Only 18! Hansi Flick defends Lamine Yamal’s latest touchline outburst

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has failed to criticise Lamine Yamal following the youngsters’ latest angry outburst after being substituted.

Yamal made headlines last weekend when he expressed his dissatifaction at being substituted during Barcelona’s victory over Atletico Madrid in La Liga. The Spain international has reacted angrily to being substituted on several occasions this season, a move that has seen fans call for a disciplinary measure.

However, Flick while speaking ahead of another encounter with Atletico in the Champions League remains adamant that such passion is natural for a world-class talent navigating elite football at just 18.

Offering his full backing, Flick stated: “What we have to remember is that Lamine is 18 years old. He’s an incredible player. Sometimes you see what he does, and it’s amazing – especially in one-on-one situations. But he’s only 18. Sometimes he gets upset when I sub him out, maybe because he’s trying to take on four or five defenders and shoot. He might be frustrated. He’s emotional, and that’s okay. We support him. We help him grow. We have to look out for him. I know everyone is watching him because he’s fantastic. But he’s only 18. We all make mistakes. We’ll always protect him. He’ll be the best in the future.”

Hansi Flick and Lamine Yamal after the Copa del Rey semi final second leg football match between Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid. (Photo by Lluis GENE / AFP via Getty Images)

Despite defeating Atletico over the weekend, Flick was quick to underline that Champions League nights bring an entirely different challenge and intensity compared to domestic meetings.

When asked whether the Blaugrana have a psychological advantage, the German coach explained: “It’s different. Not entirely, but different. The Champions League is a different competition. That’s how I see it. We’re playing against a tough opponent with fantastic players. We want to advance to the next round.”

Flick added: “Atletico is a tough team. They have the right attitude, fast players, and are strong on the field. On Saturday, they rested several players and still played well. It’s not easy to score two goals against Atletico. That’s all I can say. It’s always tough. The match will be very exciting. We’ll try to get a good result, but we know we have to play there. We want to reach our goal. We have to focus on our performance and what we do. We have to focus on our own game. That’s what I want to see.”

Yamal is likely to retain his place in the starting eleven as he aims to help his team get past their fierce rival.

The Spain international has the chance to make history by surpassing Erling Haaland as the youngest player to reach 10 goal involvements in a single Champions League campaign if he gets on the scoresheet or registers an assist.