A slip of the tongue lands Pedrol in trouble: apology after a controversial remark about Lamine Yamal's origins | Goal.com
Josep Pedrerol has stirred up a storm in Spain. The well-known host of "El Chiringuito" touched on the origins of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal while discussing the crisis over the Ceuta support shirt, then came out to insist it had been a "slip of the tongue" and offered a formal apology.
It all traces back to last Tuesday, during the pre-match ceremony of Elche versus Real Madrid at the Martínez Valero stadium. Amid the ongoing immigration crisis in Ceuta, players of both teams wore shirts bearing the words "We are Ceuta", an initiative launched by the company AVE to show support for the city's residents.
Three Real Madrid players refused to take part. Vinícius, Mbappé and Konaté all covered up the message, sparking hours of debate on radio and television over the players' moral stance.
Pedrerol defended the trio, then swung the focus onto Barcelona and demanded the Catalan club join the campaign. He mentioned Lamine Yamal by name and asked: "Won't he wear it to avoid putting Lamine in an embarrassing position?"
The remark that lit the fuse came next, live on air: "Lamine is of Moroccan origin, even though he plays for Spain."
The backlash was immediate. Pedrerol came out on Wednesday to explain himself and apologise via Radio Catalunya to Francesc Garriga, saying: "It was a slip of the tongue. I forgot to mention his Moroccan origin, because his father is of Moroccan origin."
He then set out his point of view: "But what I mean is that we all agree that Lamine Yamal is going through a more difficult situation. Do you think Real Madrid is acting correctly by involving all the players, or is it making a mistake? I am not sure whether they are acting correctly. They put the Real Madrid players in a very difficult position, while Barcelona avoided this situation."
Pressing his criticism of how the players were dragged into a social and political issue, the host of "El Chiringuito" added: "I don't know who acted well or badly, but the company forcing the players to accept this situation is a mistake on the club's part, as publicising it and involving the players in it is a grave error."
You can discuss the topics and news in greater depth on the Kooora forums
His parting shot stressed that the decision should have been taken internally: "It is just a phrase, yes, but a shirt should be discussed and debated to determine whether or not it will cause offence."
Lesen Sie die Originalnachricht
William Hill
Bonus für Neukunden bis zu 100€
William Hill Bonus für Neukunden aus Deutschl...
William Hill Bonus für Neukunden aus Deutschland, Österreich und aus der Schweiz...
