Why did Real Madrid 'go crazy' when Yamal called them 'robbers'?

As reported by Spanish outlets, the players of Real Madrid were deeply angered by Lamine Yamal's confrontational comments before the upcoming El Clasico.

As scheduled, Real Madrid will host Barcelona in the 10th round of La Liga 2025/26 on October 26. Before Barcelona's visit to the Bernabeu, Lamine Yamal made a statement that enraged the Real Madrid squad.

Specifically, in an interview with popular streamer Ibai Llanos, when asked about Real Madrid's frequent involvement in referee-related controversies in La Liga, Yamal candidly replied: “Real Madrid is like Los Porcinos (Ibai Llanos's team in the Kings League, a 7-a-side league founded by Pique). They steal, cause a fuss, and do things I just can't understand.” These words acted like a spark to the simmering rivalry between the two clubs.

According to Marca, Yamal's comments deeply angered Real Madrid players who felt the 18-year-old Barcelona star disrespected the basic code of conduct expected from professional players. Amid Barcelona's ongoing Negreira scandal involving payments to the former Vice President of the Spanish Referees Committee, Yamal’s careless statement was unacceptable to Real Madrid and several other clubs.

The same source states that after the El Clasico, Carvajal will have a direct conversation with Yamal about this matter. Meanwhile, Real Madrid's stars see Yamal’s disrespectful remarks as a “great” motivation to defeat Barcelona in the upcoming El Clasico.

Before the first El Clasico of the 2025/26 season, Real Madrid lost four matches to Barca last season with an aggregate score of 7–16. According to Marca, Mbappé and Vinicius feel responsible for those defeats and are determined to prevent a repeat at Bernabeu.

This is a great opportunity for Real Madrid to prove who is the top team in La Liga, as they have home advantage and better form. Additionally, coach Xabi Alonso’s squad is almost at full strength. In contrast, Barca not only lost coach Hansi Flick (banned from coaching) but also six key players: Ter Stegen, Joan Garcia, Gavi, Olmo, Lewandowski, and Raphinha. Moreover, assistant Marcus Sorg acting as interim coach for Barca brings joy to Real, since in the two matches last season when Sorg took charge due to Flick’s ban, Barca lost 0-1 to Leganes and 1-2 to Atletico in December 2024.