Barcelona star Yamal faces backlash for reportedly hiring people with dwarfism for birthday party
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has been criticized and could face an investigation for reportedly hiring people with dwarfism as entertainers during his lavish 18th birthday party this weekend.
Spain's Ministry of Social Rights has asked prosecutors to open a probe into the hiring and exposition of the entertainers. Ministry director Jesús Martín Blanco told Europa Press that such hirings 'take us back to the Middle Ages.'
A local association for people with disabilities had already condemned the alleged hirings, saying it would take action 'legally and socially' against those responsible for promoting such actions.
Spanish radio station RAC1 published an interview with one of the entertainers who said he was in the party. The man said they were all treated with respect. He complained about the reaction against Yamal for hiring them.
Yamal celebrated his birthday with a party filled with celebrities. It also included some of his Barcelona teammates.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer in this topic
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
14 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Kyle Schwarber's 3 homers in All-Star Game's first tiebreaking swing-off lift NL over AL
ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber went 3 for 3 in the first All-Star Game home run swing-off to put the National League ahead 4-3 following a 6-6 tie in which the American League rallied from a six-run deficit on Tuesday night. In baseball's equivalent of soccer's penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off coaches. The change was agreed to in 2022 to alleviate the concern of teams running out of pitchers. Schwarber was named All-Star MVP after going 0 for 2 with a walk in the game. Players from both teams stood outside their dugouts during the swing-off, jumping and shouting after each homer from their side. When Jonathan Aranda's last swing for the AL fell short, NL players circled around Schwarber to celebrate. 'It was awesome,' Schwarber said. "The guys were really into it. They were yelling, screaming, cheering me on every swing. And then when that last one goes over, they were all pumped. It was a lot of fun.' Managers had to declare their swing-off orders before the game, although Kyle Stowers subbed for Eugenio Suárez for the NL after Suárez was hit on the hand by a pitch late in the game. Brent Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Stowers hit one. Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to 3-1, and Schwarber was successful on all three tries, going down to a knee as he sent the one into the Chop House seats in right. Aranda failed on all three tries, hitting the right-field wall with his second, and the NL didn't have to use its last batter, two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso, as it won for just the second time in the last 12 All-Star Games. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties. 'I was ready for it," said Alonso, who began warming up in a batting cage when the AL tied the game in the ninth inning. "But I'm glad Schwarbs did it and we did it the easy way.' Ketel Marte's two-run double in the first had put the NL ahead, and Alonso's three-run homer off Kris Bubic and Corbin Carroll's solo shot against Casey Mize opened a 6-0 lead in the sixth. The AL comeback began when Rooker hit a three-run pinch homer against Randy Rodríguez in a four-run seventh that included Bobby Witt Jr.'s RBI groundout. Robert Suarez allowed consecutive doubles to Byron Buxton and Witt with one out in ninth, and Steven Kwan's infield hit on a three-hopper to third off Edwin Díaz drove in the tying run. Joe Torre, the 84-year-old former Yankees manager, went to the mound for a pitching change in the eighth to take the ball from Shane Smith and hand it to Andrés Muñoz. The Hall of Famer was picked as a coach by current New York skipper Aaron Boone, who managed the AL. Heat on the mound Paul Skenes, the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game each of his first two seasons, struck out Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene in a perfect first that included Aaron Judge's inning-ending groundout. The 23-year-old right-hander reached 100 mph on four of 14 pitches. Jacob Misiorowski, a controversial inclusion after pitching in just five major league games in his rookie season, fired nine pitches of 100 mph or more in a one-hit eighth 34 days after his major league debut. The 23-year-old righty, added to the NL roster by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, reached 102.3 mph. There were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year but up from 13 in 2023, 10 in 2022 and one in 2021. Robot umpire debuts Four of five challenges were successful in the first use of the robot umpire in the All-Star Game Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh signaled for an appeal to the Automated Ball-Strike System in the first inning, getting a strikeout for Detroit's Tarik Subal on San Diego's Manny Machado. Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson also was successful as the first batter to call for a challenge, reversing a 1-0 fastball from Washington's MacKenzie Gore in the fifth inning that had been called a strike. Mets closer Edwin Díaz and Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk also won challenges, and Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers lost one. Earning a hand Freddie Freeman was removed for Alonso with two outs in the third inning, giving the crowd of 41,702 a chance to cheer a player who spent 12 seasons with the Braves and helped win the 2021 World Series title. Styling Teams were back in their regular-season club jerseys — whites for the NL, mostly grays for the AL — after four years of special All-Star uniforms that were much criticized. Jazz Chisholm Jr. arrived in a Valentino smoking jacket and Christian Louboutin shoes. Instead of having players line up on the foul lines as they were introduced, they walked to a four-level red podium stretching across the infield dirt with flashing lights, smoke a DJ and dancers. ___
Fox Sports
16 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez is hit by a pitch on left hand at All-Star Game; X-rays are negative
Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez appears to have dodged a major injury after he was hit by a pitch on his hand at Tuesday night's All-Star Game. Suárez dropped to his knees in obvious pain after being hit by Chicago White Sox right-hander Shane Smith in the eighth inning. NL manager Dave Roberts said Suárez got X-rays that came back negative. Suárez remained in the game but did not participate as planned in the first tiebreaking home run swing-off. He was replaced by Miami's Kyle Stowers as the NL won the swing-off 4-3. The pitch appeared to hit Suárez on his left pinkie finger at the end of the bat handle. He was examined by a trainer before staying in the game and jogging to first base. Suárez, who is hitting .250 with 31 homers and 78 RBIs, is considered a possible top target at baseball's trade deadline. A serious injury could impact that trade outlook. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 3
Hamilton Spectator
33 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Kyle Schwarber's 3 homers in All-Star Game's first tiebreaking swing-off lift NL over AL
ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber went 3 for 3 in the first All-Star Game home run swing-off to put the National League ahead 4-3 following a 6-6 tie in which the American League rallied from a six-run deficit on Tuesday night. In baseball's equivalent of soccer's penalty-kicks shootout, the game was decided by having three batters from each league take three swings each off coaches. The change was agreed to in 2022 to alleviate the concern of teams running out of pitchers. Schwarber was named All-Star MVP after going 0 for 2 with a walk in the game. Players from both teams stood outside their dugouts during the swing-off, jumping and shouting after each homer from their side. When Jonathan Aranda's last swing for the AL fell short, NL players circled around Schwarber to celebrate. 'It was awesome,' Schwarber said. 'The guys were really into it. They were yelling, screaming, cheering me on every swing. And then when that last one goes over, they were all pumped. It was a lot of fun.' Managers had to declare their swing-off orders before the game, although Kyle Stowers subbed for Eugenio Suárez for the NL after Suárez was hit on the hand by a pitch late in the game. Brent Rooker put the AL ahead by homering on his last two swings, and Stowers hit one. Randy Arozarena boosted the AL lead to 3-1, and Schwarber was successful on all three tries, going down to a knee as he sent the one into the Chop House seats in right. Aranda failed on all three tries, hitting the right-field wall with his second, and the NL didn't have to use its last batter, two-time Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso, as it won for just the second time in the last 12 All-Star Games. The AL leads 48-45 with two ties. 'I was ready for it,' said Alonso, who began warming up in a batting cage when the AL tied the game in the ninth inning. 'But I'm glad Schwarbs did it and we did it the easy way.' Ketel Marte's two-run double in the first had put the NL ahead, and Alonso's three-run homer off Kris Bubic and Corbin Carroll's solo shot against Casey Mize opened a 6-0 lead in the sixth. The AL comeback began when Rooker hit a three-run pinch homer against Randy Rodríguez in a four-run seventh that included Bobby Witt Jr.'s RBI groundout. Robert Suarez allowed consecutive doubles to Byron Buxton and Witt with one out in ninth, and Steven Kwan's infield hit on a three-hopper to third off Edwin Díaz drove in the tying run. Joe Torre, the 84-year-old former Yankees manager, went to the mound for a pitching change in the eighth to take the ball from Shane Smith and hand it to Andrés Muñoz. The Hall of Famer was picked as a coach by current New York skipper Aaron Boone, who managed the AL. Heat on the mound Paul Skenes, the first pitcher to start the All-Star Game each of his first two seasons, struck out Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene in a perfect first that included Aaron Judge's inning-ending groundout. The 23-year-old right-hander reached 100 mph on four of 14 pitches. Jacob Misiorowski, a controversial inclusion after pitching in just five major league games in his rookie season, fired nine pitches of 100 mph or more in a one-hit eighth 34 days after his major league debut. The 23-year-old righty, added to the NL roster by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, reached 102.3 mph. There were 21 pitches of 100 mph or more, down from a record 23 last year but up from 13 in 2023, 10 in 2022 and one in 2021. Robot umpire debuts Four of five challenges were successful in the first use of the robot umpire in the All-Star Game Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh signaled for an appeal to the Automated Ball-Strike System in the first inning , getting a strikeout for Detroit's Tarik Subal on San Diego's Manny Machado. Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson also was successful as the first batter to call for a challenge, reversing a 1-0 fastball from Washington's MacKenzie Gore in the fifth inning that had been called a strike. Mets closer Edwin Díaz and Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk also won challenges, and Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers lost one. Earning a hand Freddie Freeman was removed for Alonso with two outs in the third inning, giving the crowd of 41,702 a chance to cheer a player who spent 12 seasons with the Braves and helped win the 2021 World Series title. Styling Teams were back in their regular-season club jerseys — whites for the NL, mostly grays for the AL — after four years of special All-Star uniforms that were much criticized. Jazz Chisholm Jr. arrived in a Valentino smoking jacket and Christian Louboutin shoes. Instead of having players line up on the foul lines as they were introduced, they walked to a four-level red podium stretching across the infield dirt with flashing lights, smoke a DJ and dancers. ___ AP MLB:
