Barcelona make Lamine Yamal decision to try and allay fears of 'bad influence' on teen star

Barcelona have handed Lamine Yamal the No.10 shirt in the hope that the now 18-year-old will embrace the responsibility. Spanish wonderkid Yamal will follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Diego Maradona by wearing the iconic number which was recently vacated by Ansu Fati, who's joined Monaco on loan with an option to buy.

Yamal's shirt change comes after he signed a lucrative six-year contract which keeps him at the soon-to-be renovated Camp Nou until 2031. But the winger has recently become embroiled in controversy.

Spain's Ministry of Social Rights has asked the country's prosecutor's office to investigate Yamal after he allegedly hired people with dwarfism to perform at his 18th birthday party. The lavish celebrations took place on Sunday at a rented property in Olivella, a small town 50 kilometres north west of Barcelona.

It's claimed that Yamal paid for a group of entertainers with dwarfism, something which the Association of People with Achondroplasia and other Skeletal Dysplasias in Spain (ADEE) describe as 'unacceptable in the 21st century'. An Instagram model also said that 12 women of a 'certain breast size' were paid to attend while other guests included YouTubers, influencers and several of his Barca team-mates.

On Wednesday, Yamal was presented with the No.10 shirt by club president Joan Laporta and the Spain international commented: "I'm a bit indifferent to both criticism and praise if it doesn't come from my family or friends. Right now, I'm very focused on football.

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"Ultimately, I work for Barca and I play for Barca, but when I'm away from Ciudad Deportiva (the club's training ground), I enjoy my life, and that's it."

Yamal, who returned for pre-season training earlier this week, added: "When I was a child, my dream was to debut for Barca, to grow up and play with the No 10. Every kid born in Barcelona dreams of that. Messi has made his way, and I'm going to make mine."

Regarding the allegations, Directorate General for People with Disabilities in Spain told BBC Sport: "ADEE has filed a legal complaint. Therefore, this Directorate General has asked the Prosecutor's Office to investigate to determine whether the law and, therefore, the rights of people with disabilities have been violated."

Will Lamine Yamal go down as Barcelona's greatest ever No.10? Give us your prediction in the comments section.

In a statement, the ADEE said: "These actions violate not only current legislation but also the fundamental ethical values of a society that seeks to be egalitarian and respectful.

"The general law on the rights of persons with disabilities expressly prohibits the following practices: 'Shows or recreational activities in which people with disabilities or other circumstances are used to provoke mockery, ridicule, or derision from the public in a manner contrary to the respect due to human dignity are prohibited'."

In an interview with Spanish radio station RAC1, however, one of those performers jumped to Yamal's defence. "No one disrespected us, we worked in peace," the artist, who asked to remain anonymous, explained.

"I don't understand why there's so much hype. We're normal people, who do what we want, in an absolutely legal way. We work as entertainers. Why can't we do it? Because of our physical condition? We know what our limit is and we will never exceed it: we are not fairground monkeys."

Barcelona say that they are 'not in a position to comment on an act that falls strictly within the private sphere'. The La Liga champions added that they'd reassess their position once they have 'concrete information'.

Barca begin their title defence away to Mallorca on Saturday, August 16. It's the first of three consecutive away fixtures before they plan to return to the Camp Nou permanently after two seasons away.

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