An open mic captures Iturralde and Risto commenting on Lamine: "Now they say that..."

The controversy surrounding Lamine’s injury

The situation involving Lamine has been the main topic of debate following the latest call-up by Luis de la Fuente. Just hours after being selected by the National Team, FC Barcelona issued a statement announcing that the forward was experiencing pubic discomfort and would be out for two to three weeks, meaning he would not be available for the match against Sevilla. Following that statement, the RFEF decided to withdraw the player from the squad. Since then, the injury has been analyzed in several television programs, including the sports magazine Balones fuera, part of Cuatro’s programming. There, collaborators such as Iturralde discussed the background of the case.

The exchange between Risto and Iturralde

While the cameras had not yet returned to the studio, Risto commented: “He has pubic discomfort… Well, what can we do?”. Iturralde defended the player’s call-up with a clear argument: “This is sports. If the previous Wednesday he played with his club, he should be available to play for the National Team, which is fighting to qualify for the World Cup.” At that moment, Mejide asked a direct question that surprised viewers: “Are you saying he’s faking it?”. Iturralde answered firmly: “I’m not saying he’s faking it. Only he can feel the discomfort. What I’m saying is that if he is playing with his club, he’s available for the coach to call him up.”

The events leading up to the call-up

Days before the announcement, cameras captured Lamine leaving the stadium with a slight limp, which already raised concerns. In his press conference, De la Fuente recalled that if the footballer could play the full 90 minutes against PSG, he should also be in condition to do so with Spain. The coach also insisted that all players compete with discomfort. However, the statement issued hours later by Barça changed the scenario: Lamine was ultimately left out of the National Team list. The international break will allow the young winger to continue recovering, with the aim of being fully available for the Clásico.