Thibaut Courtois admits that Lamine Yamal “lit a bit of a fire” under the latest Clasico clash between arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Said contest took place at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. Ugly scenes unfolded at the end of a 2-1 victory for the hosts, with teenage wonderkid Yamal attracting plenty of attention during the post-match skirmishes.
What Yamal said ahead of Clasico clash at the Bernabeu
Yamal had stirred the pot ahead of an age-old rivalry being rekindled. Clasico flames rarely require any added fuel, but they got it in the form of a surprising jibe from the hottest of prospects in Catalunya.
Speaking during a Twitch broadcast of the Kings League, Yamal made a tongue-in-cheek comment. Asked by Ibai Llanos whether his Porcinos FC side remind him of Real, the 18-year-old said: “Yes, of course, they steal, they complain…”
While those words were delivered in jest, they did not go down well in the Spanish capital. Yamal was made aware prior to kick-off that he should ready himself for some rough treatment. That was eventually delivered when the final whistle brought an end to a chaotic finish at the Bernabeu – with Pedri being shown a red card in the 100th minute.
Angry words were exchanged by players from both teams, with tempers boiling over. Real ‘Galacticos’ Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham became caught up in the scuffles. Courtois was, along with Dani Carvajal, among those to make a beeline for Yamal – as he was reminded of the need to do less talking away from the pitch.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhy Real Madrid players targeted Yamal after Clasico
Discussing those scenes with and why they unfolded, experienced Belgian goalkeeper Courtois said: “Lamine Yamal spoke in a certain way and lit a bit of a fire under the match, and of course the press took advantage of the topic. I saw that he was talking with Carvajal, and of course if you start saying something, I’ll say something too. But as I said before, we’re in an atmosphere of high tension and adrenaline, and sometimes you say things that weren’t necessary afterward.
“I think the Clásico is like that; sometimes we need this kind of vibe. Last season we lost four times, and I think we need a bit of this excitement again. Barcelona is a rival and we have to go face them; when they won, they didn’t respect us either.”
Fierce foes: Courtois claims no feud with Yamal
While being sure to get his opinion across to Yamal, with the youngster considered to have stepped out of line, Courtois insists that no long-standing feud has been sparked. Both men are considered to have spoken and acted in the heat of the moment.
Courtois went on to say: “I don’t think there’s any problem with Lamine. This is something that happens on the field, and off the field there’s nothing. If I see Lamine in a restaurant tomorrow, I’ll greet him. I think there’s no problem between him and me, and these are football matters.
“But as I said, what he did was a kind of fuel. For us, it was useful to be motivated for the Clasico. The Clasico always motivates, but sometimes hearing things like that increases the motivation even more.”
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Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong believes that Real stars were out of order in targeting Yamal. He said after an eventful contest: “When the referee blew for full-time, several Madrid players went straight for Lamine. It was over the top. If Carvajal wanted to talk to him, he could’ve done it privately. Making gestures on the pitch just fuels the fire. Lamine never said Madrid cheats, I never heard that.”
A return date between Barca and Real at Camp Nou – which will have reopened by then – is not scheduled to take place until May 2026. At the moment, the Blancos sit three points clear of the Blaugrana at the top of the Liga table through 12 rounds of fixtures – with both set to return to domestic action this weekend after the latest international break.