Objective: recover Lamine

Since the young player from Rocafonda returned from his call-up with the Spanish national team at the beginning of September with discomfort in his pubis, his performance has not been the same. He has been absent in five matches due to the injury, and in the ones he has been able to play, he has been physically diminished. His return against Real Sociedad was promising, with an excellent half hour that was key in the victory of Hansi Flick´s team, but shortly after he had to stop again, missing the match against Sevilla. Since then, he has barely scored a goal —against Olympiacos and from a penalty— and his dribbling ability has notably decreased, as he finds it harder to get past opponents.

A complicated Clásico

The Clásico at Santiago Bernabéu was particularly tough for Lamine. His previous statements, made in the context of the Kings League, where he commented that “Real Madrid steals” by comparing the white club to Ibai Llanos´ Porcinos team, were poorly received in the Madrid environment. Fans and rival players were waiting for his visit, and his performance ended up being discreet. During the match, he had to stop several times to stretch due to discomfort in his pubis, and at the end of the game, several Real Madrid players approached him after securing the victory.

Recovering the best Lamine

Having overcome the duel against the eternal rival, Barça considers that the main objective now is to recover the best version of Lamine Yamal. The club wants the youth player to become the decisive player he dazzled as at just 17 years old, when he became one of the great promises of world football. At the azulgrana entity, there is absolute confidence in his potential and that he will be one of the pillars of the long-term project. That is why he was given the number ´10´, a symbol of leadership and responsibility. The club believes that the most important thing at this moment is his complete recovery from pubalgia so that he can feel like an active part of the team again. They are convinced that, once his physical problems are overcome, Lamine will return to being one of the most decisive players on the planet and will be able to lead Barça to new titles, as he did last season.

Management and protection of the player

Within the club, they did not hide their discontent with the statements made prior to the Clásico, as they considered them unnecessary and counterproductive. They believe they served as extra motivation for Real Madrid, who were already eager for revenge after the four victories of the previous season. According to some members of the board, several white players had even requested to play on the left wing to “punish” the azulgrana winger during the match. Therefore, both from the club and from his environment, with Jorge Mendes at the helm, there will be very close monitoring of the player to prevent him from repeating similar mistakes, a result of his youth —he is only 18 years old—, and also to protect him on a personal level, reducing his media exposure and on social networks.

Turning the page and focusing on his recovery

The intention of Barça is clear: turn the page as soon as possible. The club believes that the best thing for everyone is to leave behind what happened at Santiago Bernabéu and reduce media tension. They want Lamine to focus exclusively on fully recovering from pubalgia, a complicated ailment that requires time and patience, but that, once overcome, will allow him to showcase all his talent on the pitch. Moreover, in some sectors of the club, there are suspicions that a smear campaign against the young player may have been promoted from Madrid, fearing that he could become a new “headache” for Real Madrid, as Messi was for more than a decade. That is why Barça is determined to protect Lamine Yamal on all fronts and ensure that he grows in the most stable environment possible.