FC Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, has confirmed he held discussions with his Spanish national team counterpart, Aitor Karanka, to address the handling of Lamine Yamal’s injury last month.
The talks were prompted by frustration from Barcelona and coach Hansi Flick after Yamal’s fitness issue was aggravated during the September international break. The teenage forward, who was already managing discomfort, played over 140 minutes across two matches for Spain. He subsequently returned to his club with a worsened injury, forcing him to miss four consecutive games and drawing public criticism from Flick regarding Spain manager Luis de la Fuente’s player management.
Seeking to mend relations, Deco downplayed any lasting conflict, attributing the incident to a communication breakdown. “There is no controversy with the RFEF; the things that had to be discussed have already been discussed,” Deco explained. “I spoke with Karanka, and what we will do is improve protocols and communication.”
He stressed the symbiotic relationship between the club and the national team. “The Spanish national team is important for Barça and Barça is important for the national team,” he said. “The fact that so many of our players are called up means things are being done well here.”
Deco acknowledged the validity of both Flick’s and De la Fuente’s positions. “If I am Flick and Lamine comes back unable to play the next matches, I would be upset,” he conceded. “Just as if I were De la Fuente and I want to win matches, I would play Lamine.”
He concluded by noting the increased stakes in modern international football. “The big problem is that all national team matches… are official today. What we must do is improve communication so that everything flows.”
With Spain set to announce its squad for the October fixtures this week, Barcelona is reportedly hopeful Yamal will not be selected, allowing him more time to recover fully.
Source link
