Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick says he actually “liked” Lamine Yamal’s reaction, viewing it through the experience of his own playing career.
Late in the match against Eintracht Frankfurt, Yamal showed clear frustration after being substituted. But Flick insists he sees no problem with the teenager’s angry response.
Barcelona came from behind at Camp Nou on Tuesday, securing a 2-1 win thanks to a brace from Jules Koundé.
In the 89th minute of the Champions League group-stage match, Flick took Yamal off and brought on Runi Bergdi. Yamal looked visibly irritated as he walked off, appearing to complain. Even after sitting on the bench, he still didn’t look happy.
After the match, Flick explained why he made the decision to substitute him:
“We took Lamine off with only a few minutes left because he had already received a yellow card and the game was entering its final phase. If he’s a bit upset, I completely understand that, and honestly, I like it. I was a player too. It’s totally acceptable — there’s no problem at all.”
Yamal had been booked in the 56th minute for a foul, meaning he will miss Barcelona’s next Champions League match.
Barcelona fell behind in the 21st minute but levelled the score through Koundé’s first goal in the 50th. Just three minutes later, the French defender scored again with a superb header from Yamal’s cross.
According to UEFA, Yamal now holds the record for the most goal involvements — 14 — in the Champions League from the group stage to the final among players aged 19 or under. The 18-year-old has seven goals and seven assists. The previous record belonged to Kylian Mbappé, with 10 goals and three assists.
Barcelona are developing a habit of coming from behind, with different players stepping up when needed. This time, it was Koundé, and Flick was full of praise for him.
“Koundé scoring is fantastic… his talent and mentality are extremely important.”
After six group matches, Barcelona sit in 14th place with 10 points — level with four other teams. Frankfurt, who suffered their fourth defeat, remain 30th with four points.
