As Spanish club Barcelona prepares to kick off its Champions League campaign this season with a tough away match against Newcastle United, surprising developments within the Catalan team have sparked widespread controversy in recent hours.
While all eyes are on St. James’ Park, where Barcelona will play its first match in the Champions League group stage, discussions have intensified within the club regarding the situation of young star Lamine Yamal, who is officially absent from the match, not only for physical reasons but also due to other factors that have caused unspoken tension within the dressing room.
The spark was not just Yamal’s absence from the squad, but also an administrative decision that unexpectedly upset the player. The club’s official social media account published a large promotional poster under the slogan “Budapest 2026”, which refers to the club’s main European goal this season. What stood out, however, was the absence of Yamal’s image from the poster, despite his impressive recent performances.
The 17-year-old, who has delivered standout displays since the start of the season, was surprised to be excluded from the promotional design. This came at a time when the club has been highlighting new players such as Juan Garcia. This apparent oversight did not go unnoticed. According to Spanish sources, Yamal expressed deep frustration with the club’s communications department, questioning the reasoning behind his exclusion from the media campaign related to Barcelona’s most important tournament of the season.
On the physical side, coach Hansi Flick explained during a press conference that Yamal returned from the Spanish national team camp suffering from groin pain. He noted that the player was given painkillers during the international break just to be able to play, without being allowed time to rest or recover fully.
Flick confirmed that Yamal did not train adequately upon his return, which ruled him out of the technical plans against Newcastle. He expressed dissatisfaction with the mismanagement of the player’s international involvement, particularly in matches that did not carry significant weight for the Spanish national team.
Within Barcelona, there is a sense of discontent with the Spanish Football Federation. The club believes that Yamal’s recent call-up was unwarranted given his physical condition, which exacerbated his injury and could potentially prolong his absence.
Amid this tension, the club continues to monitor the player’s mental and physical state, amid concerns that these developments could lead to an unwanted rift between the young talent and the club’s management. This is especially significant considering that Yamal is one of the key figures whom Camp Nou fans are counting on in the renewal project led by Laporta and Flick.
