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Nieuws
- 1 hour ago
Lamine Yamal: Inside the battle between Spain and Barca that threatens to divide a nation
Martin Macdonald
- 12 Nov 2025 06:30 CST
- 7 min read
Nieuws
Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal is currently caught in the middle of a major rift between the Blaugrana and his national team, Spain.
Since international football became a staple in the calendar alongside club football, players have been the subject of arguments involving availability and playing time.
Clubs, naturally, don't want to send their players on international duty in fear of them getting injured, and the situation has been exacerbated by the bloated calendar of modern football as players are asked to play more matches across more competitions than ever before.
This campaign, Yamal hasn't been at his best due to an ongoing groin injury named pubalgia. It can cause inflammation and pain in the groin, though the intensity of that pain can come and go which is why he has been available for some games but not others.
On Monday, it was decided by the player and Barcelona that he should undergo an 'invasive radio frequency' procedure to try and ease the injury.
The problem is, he was called up to the Spanish national team and the Spanish FA were only told about the planned procedure hours after it had already happened.
The RFEF released Yamal from the squad for “the player’s health and wellbeing” but are perturbed that they cannot utilise their star man for this round of World Cup Qualifiers against Georgia and Türkiye. If Barcelona and Yamal made the RFEF aware of the procedure, then head coach Luis de la Fuente could have made plans for the two games without him involved, they claim.
“The Medical Services of the RFEF wish to express their surprise and discomfort after learning at 13:47 on Monday, November 10, the day of the start of the official training camp with the national team, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure for the treatment of his pubic discomfort that same morning," a statement read.
“This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the medical staff of the National Team, with knowledge of the details only through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated the medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days."
This is the second international break in a row that Yamal will miss after he pulled out of Spain's October matches due to the same groin issue.
The war of words between Spain and Barcelona has been going on since September, when the player was given pain meds to play for La Roja - a decision which was criticised at the time by Barca boss Hansi Flick.
Barcelona hit back at Spain
Barcelona have now responded to the claims by the RFEF and state that the procedure was booked with the knowledge of everyone appropriate.
A report by Mundo Deportivo indicates that Barcelona planned the procedure with the knowledge of the club's medical staff, the player, his representatives and Belgian specialist Dr. Ernest Schilders.
The club stated they were prioritising Yamal's “optimal recovery and progressive return to the pitch” while insisting that they appropriately communicated the status of the player to Spain's medical staff.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente said he had "never experienced" such a situation around a player before.
“There are procedures that take place outside the Federation's control," he told RNE Deportes.
"That's what happens, we have to accept it. I've never experienced a situation like this before. I don't think it's very normal. It has surprised us all. You don't have any news, you don't know any details, and on top of that, it's a health issue, so you're left surprised.”
Barcelona insist they acted with full transparency and coordination with the Spanish football federation.
More Yamal-Spain drama
The teenager has struggled to stay out of the headlines this season. Amid concerns over his long-term fitness because of the groin problem, the winger’s behaviour both on and off the field has come in the spotlight.
He was central to an angry clash following Barcelona’s loss in El Clasico to Real Madrid in October while there have been reports that he is unpopular with Spain team-mates at a national team level.
A recent report indicated that certain members of the national team are unhappy with the way the player acts.
Indeed, it has been claimed that some senior players even told De la Fuente to leave the Barcelona star at home.
El Nacional claims: “Some see the attitude of a precocious star. They say he's no longer the quiet, focused kid he was a year ago. He seems arrogant, even distant. In a locker room that values unity over egos, this is starting to weigh on them.”
De la Fuente has previously been public in his support for Lamine, explaining in March: “What do I demand from Lamine? To keep enjoying football, to keep doing what he likes, to keep understanding football the way he does.
“What do I demand from the rest of you [the media]? To understand that he is not a mature player yet. He still needs to grow.
“He can get really far, but it's you guys who criticise him and want to 'kill' him.”
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