Open war over Lamine Yamal: Spain accuses Barça of hiding information
The Barcelona player has been released from the call-up to the Spanish national team.
BarcelonaA new chapter has unfolded in the ongoing conflict between Barcelona and the Spanish national team over Lamine Yamal. The Barça player, who only joined the Spanish squad this past Monday, was released from duty this Tuesday. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) explained this in a strongly worded statement.
"The Medical Services of the Spanish Federation wish to express their surprise and displeasure upon learning, at 1:47 p.m. on Monday, November 10, the first day of the official training camp with the national team, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure that same morning. This was done without prior communication with the national team's medical staff, who only became aware of the details through a report received at 10:40 p.m. last night, which indicated a medical recommendation for rest for 7 to 10 days," the statement reads.
"Given this situation, and prioritizing the player's health, safety, and well-being at all times, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has decided to release the athlete from the current squad. We trust that he will recover well and wish him a speedy and full recovery," concludes the statement.
Therefore, and as Barça wanted from the outset, Lamine Yamal has been released from the squad and returns to Barcelona to complete his recovery. This was the wish of the Catalan club, before this latest controversy, as they wanted their star player, still recovering from the groin injury that has been bothering him, to be spared the two matches with Spain. The Spanish national team only needs a point against Georgia (this Saturday) or against Turkey (on Tuesday the 18th) to guarantee qualification for the World Cup this summer.
The chronology of the open war between Spain and Barça
The timeline of Lamine Yamal's recent call-ups clearly demonstrates the open conflict between Spain and Barça. After Barça unsuccessfully attempted diplomatically to have their player excused from joining the national team during the last international break in October, the club announced before the final match (against Sevilla) that the player would be unavailable due to injury – groin strain – thus avoiding his inclusion in the squad. Lamine Yamal's relapse coincided with Luis de la Fuente's squad announcement on Friday, October 3rd. The player was sidelined for two weeks and returned on October 18th in the Barça-Girona match.
The flame was already lit from the September call, which Hansi Flick harshly criticized in a press conference How Lamine Yamal had been treated by the Spanish national team. The German coach's anger, who accused the Spanish coaching staff of "not taking care" of the player, stems from the fact that the winger from Rocafonda had arrived at the national team's training camp in September with a medical report detailing his discomfort, yet he started both matches for Spain.
Flick complained on September 13th that the Barcelona star had joined Spain with "discomfort" and emphasized that he played almost the entirety of both matches, even though the national team won comfortably in both: 3-0 against Bulgaria. He alleged that Yamal had been given painkillers and barely trained due to the pain, but still played. "I don't think this is how you take care of players. I'm very sad," Flick lamented angrily.
Now, this "invasive radiofrequency procedure for the treatment of his pubic discomfort," which the Spanish national team cited as the reason for withdrawing Lamine Yamal from the squad, is the latest episode in this saga. "There are procedures that happen outside the Federation's purview. That's how it is, and we have to accept it," said Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente in an interview on RNE. "I've never experienced a situation like this. I don't think it's very normal. Of course, it surprised me, like everyone else. You have no prior notice, you don't know any details, and I repeat, with health issues... you're always taken aback," he expressed. Barça gets its way, and the Blaugrana star returns to Barcelona.