Barcelona’s young star, Lamine Yamal, delivered a sharp and memorable response to criticism from former Real Madrid player Rafael van der Vaart. Yamal’s reaction came after Spain’s dramatic Nations League quarter-final victory against the Netherlands.
The Spanish national team, champions of Euro 2024, overcame Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands in a penalty shootout after an enthralling 5-5 aggregate draw over two legs. This victory secured Spain’s place in the Nations League semi-final, where they are set to face France on June 5th.
The second leg of the quarter-final was a rollercoaster, ending 2-2 after normal time. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice for Spain, while Memphis Depay and Ian Maatsen found the net for the Netherlands.
Yamal scored a brilliant goal in extra time, seemingly putting Spain ahead for good. However, a late penalty from Xavi Simons forced the game to penalties. Despite Yamal himself missing his penalty in the shootout, Spain ultimately prevailed.
Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona prodigy, has been widely praised for his exceptional performances since his breakthrough at just 16 years old. Football legend Thierry Henry has even highlighted Yamal’s maturity, especially after a season where he scored 13 goals and provided 17 assists for Barcelona.
However, Rafael van der Vaart, formerly of Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, unexpectedly criticized the young winger following the first leg. Van der Vaart labeled Yamal as “superficial,” suggesting he struggled against Dutch left-back Jorrel Hato and was critical of Yamal’s style of wearing his shorts low.
Speaking on NOS, Van der Vaart stated, “These are things I notice: I see things that are starting to bother me a bit. Pants a little lower, not making much effort, gestures a little superficial.” He questioned Yamal’s attitude, adding, “That’s when I think: if you’re that young, you should be happy with every minute you play for Spain.”
Van der Vaart concluded his criticism by saying, “No matter how good you are, at that age, you have to prove it every minute and in every game. But that doesn’t change the fact that Hato simply had him in his pocket.”
Yamal’s Goal Celebration and Social Media Response
Yamal didn’t let Van der Vaart’s words go unanswered. After scoring a stunning goal to put Spain ahead 3-2, Yamal memorably pulled down his shorts in a clear and cheeky jab at Van der Vaart’s comments, all while celebrating with his teammates.
Lamine Yamal’s shorts-pulling celebration aimed at Rafael van der Vaart. Image: Getty
But Yamal’s response didn’t end on the pitch. He took to Instagram to further address Van der Vaart in a post that quickly went viral. Sharing a carousel of images from the match, Yamal captioned it: “Pants down, goal scored, missed penalty and in the semifinals… vamos, Spain”.
Within the image carousel, Yamal cleverly included screenshots of Rafael van der Vaart looking displeased alongside images of his own goal celebration.
Lamine Yamal’s Instagram post targeting Rafael van der Vaart. Image: Instagram/@lamineyamal
Spain is now set to clash with France in the Nations League semi-final on June 5th. France also secured their spot via a penalty shootout victory against Croatia after a 2-2 aggregate scoreline.
The other semi-final will feature Germany against Portugal, taking place on June 4th at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Lamine Yamal, Barcelona, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Spain, Rafael van der Vaart
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