Pep Guardiola, Spanish PM supports Yamal after he waves Palestinian flag at Barcelona title parade

Lamine Yamal sparked a global debate when he waved a Palestinian flag from the top of Barcelona’s open-top bus during the club’s La Liga title parade on May 11. The 18-year-old reached out to a fan in the crowd to pass him the flag, then held it up in front of hundreds of thousands of supporters who had flooded the streets of Barcelona to celebrate the club’s 29th league title, secured days earlier with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid. Images from the parade spread fast. A post on Yamal’s Instagram account featuring several images of the footballer with the Palestinian flag received more than six million likes. The moment drew praise and condemnation in equal measure, and within days it had moved well beyond football. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, speaking at a press conference ahead of his side’s match against Crystal Palace, was asked whether a footballer should involve himself in matters outside the game. He didn’t sidestep it. “A football player is a role model followed by millions, and his opinion is influential, so he should express it when necessary,” Guardiola said. He added that Yamal should be proud of what he did, and noted that the gesture had made the young winger “the talk of the world.” Guardiola has been one of the more outspoken figures in football on the situation in Gaza, and his defence of Yamal carries that same logic: that athletes with global platforms have every right, and perhaps a responsibility, to use them. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz lashed out at Yamal on Thursday, saying that he had chosen to “incite hatred” against Israel, and called on Barcelona to distance itself from the player’s actions. Spanish Prime Minister (PM) Pedro Sanchez pushed back directly. Writing on X, Sanchez said that anyone who considers waving the flag of a state to be incitement has “either lost their judgment or been blinded by their own ignominy.” He framed the gesture in clear terms: “Lamine just expressed the solidarity with Palestine that millions of Spaniards feel. Yet another reason to be proud of him.” Sanchez also grounded his remarks in Spain’s official diplomatic position, stating, “Spain has recognized the state of Palestine. From the very beginning, Spain condemned the attacks by Hamas, and later condemned the war being waged by the Israeli authorities in the Gaza Strip.” Barcelona manager Hansi Flick told reporters he was uncomfortable with politics entering football celebrations, while acknowledging that Yamal is old enough to make his own choices. “I don’t like these things and I spoke with him. If he wants to do it, it’s his decision. He’s 18-years-old,” Flick said. It is worth noting that Flick’s discomfort appears to be with political expression in football generally, not a rebuke of Yamal specifically. He stopped well short of asking the player to apologise or walk back the gesture. Yamal was not the only player making a statement during the parade. Robert Lewandowski was seen holding an Estelada, the flag associated with Catalan independence. But it was Yamal’s gesture that travelled the furthest. Yamal, who was born in the Catalan town of Mataro to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother, is Muslim and has previously spoken out on issues of discrimination. He has been outspoken throughout his short but high-profile career against racism and in support of social causes.