Today’s match between Barcelona and Getafe witnessed a notable incident that sparked wide controversy, involving a conversation between Moroccan defender Abdelkabir Abqar and Barcelona’s young star Lamin Yamal. Abqar deliberately reminded Yamal of his Moroccan origins, bringing renewed attention to the issue of Yamal’s representation and the Moroccan national team. This occurred amid Barcelona players protesting a refereeing decision in the match between the two teams.
Press reports revealed details of the dialogue exchange between the players. While the Barcelona players were protesting a decision by referee Jesus Gil Manzano to award a foul in favor of Getafe goalkeeper David Soria following a refereeing intervention during a Barcelona attack, Abqar intervened to clearly address Yamal, saying: “Lamin, you want to play for Morocco,” repeating this phrase multiple times.
Yamal was not distant from the protests, expressing his displeasure at the referee’s decision, but the dialogue quickly took a personal turn with Abqar’s continued reminders to the young star about the possibility of representing the Moroccan national team. Television footage showed Abqar’s insistence on addressing Yamal while the latter tried to move away, in a scene that attracted the attention of observers.
This incident brought to mind Yamal’s family background, whose father is of Moroccan descent, although he chose to represent the Spanish national team internationally. Abqar’s words during the match added a new dimension to the ongoing discussion about the allegiance of dual-nationality players, especially Yamal and the Moroccan national team, making the incident the talk of the sports circles after the match ended.
