The tension surrounding Lamine Yamal has taken a new twist, and FC Barcelona has stepped forward to defend its actions. Following the forward’s unexpected withdrawal from the Spanish national team, the club insists it acted with full transparency and immediate communication after administering the treatment designed to ease the pubalgia that has been troubling the 17-year-old for weeks.

Club sources, speaking to EFE, stated that Barcelona behaved “responsibly and in coordination” with the player and his medical needs, rejecting any suggestion that the procedure was carried out behind the Federation’s back. For Barça, the priority has always been clear: ensuring Lamine’s full recovery and preventing his condition from escalating.

The response arrives after the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) publicly voiced its “surprise” and “discomfort” regarding the radiofrequency procedure applied to the youngster — a treatment the Federation claimed it had not been informed about, including the required rest period of 7 to 10 days. Barcelona strongly denies that version.

A Supervised and Fully Agreed-Upon Treatment

According to the club, Lamine remains under the supervision of Barça’s medical staff, who maintain continuous communication with the national team. The treatment was overseen by Belgian specialist Ernest Schilders, an internationally recognized expert in pubalgia, who was already scheduled to visit the Ciutat Esportiva the day after the match against Celta.

During that joint assessment, Schilders and Barcelona’s doctors determined that the player’s condition was improving but still needed a targeted intervention to accelerate his recovery. The decision to apply a radiofrequency treatment — a controlled electrical technique that reduces pain and stimulates tissue healing — was reached collectively and communicated “immediately” to the RFEF, according to Barça.

Because the procedure mandates a short period of rest, Lamine was automatically ruled out of Spain’s final qualifying window for the 2026 World Cup, where the team will face Georgia in Tbilisi and Turkey in Seville.

Another Chapter in an Ongoing Institutional Dispute

The situation has reopened old tensions between the club and the Federation around the management of young talents. Barcelona wants its medical roadmap to be respected. The RFEF wants closer coordination and more clarity. And Lamine Yamal finds himself in the middle of a tug-of-war he never asked for.

For now, the club’s focus shifts fully to his recovery. Barcelona expect the young winger to return in optimal condition after the international break, ready to resume a season in which he has already become central to Hansi Flick’s plans.