Barcelona prodigy the footballer most targeted by racist insults on social networks in Spain | OneFootball

At a young age, Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has already made himself one of football’s biggest names, and his journey to success has been a fascinating one to watch unfold.

Unfortunately, however, not everyone shares the same sentiment, and there is a significant chunk of the population who find more displeasure than satisfaction in seeing the youngster succeed so early.

That frustration, over time, has translated into a vicious agenda against the Barcelona star, with many reports fabricating news on his personal life and lifestyle. Racism and online racist slurs have only furthered the attack on the teenager.

The most targeted player

It is indeed unfortunate to see the young winger targeted so ruthlessly by a sect of fans, that too in the same country that he represents and plays in.

As relayed by Mundo Deportivo in a recent update, the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia made a report on the players and clubs most affected by racism on social networks in Spain.

Lamine faces a lot of racist remarks on social media. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Yamal ranks number one on the list of players, and by a significant margin, as he faces 60% of the total racism insults towards footballers in Spain. The second highest is Real Madrid’s Vinicius. Jr at 29%, less than half of Yamal’s share.

The update is shocking, needless to say, and puts into perspective how much hate the prodigal young talent faces online.

While he has not been one to dig deep and bother about the same, Barcelona must look to protect him at all costs.

There is no place for racism in football, and when Vinicius and Real Madrid were the parties in question, there was unending noise in the media about the need for strict action. Yamal’s situation, which is far more grave, however, has not attracted any of the spotlight.

Also on the list, notably, is Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde at 3%, and also some of the other big names in the league, including the Williams brothers, Nico and Inaki, and Kylian Mbappe.

Among clubs, Real Madrid receive 34% of racist attacks while Barcelona are closely behind at 32%. Real Valladolid, Valencia, and Athletic Club rank below in order.