Lamine Yamal is once again at the epicenter of the controversy between FC Barcelona and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). In an interview on Esport3, journalist Joaquín Maroto, deputy director of the As newspaper, accused the Federation and coach Luis de la Fuente of using the call-up of the young Barça forward to provoke the Blaugrana club.

Before the relapse of Lamine's groin discomfort, which will leave him off the Spain list, the press conference of the Riojan coach was already marked by tension.

Maroto questioned the medical decision in September, when Voltaren was injected into the player's gluteus to force his participation, a fact that also affected Nico Williams, who was also injured after that FIFA date.

Tense climate between Barça and the National Team

The accusation of "playing with risk" with key players such as Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams provoked the irritation of De la Fuente, who merely responded that "the risk is always there." However, for Maroto, the RFEF acted with arrogance and irresponsibility, ignoring the medical warnings from both Barça and Athletic Club. In his statements to Esport3, the journalist was forceful:

"The Federation lied blatantly. There was a medical report of the puncture and a document from Athletic asking to dose Nico Williams. The RFEF ignored those warnings."

The deputy director of the newspaper AS also expressed his disappointment with Aitor Karanka, current technical director of the National Team. As he explained, Karanka refused to answer his messages, claiming that he only attends to sports directors, despite the fact that Maroto also holds that title. "In the Federation they believe they can deceive journalists," he lamented.

"They called up Lamine to provoke Barça"

The toughest point of the intervention came when Maroto assured that the presence of Lamine Yamal in the list of called-up players was not due to sporting criteria, but to a strategy to bother the Barça club:

For Maroto, recent cases such as the long-term injuries of Gavi or the problems of Pedri should have served as a warning to take extreme care. "Lamine is the best player of the moment and does not deserve to go through this ordeal," he said.

Barça-National Team: A growing tension

The words of Joaquín Maroto have added more fuel to an already burning fire between Barça and the RFEF. In recent weeks, the management of the culé players in the National Team has been a source of conflict, with Lamine Yamal at the center of the debate. The young star has been suffering from pubalgia that has kept him out of several matches in LaLiga and the Champions League.

Meanwhile, within the Barça club, there is insistence that the priority is to recover the player progressively, avoiding relapses that compromise his future. The controversy opens a new chapter in the complicated relationship between Barça and the National Team, especially regarding the management of young stars.

Barça Responds Firmly

From the Catalan entity, the slogan has been clear: protect the footballer. Lamine's absence against Sevilla and the expected recovery of two to three weeks reinforce the position of Barça, which considers it unacceptable to expose the player to unnecessary risks at a key moment in the season.

In this context, Maroto's accusations only serve to highlight the lack of harmony between the club and the RFEF, a fracture that threatens to widen further if a joint protection plan is not established for the emerging stars of Spanish football.

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