Spanish TV channel says it will ‘stop working’ with pundit Germán Burgos following derogatory comment about Lamine Yamal

Spanish outlet Movistar Plus+ says it will “stop working” with Germán Burgos following a derogatory comment he made about 16-year-old Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.

Spanish television channel Movistar Plus+ says it will “stop working” with pundit and former Atlético Madrid assistant coach Germán Burgos following a derogatory comment he made about 16-year-old Barcelona star Lamine Yamal. Upon seeing images of Yamal juggling a football before Barcelona’s Champions League quarterfinal first-leg match against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, Burgos said: “If it [his football career] doesn’t go well, he’ll end up at a traffic light.” In Spain and Latin America, it’s not uncommon to see people sell small items or trinkets or juggle footballs – among other tricks – for money at traffic lights. Burgos is from Argentina, though he has spent much time in Spain as both a player and coach. He also played for Argentina’s national team. His comments have been labeled “classist” and “racist” by commentators in Spanish, Catalan and Latin American media and reportedly led to Barcelona and PSG players boycotting interviews with Movistar Plus+ after Wednesday’s match. “In agreement with the internal code of conduct of Movistar Plus+, which upholds a policy of zero tolerance with any kind of discriminatory behavior, the platform has taken measures after the events experienced last night, where one of our collaborators said inappropriate comments about the player Lamine Yamal,” the statement read. “Movistar Plus+ and Germán ‘El Mono’ Burgos will stop working together in immediate form in the programs of the platform and the presenters of the space where the comments took place will be given a warning.”