BARCELONA (BN24) — Spain’s football federation has pushed back against Barcelona’s criticism after head coach Hansi Flick accused the national team of mishandling teenage star Lamine Yamal, who will miss Sunday’s La Liga clash with Valencia through injury.
Barcelona confirmed that the 17-year-old winger, widely considered one of Europe’s brightest young talents, returned from international duty with Spain carrying a knock that left him unavailable for the club’s first home match of the season. Flick publicly blamed Spain manager Luis de la Fuente for worsening the situation, saying Yamal had been forced to play through pain with the national side.
“Lamine Yamal will not be available. He went with the national team in pain and did not train. They gave him painkillers to play,” Flick said in a heated pre-match press conference Saturday. “They had at least a three-goal lead in every match, and he played 73 minutes and 79. Between matches he couldn’t train. That is not taking care of the player. I am very sad about this.”
The remarks sparked a swift response from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which insisted its medical staff had carried out routine checks on Yamal and found no issues. Federation sources told Spanish outlet Sport that Barcelona had not alerted them to any existing injury concerns when the teenager joined the national squad. RFEF physiotherapist Fernando Galán reportedly cleared Yamal before he featured in Spain’s games.
Flick acknowledged he has had little contact with De la Fuente since taking charge at Barcelona, but RFEF officials maintain that lines of communication between the federation and the Catalan club remain open and active.
Yamal’s absence is a significant setback for Barcelona, with uncertainty still surrounding his recovery timeline. Club doctors hope he will regain fitness in time for Thursday’s Champions League opener against Newcastle, though he may only be ready for a limited role in next weekend’s La Liga fixture against Getafe if his condition does not improve quickly.
The public clash underscores the growing tension between Barcelona and the national federation over player management, with Yamal now at the center of a dispute between club and country.
