Yamal’s injury: Barça and the Spanish Federation trade blows
Launched after Lamine Yamal’s injury during the September international break, the war of words between Barça and the Spanish Football Federation shows no sign of abating, with both sides firing at each other.
Lamine Yamal@footmercato
Barça is up in arms after the most recent international window. The Catalan club accuses the Spanish Federation of having mismanaged Lamine Yamal’s physical situation, already indispensable both for La Roja and for the Blaugrana, at just 18 years old. Struck by muscular discomfort, the winger was overused with the national team before returning diminished. Result: ruled out of league action and absent for his big Champions League debut.
According to revelations from the show La Posesión of the Catalan daily SPORT, the matter goes beyond a simple medical case. Hansi Flick, worried about his prodigy, reportedly doubted the tone he used at the press conference before the match against Valencia, when he insisted on the need to protect his young player. His close associates reportedly reassured him: “the message was right”.
The heart of the problem lies in the communication between Barça and the Federation. Still according to SPORT, the club had warned the RFEF about Yamal’s discomfort and asked for the utmost caution. But the winger ultimately played two almost-full matches, despite Spain’s comfortable lead on the scoreboard. More troubling still: while the federation officially spoke of lower back pain, it was in reality persistent pubic discomfort.
A “total lack of transparency,” accuses journalist Alfredo Martínez, who points to an incomprehensible handling that has created a toxic climate. Hansi Flick, affected by the situation, has deliberately limited media exchanges, while Barça’s sporting director, Deco, is calling for better coordination between clubs and national teams.
Beyond the individual case, the affair raises a broader question: how to protect a generation of precocious players, already exposed to a heavy physical load and intense media pressure, at just 18 years old?