Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has vehemently rejected claims that he was forced to include Lamine Yamal in the lineup during this month’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, calling the suggestion “bulls—.”
The 18-year-old Yamal reportedly arrived late for a pre-match activation session, similar to Raphinha and Marcus Rashford, both of whom Flick had previously benched this season for similar conduct.
However, a recent report alleged that the club’s board intervened, compelling Flick to start Yamal when he had initially planned to keep him on the bench.
“I apologize for the language, but that’s completely bulls—,” Flick stated during a press conference on Friday when asked about the incident. “I would never, ever [do that]. At this club, with Deco and the board, I genuinely appreciate their faith in our work. We have their confidence, and they would never ask for something like that. I can assure you it’s false, and whoever claims otherwise is lying.”
Yamal’s start against PSG was his first since August due to a persistent groin injury that has sidelined him for seven games at both the club and international level. He was absent during the subsequent 4-1 defeat to Sevilla, but he has resumed training and Flick indicated that he could see “some minutes” in Saturday’s LaLiga match against Girona.
Fermín López is also set to return, but the team faces a shortage of attackers with Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, and Raphinha all unavailable.
“We need to find solutions,” Flick said. “We need players who can start and handle the full 90 minutes. We’re missing quite a few in attack, but we have to adapt. We might also consider young players from La Masia as options.”
Following the match against Girona, Barça will host Olympiacos in the Champions League, before heading to Real Madrid for the first Clásico of the season on October 26, a match Flick expects Raphinha to be back for.
Torres is also anticipated to return by that time, but Olmo, Lewandowski, alongside Gavi and goalkeepers Joan García and Marc-André ter Stegen, are not expected back soon.
As a result, youngsters Roony Bardghji, Toni Fernández, and Dro Fernández may be considered by Flick as Barça aims to bounce back after consecutive losses to PSG and Sevilla before the international break.
“We need to improve our situation,” Flick emphasized. “It’s about the attitude and mentality on the pitch. We are Barça. Our supporters in the stadium expect to see us put up a fight. It’s not enough to rely on last season’s achievements when we won three titles. This is a new season, and we need to approach every match with that mentality. We are fighting for every title.”
“This season is a fresh start. The break was beneficial and provides an opportunity for younger players and those who haven’t had much playtime.”
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In other news, Flick expressed his dissatisfaction with LaLiga’s decision to relocate Barça’s away game against Villarreal to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on December 20.
This means Barça will travel to the United States for a league match at the end of December, return to Barcelona to play Espanyol at the start of January, and subsequently fly to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Supercopa.
“I understand why players are frustrated, and I share that sentiment, but ultimately it’s a decision by LaLiga,” he said. “They decided to organize this match, and we must comply. Naturally, we have a Christmas break between the Miami game and our first match against Espanyol, followed by our trip to Saudi Arabia. It’s the situation we are in, and we have to respect it.”