Lamine Yamal is not only one of the brightest prospects Spain has seen in a long time, but also a pivotal player for Luis de la Fuente’s side at the UEFA Euro 2024. However, it looks like he could cost the team a fine by playing against Albania on Monday.
How’s that? Well, let’s take a look. German regulations prohibit people aged under 18 from working past 8:00 PM, while in the case of athletes the authorization extends to 11:00 PM.
But since Spain and Albania will play at 9:00 PM, the Spanish FA could end up violating the law if Yamal plays. That’s because the law considers the time for showering and media duties as working hours both for Germans and foreigners.
According to German outlet Bild, Spain are not at risk of suffering sporting punishment. But Stephan Graf, a legal expert at the University of Konstanz, claims the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) could be fined nearly €30,000.
Yamal started in Spain’s two group stage wins so far, so chances are he remains in the starting eleven to face Albania. In the event that happens, we’ll have to wait and see whether Spain find a way to avoid the violation of the law, and therefore the fine.
Lamine Yamal, a generational talent inspiring Spain
Born on July 13, 2007, Yamal has drawn everyone’s attention since making his debut for Barcelona on April 29, 2023. At 15 years, 9 months and 16 days, he became the youngest debutant in club history and went on to break even more records.
Lamine immediately became a key player for Xavi Hernandez and it didn’t take him long to get called up to the Spanish national team. With two goals in nine caps, the 16-year-old is already giving the country reasons for optimism.
