Following Spain’s penalty shootout win over the Netherlands on Sunday night, plenty of eagle-eyed supporters spotted the latter’s poster boy, Lamine Yamal, pulled his shorts down during their celebrations – and, albeit odd, the reason has now been revealed.
Yamal, widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted players in world football, scored a wonderfully taken strike in the 103rd minute to give La Roja a 3-2 lead. But six minutes later, Xavi Simons responded from the spot to make it 5-5 on aggregate.
Thus, a penalty shootout loomed and, although the 17-year-old missed his effort from 12 yards out, Oranje duo Noa Lang and Donyell Malen did too, which saw the Euro 2024 winners secure passage into the semi-finals of Nations League A against France.
As Spain soaked up the glory of their two-legged, ten-goal thriller, some noticed that Yamal was walking alongside Nico Williams with his shorts hanging a tad lower than they usually would – and it was a hit-back at midfielder-turned-pundit Rafael van der Vaart.
Prior to kick off, the ex-Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur engine room operator had some words for the teenage phenom, especially about things that had started to bother him, which included Yamal wearing his shorts too low. Per Mail Online, he told NOS:
It seemed like Yamal didn’t take well to facing Hato. These are things I notice: I see things that start to bother me a little. Shorts a little lower, not putting in much effort, slightly superficial gestures. That’s when I think: if you’re so young, you should be happy with every minute you play for Spain.
Referencing his meeting with Jorrel Hato, he pointed out the Dutchman’s superiority. “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.”
After chopping inside and curling his effort past Bart Verbruggen, Yamal responded to Van der Vaart on Instagram by posting a host of pictures from the game alongside a caption of “Pants down, a goal, missed penalty AND IN THE SEMIFINALS HEHEHEHE GO SPAIN!”
In truth, Yamal’s rise to superstardom cannot be ignored – and Spain manager Luis da le Fuente has backed the Barcelona ace to become a ‘historic player’ with the help of La Roja’s guidance and expertise. Per TNT Sports, he said:
“Lamine Yamal is in the position to become an amazing player, and he has the potential to be a different player, based on his quality, his self-confidence and courage. I am lucky to be able to have him with us. We will help him become the football player that he has the potential to be.”
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Yamal has become one of the best players in the world and his former coach has claimed that his talent was undeniable.
“We will do our best to ensure that things are not difficult for him. I am sure that we will be able to appreciate an amazing player,” the 63-year-old tactician continued. “If he remains injury-free, I am sure that we will witness a historic player.”