Player criticized for shirt-swapping with Yamal

In the friendly match between FC Barcelona and Daegu at DGB Daegu Bank Park Stadium on the evening of August 4, Daegu's foreign player Geovani attracted attention when he wanted to exchange Lamine Yamal's shirt during halftime.

Daegu's Geovani swaps shirts with Lamine Yamal during halftime.

This moment later caused controversy, because coach Hansi Flick had asked Barcelona players not to exchange shirts during halftime in order to focus fully on the match, according to Sport . However, the friendly nature of the match may have caused Yamal to break the rule.

According to the Korea Herald , right after the half-time break, not only Geovani, but also other Korean players of Daegu, including defender Kim Jin-hyuk and midfielder Jeong Seung-won, also approached Yamal to ask for his jersey. However, the Brazilian striker was quicker.

On Korean social media, the move quickly sparked controversy, with some saying it was disrespectful. "They were losing 0-3, and the players just wanted to change their shirts at half-time, what an inappropriate act," said an angry Daegu fan. "Now I understand why they are at the bottom of the table," added another Daegu fan.

Daegu FC is currently at the bottom of the K League 1 table, having lost 16 of their 24 games. This has angered the club’s fans. However, some Korean fans support the halftime shirt swapping, considering it part of football culture.

“Swapping jerseys is a way to show respect between players. Yamal is a star, and the Daegu players just want a souvenir,” said the KBS commentator. Swapping jerseys at halftime is not uncommon, but it often causes controversy.

For example, in 2018, Real Madrid players swapped shirts with Juventus players during half-time, an action that was criticised by coach Zinedine Zidane. Similarly, in 2023, Manchester United players swapped shirts with Liverpool players during half-time, which displeased coach Erik ten Hag.

Source: https://znews.vn/cau-thu-bi-chi-trich-vi-doi-ao-voi-yamal-post1574166.html