A new crisis has erupted between Barcelona and the Spanish national team over Lamine Yamal’s inclusion in coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad for the upcoming international break.
Yamal returned from the last international break suffering from an injury that kept him out for nearly a month. He made a full recovery and came on as a substitute in the last match against Real Sociedad.
According to Sport, De la Fuente intends to call Yamal up to the Spanish camp in October if he plays against Paris Saint-Germain, a move Barcelona categorically rejects.
The Catalan club believes the 18-year-old needs rest to fully recover and prepare for the busy season. His involvement with Spain would mean playing two additional matches, increasing his physical load and potentially causing a recurrence of the injury.
Barcelona’s management is moving towards a legal solution to prevent Yamal from joining the national team. This will begin amicably by requesting this from De la Fuente. However, it is almost certain that the Spanish coach will reject this proposal and insist on including the player, which will pave the way for a crisis that will not be easy this time.
Hansi Flick attacked De la Fuente, accusing him of negligence in dealing with Yamal. The Spanish coach responded by saying that he had not heard what the German coach had said and did not care much about his opinion.
The Spanish national team will play two matches against Georgia and Bulgaria on October 11 and 14. A victory in both matches will effectively guarantee qualification for the 2026 World Cup, two rounds before the end of the European qualifiers.
