Lamine Yamal will not be available for the Spanish national team at the end of the World Cup qualifiers. The association sent the youngster home—and sent angry words to FC Barcelona.
The row between FC Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the treatment of Lamine Yamal is entering a new round that is sure to reverberate. On Tuesday, the RFEF dropped the 18-year-old from the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Georgia and against Turkey, and heavily criticized Barca in the process. The medical department of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) would like to express its surprise and dismay at learning on Monday, November 10, at 1:47 p.m., the day of the national team’s official training start, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone invasive radiofrequency treatment that same morning to treat his pubic area discomfort,” according to an official statement. This procedure was performed “without prior notification to the national team’s medical staff.” It was only “through a report received yesterday evening at 10:40 p.m.” that the medical department learned of the details. And in that report, the medical recommendation was for Lamine Yamal to rest for seven to ten days.
“In view of this situation and taking into account the health, safety, and well-being of the player, the Spanish Football Federation has decided to release the athlete from the current nomination,” concludes the RFEF, which wishes Lamine Yamal a “speedy and complete recovery.”
On Sunday, Flick had already sent a message to the association – again
After the October international matches, Barca, in the person of coach Hansi Flick, had criticized the association for playing the previously injured winger twice for over 70 minutes – whereupon he was sidelined again. “That’s not looking after the players,” Flick had complained at the time, which national coach Luis de la Fuente had not taken kindly to. On the sidelines of Sunday’s 4-2 win at Celta Vigo, Flick had again emphasized that he expected the association “to take care of him.”
Was the apparently uncoordinated treatment with the forced break, which coincides with the international break, the Catalans’ retaliation for what happened in October? Even though Spain is likely to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the coming days without Lamine Yamal, there will certainly be more to come in this matter.
