Lamine Yamal hits back at Rafael van der Vaart after Spain reach Nations League semi-final

The La Roja will take on France in the semi-final of the competition.

Lamine Yamal didn’t hold back as he reacted to former Real Madrid and Netherlands great Rafael van der Vaart’s comments. Yamal scored an important goal in Spain’s crucial win over the Dutch side.

After the first leg of Spain’s quarterfinal matchup with the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League, Van der Vaart implied that teenage phenom Yamal is starting to believe his own hype because he accomplished so much at the age of 17. However, the former’s player comments didn’t sit right with Yamal.

After a 2-2 tie, former Tottenham playmaker Van der Vaart stated:

“Yamal didn’t seem to take kindly to facing [Jorrel] Hato. These are things I notice: I see things that are starting to bother me a little. Pants a little lower, not making much of an effort, slightly superficial gestures. That’s when I think: if you’re that young, you should be happy with every minute you play for Spain. No matter how good you are, at that age, you have to prove it every minute and in every game.”

Winner of the European Championship despite having nothing to prove in the match’s second leg, Yamal made a point of playing a significant role in the thrilling six-goal match that saw Spain win via penalty shootout and secure their spot in the Nations League semifinals.

Yamal missed his lines from 12 yards out after finding the target in extra time, but Spain were pegged back again, and La Roja won 5–4 in penalty kicks. The teenager then made the following social media post in clear reference to Van der Vaart’s remarks:

 “Pants down, a goal, missed penalty AND IN THE SEMIFINALS HEHEHEHE GO SPAIN!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @lamineyamal

On June 5, Spain will play France in the final four of the Nations League tournament. By then, Yamal hopes to have added to his club medal collection, as Barca are still vying for LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League championships.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.