Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has risked the annoyance of manager Hansi Flick by publicly disagreeing with his boss. The German coach had signalled that his players needed a more unselfish attitude after his side dropped points against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday night in a 1-1 draw.
After the game, Flick said that he did not want to speak about individuals, and that he did not want any egos, as ‘egos kill success’. He went on to encourage his side to think of the collective, as they did last season. Something midfielder Pedri has since agreed with.
Lamine Yamal: ‘I don’t think it has to do with egos’
Lamine Yamal also spoke to the press in the aftermath, before hearing from his manager in the dressing room, and noted that he was keen for the side to get back the intensity that they had from last year. In an interview with RTVE, as covered by Diario AS, Lamine Yamal doubled down on that analysis.
Add in from Lamine Yamal:
“We lacked intensity, just as we have the first three games. We have to go back to the intensity of last year.” https://t.co/SgvcyGcydb
— Ruairidh Barlow (@RuriBarlow) August 31, 2025
“I think it has more to do with the fact that we didn’t start the season with the intensity we had at the end of the previous one than with the egos in the dressing room. After a draw, you come out of it hot; in the end, you have to win. We took seven points out of nine on very difficult pitches, something people don’t mention.”
“He is right that we made a lot of mistakes, but it can happen. We have to get back to our level as soon as possible. We’re hungry for more because we haven’t won four Champions Leagues or four Liga titles in a row; we’re very young. La Liga is very long, so we have to be consistent.”
Fermin looks very happy to me’ – Lamine Yamal
Another talking point at Barcelona has been the potential departure of Fermin Lopez, and despite interest from Chelsea, he decided to stay.
“Fermin looks very happy to me. At Barca, if someone leaves, it’s by their own choice. We’re a young, united group where there are no problems between us. I don’t think anyone wants to leave. We jokingly asked him what was going on with England, but he said he wanted to stay.”
He also opined on the decision of Spain teammate Nico Williams to remain at Athletic Club.
“The important thing is that Nico enjoys where he is, I’m not one to tell him where to go.”
Grateful to Spain manager Luis de la Fuente
This summer has seen Lamine Yamal’s celebrity skyrocket, and without playing, the 18-year-old has found himself in the headlines often.
“Lately, there’s been more talk about what I do off the pitch than what I do on it. But they talk about me for what I do on the pitch. If I were playing for Mataro, my birthday party wouldn’t have that kind of impact. I’m not affected by what people say. I’ve realised that everything that happens in my life will be talked about, and often it’s fabricated.”
“I don’t care much. In the end, I said it on the day of my renewal, for both the good and the bad, I only listen to my circle, who are the ones who truly know things and what matters. It’s something in my favour that helps me a lot because you’ll never hear Lamine sad or happy about something someone else has said. I follow my path, I continue with my mentality, which I believe is what has brought me here.”
Pedri González: “The last game didn’t go as we would have liked, but personally I feel very good. The pitch of Vallecas? It was playable. It wasn’t the best, but it’s no excuse to have tied and we could have done much better things.” @OndaCero_es pic.twitter.com/umuiRJY2VB
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 2, 2025
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente had defended Lamine Yamal to the press just beforehand, noting that he was under significant pressure at a young age.
“I’m very grateful. He was one of the people who could best defend me, with the right and exact words, and yes, I agree with him on what he said. In the end, it’s the easiest thing for people. In the end, Luis, my coach with the national team, defends me, and that’s no coincidence. I will always be grateful to him and I agree with him on everything.”
Reaction at Barcelona?
It will be interesting to see how Flick responds to Lamine Yamal’s comments. While he might not have meant ill, disagreeing with a manager publicly is a dangerous game. The teenage star is one of Flick’s best assets, and will no doubt win him a number of games this year, yet handling his rise at such a young age is part of the challenge that comes with it, both for player and manager.
