Yamal couldn’t hide his disappointment after being substituted

In the 9th round of La Liga, Barcelona secured a 3-0 away victory against Alavés, with winger Lamine Yamal being substituted by Ansu Fati in the 67th minute.

According to the Spanish outlet *Sport*, although Yamal shook hands with coach Flick when he came off, he couldn’t hide his disappointment at being substituted. The 17-year-old winger sat on the bench with a dejected expression. His teammate Fermin Lopez tried to comfort him, and Yamal calmly watched the rest of the match, but without a smile.

The coaching staff conveyed to Yamal the reasoning behind the decision, explaining that to protect his body, it’s impossible for him to play every minute of every match. Despite this, Yamal has been in excellent form this season, and it’s hard for him to accept being subbed off when he feels he can continue playing. His situation now is different from when he was 16—he’s physically stronger and capable of playing the full 90 minutes in any match, whether for Barcelona or the national team.

Flick’s decision to substitute Yamal was influenced by the fact that he is likely to feature in Spain’s two upcoming Nations League matches during the international break. Upon returning to the club, he will face a series of tough fixtures against Sevilla, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid. With the season still in its early stages, Yamal needs to rest, and previously the only player to have played every minute, Koundé, was also rested, coming on only as a substitute in this match.

Barcelona are handling Yamal’s situation calmly. He is maturing quickly and fully respects the coach’s tactical decisions. For a 17-year-old player in top form, it’s normal to want to stay on the pitch, and his expression on the bench shouldn’t be misinterpreted.