Spanish teen star Yamal’s father leaves hospital after stabbing

The father of 17-year-old Spanish football star Lamine Yamal left hospital on Friday, two days after he was stabbed several times, and thanked emergency workers for their swift response.

Mounir Nasraoui was attacked on Wednesday night in a car park in the Catalan town of Mataro, around 30 kilometres from Barcelona, in the working-class Rocafonda neighbourhood where Yamal is from.

On Friday, private television station Antena 3 broadcast images of Nasraoui gathered with friends outside a bar in his neighbourhood after he left the Can Ruti hospital. He posted a picture on Instagram of himself embracing his mother and kissing her on her head.

In a message accompanying the photo, Nasraoui thanked his friends who called emergency services and “were at my side” as well as police “for responding so quickly and doing their job so well”.

He said he especially wanted to thank an officer who “quickly plugged a wound in my chest which was the one that was bleeding the most, and held my hand and did not let go until the end so I would not lose consciousness.”

Police have arrested four men over the attack. 

A court in Mataro on Friday remanded one of the men in custody while the rest were released with bail varying conditions. They are being investigated for “attempted homicide and injuries,” the court said.

Neither the authorities nor Nasraoui have provided details about the incident, but Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia said he was walking through Rocafona when water fell on him from a balcony where a boy was playing.

Nasraoui protested and soon became involved in an argument with the boy’s family. Police had to intervene to separate them, an intervention that was filmed by neighbours and posted on social media.

Members of the family later asked to meet with Nasraoui, claiming they wanted to make peace, but ended up stabbing him, according to La Vanguardia which first broke the news of the stabbing.

Yamal made his Barcelona debut aged 15 in April 2023 and burst into the limelight last season, becoming a key player for the Catalan giants.

The winger, who turned 17 in July, played a key role for his country as Spain triumphed at Euro 2024 for a record fourth time, becoming the youngest ever footballer to play and score in the competition’s history.

Yamal’s father and grandmother still live in Rocafonda and he tends to celebrate goals by making ‘304’ with his hands, the postcode of his neighbourhood.

Nasraoui became famous during the European Championship for his social media presence and media appearances, frequently posting content showing his support for his son.