Fußball, Nations League, 20250609, Portugal - Spanien. Im Bild v.l. Trainer Spanien Luis DE LA FUENTE, Lamine YAMAL Spanien, 19 Siegerehrung. München Munich Football Arena Bayern Deutschland *** Soccer, Nations League, 20250609, Portugal Spain In the picture from left coach Spain Luis DE LA FUENTE, Lamine YAMAL Spain, 19 Award ceremony Munich Munich Football Arena Bayern Germany.

soccer

‘I Don’t Think It’s Normal’ – Spain Coach Luis de la Fuente Lashes Out at Lamine Yamal and FC Barcelona Over Injury Treatment

Star winger returns to Barcelona following groin treatment.

The Spanish Football Association and head coach Luis de la Fuente have expressed their displeasure over an unknown groin procedure of star winger Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old has been released from the national setup after a late update was provided to the team, making him unavailable for the ongoing international break. Despite being selected for Spain’s FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey on 15 and 18 November, Yamal will return to Barcelona.

The teen sensation has been in top form this season, scoring in the Blaugrana’s 4-2 win in La Liga against Celta Vigo over the weekend. However, he has been dealing with some issues in the pubic region for multiple weeks now. While Barcelona was quick to identify the concern and conduct the necessary treatment for their star-boy, the club failed to inform the RFEF about Yamal’s latest procedure.

🚨⚠️ Spain coach De La Fuente on Barça sending notice for Lamine Yamal’s pubic problems: “I'm shocked, I've never been through a situation like this before, and I don't think it's normal at all”.

“You don't know anything, no news reaches you… then they suddenly tell you”. pic.twitter.com/eFh3zKGDiR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 11, 2025

Regarding the snub, La Roja head coach Luis de la Fuente has vented out his frustrations. “I had never experienced a situation like that,” said the 64-year-old. Under de la Fuente, Spain picked up a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as championship trophies at the Nations League 2023 and Euro 2024. “I don’t think it’s normal. You don’t know, you haven’t heard anything, you don’t know any details, and then they tell you about health issues. You’re left surprised.”

Tensions Rise Between FC Barcelona and Spanish Federation Following Lamine Yamal Saga

An official statement by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) read, “The medical services of the Royal Spanish Football Federation wish to express their surprise and concern upon learning, at 13:47 on Monday 10 November, that Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radio frequency procedure earlier that same morning to treat discomfort in his pubic area.

“This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the national team’s medical staff, who only became aware of the details through a report received at 22:40 last night, in which a medical recommendation of 7-10 days of rest was indicated. In light of this situation, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has decided to release the player from the current squad.”

Lamine Yamal arrived to international duty with Spain on Monday evening. Earlier that day in Barcelona, Yamal underwent a small procedure, unbeknownst to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, to try and fix an ongoing groin issue.

The RFEF have said they are "surprised" by… pic.twitter.com/qEPWSZp1vY
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 11, 2025

The latest dispute has caused some tensions between the Spanish FA and FC Barcelona. A prolific attacker in his own right, the controversy arose when Yamal’s groin injury was aggravated during the previous international break. The Euro 2024 champions currently sit atop Group-E in the World Cup Qualifiers. Meanwhile, Rayo Vallecano’s Jorge de Frutos has been called up as a replacement for Yamal.

(Image Credits: Imago Images)

FC Barcelona

FIFA World Cup 2026

La Liga

Lamine Yamal

Luis de la Fuente

Soccer

Spain

Sankalp Harikrishnan

A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The Playoffs News, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.