Hansi Flick insisted there was no issue with Lamine Yamal after the teenager cut a frustrated figure upon being substituted during Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Levante on Sunday night.
Barcelona returned to La Liga action at Camp Nou seeking to overhaul Real Madrid at the top of the table, and they did so with a professional display that secured all three points. Yet despite the comfortable scoreline, attention quickly turned to Yamal’s reaction when his number was raised midway through the second half.
The 18-year-old winger had been lively but had not made a decisive contribution. When Flick opted to withdraw him with the result largely under control, Yamal made his way to the bench visibly frustrated, shaking his head as he took his seat.
It was a rare public glimpse of dissatisfaction from a player who has established himself as one of Barcelona’s most important attacking outlets.
Speaking afterwards, Flick was keen to downplay the incident.
“I love that he is disappointed,” the Barcelona head coach said. “It shows his mentality. He always wants to score, to assist, to help the team. That is good. That is what we want from our players.”
Flick explained that the decision to withdraw Yamal was taken with Barca's upcoming schedule in mind. Barcelona face a demanding run of fixtures across domestic and European competitions, and the German has been careful to stress the importance of protecting young talents from burnout.
“He is 18 years old,” Flick added. “We have to take care of him. He plays a lot of minutes and today the game was under control. It was the right moment to give him some rest.”
Barcelona had already asserted dominance by the time Yamal departed. Marc Bernal gave Barca an early lead and Frenkie de Jong put them 2-0 up at half time before Fermin Lopez wrapped up the points with a late 20-yard thunderbolt.
Victory took Barca back above Madrid at the top of La Liga after the capital club's 2-1 defeat to Osasuna on Saturday.
Flick praised the collective display, highlighting his side’s structure and patience in breaking down Levante’s resistance.
“We were very focused from the beginning,” he said. “We controlled the game, we were compact and we created chances. This is how we want to play.”
For Yamal, the evening served as a reminder of the standards he has set for himself. Having delivered decisive contributions in recent weeks, the winger has become accustomed to influencing outcomes.
Flick, however, sees that edge as an asset rather than a problem.
“You can see he wants more,” he said. “He is not satisfied just to play well. He wants numbers. That is part of growing as a top player.”
Flick also praised the performance of Joan Garcia, who kept Barca in the game early on with a crucial save in the opening moments. “We’re very happy to have him. He’s a complete goalkeeper, calm and quick to react.”
