From Xavi, Iniesta to Yamal, Barcelona s genius fate in the national team

When a country has a phenomenal genius like Lamin Yamal who is enough to compete for the Golden Globes, people usually see national media uniting with fans and waving their flags and shouting for it.

But in Spain, what we see is a strange phenomenon. The flag bearer who should have led the glory of the country has encountered puzzling alienation, criticism and even attacks in the domestic public opinion field because of the color of the club jersey he wore.

Echoes of history

To understand Yamal's current situation, we must go back to the most glorious golden age of Spanish football. The legion of Bullfighters, whose tactical skeleton and core soul, was built almost entirely by Barcelona players. Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Pique, Busquets... At that time, in the narrative of Madrid media, this kind of success was always mentioned lightly, far less than they were as fanatical about club honors. This seemed to plant a seed: when the success of the national team was dominated by Barcelona, ​​it became a curse for Real Madrid fans.

History is repeating. Now, the new generation of Spanish national team once again centers on La Macia's treasures. Yamal is the undisputed banner on the offensive end, while Pedri, Garvey and others are the future of the midfield. La Macia once again contributed a world-class cornerstone to Spanish football, but what they received was not unanimous praise. The original sin of genius, Yamal's original sin is his Barcelona origin. This almost absurd logic is reflected in all aspects of public opinion.

In the game against Turkey in Spain, the Madrid media focused more on Real Madrid's Turkish player Arda Guerre. For Yamal, they avoid talking about his decisive stadium performance and instead amplify what he calls party and ego. This is a typical double standard. You know, they once laughed at Ronaldo's off-field life and worshiped his confident personality. When the player's identity changed from "Real Madrid superstar" to "Barcelona genius", the same trait changed from advantages to crime.

From Messi to Rodri

This phenomenon is not an isolated case, but a systematic party-to-party struggle. Madrid media is one of the few mainstream public opinion forces around the world that have been questioning Messi's historical status for many years, and its roots are nothing more than Messi's legendary identity in Barcelona. Similarly, when Manchester City's Rodri became a favorite in the Ballon d'Or, the non-Real Madrid player received far less support than he received in England.

Mbappe's joke may reveal the truth: "Yamar belongs to Barcelona, ​​and we can't say anything." Behind this is a distorted value: a foreigner who plays for Real Madrid has a higher status than any local Spanish genius. And if this genius is a Barcelona player, then the treatment he received can be imagined.

In a football country, when the club's position is above national honor, and when a genius who should be regarded as the pride of the nation is nitpicked by his own people because of his origin, this is undoubtedly a profound sorrow in Spanish football.