The internet overreacting to Lamine Yamal’s early season struggles are nothing new to Barcelona fans and coach Hansi Flick, who is always ready to back his star player against ridiculous criticism.
After a not very good performance in the opener against Elche that generated millions of online overreactions to a supposedly bad body language followed by unfounded theories about the reasons for his alleged foul mood, Yamal came back with a better performance against Athletic that helped quiet down the outside
noise.
Flick was asked at a press conference on Sunday about Yamal, and the coach had an absolutely perfect answer.
“It’s always good when a player smiles, but not every day is the same. I don’t smile every day either. Everyone is worried about him, but he played in a World Cup after an injury. He’s had three weeks of vacation.
He’s played two matches; the first one maybe wasn’t his best, but I’m happy because he gives us more, he creates opportunities… against Athletic he played the full 90 minutes, I saw him at his best. Today [in training] he was excellent. He’s on the right track. We have to support him, and I’m going to do it.”
Athletic Club coach Edin Terzic also spoke in similar terms about Yamal, and it’s always good to hear actual adults being mature about one of the most talented young players in recent history who, like the rest of us, is allowed to have a bad day.
But the internet won’t learn, so we await the next overreaction.
