Lamine Yamal has come in for criticism for a casual interaction with King Felipe VI after Barcelona's Copa del Rey win over bitter rivals Real Madrid.
Real Madrid let their bizarre vendetta against referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea get the better of them at the end of extra time.
A night of cards and high drama that began with a yellow card for Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti ended with red cards for Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vazquez and Jude Bellingham in time added on at the end of the second period.
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The Copa del Rey final in Seville was settled by Jules Kounde's winner late in extra time after reaching 90 minutes with the score at 2-2.
Barcelona embraced the moment as Real Madrid seethed and 17-year-old Yamal was accused of disrespecting the King of Spain when the winners were greeted by the monarch after the match.
"Yamal was questioned for his antics at full time," reports the Daily Mail.
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"Footage shared by ESPN showed the Barcelona players being greeted by a number of officials as they collected their medals and trophies, and Yamal had quite the look as he donned two pairs of sunglasses and a backwards shirt.
"Rather than greeting the King by shaking his hand, Yamal opted to 'dap' King Felipe - a move which involves greeting someone with a casual gesture, often involving slapping palms and embracing with a hug of sorts.
"The King is no stranger to Yamal, having met the youngster on a number of occasions and previously being shocked that he was so young yet so successful - and the duo also met after Spain's Euro 2024 final victory over England."
The reaction on social media was predictably irrational, with some users accusing the teenager of showing disrespect to the King.
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Yamal has enjoyed a spectacular start to his senior career and has become the darling of European football in an instant.
Barcelona are still in the Champions League and four points clear of Real Madrid in La Liga as they eye up a treble to add to Yamal's already impressive collection of medals and individual accolades.
If he disrespected the King, he's more than made up for it on the pitch.
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He already has 19 senior international caps and was pivotal as Spain won the European Championship last year.
Topics: Copa Del Rey, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Lamine Yamal, La Liga, Champions League
Chris Nee