At only 16 years old, Lamine Yamal has already made history by representing Spain at Euro 2024, becoming the youngest player ever in the tournament’s history. His achievements include being Barcelona’s youngest debutant in over a century.
However, an unusual obstacle hinders his participation: Germany’s labor laws, aimed at protecting young workers, pose a challenge for Spain and could result in significant financial penalties simply for fielding one of their key players.
According to German law, minors are not permitted to work beyond 8 pm. Even though there’s a provision for athletes that extends this restriction until 11 pm, it still creates a complication for Yamal as a full match, including half-time and post-match obligations like media duties, would exceed the curfew.
Fortunately, this won’t be an issue for their quarter-final with Germany in Stuttgart on Friday, scheduled to commence at 6 pm. Consequently, even in the case of a penalty shootout, Yamal won’t violate any rules by staying on the pitch.
However, if Spain triumphs over Germany, the issue will resurface for their semi-final against Portugal or France, both set for a 9 pm kick-off, and also for the final. Despite turning 17 the day before, Yamal would still be considered a minor under German law.
It remains unclear if the law will be enforced and how severe the situation may become. Presumably, the RFEF would be willing to pay any fines to have Yamal play if it means winning the championship. If they progress all the way, the potential total penalty could reach up to €150,000.
