Spain Boss De la Fuente Shrugs Off Flick Spat Over Yamal
Spain gaffer Luis de la Fuente has brushed off any beef with Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, saying there’s “no conflict” after the German had a pop at how the national team handled teen sensation Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old winger, who’s been tearing it up for Barca, copped a groin injury that Flick reckoned was made worse by playing in September’s World Cup qualifiers.
De la Fuente, announcing his squad for crunch clashes against Georgia and Bulgaria, wasn’t having any of it. “There’s no conflict with Flick. I was just a bit gobsmacked by his comments, ‘cos he’s been a national team coach himself, so you’d think he’d get it,” he said, sounding proper miffed. “We’ve got two massive games coming up – we’re playing for a World Cup spot. That’s what matters, not this noise about Flick.”
The Barcelona manager had moaned last month that Yamal’s groin issue flared up after Spain duty, claiming he’d only had a quick text chat with De la Fuente and that their communication could’ve been better. Yamal, who made his first Barca start since August in their 2-1 defeat to PSG midweek, looked sharp but was clearly not at full tilt. De la Fuente, though, was having none of the blame game.
“After the match, he had a bit of discomfort, but who hasn’t played through a niggle?” De la Fuente said, trying to draw a line under it. “Our medical staff explained it, I’ve explained it – that’s that. Did he feel rough after? Dunno, mate.” Classic gaffer move, passing the buck back.
Spain’s squad for the qualifiers ain’t without its headaches. Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams is out, still nursing a groin injury from their 6-0 battering of Turkey. His club were reportedly dead keen for Spain to go easy on him, but De la Fuente wasn’t biting. “Risks are part of footy,” he shrugged. “If he’s playing for his club, he’s taking the same risks. It’s normal, innit?” Meanwhile, Dani Carvajal’s sidelined too, and Alvaro Morata’s been left out after a dodgy start at Como. Tough times for the ex-Chelsea man.
The Spaniards are sitting pretty at the top of Group E with six points from two games, and they’ll fancy their chances against Georgia in Elche on October 11 and Bulgaria in Valladolid three days later. De la Fuente’s lot are gunning for a spot at the World Cup, and with the likes of Yamal in the mix – when he’s not nursing a knock – they’ve got the firepower to keep their perfect record intact.
This whole Flick saga, though? It’s a storm in a teacup, but it’s got tongues wagging. De la Fuente’s clearly keen to focus on the football, not the drama, and if Spain keep winning, this spat’ll be forgotten quicker than you can say “Viva España.”