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Lamine Yamal sparks a storm in Spain: "Barcelona does as it pleases"

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Tenorio tied the situation to the relationship between Barcelona president Joan Laporta and federation president Rafael Louzan, arguing that the club enjoys a wide margin of freedom when dealing with such cases.

Speaking on the programme "La Tribu" on Radio Marca, Tenorio picked apart Barcelona's standing with the Spanish federation, pointing to the sheer number of the club's players in the national team squad.

That, he said, hands Barcelona an advantage. The relationship between Laporta and Louzan is "excellent", and he summed up the club's freedom in four words: "They do whatever they like".

It all started with Lamine Yamal, who finished Barcelona's match against Atletico Madrid with pain in his right knee.

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Once the player had undergone medical examinations, the Spanish Football Federation announced he would stay at Barcelona to continue his recovery rather than travel with the national team to the Czech capital Prague for the match against the Czech Republic.

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Spain had beaten the Czech Republic two goals to nil in the game Yamal missed, along with Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal.

Head coach Luis de la Fuente addressed both afterwards, explaining that the pair would join up with the group to prepare for the next match against England at the Metropolitano.

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Oyarzabal's case had its own twist. The Spanish federation announced earlier that he would join up late because of a bout of influenza and would not travel to Prague.

De la Fuente told a different story after the win over the Czech Republic. He said the player had missed the trip to celebrate the birth of his child, confirming he would join the group alongside Yamal to prepare for the England clash.

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Tenorio then turned to Real Madrid, citing the case of Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, who reported for national team duty with pain in his knee tendons.

Clubs lean on their players to hold something back with their national teams, he said, and players often listen, a nod to the sway clubs hold over international appearances.

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Mbappe, for his part, stayed with the French national team. Zinedine rested him against Italy because of the pain in his knee tendons, with the player expected to be fit for the match against Turkey.

Head of the Desk Department at Koora.com

My story with soccer began when I was just a toddler, a little boy who didn’t fully understand what he was watching, but the magic emanating from the fields was too powerful to resist. I clearly remember following the Egyptian national team at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where my eyes were filled with wonder at the dramatic moments, and my heart was immersed in a sea of endless excitement. That was the beginning, the spark that ignited a passion that still burns today.

In the vault of my sporting memories, there are moments that will never fade. But if I had to choose just one, it would undoubtedly be Zinedine Zidane’s immortal goal in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen. A single ball, a rocket from “Zizou’s” left foot, flew in a mesmerizing arc to find the back of the net, securing Real Madrid’s ninth title. It was a moment when time stood still—a blend of beauty and power—reminding us that soccer is not just a game, but an art that touches the soul.

As for my all-time favorite lineup? It’s really tough—it’s like choosing among the stars in the sky. Here it is: (Goalkeeper) Gianluigi Buffon… (Defense): Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini… (Midfield): Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makélélé, Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta... (Forward): Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo “The Phenomenon.”

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