The father of young Spanish football star Lamine Yamal was stabbed on Wednesday in the Catalan town of Mataro and his condition is serious but stable, according to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. (Photo by MANAURE QUINTERO / AFP)
The father of teenage Spain and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal was stabbed and left in a serious but stable condition, Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reported late Wednesday.
Mounir Nasraoui was stabbed multiple times in a car park in Mataro after an argument with some men while he was walking his dog, who later came back to attack him, said the report, citing “official sources familiar with the incident”.
The Catalan regional police, in charge of the investigation, did not publicly confirm the incident or respond to AFP requests for information.
ALSO READ: ‘No limit’ for Mbappe after scoring on Madrid debut
Newspaper La Vanguardia said some arrests have already been made.
The attack took place in the Rocafonda neighbourhood of Mataro, around 30 kilometres north of Barcelona, where Yamal grew up and where his father and grandmother still live.
The 17-year-old player celebrates goals by making a ‘304’ gesture with his hands, referring to the postcode of the Catalan neighbourhood.
Making his Barcelona debut at 15, Yamal has risen into the elite at rapid speed and was key for Spain in their Euro 2024 triumph this summer.
Starlet Yamal offers Barca hope
Teenage star Lamine Yamal is carrying the weight of expectations as Hansi Flick’s Barcelona face the unenviable challenge of dethroning a fearsome Real Madrid side as Spanish champions this season.
The German coach replaced club legend Xavi Hernandez at the helm and welcomed new arrival Dani Olmo last week, but last season’s La Liga winners Madrid signed superstar French striker Kylian Mbappe earlier this summer.
The forward joins Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and other star names to ensure Barcelona begin the season as firm underdogs to Los Blancos.
The Catalan giants won nothing last season and surrendered their Spanish crown in a deeply disappointing campaign, but 17-year-old Yamal’s emergence shows there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Along with Olympic gold medal-winning centre-back Pau Cubarsi, financially-hampered Barcelona will rely on their young stars to try and compete with the might of Carlo Ancelotti’s Champions League winners.
Many believe Barcelona need a left winger and a deep-lying midfielder to put themselves in a position to fight for silverware but the club’s economic struggles make those dreams unlikely after Olmo’s arrival.
Flick’s side beat Madrid in pre-season during a tour of the United States but were brought crashing down to earth on Monday by Monaco, who enjoyed a 3-0 win in the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy curtain-raiser at Barcelona’s Olympic Stadium in their final friendly.
ALSO READ: Five new Premier League signings to watch
“We didn’t play with our normal speed or normal combinations, we lost a lot of balls,” said Flick after the chastening defeat.
“But in the end, it is pre-season. I know the team can play much better than today.
“We have five days more now and will prepare them well for the next match against Valencia (Barca’s La Liga opener).”
The German coach is hoping to transform the club’s pressing game but with pivotal striker Robert Lewandowski soon turning 36, there are doubts over whether he can achieve it.
Flick is further set back by injuries to midfielders Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, as well as centre-back Ronald Araujo, which mean he starts the season with depleted ranks.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
