Lamine Yamal made headlines after Barcelonaâs win over Atletico Madrid, not only for his performance on the pitch but also for his visibly frustrated reaction despite the three points. After the match, head coach Hansi Flick offered his take on the episode involving the 18-year-old star.
On Saturday, Barcelona traveled to Atletico Madrid for Matchday 30 in a match marked by controversy and ultimately decided by Robert Lewandowskiâs 87th-minute strike to make it 2-1. While the victory was a significant step forward in Barcelonaâs La Liga title push, Yamal did not appear to share in the celebrations, heading straight to the locker room the moment the final whistle blew.
Asked about Yamalâs reaction in his post-match press conference, Flick offered a measured explanation: âHe was a little bit angry. He gave everything, he tried to score goals and give the last pass. Itâs normal. Of course he has emotion. This was the game, with emotion, but heâs in the dressing room and everything is good.â
Flick also admitted he was not entirely sure what had triggered the reaction. âI donât know exactly what it was, but as I said before, there was a lot of emotion during the game. Some situations, he tried everything, tried everything, but at the moment he does not have this fortune that he scores the goals, but it can come back,â he added.
The timing of the episode is far from ideal, with Barcelona set to face Atletico Madrid twice more, this time in the Champions League. The first leg is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, at Camp Nou, with the return leg following on Tuesday the 14th at the Metropolitano.
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âWe have three days now to prepare for the next match. Itâs a very important one in the Champions League and he will be in a better mood than after the game,â Flick said, making clear how much he is counting on Yamal to play a decisive role in Barcelonaâs pursuit of European glory.
Yamalâs reason reportedly revealed
Yamalâs performance against Atletico on Saturday fell well short of his usual standards, with the Spanish winger registering seven shots without a single one hitting the target. However, reports suggest his post-match frustration stemmed not from his own display, but from a disagreement with a member of the coaching staff.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Yamal left the pitch visibly overwhelmed by the volume of instructions and information being relayed to him by José Ramón de la Fuente. The 18-year-old was seen walking off alongside the goalkeeping coach, who also carries responsibilities in strategy and set pieces, exchanging gestures that made his displeasure clear for all to see.
