"We were there with him to celebrate his coming of age" - Barcelona star breaks silence on controversy around Lamine Yamal's birthday party

Barcelona star Pau Cubarsi has rebuffed the controversy surrounding Lamine Yamal's 18th birthday party, saying it was a normal event.

Yamal was threatened with legal action after the Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE) found out that the Barcelona star had hired people with dwarfism as entertainers for his celebration.

However, Cubarsi has told Cadena SER that there was nothing controversial at the party and it was just a teenager celebrating his 18th birthday. The young defender added that he attended the party in a suit and said (via GOAL):

"You guys talked more about Yamal's birthday party than we did in the locker room. We thought it was normal, and we were there with him to celebrate his coming of age, so we're happy for him. I was a little more formal, wearing a suit and being calm."

Lamine Yamal turned 18 in July and held a massive celebration in Ibiza. He had invited celebrities and social media influencers, and kept a no-phones policy at the event.

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Barcelona president on Lamine Yamal's party

Joan Laporta was also quizzed by Mundo Deportivo about Lamine Yamla's party, and the Barcelona president also downplayed the controversies. He was happy that the teenager celebrated with a big party, and added that the youngster knows his limits. He said:

"It was a private party, and whatever Lamine does now, and he knows it, will always be in the spotlight and in the eye of the storm. For me, he threw an 18th birthday party, and what I regret is not having gone. It was an extraordinary party; they had a great time and were very elegant. The reason? They're 18. They chose this one, and it's kind of fun. He did it with his friends, with people from the entertainment world and the current world—YouTube stars, influencers, TikTokers, singers."

"In that sense, I'm glad he threw a good party. It was in the private sphere, then he came to train, and he trains like no other. And in that sense, I have nothing to blame him for. On the contrary, I want to congratulate him, and I'm glad they had fun at a birthday party."

Lamine Yamal signed a new deal after turning 18 in July this year. He will be wearing the iconic no.10 jersey previously worn by Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho at the club from now.