Hansi Flick doesn't look the same.
BarcelonaSomething has happened to Hansi Flick at the start of this season because things don't seem the same as they did last season. He began by complaining about not having all his players registered, continued by highlighting his team's performance in the debut against Mallorca, took his leave before the break by warning of an ego problem in the locker room, and has returned with a direct attack on Luis de la Fuente. According to the German coach, the Spanish national team manager hasn't taken care of Lamine Yamal, who will not be able to play this Sunday against Valencia and is a serious doubt for the Champions League match in Newcastle. Flick's measured, sensible, and discreet tone has disappeared, and in his place is an annoying, grumpy coach who uses press conferences to send messages left, right, and center.
According to the Spanish Football Federation, which hasn't issued a statement but is using the usual channels—that is, journalists who follow the national team and who, logically, have sources and direct communication—neither Barça nor Lamine Yamal reported his physical discomfort. At this point, Flick stated that he hadn't spoken to De la Fuente, but that they had exchanged messages, and blamed the language—he doesn't speak Spanish, and the coach can't speak English—to justify the misunderstanding. That at this point, between two professional teams like Barça and the Spanish national team, the communication barrier is language is, to say the least, surprising.
This isn't the only disagreement. While De la Fuente spoke of back discomfort after the first match in Bulgaria, Flick claims the pain is in his pubic bone. Furthermore, various media outlets close to the national team's day-to-day work have focused on Fernando Galán, a physiotherapist who works for both teams and who could have also raised concerns about the striker's discomfort, but didn't. And one last detail: against Turkey, Yamal grimaced when he was substituted for Morata in the 73rd minute, with the score already 6-0. In other words, he wanted to and saw himself fit to continue playing.
That a player like Lamine Yamal, at 18, needs to be careful is obvious; that Flick's explanations conflict with those of the Federation is another. As is the fact that the German started attacking, and not exactly on the pitch. A mess.