Lamine Yamal is available again for FC Barcelona after his injury break in the Catalan derby against FC Girona. Coach Hansi Flick denied a rumor about the 18-year-old in no uncertain terms.
“The rule Flick broke for Lamine Yamal – and why it’s dividing the Barcelona team,” was the headline on the Spanish sports newspaper As’s website on Friday afternoon. The paper was referring to a statement by presenter Manu Carreno, who had spoken on radio station Cadena SER about Lamine Yamal’s alleged tardiness before the Champions League match against Paris St. Germain (1-2).
Barca coach Hansi Flick, for whom discipline undoubtedly plays a major role, had decided to remove the 18-year-old striker from the starting lineup, as he had done a few weeks earlier with Marcus Rashford.
In the case of Lamine Yamal, however, the club intervened in the form of sporting director Deco, as Carreno claims to have learned: “Deco had to mediate so that Lamine could play. Flick did not take this intervention well, as he believes that penalties should apply equally to everyone,” said the presenter.
This is a controversial topic, which was of course also brought up at the press conference ahead of the home game against neighboring FC Girona (Saturday, 4:15 p.m.) and passed on to the head coach himself. He, in turn, made it unmistakably clear: “Excuse my language, but that’s complete bullshit.”
Flick said he “really appreciates how the club believes in our work. We enjoy their full trust and they would never ask us to do something like that. I have nothing to hide because it’s not true. Anyone who says that is lying,” Flick said, denying the rumor with a serious expression.
Ferran Torres and Lewandowski injured
Understandably, the 60-year-old did not radiate any more enthusiasm when he talked about the Catalans’ current personnel situation. The offensive department in particular is suffering from numerous absences – Raphinha, for example, has missed the last three competitive games.
While Lamine Yamal and Fermin are now fit to play again but “can’t play 90 minutes,” Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski returned from their national teams with injuries. The former is hampered by a strain in the back of his left thigh, the latter by a torn muscle in his left hamstring.
“We have to do it, that’s our job,” Flick made clear despite the injury crisis. In the Catalan derby, Barca’s task is to respond appropriately to their recent 4-1 defeat in Seville – and in doing so, possibly keep further unrest from outside the club at bay.
