Hansi Flick criticizes Spain’s handling of Yamal injury: “This is not taking care of players.”

Photo by Nahi Khabar 24/7 – via Personal Collection

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has taken a sharp dig at the Spanish national team over their treatment of young winger Lamine Yamal, who has been sidelined due to a groin injury. Flick lamented that Yamal played through pain during recent international duties, raising concerns about player welfare at the national level.

Yamal, 18, featured in Spain’s World Cup qualifying wins against Bulgaria and Turkey despite reportedly receiving painkillers and missing training sessions due to his discomfort. His health issue was confirmed as “discomfort in the pubic bone,” forcing him to miss Barcelona’s impending LaLiga clash with Valencia and casting doubt over his availability for an upcoming Champions League fixture against Newcastle.

“This is not really taking care of the players, is it?” Flick questioned at a pre-match press conference. “He played with the national team despite pain. He had problems, played 79 and 73 minutes, and didn’t even train between matches because of this pain.”

Flick also expressed frustration over a lack of communication with Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, citing language barriers as a contributing factor. “My Spanish is not good, his English is not good … perhaps that’s a problem. But in the end we have many players who go to national duty, and I think players like Yamal need better protection.”

He emphasized the need to safeguard young talents, especially in positions of intense physical demand, arguing that repetitive stress and insufficient rest can lead to longer-term damage. Barcelona’s medical staff have described Yamal’s condition as a minor issue, but one that requires careful handling. 

As Barcelona prepare for their match against Valencia without one of their brightest young stars, the situation has sparked broader discussion on the balance between national duty and club care, especially for promising youngsters being asked to shoulder heavy workloads.