When the Storm Hits: Barcelona's Lamine Yamal Sparks a Double-Standard Debate in La Liga

Overview

In a fiery column, a Catalan writer criticized Madrid media for double standards in their treatment of Barcelona's young star Lamine Yamal, linking the shift in tone to the approaching World Cup.

The writer argued that Madrid outlets suddenly revisited Yamal after months of critique, the current praise echoing near the World Cup and fueling talk that he could lead Spain in the tournament.

He noted that Madrid-based articles and radio programs now speak of an extraordinary World Cup thanks to Yamal, seemingly forgetting campaigns that focused on his private life rather than his football form.

Media discourse and implications

The piece highlights what it calls a systematic smear campaign at the season's start, when reports dwelled on nightlife, friends, injuries, absences, and family, almost ignoring his football reality, even as he stood among the continent's top stars and helped his team win the European Championship with Spain.

The article argues this pattern is not new and that a press environment that elevates Real Madrid above all else risks undermining Spain's national team quality. It asserts Yamal will remain under the media lens, asked to prove he's not a marketing product, unlike other players who escape similar scrutiny.

It warns that any future stumble with the national team would be met with a fierce backlash, but it also contends that Barcelona, via its La Masia academy, has produced a global star capable of driving a coordinated project for club and country.

Conclusion: Yamal, once described as a reckless teen, has become a beacon of national hope, with every goal or key pass raising expectations.

Punchline 1: If bias were a sniper rifle, Madrid's headlines would be silenced by silence — dead quiet, but still missing the target.

Punchline 2: Yamal doesn't just hit the target; he hits the nerve of the critics, while the haters practice their aim at the wrong goal.