{"id":1938363,"date":"2026-05-15T11:18:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1938363"},"modified":"2026-05-15T11:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T08:18:16","slug":"fc-barcelona-tells-euronews-no-comment-after-israel-accuses-yamal-of-inciting-hatred","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1938363","title":{"rendered":"FC Barcelona tells Euronews &#8216;no comment&#8217; after Israel accuses Yamal of &#8216;inciting hatred&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/75\/90\/27\/1200x675_cmsv2_acf00fbf-04f1-55ad-84ef-e8729229a64e-9759027.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2894023-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2894023\" data-cid=\"9760305\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2894023-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" 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class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/06\/21\/189x106_cmsv2_b9629741-e230-51e9-905a-6097b4734657-9760621.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Latest news bulletin | May 16th, 2026 \u2013 Midday\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Top News Stories Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Latest news bulletin | May 16th, 2026 \u2013 Midday\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            FC Barcelona tells Euronews &#8216;no comment&#8217; after Israel accuses Yamal of &#8216;inciting hatred&#8217;<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/75\/90\/27\/1536x864_cmsv2_acf00fbf-04f1-55ad-84ef-e8729229a64e-9759027.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"To the left, Lamine Yamal waving a Palestinian flag during Barcelona LaLiga celebrations. To the right, Israel Katz, the Israeli Minister for Defence \"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              To the left, Lamine Yamal waving a Palestinian flag during Barcelona LaLiga celebrations. To the right, Israel Katz, the Israeli Minister for Defence<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspAdnan Leal\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1778843896\">\n                    Published on                 <time datetime=\"2026-05-15 13:18:16 +02:00\">15\/05\/2026 &#8211; 13:18 GMT+2<\/time><span class=\"c-article-publication-date__bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Updated<br \/>\n                                     <time 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loading=\"lazy\"><span>Bluesky<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-bluesky.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"bluesky\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        In response to a Euronews request for a comment, FC Barcelona declined to back its star player Lamine Yamal after Israel\u2019s defence minister accused him of \u201cinciting hatred towards Israel\u201d for waving a Palestinian flag. The club said it had \u201cno comment\u201d to make on the issue.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Spanish football club FC Barcelona have declined to provide comment on accusations made by the Israeli defence minister towards its star player Lamine Yamal of &#8220;inciting hatred&#8221; against the country after he waved a Palestinian flag at a victory parade.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Katz said the player\u2019s gesture, made during Barcelona\u2019s recent La Liga title celebrations, amounted to \u201cinciting hatred towards Israel and the Jewish people\u201d, adding that anyone who supports actions like Yamal\u2019s should \u201cask themselves: is this humanitarian? Is this moral?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s defence minister also said that Yamal chose to do it \u201cwhile Israeli soldiers were fighting the terrorist organisation Hamas, which massacred, raped, burned and murdered children, women and Jewish elders on 7 October.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Katz went on to call on Barcelona \u2014 Yamal\u2019s club since the age of seven \u2014 to \u201cmake it clear that there is no place for incitement or support for terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/75\/90\/27\/808x454_cmsv2_d44cfd59-b422-5cde-9b35-097e75059987-9759027.jpg\" alt=\"Screenshot of a translated version of Israel Katz's post\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Screenshot of a translated version of Israel Katz&#8217;s post<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">X<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Euronews also contacted former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart and the Royal Spanish Football Federation, which governs football in Spain and oversees the Spanish national team, of which Lamine Yamal is a member.<\/p>\n<p>Gaspart, who led the club from 2000 to 2003 after serving as vice-president for 22 years, said the Israeli defence minister can say \u201cwhatever he wants\u201d and that he \u201crespects his opinion\u201d. Asked what he made of FC Barcelona declining to comment on the attacks against Yamal, he said: \u201cIf the club has said that, there\u2019s nothing else for me to add.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also suggested that the majority of the club\u2019s 150,000 members \u2014 who effectively co-owners of the club and elect its leadership \u2014 would agree with Barcelona\u2019s decision not to comment on the issue. \u201cAsk them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>On Yamal waving a Palestinian flag, he argued that \u201cBarcelona must focus on football\u201d, but that everyone can \u201cdefend their ideas on a personal level\u201d. However, he added that \u201cwhen you are at Barcelona, you need to try to keep your personal views to yourself. I never expressed my personal opinion when I was president.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-euronews\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n<div class=\"auto widget__ratio widget__ratio--16x9\">\n        \n      <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the reaction of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez to Katz\u2019s comments about Yamal, in which S\u00e1nchez defended the player, Gaspart said he did not want to comment: \u201cHe is not a Barcelona supporter, so I am not going to assess what he said.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Spain\u2019s football governing body also declined to comment on the matter, arguing that Lamine Yamal is only considered a player of the Spanish national team while participating in its own camp rather than Barcelona&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>Yamal, who is considered one of the Spanish national team\u2019s best players, was included this week in the preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He is also expected to be named in the final squad, despite an injury that has kept him out of Barcelona\u2019s team in recent weeks.<\/p>\n<h2>Praise and backlash<\/h2>\n<p>The 18-year-old Yamal, a son of a Guinean-Ecuadorian mother and a Moroccan father, has previously been vocal about social issues.<\/p>\n<p>A Muslim himself, he previously condemned Spanish fans who chanted hateful songs against Muslims during a friendly match with Egypt as \u201cignorant\u201d and \u201cracist\u201d. He has not publicly expressed support for Hamas or the 7 October terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n<p>His recent move to wave a Palestinian flag has drawn both praise and criticism. In Gaza, a mural depicting the Barcelona star waving the Palestinian flag has been painted on a wall by local artists.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"1.5003750937734435\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/75\/90\/27\/808x1206_cmsv2_4db9589e-20f4-583a-9481-a7985f58b6d0-9759027.jpg\" alt=\"A mural depicting FC Barcelona football player Lamine Yamal holding a Palestinian flag on the rubble of a destroyed building in northern Gaza City, Thursday, 14 May, 2026\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">A mural depicting FC Barcelona football player Lamine Yamal holding a Palestinian flag on the rubble of a destroyed building in northern Gaza City, Thursday, 14 May, 2026<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Jehad Alshrafi<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In Spain, prominent politicians such as Catalan nationalist Gabriel Rufi\u00e1n have publicly shown support. \u201cMaybe some people have moved from indifference to condemning the genocide in Gaza simply because he waved that flag,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n<p>Others, such as El\u00edas Bendodo from Spain\u2019s main opposition party Partido Popular, said that \u201csport must not be mixed with other issues\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Yamal\u2019s coach at Barcelona struck a similar tone when asked. \u201cI usually don\u2019t like these things,\u201d Hansi Flick said during a press conference on Tuesday. \u201cBut he\u2019s old enough, so he should make his own decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Euronews, Joan Gaspart praised Flick: \u201cI fully agree with him. Lamine is young and a great player and should listen to him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Some Catalan media have criticised Flick\u2019s comments, however. On Catalunya Radio, commentators said the German coach should not make Yamal\u2019s freedom of expression conditional. And online, many fans spoke out against Hansi Flick, arguing that his views on Yamal\u2019s actions are influenced by his agent, Pini Zahavi, an Israeli citizen. There is currently no evidence to support that claim.<\/p>\n<p>The row has revived debate over the role of political expression in sport, particularly with the World Cup \u2014 jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico \u2014 less than a month away.<\/p>\n<p>For Barcelona, this is not the first time football and politics have intersected. In 2017, days before the Catalan independence referendum, which had been deemed illegal, the club published an official statement saying it had \u201calways defended the country&#8217;s (Catalonia), democracy, freedom of expression, and the right to self-determination\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Will politics feature in the FIFA World Cup (again)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Amid growing geopolitical tensions and the war on Iran launched by the US and Israel, politics has already played a role in discussions surrounding the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. For example, with the US set to co-host the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico, Iran at one point claimed it would not take part before later retracting the statement.<\/p>\n<p>At one point, a US government official even suggested FIFA should allow Italy to play in the World Cup instead of Iran. Italy had failed to qualify after losing a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The last time its national team played at a World Cup was in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>FIFA rules do give the world football\u2019s governing body \u201csole discretion\u201d to decide what happens if a team is withdrawn or excluded from a FIFA competition. Article 6 of its World Cup rulebook also allows the organisation to replace one team with another.<\/p>\n<p>However, shortly after reports emerged that Trump\u2019s Special Envoy Paolo Zampolli had requested FIFA replace Iran with Italy, it was reported that no such plan had been put forward.<\/p>\n<p>The current situation is reminiscent of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where politics also featured prominently. That year, FIFA prohibited several team captains from wearing armbands supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion as part of the &#8220;OneLove&#8221; campaign launched by the Royal Dutch Football Association.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">German footballers cover mouths in apparent protest at FIFA over &#8216;OneLove&#8217; armbands<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>FIFA warned that players wearing the armband risked receiving a yellow card, and the initiative was ultimately abandoned during the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>FIFA regulations state that team equipment must not contain \u201cpolitical, religious, or personal slogans\u201d. The tournament stadium code also prohibited banners, flags and flyers of a \u201cpolitical, offensive and\/or discriminatory nature\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The enforcement of these rules during the tournament in Qatar prompted heated debate over consistency, with some arguing that different forms of political expression were treated unevenly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-partage-commentaire__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-partage-commentaire-share\"><span>Share<\/span><\/span><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Spain&#8217;s PM Pedro S\u00e1nchez &#8216;proud&#8217; of Barcelona&#8217;s Yamal in Palestinian flag row<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  PSG&#8217;s Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 beats out Lamine Yamal in Ballon d&#8217;Or race as Barcelona&#8217;s Aitana Bonmat\u00ed makes history<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Lamine Yamal&#8217;s father stabbed &#8216;multiple times&#8217; in car park assault in Spain<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Spain<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Israel<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Palestine<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Lamine Yamal<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-top-stories\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-top-stories\">\n<h2 class=\"c-top-stories__title\">Top stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2894142-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2894142\" data-cid=\"9760778\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2894142-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/07\/78\/320x180_cmsv2_659ea4f3-de9c-592b-a3b7-80d9a6314586-9760778.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"AP photo\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 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the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2894070\" data-cid=\"9760754\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2894070-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/04\/99\/320x180_cmsv2_b0c7949f-55cf-5e57-b794-93c3853409c1-9760499.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE: An elderly voter leaves a polling station after casting her ballot in Carmona, Seville, Spain, on 25 March 2012.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Key moments shaking the final stretch of Andalusia&#8217;s campaign<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2894074-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2894074\" data-cid=\"9760503\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2894074-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/76\/05\/03\/320x180_cmsv2_76f1cd28-6ed1-5a96-be6e-508ba375e693-9760503.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike is seen through a damaged house in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>     Lebanon\u2013Israel ceasefire extended by 45 days, says US<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2893911-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2893911\" data-cid=\"9759527\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    &#8216;Point of no return&#8217;: 36 countries join tribunal to prosecute Putin<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2893950-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2893950\" data-cid=\"9759857\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Pompeii: A doctor identified thanks to his instruments<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2893989-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2893989\" data-cid=\"9760077\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Norway confirms move to cancel missile system sale to Malaysia<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2893536-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2893536\" data-cid=\"9757725\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Where in Europe do workers earn the most \u2014 and the least?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2893931-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2893931\" data-cid=\"9759670\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Underwhelming summit outcome in China brings Trump back to reality<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Spanish football club FC Barcelona have declined to provide comment on accusations made by the Israeli defence minister towards its star player Lamine Yamal of &#8220;inciting hatred&#8221; against the country after he waved a Palestinian flag at a victory parade.Katz said the player\u2019s gesture, made during Barcelona\u2019s recent La Liga title celebrations, amounted to \u201cinciting hatred towards Israel and the Jewish people\u201d, adding that anyone who supports actions like Yamal\u2019s should \u201cask themselves: is this humanitarian? Is this moral?\u201dIsrael\u2019s defence minister also said that Yamal chose to do it \u201cwhile Israeli soldiers were fighting the terrorist organisation Hamas, which massacred, raped, burned and murdered children, women and Jewish elders on 7 October.\u201dKatz went on to call on Barcelona \u2014 Yamal\u2019s club since the age of seven \u2014 to \u201cmake it clear that there is no place for incitement or support for terrorism.\u201dEuronews also contacted former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart and the Royal Spanish Football Federation, which governs football in Spain and oversees the Spanish national team, of which Lamine Yamal is a member.Gaspart, who led the club from 2000 to 2003 after serving as vice-president for 22 years, said the Israeli defence minister can say \u201cwhatever he wants\u201d and that he \u201crespects his opinion\u201d. Asked what he made of FC Barcelona declining to comment on the attacks against Yamal, he said: \u201cIf the club has said that, there\u2019s nothing else for me to add.\u201dHe also suggested that the majority of the club\u2019s 150,000 members \u2014 who effectively co-owners of the club and elect its leadership \u2014 would agree with Barcelona\u2019s decision not to comment on the issue. \u201cAsk them,\u201d he said.On Yamal waving a Palestinian flag, he argued that \u201cBarcelona must focus on football\u201d, but that everyone can \u201cdefend their ideas on a personal level\u201d. However, he added that \u201cwhen you are at Barcelona, you need to try to keep your personal views to yourself. I never expressed my personal opinion when I was president.\u201dOn the reaction of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez to Katz\u2019s comments about Yamal, in which S\u00e1nchez defended the player, Gaspart said he did not want to comment: \u201cHe is not a Barcelona supporter, so I am not going to assess what he said.\u201dSpain\u2019s football governing body also declined to comment on the matter, arguing that Lamine Yamal is only considered a player of the Spanish national team while participating in its own camp rather than Barcelona&#8217;s.Yamal, who is considered one of the Spanish national team\u2019s best players, was included this week in the preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He is also expected to be named in the final squad, despite an injury that has kept him out of Barcelona\u2019s team in recent weeks.Praise and backlashThe 18-year-old Yamal, a son of a Guinean-Ecuadorian mother and a Moroccan father, has previously been vocal about social issues.A Muslim himself, he previously condemned Spanish fans who chanted hateful songs against Muslims during a friendly match with Egypt as \u201cignorant\u201d and \u201cracist\u201d. He has not publicly expressed support for Hamas or the 7 October terrorist attacks.His recent move to wave a Palestinian flag has drawn both praise and criticism. In Gaza, a mural depicting the Barcelona star waving the Palestinian flag has been painted on a wall by local artists.In Spain, prominent politicians such as Catalan nationalist Gabriel Rufi\u00e1n have publicly shown support. \u201cMaybe some people have moved from indifference to condemning the genocide in Gaza simply because he waved that flag,\u201d he argued.Others, such as El\u00edas Bendodo from Spain\u2019s main opposition party Partido Popular, said that \u201csport must not be mixed with other issues\u201d.Yamal\u2019s coach at Barcelona struck a similar tone when asked. \u201cI usually don\u2019t like these things,\u201d Hansi Flick said during a press conference on Tuesday. \u201cBut he\u2019s old enough, so he should make his own decisions.\u201dSpeaking to Euronews, Joan Gaspart praised Flick: \u201cI fully agree with him. Lamine is young and a great player and should listen to him.\u201dSome Catalan media have criticised Flick\u2019s comments, however. On Catalunya Radio, commentators said the German coach should not make Yamal\u2019s freedom of expression conditional. And online, many fans spoke out against Hansi Flick, arguing that his views on Yamal\u2019s actions are influenced by his agent, Pini Zahavi, an Israeli citizen. There is currently no evidence to support that claim.The row has revived debate over the role of political expression in sport, particularly with the World Cup \u2014 jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico \u2014 less than a month away.For Barcelona, this is not the first time football and politics have intersected. In 2017, days before the Catalan independence referendum, which had been deemed illegal, the club published an official statement saying it had \u201calways defended the country&#8217;s (Catalonia), democracy, freedom of expression, and the right to self-determination\u201d.Will politics feature in the FIFA World Cup (again)?Amid growing geopolitical tensions and the war on Iran launched by the US and Israel, politics has already played a role in discussions surrounding the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. For example, with the US set to co-host the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico, Iran at one point claimed it would not take part before later retracting the statement.At one point, a US government official even suggested FIFA should allow Italy to play in the World Cup instead of Iran. Italy had failed to qualify after losing a play-off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The last time its national team played at a World Cup was in 2014.FIFA rules do give the world football\u2019s governing body \u201csole discretion\u201d to decide what happens if a team is withdrawn or excluded from a FIFA competition. Article 6 of its World Cup rulebook also allows the organisation to replace one team with another.However, shortly after reports emerged that Trump\u2019s Special Envoy Paolo Zampolli had requested FIFA replace Iran with Italy, it was reported that no such plan had been put forward.The current situation is reminiscent of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where politics also featured prominently. That year, FIFA prohibited several team captains from wearing armbands supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion as part of the &#8220;OneLove&#8221; campaign launched by the Royal Dutch Football Association.FIFA warned that players wearing the armband risked receiving a yellow card, and the initiative was ultimately abandoned during the tournament.FIFA regulations state that team equipment must not contain \u201cpolitical, religious, or personal slogans\u201d. The tournament stadium code also prohibited banners, flags and flyers of a \u201cpolitical, offensive and\/or discriminatory nature\u201d.The enforcement of these rules during the tournament in Qatar prompted heated debate over consistency, with some arguing that different forms of political expression were treated unevenly.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/05\/15\/fc-barcelona-tells-euronews-no-comment-after-israel-accuses-yamal-of-fuelling-hatred&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/75\/90\/27\/1200x675_cmsv2_acf00fbf-04f1-55ad-84ef-e8729229a64e-9759027.jpg&#8221;] Tech News Malta gives citizens a paid version of ChatGPT Plus for free Culture news Cannes awaits shooting of new season of The White Lotus World News Putin to visit China following Trump&#8217;s Beijing trip Top News Stories Today Latest news bulletin | May 16th, 2026 \u2013 Midday Tech News Malta gives [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-1938363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1938363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1938363\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1938363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1938363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1938363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}