Lamine Yamal’s return to Barcelona for pre-season training has come after a controversial summer for the Catalan giants teenage sensation, with the Spanish government considering a probe into his 18th birthday party.
Yamal has been widely criticised for the celebratory bash, attended by around 200 people, which allegedly ‘exploited dwarves’ and featured women with ‘specific breast measurements’ who were claimed to have been ‘paid to attend’.
On Tuesday, new images of the individuals arriving at the private event were obtained and showed a group of five men with Achondroplasia as they appeared to be getting registered for the party.
Another image shows a few women after passing through that checkpoint as they appear to be headed to the main venue. Elsewhere, in pictures that were taken later in the night, a multitude of guests can be seen arriving for the spectacle.
The ‘mafia-themed’ bash came at the end of a summer where Yamal also generated headlines for holidaying with an OnlyFans model 12 years his senior, with the pair forced to deny they had entered into a relationship.
One of the quietest parts of Yamal’s exuberant summer surprisingly came when he visited former Barcelona star Neymar in Brazil.
Lamine Yamal visited former Barcelona star Neymar last month amid a whirlwind summer
Yamal is in the spotlight after a controversial 18th birthday party, with the Spanish government considering whether to launch a probe into the teenage sensation’s celebrations
Yamal has been criticised for allegedly ‘exploiting people with dwarfism’, pictured here upon entry to the controversial party
The Brazilian, now 33, had also been famed for throwing extravagant parties during a trophy-laden four seasons at Barcelona, with the trend continuing when he moved on to PSG.
With reports from Spain suggesting Barcelona are ‘very worried’ about Yamal’s summer activities, concerns have reportedly been raised about Neymar potentially being a ‘bad influence’ on the teenage star, with the Brazilian’s lifestyle having been scrutinised throughout his career.
Neymar had developed a reputation for being a ‘partygoer’ during his years at Barcelona and PSG. The forward in particular regularly been pictured been photographed at lavish bars and nightclubs in Paris after his world record £198m move between the sides.
Former PSG midfielder Ander Herrera once revealed how Neymar had split team-mates into two groups on different floors of a Paris nightclub for his 28th birthday bash in February.
Married players partied on the top floor while those who were single were set up on the bottom floor so they could ‘have a good time.’
Asked what happened at the party on Spanish TV show The Resistance, Herrera responded: ‘What didn’t happen!’
While Yamal’s party has attracted the interested of the Spanish authorities, a planned celebration by Neymar during the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a probe from Rio de Janeiro state prosecutors in December 2020.
Comparisons have been made between Yamal and Neymar, who been on the receiving end of criticism during his career for a series of lavish parties
Neymar and guests pictured at his New Year’s Eve party back in 2019, but the star was forced to cancel plans for a five-day celebration the following year following a state government probe
Neymar (front, centre) hosted his PSG team-mates and their WAGs at his 28th birthday party
The Brazilian poses with Lyon forward Memphis Depay during the bash at YoYo club in Paris
Neymar and his team-mates dressed all in white for the Brazilian’s birthday back in 2020
Prosecutors contacted Neymar amid multiple reports in the Brazilian media that he had planned to throw an extravagant five-day New Year’s party, with 500 people planned to have been in attendance.
Eyewitnesses had claimed to have seen scores of guests arriving and leaving, with their host reportedly banning mobile phones to keep the party secret.
Models, who had flown in for the event, had however shared photos minutes away from the mansion Neymar had allegedly rented for the party, with wristbands guaranteeing access over five days.
Despite reports Neymar had spent around £568,000 on the event, the forward denied involvement.
The eventual cancellation had followed the party gaining national and international attending during the pandemic. The Brazilian was blasted by a human rights lawyer, who had tweeted at the time ‘The idiot trophy for the day goes to Neymar for his five-day party.’
Neymar, who won seven league titles and the Champions League while at Barcelona and PSG, has remained steadfast during his career that his lifestyle had not been detrimental to his career.
‘So, who doesn’t like to party? Everyone likes to have fun,’ Neymar said in an interview in 2021.
‘I know when I can go, I know when I can do it, when I can’t. Contrary to what people think, that I’m immature, that I don’t know what I do.
Yamal has shared footage from his birthday celebrations, but the event has come under fire
The birthday celebration has also been criticised for allegedly exploiting people with dwarfism
There were plenty of glamourous women in attendance at the 18-year-old’s bash
Spanish model Claudia Calvo has claimed organisers had tried to hire 12 blonde women with specific breast sizes to attend the event
‘I’ve been in football for several years, if you stay 100 per cent with your head focused on just playing football, in my opinion, you end up exploding. It is my time to relax, to be calm, I will never stop doing it.’
His father Neymar Sr broached the subject last month, amid continued criticism in Paris about his reputation for partying.
‘We have to stop believing that it’s Carnival every night. On the field, he’s professional. Off it, it’s his life,’ Neymar told L’Equipe.
‘He goes out when it’s vacation or when he’s off. The injuries didn’t happen because he went out with girls. Do you think he injured his cruciate ligaments because he played poker?’
Neymar’s success and style of play has led to him become an icon for numerous young players, with Yamal among them.
Speaking while visiting Neymar, Yamal admitted that the Brazilian- rather than Lionel Messi – had been his idol while growing up at Barcelona.
‘I was five-years-old when I saw him at Santos, but seven-years-old when I saw him in person at FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou,’ Yamal said.
‘It was incredible to see him. Yes, it’s true that Messi was there who was also incredible, but he was something totally different.
Yamal revealed Neymar had been his idol growing up with the Brazilian starring at Barcelona
Concerns have been raised over whether Yamal could look to emultate his idol’s lifestyle
Neymar has remained steadfast during his career that his lifestyle has not been detrimental to his performances and has pushed back against his reputation as a partygoer
‘Neymar has always been my idol, he’s a star, a football legend.’
The idolisation of Neymar has raised concerns in Spain, with youth coach Gabino Carmona, who works with the country’s football association, having suggested that his lifestyle off the pitch may have appealed to Yamal.
‘Your role models speak to your lifestyle, Neymar’s pattern of behaviour, play, and lifestyle appeals to Lamine Yamal,’ Carmona told the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial.
‘We must remember that Neymar’s talent, like Lamine Yamal’s, seemed inexhaustible, and no one predicted his decline would come so soon because he was a magical player.
‘However, what made Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo so long-lived were the predominant values of their lifestyles, such as balance and discipline.’
The comparison between Yamal and Neymar was also made by the 18-year-old’s current team-mate Wojciech Szczesny last week, just days before his extravagant and controversial party.
Unlike Carmona, Szczesny suggested their lifestyle off the pitch has helped both to express themselves on it. The goalkeeper, however, noted that Yamal’s entourage would be crucial to him as he becomes the centrepiece of Barcelona’s team.
‘I believe everyone has their own path, and as of today, I don’t see anything in Lamine Yamal that would raise a red flag,’ Szczesny said on the Polish podcast FootTruck. I believe his approach to football, to life, makes him the player he is. It’s a bit like you can’t change a person’s temperament.
Wojciech Szczesny compared Yamal and Neymar last week, suggesting their lifestyle off the pitch has helped the Barcelona’s current and former star express themselves on it
‘Someone today might say, for example, that Neymar could have achieved much more in football if he had a different attitude. If Neymar had a different attitude to football, to life, he wouldn’t be the Neymar who puts on such a show.
‘I believe that such personalities shouldn’t be put under too much pressure, but rather be attentive and let them enjoy their football. Their joy is contagious not only to their teammates but also to millions of people around the world who are about to fall in love with football.
‘I think this is more the role of Yamal’s entourage than of him himself. The boy is still 17 and has the right, and perhaps even the obligation, to make youthful mistakes. Let’s hope that if he does, it won’t be without major consequences. His surroundings will certainly be important to him.’
Yamal could yet face consequences for his lavish party last weekend, with the Spanish government seeking a huge fine and probe into the mafia-themed bash following the outcry over paid attendees with Dwarfism.
After the Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE) threatened to take legal action, the Spanish government joined those condemning Yamal and demanded a probe into the party.
According to Marca, Yamal could be hit with a fine of up to £867,000 and the General Director of Disability in the government, Jesús Martín, wants ministers to approve an investigation.
