Leeds United ace Ilia Gruev leaves Spain superstar Lamine Yamal furious as new footage emerges
Ilia Gruev was involved in a moment of controversy on international duty away from Leeds United.
The mood at Elland Road is as miserable as it could be bright now, and it is entirely down to Leeds United’s failed end to the summer transfer window.
Added to that, the international break has amplified the focus on deadline day, with Leeds not back in action until next weekend.
However, with several stars away representing their country, they have the chance to stake a claim for their place in Daniel Farke’s starting 11, with Gruev starting in a defeat to Spain, while being involved in an incident with Lamine Yamal.
Ilia Gruev appeared to kick out at Lamine Yamal
While Gruev has been in and out of the team at Leeds United, he has remained a regular for Bulgaria since making his senior international debut in 2022.
Gruev has made 23 appearances for his country since then, including one on Thursday night, when Bulgaria suffered a 3-0 defeat against Spain.
Gruev’s Leeds career.
- 23/24 season – 35 appearances, 2 G/A
- 23/24 season – 25 appearances, 2 G/A
- 25/26 season – 4 appearances and counting, 0 G/A
His overall performance will certainly have impressed Daniel Farke, though one incident in the second half certainly won’t have.
Gruev was tracking the run of Yamal, and seconds after the ball was deflected out of play for a corner, the Bulgarian appeared to kick the back of the Spaniard.
Yamal was furious with the Leeds star, though the situation was quickly diffused by his teammates.
How did Ilia Gruev perform vs Spain?
It was a poor night for Bulgaria, but a fairly pleasing one for Gruev, who, despite the result, emerged from the game with some credit.
Via Fotmob, Gruev won 100 per cent of his ground duels and 50 per cent of those in the air against a physical Spain side.
Two of his three attempted long passes reached their target, though only 77 per cent of his total passes made it to a teammate.
The Bulgarian made two tackles and three clearances against Luis de la Fuente’s side, showcasing that he has more than enough ability to contribute to Leeds this season in the absence of Ethan Ampadu at Elland Road.
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