هكذا علق فليك على احتفال لامين جمال بالعلم الفلسطيني – الجزيرة نت

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal sparked significant political and media debate after waving the Palestinian flag during the club’s celebrations for winning the La Liga title on May 11, 2026.

The 18-year-old player appeared in videos shared by several Catalan sports accounts on the social media platform X, showing him waving the flag from an open-top bus during the victory parade. The images received widespread interaction and admiration from supporters globally, while triggering a strong backlash within Israel.

During the parade, Yamal addressed the crowds that had gathered in the streets to celebrate the championship, describing the atmosphere as incredible and noting that the fans are always with us during both important and difficult days.

Hansi Flick Addresses the Incident

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick addressed the controversy during a press conference held prior to a match against Alavés. When questioned about the political nature of the gesture, Flick indicated that such matters are generally best left undiscussed.

These are things better not to talk about (the political questions). I told Lamine that if he wanted to do that, it was his personal decision.

Hansi Flick

Flick further elaborated on the intersection of professional sports and public expectation, acknowledging the emotional weight of the title celebrations.

We play football, and we must take into account what people expect from us and when I saw the fans in the streets crying from the intensity of the emotion, the feelings were unbelievable… Everything I saw was very moving.

Hansi Flick

Reaction from Israeli Officials

The gesture led to sharp criticism from Israeli official and media figures. According to reporting by Al Jazeera, the most prominent critic was Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir.

Ben Gvir responded to the images of Yamal waving the flag via a post on his official Facebook account, leading a wave of anger from Israeli officials regarding the player’s public display of support.

The incident has highlighted the ongoing tension surrounding political expressions by high-profile athletes during sporting celebrations, particularly within the context of the Spanish league’s global visibility.