Barcelona and PSG boycott interviews with Spanish television after expert’s ‘racist’ comment about Lamine Yamal as Diego Simeone’s former number 2 apologizes

Former Atlético Madrid assistant manager Germán Burgos had to apologize on Spanish television after a comment about Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal led to a boycott of interviews by both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The former Atlético Burgos goalkeeper, who works as an expert on Movistar Plus, spoke about images of the Barcelona youngster juggling the ball on the touchline before Barça’s match against PSG.

He said: “If it doesn’t go well, it could end up at a traffic light.” The comment was a reference to people who juggle to get coins at traffic lights.

It was condemned online as insensitive at best and racist at worst, and when both clubs involved in the tie said they would not offer interviews to the channel after the match until they apologized on air, first from the Parc des Princes interviews and then back to the studio.

Burgos said: ‘It was a comment made without the intention of hurting anyone. If anyone was offended, I apologize publicly.”

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Presenter Ricardo Sierra also commented on the incident, adding: “I understand that many viewers expected us to have a conversation or an interview with Barça.

“But PSG and Barça have told us that they were not going to attend to us because they were tremendously angry about a comment that was made on our set.”

Players and staff from both teams fulfilled their post-match media commitments with other broadcasters covering the exciting Champions League quarter-finals.

Burgos, 54, previously worked under current Atletico coach Diego Simeone before leaving four years ago with ambitions to become a coach elsewhere.

He followed an unsuccessful season with the famous Argentine team Newell’s Old Boys before moving on to manage in the Greek Super League.

Yamal, meanwhile, has been the big story at Barcelona this season, with the 16-year-old leading La Masia’s academy cementing a starting spot in the club’s first team.

The teenager starred in Paris on Wednesday as Barcelona took advantage of PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s mistakes to claim a valuable 3-2 away win in the first leg.