Spain Coach Dismisses Dispute with Flick Over Yamal Injury

Published on: Oct 03, 2025, 06:42 pm IST

Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, clarified on Friday that there is “no conflict” with Hansi Flick, who recently criticized the national team’s handling of Barcelona player Lamine Yamal. This clarification follows Flick’s concern that Yamal’s groin injury was aggravated during the World Cup qualifiers in September.

Yamal, the 18-year-old winger, returned to start for Barcelona in a 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain after his recovery. De la Fuente, upon announcing his squad for forthcoming matches against Georgia and Bulgaria, expressed surprise at Flick’s comments, suggesting a lack of mutual understanding typically shared among national team coaches.

“Our primary focus is preparing for the World Cup, and other matters are secondary,” De la Fuente emphasized. “Everyone has made their statements, and that’s where it stands.”

Flick had previously mentioned a brief text communication with De la Fuente, suggesting room for better dialogue between them. De la Fuente further clarified, “Post-match, Yamal experienced some discomfort, but that’s common in sports. Our medical team has thoroughly explained the situation.”

In the upcoming qualifiers, Spain will miss Nico Williams and Dani Carvajal, with Alvaro Morata also absent due to his slower performance at the start of the season with Como. Williams has been sidelined due to a groin injury, prompting his club to request careful management of his playing time.

“Playing always involves risks, which are part of football,” De la Fuente pointed out, indicating normalcy in such situations.

Spain currently leads Group E with six points from two matches and is set to face Georgia on October 11 in Elche, followed by a match against Bulgaria in Valladolid three days later.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.

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