Barcelona legend, Rivaldo, has described as annoying and sad the rumours about club’s young superstar, Lamine Yamal.
The Brazilian was reacting to the controversy surrounding the player’s 18th birthday party.
Yamal reportedly had a lavish birthday party and hired people with dwarfism for entertainment.
The BBC later reported that the Association of People with Achondroplasia and other Skeletal Dysplasias in Spain filed a complaint against the 18-year-old.
Yamal has been widely criticised, and Rivaldo, who is a legend of the club, said he wants to see the player focus more on his game.
“So, hopefully there won’t be any more rumours, because that’s annoying, it’s sad,” the legendary Brazilian said, as quoted by Barca Universal.
Rivaldo said he just wants to see Yamal shine on the pitch, advising him to reflect on everything he has achieved already as a young player “to avoid this type of situation”.
Yamal is one of the front-runners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award after helping Barcelona win the domestic treble last season.
At 16 years old, Yamal was already a key player for Barcelona and Spain.