Espanyol Boss Says Lamine Yamal ‘Dived’ in Heated Barcelona Clash

Espanyol Boss Fumes After Barcelona Victory

Espanyol manager Manolo González wasn’t exactly thrilled after his team suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona on Thursday night. His frustration boiled over, particularly aimed at young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.

Cabrera Sent Off, Gonzalez Claims Yamal ‘Dived’

The match took a dramatic turn when Espanyol’s Leandro Cabrera was given a straight red card for a clash with Yamal. While the incident seemed to spark Gonzalez’s ire, he believes Yamal overreacted.

“We’re ruining football. Cabrera’s move isn’t strong enough to cause injury or damage,” Gonzalez told reporters. “It wasn’t an assault, a blow to the face, or a hard tackle. I told Lamine to stop diving. It wasn’t necessary to dive in that action.”

Gonzalez Gripes About Unfair Result

Gonzalez also expressed his dissatisfaction with the overall result, feeling that Espanyol deserved a better outcome.

“The result wasn’t fair. We knew what kind of match we were going to face,” he added. “We had very, very clear chances to score. It’s a shame because it’s a match where at least a draw was expected. If we had taken the lead in the first half, it could have been a different story.”

Espanyol’s Relegation Fight Heats Up

The loss leaves Espanyol precariously positioned, just five points above the relegation zone with only two games remaining in the season. The pressure is on for the team to secure their La Liga status.