Spanish prodigy faces German curfew dilemma at Euro 2024
16-year-old Lamine Yamal is a star of the Spanish national team and FC Barcelona. The youngster excels on the pitches of Euro 2024; he is the youngest footballer to have played in the finals of the European Championship, and... he may have some issues. As a minor, he cannot work in Germany after 22:00. If he plays against Albania, the federation will pay a £26,000 fine.
German law is clear and strict for those who employ minors in the evening hours. If you are under 18, you cannot work after 19:00. As a footballer, you can play (which is considered work) until 22:00. But you must leave the pitch much earlier to get home.
And here lies a big problem for the Spanish team. They will conclude the group stage of Euro 2024 with a clash against Albania. This match will take place on Monday in Düsseldorf at 20:00.
If Lamine Yamal plays in this match - and he has started against Croatia (3:0) and Italy (1:0) - the Spanish federation could be fined up to £26,000 for breaking the rules. Under German law, the 16-year-old would be working illegally in the country, as reported by "Bild".
The talented and very football-matured Spanish winger made his debut in the Euro 2024 finals with a match against Croatia (3:0). And he immediately broke the European Championship record, as on the day of the game, he was 16 years and 338 days old. Until now, the youngest player in the history of the European Championship was Kacper Kozłowski, who played for the Polish national team during Euro 2020.
The Spaniards were euphoric, and the youngster played against Italy (1:0). He started both matches and performed well.
However, a problem has arisen because, in Germany, such inexperienced players are not allowed to play matches in the evening. If you are under 18, you must finish the game by 22:00, shower, talk to journalists, and get home—or back to the hotel, as a young Spanish guest in the country.
That's the employment law, which is very strict in Germany in this respect. The Spanish team has a problem because it's hard to imagine that Lamine Yamal would suddenly be on the bench or out of the La Furia Roja squad. The boy is playing great, so the federation will probably have to pay a fine for his appearance. But RFEF can afford to spend £26,000 so that the national team can enjoy the game of their incredible talent.
The youngster plays excellently in the European Championship finals and diligently studies between matches and training sessions. After all, the summer holidays are ahead, and the school year still needs to be completed. The Spanish squad's psychologist informed him about how young he was in the dressing room after the Italy game and was astonished to see a 16-year-old dash onto the field.
Just like the defensive players of La Furia Roja's opponents, for whom the wonder child of Barcelona is causing huge problems on the pitch.
