Yamal counters van der Vaart: trousers down and goal celebrations in Spain!

Yamal counters van der Vaart: trousers down and goal celebrations in Spain!

Valencia, Spanien - After the rousing quarter-final first leg of the UEFA Nations League between the Netherlands and Spain, Lamine Yamal reacted sharply to the criticism of Rafael van der Vaart in an Instagram post. Van der Vaart had accused Yamal that he had "pulled his pants too far" and did not bring himself into the game sufficiently. These statements came after the first game, which ended with a 2-2 draw, and caused excitement in the football world. Yamal, who scored the significant third goal for Spain in the second leg, celebrated his goal with a reduced trousers, which was interpreted as a direct answer to Van der Vaart's criticism. In his Instagram message, he commented: "Pants down, a goal, a penalty shot and in the semi-finals. Hehehe. Let's go Spain!"

in the second leg, which took place in the Mestalla Stadium of Valencia, the game ended with a 3: 3 and the decision was made in penalty shooting, where Spain ultimately won. While Yamal awarded a penalty in the crucial phase, his contribution to the game and the associated coolness was emphasized. Teammate Pedri noticed that Yamal would learn from this experience. Unai Simón parried a penalty of Donyell, and Pedri converted the decisive penalty for Spanish victory.

The way to the semi -finals

Due to the victory, Spain qualified for the semi -finals, where you will meet France in June. Yamal, who, despite his young years, has already played important games for the Spanish national team, has made a name for himself in no time. His achievements and his appearance on the square show that he has a remarkable calm and skills. The 17-year-old will continue to be the focus, especially in view of the current form curve of FC Barcelona, in which he plays a key role together with players like Pedri.

Barcelona will be strongly challenged because the team at the top of the Laliga is on par with Real Madrid and strives for a decisive victory against Osasuna. Players like Ronald Araújo and Raphinha could be missing due to World Cup qualifiers in South America, while other international players will be returned to the game on time.

criticism of youth football

In the meantime, there is another debate in the German football landscape that revolves around child and youth football. Hans-Joachim Watzke, DFB Vice President, has sharply criticized the planned reform, which wants to introduce new forms of play in age groups from U6 to U11 from 2024. Watzke described the reform as "fundamentally wrong approach" and is committed to maintaining the usual competitive structure that teaches children to lose and win. Sports psychologist Frauke Wilhelm, on the other hand, supports the reform because she argues that children can be motivated to be happy even without pressure and tables.

The discussion about youth football in Germany is contrasting to developments in international football, in which young talents like Yamal are increasingly in the spotlight. While the talent of young players is promoted in Spain and other European countries, it remains to be seen how the reform and the discussions about youth football will develop in Germany.