De La Fuente breaks his promise to Secretary Yamal...and Barcelona is angry

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Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has broken his promise to Lamin Yamal, the Barcelona star, which may reopen an old source of tension between the national team and the Catalan club.

The Spanish national team made an ideal start in the European Nations League during the recent international break, winning all four of its matches and ending the round of matches at the top of its group with 12 points, but the success came with one notable exception to the rotation policy that de la Fuente carefully planned, which is Yamal.

Before Spain's last match against Croatia, De La Fuente was clear about his intentions, and with four tough matches in a short period, he promised that no player would exceed 270 minutes.

The Spain coach stressed the importance of load management and protecting his team from excessive fatigue. However, Yamal ended the international break with 281 minutes, nine minutes more than the announced limit.

The 19-year-old was the only Spaniard to start all four matches, playing 68 minutes against Croatia, 90 minutes against England, 46 minutes against the Czech Republic, and 78 minutes in the return leg against Croatia.

According to media reports, nine minutes may seem small, especially given Yamal's importance to the team, but the situation could catch the eye at Barcelona, ​​and the club and De La Fuente have already witnessed friction over the workload and physical condition of the winger. Last season, Hansi Flick publicly criticized Yamal's minute-management, while De La Fuente defended his responsibility to select the strongest possible squad for Spain.

The dispute highlighted the sensitive relationship between Barcelona and the Spanish Federation, especially since De La Fuente set a clear limit and Yamal was the only player to cross it, and with Barcelona relying heavily on its teenage star, Flick and the club management will have to closely monitor his workload.