Lamine Yamal had a difficult night in Murcia on Saturday against Denmark (1-0). In addition to wasting a very clear chance in the first half, the FC Barcelona winger suffered the wear and tear of a very physical clash from start to finish. Not in vain, the '10' left the Enrique Roca Stadium limping, with discomfort in his left thigh. In the post-match press conference, Luis de la Fuente referred to the youth's performance, as well as the rudeness that characterized the Danes on the day.
"Lamine had an exceptional attitude, generating a lot of imbalance in the band. He has that special talent," said the man from Rioja at the beginning of his analysis. However, he ruled out criticizing the visiting team or the referee for the infractions received. In total, Lars Knudsen's team committed 17 fouls (4 were punished with yellow), 8 more than Spain (9). 3 of them were about the Barça youth player.
"Kick him... I had a teammate who told those who complained: 'What do you want them to give you, kisses? The rival uses his weapons to the limit of the regulations,' De la Fuente commented. Despite showing some fatigue in the final minutes, the coach only removed Yamal in the 90+3 minute so Sergi Gómez (Real Sociedad) made his debut. After the game, in the mixed zone, the youth showed his physical discomfort when leaving the stadium.
Luis de la Fuente's advice to Lamine Yamal to deal with kicks
Asked about the effectiveness of aggressive play to neutralize the 17-year-old 'crack', the coach took the opportunity to advise the new La Roja star. "You have to apply it with the harshness that the regulations allow. For that there is a referee who sets that limit. With young players of this talent it is about intimidating, seeking contact. It is a bit of the law of football."
However, De la Fuente also left a message to the referees. "The referee must protect these talented players; but Lamine must get used to that. Maybe in some situations you have to take the ball away first, but that's football. I would love for this to be a bed of roses, Flower Power, but this sport That's how it is," said the Spanish coach. This Sunday, the La Roja medical staff will subject the winger to the relevant tests to determine whether or not there is an injury to his left thigh.