Spain manager Luis de la Fuente insisted he simply “does not care” about Hansi Flick’s criticism of his management of Lamine Yamal.
Flick lashed out at the Spanish authorities (RFEF) upon Yamal’s return from international duty, after which he was diagnosed with a groin injury. The Barcelona boss accused Spain of forcing Yamal to play through pain and argued he should have been handed more rest when two comfortable wins—3–0 against Bulgaria and 6–0 against Türkiye—were sealed.
His comments were met with reported confusion from Spanish officials, claiming they were not aware of any complaints over Yamal's fitness during his time with the team, where he also works with a physio employed specifically for the Barcelona players in the squad.
With Yamal inching closer and closer to a return, De la Fuente laughed off the entire situation as he urged Flick to move on.
“Today, in my home town, at this moment, I don’t remember what Flick said, nor do I care,” De la Fuente said.
After Wednesday’s victory over Real Oviedo, Flick was asked for a response to De la Fuente’s latest barb.
“It’s OK,” Flick said bluntly. “If he said this, it’s his opinion. I can live with this.”
Barcelona are adamant they will take no unnecessary risks when it comes to Yamal's return. The winger has missed four games across all competitions so far and may only be fit enough for a spot on the bench for Sunday’s visit from Real Sociedad.
The hope is that Yamal is back to full fitness in time for the Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain on Oct. 1, just two days before De la Fuente will announce his Spain squad for the next round of international fixtures.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hansi Flick Sent Blunt Message Over Lamine Yamal Injury Complaints.
