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Lamine Yamal sparked a wave of reactions on Monday after raising the Palestinian flag during FC Barcelona’s celebrations for winning the Spanish league title.
Social media users across several Arab countries praised the young player’s gesture, widely sharing videos showing him aboard an open-top bus with his teammates while waving the Palestinian flag.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick commented on the incident, saying: «Usually, I don’t really like these kinds of things. We are focused on football, and we have to be mindful of what the public expects». However, he made clear that he did not blame the player, adding: «I spoke to him and told him it was his personal decision. He is an adult and responsible for his actions. It was moving to see people in tears during the celebrations because of the intensity of the emotion».
???? LAMINE YAMAL oneja la bandera de Palestina durant la rua del Barça per celebrar la Lliga#FCBlive pic.twitter.com/zQzKwp5m4Z
— Què T'hi Jugues (@QueThiJugues) May 11, 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also addressed the controversy after being questioned by journalists. He referred to Spain’s recognition of the State of Palestine and its right to exist, while recalling his condemnation of Hamas’s October 2023 attacks. Sánchez described the situation in Gaza as «a genocide committed by the Israeli authorities» and called for respect for international law and efforts to end the conflict.
Israeli calls to boycott Barcelona
In Israel, Yamal’s gesture triggered strong backlash. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led the criticism. «Someone needs to explain to footballer Lamine Yamal that he is raising the flag of an entity that does not exist, and that behind it lie rivers of blood, terrorism and the killing of Jews», he said.
«Anyone who chooses to identify with the flag of terror should not be surprised when Israelis hate him», he added.
Israeli media outlets devoted extensive coverage to the incident. Channel 12 published reactions it said came from non-Israelis, including comments such as: «Idiot, I’m now thinking of changing my team because of him», and «Let him play for the Palestine or Morocco national team». The channel also noted that images of Yamal holding the Palestinian flag had been widely celebrated across the Arab world.
The newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth wrote that «the city of Barcelona itself has become one of Europe’s most prominent centers of protest since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023», citing repeated pro-Palestinian demonstrations and anti-Israel events. The newspaper added: «In this context, Yamal’s gesture, he is the son of a Muslim Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, resonated even more strongly».
??Lamine Yamal agafa el màstil de la bandera de Palestina
— Esport3 (@esport3) May 11, 2026
✨El ‘10’ del Barça onejant-la#RuaCampions3Cat
? Segueix-la en directe per Esport3, TV3 i la plataforma 3Cat ?
?https://t.co/meOLA9gbzf pic.twitter.com/KrW1T5wUvy
According to the same publication, Yamal posted a photo of himself holding the Palestinian flag on Instagram, where it had received 3.6 million likes. The paper further noted that while Barcelona’s official pages shared numerous images of the celebrations, none showed the player carrying the Palestinian flag, «which does not appear to have been a coincidence».
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s supporters’ association in Israel reportedly sent a protest letter to club officials, arguing that «politics should not be mixed with sport». One member of the association said: «We have to be realistic, I don’t expect an apology from Lamine Yamal, since he is behind this act. I also doubt we will see much from Barcelona, because there is nothing we can do, we are small Israel, and the Arab world’s market is more important to them».
The Israeli website Srugim reported growing online calls to boycott both Yamal and Barcelona unless the club distances itself from the gesture.
According to the same source, the calls include canceling purchases of jerseys bearing Yamal’s name, boycotting matches at Camp Nou, and refusing to watch the club’s La Liga games.
