Spain vs Barcelona: All you need to know about the Lamine Yamal saga

Tensions between Spain and Barcelona have continued to simmer following the latest development surrounding Lamine Yamal.

Spain has voiced its “surprise and concern” upon releasing Lamine Yamal from the national team to Barcelona following a groin procedure that the federation claims it was unaware of.

The 18-year-old Barcelona winger had been selected for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey, scheduled for November 15 and 18, respectively.

The RFEF stated it received no communication regarding Lamine Yamal’s procedure on Monday, the day the training camp commenced.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente remarked, “I had never experienced a situation like that. I don’t think it’s very normal… You don’t know, you haven’t heard anything, you don’t know any details, and then they tell you about health issues. You’re left surprised.”

Lamine Yamal scored in Barcelona’s 4-2 La Liga victory over Celta Vigo on Sunday before being substituted in stoppage time.

An RFEF statement read: “The medical services of the Royal Spanish Football Federation wish to express their surprise and concern upon learning, at 13:47 on Monday 10 November—the day the national team’s official training camp began—that Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure earlier that same morning to treat discomfort in his pubic area.

“This intervention was carried out without prior notification to the national team’s medical staff, who only became aware of the details through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated a medical recommendation of 7–10 days of rest.

“In light of this situation, and with the player’s health, safety, and wellbeing as the primary consideration, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has decided to withdraw the player from the current squad.”

De la Fuente has called up Jorge de Frutos of Rayo Vallecano to replace Lamine Yamal. This latest dispute has further strained relations between Barcelona and the RFEF.

Lamine Yamal was at the centre of a controversy during the September international break when Barcelona manager Hansi Flick publicly criticised Spain for their alleged failure to properly manage their players’ fitness.

Yamal, who joined Spain with a minor groin issue, saw the problem worsen while on international duty. He played significant minutes in both international fixtures and subsequently missed four games for Barcelona.

De la Fuente insisted at the time that no risks were taken and that a player fit for his club could be considered for selection.

Tensions surfaced again before the October international break when De la Fuente included Yamal in his squad. Hours later, Barcelona released a statement confirming the player was injured. The RFEF countered that Lamine Yamal reported no physical complaints upon joining the national team.

This development, preceding the November international break, is perhaps not unexpected.

De la Fuente told reporters that he accepted that procedures are sometimes conducted outside the federation, but he had never encountered a situation of this nature.

Sources within Barcelona stated that their medical team is in regular contact with the RFEF and that the club acted responsibly, in agreement with the player, with the sole purpose of ensuring his recovery.

The Euro 2024 champions are leading Group E with two games remaining, holding a three-point lead over Turkey.