Josep Pedrerol apologises after remarks about Lamine Yamal’s Moroccan heritage

Josep Pedrerol, presenter of the Spanish television programme El Chiringuito, has apologised after referring to Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal as being of Moroccan origin during a discussion about a campaign supporting Ceuta.

Pedrerol said the comment was a “slip of the tongue” after his remarks caused widespread controversy in Spain. He made the statement while debating the decision by three Real Madrid players not to take part in a pre-match initiative involving a message of support for the city.

The incident dates back to last Tuesday, before Elche’s match against Real Madrid at the Martinez Valero Stadium. Against the backdrop of the ongoing migration crisis in Ceuta, players from both teams wore shirts bearing the words “We are Caballas”.

The initiative was launched by AVE to show support for the people of the city. However, Vinicius, Mbappe and Konate, the three Real Madrid players involved, chose not to participate and covered the message on their shirts.

Their decision prompted several hours of debate across Spanish radio and television, with much of the discussion focusing on the ethical position of the players and the role of clubs in the campaign.

After defending the three Real Madrid players, Pedrerol turned his attention to Barcelona and argued that the Catalan club should also have taken part. Referring to Yamal, he asked: “Wouldn’t he wear it to avoid putting Lamine in an awkward position?”

Pedrerol then added on air: “Lamine is of Moroccan origin, although he plays for Spain.”

On Wednesday, he addressed the controversy during an appearance on Catalonia Radio with Francesc Garriga and issued an apology.

“It was a slip of the tongue; I forgot to mention his Moroccan origin, because his father is Moroccan by origin,” Pedrerol said.

He went on to explain the point he had been trying to make, saying Yamal had been placed in a more difficult situation than the Real Madrid players.

“But what I mean is that we all agree Lamine Yamal is in a more difficult situation,” he said. “Do you think Real Madrid are acting correctly by involving all the players, or are they making a mistake? I am not sure whether they are acting correctly. They have put the Real Madrid players in a very difficult position, while Barcelona avoided that situation.”

Pedrerol also criticised the way the players had been drawn into a social and political issue.

“I do not know who acted rightly or wrongly, but forcing the players to accept this situation was a mistake by the club,” he said. “Publishing it and involving the players in it is a serious mistake.”

He concluded by arguing that such decisions should be discussed internally before players are expected to take part.

“It is just a phrase, yes, but it is a shirt. It should be discussed and debated to decide whether it could cause offence or not,” he said.