Bedrul Apologizes After Calling Yamal “Moroccan by Origin” on Air

Spanish television presenter Josep Bedrul sparked widespread debate in Spain following on-air comments about Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal during a discussion of the “Somos Caballa” shirt initiative supporting Ceuta. Bedrul later described the statement as a “slip of the tongue” and issued a formal apology.

The Ceuta shirt controversy

The incident occurred last Tuesday ahead of the Elche vs Real Madrid match at the Martínez Valero stadium. Amid an ongoing migration crisis in Ceuta, players from both teams wore shirts bearing the phrase “Somos Caballa,” a campaign launched by the company AVE to show solidarity with residents of the city.

However, three Real Madrid players — Vinícius, Mbappé, and Konaté — opted not to participate in the initiative and concealed the message on their shirts. Their decision triggered extended televised and radio discussions concerning the ethical implications of the players’ stance.

After justifying the position taken by those three Real Madrid players, Bedrul abruptly shifted focus to Barcelona and urged the Catalan club to join the campaign. He named Lamine Yamal and asked: “Won’t he wear it to avoid putting Yamal in an awkward position?”

He then added live on air: “Yamal is Moroccan by origin, although he plays for Spain.”

Apology and explanation: “A slip of the tongue”

In response to the intense public reaction, Bedrul addressed the matter the following day, Wednesday, on Catalunya Ràdio in an interview with Francesc Garriga. He stated: “It was a slip of the tongue; I forgot to mention his Moroccan origin because his father is Moroccan by origin.”

He elaborated on his perspective: “But what I mean is that we all agree Yamal is in a more difficult situation. Do you think Real Madrid acted correctly by involving all its players, or did they make a mistake? I’m not sure whether they acted correctly — they placed Real Madrid players in an extremely difficult position, while Barcelona avoided this situation.”

Bedrul continued criticizing how players were drawn into a social and political issue, saying: “I don’t know who acted better or worse, but the club’s decision to force players to accept this situation is a mistake — publishing the shirt and involving players in it constitutes a serious error.”

He concluded by emphasizing internal deliberation: “It’s just a phrase, yes — but a shirt must be discussed and debated to determine whether it could cause offense.”