Lamine Yamal, Today made 17 years old, the youngster plays for Barcelona Football club in Spain. At 16 he featured for his country making his stance felt at Euro 2024 with his impressive skills on the field, becoming the youngest player ever to play in the European Championship.
However, Germany’s strict labour laws have limited his playing time, forcing Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente to substitute him in the quarterfinals and group stage matches. The law tends to protect the minors and if it permits them to work, it looks at the necessities of a minor. Reference can be drawn from the English case of Wyne Rooney Vs Everton football club in the early 2000s.
The sports law and labour laws have systematically developed in various countries like German and they are heavily enforced. The European countries have understood the core principles of the employment law hence Uganda and other African countries should borrow a leaf of the strict enforcement. Be that as it may, in Germany, the earliest age somebody could start working is 13years, with parental permission, but those options are extremely limited in a variety of circumstances.
Typically, Under Germany’s Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz (Youth Labor Protection Laws), minors between 15-18 years old are restricted from working beyond 8 pm, with some relaxation for athletes until 11 pm. With the Spain-Germany quarterfinal kicking off at 6 pm, Yamal’s playing time was curtailed to avoid violating German labour laws.
The strict enforcement of labour laws ensures that minors like Yamal are protected from exploitation, allowing them to develop their talents without compromising their well-being.
While Spain’s quarterfinal against Germany kicked off at 6 pm, if you could put into consideration the time to be played and extra time, it would have pushed the Yamal to work beyond 11 pm which is illegal under the German laws.
Mr. Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish coach was forced to substitute Lamine Yamal at the Quarter finals which he also did in group stage matches during the last minutes. The German laws can clearly be interpreted that If Yamal works (plays) beyond 11 PM then the Spanish FA will be fined about 30,000 euros.
Question remains, will Spain be fined for allowing him play past the lawful time during their match against France at their Euro 2024 Semi-finals.
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