Overview
- Lamine Yamal, during Monday’s title parade in Barcelona, waved a Palestinian flag for several minutes and later shared the image with his large Instagram following.
- Clips of the moment spread widely online and drew praise from fans, activists and some athletes, with the State of Palestine’s official account amplifying the image.
- Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said Tuesday that he does not like players making political gestures and said he spoke with Yamal but left the decision to the 18-year-old.
- Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez used the episode to stress that Spain recognizes the State of Palestine and said Palestine has the right to exist.
- Critics in Spain, including a senior People’s Party figure, said sport should stay out of politics, and the parade also featured other symbols such as Robert Lewandowski waving a Catalan independence flag.