Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has warned Lamine Yamal to get used to rough treatment on the pitch after the Barcelona winger was targeted in his country’s 1-0 UEFA Nations League win over Denmark on Saturday.
Yamal, 17, was on the end of several strong tackles from the Danish side and was seen limping back to the team bus after the game.
“You have to apply the toughness that the rules allow,” De la Fuente said in a news conference when asked for his thoughts on the challenges Yamal suffered against Denmark.
“There is a referee there to mark the limit. Against young players with his talent, [opponents] try to intimidate and look for contact.
“The referee has to protect these talented players, but Lamine has to get used to it. I would love it to be a bed of roses, Flower Power, but this sport is like that.
“Lamine displayed an exceptional attitude and generated a lot for us from the right flank. He has a special talent. From there, I had a teammate who used to say: ‘What do you want, kisses [from the opponents]?’ Teams use the weapons they can within the rules.”
Denmark’s Victor Kristiansen was eventually booked for a foul on Yamal late in the game and the left-back said he wanted to let the teenager know he was not scared of playing against him.
Sources close to the Spain national team played down the significance of Yamal’s limp ahead of Tuesday’s Nations League game against Serbia, though a statement released by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) on Sunday confirmed that he had returned to Barcelona and wouldn’t play in that second game.
