🚨 Conflicting Reports Emerge Over Lamine Yamal's Late Arrival and Hansi Flick's Authority at Barcelona
The incident reportedly began when Lamine Yamal showed up late to a pre-match training session or meeting ahead of the Champions League tie. Flick, a manager known for his exacting standards and unyielding stance on punctuality, immediately planned to apply his zero-tolerance policy. This is the same policy that saw veteran first-team players Raphinha and loanee Marcus Rashford benched for disciplinary reasons—a crucial move that established Flick's authority and equality in the dressing room.
The situation you described, based on a report from La SER, highlights a potential internal conflict at Barcelona surrounding manager Hansi Flick's strict disciplinary policy and alleged interference from the club's board, specifically Sporting Director Deco, regarding Lamine Yamal's selection.
Here is a breakdown of the claims and the counter claims from other sources:
1. The Alleged Incident (La SER Report)
The Lateness: Lamine Yamal reportedly arrived late to a pre-match session ahead of a Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Flick's Plan: Due to his zero tolerance policy on tardiness which had previously seen players like Raphinha and Marcus Rashford benched Hansi Flick allegedly intended to drop Yamal from the starting lineup against PSG.
Board Interference: The report claims that despite Flick's decision, Sporting Director Deco intervened, and Yamal ultimately played in the match.
Undermined Authority: This intervention reportedly created confusion and frustration within the team, and Flick felt his authority was undermined, leading him to tell the board they must fully respect his coaching decisions and club rules.
2. Hansi Flick's Strict Discipline Track Record
The reports align with the known strict stance of Hansi Flick regarding player discipline:
Raphinha's Bench: Raphinha was reportedly demoted from the starting lineup for a match (prior to the Getafe game) due to lateness.
Rashford's Bench: Marcus Rashford was also dropped from the starting lineup for the match against Getafe after arriving late to a pre-match meeting. Flick's decision in that instance was consistent with his policy.
3. Counter-Reports Denying Serious Friction
Other sources, such as El Chiringuito TV, have presented a different perspective, strongly denying any serious disagreement between Hansi Flick and Lamine Yamal:
Minimizing the Incident: Insiders suggest that while a late arrival may have occurred, the incident has been blown out of proportion.
Denial of Undermining Authority: Sources close to the club emphasized that Flick's character would not allow him to accept such interference, suggesting that if his authority had been genuinely undermined, he would have considered leaving. They stress that Flick was never in a position where his authority was undermined.
Political Motives: Some club sources have even suggested that the rumors of friction may be politically or electorally motivated to destabilize the club.
Summary of the Situation
The core issue revolves around Hansi Flick's absolute control over team discipline versus the perceived value and importance of a star player like Lamine Yamal to the club's hierarchy (Deco). While Flick has a clear, established policy for lateness, the La SER report suggests this policy may have been overridden for Yamal in a high-stakes Champions League fixture, creating a potential power struggle. However, there are significant counter-reports that deny the situation escalated into a serious disagreement or that Flick's authority was truly challenged.
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