimension.