Luis de la Fuente Defends Himself After Lamine Yamal Withdraws from Spain Squad
After Barcelona’s teenage phenom Lamine Yamal was forced to quit the national team camp owing to a hamstring injury, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has responded to detractors.
Having been in amazing form this year and a major player in Spain’s European Championship victory, Lamine Yamal sustained a hamstring strain in Spain’s Nations League game against Denmark. Although De la Fuente drew criticism for maybe overplaying the 17-year-old sensation, the Spain manager angrily refuted these allegations.
Response of De la Fuente
De la Fuente addressed the matter in front of the media, justifying his choice to play Yamal and stressing the need of player welfare:
“Lamine felt considerable discomfort near the conclusion of the game. He informed me he felt he wouldn’t be 100% fit on Tuesday, and when in question we always gamble on the athlete’s health.” De la Fuente clarified Yamal’s removal as preventive, stating: “Football is football, if it needs to happen, it will happen. He performed since he had to; there is no more discussion about this.“
Addressing Overplay Concerns
De la Fuente also dismissed the notion that Yamal was being overplayed, explaining Spain’s busy schedule:
“Last year we played 17 international matches because we were lucky enough to reach the final of the European Championship, but this year we’re going to play ten. In total, 27 in two years, one a month. The problem is something else, and we have enough with our own problems.”
