Lamine Yamal addresses his angry reactions to being subbed at Barcelona | OneFootball

Despite the minor blip they experienced in the last few months of last year, the 2024-25 season has seen FC Barcelona perform at a very high level, especially on the offensive front.

The Blaugranes are on course to beat the record of 190 goals scored throughout the season by Pep Guardiola’s team in the 2011-12 season, with their front line of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal all contributing well with their goals and assist.

All of these three forwards have taken a leap since Flick’s arrival, and have adapted very well to the new coach’s instructions. However, there have still been some moments of tension involving them, and one such moment was witnessed in the UCL game against Atalanta when the German coach subbed Yamal out of the game.

As he appeared in a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo, he was asked about his reaction to that substitution. The young winger was clear that this was something quite natural, and he had already gotten over his disappointment by the time he got to the bench:

“To be honest, no player likes being substituted. I don’t either, obviously, but from the moment I get subbed off until I reach the bench, it passes. I just think, ‘Hopefully, the team scores another goal,’ and that’s it. But I think it’s normal. I want to play, I want to get minutes. I see it as normal.”

Further talking on this topic, the La Masia graduate showed his understanding of why Flick sometimes subs him out despite his desire to stay on:

“Yes, because I think I’m not tired, that I can keep playing, that I can make another play, and another, and another. And if the coach doesn’t see it that way, maybe because he thinks I look more tired, then I understand it later.”

Yamal also revealed that the Barcelona coach explains to him his reasons for taking him out of a game:

“Yes, he explains it to me. He notices it, he notices when I’m angry, which is normal. He explains the reason, tells me to stay calm, that the good thing about football is that every three days there’s another match, and that I’ll have the chance to prove myself again over the weekend.”

With these comments, Yamal has clarified the absence of any hard feelings after being subbed out in important games, like the one against Atalanta.

The youngster understands that Flick is in a better position to plan his game time, and hopefully, the German will be able to get the best out of such an amazing offensive weapon in his Barcelona arsenal with careful planning.