Ronald Araujo reportedly among senior Barcelona players unhappy with Lamine Yamal and his father ahead of Real Madrid game
A number of senior Barcelona players, including vice-captain Ronald Araujo, are said to be unhappy with young talent Lamine Yamal and his father due to their controversial behavior in the lead-up to the El Clasico on Sunday, October 26.
Barcelona faced a tough challenge at the Santiago Bernabeu, ultimately suffering a costly 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid. Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham scored for Xabi Alonso’s side, while Fermin Lopez netted for the Blaugrana. With this victory, Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of the LaLiga table to five points.
According to a report by El Nacional, several senior Barcelona players have expressed discontent with Yamal and his father’s antics off the pitch. Despite this, when asked about Yamal’s comments ahead of the match, Araujo remained diplomatic, stating: “I don’t want to talk about him. I can only say that he is a great professional, one of the best in the world, and we are happy to have him. He is of age, he knows what he has to do.”
The report suggests that some senior players believe Yamal has been poorly advised off the pitch. The 18-year-old winger has frequently attracted headlines due to his behavior and remarks during matches. Prior to the latest El Clasico, Yamal accused Real Madrid of “stealing” and complaining, comments that sparked considerable controversy.
Despite the hype, Yamal struggled to make a significant impact against Los Blancos, as Barcelona suffered the defeat.
Frenkie de Jong criticizes Dani Carvajal over post-match incident
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong also weighed in following the game, criticizing Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal over an on-pitch incident involving Lamine Yamal.
De Jong urged Carvajal to handle his frustrations with Yamal privately rather than escalating tensions publicly. Speaking to GOAL, the Dutch midfielder said: “I didn’t see what happened. I was on the bench and saw a lot of people. When the referee blew his whistle, Real Madrid players went after Lamine. It’s a bit exaggerated. You’d have to ask them.”
He added: “In the first half, we weren’t sharp with the ball. Madrid hurt with their players up front. In the second half, we lacked the ability to create danger and clear chances.”
De Jong continued: “If Carvajal wanted to speak with Lamine, call him or text him. Making gestures on the pitch just fuels the fire. Lamine never said Real Madrid cheats, I never heard that. You’re teammates, you know each other. Why do you have to make a scene on the pitch?”
The confrontation in question saw Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal publicly confront Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal after the final whistle. Teammates Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Junior were also seen approaching Yamal, leading to a heated exchange.
As tensions simmer following El Clasico, the focus now shifts to how Barcelona’s squad dynamics and off-field interactions will evolve in the coming weeks.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-barcelona-defender-among-senior-players-unhappy-lamine-yamal-father-antics-el-clasico-loss-real-madrid-reports
