The waters are choppy once again in Barcelona. After the recent chaos involving the Spanish national team and several player injuries, an internal problem has now come to light. It’s common for Hansi Flick to discipline players by benching them if they arrive late – whether to training sessions, matchdays, or team talks. This happened with Lamine Yamal before the PSG game, but unlike others, the young winger still played.
What’s up at Barcelona?
According to Manu Carreño on El Larguero (Cadena SER), Deco had to intervene to prevent Flick from leaving Lamine out of the lineup that day. The German coach wanted to drop him after he showed up late to a team meeting, just as he had done previously with other teammates. “Deco had to mediate so Lamine could play. Flick didn’t take this interference well, as he believes that punishment should apply equally to everyone,” Carreño revealed.
The El Larguero director also reported that the club is increasingly uneasy about Lamine’s behavior off the pitch. “There’s some concern about Lamine’s day-to-day life. It’s not alarming yet, but people don’t like some of the things that have been happening with him in recent months – his attitude and lifestyle are raising eyebrows.”
Within the squad, many don’t understand why Lamine escaped punishment when others – such as Koundé, Raphinha, and Iñaki Peña – were disciplined for similar lateness. Flick is determined not to lose control of the locker room and was unhappy with Deco’s intervention before the PSG match. It remains to be seen whether the German coach will continue enforcing strict punctuality rules after this episode set a new precedent.